What Are the Benefits of Graduate Trainee Programmes

What Are the Benefits of Graduate Trainee Programmes Finding a good graduate training programme can get your career off to a flying start.  Graduate recruitment programmes are becoming increasingly popular across a variety of industries. Previously, this post-degree job opportunity was most commonly associated with the financial industry and big multi-national organisations. Now, a wider variety of businesses, including many SMEs, are offering graduate training to attract high calibre, ambitious young professionals into their organisation. But why should university leavers consider applying for these types of roles? And, with the number of schemes increasing, how can you spot a good programme to apply for? Supported transition from university to the workplace You may already have plenty of work experience, whether it’s from part-time jobs or work placements completed as part of your degree. That doesn’t stop it feeling a little daunting to go from being a full time student to a full time employee. Good graduate training programmes are specifically designed for university leavers and are structured to help provide valuable support and skills needed to build your confidence in the workplace. Help to decide your chosen career path It’s not unusual to be unsure about what career path you would like to take. Many graduate training programmes don’t specify the nature of the degree required because so many of the skills learnt at university are transferable. Looking at graduate training jobs, and the career progression opportunities they set out, can really help you to narrow down your areas of interest. You may even find something which you had never considered before. Many schemes also provide the opportunity to work across several different areas of the business, so you can really discover where your particular skills fit. Continued professional development Graduate training programmes often provide the opportunity to study for further professional qualifications through on the job training. This means you not only get the chance to put the skills you’ve already learnt through your degree into practice, you can also develop and channel them with further qualifications to suit the particular career path you have chosen. How to spot a good graduate training programme It’s really worth spending time and effort when researching potential graduate schemes available. The opportunities with the big named companies may be the first to come up on an internet search but the bulk of graduate vacancies are now within SMEs. Research also shows that smaller companies tend to attract fewer applications, so although it is still likely to be very competitive, your chances of securing the role could be increased. The graduate schemes offered by SMEs are just as valuable and can some cases can provide even more development opportunities. Working in a smaller environment often provides the chance to gain more experience and to be given more responsibility. When searching for potential roles, look out for clues that it is an organisation you would genuinely like to work for, and one which is going to provide the support you would hope to find in a dedicated graduate programme. Clear development plan A good graduate programme will provide clear progression opportunities through ongoing training and the chance to get involved with a variety of different projects. It should clearly state if there is a permanent job opportunity at the end of the programme for those who have shown the right skills and aptitude, and demonstrate the path you will need to take to secure this specific job role. Long term support Organisations should be committed to supporting graduate trainees to achieve their goals and to build a long term career with them. Look for roles which clearly state the support you will be given throughout, from regular meetings through to a dedicated mentor. Award winning companies Research shows that many graduates are drawn to a company because of its culture just as much as the career opportunity itself. People want to work where they will be happy, supported, rewarded and motivated. A good way to gauge what a company may be like to work for is to look for any accolades which show they have a proven commitment to their staff, such as Investors in People or Best Employer awards. When it comes to applying for a graduate recruitment programme, make sure you spend time creating an application dedicated to that role. If you are lucky enough to have found several opportunities you are interested in, resist the temptation to speed up the process by copying and pasting information across. Investing time and effort in tailoring your application will increase your chances of being selected for an interview.

How to Take the First Step Towards Changing Your Career (Its Never Too Late)

How to Take the First Step Towards Changing Your Career (Its Never Too Late) You’ve had it with your current career path. You’ve assessed your priorities and decided it’s time to make a change. You have an idea of what you’d like to do next with your career. Everything’s looking good until a little voice pipes up in your brain, “But what if I’m too old to change careers?” Doubt creeps in. You start to question the plausibility of the switch, the reaction of hiring managers, maybe even your own ability to do something different. Before you go too far down the rabbit hole of concern and worry, let’s take a step back and get some perspective.  The first thing to realize is that you’re having a normal reaction to the idea of making a change. Changing careers means going from something that you are familiar with to something that is an unknown. Things that are unknown bring up fear. It’s not that the change is necessarily dangerous, it’s just that fear comes up as a warning anytime we venture somewhere new, signaling us to pay attention and be alert. As a career change specialist, I can tell you that every client I’ve ever worked with has felt fear during the career change process. While your fears may be taking the bent of being concerned about your age, if you drill down you’ll probably see that the real fear that is coming up is around the overall change you’re considering. This is normal, and there are a couple of strategies you can use to work through these fears. Get More Information You can take time to get more information about the career path you’re considering, which takes the unknown and makes it more familiar (meaning less scary). Talk to people in the field or attend industry events to get real world perspectives on what you’re considering. Often when my clients take this step they get a boost of confidence, because they realize that they are capable of doing the jobs that others are describing. Start with small, test steps Another helpful strategy is to break down career change process into smaller steps to hedge your risk. For example, if you wanted to become a teacher, you could take an initial step of doing some volunteer mentoring work with kids after school. Once you had that experience under your belt, you’d be more ready to move forward (if it’s a good fit). Or you’d be able to course correct without too much trouble if you wound up disliking this new type of work. Lean on Past Life Lessons and Courage One last technique is to think back to past times in your life when you were scared of a change, but you saw it through anyway. Draw strength and courage from these memories, and adopt any relevant lessons of what helped you before to your current situation. Now that you know how to address the underlying fears that come up around career change, let’s look to your motivation by considering the big picture of the life you want to be living. When we focus on the short term effort that will be involved in a career change, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. In the moment it may seem easier to stay put, particularly if you get home from work and have the choice of expending energy towards your goals or watching your favorite television show. In the short term taking a break always sounds more appealing. But let’s pause for a moment and take the long view. You only have so much time in your life. This, right now, is your shot to live it. If you stood at the end of your life and looked back, what would have mattered more to you? Feeling comfortable in the moment? Or taking some courageous actions that altered the course and meaning of your life for the better? Surely you’d prefer the latter. The years are going to pass independent of your actions. If you had started five years ago, you would be somewhere different now. And if you start now, you’ll be somewhere different five years from now. Remember that life is meant to be lived. And living well means stepping outside of your comfort zone every now and again. When you take those chances, you give yourself the opportunity to learn and grow, and ultimately to live a richer life. You have the power to make choices about your career direction. These choices may not change your life overnight, but they really are yours to make. If you choose to stay put for valid reasons, that’s fine. But if you’re choosing to stay put because of fear or inertia, please re-consider. It’s never too late to change your career for the better.

This Weekly Activity Will Give Your Job Search a Boost

This Weekly Activity Will Give Your Job Search a Boost Looking for a new job can be one of the most stressful experiences in life. It is made even more stressful when you do not have a job. It is also hard to tell exactly what you have accomplished throughout the week when you are still unemployed as the weekend rolls around. This post will give you advice on a weekly activity that is sure to give your job search a boost.Most importantly, this activity will help you avoid becoming discouraged. A common way in which job seekers hurt themselves during a job search is the disappointment from a previous interview spills over into the next job interview. Usually, the expectation of failure and nothing being accomplished breeds negative results. And all of this could have been avoided with this weekly activity.The Weekly Activity That Gives Your Job Search a BoostIt is so simple you may kick yourself when you read the next sentence.Keep track of your accomplishments - big or smallOne of the worst feelings to experience during a job search is w hen you finish out the week feeling like you have done nothing. That may be what you are “feeling” but only because you did not keep track of what really happened.For example, imagine you have an interview on Monday and it did not go so well. You block the interview out of your mind as “lost”. Meanwhile, you forget to keep track of the people you met and ideas you had during the interview. You forget key networking possibilities because you did not keep track of your accomplishments.Big AccomplishmentsThe biggest accomplishment of all would be for you to get hired. But depending on the job it can take as little as three hours to get hired or as long as four months.Until then, keep track of some of your big accomplishments such as:Interviews that went well and the number of interviews you had Who you met during the interview What you did well in the interview Why you got the job interview in the first place What kind of companies you have been interviewing withSometimes, espe cially when you get in a bad mood about the outcome of job interviews it is easy to take the extreme point of view, “I failed and that made everything I did wrong.” Thinking this way negates everything you did that was right because of one minor misstep. Your big accomplishments get lost.Small AccomplishmentsSmall accomplishments in a job search can include:Personal discoveries about jobs you thought you wanted Ways you saved money while job searching Ideas that came to you during the interview process People you connected with on LinkedIn because of the interview Certain lessons you learned about resumes, interviews, or how you should dressUltimately, you may be achieving more than you realize but you are not keeping track of it. As your job search continues and the need to stay motivated intensifies, you will need to look at your accomplishments to remind yourself, “I am doing what I should be doing. And I will be successful.”How to Track Your AccomplishmentsA great way to track your accomplishments is to categorize them. For example:Setting an interview goal for 30-daysWhat is your reward when you meet that goal?Amount of times you received feedbackWhat was the feedback?Amount of interviews you felt you handled with confidenceWhy did you feel confident?Amount of times you impressed hiring managers with your answersWhat questions do you answer better than others?Amount of times you learned something new about yourselfWhat did you learn exactly?Amount of times you felt proud after an interviewWhat were you most proud of?At the end of the day, the importance of doing this is to make sure you keep reminding yourself that you are achieving things. You are growing, hacking away at all the unnecessary things you worry aboutand you are becoming skilled at describing your value through critical thinking.Finally, the better you get at tracking your accomplishments the more you start to understand what makes you valuable to a company!

How to Prepare for Your Interview with Body, Heart and Mind

How to Prepare for Your Interview with Body, Heart and Mind ‘To fail to plan is to plan to fail’, one of my favourite quotes and no where more true in the area of interviews. But what should you be preparing? Mind, body and heart! Prepare with your mind You need to do a lot of research and thinking before any interview. You need to engage with the future employer and with the role. You need to work out what it is that you are expected to do to add value. What would you need to do in that job to make you ‘a stand out employee’? Job descriptions can be rather broad and general so you need to try to work out from reading as much as you can about the job, about the firm and about the sector, what is the difference between a firm that is good at what it does and one that is excellent and how could you contribute to that excellence? You need to be able to answer that question, how can I add, in this role , make a difference. If there was an advert you might find some clues in the wording of the advert. Adverts are written by people who are doing recruitment for people looking for jobs. Job descriptions are written for a whole host of reasons and often by HR people to make sure that they know what the job is worth. You need to find other people who have done this job or a similar job. To find someone who has worked in the organisation or in that sector.  In the world of social media it is easy to track down people that you may know a little, it is much harder to get them to respond to your requests for a chat or to be joined to another of their friends. So you will need to be persuasive with your approach. You need to think about the things that the interviewer is going to want to hear about.   You will need to talk about your experience and therefore you will need to choose which experiences to describe. Choose recent and relevant examples. Choose examples of doing those things that they will want to see you doing in the new job. Make sure your examples are recent and relevant (I know I’ve said that twice) and make sure you can tell these stories well. You need to make sure that you have thought of all the really obvious questions and have got all your answers prepared. Rehearse so that you can sound confident and know what you are talking about. Prepare your body Obviously you’d expect me to talk about having a good nights sleep. You need to be alert and awake. But there are more physical preparations that you need to make. You need to work out what to wear, make sure it is clean and make sure that it is ironed and looks smart. And you need to do all that the day before. You need to make sure you have smart shoes and   that you look like someone who works in that   business. Yes there are organisations that don’t wear suits and ties but if you have been down to the offices on your trail run of the journey, you will be able to see what the work dress code is. Unless you are very clear that it would be a mistake, wear formal business wear (suit, dress, skirt, etc) take off   jewellery (except small pieces on women) remove piercings, cover up both cleavage and tattoos.   Get a hair cut. Rehearse getting ready, don’t be standing in front of the mirror wondering what to wear when you should be at the bus stop. Prepare your heart The heart is said to be the seat of your emotions and they need some preparation. You need to really enthuse yourself about this role. OK it may not be your dream job, it may just be a job but the future employer wants to know that you are really keen to get the job. Psych yourself up by thinking of all the advantages of having and doing this job. Enthusiasm will take you a long way. You need to make sure that you have done all your research and all your practice so that you can access your confidence emotions. Being nervous is understandable and interviews know that people will be a bit nervous but you do need to be able to overcome them, to be confident enough to be articulate and to be able to answer their questions well. If you are a real bag of nerves you won’t be able to impress the interviewer with your knowledge and describe your skills. Getting your emotions under control can be the hardest part of your preparation, just keep remembering a time when you felt chilled, imagine yourself in a relaxed place. Ask yourself ‘what is the worst that can happen?’. In most interviews you will never have to see the interviewers ever again, so if you do dry up (which you won’t because you have done all your preparation) it will not be the end of the world. Get it all into perspective. And finally, find your lucky charm and pop it in your pocket so that you know that you will perform at your best. Related: The Psychology of Job Interviews: How To Prepare Mentally.

An Acting Resume Sample For All Actors

An Acting Resume Sample For All ActorsEvery aspiring actor or actress should write their own acting resume. If you have acted in more than one role, don't just leave that information off your resume. Sometimes when you're being considered for a part or cast, an agent may ask you to provide specific information about yourself. So, if you want to get hired on a new show, be sure you present this information and the skill you possess that could help you land that audition.Whether you are going to audition for a small or large role, your resume must be professionally written. Your resume must highlight your greatest skills and achievements while highlighting the parts that are currently available on your resume. Having the correct info on your resume is the best way to make yourself stand out from the crowd and win over that part.A great resume should contain specific information about your acting career. This information should be listed by both role and actor. When you know what role y ou're auditioning for, you can plan out your resume to include information about that role and your abilities and preferences.One thing all acting resumes should also contain is a list of credits or acting credits. This is important because it will give a casting director or casting agent an idea of your range. Your resume should also highlight any acting training or lessons you've had, or recent acting projects you've worked on.Speaking of acting training, a great acting resume should highlight any training or experience you've had in acting classes. This will provide a detailed account of your education and abilities and will impress any casting director. Even if you didn't get into acting school, these details can be included if they are relevant to the role you're auditioning for.There are many samples available for actors and actresses to use as inspiration for their own resume. There are free samples on the Internet, however, if you want to have the resume you want and not som ething that's already been used, a paid sample will be your best choice. It is often difficult to find a professionally-written professional resume that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Paid samples offer the benefits of a professional-looking resume and professional formatting.Acting resumes are one of the most important things for any aspiring actor or actress to create. Your resume will be the first impression anyone receives when they come to meet you. So, if you want to get into the audition process, your resume needs to be professional and filled with the correct information.Don't be afraid to use a paid resume that's professionally written. By taking the time to design a well-written resume that gets people talking, you will have a leg up on your competition.

Dont Sell Yourself Short - 5 Ways to Promote Your Job Search - CareerAlley

Dont Sell Yourself Short - 5 Ways to Promote Your Job Search - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. We must become the change we want to see. Mahatma Gandhi Team leader or individual contributor? Manager or supporter? Successful organizations are filled with all personality types. The best leaders in the world would be very unsuccessful if they had no followers. When you are looking for a job, it is no time to be modest. You need to be your biggest cheerleader and sell yourself to whomever will listen. And, while you need to take credit for all of your achievements, you also need to be careful not to exaggerate your achievements to the unbelievable level. Being a great leader is no better than being a great supporter. This is all well and good, but it is a delicate balance. The selling process starts with getting your name out there, it is supported by your cover letter followed by your resume and finally the interview process as the clincher. And did I mention your network? Your Resume First and foremost is your resume. This one document should summarize not only your work and educational experience, but it should also highlight your achievements (this is the part where you use action words). Maybe you completed a strategic project, or a new method to manufacturing a product. What ever your achievements are, they belongs in your resume. == Understanding the Importance of Keywords in Your Job Search Book Corner [easyazon_link asin=0814417620 locale=US new_window=default nofollow=default tag=caree07-20 add_to_cart=default cloaking=default localization=default popups=default]Unbeatable Resumes: Americas Top Recruiter Reveals What REALLY Gets You Hired[/easyazon_link] Your Network In this case Im talking about your friends, family and professional acquaintances. These are the people that know you best, know the quality of work you do and are aware of your achievements. But not everyone in your network is equally informed and they cant effectively help you find a job if they dont have all of the information. So, as part of your regular networking routine, you need to make sure that your entire network is aware of your achievements. == Making Networking and Informational Interviews Part of your Job Search Social Networks So of course you cannot mention social networks for job search without mentioning LinkedIn.com. In addition to your profile (which should mimic your resume), you should also list your accomplishments here as well. This is also a great place for references. Try to have some of your former coworkers submit a recommendation on LinkedIn for you. Join industry and other groups on LinkedIn, this is another great way to expand the your network and the people who know what you do best. == LinkedIn Profiles vs. Resumes, is There a Difference? Book Corner [easyazon_link asin=0316036137 locale=US new_window=default nofollow=default tag=caree07-20 add_to_cart=default cloaking=default localization=default popups=default]Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives How Your Friends Friends Friends Affect Everything You Feel, Think, and Do[/easyazon_link] Blogs Writing a blog is a great way to get your name out there. Of course you need to balance the type of material that is on your blog with the type of career and job you have. If your blog is too out there it is likely to scare people. If your blog is informative about your industry or job function, that is even better. Posting ideas and accomplishments (if done in the right way) will get you noticed. == 5 Smart Tips for LinkedIn Self-Promotion Guest Articles Writing articles is another great way to get your name out there and help with your job search. This is where you can leverage both, the Internet and print media. Trade associations are the first place to look, followed by college newsletters, industry news letters and magazines. You should also look for popular blogs and offer to writes guest posts. You could always write a book (although this is likely to take a long time.You will need to be the one who decides on the topic, ensure you will leverage your experience. Once you have at least one article published you can add it to your resume (and yet another achievement). == 5 Tips for Leveraging you Social Network in Your Job Search We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ Job Search job title, keywords, company, location jobs by

5 typical competency-based questions and how to answer them - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

5 typical competency-based questions and how to answer them Competency based interviews have become standard practice when applying for jobs in the UK, as opposed to skills or education based interviews. A competency based interview consists of an employer asking questions that determine and test your knowledge of different areas key to the job you are applying for, and examine your outlook and attitude towards managing day to day tasks, problem solving, and crisis abatement. Competency based questions very often, if not always, require candidates to present real-life examples of how they managed in a specific situation, as well as how they handled their daily duties. Answering competency based questions requires some thought, but if you are well prepared for your interview, you will know how to answer them. Here are five typical competency based questions you may be asked to answer during your interview. 1. Your Level of Organization Most, if not all, employers value high levels of organization in prospective candidates. Employees who are organized tend to be more productive and, in supervisory positions, perform competently by providing project frameworks and details in a timely fashion and staying on top of tasks that need to be accomplished, especially if they must be done quickly. Questions in this arena may examine how you managed several projects at once, particularly if you had to prioritise, or if you had to work on a project that involved multiple departments. Be prepared to answer questions on project management, managing communication and securing assistance, and tools that you used to keep everything rolling smoothly. 2. Your Communication Skills Communication skills are a must in any successful company, and you will be presented with questions on your communication skills at every interview you attend. Whether you are a good communicator via speech or writing, be prepared to discuss this essential skill with your employer, and indicate what channels of communication you work best with. Questions in this arena usually include detailing situations in which your communication skills helped solve a problem or defuse a conflict; they may also inquire into a situation where your communication skills failed, and what you did to redress the problem. As with any question that inquires about your failures, it is important to be honest both about the failure and about how you sought to address it. Be prepared to answer both of these inquiries constructively and clearly. 3. Your Decision-Making Abilities In the absence of advisement, good decision making abilities are important. Many supervisors value employees who do not constantly need to be told what to do and are capable of making decisions about execution, prioritisation, and methodology. Being a good decision maker in difficult decisions is also a valuable quality, especially if you are applying for a supervisory position. Expect to be asked about a time where you had to make a difficult or complicated professional decision, and whether it yielded positive or negative results. Be prepared to explain what you learned from either situation, and how these experiences may have improved your decision-making ability. Once again, be frank. 4. Your Ability to Recover from Failure Failing forward has become something of a catchphrase in professional circles, and with good reason. Ones ability to recover from and learn from failure not only develops their professional capability, but serves to assist the growth and development of those they work with by communicating those lessons to ones co-workers. Almost every interviewer will inquire about a time you failed to achieve something, or a situation in which your skills were not equal to the problem. Answer this question very honestly, and be prepared to discuss the subsequent results. Think very carefully about what you learned from the situation, and if it prompted you to develop your skills in a particular area further. Demonstrating that failure prompts you to work harder and smarter can be key to helping you secure a position. 5. Your Ability to Be a Team Player While some people work best alone and you should say so if this is the case learning to work as part of a team is still a critically important skill, particularly with regard to high-stakes or large projects. Be prepared to answer questions about times you worked as part of a team, and what you contributed to the team or project you were assigned to. Talk about how your skills complemented those of your other team members, and what you were able to achieve together versus what you were able to achieve singularly. Preparing for a competency based interview is a detailed but fairly easy process. Almost every job search engine will offer interview preparation tips and articles on handling these interviews impressively and competently. By taking the time to prepare for these interview questions, you will stand a greater chance of landing the position you want and staying in it.