Starting a new job advice

Starting a new job advice by Michael Cheary For most of us, starting a new job is a bit like the first day of schoolNo matter how much youve  prepared in advance, by the time that first morning rolls around youre  unsure of where to go, what to do and who to talk to. And dont even get us started on what to do about lunchTo help ensure  your first days/weeks/years (delete where applicable) go as smoothly as possible, heres our guide to getting off on the right foot in your new role:Get to know the teamFirst things first: you actually need to make an effort.OK, so you wont necessarily be best friends with everyone on day one.  But  showing youre enthusiastic about trying to get to know them, as well as being  enthusiastic about your work, will naturally allow your colleagues to be more open and welcoming to you.Try and schedule some time with each of your teammates during  your first few days, and find out more about them. How long theyve been at the company, what positions theyve held, what they do and where theyve worked in the past, are all great potential questions to ask.And, if there are social occasions, such as after-work drinks or group lunches, make an effort to attend (if youre able to)  its a great way to feel part of the team and get to know people on a more personal level.Because  you cant buy friendsbut Happy Hour comes pretty close.Know your  limitationsNo one goes into a new job knowing all of their objectives    but its sensible to know your strengths and limitations.Top of the list of no-nos is going in with too many expectations. Be realistic about what you aim to achieve, especially in the early months, and dont set yourself up for a fall. By the same token, if your new boss expects unrealistic results from you, address the issue quickly before it becomes a problem.Always beware of overdoing it. It can be tempting in a new job to volunteer for everything with the aim of making a good impression, but be realistic. Take on what you know you can do well, and alw ays talk to your team  if you feel like you need a hand.Whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability, and dont accept half measures. That way your boss will notice the effort youre putting in.Avoid complainingDifferent companies have different ideas about how to introduce a new member of staff to their tasks.However,  although youll have some idea of your role because of the work you put into your application and getting through the interview process, you wont necessarily know the ins-and-outs of the induction process until youre officially on-the-job.Some companies will ease you in gently with some introductory training and interaction with the business. Some companies  may set objectives and deadlines immediately. Whichever approach your new employer takes, be ready to get stuck into your work and avoid complaining, at all costs.Speak up  Theres a big difference between complaining, and asking for help.As much as youre likely to want to hit the ground running, you cant expe ct to be an expert in the field in your first few weeks. So if you dont know something, or you feel like you need help, always ask   speaking up is not a sign of weakness.In fact, your employers are likely to be more impressed with your honesty. In a more practical sense, youll actually be learning something, rather than staying silent and hoping a problem goes away.Remember:  Rome wasnt built in a day*Probationary periodsDifferent workplaces have different practices when it comes to probationary periods.Most, however,  use this time to provide you with extra training and support from a mentor, and, of course, to ensure youre up to the job. Its also a great way for you yourself to check in on your progress, and provide feedback on your first few months.If it sounds intimidating, it really doesnt have to be. To avoid the prospect of a big make-or-break meeting, ask your boss for regular catch-ups to go through your progress, and whats expected of you.That way, if you do have any issu es, youll be able to bring them up before its too late.How to: Stop feeling nervous about starting a new jobEight things everyone feels when starting a new jobTop 5 Ways to impress on your first day*Also applies to SloughStill searching for your perfect position?  View all of our current vacancies nowFind 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 terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Career Development Life At Work

In Business With a Friend Yes, It CAN Work!

In Business With a Friend Yes, It CAN Work! If you asked me five years ago where I would find myself in 2017, I would have probably shrugged and replied with a non-committal “I don’t know, maybe thinking of moving back to the Philippines to be closer to my parents and settle down,” which still sounds like a wonderful parallel life, but not just yet. As I ring in the fifth season of my fashion start-up, Mestiza New York, with my partner-in-crime Louisa Rechter, my own life predictions were totally off-base, and in the best way possible.   Starting a business with a friend is daunting for sure, but we both recognized an equally passionate drive in each other, an untarnished excitement for what we’ve created, and an ambition that lead us to fundamentally believe that “failure is not an option,” nor will it ever be. So here I am, giving unsolicited (albeit good advice I hope) to those seeking to do the same. Separation of Roles: It is tremendously crucial to define what it is you bring to the table from the get-go. In our case, Louisa and I have managed to create a well-oiled machine where we have a distinct separation of responsibilities within the company: I am the Creative Director and Louisa is the CEO. I believe that behind every great creative has an even greater business mind that propels the brand forward: you both need to understand and appreciate the necessity of each other’s abilities. Know that you and your future business partner each bring different talent to your venture and that what you are creating will be only successful because you are both working equally hard towards the same goal. Overlap is of course going to happen, but it is counterproductive to be always working on the same things. It important to outline your roles and responsibilities, and trust that your business partner will deliver on what they know. Share Your Value Prop: Define your unique value proposition together and make sure you both passionately believe in an identical vision. From day one, you need to be on the same page about all of the big picture items: how what you’re creating solves a problem, who your customer is, a deliberate pricing structure, the brand identity, and dare I say it…an exit strategy. As fun as it is to talk about the exciting parts of a start-up, you also need to be realistic. Defining these key things and sticking to them will save you both a headache in the long run. Be Equal Motivators: In order to move forward, you need to take accountability for what you do, mistakes and all, and make sure you are operating on the same frequency as your counterpart. I believe that a lot of Mestiza’s milestones have come from the fact that Louisa and I are continuously pushing each other and equally striving towards the ultimate success of Mestiza New York. At the end of the day, we trust each other! Be Friends First: Don’t ever forget that first and foremost you are friends, so compartmentalizing your work relationship and personal relationship is so necessary to building something with longevity. Arguments will arise and obstacles will come up; as long as you always know that when you disagree, it is simply because you are both passionate and want your “baby” to eventually be a success. Louisa and I live, eat and breathe Mestiza from the moment we wake up in the morning, so it is difficult to turn off that part of our brains when we are together. We have created a rule that after 6PM, unless it is an absolute emergency, we don’t talk about the business. It’s created a much more productive work environment, and keeps us excited and passionate about our work every day. Dare to Dream: With so much of our time being spent on running the business, its important to press pause every once in a while and think about the big picture. Where is the company going to be in five years? Ten years? Is it something that is going to have the longevity and live beyond the two of us? Dreaming gives us the spark we need to continuously be inspired to keep the engine running. At the end of the day, I believe that every successful venture needs equal parts a dreamer who has their heads in the clouds, an unstoppable driving force to move it forward and of course, a healthy dose of luck. This post was authored by Alessandra Perez-Rubio Alessandra is a classically trained graphic designer, launching her career in New York as an advertorial designer at the New Yorker, The Knot and Architectural Digest. She also worked at Shopbop, responsible for designing their iconic lookbooks. In 2011, she launched bridal shopping website Idojour with her two sisters. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Design from the Sam Fox School of Design at Washington University in St. Louis. Since launching Mestiza in 2015, Alessandra has been responsible for all the creative development and design for Mestiza New York. In 2016, she was chosen as a top 4 finalist in the Design Entrepreneur Program at Fashion Institute of Technology. Alessandra grew up in Manila and Atherton, California. Her expertise lies in Fashion Design, Product Development, Creative Direction, Communication Design, Brand Building and Technology.  

Your Resume Is Just A Golden Ticket - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Your Resume Is Just A Golden Ticket - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Remember the moment in  Willy Wonka  and the Chocolate Factory when Charlie peels back the wrapper of his candy bar to find a golden ticket?   He waves it around, and dashes home to tell his family and then everyone breaks into song.   Because at that moment, he knows that hes found exactly what hes been searching for, and all his problems are solved. A little later in the movie,  it seems like the entire world is  gathered at  the entrance of Willy Wonkas factory to watch the gates crack open for the first time in decades.  Willy Wonka dances out to welcome the five lucky children who are the owners of Golden Tickets and those five selected children  are let in as they brandish their gilded piece of paper.   As they rush in the door, its official: theyve made it and all their dreams (of chocolate) have arrived. Our own golden tickets Isnt that we all hope for?   That when we send off our resume, the recruiter will pull it out of the envelope (or email attachment) and realize theyve found it.   That theyve opened up hundreds of  emails, only to be disappointed over and over again.   But then, theres that moment when they open the email containing  your resume!   And then, when you arrive at your dream company, youre welcomed  at the door with great fanfare because youre holding that special piece of paper.   And, just because of that gilded piece paper, youre given  the opportunity youve always dreamed of!   Wouldnt that be wonderful? But  thats  not what happens either in the real world or in the fantasty world inside the chocolate factory.    Because  like interviewers, Willy Wonka isnt looking to make people happy, hes actually looking for the perfect person for a vitally-important  job.   (His job!) The golden ticket in the real world Just  like a resume  in the  real world, that Golden Ticket isnt enough to guarantee a job.    All  the  Golden Ticket  does is get  a child  in the door of the factory   and then the real testing begins. And like many real-world  job interviews, it quickly becomes obvious that most of the children are  woefully unprepared for the tests and questions they encounter.   One-by-one, their weaknesses emerge in a glaring way and Wonka sends them packing.   At last, only Charlie remains and he still has to prove himself before Willy Wonka selects him. From what I see, too many of us are under the impression that when we apply for jobs, our resumes are our Golden Tickets.   We spend hours polishing them up so theyre as bright and shiny as can be, and then whenever we see an opportunity were interested in, we send them off with the expectation that our resume will be golden.   Then, when we find out that weve been invited in for an interview, too often we think that weve made it. But we havent.  All the resume does is to get us in the door. Then we have to prove ourselves by demonstrating our interest in the field, our passion and how we can help our interviewer solve their companys challenges. And thats where I see so many friends and aquaintances fall short when theyre job-hunting.   They spend  most  their time working on their resume, and discovering where to send it instead of spending their time learning everything they can about the job, the interviewer, and the industry. Theres no excuse for that.    The children in Willy Wonka didnt know they were auditioning for the job of their dreams when they arrived waving their  Golden Ticket.   We do and the sooner we realize that what happens  after we get in the door is the most important part, the better off well be! Author: Katie Konrath blogs about creativity, innovation and “ideas so fresh… they should be slapped” at www.getfreshminds.com.   She works for leading innovation company, Ideas To Go.

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese How To Handle the Mean Girls at Work

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese How To Handle the Mean Girls at Work Many women would like to believe that the ugly behavior they may have experienced at the hands of other girls in junior high or perhaps even exhibited themselves is just an unhappy memory by the time they join the working ranks. But the truth is: The mean girls are alive and well in the workplace today. In a new book,Mean Girls at Work: How to Stay Professional when Things Get Personal, authors Katherine Crowley and Kathi Elster say they were at first reluctant to tackle such a subject for fear of contributing to bias against women or portraying women in such an unflattering light. But when they got a rousing response to the subject of women haters at a training session, they say they knew they had struck a nerve. Women have been pushing uphill for so long and trying to get ahead, that no one really wanted to look at what wasnt working. It is something that women are reluctant to talk about and acknowledge, Elster says. Its sort of the dark side. Crowley and Elster says that most women will recognize the mean girl at work. The key indicator is that you have a feeling that she doesnt like you and is in competition with you, Crowley says. Elster describes it as a sinking feeling in your stomach when youre around the woman. There are various levels of professional-woman meanness, such as the meanest of the mean the passively mean and the doesnt mean to be mean, they explain. The woman may exclude her target from emails,gossip about her, use body language that conveys(read the rest here)

5 reasons why you should get a grad job in Birmingham - Debut

5 reasons why you should get a grad job in Birmingham - Debut Take a look at your calendar. Now take a look at your watch. Its that time. Its time to start shopping around for a career. And no doubt the ambitious amongst you will want to live and work in London. Its all about the bright lights and the big city, right? But just slow your roll there, speed racer. Have you ever considered moving to *shudder* a different city? Have you ever considered say, a graduate job in Birmingham? Probably not, Im guessing, but hear me out. Not only are there plenty of great places to live in Birmingham, but theres plenty up there to make you feel at home. Whether your a born-and-bred Londoner or youve had that rural life, youll find what youre looking for here. Who knows, a graduate job in Birmingham may even be uniquely beneficial to your career. Heres why: Youll escape the London bubble Whether you live here, or you want to live here, its probably worth considering both sides of the argument before you up sticks. London is a vast sprawling metropolis with so much to see and do, its frankly impossible to cover in one lifetime. Getting a graduate job in Birmingham is all-consuming both socially and work-wise. The hectic big city lifestyle isnt for everyone, and London offers that lifestyle on steroids. A graduate job in Birmingham might be more suited to people who enjoy a slightly slower pace. Its also a big city, dont get me wrong, but with less of the attitude and still all of the benefits. On top of that, Brummies are such nice people! Its beautiful now Theres a story that says Queen Victoria once asked for the blinds to be drawn while passing through Birmingham on a train. Birmingham has never quite been able to shake that reputation for being a grimy, super-industrial town in the North. But the crazy amount of investment thats going into B-Town means that new buildings are springing up all over the place. With the old, gorgeous architecture next to the new developments, Birmingham is starting to build its own iconic skyline and beautiful cityscapes. Youve just got to experience it for yourself. Birmingham is constantly developing A post shared by Alex Ekong (@andthenalexsaid) on Oct 13, 2016 at 1:25pm PDT Speaking of investment going into Birmingham, have you seen New Street station? The thing looks like a goshdarn spaceship. You will never have a nicer commute than you will coming into this station. Some lines do trains into the city centre every 10 minutes, you can even get a tram if youre so inclined. And the stations just part of it. Everything from the roads, to the transport and infrastructure has been newly revamped in the last few years. With so many improvements that are both flashy and functional, Birminghams become a joy to explore these days. Businesses are moving there in droves Professional people nickname Birmingham Europes Meeting Place and its not hard to see why. The city hosts 40% of the UKs conferences and is home to numerous banks, over 500 law firms and Europe’s second largest insurance market. Also, a host of huge accountancy firms like PwC have their largest offices outside London here. You have to imagine that the place is crawling with graduate jobs just waiting to be discovered. The competition for the same jobs would be fierce in London, shooting for Birmingham might just give you the edge. Its literally so much fun A post shared by Carnival Magnifico (@carnivalmagnifico) on Jun 7, 2017 at 9:26am PDT Heres a neat fact: Under-25s make up over 40% of Birminghams population, making it the youngest city in Europe. So not only will you not be alone while doing a graduate job in birmingham, but  boy will you be catered for. Dont ever think youre going to end up bored in Birmingham. Practically, the whole reason I chose to go to Birmingham University was because Birmingham has a ton of celebrated music venues and more than a few festivals. Trust us, if you can find it in another city, you can find it here. Quirky bars, fabulous restaurants, insane nights out you can get it all in Birmingham. See all our graduate jobs in Birmingham. Images via Birmingham Mail, PwC, Carnival Magnifico Connect with Debut on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for more careers insights.

Time Is Money Heres How To Make Yours Work Harder

Time Is Money â€" Heres How To Make Yours Work Harder Time is the most valuable resource at any business owner’s disposal, which is why it’s so vital that you learn to make the most of yours. Until you do, it’ll be impossible to unlock the true potential of the venture.  While you may fear that this will require wholesale changes to the operation, the simple upgrades are often the best. Learn to incorporate these five ideas into yours, and you should see noticeable improvements. Focus on efficient communication. Team meetings are an important feature but allowing them to go on too long can waste a lot of time for several employees. Keep the meetings to 20 minutes and use team messaging and digital tools to relay important messages following this. Aside from actively reducing the time designated to the meetings, it helps you to maintain focus. Allowing the meetings to last too long could easily see them digress into insignificant chatter. Get on top of your admin. From hiring junior staff to complete simple tasks to using templates invoices, all positive steps should be taken. This will ensure a level of speed and accuracy like never before, enabling you to focus on actively driving the venture forward. The fact that it keeps your venture on the right track from a legal perspective is another factor that should not be overlooked. Fail to do this, and the end of the fiscal year could be an utter nightmare. Let your social media interactions work more seamlessly by using automation. Not only does this save valuable time, but it allows you to hit audiences from multiple directions. This will encourage a far better response rate, which will hopefully lead to more conversions. Apart from anything else, this can also be a great way to eradicate preventable mistakes from the admin side of posting to multiple channels. Given that you use this every day, it will have a telling impact on the outcomes. Solve customer issues before they even have to reach you. Mistakes will happen in business while some clients are likely to get confused about certain factors too. Adding a fair returns policy and a clear FAQ to your website removes a lot of ambiguity and lets them find support without needing to hassle you. Their lack of frustration can encourage loyalty while you’ll be left to do other vital tasks. For the sake of your staff, clients, and self, this aspect is essential. Get rid of unnecessary elements. Most businesses are guilty of persisting with ideas that don’t work. Whether it’s a marketing plan, an individual service, or something else does not matter. Learn to track everything in business, including employee activities. The quicker you spot an issue and rectify, the sooner you can get back to working at the maximum capacity. Running a business is hard enough without having those things weighing you down. Do not forget it.  Making time work harder doesn’t suddenly guarantee success in business. Still, it does instantly give you a better shot at sustained success. Better still, once you’ve mastered this task, you’ll have more time to address other issues.

Creating a St Charles Mo Resume

Creating a St Charles Mo ResumeWriting a St Charles Mo resumes can be one of the most difficult things for a new employee to do. There are many elements to consider in order to create a professional resume. As an employer you want your resume to reflect your standards for an applicant, which makes it imperative that you have a St Charles Mo resumes in place when you hire new employees.St Charles Mo resumes consist of two sections; an industry section and a summary section. You will find there are different designs for each section; you will want to choose a design that reflects what it is you want your resume to reflect. Consider your industry, this includes things like education, experience, and training, and the goal of the company.In the summary section you will want to consider your career goals, as well as any other information you feel should be on your resume. In this section you should list accomplishments, what the company requires, any other publications or awards, anything that might make you stand out from other applicants.The industry section will consist of your education and training, if you went to school, and any other educational and training background that you have. This section also serves as an employment history section, so you will want to include any training you have had or obtained in employment. You will also want to include a summary of any training that you received in the field. Your industry will depend on what you would like to display about yourself in your resume.The second section of your resume is your employment history. You will want to put in your employment history, including a description of what job you held and how long it lasted. You will also want to include a summary of your employment, including employment details such as start date, end date, job responsibilities, training, and any other duties. In this section you should also mention any awards, certificates, and any other qualifications that were earned.The las t section of your resume is a summary of your accomplishments, which may include an explanation of any awards, certificates, or job responsibilities. This section should also include your education, which should include an explanation of your training. These are just some ideas to help you on your way to writing a St Charles Mo resume. Keep in mind that it is important to create a good resume that shows your skills and interests.When you get your resume back, you will need to edit the details so that it best represents who you are. Remember that a resume can mean the difference between an applicant being hired and an applicant not being hired, so think about what you are looking for and include these things on your resume.