#make yourself employable

[everlastingemployability]

Make a good attitude at work your New Year’s resolution

It’s the end of another year and whilst thoughts turn to 2016, it is also a good time to reflect on the past year and how you can do even better in the new year says Jo Rowbotham of EmptyLemon job board.

One of the top things that employers look for in their staff is a good attitude to work; it is just as important as qualifications and experience. A good attitude can boost morale, inspire your colleagues and get you noticed for a promotion. 

Some examples of how you can foster a good attitude in the workplace include:

Being respectful of others

Being respectful involves how you behave towards others. Speak and communicate with others in the way you would like to be spoken to. Listen to your colleagues, they may have a different opinion to you on how to do things. Take time to listen to your colleagues’ ideas, even if they are the opposite of your ideas. You may find that a fresh perspective from a colleague changes things for the better.

Having a positive attitude

How you speak and think about your workplace and colleagues can make a huge difference; if you think of the positives and talk of work and teammates in a positive way, the chances are that your working day will be much more pleasant.

Acknowledging others

When you have worked together on a task and receive praise, be sure to acknowledge the help you have got from your teammates. Remember to say thank you to people who have helped you. These two simple actions will make them far more likely to want to help you in future.

Getting involved

If you have finished your work or are ‘quiet’, and a colleague is struggling with their workload or have a big deadline to meet, offer to help. You will gain respect as a team player who is prepared to pitch in and go the extra mile.

Looking for the good points

Gossiping about others and blaming others when things don’t go to plan is easy and causes problems with morale. Looking for the good points in your colleagues will help you to identify their strengths; play to those strengths in future group tasks and you will not only get the job done, you will gain ‘buy in’ and improve your working relationships.

The New Year is a great opportunity to consider how you can modify your attitude for the better in the workplace. It will certainly make 2016 more positive and happy for you.

[everlastingemployability]

How to survive the pre-Christmas job hunt

The weeks before Christmas are potentially a difficult time to source work, with employers delaying new vacancies and start dates until January. 

Guest blogger Jo Rowbotham of EmptyLemon disagrees that it is hard to find a job in December, and believes this festive month can be a great time to find a new job.

Whilst is may seem that recruitment is slowing down for the festive period; job posting software provider Broadbean reported an industry wide fall in new job postings in December 2014 compared to previous months; there are still plenty of vacancies still being advertised, particularly in the retail and hospitality sectors. Some even offer a December start date.

Couple this with the findings in the same report by Broadbean, which shows that there was a 6.6% fall in applications for each vacancy in December, which could mean that you face less competition for the job you are applying for. With jobs still being advertised and less competition, December could be a fantastic time to find a job after all.

Have your CV ready to go

The first step to landing a job this month is to have your CV ready to apply for jobs. Ensure that it is in popular editing format such as Word, which can be read by job boards’ applicant systems. Avoid any fancy formatting such as images or unusual fonts. It would be a great shame if your December job hunting was in vain because the job boards’ systems cannot read your CV.

Be prepared for short notice interviews

December has three working weeks, so if you are looking to start work in this month you will probably be asked to attend an interview within just a few days. Know your CV and competencies inside out and prepare for each interview by learning about the company you are going to interview with. A great place to start is on the company’s ‘about us’ page on its website, or its social media channels.

Have your documentation ready to go

Employers will need to see your proof of right to work in the UK, such as your passport, as well as proof of address, driving licence and your qualifications.  Some may even need one or more passport photos of you. To ensure that your December start date is not delayed, gather these important documents together in a pack ready for your new employer.

Expect the unexpected

Some sectors experience high demand over the holiday period and you may find your half hour interview escalates into a half day assessment or even training before you are put on the job a few days later.

December can be a search for work and with a little preparation and flexibility, you could land a job before the Christmas break. Good luck!

[everlastingemployability]

Create a strong personal brand to help land your dream job

Personal branding is more than just making a great first impression at interview, it’s how you make your potential employer feel about you and extends to your values, behaviours and even your social media profiles. It can make you stand out from all the other candidates applying for the job and could go a long way towards helping you land your dream job, says Jo Rowbotham of EmptyLemon.

All job applicants can benefit from having a personal brand, not just creative and marketing types. With the current candidate-led market where there are more jobs than candidates, you are able to pick and choose which company best meets your values, giving you a much more enjoyable experience at work.

Personal branding is what makes you unique, so when creating your personal brand, there are no right or wrong answers in what your personal brand should be. Here are some tips to help you create your personal brand:

Your values and behaviours

Firstly, think about some words to describe yourself, your values, beliefs and best traits. Ask friends or colleagues to contribute, as you may be totally unaware of your best points. Your brand must reflect you; if you create a brand to please the employer, it will become apparent to the person interviewing you that you are not being true to yourself.

Your target personal brand

Then think about how you want your potential employer to see you, this could be well respected by colleagues and customers, or an authority on your topic. Think about the good and less desirable behaviours that a person with your target personal brand have and compare them to you at present.

Get your personal brand name right

Your personal brand name is important too, we are not suggesting that you adopt a stage name, but if you are known to colleagues and in the industry as Jon or Jenny, ensure your personal brand includes this name rather than your given name of Jonathan or Jennifer.

Live and breathe your personal brand

Once you are happy with your personal brand, you will need to release it into the big wide world of work. Your non verbal communication can give a lot away about your personal brand. It is estimated that up to 80% of communication is non verbal and at a job interview, this could encompass your clothes, your posture and body language, your hairstyle and even whether or not you cover up your tattoos or remove your piercings. Some employers actively encourage individuality whereas others are less tolerant. It is always worth checking the employer brand before attending a job interview.

Harness the power of social media

Don’t forget your social media profiles also say a lot about your personal brand, for LinkedIn, ensure your image is suitable for the workplace; selfies, party pics, photos with your pets, or worse, no photo at all are not suitable for LinkedIn. Many employers also check Facebook and Twitter, so ensure your profiles portray you in a good light, or consider locking down the privacy settings on your personal profile and setting up a professional profile for potential employers to look at.

Once you have created your personal brand, keep working at it as you progress through your career. A strong personal brand can help you not only progress up the career ladder and earn more money; it can also help you achieve a happier working life through cultural fit of your personal brand and the company brand.

[everlastingemployability]

How a temporary job can help your future career

Whether you are currently not working, a student looking for term time or holiday work, or fancy trying a new career path, a temporary job can help your future career in more ways than simply earning some money. It will also help your career long term, says Jo Rowbotham of EmptyLemon job board.

Temporary workers are found in a number of settings across all skillsets and industry sectors, either to cover busy periods, deliver a project or to cover sickness, maternity or paternity leave. Placements can vary from a few hours to months and can be fitted in around other commitments such as education or dependents; there are plenty of reasons to love temporary work including these:

Work experience

If you have little or no relevant work experience, be it you have recently left education, are returning to the workplace, or are changing careers, a temporary job can be a starting point in your chosen career. Whilst working in your temporary job, you will get the opportunity to learn all about how the job and industry works, as well as gain some experience for your CV for future employers.

Making contacts in the industry

A temporary job could put you in contact with your next employer. Through the power of networking, your colleagues might know another employer looking for an employee with your skills and attributes when your temporary contract comes to an end. As many as 70% of vacancies are never advertised because they are filled through recommendations and word of mouth, this is known as the hidden job market.

Developing transferable interpersonal skills

Working in a temporary job will not only equip you with knowledge, it will help you to hone important interpersonal skills such as customer service, time management, teamwork, prioritising, and using your initiative. Whether you choose to continue in the same field of work, or move on to another career path, these are all invaluable skills to any employer.

Trying out a new career

Fancy a change of career but not sure if you want to take the plunge with a permanent role? Temporary work could be the solution. It offers the opportunity for you to trial whether or not the career change you have chosen lives up to your expectations, whether or not you like the work and to identify what you need to do to progress further.

Permanent employment

It is not unusual for a temporary job to turn into a permanent job; an employer could see a temporary contract as an extended trial, the role could be temporary to prove a permanent appointment is needed, or simply the person you are covering for is not returning to the role.

Temporary work be a fantastic addition to your CV, when writing your CV, don’t just put that you worked in your temporary job between certain dates. Use a skills based CV to highlight and give examples of the skills you have picked up or improved whilst working in the role. By including the skills and experience you have picked up in your temporary job on your CV, it goes a long way towards your future employer inviting you in for a job interview.

[everlastingemployability]

8 blogs by entrepeneurs worth checking out

Here’s a post bringing together 8 blogposts written by some well known start up founders from the UCL Careers website including marketing guru Seth Godin. 

It always interesting and potentially inspiring to read about the experience of others who’ve been through the trials and tribulations of setting up a business.

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Top 10 universities for getting a job

Another article from the Daily Telegraph published earlier in the year looking at the Top 10 universities with the highest proportion of 2013/14 graduates entering employment and/or further study within six months. 

The common thread is that the universities with a strong specialism and/or industry connections came out top, so places such as Oxford and Cambridge do not feature.

You may choose a university for other reasons, and obviously what you get out of your studies will depend upon what you put in, but these universities could give your employability a big boost!

The universities have been ranked using new data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency. All institutions with fewer than 500 respondents have been excluded.

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Top 10 degree subjects to help you land a job

Landing a career after leaving university is a high priority for students, especially as competition in many industries at an all time high. 

In this Daily Telegraph article they look at the Top Ten degrees to study to get you into employment quickly.

Figures were taken from the HESA Destinations of Leavers (DLHE) Survey 2012/13, which looks at the percentage of first degree leavers in employment in the first six months after leaving university 

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10Eighty's Linda Jackson discusses networking and employability