Top 10 CV Crimes Are You Guilty as Charged

Top 10 CV Crimes Are You Guilty as Charged When writing your CV, are you guilty of a series of crimes against employment? All rise. The CV court is now in session. Is your current CV doing your skills and experience justice? Are you courting a life sentence in the same job by committing these CV crimes? 10 CV crimes to avoid: Your CV should be a maximum of 2 pages. Your directions should be clear from your CV. Your CV is not aimed at your target role. An eye-catching, uncluttered CV will appeal more to recruiters senses. Showcase your pertinent experience, nothing else please. Dont make the recruiter play detective to find out what they need to know. The penalty of not securing an interview will outweigh the effort required to present a sound case. Back up your claims with quantifiable achievements, LinkedIn recommendations can support this. If your dates dont stack up, make sure you have some good answers ready for the recruiter. Check, check and check again to make sure your spelling and grammar do your CV justice. Find out if youre guilty below! [Source Giraffe CVs]

Britain Is Winning The War On Talent, Small Businesses Hurt Most

Britain Is Winning The War On Talent, Small Businesses Hurt Most I was recently attending an event organised by the University of Leicesters Engineering Society. I was one of three alumni speakers at the event, where we were presenting our experience as job-seekers and what it takes to get a job. During that event one question kept popping up all the time How do you find a job as an international student in the UK? photo credit: War On Talent Out of the three speakers, I was the only international student. The other two presenters were home students, but one of them gave a very honest answer to the question, saying that the current home secretary was doing very well in getting rid of good talent from this country. He summed up in one line what I am going to say over the next couple of paragraphs. To get a job in the UK as an international student, you need to have a sponsorship letter from your employer. Not all employers can offer sponsorship letters. But to put it simply, most big companies offer sponsorship letters to international students. So Wheres the War on Talent? Students from some international (non-EU) countries in the UK have reduced by up to 25%. The UK has lost its allure as visa rules deter Indian students, claims Times Higher Education. And where are all these students going? Australia, USA and some European countries that is talent being driven to other countries right from the start. Lets say some poor soul did spend £15,000/year in tuition fees at a UK university and now wants a job in the UK he or she is legally entitled to look for a job in the UK. But an international job seeker would only be hired by big companies and not by a small business, because of the extra burden that the Home Office puts on businesses willing to hire international students. Small businesses are missing out on talent. I dont know if talent comes in one shape, nationality or colour but every firm should have equal rights when employing talent. Unfortunately that is not happening in the UK. International talent is only scooped up by large firms. Doesnt that mean the UK is hurting its own small businesses? And by not letting them hire international talent, Britain certainly IS winning the war on talent. What can be done about it? I dont know. I know this argument sounds too simplistic for what it is but if I was a small business, I would be furious that I couldnt hire talent because of how difficult it is to, due to all the extra burden. I hope Britain realizes that there are no winners in this war on talent and offers international students in the UK an option to work for a business where they can add the most value, and not just one where they simply get hired and become a number. At a time when US start-ups are lobbying the President and their politicians to make it easier for these small firms to hire international talent, I am still surprised that the UK is lagging behind. What do you think about the topic? Do let me know via comments below. Alternatively, you can tweet us or write on our Facebook page. FROM THE SAME AUTHOR YOU CAN READ: 1.  UK Universities and Students’ Unions Have Let Down International Students 2.  Professionalism And Dedication Don’t Depend On Your Salary â€" Learnt On The Streets Of Mumbai 3.  MOOCs â€" Data, Statisitics, Infographics And Challenges To Universities 5

5 Ways to Maintain Your Cash Flow While Starting a Business -

5 Ways to Maintain Your Cash Flow While Starting a Business - Nobody expects their business to fail, but failure is an unfortunate reality for a large percentage of startups. According to CB Insights, running out of money is one of the primary reasons startups fail before they get off the ground. If you don’t get a handle on your cash flow, you’re likely to join those ranks. Here are 5 ways to prevent running into cash flow problems: Re-evaluate client and supplier contracts If you deal with client contracts in your business, re-evaluate those agreements to see if your terms are working. For supplier contracts, find out if you might be missing out on a discount for paying early. Are competing suppliers offering better terms? If the answer is yes, consider switching. For client contracts, make sure they’re performing to your terms. Get a partially amortized loan When running a business, you need to free up as much cash as possible, and save money wherever you can. You may not realize it, but it’s a good idea to examine every area of your life where finances are concerned. If you’re investing in real estate for profit or even buying a home to live in, choosing your loan wisely can save you some serious cash. This guide to partially amortized loans published by Assets America explains that a partially amortized loan provides benefits to the lender which are then passed on to the borrower. For example, you can usually get a larger loan because there’s less risk of rising interest rates. Terms are shorter and the money is recovered faster. Also, the lender doesn’t need to require a large down payment. Your payments will be smaller and the lender can also charge a lower interest rate. This will help you maintain better cash flow. Enforce payments owed to you If clients are missing payments, start enforcing your terms. Don’t let anyone slide on their payments. Sometimes businesses will only pay invoices on their preferred schedule so you need to set expectations with clients and follow-up often. When a client consistently pays late, reach out to find out why. There might be invoice disputes you aren’t aware of that take a while to resolve. Sometimes the best way to enforce payments is to improve your collection system and the methods used to request payments from clients. Sometimes impersonal email reminders aren’t enough to do the job. Be brave enough to call your clients and get them to commit to paying their invoice. Don’t hang up until you get a specific date and time they promise to pay. As hard as it might seem, set consequences for missed payments. If a client has not experienced any consequences for missing a payment, they’ll continue to ignore your reminders, dodge your calls, and not return your messages. Have a cash reserve on hand at all times (and continually add to it) Maintaining a cash balance in a savings account is crucial to keeping your business afloat. There will be times when you’ll need access to cash for unplanned yet necessary purchases. A reserve ensures you don’t have to miss out or take out yet another loan with more interest payments to cover the cost. Be sure to add to your cash reserve every chance you get. It doesn’t matter if it’s $10 this month and $100 next month â€" just keep that reserve growing.  Check your cash flow status daily It might sound like overkill, but checking your cashflow status daily is always a good idea. It will take less than ten minutes if you do it at the end of your working day. It’s not enough to have a general idea of where you’ll be at the end of the month. You need to know your projected/expected cash flow for every day of the month at any given time. Every day you need to enter and adjust your payments received and made to get an accurate picture of what your cash flow will be for every day of the month. The benefit to committing to this daily ritual is the peace of mind that comes from knowing well ahead when you might run into trouble, which gives you time to do something about it. For example, say you close your day today and notice you’re going to be $4,000 in the red fifteen days from now. You’ve got fifteen days to call in invoices early or extend your payables. Don’t focus too much on profits Cash flow management issues can sneak up on you even when you’re raking in profits. Always keep one eye on profits, but keep both eyes on your cash flow.  

Divorce Rising From The Ashes

Divorce Rising From The Ashes Ive always said that Id much rather have physical pain than emotional pain. Theres nothing quite like that hurtful anguish that isnt in any particular place, that has no place you can put a bandaid. And the trauma of divorce is as bad as any, with its accompanying seemingly forever waves of that sick feeling deep in your gut. Life has taught me that the only way out is through. That on the other end of every dark tunnel there really is light. We can and will rise again, wiser and stronger. Sometimes I wonder why we glorify marriage so much, when the divorce rate in the United States hoovers right around 50%. About the same odds you get at a roulette table in Vegas. Seems questionable if not silly that wed put so much at stake in something with such a high chance of failure. But being the optimists and fantasizers we are, we think well be on the winning side of the next spin of the wheel. Youre thinking by now that Im a little bitter. Not so. In spite of the unpleasantries of divorce, there were moments and experiences in marriage that I still hold as treasures. I would not want to have missed out on them. And, as I said, the journey through and out of that dark tunnel taught me things about life and myself I could never have learned otherwise. From the ashes, I still fancy myself as having risen like the Phoenix. Good, Bad, and Ugly Yes, there is a good, a bad, and an ugly to divorce. If you want a focused look at just how good, bad, and ugly it can be, look at the articles on Divorce Debbie. Theres some relationship advice there, too, in case youre determined to rescue your ailing marriage relationship. After all, its only over when one of you says its over. I think the ugliness of divorce is mostly about the way we, as human beings, cope with the emotional trauma. Its not the trauma itself, its the fear and anger that lies at a deeper emotional level. It just shows up as the anger that fuels the fire of the ugliness. As for the bad, theres little dispute that its always the kids who bear the brunt of the longer lasting emotional effects. While they survive, they carry with them vivid and sometimes painful memories of scary times. Those memories can be conscious and subconscious, and will effect most if not all of their future lives. Thats why its so important for both parents to stay in the game with the children. Stay connected to them. Let them know its not at all about them, its about two adults who are dealing with adult issues. Never let them question that you love them and will continue to be there for them. The good is what comes when you emerge from the tunnel. When the divorce is over and the new rules of life are in place. This is when you get to rebuild, re-create yourself. This is when, by focusing on everything positive in your life, you create a whole new story of you and is another chance to do life different, better, and in a more fulfilling way. Divorce: Rising From The Ashes When ever Ive gone through turbulent times in my life, Ive found strength from two external sources. Inspirational stories and books, and the loving support of friends and family. Heres a couple of reads that you might enjoy: This Way Up, by Patti Clark. You can find a article about it here Getting Out of The Good Girl Jail by Sandra Felt. You can find an article about it here. And then theres the internal source. Its that part of you and me thats our inner resilience. The part that kicks in and provides that spark to get up, once again, and stand tall. It provides the intuitive urges as to what step to take now, in this moment. If you follow it, magic happens. I dont pretend to know how, but Ive had it happen so many times that I know its real and we all have it. Ill share the results of that listening from a recent experience. Its the image below, that was created to remind me to let go in a new and empowering way. Maybe its perfect for you, too. Images: Phoenix Prairie Kittin Rise From The Ashes Silhouette

Interviews The Power of Thank You Notes - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

Interviews The Power of Thank You Notes Old-fashioned good manners are surprisingly powerful these days. Maybe because so many people lack them. If you’re in a job search, or even contemplating one, here’s a piece of advice to position yourself above your competition: Buy a few boxes of quality thank notes and plenty of postage stamps, and start using them regularly. That’s right. Get into the habit of sending hand-written thank you’s to just about anyone you interact with in your job search â€" everyone involved in interviews, people in your network who provide introductions, employers and colleagues who write recommendations, etc. With an estimated mere 5% of job seekers sending thank you’s after interviews, the impact for those who take advantage of this little-used strategy can be significant. Clients have told me that thank-you notes were the deciding factor in landing a new job. The decision was down to the wire. My clients sent thank you’s, the others didn’t. The people hiring them said they were so impressed by the effort that it tipped the scales in my clients’ favor. Emailed thank you’s are okay, and sometimes the only option if timing is a factor, but they just don’t have the impact a snail-mailed one does. Think about how you feel when you get a thank you note in the mail, for whatever reason. You’re impressed that this person took the time and consideration to sit down, pen some thoughts, and pop it in the mail, aren’t you? If you consistently carry through the brand message you established in the interview or interaction, your thank you’s will remind and reinforce the reader of your promise of value. Here’s what a well-written, personalized thank you note accomplishes following an interview: Conveys courtesy toward the interviewer for their time. Reminds the interviewer of you and puts you top of mind again. Mentions highlights of the interview conversation and reiterates your interest in the position. Provides an opportunity to bring up information you poorly addressed or forgot in the interview. Provides an opportunity to ask about the next step in the interview process. According to Laura DeCarlo and Susan Guarneri in their excellent book, Job Search Bloopers, here are some things to keep in mind with your thank you notes: â€"  Make sure to have the full name, correct spelling, and title of each interviewer before you leave. Asking for business cards is a great way to do this. â€"  Directly following the interview, jot down answers to the following: Key questions that were asked. Answers that captured their interest or which they said represented important skills for the position’s requirements or organization’s challenges. Concerns they voiced. Information you wish you had shared in regard to their requests and questions. â€"  Don’t send generic or canned thank you letters. â€"  Don’t hand a thank you letter to the employer at the end of the interview. â€"  Don’t forget to sign the letter. Beyond the interview process, remember to send thank you’s to people in your network who helped you. Acknowledging your appreciation can make all the difference in keeping you and your personal brand top of mind with them for opportunities they hear about that may be a good fit for you. Cross-posted at Job-Hunt.org. Related posts: Prepare to Ace Brand Your C-level Executive Job Interview How to Build a Powerful Executive Network Best Executive Job Search Tips for 2011 photo by onebelladesign 00 0

Job Search Trends Infographic To Help You Find Work

Writing a Cover Letter For a Job Resume

Writing a Cover Letter For a Job ResumeWriting a cover letter for a job resume may not seem like an essential step in applying for a job. But many people have found that it can be the best way to get that job you've been searching for. Most people know how to get the job interview, but not all know how to write a resume that is just as impressive. Here are some ideas on what to write when you are creating a cover letter for a job resume.In this first paragraph, you will give a brief description of yourself. Use your strengths and talents to help catch the eye of the hiring manager. You can use the summary of what you like to do well to help motivate your reader to take a closer look at your resume.While you are explaining why you should be hired, make sure that it is for a professional purpose. This is one area where you want to be specific. You don't want to sound like you are applying for an internship or assistant position.In the second paragraph, outline your target audience. Mak e sure that your resume will address their needs. Include what your goals are as well.In the third paragraph, you want to grab the recruiter's attention. Write your qualifications on your cover letter and highlight the points that appeal to the hiring manager. Be sure to also include information that may be of interest to the job posting.Your next paragraph should detail your knowledge and experience. Again, mention your education and training if any. You will want to be specific on every job opening that you apply for.Writing a cover letter for a job resume isn't difficult. It is just important to be specific about the role that you are applying for. By being specific, it will help you stand out from other applicants.Writing a cover letter for a job resume is very similar to writing a resume. The only difference is that you need to focus on what you are offering to the employer.