Ask the Readers What Are Your Favorite Job Search Tools

Ask the Readers What Are Your Favorite Job Search Tools 2 Whether you've just begun to look for a new job or have been at it for months, there must be some tools you are using along the way. What are your favorites? Such as… Some of the tools that come to mind are: Computer software, like Microsoft Word for resume writing Websites you visit regularly, such as job boards or online tools such as Gmail Books or e-books that you've found really helpful Sandwich boards for getting attention on the street And I'm only half-kidding about the last one. In the comments below or via the JobMob contact form, please share your favorite job search tools even if you're not actively job hunting.eval Why are these your favorites? What's so good about them? What's in your box?

How Does the Cost of Living in the UK Compare to Wages

How Does the Cost of Living in the UK Compare to Wages Its a depressing fact that a  large portion of your salary will go towards basic living costs, predominantly the cost of your accommodation. And though there are far more glamorous things  that Im sure we would all rather spend our money on, putting a roof over our head comes in as the top priority, so its important that we find a job that can support us financially. However, with house prices going up in the UK and the cost of renting on the increase too, this is becoming a tougher and tougher matter to face. Swift Money have put together this infographic looking at the current house prices in the UK, alongside the average wages for British workers. They compared these to prices in 1999 to see how things have changed over the years. Heres how they compare: What are the average house prices in the UK? The average house price in England was   £284,538  in 2015 compared to £74,096 in 1999. House prices have gone up by  284% since 1999. The cheapest part of England to buy a property  is the North East. How much does it cost to rent in the UK? In 2014 the average cost to rent a 2 bed property in England was £677. The most expensive region to rent in is unsurprisingly London. Youll have to fork out a huge   £1375 a month for a 2 bedroom property in the Capital. The cheapest region to rent in is the North East costing an average of just £456 for a 2 bedroom property. What are the average wages? The average wage in 1999 was £20,800. It has now gone up 27% to £26,394. The highest average wage is in London, with workers earning an average of £34,200. The lowest average wage is in the North East, where workers earn an average of £24,450.

How I Got The Courage to Launch My Planner Business

How I Got The Courage to Launch My Planner Business In this interview, we meet Carina Lawson,  Founder of Ponderlily. Weve watched her behind the scenes launch her planner and paper business and we are so inspired by her determination and courage.  We asked her all of the questions we’ve been dying to know like how she manages her planner business and her two adorable twins and what advice she wish she could go back and give her 20-year old self. She inspires us to have more meaning in our lives and to create a to-be list instead of a to-do list. Hope you enjoy this interview! Carina Lawson Founder Managing Director at Ponderlily Paper Planners Website URL: www.ponderlily.com Social media URL: Ponderlily  Facebook Twitter @weareponderlily IG: @weareponderlily Pinterest Ponderlily Educational background: Masters in Business Administration (University of Liverpool, UK) Bachelor of Science in Management Business Administration (Indiana State University, USA) Diploma in Sports Management (University of Liverpool Georgetown University) Post-Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Management (Georgetown University, USA) Year you started Ponderlily: 2017 Take us through a day in the life of Carina Lawson. What does your typical workday look like? 6:00 am Wake up, have breakfast (I usually prep this the night before), and get ready. I’ve learned to get ready very quickly since having twins! 6:20 am Wake up the twins and get them ready for school with my husband 7:00 am Now it’s time to load the car and get the twins to school. We’re very lucky that we live only 3mins away from the twins’ primary school. We usually get there early so we can enjoy the walk to their classes and I get to chat with the other parents. 7:20 am Nina and Mila are dropped off in their respective classes. 7:40 am I arrive at work, I still work a 9-5 job so since I’m super early to start work, I get the majority of my Ponderlily work done at the library or a coffee shop nearby the office. I’m more productive in the mornings so I take advantage of the fact that I’m naturally laser-focused during this time. I want to spend evenings with my family or doing something just for me so there are no distractions during my Ponderlily power-hours! I have a very structured plan for what I do with this time and I batch my work throughout the week, CCG style! This is also when I delegate work to my assistant, who’s amazing at keeping me organized, too. 9:00 am Work begins 12:30 pm I have a light working lunch with a colleague or I meditate at my desk before I have to pick up the girls. 1:20 pm This is my official lunch break so I pick up the children from school. Even though it’s a short drive, I make quick Ponderlily calls (if I have any) on the way to their school or listen to a podcast. I arrive at their school early so just before I pick them up I meditate in the car. 1:45 pm Pick up the girls from school and make the necessary stops at their favorite water fountain or chat with their teachers for a bit. 2:00 pm Drop off the girls at our house with their nanny until my husband gets home from work at 4pm. 2:15-5:00 pm Back to work. My husband gets home at 4pm. 5:10 pm I get back home and cook a quick dinner. Our meals are nutritious but very low maintenance. I usually meal prep on weekends so making dinner doesn’t take very long on weekdays. I live in the same town as my parents and my in-laws, which really helps. On weekends that are full of fun activities (e.g.: birthday parties, fairs, visits with friends), I (shamelessly) ask my mom or my mother in law to do a double batch of what they cook so I’ll freeze it for the week or I plan for us to eat out. The girls and my husband set the table while I finish dinner. 5:30 pm We have dinner and go for either a short walk or a bike ride with the girls around our neighborhood or just hang out at the house. 7:00 pm Bath, book and bed for the twins. They’re usually pretty tired and fall asleep quickly around this time. My husband and I alternate putting the kids to sleep. To be fair, he does it most nights. On the days that it’s his turn to put the girls to bed, I go for a walk around our neighborhood or I work out. Being outside gives me a huge inspiration boost so I try to do it as much as possible! 8:00 pm Twice a week I reserve this time for business calls. Given my time difference, this works out well.  The rest of the evening is spent hanging out with my husband. Thursday nights is when I get the majority of the Ponderlily stuff done. I run the business with my husband and my father in law so we usually catch-up on a call and talk about what’s coming up during the month, etc. I usually work well into the evening on Fridays, too. It’s the weekend, I know I’ll have an extra lie-in the following day and possibly nap with the kids! I guard my weekends â€" I visit my parents and my in-laws with the kids for lunch or we go out to eat. Sometimes I leave the girls my parents or their aunt’s house so my husband and can run errands or I can see friends or go get my hair done. What is the best moment of your career so far? Walking to the post office on a snowy evening in Newcastle to fulfill our very first order! I was so excited that I couldn’t walk fast enough to the post office and I had biggest smile on my face when I got there. Emails with customer feedback letting us know we made a product that’s meaningful to them and that it helps them in some way warms my heart every time and I’m so grateful. Also, with less than a year in business, Ponderlily was featured in the Spring edition of Psychologies Magazine UK, which made me cry with joy, it’s one of my favorite publications. Lastly, seeing a planner I designed in my in-between moments (e.g.: lunch breaks at work, after my kids went to sleep) being sold in stores is still surreal to me. What does career fulfillment mean to you? It means making a contribution to the world with work that excites me, supports others, and allows me to be present for my family. A career gives me the freedom to design my days around my family and my passions. At what point did you realize you wanted to create a planner business? How did you take your dream and turn it into a real product! I’ve wanted to be an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember and I’ve always had a passion for stationery â€" my parents, husband, and friends can attest to this! Growing up I’d watch my mom write down recipes and important notes in her planner and I loved helping her set up her planner every year! After college, I found myself in a never-ending cycle of being busy, successful, and exhausted. As I tried to get in sync with what was important in my day, prompts in my planners added to that tension with a focus on doing more. In my research on employee wellness for my Masters, I found that this is the case for many people. I founded Ponderlily to create purposeful planners for the minds who are tired of how they are always made to feel: like they have never finished. I went into entrepreneurship because I know mindfulness is often overlooked in the productivity industry or the abundance of prompts make mindfulness seem like it’s overwhelming, too. I knew I could create a product that was both ethically made and which helped people create a life through sustainable lifestyles so they can feel strong, fulfilled and restored to create positive change in the world. I designed the planner during my lunch break and after my kids went to sleep, I would give it out to friends and family to test it, get feedback and re-design again. I started making calls to local manufacturers to make a prototype and once I had it in my hands, the rest is history! How did you get the courage to launch Ponderlily? What fears and challenges did you overcome? I’ve been very lucky that both my family and friends have been so encouraging. When I realized that I could do right by people who felt as overwhelmed as I did, that I could design something that could help them to feel confident, empowered and most importantly, let them know that It’s okay to take time to recharge…I had no other choice but to go for it. I had three specific fears: working outside my area of expertise, working across 3 timezones when I’m already working full-time, and working outside my comfort zone â€" with technology! That’s where my husband with his unwavering support, CCG with all its resources and amazing community, and a good friend who told me to stop giving her prototypes and make the real planner already then joined forces to help propel Ponderlily to open its virtual doors! Tell us about your beautiful twins! How has your planning style changed since becoming a mom? OMG Nina and Mila are the light in my life! They’re identical in appearance but so incredibly unique in their own way. Nina loves ballet and Mila could spend all day singing. They just turned 4 and this is such a fun phase! I used to be very rigid in my planning style; I needed x amount of hours for this or that or the other. While my days still have a lot of structure, given the twins’ school timings etc since becoming a mom, I’ve adjusted my planning style to allow for more flexibility, self-care, gratitude, and sniffles when they happen! I trust myself a lot more to have the emotional agility to move things around to accommodate competing priorities if needed and I can communicate my values very clearly to make space for what means the most to me. I ask for help when I need it, ‘no’ is now part of my vocabulary and I’m not afraid to use it, and I put myself on my agenda daily. Why is creating a TO-BE list more important than creating a to-do list? A ‘to-be’ list, in my opinion, allows you to lead a full life rather than a busy one. It allows for self-care without it being something to be ticked off a list. For example, one of my goals is to be healthy so I align my choices, big and small, to that goal, instead of letting become chores. In the past, listing that I needed to  workout 3x a week wasn’t a positive way to track my ultimate goal because I was treating it as a chore and any time I didn’t go to the gym, I felt like I had failed. Working from a ‘to-be’ perspective, allows you to engage in behaviors aligned directly related to the heart, the why of the matter; it allows for presence over productivity. Also, the ‘to-be’ list allows me to let my mind wander in search of positive possibilities to be healthier. I may not go to the gym 3x a week but I keep my body and mind healthy by going for walks every evening, by catching an exercise class with a friend, or by making better choices when I prepare my meals . How can we create more room for meaning in our busy days? Look up, literally! I’m very intentional about paying attention to my surroundings so after I drop off the kids at School I’ll look up at the sky and really take in the day. I’ll notice the clouds, the trees, the sounds around me and it’s amazing how just a few seconds of paying attention to your surroundings can get you out of your head. Call a friend or family â€" phone calls, voice notes, and Skype work…no texting involved here, real connections please! Even when I’m having a super busy day at work, I always make sure to stop by my work BFF’s office to say hello or I send my cousin voice notes about fun things that made me think of her throughout the day. It’s great! Practice gratitude â€" by writing down what made you smile today or better yet, say thank you like you mean it. Your mood genuinely changes and you never know what those words might mean to someone. What advice would you give to your 20-year-old self? Practice setting boundaries right now. It’s okay to say ‘no’. Slow down. Mom and dad know you appreciate them. You don’t need 4 jobs to prove this. Please go out with your friends. LifeTime movies can wait. Go outside and have more fun! Your heart will mend, don’t you worry. Look after your health â€" pay attention to what you’re eating; popcorn isn’t breakfast. You know this enthusiasm you have all the time? It’s contagious and people need it. Look  after yourself first so you can best serve others.

Reasons to Become a Teacher

Reasons to Become a Teacher If you are at the stage of your life where you are not satisfied with your current career, then perhaps a career change is in order. There is certainly no shortage of jobs you can consider. However, deciding on the right career is a critical decision, not only for your financial stability, but for your own happiness. One of the professions that is always in need of bright and dedicated people is teaching. Here are some of the most important reasons to become a teacher. 1. You like to work with young people Obviously, teaching encompasses many different ages and subjects. The type of teaching you decide to do should be something that you have a passion for. The age group you decide to teach is also a very important consideration. Some people work better with very young people than others. Therefore, if you have difficulty being around young children for extended periods of time, teaching the lower grade levels will not be a good choice for you. However, those people who enjoy the curiosity of youth will most certainly enjoy the thrill of passing on their knowledge to children. You can get a teaching degree from NSU online, among other places. 2. You have a passion for a specific subject If you have a great interest or amount of knowledge in a specific subject, it only makes sense that you would want to pass that knowledge along to other people. Most people are forced to do a job all day that they do not really care about. It is just a means to an end for them. Their job is just a way to earn money, nothing more. What could be better than spending your days immersed in a subject that you are truly passionate about. You can pass that passion on to all of your students. With any luck, they will become as passionate about it as you are. 3. Lots of free time If you do not like only getting two weeks of paid vacation each year at your current job, teachers have considerably more free time. If you have a family and you have difficulty finding enough time in your schedule to spend with them, the teaching profession will allow you to have your summers off. It doesnt get much better than having three months of paid vacation every year when the weather is the warmest.

How to Make Yourself More Noticeable to Recruiters CareerMetis.com

How to Make Yourself More Noticeable to Recruiters You know that there are a series of steps that you must follow in order to get the job that you want. And even though, you have heard it all before, it is important to count on a checklist with everything you should do if you want to get noticed by any recruiter.Surprisingly or not, most of the people will not do it all â€" they will take care of one part more than the other, and it explains why they miss an opportunity that they considered as certain.evalSo, as you don’t want to be one of them, make the most of the checklist below:What you will learnHow an outstanding resume looks likeWhat should be in your cover letterHow to prepare for the interviewa) How an outstanding resume looks likeYour CV/Resume probably is the first thing that a recruiter will see when you are applying for a job. And it is the material that they will have on their hands during the most overwhelming part of the process.So, in order to make your resume stand out in the middle of so many others, you better e nsure that you do as it follows:1)Analyse the Job Description CarefullyevalThe job description is the most valuable resource that the company offers to you. It says everything that you need to know about what is important to them, and what you need to prove to be hired.So take your time reading it carefully to the point that you know everything that is there by heart. And make sure that you have clear in your mind which type of professional they are looking for.2) Look for the right keywordsWhile you are reading the job description, have a look at the keywords that are there. Find out what skills and qualifications they value the most, and write down the exact sentences that they used to describe the job position and the mandatory and optional requirements.3) Research the correct formatEach industry has a type of format that is more expected to their resumes. And if you don’t follow it to the dot, you will start on the wrong foot. So if you are unsure about it, or if it has been a while since you sent your last CV, do some research and find some templates that you can use as a model.4) Choose what you will add to your CVevalNow that you know the right format and that you got a degree in what they job description says, it is time for you to sort out which information you will add to your resume.Hopefully, you have a CV in long-format, one that contains everything that you have done in your professional life. But of course, not all of it is relevant; neither would fit in two pages. So start matching what you have done that qualifies you for the job according to the description provided and prepare your CV.eval5) Edit and proofread your resumeWith all information sorted, you will probably need to edit and proofread your CV to make it easy to read and nicely organised. You might be able to do it yourself, but it is wise to count on the support of a specialised resume writing service, such as ResumesCentre.com, as it is very hard to evaluate and check your own wo rk.6) Deliver it as it should beIt is also crucial that you deliver your resume as it should be. So go back to the job vacancy’s instructions and check what it is said about it. You might need to upload it to an online platform; print it out and deliver it at their office; or send it by e-mail. Make sure that you understand it well and do it the right way â€" if you are unsure, you should rather call them and double check it.b) What should be in your Cover LetterevalAfter your CV, it is your cover letter that will get you an interview for the job of your dreams. So it is crucial that you take your time perfecting it.1) Keep it shortA cover letter should be short and straight to the point. Some will say that three paragraphs should do the trick, others suggest that you write a bit more. But you certainly should stick to just one page. Remember that your recruiter will be reading several of them.2) Avoid repeating what is in your CVAs you only have a few paragraphs, so you should ma ke the most of them. And repeating what is clearly stated on your CV will show that you think that they are not very smart, or that you don’t know how to use the resource that you have at your disposal.3) Add value to yourselfUse your cover letter to tell them about anything that you couldn’t say about yourself, especially in terms of soft skills. It is also there that you can add more details about any big achievement, for instance.4) Show that you know the companyAnother thing that should show on your cover letter is that you know the company very well. You can mention something about what you read on their website, or congratulate them for any recent special accomplishment or award, for example. You can also take the opportunity to make improvement suggestions.5) Tell then why they should hire youBut, above all, your cover letter should tell them why they should hire you. Prove that you would love to join the team, and how your skills match what they are looking for. Give evi dence that you can fit in their culture and make a valuable contribution to the growth of the company.c) How to prepare for the interviewIf you get to be called to an interview, you are almost hired. As you can imagine, recruiters don’t waste their time interviewing someone that they don’t see as a potential new employee. So all that you need to do is to get a few more things right.1) Answer typical questions in advanceThere are several questions that are typical of any interview process. They will ask you about your last job, about yourself, and why do you want the job. They will probably also ask you what your most relevant achievement and challenges were, and so on.Yes, it is possible that they might come up with someone that you never heard before, but make sure that you are prepared for the basics, as it sounds really bad if you don’t manage to answer them.2) Dress accordinglyevalGoogle the company and see if you can find any photos of their staff, so you can find out wha t is the best way to dress for an interview. And, when in doubt, remain formal and discreet â€" but not too formal, except if you are going for an interview with a law firm or something of the kind. And remember: it is not a wedding or a party, it is business attire in this case.3) Try to relaxEasily said than done, but, at the end of the day, it is your psychological side that will guarantee a successful interview. So try to relax and be confident all the time. Take care of your body language, smile, and try to sound assertive and happy to be there. It will count much more at this stage than your degrees and skillset.In ConclusionSo here is, in a nutshell, everything that you should do so to be noticed by any recruiter and get the job you want. It sounds as simple as it is, so make sure that you follow it step by step.If you do it, congratulations will be in order soon enough.Best of luck!eval

We Are All Changing Careers

We Are All Changing Careers Whether we like it or not, everyone will be changing careers.   The world of work is changing so rapidly and the needs of businesses are very different from what they used to be. It doesnt matter if you are unemployed, employed, under-employed, just graduated, just retiredevery one faces the same challenge- figuring out what you want to do next. The job you used to do doesnt exist any longer. If youve been in a role longer than a year, chances are that you use new technology, new procedures or your  role has  a different scope. Not only is your job different from when you first started, it also probably called something completely different in other organizations. Sometimes your function is housed in a different department. Researching a similar role outside your organization If you want to stay in a similar role, the first thing you have to do is figure out what other companies call your function. Use Indeed and LinkedIns job board to search for jobs. But dont use job titles. Use keywords, skills, work processes, and technology to see which jobs match. Next, talk to people who hold these jobs in other organizations to learn more about what the job and company are really like. Want a totally new job? If you want to do something completely different, its going to take a lot of research, informational meetings and time. Lets break it down step by step. Take Inventory of what you like to do Changing jobs always takes some self-assessment and reflection. But before you make a major shift, you will need  to determine exactly what skills you like to use, types of projects you like working on, what type of company culture is best suited for you, and where to find those types of opportunities.  Sit down and assess what you liked doing best in last job. When you were happiest, what were you doing?   And why were you happy? When you were successful, what were you  doing?    And how would you define successful? If you want to use a self-assessment tool to evaluate your interests and match them to occupations, then try the ONets My Next Move online assessment tool. This is only the tip of the iceberg of self-assessment. Create a list of what you want from a company Identify what type of company culture feels best for you, what type of leadership you likethe list goes on and on. Read this to help you determine which elements of company culture are more important to you. If you havent yet sat down with a copy of What Color Is Your Parachute you may want to.   There are tons of exercises to get you to the point of clarity or closer to it. Research occupations and companies Youve had your head in the sand while you were working in your last job. Its time to discover whats happening outside your company. Begin researching occupations using ONet, Indeed, and LinkedIn. Take note of the reoccurring skills mentioned and the industries or types of companies with the most openings or openings that are of interest to you. Find companies that inspire you or you would like to work for by checking out the top 100 companies in your city/area (google it). Also check out Glassdoors reviews. Now go to LinkedIn and search for the company to see who you know who works there. Talk to people who are in jobs that interest you Once you know what roles and companies interest you, you can begin talking to people. Ask people you know to provide advice, suggestions, and most importantly, for the names of people inside companies that interest you. This will take you one step closer to truly knowing some of the answers. When you are changing industries or occupations, you need to be able to describe all the similar skills you have and how they match your new target role/companies.   Youll need to bridge the gap so that the employer will see the relationship between what they are looking for and what you can do.   How well you bridge this gap will determine your success.   That is why talking to people is so important.   It will help you understand how to present your skills convincingly.   Employers do not like to hear but I am willing to learn.   It frightens them. Its up to you When you enter into the search fairly certain about how your skills match the type of work you are looking for, youll have much better luck and results.   This knowledge will help with your confidence level too. One last word of advice Dont let fear of the unknown paralyze you. Taking any action is better than not doing anything. Even if you do find yourself in a job or company you dont like, think about what you have learned in the process. It is quite possible that you will be in your next job three years (or less). Job hopping is less problematic than it used to be. You have to do what is right for you and your career.

Writing a Summary on a Resume

Writing a Summary on a ResumeWriting a summary on a resume should be a simple task and quite easy for you to do. The easiest way to be able to do this is by using an easy to read formula. Writing a summary on a resume is just like writing a well thought out, precise, concrete objective.For starters, there is no main reason why you are applying for the job. Although, if you have a compelling reason for you to apply, then you have to find out the reason that would trigger your interest in it. There is no need to spell out your reasons.Another good example is to write about how you fit into the industry you are applying for. The key is to be clear on the genre of which you would fit in. It is like writing a list of a long list of jobs. In such a case, you can use a point or a bulleted list to describe your skills, qualifications.Besides this, writing a more detailed summary will give a strong impact to the reader. If the resume is presented as an objective statement, then he will easily identify whether it is objective based or not.Writing a summary on a resume will show your position in the company and also display your information. So, writing a summary on a resume is just like writing a well-crafted objective.However, the objective must be a complete and accurate summary of the person's point of view. If the resume is written, without any introductory remarks, then it will be hard to put it into perspective. However, if it has the same information in the objective statement, then this will help to define what the resume is about.Before writing the objective, you should have a research work done in order to find out what the company wants from you. This will help you to present the truth about yourself and also make sure that the statement makes sense and is clear enough.By writing a summary on a resume, you will be able to tell the employer what information he needs to know. This will definitely show the company that you have researched the job description well and have understood the job description well.