The top courses to help get you hired December 2015

The top courses to help get you hired December 2015 by Michael Cheary Tis the season to be saving…This month reed.co.uk is spreading the Christmas cheer to anyone looking to learn. With discounts on hundreds of courses and free gifts for studying certain certifications, including NUS cards, tablets and more, there’s really no excuse not to give someone the gift of a brand new qualification.If you’re looking to treat someone this Christmas (and/or yourself), here are three of the top courses on reed.co.uk right now:Nail Technician courseIf you’re ready to have a professional qualification at your fingertips, we may have found the perfect course for you.This Nail Technician Diploma covers every aspect of nail care, making it the perfect foundation for anyone looking to start their own business or find part-time or full-time work within the beauty industry.And it’s not just manicures and pedicures. Modules covered include everything from an introduction to the anatomy of the skin and preparing your workstation, through to applying artificial nails and gel overlays. There are even modules covering salon management and marketing, for anyone looking to become self-employed.And the best part is, with an 87% saving over the Christmas period, this course is available for just £39 â€" helping you get salon-qualified quicker than you can say warm wax manicure.You beauty…What do I need? A strong desire to work in the health and beauty industry.How long will it last? Varies, depending on your schedule.Perfect for: People with immaculate hands.Nail Technician Diploma »Personal Trainer courseOk, so there’s a slight possibility you’ll overindulge this Christmas.No matter how hard we try and tell ourselves that this year will be different, by the time Boxing Day rolls around all most of us are left with is a complete intolerance to turkey sandwiches, and a pretty hefty set of resolutions…But why wait till the New Year to find the new you? This Personal Trainer course will teach you everything from how to set up fitness programmes, right through to how to motivate your clients and help them achieve their goals.And did we mention that there’s a 90% saving on this certification if you get started in the next month? Take that, over-indulging family members.Christmas dinner smugness, just £39 away.What do I need? No formal previous qualifications or experience neccessary.How long will it last? Approximately 3 months.Perfect for: People who like to make other people sweat.Personal Trainer course »Sage Accounting courseFinally this festive season, why not consider taking care of your financial future?Sage Accounting is one of the most popular accountancy and payroll management programs in the world, not to mention one of the most desirable certifications you can include on your CV.Covering core accounting principles such as auditing, balance sheets and verifying financial reports, this package will help build all the foundations you need to start actively applying for accountancy r oles, whilst also giving you a conversation-starter at your festive family gathering. Try and judge my lack of stability now, Uncle Keith.And because it’s Christmas, this career-changing qualification is available for just £59. Merry Christmas, you filthy animal future Accountants…What do I need? No formal pre-requisites.How long will it last? Around 20 hours (online, and part-time)Perfect for: People who want to manage other people’s money.Sage Accounting Training »Not sure which course is right for you? View all available courses now.Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the

How to Write a Graphic Design Resume That Gets You the Job You Want

How to Write a Graphic Design Resume That Gets You the Job You WantWriting a graphic design resume is a big job for someone new to the profession. They are normally tasked with a lot of details that make their resume unique and eye-catching. Here are some tips on how to write a graphic design resume, so that you get the attention of your prospective employer and stand out from the crowd.First, what makes a fresh new graphic designer? This depends entirely on who you are talking to, as well as what you are applying for.What happens if you are applying for a position as a web designer and you are applying to a company that offers graphic design programs, instead of just software? Your requirements may be quite different, but the basic requirements for a graphic designer are still the same.Think about it this way, there are a lot of graphic design programs that are offered today, so you would have to tailor your resume to each program. The basic requirements are almost always the same, a Bachelor's degree in graphic design or equivalent, plus a few years experience and talent. Since most job openings ask for a portfolio of work, your resume should showcase your skills in a variety of different ways.Check out your graphic design curriculum closely before you start writing your resume. You may find that the design field has a lot of things that you need to know about before you can jump into it. In fact, this is why you have a graphic design curriculum in the first place.If you don't want to pay for graphic design curriculum, then make sure that the company you are applying to have an internship program or hiring spree. This will give you the experience you need to get your career off to a good start.If you are looking for a graphic design job, then your resume will need to tell the hiring manager a little bit about your previous work, such as educational background, project experience, types of projects you have worked on, and even something about your style of wor k. Just make sure that you are taking the time to list the things that they should want to see when they are reviewing your resume.You should not let the size of your resume affect the length of your graphic design resume. It is a long document, but you must use as much detail as possible, including specialties that relate to your specialty, previous projects that are similar to the one you are applying for, and even things that relate to the company you are applying to.

How to Become an Indispensable Leader Within Your Organization

How to Become an Indispensable Leader Within Your Organization Indispensable leaders are those who make employees better, drive revenue, and promote then maintain a sense of optimism around the office. They understand that each day of leading is a challenge and embrace the hurdles they encounter rather than avoiding or ignoring obstacles. These are the individuals who accept full responsibility for the performance of their people. They embrace the fact that the buck stops with them. Most importantly, indispensable leaders leverage their influence, knowledge, and experience in order to make the companies they work for win. They share an unwillingness to accept defeat and as a result, they figure out what must be done in order to achieve uncanny monetary improvements. Below, you’ll find a few key tactics to implement that will not only propel you to the next level of leadership, but that will also make you invaluable and indispensable to any company. Remember, the more important a job applicant is to their prospective company, the more options they have upon being recruited for other jobs. The importance of becoming indispensable: Personal success without leadership brings only limited effectiveness. Without leadership ability, a person’s impact is only a fraction of what it could be with strong management. When average leaders leave an organization, it is an annoyance to the company. HR has to take significant time and energy to find a replacement and people around the office may have to take on extra responsibility. However, losing a non-essential leader does not hinder bigger-picture growth. The more difficult you are to replace, the easier it is to negotiate raises, start entrepreneurial ventures within the company, and gain the respect of your subordinates, bosses, and clients. 4 questions for quantifying how indispensable you are: Prior to requesting a promotion, asking for a raise, or leveraging another job offer, you have to gauge how crucial you are to the company’s success. For measurement purposes, there are a few crucial questions.   Be honest with yourself.   Where theres room for improvement, work on your skills, work ethic, and sense of character: the greater the consequences for the company, the greater your leverage: Are employees or clients likely to leave if you depart? How much disorganization would result from your leaving the company? How much would morale suffer?   A leaders mood, for lack of a better word, is catching. How long would it take to replace you? 5 steps for becoming an indispensable leader at your organization: Create a unified vision among your subordinates.   A team doesn’t win the championship if their players arent working from the same page of the playbook.   Getting everyone unified will allow you to become a key part of the company, as the organization risks losing clients, employees, and morale if you leave. Develop a good relationship with those under you.   People want to go along with those whom they get along with.   Build trust by being honest and authentic. Be cognizant of market changes.   Really strong leaders have a special capacity to anticipate the radically unexpected.   Start to be cognizant of the moves made by your competitors and be aware of new entrants and threats to the industry. Companies live and die by their ability to alter business strategies with changing market conditions.   Often, the individual who can do this is worth their weight in gold (or, more literally, formerly-gold-backed currency) to the company. Surround yourself with people better and smarter than you are. A good leader has the courage to surround themselves with people better than themselves in different respects, in order to learn from those people. Cultivate heavy duty resilience in yourself.   Every leader makes mistakes; every leader stumbles and falls.   Indispensable leaders learn from mishaps, regroup, then get going with a renewed speed, conviction, and confidence. See it, believe It, make it happen: Work on improving yourself before you attempt to improve others.   Find a job that you are passionate about and an industry you are happy with.   Know where your time goes. Remember, becoming an integral part of a company will not only provide you with a happier, more lucrative career, but it will also foster self-confidence and a sense of well-being.

How To Create A Sparkling Resume If Youre Changing Career

How To Create A Sparkling Resume If You’re Changing Career How To Create A Sparkling Resume If You’re Changing Career If you’ve decided it’s time for a new career direction, crafting a resume that positions you as a star candidate can be… tricky. What do you do when you want to break into marketing but until now you’ve only held finance roles? How do you compete with people who come with years of experience in the field that you want to get into?The key is to focus on the value of what you can offer. By being targeted about what you include in your resume, and how you present it, you can balance out your lack of direct experience with your passion, commitment and relevant skills.Amanda Augustine, a career advice expert at TopResume, a resume-writing service, puts it like this:You must evaluate your experience, education, and professional development and skills to determine whats considered important for your new career, and then youll have to re-position or re-brand yourself. Start from scratchYou need to look over your skill set and experience with a fresh pair of eyes. Try not to be laz y and think you can update your years-old resume by drafting in a few references to your new career ambitions. Instead, be determined to have laser focus on what skills your new sector or role calls for and build your resume around that.Highlight relevant experienceWhat ever you do don’t be tempted to give every minute and intricate detail of your career history. Your prospective employer will not have the time to sieve through all of that! Instead, try to pull out the specific duties, projects and achievements that demonstrate you have used the skills you need in your new career, or are examples of direct experience. For example, maybe you joined a marketing steering group within your finance department that gave you great insight into marketing techniques that you can bring with you to your new role. Or you were on a short-term communications working group that helped develop your skills in communicating with the general public or within a B2B network. Draw attention to anythin g relevant, even if it wasn’t the main part of your job.Demonstrate passionAs a career-changer, you’re likely to score lower on experience points when it comes to both your resume and at the interview stage. But where you can equal or even beat your more experienced competition is in demonstrating your passion and commitment for the particular role you are after.If you’re changing career it’s likely you’ve gone out of your way to retrain, volunteer, seize opportunities, gain working experience or take on new projects that were related to your goals. This positions you as someone who’s not only passionate about their new direction, but who’s being proactive in their personal and   professional development which is highly attractive to any recruiter. Watch your languageMake sure you use terminology from your new sector, both in your resume and in person during interviews try not to use jargon from your old career, especially if it was in a completely unrelated field . This does two things: it makes it easier for your recruiter to understand you because you’re speaking their language (making it as easy as possible for your recruiter to choose you is always a good thing). And it shows you’re confident and comfortable in how your new sector communicates, making you seem less of a newbie.RestructureAt the end of the day, it is all about showcasing what you’ve got in the best possible light. So make sure you structure your resume accordingly and also follow through in the same way at interview. There are no iron-clad rules about the perfect format for your resume. The sole purpose of your resume is to entice your recruiter into thinking you’re worth a shot at interview. So if you need to put your skills above experience to get noticed, or provide a slightly longer profile section to get your message across, do it. previous article Creative in Red â€" A Free Elegant CV Template next article Blush and Pixie â€" The Pink Resume Template Gi veaway you might also likeHow to Write About Your Accomplishments on Your Resume

What to Put in the Skills Section of Resume - The Key to a Successful Resume

What to Put in the Skills Section of Resume - The Key to a Successful ResumeThe key to a successful resume is to highlight the traits, skills and abilities that the employer is looking for. The keywords that are used to capture the employer's attention are very important because they show that you have put some thought into your resume.You need to find a few keywords that are both common and interesting to the employer. One of the common keywords that is used is your job title. But do not use the same term throughout the resume. Use them only where it is appropriate.When it comes to the skills section of the resume, you want to be creative but not overly so. The resume is the first impression of the employer with you. If your resume is too busy or cluttered, the potential employer will not even look at it.If the recruiter is being difficult in any way, you should be polite and respectful. Sometimes if you do not receive a reply quickly, there may be a reason why.It is also important to give the recruiter a few details about your employment history. You should be aware of what positions you have held and when you have held them. The amount of time you have been working and how long you have been in the same position should also be included.When you list your skills, the most important thing is to give the potential employer a reason to hire you. The more specifics and information you can provide, the more likely the employer will hire you.Describe the job you are applying for in detail. Tell the employer that the position is a great fit for you and describe your strengths and weaknesses. Before you begin writing your resume, take a moment to review what to put in the skills section of the resume. If you do not know how to write a resume, ask for help. If you do not know how to write a resume, do not wait until you start losing sleep trying to get your resume together before you take action.

Love What You Do; Do What You Love - Pathfinder Careers

Love What You Do; Do What You Love - Pathfinder Careers Love What You Do; Do What You Love With an unexpected layoff, many people have suddenly felt like the rug was just ripped out from underneath them. A career suddenly vanishes in a blink of an eye, and the end result is something akin to being left at sea in deep water… just trying to keep your head afloat. While this situation is grave indeed, many people are taking a moment to actually re-evaluate everything in their lives. Maybe they got that career start that led them down a certain road… and there never really was an exit ramp to get off. How many times have we heard people bemoaning the fact that they never really did follow their dream and got stuck in a dead-end job? All is not lost. It’s not too late for a do-over. With the sudden ‘liberation’ from a staid career track, many unemployed people, while recovering from the shock of losing their job, are now finding that ‘breathing room’ to tentatively branch out and rekindle those long-dormant interests that gave them spark and inspiration. Often termed ‘encore careers,’ the second incarnation of one’s working life often combines a person’s transferrable skill sets into something that a job seeker likes to do. Have a passion for a particular cause and have an accounting / finance background? Why not investigate non-profits that have a mission that fits your passion who need to hire finance officers? Are you a sales dynamo but have a ken for animals? Maybe a new career in marketing / promotions with a veterinary practice might be the right fit. Making lemonade out of lemons can mean navigating carefully through the psychological impacts of job loss but at the same time, seizing the opportunity of this employment void to suddenly shift gears and find that job which has meaning… lights your emotional fires… and inspires you. The drudgery of a career where there is no excitement and only a gritty, grainy clock-like existence is truly uninspiring. Too many times, people talk of their parents trundling off to their job for the entirety of their working lives. Taking the steps to make your employment all about avocation where you combine your passion (what you love to do) and your skills (what you are good at) will make your life infinitely more rewarding. Think about it. Do the research. Experiment. Conduct job shadows, go through interest assessments like Myers-Briggs, and maybe even hire a career coach. Isn’t the opportunity to radically shift what you do and how you do it into something that has PURPOSE worth the investment in exploring the options?

Overcoming Obstacles of Employment

Overcoming Obstacles of Employment 21 Flares 21 Flares I dont have to tell you that hundreds of thousands of people are searching for a job.  Im sure it also feels like each of them is in the hunt for the same job that youre looking for. Persistence is Key Dont lose your patience.  When you get frustrated, its more than OK to punch a pillow, run a few miles, or even take a day off from the job search.  Just dont give up.  It surely sucks getting rejected over and over, but you will eventually find our golden ticket. Pardons: A New Start One big obstacles holding back  is the background check.  If they have certain types of past criminal offense, they may be quickly denied employment, even if they have changed.   Many of these individuals just wish to contribute to the countrys economy.  To combat this, the National Parole Board does give them a chance for redemption. By applying for a pardon, certain convictions can be removed from the job applicants criminal record. If approved, the incident will not show up when the background check is run. While the process to obtain a pardon is somewhat complicated in different countries, there are some organizations that will take care of the legalities for a fee. For example, pardons Canada offers services to help people with criminal records get back into the workforce, and even gain entry into the United States for employement. While it’s not a thrilling thought to have to pay for legal services, the investment is one that will easily pay for itself over time spent employed. Secondary Education Its not for everyone, but furthering your education could be the boost you need.  While some industries wont benefit from it, others will find the networking and exposure to be exactly what they needed.  Dont Be Picky Its okay to be picky, but once your wallet starts shrinking then its time to take a c lose look at your options.  While we would all love to work at at our ideal perfect company, your job and career is sometimes what you make of it.  Ive met too many people who were shocked to find that their dream job was a bust.  Just make it your own opportunity.