Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom How to Prepare for a Career While Youre in College

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom How to Prepare for a Career While You're in College n a research study this year, IBM set out to uncover what’s wrong with higher education. In collaboration with the Economist Intelligence Unit, the IBM Institute for Business Value surveyed more than 900 academic industry leaders from private and public colleges and universities, vocational programs, community colleges, education service providers and corporations throughout the world. The survey revealed concerns regarding the higher education system’s abilities to address consumer requirements. Less than half of respondents believe the system meets the needs of students (49 percent), industry (41 percent) and society (47 percent). Why? As job preparedness studies indicate, the very skills needed for workforce success are the same skills exiting students often lack, including analysis and problem-solving; collaboration and team work; business-context communication; and flexibility, agility and adaptability. IBM reported that 70 percent of corporate recruiters experience challenges finding college-aged applicants with sufficient practical experience. In terms of economic value, only 51 percent of industry and academic leaders believe higher education is providing value for money, and just 49 percent view it as contributing to economic growth and competitiveness. Nevertheless, the institution of higher education isn’t going away, and it is unlikely to be significantly reformed any time soon. For this reason, it’s up to students to determine how to best use educational resources so they are fully prepared for the work world upon graduation. Take advantage of experience-based learning. Put away your textbooks and look for real-world learning experiences like internships and apprenticeships that will allow you to practice the skills you’ve heard about in the classroom. Select professors and courses that practice “flip” teaching, where students learn basic content outside class and do homework and problem-solve in class. Work with mentors to establish metrics that objectively evaluate the impact of these programs on your skill acquisition. Partner with potential employers. Develop relationships with corporate recruiters early in your university tenure. Inquire about on-site shadowing and job opportunities and get their input on the course work and concentrations that will be most helpful in securing and thriving in an entry-level role in their organizations. Understand their needs and acquire the right combination of skills to properly address those needs. Study their businesses and note how, where and why they’re successful and unsuccessful. For the rest of my tips, check out the full article at U.S. News and World Report.

Chef Cover Letter Sample - Algrim.co

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Big Girl Goals Buying Your First House

Big Girl Goals Buying Your First House Growing into your big girl shoes? Buying a house is one of the biggest goals you can set for yourself. One of the biggest goals you can set for yourself in your late twenties early thirties is buying yourself a house and turning yourself into a homeowner. Unless you are a wealthy trust fund baby, the process of buying a house will seem like a daunting task. After all, this is a big commitment that requires a lot of time, effort, and money. 1. Research is KEY.  Since buying a house will be a massive investment, you want to find something that you can really live in and enjoy.  Even the smallest mistake can be very costly.  Unless you have big savings, chances are youre going to have to get a mortgage. You have to consider everything that you will need and require from your home. Apart from looking at property prices, you also need to look at the neighborhood, nearby facilities and institutions, and the structural health of the home. Fortunately, doing your research for properties on sale is much easier now with the help of the internet. 2. Make it Personal. While the internet is indeed very helpful to find the right property for sale, you still need to take the extra mile to travel and see the property yourself. Dont rely on pictures and specifications. Meet face to face with your broker and find out your options on everything from house design to mortgage payments. 3.  Find people you can trust. You will be hiring several people throughout this process. A broker, solictor, conveyancer, are among them. Make sure that you can trust the people/ companies that you will be working with. The easiest way to find people you can trust is to ask your friends and family who have purchased a home already to point you in the right direction. Reading books like  [amazon template=productasin=1118117964] and  [amazon template=productasin=B00E3HSUZI] can also help a lot. Shopping around for your first home can be quite enjoyable if you have set your expectations of its challenges and strategise how to deal with them. Make a game plan! That home is waiting for you.

Is Coding a Language Recruiters Ought to Know

Is Coding a Language Recruiters Ought to Know Is coding a ‘language’ recruiters should know? It depends â€" if you [recruiter] plan to specialize in technology recruitment -Id say its a good idea to learn. What exactly should recruiters know about coding? There’s lots of software code in the world â€" Google alone has more than 2 billion lines of code in its repository.  So, the idea of learning a variety of coding languages can be a bit daunting.  Getting a little coding experience under your belt as a recruiter in tech is an incredibly valuable skill to have. Why?  For starters one major advantage Ive had to to learning about the fundamentals of code â€" higher response rate from potential hires. How so? One conversation that I hear far too often at tech meetups developers and software engineers are continuously mistaken for technologies they have limited knowledge of. For example, [Software Engineer] â€" is not always the same as a Backend Developer. Thus many candidates avoid responding to LinkedIn InMails from recruiters. Sure technology titles can be a bit confusing even for the most technical people out therelearning programming languages will help many of us [recruiters] avoid that awkward moment where you mistakenly reach out to a Java Developer with a JavaScript Developer role. A common mistake: Focusing on years of experience â€" this can be a tough one for recruiters [including me] to assess. Throughout my technical recruitment career I’ve come across candidates who have worked for big box corporations and other candidates that have worked with small startup companies. So, which candidate has the stronger technical background? It depends. Tip: don’t exclude candidates experience solely based on their previous employers. Speak with candidates about what they’ve worked on â€" it’s important to probe/get to know their skill set. Have the candidate speak on their project work, challenges they encountered within their role, successes and achievements. In addition, find out how your candidate keeps up with different technology trends- and what their passionate about. Here are some other things to do right now to get you started: When I began my career in technical recruitment I decided to take courses with Lynda.com . This online learning platform allows anyone to learn software and technology in an easy-at-your-own-pace format. Also, check out local coding schools in your area â€" Vancouver has some pretty amazing schools â€" Lighthouse Labs and CodeCore Bootcamp. In Los Angeles, General Assembly is pretty popular too. Keep in mind a bit of your own personal time, don’t forget tuition, goes into taking courses through a coding school. Like all things out there â€" change is going to happen. Programming languages are bound to evolve, so keeping up with technology and trends can be a tough one â€" how can we [recruiters] ensure we are staying up-to-date with tech knowledge? Between now and the end of the year attend meetup group events. And its OK to sit in the back and observe. Youll get more comfortable the more you do it its important to go out there and meet programmers, developers, and engineers â€" they are happy to share their insights on trends, tools, cool stuff in general plus its important to do some genuine networking. You may not be an expert at coding but be good enough and your candidates will trust you with their career.

8 Signs its Time to find a New Job - CareerMetis.com

8 Signs it’s Time to find a New Job Sometimes it’s crystal clear you need to get on the job sites, phone a few job agencies and leave your current role behind. Other times, you may convince yourself you’re just fine where you are but there are a few niggling worries in the back of your mind.It can be a daunting decision to find a new job but here are eight signs that a daunting decision is the right one.1) There’s no room for progressionevalevalWhen your role shows no signs of pushing you and stretching your abilities, it’s probably time to find a more challenging job.If there’s no chance of a promotion, a change of role or just a bit more responsibility, look for something that’ll provide you just this.Research has demonstrated that progress is very important to most employees.Robert Walters surveyed Millennials and found 91% stated that progression was a top priority in a new role. If your employer hasn’t cottoned on to this fact, perhaps it’s time to seek a new role elsewhere.Furthermore, Forbes expl ainsthat “if you’re hoping to move up the ladder sooner rather than later” and it looks unlikely, it should “raise some concerns.” A colleague or superior could leave at any point, leaving open an opportunity for you. Or, an opportunity for progression just may never arise. Rip off that band-aid and start looking elsewhere2) Your hard work is always overlookedMaybe you’re working overtime without even complaining or you’re always going above and beyond. You’re putting everything into your work but you’re receiving little if any, recognition.If this is the case, it’s likely a voice in the back of your mind is telling you to start looking elsewhere.evalA study byJob Exodusfound that not feeling valued as a member of staff was the third most common reason for wanting to move on and the American Psychological Association found feeling valued at work is linked to better physical and mental health.If you’re working hard, your company should be working hard to show yo u’re valued. Your bosses and colleagues should be saying “thank you” where necessary and “good job” here and there.If your work is underappreciated, focus your time, effort and energy elsewhere. Find a job where you can thrive and you find your hard work is valued.3) You’re not being taken seriouslySimilarly to have your work overlooked, maybe you’re being overlooked as a serious worker. Whether it’s your work, ideas or you that’s not being taken seriously, it’s probably something that gets you down when you think about work.evalIt could even be that you feel your boss doesn’t care about you. Although there are lots of factors to enjoying your job, it matters whether you feel valued or not.The Business Insider explainsthat “one of the biggest reasons people leave their jobs is because they feel underappreciated.”Don’t feel silly for worrying you’re not being taken seriously; prove that shouldbe taken seriously! Even if that means being taken seriously a t another company.4) It’s simply too stressfulYour job might be stressful for all sorts of reasons, be it feeling stuck in a rut because of the lack of career progression or because there are too many targets to hit. Companies can become bogged down in mindless rules and box-ticking exercises, and that can lead to unhappy, stressed-out employees.Life’s just too short to feel anxious and unhappy at work. Whatever it is about your current role which is making you feel stressed, there is almost certainly something better out there that will not leave you dreading the 9 to 5.Source â€" Pexels.comeval5) You can’t stand your workmatesYou can’t get along with everyone all of the time, and sometimes you have to admit that what makes your current job unbearable isn’t the work itself but the people around you. If your colleagues are difficult to get on with, that can be enough to persuade you it’s time to look elsewhere.Whether it’s your grumpy boss or the needy, annoying person sitting next to you if you really can’t face your team every day then move on to somewhere with a better vibe.6) You’re waiting for 17:00 once the clock hits 09:05If you’re bored, restless and the first to pack up your stuff, you probably need to find a new and exciting role to take up.Forbes says that if “you are ready to claw your eyes out rather than go to work,” you’re probably bored of your job.evalIt’s not the kind of work you’re interested in and it doesn’t promise to get much better. It’s when you’re feeling this way that it’s time to find a new position.There’s nothing wrong with outgrowing your role and realizing you’re ready for the next step. There is, however, no point in hanging about, hoping your work will become more exciting. Find a new role that fulfills your every criterion.7) There just aren’t enough perksCompanies these days are always looking to expand the benefits they offer their employees, and there are some really great perks to be had if you find the right employer. The holiday entitlement might be really tight-fisted in your present role, or your company might not offer flexible hours.If the perks aren’t great then start looking around for another job which offers you a better deal. Many companies offer loyalty schemes, money-off vouchers, help with childcare and flexible working arrangements, so if you think you might be better off elsewhere, start hunting!8) You’re dreaming of another careerMaybe this job was supposed to be a career pit stop, a stepping stone until the next big thing. Only you’re still at your “for now” job three years later, as you dream of your perfect 9 to 5.evalUltimately, however, it’s better late than never. So when 5 o’clock comes around, research and job search until you’re no longer dreaming of another career.If you’re feeling all of the above and more, it might be a good idea to at least start putting the feelers out for a new job. When it comes to quittin g your day job and grabbing your dream job, there’s no time like the present!

What We Learned in 2009...(and dont want to forget!)

What We Learned in 2009...(and dont want to forget!) For many, 2009 was a year to forget. The economic downturn, 10% unemployment, and corporate greed shook many out of comfortable (though only somewhat satisfying)positions at companies they thought were secure. For those who kept their jobs, running lean and mean meant working extra hard to pick up the slack for laid-off coworkers. Still I see 2009 as a year to remember. Not only for those thatweathered the storm but better yet (in the case of many of my clients) made a strategic change into their dream jobs.Many of my clients took the time to Soul Search, Research and Job Searchtheir way into career happiness and I toast this New Years to them! Theyrealized the way to happiness was to take the journey to land their ideal careers. Congratulations!Plus, 2009 taught us all a few key lessons to take with us into the next decade of 2010:Managing Your Career in 2010 and Beyond:Change is the one constant we can count on. With globalization and the ever-increasing pace of technological innov ation, change is here to stay. To ignore change can be ruinous to your career. Rather, take note from my Navigating Change Successfully webinar, define the ideal outcome of change for your career and position yourself to make it happen. This was my approach when my employer Arthur Andersen was going under with the Enron debacle. Rather than wait and see if Id have a job, I positioned myself for a new career in coaching by getting certification and starting my practice on the side. Now 7 years later, Im still looking for ways to leverage change to move my career and those of my clients forward.Build and maintain your network (and your skills) BEFORE you need them. The secret to effective networking is giving help before your need it. We often feel overstretched and too busy to focus on the needs of others so this very important aspect of networking falls away. I coached many who exhausted their networks into reviving them by offering help rather than just asking for it. In fact, one of the client success stories referred to above happened in part because my client had already been volunteering on the board of the nonprofit that eventually hired her. Without her dedicated commitment to the organization before the job opened up, my client who did not have nonprofit experience, would not have even been considered for the job. Because she proactively built her network, shes now in the job of her dreams!Sustainability is key to long-term job security: Rather than get caught up in the trendy hot jobs categories, look at the long-term viability of your chosen field. In other words, does your work help make the world a better place or at least not harm it? Im not talking about just saving the whales; rather Im talking about companies that produce quality content, products or services that add value to the bottom-line in a socially responsible way. If youre not sure how sustainable your career path is, read here for the Fast Company Social Capitalist Awards for example s of individuals who see themselves and their organizations as part of the solution to our economic, environmental and social challenges for the long-term. As you ring in the New Year, try not to focus on what you lost this year but rather on what you gained. As Price Pritchett said, Change always comes bearing gifts. It is my wish for you that 2010 brings many gifts to you including a sustainable, career that makes you happy and successful beyond your wildest dreams.Happy New Year from MMM Career Consulting!

Adding Writing Experience to a Resume

Adding Writing Experience to a ResumeIf you are someone who has a lot of writing experience to your name, and you have been laid off from a job, your resume can benefit greatly from adding some writing experience to it. Most people assume that getting a writing job is out of the question, but this is not always the case. Job titles have changed dramatically over the past several years. Many of the same skills that were needed back when the economy was booming now may be more in demand.To get the most out of an added writing experience to a resume, there are a few things to consider. First, do you want to position yourself as an employee for hire? Do you want to become a writer for hire? If so, you should have a detailed resume for any such job.You may want to include some of your work for other writers. If so, you should include a section in your resume about how you write. It is recommended that you go over this carefully with a professional editor to ensure that your work is approp riate. For instance, some writing projects are often published before they are finished, and so you will need to provide proofread work and other related information. The more information that you can provide to a potential employer, the better.Adding additional writing experience to a resume can increase your exposure for a writing job. In addition to showing the employer that you are capable of completing the job, the experience can also show the employer that you have the necessary skills to do the job well. This can put you ahead of the competition. It is highly likely that the company that hired you will hire others to fill in the position that you once held.One thing that you should not do if you are adding writing experience to a resume is to include any technical writing. This is a potentially dangerous combination and will leave your resume viewed as being worthless for a job. Your resume must contain all of the technical information that they are looking for, but it should not contain any writing about the technical aspects of the job. This does not seem fair to the employees that need the information.To add a writing experience to a resume, you should find a professional resume writing service that can help you write your own resume. They will be able to point out any gaps or areas where you have knowledge or writing experience that is applicable. Many of these services can even re-write the resume to accommodate your writing experience. This can reduce the time required to complete the process and save you time and money.You can also do a combination of adding writing experience to a resume and sending it through an on-line service. This is an easy way to complete the process. You can submit your resume online with a brief summary of the relevant experience. This can be a much quicker process than trying to send it through conventional means.The writing experience can be added to a resume with little cost, and your resume can be edited to reflect t he writing experience that is provided. The cost is minimal, and the benefits to you are large. What is more, the ability to create your own resume instead of getting a written one can take some of the pressure off your resume. You will then be able to focus on other aspects of your job.