Leveraging Your Winter Break For Your Career - CareerAlley

Leveraging Your Winter Break For Your Career - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. As the November moustaches are shed and the winter holidays loom around the corner, its time to start thinking about how to leverage the holiday break for your job-search. Whether youre a student or already a part of the working world, the holiday season always gives us a little time to kick back and relax after a gruelling working term. In the interest of ones mental health, this precious time free of obligations should undoubtedly be savoured. That being said, it also provides the perfect opportunity to explore career options, network, and apply to those positions that have been taking the backseat to your day to day work obligations. Utilizing the time off to de-stress and take advantage of the holiday party circuit can actually help you move forward in the job search. Think of it as an opportunity to readdress your career goals and get some quality networking in through casual settings. NETWORK Holiday parties? Family get togethers? Cocktail soirees? Youre going to spend your time socializing whether you like it or not, take this opportunity to ask questions and connect with people in various fields. Whether its new graduates who recently been through the job hunt or an old cranky relative with years of experience find out how they wound up on their current career path. Regardless of what you think you want to do, taking advantage of the various experience and talents of those around you is an invaluable chance to broaden your horizons and develop rapport with professionals. On a side note: In the interest of your health and dignity, limit your eggnog intake! A slurring candidate is not necessarily a desirable candidate. TACKLE YOUR JOB-SEARCH TO DO LIST Remember all those cover letter emails you meant to send? The job boards youve bookmarked but have yet to browse through? While the internet has revolutionized the job-search, the process can still feel daunting and overwhelming. What starts as a few easy clicks turns into hours of stress. Create a checklist with a manageable timeline and tackle the tasks youve been putting off. Setting aside the time to address the digital communication and searching youve been procrastinating is one of the easiest ways to alleviate stress and promote the self confidence needed in going forward. LEARN A SKILL Have more time on your hands than you think? You would be surprised by what skills you can develop and hone over a few weeks with an internet connection, knowledgable friends and family, or some old fashioned elbow grease. With the increasing availability of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), you can learn nearly any University level course offerings at no cost. Check out Coursera and Udacity to brush up on familiar concepts or explore new ones. There are plenty of resources out there, look up the jobs your interested and research the kind of skills they require. While mastery in a new skill can not be expected in such a short period, the willingness and ability to learn autonomously is a desirable trait appreciated by Employers. GAIN EXPERIENCE For the most ambitious among you, take the chance to pursue real life experience in the time off. Contact companies to schedule informational interviews to explore your options and ask about the opportunity to shadow professionals with likeminded interests. Take advantage of the short-term commitment that can make a big impact informing your job-search later on. Still dont have any idea what you want to do? Dont be discouraged and still take the time to explore; trying different experiences plays a big part in the self awareness required to identify aspects that you do excel in. VOLUNTEER Tis the season to lend a hand and give your time to a charity or volunteer program that could always use more help. Not only is volunteering a good way to give back and gain perspective, its also a great activity to put on your resume. Check out your local shelters and non-profit organizations and see what you can do to help out and contribute. For more great advice on how be proactive about your career follow Emilys tips on the Jobbook Blog. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Visit me on Facebook

Client Case Study Sarah Fox - When I Grow Up

Client Case Study Sarah Fox - When I Grow Up Um, do you know that Ive coached hundreds of women since I started offering dream career guidance in 2008? And that these women are freakin rock stars, leaving soul-sucking jobs and traveling the world and launching creative, grown-up businesses and simply doing work that fits their lifestyle goals? Well ya do now and youll hear their stories firsthand in my  Client Case Studies series! I first worked with Sarah in my group career-discovery program in March of 2014. On June 2nd of this year, I got a short email from her that said I am finally quitting my job on Monday and am becoming a woman of the world in my editing business. I could not have done it without you and your work. I am so excited/scared! But mostly excited. Thanks again! Of course, I stopped what I was doing and did the biggest of happy dances and then roped her in to answering my questions for this series. Enjoy! Why did you decide to work with a creative career coach? My whole life I wanted to have a job involving books. My first word was book, so I am pretty sure books and I were destined to spend our days together. However, I couldn’t figure out how to make a career out of my passion for books. My friend recommended you, and I knew you would be a perfect fit after I saw you rock the ukulele. What were you doing work-wise when we started our sessions? I was a technical writer and process engineer. My days were spent reviewing technical documents and telling people how to make their work process more efficient. What was your biggest takeaway from our work together? I think it was the belief that it was possible to have a job I loved. I always thought having a career of my dreams was something that only existed in fairytales (okay, I don’t know any career fairytales, but it should definitely be a thing). It really helped having your  encouragement and to see the different careers people were doing successfully. If someone can have a career writing on-line dating profiles, I could be a book editor and a novelist! Was there anything else you tried to do as a career between the time we stopped our sessions and what you do for work now? If so, how did it inform your current career? I always knew I had a passion was for books and words, so once I determined that I wanted to be an editor, writer, and writing coach through my own business, I just focused on that. Having that goal in mind helped me stick it out with my day job until I was ready to launch my business full-time. What would you tell someone now that was in your shoes when we first started working together? Whats your best tip to allow them to make a grown-up living doing what they love? I would tell them not to worry about what other people will think. What prevented me from quitting my job to take my business full-time was my fixation on other people judging me. I live in D.C.; it is a city that is very career-oriented. People really don’t often go off the corporate track. I was sure people would look at me like I was nuts. When I did quit my job, I was surprised to find that everyone was super supportive, even those that I didn’t think would be! Even if that weren’t the case, the joy I have working for myself far outweighs any outside criticism or judgment. If you have your own biz, whats on the horizon for your business? Wed love to hear about any upcoming offerings or goals! I am currently offering editing and writing coaching on my website (www.thebookishfox.com). I also am about to launch a membership site for aspiring writers. It will have writing prompts, workshops, and tons of accountability! Finally, I am currently writing a young adult novel. I cannot wait to finally hold my book in my hands! Applications open up this week  for one-on-one work with me. Ill be adding some new, lower-cost ways for us to work together, so youre gonna want in on this. Add your name to the wait list here and youll get to submit your no-obligation app ASAP. Perfection!

Make Your Resume Writing For Military Transition Easy

Make Your Resume Writing For Military Transition EasyResume writing for military transition is similar to the rest of the job market. Military personnel are looking for people with high caliber skills. Resume writing for military transition is more difficult than for civilian jobs. The same needs to apply for every aspect of a military career.To begin your military transition resume writing, it would be beneficial to find out about the specific requirements of your transition. These are usually done when the recruit is about to start a new career in the military. The transition will allow the new recruit to choose between a civilian or military career and learn about his or her strengths and weaknesses.What you need to do first is to look up what different military branches have in common when it comes to employment. It is important to look up the job's requirements. Every military branch has its own set of skills that you need to become familiar with. Knowing these will help you to find out what skills you can use for your resume writing.After you know what your future will hold, the next step is to contact a military recruiter. They will be able to help you find a job that is right for you. This will be in the form of a civilian job. Your military recruiter will also help you get familiar with the requirements in a certain career field before you decide on which career field you want to pursue.When you are about to start your military transition, you need to make sure that you have a good grasp of your English. You should be fluent in the language to begin with and it will help you when you start looking for a job. You need to get acquainted with the culture and see if you can adapt. This is one of the ways that will give you an advantage when applying for a civilian job.While your resume writing for military transition focuses on the generalities of the job, it can still be successful if you show the companies some of your skills in a specific career field. This can be in the form of a recommendation from your former supervisor. It will also be helpful if you can include your military background or the courses that you have taken while you were in the military.You need to be sure that you include all of your future changes and the future that you are working towards. Without knowing this, you will not be able to begin your resume writing for military transition.

For Arts Majors, How To Get Ahead

For Arts Majors, How To Get Ahead For Arts Majors, How To Get Ahead Let me guess: When you first told  mom and dad you want to major in (insert your arts major here: English/theater/visual art), it didn’t go well. Ive been there. Not only have I been there, my dad didn’t actually know I was majoring in theater until my college graduation. (I actually double majored-but he only ever knew about the literature major. Surprise! Please don’t kill me.) Lets be real: Maybe  you’re also wondering a little if you’ve lost your mind, wanting to  major in something so supposedly impractical.  Im here to calm you (and your mom and dad) down. Being an arts major isnt an automatic ticket to chronic unemployment I graduated eleven years ago and every year since then my tax forms have said stage manager (except one year when I was a production manager) and I have always managed to pay all my bills. But I am in the minority among my college classmatesof about 30 of us, only 10 or so work full time in the arts. The majority of the successful ones have technical theater degrees and have gone on to work as stagehands or at theatrical equipment supply companies. We have a few technical directors, a designer, and an actor as well. Bigger buteveryone I graduated with works full time and regularly uses the skills they learned in college. Quite a few classmates with performance degrees have gone on to become high school drama teachers. Another very common career path is into real estate. One classmate opened his own dance studio, which is actually a quite  lucrative career path. (Remind your parents how much they paid for your recital fees alone.) Youre going to need drive and determination From watching all of us though, I’ve also learned a few key lessons. The folks who still work in the arts wanted it. The folks who left would approach  auditions and job opportunities like they would come to them, which is madness. Most of us who still work in the arts spent the first few years making very little and working really long hours. Almost all of us had solid backup plans. I used to substitute teach to make ends meet between gigs. I also had a bigger backup plan to go back to school for a year and get a teaching certificate to go with that literature degree if things didn’t pan out. Those  who failed the worst in their professional foray into the arts had no other plans and, when everything fell apart, had to start from scratch before figuring out new plans like working in real estate or going back to school for a business degree. If youre considering a major in the artswhether music, theater, or paintingheres what I suggest you do before you graduate: Double major in something practical Education, business, computers.  And hope you never have to use it. While it might be added work (or even expense), it’s much easier  to take a few extra classes while you’re already in school than to have to go back and start over from scratch. Keep your student loans as low as possible Being debt free will allow you to take some low-paying, connection-making jobs. The kind that turn into better-paying, career-making jobs. The saddest situation is to be an arts major with a six-figure student loan debt and be forced into a job you dont like that probably wont pay the bills anyway because you didnt get the right degree. If its not too late, try to avoid that. Develop a  solid survival job while you’re still in school Survival jobs need to be flexible with hours you can set yourself. Some common ones are freelance writing, babysitting or nannying, and substitute teaching. (And, hey, if you double-majored in accounting, you can make your own hours doing some of that on the side.) Don’t be afraid to travel Touring jobs, cruise ship jobs, and theme park jobs are all solid resume credits at the beginning of your careerespecially if you do graduate with debt. Your living expenses will be covered and you can pay off those loans much faster. Summary Don’t listen to the haters! It’s hard to make it in the arts, but its not impossible. You probably chose your path knowing that its financially difficult, but hard work and common sense can make it financially possible. Read more: 7 Side Gigs That Pay Well And Let You Set Your Own Hoursbbrbdeyvtxreyydxqxawcsqsrfxazzwrure How To Make Good Money Working In Theater

North Carolina Program Proves That There Is Hope for the Long-Term Unemployed

North Carolina Program Proves That Therbeie Is Hope for the Long-Term UnemployedMiranda Hairston is the marketing director for KP Consulting in Charlotte, North Carolina. Shes been in the position since January of 2014, but for a long time she was afraid that she might never find another job, having absinken victim to budget cuts that eliminated her job with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system. She had no prospects, and no networking connections, having moved to Charlotte to care for her ailing mother.Charlotte WorksMiranda found support from Charlotte Works, a public/private-sector entity that provides career counseling, job search assistance, and education through federal grants. Its been recognized by the White House as one of the most effective programs of its kind, and Charlotte Works volunteer manager Julie Paul is hopeful that there will be federal funding for similar programs.Paul herself was unemployed for a year and a half before finding full-time employment at Charlott e Works. She understands what program participants are going through, because shes been there herself.Program participants work in the Charlotte Works office, and can also take training in classrooms that are outfitted with computer equipment donated by Microsoft. Free Internet is available so that participants can create resumes and conduct job searches.KP ConsultingKP is one of several hundred businesses that have partnered with Charlotte Works in an effort to find positions for the unemployed. Paula Harvey, KPs CEO, stresses that the program shouldnt be considered a job placement service. Rather, it offers people ways to develop their skills and acquire the training that employers require. It also serves as a means for employers to access a talent pool that they didnt have previously.Harvey met Miranda Hairston at a training session, and was impressed by her work ethic and her attitude. After she completed a course in HR Management that Harvey taught at CPPC (Central Piedmont Com munity College), Harvey hired her for a contract position, and ultimately offered her full-time employment.More Needs to Be DonePaula Harvey stresses that there are programs like Charlotte Works that can connect motivated workers with HR professionals. She believes, however, that HR professionals should be proactive in making connections and getting their decision makers involved in the process. There is still a prejudice in some quarters against hiring the long-term unemployed, but its a prejudice that shouldnt be difficult to overcome. It is, she says, the right thing to do. Certainly, Miranda Hairston would agree.

10 Ways to Increase Productivity Even When Youre Overwhelmed

10 Ways to Increase Productivity Even When Youre Overwhelmed We all feel overwhelmed from time to time. Whether its taking care of ur families, or work demands, we still have to get things done. First, make sure you are taking proper care of yourself, get enough sleep, meditate, insist on a girls night, whatever self-care means for, prioritize those things With that said, here are 10 steps to streamlining your productivity through it all1. Make a To-Do ListI start by getting everything written down. Write down everything thats on your mind, every task, deadline, meeting, errand, even your grocery list. Once its on paper, you wont waste valuable brain bandwidth thinking about and trying not to forget all those little things you need to get doneNext, identify the top three or four things that have to get done today. On a new page write those down, dont write more than four, and rank them in order of importance. It can be helpful to make an Eisenhower Matrix, also called a Priority or 4x4 Matrix.Draw a + in the middle of a piece of paper. Along the left side, at the bottom write Not Important, and at the top write Important along the top edge of the paper, mark the left as Urgent, and the right, Not Urgent.Put each of your four to-do list items into one box. You only get one. Remember, take one day at a time, and this is just for today. The thing that is in the Important and Urgent box is your Number One Top Priority for today. Now, flip your to-do list over, and on the reverse side, write the Number One Top Priority, and break into smaller discrete tasks.If you need something more automated, here are some great to-do list apps that can help you.2. EmailThis can be overwhelming, but youre not going to tackle it all in one day. Open your emaille and immediately make one folder titled Look at Today and one titled Look at This Week. Based only on the subject lines, quickly go through and moved each email into one of your folders, and delete any obvious junk. Set an away message saying that youll get back in touch within the week or maybe not at all Some people are opting out of the email-tag game altogether, with mixed result. At the very least, try to set specific times for email and dont let the urgency of new message alerts distract you from your focused work.3. Take BreaksThe human brain can only engage in deep focus work for about 90 minutes before it needs a break. And after about fifty hours of work per week, the additional work that is actually accomplished is negligible, and may even lead to rework due to mistakes or omissions. This is the law of diminishing returns, where the additional input into a situation no longer leads to the equivalent output. So get away from your desk at strategic times, and return recharged so you can actually finish your most important tasks10 AM. Get up, step away from your desk. Go get a cup of coffee or a glass of water. Stretch your arms over your head. Take a walk to pop in and say hello to your wor kbff. Go stand in the parking lot for a minute and get some sun. Check your phone now, but dont return messages yet, and walk while you do it. Whatever you do, just take at least a minute away from your desk.Noon. Go eat lunch. Eat something that makes you feel good to eat, and that will stave off the mid-afternoon slump. Aim for a good mix of lean eiwei and complex carbohydrates. A turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and sprouts is a good and easy bet Dont eat at your desk, and if at all possible, leave the office. Go run that tiny errand that is nagging at you. Get yourself a frappe at your favorite coffee shop. Before you head back in, soak up another minute in the fresh air and sun. Cross the dayoffyour wall or desk calendar Yourehalf waythrough3P.M.Take another walk around the office, refill your water bottle, check your personal messages and take a few minutes to return any that need to be addressed by COB.4. Leave BetterFifteen minutes before you leave, clean up your desk, put your notes and files away where you can readily find them in the morning. Make yourself a note of where you left off on a project, so you can easily get back into the swing tomorrow. Five minutes before you leave, write down your four item to-do list for tomorrow.5. Leave AltogetherTaking time away from work can lead to great boosts in creativity, productivity, and engagement. Sabbaticals can be used to invest in somework relatedactivity, like expanding your network and gaining new skills, or to pursue a side hustle or bucket list item, like global travel or launching your passion project. Either way, the intentional auszeit from your typical day to day can really pay off not only foryou,but for your company as well.6.Getup Earlier or Stay up LaterMany people find the early morning to be a great time to tackle their top priorities. If you can get up an hour or so earlier (make sure you go to bed earlier, too), use that quiet time to plot out your day, squeeze in aworkout, or eve n chip away at your big project If youre a night owl like me, find out if flex time is an option for you, and whether your boss really cares about seeing your face, or your deliverables Work from home once everyones gone to bed and your creative juices are flowing. Either way, get yourself on a better sleep schedule.7. Eat SomethingI know, between taking breaks and limiting your email and getting up early (or staying up late), you really just dont have time But if you dont eat, you wont have the fuel your body needs to continue and produce good work. Our brains demand 20 percent of our resting metabolism on a lazy day, or nearly 11 calories an hour. Add in deep thinking, focused work, and a crazy schedule, and you need to feed your brain, or youll end up unfocused, confused, and error-prone. So eat breakfast, stop for lunch, and have snacks as you need to I usually bring a piece of fruit or a small dish of trail mix to snack on at my desk. If you need some inspiration, here are some easy lunch recipes.8. StreamlineGroup errands and similar tasks. If youre taking your kid to dance class, grab those few grocery items on the way back. Try to schedule several meetings in the saatkorn place so you dont have to travel. Knock out emailin a dedicated chunk of time.9. DelegateCan your partner take the kid to dance instead? Can your colleague take one or two items off your plate? No, other people wont do things the same way that you would, but breathe and let it go The important thing is that the things that need to be done are taken care of.10. Remember That its Not Life or DeathThroughitall, remember that your 100 percent isnt going to be the same from week to week. We all have ups and downs, off days, and peak busy times and were all allowed to. My boss tells the story of a woman he used to work with who, when the team was harried and frazzled around her, would look around and calmly point out, Nobody died. In the majority of our circumstances, thats going to be tru e. Part of being a rock star performer is knowing and going with that flow, instead of fighting it

The Chronicles of Claims Adjuster Resume

The Chronicles of Claims Adjuster Resume Things You Wont Like About Claims Adjuster Resume and Things You Will Do you understand what things to have in your Claims Specialist resume. Jobs are opening daily, all you will need to do is platzdeckchen your administrative coordinator resume togetzu sich and start your search Some Claims Adjusters have the ability to handle all sorts of claims, while some specialize in some specific locations. Insurance is among the finest and at the exact time stressful things. Claims Adjuster Resume Ideas Injury claims can be challenging to handle but having a specialized person to address things for you are able to offer you better results. The adjuster is charged with the duty of going to the area or property thats been damaged and investigating for your benefit. Now the filing procedure is pretty complicated as it involves a good deal of questioning, interviewing, negotiating, youre in a condition in which you have to emphasize strongly on h ealing your injuries by opting for a medical therapy. Claims Adjuster Resume Features You also determine how much the insurance carrier must pay out. Do you understand what to put in your Auto Insurance Claims Adjuster resume. The Fight Against Claims Adjuster Resume The other reason why you need to employ claims adjuster is because is because they help to be sure that the claims are genuine. An adjuster only has so much time to devote to every file, so any excess time that you may give the claims adjuster will permit the adjuster to devote time on your files seeking to cut back your costs, not merely working on the files. The adjuster is charged with the duty of ensuring that what you get is really well worth it. When you pick an excellent adjuster like the one we have here, you can be certain that its going to be the very best decision youll have ever made. As claim adjuster you can handle the clients reimbursement inquiries they submit after the insurance policy case. Claims Adjusters investigate insurance claims and investigate property damage to influence the liability of a business with regard to the damage accessible. In the event the lawyer doesnt win, hell charge a fee which will be mentioned in the fee agreement. New Ideas Into Claims Adjuster Resume Never Before Revealed So when the hiring company hasnt provided a salary for work, we look at salary data from related businesses and locations to develop a fair estimate for what it is possible to expect. A claims adjuster ought to have a fantastic command of the subsequent hard skills to be successful within her job. So, its a job youve got to be pleased with. There are lots of jobs offered in the industry business, so begin putting your administrative coordinator resume together whenever possible The Bizarre Secret of Claims Adjuster Resume When writing, its a good idea to refrain from including information thats irrelevant to the position youre applying for. As you are asking for w ork in a shrinking field, its important to get a resume that impresses readers. Normally, your resume goes right to the very first line of hiring. A winning resume is an essential element of any work search.