Jane Barrett and Camilla Arnolds If Not Now, When (The IKEA Approach To Career Change)

Jane Barrett and Camilla Arnold’s ‘If Not Now, When’ (The IKEA Approach To Career Change) Book Reviews Jane Barrett and Camilla Arnold’s ‘If Not Now, When?’ (The IKEA Approach To Career Change) By Natasha Stanley * I hate IKEA. If the lack of natural daylight and prescribed routes through the store don’t turn you into a quivering emotional wreck, once you get your homogenous flat-packed MDF bookshelf home, you have the instruction booklet to contend with. Building your own furniture could be a blast; there’s potential for the process to be fun and challenging. But instead, thanks to IKEA, you find yourself counting 324 wooden pegs, starting again at least four times because you dared to deviate from the ‘process’, and growing a deep, acidic resentment for those smug little bubble-men in the illustrations. Jane Barrett and Camilla Arnold’s book left me feeling the same way. Written by two highly experienced recruiters and career consultants, I expected a sharp, informative, insider’s view on how to change career smoothly and meaningfully. Instead, I felt as though I was reading a Dummies’ Guide To Career-Change, written by a first-year HR student. Clumsy grammar and sentence constructions make for an uncomfortable reading experience at the best of times, but paired with a cold and detached tone, they become almost unbearable. Barrett and Arnold cover all the topics you’d expect a career-change book to cover. Figuring out what you enjoy, dealing with your fears, pinpointing your skills, even how to work effectively with recruitment agencies and do well in interviews. But there’s one key factor missing: the element of human connection, and the recognition of how it really feels to go through a major career change. If the authors have done it themselves, they’re not letting on. Instead, they’ve put together a bland, step-by-step guide to changing career, written as though discovering your life’s work is an algebra problem or a flat-pack wardrobe. There’s a huge Values Matrix in Part Two, which covers two pages and involves ticking off all your beliefs, ranking them, comparing them, and inserting them into a mathematical-style grid which will apparently spit out your most fundamental values at the end. For an exercise designed to elicit the concepts closest to your heart, it seemed spectacularly sterile. As I flicked further through the book, my heart sank more with every tick-box I saw â€" and there are a LOT of tick-boxes. However, this is a deeply personal process, and what makes my heart sink might make yours dance. If you like an orderly and logic-based approach to discovering your heart’s desires, Barrett and Arnold’s approach will be right up your alley. Essentially, this book is a guide to getting a job in a different field than the one you’re currently in, rather than a journey to discovering and creating a life that lights you up. If you’re looking for a resource to help you list your skills and interests, and give you a broad overview of the job-search process, ‘If Not Now, When?’ will give you what you’re looking for. But don’t expect to have much fun doing it. Our Top Takeaways: Make a Life Collage: Rather than thinking about what job you’d like to do, start thinking about what you’d like your life to look like. Barrett and Arnold suggest a great way to do this: by making a visual collage of words, colours, statements and images that speak to you in some way. Rip up magazines, newspapers, take photos, and use paints; have fun with this project! Don’t think about what direction your collage is headed in until you’re done; simply allow yourself to play with whatever you find attractive. You may be very surprised by the themes that show up. Use a Reverse Timeline to make your change feel real: Once you know what you want to do, the gap between where you are and where you want to be can seem enormous. To bridge that gap, try starting from the end and working backwards. In your calendar, set a date for achieving your ultimate goal. Then, working backwards in monthly increments, write down what you would have to have achieved each month in order to have reached your goal by the final date. This can really help to make any goal feel structured and achievable, and is a great tool for career change. Get your key players on board from the start: There’s nothing worse than launching yourself into an exciting career change, making great progress, and then being dragged into paralysis by the weight of other people’s negative opinions. Talk to the most important people in your life early on in the process, and either get them on board or be clear about how you’re going to manage their criticisms and fears. The sooner you know who’s on your side, the more effectively you can build up the support network you need to soar.

How To Prepare A Resume Template With Resume Templates Free Download

How To Prepare A Resume Template With Resume Templates Free DownloadThe number of websites offering resume templates free download is growing fast. If you're looking for a certain template that can be used for resume but want to avoid paying for it, then you must keep in mind some important points before going for the free download. When you find a specific template, you must read it closely and make sure that you will get all the information that is required for the job.First of all, there are chances that your resume will be disqualified if you try to use the same template for more than one employer. The reason for this is that when a person has applied for more than one jobs, he/she would have experienced more than one interview and they would also have different experience and qualifications. The first person who reads your resume will judge you differently and this fact must be considered while using resume templates free download.You must have a clear idea about the content of the template. This is very important because this will help you create a separate resume and the best way to know it is to read it carefully. It is wise to learn the basic steps of writing a resume from the professional writers and you can easily learn the same from them.The next important factor is that the resume should be on target. This means that it should be perfectly written. No unnecessary phrases, abbreviations, acronyms and similar words should be used in the resume. The formatting is also important as you can easily get confused in the eye of the reader if the style is not acceptable and it will be good if you ask the writer to proofread your resume.It is advisable to do a test to check how you could fill the resume properly. You can find a resume writing test online and you can use it in making the template. Sometimes it is very difficult to write and format a resume as the material is too complicated and hard to understand. Therefore, test it in order to get an idea of the position.Templates are important in every company and it plays an important role in creating a well-written document. If you want to get the best result, you should not try to do all the work by yourself but hire a professional to do it for you. You must learn to be a capable writer and just follow instructions of the template while preparing the resume.The information should also be right. If the company wants to know more about you, then write down the exact information and leave everything else out. There are chances that the company may be not satisfied with the information and your resume would not be accepted.Resume templates free download will be the best thing for you if you don't have enough time to make it yourself or can't afford to pay for a professional writer. Moreover, you can get your resume done easily by following these tips.

Traditional Trades - A Route to Freedom

Traditional Trades - A Route to Freedom For many career-minded women, flexibility in the hours and weeks of employment and a large degree of freedom are important considerations. And for many women, one of the best ways towards achieving these goals is via self-employment. But the big problems with choosing this route are the lack of an absolutely secure income, the sporadic nature of contacts and the requirement for genuine self-discipline and motivation. Perhaps it’s for these reasons that more women seem to be opting for the more traditional trades trades we would normally associate with men. So to explain; we’re talking here about trades such as plumber, electrician, mechanic, plasterer, builder, painter and decorator, welder etc. Some of these trades, and perhaps most notably the first three on the list offer reasonably secure employment whatever the economy may throw at us (though it’s still wise to be providential in the good times of course). Whats more they’re proving increasingly popular with women. HiPages, for example, notes that in Australia the number of women in these trades has been growing. True; men still account for four out of every five tradespeople down-under. But 2015 alone saw an amazing 490% increase in women tradespeople signing up on the site. And these kind of stats seem likely to be reflected in other developed economies. In short, things are changing in these trades with more and more women getting professionally qualified. And whilst not all tradespeople are self-employed, many are as this choice can offer a traditional route to self-employment. And, perhaps more to the point, it’s one that is reasonably secure. OK, such careers aren’t for everyone.  But for those women who enjoying working hard and deciding exactly when and where they want to work, trades offer an interesting option. And once you are professionally qualified, it’s something you can fall back on which, in turn, gives tradespeople the freedom to do more interesting things in life like travelling or taking a year out etc., whilst being reasonably safe in the knowledge that they can start again when they want to. Obviously, all such advice comes with a big word of warning; trades are competitive and there are no guarantees etc. But such trades are always in demand and for people who work well, who are qualified to do so and who work for a fair price, there is usually sufficient work. Also, many people commissioning such work would simply prefer to employ a woman for myriad reasons. Women are generally better communicators than their male counterparts and are often preferred by other women who need help from tradespeople but don’t like to feel condescended to. CAPTION: Could these be the tools of your trade? Overall, though, perhaps the most appealing things about careers in the traditional trades through self-employment from a woman’s point of view are the flexibility such careers potentially allow in creating the right work/life balance along with the feeling of “actuality” in completing real physical tasks; a feeling that is lacking in so many other career choices today. Image Source; Image Source

How To Find a Job With LinkedIn

How To Find a Job With LinkedIn If you want to get a toe up on the career ladder as a young professional, LinkedIn is the perfect place to begin. LinkedIn is the top social media business professional’s website online with more than 100 million professional members worldwide as of March 2011, according to the official website. With that being said, LinkedIn provides young professionals with the perfect opportunity to virtually rub elbows with top contenders in their industry. This is your chance to make valuable connections, find out about new job opportunities before they are posted, and potentially expand your sphere of influence in your career. Here are a few tips to get you started with Linkedin: • Start conversations. When it comes to professionally networking in social media, you simply cannot hang back and be a wallflower. It’s important that you get out there, start conversations, ask questions, and provide valuable information. This is one of the best ways to get to know people and make business connections on a social networking website like LinkedIn. • Establish yourself as an expert. So what if you don’t have a PhD or have 20+ years of experience in your job? LinkedIn has a diverse group area where you can join discussions and provide answers to other users asking questions. This is your chance to show that you know your stuff. Start answering questions, providing valuable information, and joining in discussions. Then you will be able to watch interested colleagues as they are attracted to you and want to find out more about the business that you represent. • Pimp out your profile. It’s important to put as much effort as possible into your LinkedIn profile since it will represent you in the social media marketplace. On top of that, make sure to include valuable keywords in your profile since it will be easier for people to find you in the search engines. When you include keywords related to your industry on your profile, businesses that are headhunting will be able to quickly access your information to contact you about potential job leads or opportunities. • Quality over quantity. The entire purpose of LinkedIn is to make business connections, but you don’t necessarily need hundreds of connections to improve your reputation. When it comes to social media, quality over quantity always rules. Take the time to start conversations, answer questions, and get to know people before making them a contact on LinkedIn. This way, you will know that your contact list is full of valuable colleagues and connections that can boost your career in the future! This post was written by Bethany Ramos.   Bethany is an expert  at Internet and social media marketing, and she also co-owns her own e-commerce website, The Coffee Bump.

Tips For Writing a Professional Resume Using UCCS

Tips For Writing a Professional Resume Using UCCSThere are many ways to create a great resume. There are some tips that may help you when you begin the process. UCCS (Universal Credential Standards) is one of those ways that can really help your resume. If you don't know what this is, then I'll explain.Universal Credential Standards, or UCCS, are the standardized format for all of the resumes that you will find. This includes job descriptions, education levels, and so forth. It also covers a person's skills and experience.The goal of UCCS is to have a universal document that helps employers and recruiters find candidates based on their specific requirements. You may find that this format of resume is the best way to go if you need to be considered for positions in several different fields. In fact, I've seen examples of this resume used by a candidate who was interested in specific areas of nursing. She included her qualifications as a Registered Nurse, her certification as an Advanc ed Registered Nurse, and also her Master's Degree, all on one document.When looking at UCCS, there are five main sections. They are Core Curriculum Vitae (CV), Education, Work Experience, Skills, and Professional Experience. You should always keep the skills section listed under the education section.You should then list the types of experience you have under your education section. A good example of this would be that a candidate may list their work experience as working as a teacher or as a manager. Some employers will consider this experience as valuable and are more likely to hire someone with this type of experience.Next, you should include your professional and personal information under your work experience. In this section, you should list any patents, licenses, awards, certifications, letters of recommendation, etc. The key here is to provide a large amount of information so that the employer can see your expertise.Lastly, your education section is what will help employers determine whether or not you are the right candidate for the position you are applying for. The information you should include here is your high school diploma or equivalent, your GPA in high school, college or university level study, and the courses you took. If your coursework is marked, then you should include your name and grade.If you follow these simple tips, you should be able to get a very polished resume. Now that you understand what UCCS is, you should have no problem creating a very well-written resume that will help you land the job you want.

Do You Know the Basics of How to Do Nashville Resume Writing?

Do You Know the Basics of How to Do Nashville Resume Writing?Nashville Resume Writes will not work if you do not know the basics of how to do this right. The only way for you to find out how to write a Nashville Resume is to first figure out what types of resumes you want to use and what type of job you want to get. When you do that, you can begin working on what types of resumes you will need.Many people are concerned with how much Nashville Resume Writing will cost them. This is completely unnecessary if you look at it in the right light. If you are aware of what kind of employment you want and how much money you want to make, you can take this information and begin looking around for the best deal. Here are some of the places that you can find Nashville Resume Writing assistance.o The most obvious place that you can look for help is your local office of the business that employs you. If you work for a business in Nashville, you should always be able to ask them for some help on th e resume writing front. They have experience in the field and they might be able to provide some free advice and guidance.o You can also check into some of the online resources that you might find useful and find out more about how to do Nashville Resume Writing. Your local community college has a lot of resources that can help you out when it comes to Nashville Resume Writing. In fact, they will be able to assist you with hiring letters, cover letters, resumes, and other writing pieces.o The next time you are in your community library, look around at the books on Nashville Resume Writing. These books will help you learn about the whole process of writing a professional looking letter. It will be a good idea to pick up a few books to use on the job.o If you already have a job in Nashville, you might want to consider going to the local employment service that you use to make a living. There are plenty of these agencies out there. You will want to contact them first to see if they can offer any assistance. You might be able to save a ton of money by doing this.o Finally, you can find plenty of Resume Writing help at some of the big Nashville companies. Most of these companies have a very high standard of the resumes that they hire. You will not want to send a resume to such a company unless you have asked permission to do so.When you have done all of the above, you will be able to create a Nashville Resume Writing plan that is ready to go. You will be able to choose a strategy for how to begin your Nashville Resume Writing. These are all things that you can look at right now.

The best outfits for a job interview - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

The best outfits for a job interview You’ve sent an engaging CV and covering letter, enticed your prospective employers with a polite but lucid email exchange, and now the moment of truth has come. It’s the big day. Time to attend your interview. But you can’t just rock up to this important meeting wearing jeans and a t-shirt. We might be beyond the days when a full suit and tie was necessary in all workplace situations, but you’re still expected to dress to impress when you attend a job interview. Your communication skills are most likely exemplary, but if you go to an interview dressed like a panhandler it’s unlikely you’ll bag the position. If you’re female, the minefield of fashion is even greater. Men can simply show up in a casual suit, but for women the choices of what to wear are incredibly broad â€" and the line between casualwear and workwear is increasingly blurred. To give you a helping hand, we’ve come up with a few ideal outfits that will impress â€" and won’t break the bank. The power suit If the interview you’re attending is for an executive position, then a power suit could be the ideal weapon to complement your killer conversation and business acumen. In terms of suits for women, we’re long past the Robert Palmer look. A quick Google will help you find a great and cost effective combination. Failing that a trip to your local high street will be almost certain to get you a great power suit at an affordable price. Dresses Dresses don’t have to be a no-no in an interview. Provided your dress is formal, as opposed to summery or clearly designed for a night out, there shouldn’t be a problem. If you don’t have a formal looking dress and can’t afford to purchase a new one then fear not â€" layering is your friend. A smart jacket or blazer will turn your casual dress into something more appropriate for an interview. Pair this with some formal shoes and you’ll look great. On the second interview If you’re lucky enough to be invited for a second interview, then swear by this maxim â€" dress formally on your first interview then dress like your prospective employer on your second. By doing this you’ll send implicit signals that you fit into the company that you’ve applied for, improving your chances of nabbing the role of a lifetime. Those are our tips. Can you think of any ideal outfits that you’d wear to a job interview? Then let us know in the comments below!