How Do I Turn My Rough Idea Into a Paying Career

“How Do I Turn My Rough Idea Into a Paying Career” Help from our Community “How Do I Turn My Rough Idea Into a Paying Career?” * Nick's frustration levels are almost at boiling point, and time is running out. He knows the broad area he'd love to work in, but narrowing down his options is much harder than he expected. How do you turn a vague direction into a solid path? What's your career history and current job? I'm an IT professional working in the finance sector. I've been with my current employer for 14 years. I felt I'd gained all I could from my first post there, so I applied for another post internally. Since then I've just drifted aimlessly between roles. I've had numerous technical posts (programmer, database administrator) before moving into team leading and coordination work, such as project management. At the time of writing I'm awaiting possible voluntary redundancy, which would give me 16 months' salary (and hopefully the push I need). If I get it my search will take on a lot more urgency. How do you feel about your work? I feel bored, frustrated and lonely, and I've felt this way for about seven years. A lot of my working week is now from home. I enjoy the flexibility, and the work is varied, but a lot of my 'colleagues' are now in India, and even the more local ones are quite a long commute away. My work is very isolated. I don't have enough contact with people and I don't feel part of a proper 'team'. The work I do is now heavily admin based. I'm much more about taking action than writing things down or filling in forms, so this kind of work absolutely does my head in. I just can't be bothered with the hassle. I just feel so bored and frustrated with how long things take and how hard it is to get anything done. The work is dull and really drags. What would you like to be doing instead? I've always loved sport. PE was my favourite subject as a kid, andI've always enjoyed watching sport. I started triathlon about five years ago and now train at quite a competitive level. I'm hoping to represent Great Britain as an amateur, andthat's really sparked my interest in doing something sport-related as a career. My dream job would be being a full-time triathlete, but at my age that just isn't realistic. I dropped down to four days a week in the main job to try a few things out. I've tried swim teaching and PE teaching, but decided, after the initial burst of enthusiasm, that they weren't for me long term. I currently work part-time for an events company that organises triathlons. Working for them permanently could be an option, but since I only work for them on events, I haven't seen what the office environment is like during event preparation. To be honest, I'm not sure it's my dream role. I really admire and love listening to Sir Dave Brailsford [coach and former Director of British Cycling]: working for a team like Team Sky would be right up my street, I'm just not sure what role I could do. I know I want a positive work environment, colleagues, challenging work, variety in the role, and a mixture of short-term tasks with the opportunity to change and improve things. I think I'd also prefer a more active job than one where I'm sat at a desk. What's the biggest obstacle in your way? Other than knowing I'm interested in sport, I really don't have any idea what I'd like to do, or even how to go about narrowing it down. This makes me feel so frustrated â€" I'm normally an incredibly decisive person! I'm impatient and itching to get going â€" it feels like I'm wasting my life not doing something I enjoy. I've tried other roles, and I've worked with a life coach. Although that's all helped me to rule things out, I still don't know what I actually want to do. There are so many possible directions. Maybe the problem is that I'm spoilt for choice. I'm not very analytical and I struggle to know what might suit me. Then there's my impatience â€" I just keep trying things without exploring in detail whether they're the right things for me. Taking the plunge doesn't worry me so much, it's knowing which direction to take that's the problem. If I get the direction wrong, then I'll be stuck again, but this time without the comfort blanket of a big salary. This is too important to mess up. How do I get going on my shift when I just don't know where I'm headed? Can you help Nick? Have you been in a similar situation, or are you in the same boat right now? How do you think Nick could move his shift forwards? Do you know anyone he could talk to? Share your thoughts in the comments below and click the thumbs-up button to show your support. Give Nick a cheer of encouragement by hitting the thumbs-up button here:

Personal Branding Across Cultures Blogathon - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Across Cultures Blogathon - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Personal branding is now on the world stage. Initially a western concept, it is fair to say that the need to brand oneself is a global phenomenon. Even in cultures where standing out is not the norm, we can see people embracing the value of identifying ones uniqueness and proactively communicating this promise of value to the world. In my own work as a personal branding consultant in Japan I have connected with personal branding experts in more than 25 countries. Personally I have learned so much from these folks and how they are pioneering personal branding movements within their cultures. The value each of them brings to the personal branding field is remarkable, however, I have realized that most of them, me included, tend to be very isolated. We all seem to work within the vacuum of our respective cultures. Yet there is a huge need to highlight our work and the global reach of personal branding. Hence, the motivation for a Personal Branding Across Cultures blogathon!  For 14 days I am hosting a Personal Branding Across Cultures series on my blog.  From June  9 to June 22 enjoy the insights from these leaders about personal branding in their countries.  Here is a preview of whom to expect with the title of their posts. Visit www.petersterlacci.com from June 9th. Hank Chin /  Taiwan:  3 Powerful Elements for Personal Branding in Taiwan Runa Magnusdottir / Iceland:  The Icelandic Personal Branding Attribute Cool or Calm? Emery Kaze / Luxembourg:  Personal Branding in Luxembourg At The Intersection of Cultures Paul Copcutt / Canada:  In Canada is it Really all About the Personal Brand, eh? Richard Anderson / Australia:  In Australia it’s Authentic Branding Dr. Amit Nagpal / India:  Indians Embrace Personal Branding, but Dont Hug it Tightly Yet! Marcela Reyes / Colombia:  The Colombian Brand, Not What You Think Paolo Feroleto / The United Kingdom:  Personal Branding Slowly Finding it’s Rightful place in The UK. Donn Pjongluck / Thailand:  Personal Branding Perception and Adoption in Thailand Malak Oussidhoum / Morocco:  Personal Branding in Morocco: “I love it! But can I? Petek Kabakci / Turkey:  Perception of Personal Branding in Turkey at the Crossing of Three Continents Nelson Emilio / Portugal:  Personal Branding and the New Portuguese Discoveries Sital  Ruparelia / Singapore:  Okay La! 5 Personal Branding Lessons From Singapore Damien Colmant / France Belgium: The Challenges for Personal Branding in France and Belgium Author: Peter  Sterlacci  is known as “Japan’s personal branding pioneer” and is one of only 15 Master level Certified Personal Branding Strategists in the world. He is introducing a leading global personal branding methodology to companies and careerists in Japan and adapting it for the Japanese culture. In a culture where fitting-in is the norm, his mission is to pioneer a ‘cultural shift’ by helping Japanese to stand out in a global environment. His background spans over 21 years in intercultural consulting, international outreach, and global communication coaching.

5 Reasons Why a Salon Might Be Your Path to Financial Success

5 Reasons Why a Salon Might Be Your Path to Financial Success Small-business owners have always been an important part of local and regional economies all over the country. These savvy businesspeople have provided a wide array of goods and services to local consumers for decades and that hasn’t changed, even as we’ve moved toward different ways of doing business. However, while you can pretty much shop for just anything online there are still hands-on services that require consumers to engage with a local business. Whether this a doctor’s office or a car repair shop there are still plenty of businesses that demand person to person contact and this isn’t changing anytime soon. One of the most enduring and most iconic of these is the beauty salon. While the business of personal care has changed over the years to provide other services such as nail care and skin treatments, the hair care industry has changed only through innovative technology and vastly improved science. However, at the end of the day it’s still about having a person in a salon chair and making them feel beautiful. Whether you’re a stylist or an entrepreneur looking for a sound business investment, these are five reasons why opening a salon might be a better choice than many other types of businesses. 1. The Salon Industry Is Thriving While some small businesses have struggled over the last few years due to economic downturns, the salon industry is one that has remained relatively stable. An average of $20 billion is spent per year on salon services and products in the United States. Even when people are forced to eliminate luxury items from their personal budgets, hair care expenses rarely are cut. The fact is that many people consider hair care to be a necessity and will continue to keep that service as a priority. This means steady profits and business stability. 2. Highly Trained Professionals Are Readily Available The way that hair stylists are trained today is vastly different than it was even a decade ago. It’s no longer a matter of simply cutting hair; stylists today need to know a number of techniques and skills to be competitive and are eager to work. Hiring staff for a salon is a simple task. Just by advertising salon owners find themselves with a number of qualified candidates looking for a position in a salon. If you are a stylist you’ll know who is a right fit for your business and how they can be an effective part of your team. 3. Business Technology Keeps Things Simple Technology for small businesses has grown by leaps and bounds in the digital age and managing all aspects of that business is easier than ever. Software, smartphone apps, and other tools are readily available to make most aspects of running your business a smooth and simple process for you and your clients. Innovative salon software POS systems are now in place to make payments a breeze for your clients and accounting a simple task for you. Managing inventory, working on payroll, and other financial aspects are easily handled with a variety of tools available. 4. Salon Services Are More Abundant Than Ever Salon services today go way beyond a simple haircut and blow-dry. High-tech coloring techniques, state-of-the-art hair extensions, and high-end products are now the norm at many salons and these services are not inexpensive. Plus, if your salon also offers spa or nail services you’ve increased earning potential in a big way. Know your clientele well and offer services you know will appeal to them and that they will happily pay for. Not only does this increase your revenue but you’ll build a loyal client base as well. 5. Marketing Is Easier Than Ever It used to be that small businesses struggled with marketing and drawing attention to their business within the community. Today things are vastly different. Marketing tools like targeted Facebook ads can bring a great deal of focus to your business. A smartly designed website with regularly updated content and clever SEO tools can help put your business at the top of the highly coveted Google search. Of course being active in your community is good for business as well. Attend local fundraisers, donate services, and represent your brand with pride. Creative hair stylists and savvy businesspeople have a lot to gain from opening a salon. People will always pay for high-quality salon services and tapping into that market has great potential for success. . Image credits. Main.  Salon.  POS.

February News and Updates for Masters students University of Manchester Careers Blog

February News and Updates for Masters students University of Manchester Careers Blog The work of the Careers Service is designed and delivered to give you control over your career (= job + life). None of us can ever have 100% control but through self-awareness and other skills of career management, you become more able to adapt and overcome adversities that are out of your immediate control, and able to seek guidance for support and advice for dealing with things both in and out of your control. With this in mind, I’ll be re-running some of the Careers Essentials workshops in February, for anyone who missed them last time around. You can find out more on our Postgraduate Events page: Careers Essentials for Postgraduates http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduates/events/ Its not too late for a PhD Currently jobs.ac.uk is advertising 884 global opportunities and find a PhD has over 11 000 Dont forget to check out our online resources if your just starting think about further study: http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/study/ Getting ready for making applications? Not sure where to start?Why not here?   http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduates/masters/masters-apply/ Broaden your search Look out for jobs with employers youve never heard of, whether large or small. After the autumn rush, the majority of jobs are for smaller or less well-known employers. Note: Smaller employer does not mean smaller job. Just imagine getting in on the early days of a company who could be the next Google or Red Bull. Build and maintain your support network Our recent research indicates that graduate who move quickly and smoothly into good graduate jobs tend to share career and employability tips and advice amongst their friends and social contacts, not just with employers or academics. Everyones heard of the high profile graduate programmes advertised in the autumn. Your contacts could be the way you hear about less well-known jobs or postgraduate programmes (particularly PhDs) available later in your final year. Last but not least Find out how to ask for references: https://manunicareersblog.com/2016/03/07/how-to-ask-for-letters-of-references/ All Postgrad-highlighted Postgraduate Applications and interviews job hunting postgraduate

Debuts freshest careers event yet Real Talk - Debut

Debuts freshest careers event yet Real Talk - Debut What do you get when you add together five inspirational speakers, three motivational employers, two enthusiastic event organisers, one hilarious host, one kick-ass venue and a whole bunch of amazing students and graduates? It can only be  Debut Real Talk of course! October saw Debut host an event unlike any other that had been before. In collaboration with ERIC Festival, we took the message of uncertainty around graduate jobs, and embarked on a journey to build the confidence of attendees. We provided a platform for attendees to listen to inspirational stories from guests like Emma Rosen, take part in engaging activities from Smarty Train and enjoy a little splash of networking from employers EY, Vodafone and Gowling. No matter where they were in the job search, everyone was welcome. If you didn’t manage to come along, here’s a summary of what went down on both nights. Advice on working life We all hear about employability when it comes to grad jobs. But what can graduates actually expect to see in the workplace, especially when it comes to day-to-day issues? Real Talk covered that, and then some. On night one, we saw Rose Scanlon-Jones from Sanctus a company dedicated to mental health in the workplace take to the stage. She gave some invaluable advice on what graduates should be looking for in companies when it comes to mental health. This is a topic that we feel strongly about, especially since discovering that  70%  of graduates feel insecure about telling their employers about their mental health. We need to kick the stigma, and Rose voiced that perfectly. Emma Rosen author, speaker and writer also shared her own personal views on the value of work experience, discussing her extraordinary tale of 25 before 25. We learnt that really the skys the limit when it comes to trying out new careers, and you shouldn’t feel the need to lock yourself into one role. Portfolio careers can change the way we work, and we’ll have more on that to come soon… Personal branding With the stigma around ‘narcissistic Millennials’, grads are often discouraged from shouting about their achievements to the rest of the world. However, Real Talk flipped those assumptions upside down, demonstrating the value of self-promotion. Especially when speaker Stef Sword-Williams shared the content of her own platform, F*ck Being Humble. Through a nineties RB inspired playlist (and let’s face it, who doesn’t want that?!) Stef discussed the questions that we should be asking ourselves when it comes to our careers. By doing so, we can take our professional successes and use them to leverage future opportunities.   Also at the event were the career expects from Smarty Train. Jide Fadojutimi and Lee Warren hosted a workshop each, discussing the subjects of personal branding and networking.  Many attendees praised the attention to these valued subjects at Real Talk, and we’re glad that we’re bringing in a fresh outlook to the career space.   Career quizzing It wasn’t just our speakers that got up in front of our student crowd! Three employer giants came along to Real Talk on our second night for a number of activities. These were EY, Gowling and Vodafone, and they all played a pivotal role in our event. Our employers each showcased a brief glimpse into graduate working life, and offered audience members the chance to have an honest QA session about these roles. Questions that were asked included the qualities that they looked for in applicants, what the company culture was like and more. It was a refreshing discussion to see! Our students also got to put their newly-found networking skills into action throughout the night at our employer stands in the foyer. Offering students the chance to speak to employers on a one-to-one basis is a staple of Debut events, so we were glad to bring it back for another spin.   An awesome environment All the guests and speakers are of course awesome, but the event wouldn’t be anything without the environment. Islington Metal Works was our venue, and it was the perfect blend of artsy and grungy and made a wonderful setting for Real Talk. We had food and drink for attendees all night, as well as freebies and goodies from our employers for students to take away. No great event is complete without a great host. Real Talk was presented by the bubbly Jodie McCallum, who kept all the guests and crowd laughing throughout the evening. She also took over our Instagram story on the night, and kept us entertained with her brilliant live-tweeting of the antics of the evening. In summary, Real Talk wasn’t just about the speakers, or the employers, or even the free bar (although that is a big bonus of course). All these factors together resulted in an entertaining, informative and unique night that gave a fresh outlook on graduate careers. And guess what? We’re just getting started. Connect with Debut on  Facebook,  Twitter,  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.

Avoid this common career mistake lack of momentum after hire - Hire Imaging

Avoid this common career mistake lack of momentum after hire - Hire Imaging You’ve landed a new job and you are feeling great. You should! But it’s not the time to sit back and just let your career evolve. Control it. Maintain career momentum! Here are some strategies you might find helpful! Continue to study your professional setting Just as you did in your job search, continue to stay current on what is happening in your industry and profession. Things change, and you need to know how the changes will affect your future career. Some great questions to ask: How will my profession fit into the future plans of my new employer? How will it fit in the long term in other organizations I might want to pursue in the future? What do I need to do to enhance my skills and competencies in the short and long term so I can remain at the top of my game? Should I consider working with a professional coach to help me do that? Redefine your professional goals once in awhile You may consider this new job the perfect dream job; or maybe it’s just a stepping stone to it. Regardless, redefine where you want your career to go next. Is your goal to head a certain department, business unit or company? Is it to move into a related industry? Go up the ladder in what you’re doing; or do something else? Assess your mission, skills, interests, values and traits from time to time to determine whether any of them have changed. Just as your professional objective set the tone for your job search, it also sets the tone for managing ongoing career success. Always have a communications strategy In your job search, you hopefully gathered and articulated success stories. Don’t stop now. Keep a log or journal of successes, goals met, initiatives taken, problems solved and other positive events. Get in the habit of taking inventory of this valuable information and writing it down on a weekly basis. Keep a paper and/or electronic file of everything you’ve recorded. And always, always, always, keep your resume up to date. You never know when another opportunity might present itself. It may be within or outside your current place of employment. Silence is not always golden My client, Connie had worked her way up to an IT director role in her 30s. She chalked her success off to doing her job, working hard and avoiding what she considered internal politics. When her company relocated its headquarters out of state, Connie was offered and accepted a transfer to a newly acquired subsidiary of the company, located near her home. At first, Connie felt that she had an excellent working relationship with her new boss, describing her as “mellow; not confrontational or micromanaging.” She concentrated on her first project with her typical focus. Five months into the job, Connie’s new boss approached her with some shocking news. It wasn’t working out. Connie was being terminated. Connie was still in shock in our coaching session a few days later. “What do you think happened,” I asked. “What kind of feedback were you getting from your boss?” Long pause. “Well, none,” Connie answered. We discussed how she had assumed that silence meant self-sufficiency. It doesn’t always work that way. Connie had not clarified their expectations. More importantly, she had not asked for regular feedback to make sure she was meeting them. Was she on target? Was there anything else they expected from her? She had no idea. So, of course she was not recalibrating or making any adjustments in the first months on the job. “This is a hard life lesson,” Connie lamented. “My nature is to keep my nose to the grindstone and that people will just know I did a good job. I won’t ever let this happen again!” A few months later, Connie found and accepted a new position. One of the first things she did was to meet her new boss to clarify expectations and set up a weekly timetable for discussing her performance. She proactively gave her boss progress reports on a special project she was assigned to. She was especially proud of one comment in her review: “Excellent communication skills”. Your work and career is always evolving, subject to changes and people dynamics. Making your career what you want it to be doesn’t happen magically. It takes some Ps: Proactively Planning, Proof of Performance, the right Perception of you, and a Positive attitude. Do you have ideas to share on keeping career momentum? I’d love to hear from you! Photo: roblisameehan

Certified Professional Resume Writing Service

Certified Professional Resume Writing ServiceA certified professional resume writing service has a number of ways in which they can help you find the right job for you. With these ways, they can help you make the most of your dream job and help you land that dream job.First off, it is important to know what a resume is and how it can help you get the job of your dreams. A resume is an important part of the job search and is used by most people when trying to find their next job. There are a number of different ways you can get a job by writing a resume that is going to be accepted.A certified professional resume writing service will go through your qualifications and find relevant experience or training in order to highlight the most relevant parts of your profile. They will also highlight the different skills you have that could be useful in the future. A good professional resume writing service will also include your education history and provide a professional summary of your skil ls that you can use when you apply for a job.A certified professional resume writing service will help you find out what jobs are open in your area and will give you the details of some of the available jobs that you can apply for. This can help you focus on the most relevant opportunities. You should also check to see if the job is a temporary position or something you can do from home.The certified professional resume writing service will give you suggestions on how to write a better resume. By using a template you can improve your chances of being accepted and creating a great cover letter that will be more attractive to your potential employer.There are many websites where you can get this information online. Be sure to pick the most credible and reputable websites so that you can be sure of the quality of the work they offer. Remember that you should use your own knowledge and skills when applying for a job and you need to present yourself as someone who can really add to the t eam.If you decide to hire a certified professional resume writing service, it is very important to have them do the research for you. It is not necessary to hire someone to research what type of job you are looking for. You can do the research yourself by checking to see if there are any job openings in your area or for your field of expertise.It is definitely not a real hard work to look for a job and to create a resume to present yourself. However, there are several methods that you can use to do this. The best method is to find a reliable and professional resume writing service to help you with your job search.