Five of the best things to do in your gap year

Five of the best things to do in your gap year by rosiereed So you’ve decided to take a gap yearwhy not make the most of it?  When done right, a gap year provides you with an incredible opportunity to gain skills and experiences while giving you time to reflect and consider your future. If your gap year is productive and demonstrates that you have successfully managed your time, it can be a great addition to your CV. Here are five of our suggestions that will help you get the most out of your gap year:Go abroadLots of people use their year out to explore the world. A gap year gives you the time and space to organise an adventure abroad which will help you to develop your communication skills, independence and cultural sensitivity. If you do decide to go travelling, it’s important to plan your trip carefully, making it creative, purposeful, exciting, and within your financial means. So before setting off, do your research into everything from prospective locations and travel buddies, to the length of your trip, budget , and potential employment opportunities. You might find that travelling can be more affordable than you think, with some gap year programs subsidizing travel costs in exchange for volunteering, while others connect students to overseas jobs. Having a year to explore means that you can really get to know a country and its culture, and perhaps even learn a new language.Learn something newGap years are a great time to learn something new. You might be working and saving money or already abroad, but wherever you are, you can find the opportunity to learn a new and valuable skill. Not only could this expand your knowledge, but it could also be the perfect way to boost your career prospects. You could pursue a passion that you’ve never had the chance to dedicate time to, or even choose something at random whether it’s taking up new language, learning how to code or gaining a new practical skill such as cooking, a musical instrument or life drawing. There are plenty of online courses to sign up to, but if you’re after a more sociable experience, then you can also find a wide range of day and evening classes local to you. And, with universities and employers on the lookout to see what you’ve achieved during your gap year, gaining a new skill is a great way to prove that you haven’t just taken the year off. And let’s face it, it beats school. Gain some work experienceWork experience is an incredibly useful and often quick way to gain some sense and understanding of your future ambitions. The more relevant the experience is to your career ambitions or field of study, the more beneficial it will be when submitting an application or CV. However, that doesn’t mean you should veto anything outside of your comfort zone.  Any work experience is good experience, and will teach you a wide range of transferable skills to apply to almost any job. You’ll also have the opportunity to work with and learn from a new group of people. And, if you work hard and leave on good terms,  you might even open yourself up to full-time role in the future as well as guarantee a positive reference for future employers or universities.  How to get work experienceWork experience placements: What you need to knowVolunteerVolunteering is a great opportunity to support a worthwhile cause and engage in a community, whilst gaining valuable work experience. It could mean anything from helping out at your local soup kitchen or high street charity shop a couple of days a week, to joining an international program and teaching children overseas for a month. Working with charities shows dedication, compassion and commitment all of which are extremely valuable to employers. Especially if the roles you’re looking to do are based around helping others. But no matter what kind of volunteering you choose to do or how long you decide to do it , you’ll be helping people or causes that you care about. And, with volunteering opportunities available in almost every field , you’ll also be able to use what you’ve learnt to find work in the future.Benefits of volunteeringKeep track of your experiencesHowever you decide to spend your gap year, it’s sure to be a whirlwind of unique experiences and accomplishments. But if you don’t document your time off, you might find that relaying everything you’ve done in a year’s time results in a sudden mind blank; which is the last thing you want when you’re face-to-face with an interviewer.  So whether it’s by writing a diary or scrapbook, or even starting a blog, keeping a record of your memories is a great way to make the most out of your gap year whilst ensuring future employers can see exactly what you’ve achieved. If you’re interested in working in the creative industries, these are also great ways to demonstrate your writing, photography, or drawing skills. Because let’s face it, keeping track of events as they happen is much easier than trying to remember them all at the end of the y ear. Gap year dos and don’tsDo:Make new friendsHave fun and enjoy this once in a lifetime opportunityResearch your travel destinationsDontUnderestimate the importance of money managementMake yourself an easy target (be careful with camera and cash)Party all night and sleep all dayHow to start work after your gap yearHow to explain a gap in your CVStill searching for your perfect position? View all available jobs 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 Work experience volunteering Work-life balance

Writing a Resume For Librarian Assistant

Writing a Resume For Librarian AssistantWriting a resume for librarian assistant is not an easy task. But, it's something that everyone should start doing in order to make the right impression when applying for a job as a librarian assistant. This job requires a lot of typing, but at the same time, you will be handling documents and they will need to be handled correctly as well. The first thing that you need to do is get a good idea of what you will be doing on a daily basis.You may think that you can just pick up a resume and not be a librarian assistant, but you can't. They are very different jobs in a lot of ways. To get started, you should find out what the requirements are for these types of positions. It will be helpful to know what type of resume is required for a job as a librarian assistant.A good job for your resume needs to include your experience and educational background. This is a very important part of your resume. When you are going to be putting your name out there for many different positions, it is important to show people who you are and what you have accomplished. Your experience and education can also include your certifications as well.The experience is going to be pretty straight forward. A resume for librarian assistant is going to ask for your experience as a high school or college student. It may even ask you to explain exactly what you did while you were in high school. This is probably the best way to get experience if you are just starting out because it gives you a good idea of what your skills are going to be used for.Your education is also going to be an important part of your resume. Many employers are going to want to know about your certification or degree from a college or university. This is a requirement for many different jobs and this will help to ensure that you get the job when you apply. Some employers are going to require you to have a certain amount of experience before they give you an interview, but sometimes th ey are willing to hire someone who has experience, but doesn't have a degree.One of the hardest things about writing a resume for librarian assistant is that you are going to have to explain your qualifications. There is nothing worse than having someone read over your resume and see that you don't have all of the qualifications needed. You may want to explain why you are qualified, but don't be so detailed that it sounds too good to be true. You will be able to explain the specifics when you get your actual interview.Something that you might consider adding to your resume is a nice touch that shows that you care about the employer as well. You might mention that you had the opportunity to intern with a different library or community organization that you feel would be a good fit for you. This is a nice touch that shows that you really cared about the position that you applied for and that you want to get it.Writing a resume for librarian assistant is something that should be done a s soon as possible. The sooner you start getting your resume written, the sooner you will be able to put together a resume that shows that you have the skills and experience needed to get the job. Just be sure that you do enough research to make sure that you aren't wasting your time and that you get the information that you need to make sure that you get hired!

How To Know If Starting a Membership Site is Right For You - Classy Career Girl

How To Know If Starting a Membership Site is Right For You There are so many positives about starting and growing a membership site. Some of the benefits I have realized are the recurring revenue, the impact you can make and the freedom to go to the park with my daughter in the middle of the afternoon. But, it doesnt happen overnight and there are some potential downsides of having a membership site too. I would know because I had to shut down my first membership site in 2014 because it didnt really work! So before you hit go and create a membership site, lets talk about whether it is the right move for you: How To Know If Starting a Membership Site is Right For You 1. Youve analyzed your interests, strengths, and passions. To start a membership site, you have to be passionate about a topic. As my membership site mentor, Stu McLaren, says, you also have to be specific about who you serve and what you want to be known for. When I started membership sites on career development and entrepreneurship, I knew I was passionate and interested about the topic. I had written about the topic on my blog for years as well as was excited about learning more about the topic by interviewing experts and reading books. So, if you have a topic that you are interested in and you want to learn more about, a membership site could be perfect for you.  You also need to make sure that you have identified your strengths as well because you cant start and grow a membership site alone. You have to know what you are good at because youll need to be delegating what you are not good at. 2. You are consistent. One of the ways that Stu says to know if your market is right for a membership site is if you (or someone else) is already publishing consistent content on the topic. For instance, I knew that there are millions of websites already providing career content online so it would be a good fit for a membership site because people are already searching for the information. But, you might think if there is so much content out there, why would people pay me to subscribe? Heres why. Theres so much information out there, its overwhelming!! Members in Love Your Career Formula, pay to continue their membership because I provide an action plan every week and tell them exactly what they need to do. They dont have to search a million places to find out what they should do next. They are paying for me to make their life simpler. Can you consistently help your market make their life easier? Note: If you arent consistent, you may just want to have an accountability partner or hire someone on your team who can help you stay consistent in publishing content. You absolutely CANNOT stop being consistent after creating a membership site. You have to always be providing information and getting members excited. It doesnt have to be difficult though. My membership site mentor, Stu McLaren, has a free video series out this week where he shares how to create an entire year’s worth of content… in a single week. Sign-up now before the free videos go away! 3. You are a little tech savvy and can figure stuff out. Having a membership site requires you to dig in and uncover how to do things. You dont have to do them all by yourself but you have to put the time in to understand the tech stuff so you can delegate. If you like to delegate everything, youll have to be ready for a bigger investment to get your membership site up and running. I create all my membership sites. I am not a developer and I am not technical at all. But, I watched the training videos and bought the apps and programs that make it easy to do it yourself. For example, my mentor Stu McLaren created a company called Wishlist Member years ago. Wishlist Member is a WordPress plugin that has powered all of my membership sites and my online courses. It made the average person who is not a Developer like me able to build a membership site. So dont be scared if you arent technical, just be ready to learn.  Thats all that  you need to do when starting a membership site. [RELATED: My 5 Biggest Failures Growing a Membership Site] 4. You are willing to work for a long time until you hit your member goals and never give up. Are you ready to work your butt off and learn from the best? Many people think membership sites are hands off and predictable. When you are starting, this is definitely NOT the case at all. You have to put a ton of work in the first year and youll be doing a lot of the stuff because you wont be able to cover all of your expenses to hire and delegate yet. For example, you might be creating the content, creating your launch calendar and your Facebook ads as well as emailing members with credit card issues. You might be fielding questions in a facebook group one second and the next second talking to your credit card company about why it wont accept a payment from Barbados. You also might need to answer that phone call at 2 am in the morning from a member with a payment issue in New Zealand. (Yes, that really happened). All the hard work is so worth it when you gain the momentum and start hitting your member goals as well as your retention rates improves. But, it wont happen overnight and youve got to be ready to work. 5. You want more freedom and stability. When you have a membership site, you impact a lot of people at one time. Depending on the type of membership site you want to have, you can design it around your ideal life and vision. For example, because I had two membership sites going, Stu taught me that one of my membership sites was a need-based membership site. Members came because they had a need that I could fill. They didnt want to be overwhelmed they just had a need for job search advice and motivation on a weekly basis. So I gave it to them. But you might think how is that more freedom and stability when I am providing something on a weekly basis? Because..I automated it. I spent one weekend and recorded 52 audios. That is a YEARs worth of content that can be dripped out automatically to members now. I dont have to be spending my time each week creating content. This is what caused overwhelm and stress for me. You want to get ahead of your members and have content created ahead of time for the year. If you can do this, youll have WAY more freedom and stability. 6. You like solving problems. Who doesnt like to solve peoples problems? I could literally do this all day. If you get annoyed when people ask you questions, membership sites might not be the best business model for you. Go write a  book in your cabin alone. Membership sites are for people who love building a community and helping that community solve problems. This is why its such a great business model for someone who wants to impact the world and make a difference. YOU CAN impact the world, leave a legacy and get paid for it. 7. You are willing to learn from someone  who is the expert at building membership sites.   As the former co-founder of one of the world’s largest membership platforms, WishList Member, Stu literally had the chance to interact with tens of thousands of membership site owners.  Plus, he has real-world experience running my own high 6 and 7-figure memberships. If you want to build a membership site, youll have to learn everything he says  about building membership sites. Lucky for you, his free inspiring workshop is out this week and you can watch all three of his free videos NOW! Yes, go sign-up and binge watch now. Are you considering starting a membership site?

Why Would Any Company Care About Personal Brands - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Why Would Any Company Care About Personal Brands - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career With all the buzz about personal branding, Im often asked, why would a company care about an employees personal brand? Every industry along with the companies within that industry have acronyms that they use exclusively.   J.L.P. is one acronym used by well known international retail giant.   It stands for “just like picture”. And, now copycat retailers try to customize that acronym with one of their own, LLP (“looks like picture”).   “Just like picture” means that they want a merchandising display to look “just like the picture” that was sent from their corporate or regional headquarters.   No variances, nothing adjusted to the locale, nothing different will be accepted â€" they want it “just like picture”. Yet, what do you do when the “picture” was built for a store in a large metropolitan area where people utilize public transportation readily and there’s a store virtually on every corner and your store resides in a rural population, where there is no public transit and it’s 200 miles between cities?   Does “just like picture” work or does this cookie cutter system make the company feel aloof, corporate and not local? Every conference I go to I see slides and handouts stating think global but act local. I read blogs and Twitter tweets saying when a company gets big they need to remember to act small.   It’s about engagement and interaction; conversation not interruption. I hear people in communities share stories about “their store”, “their city”, “their company” because their desire is really to have ownership in organizations (and stores they shop) and feel a valued part of them. More organizations are putting social media into their 2010 plan and I see this as a good thing.   It is forcing companies to delve into a thought that personal brand strategists have known all along â€" people do business with people. While the company sets the tone and the culture, the person who is working directly with your customer “is the company” to them. This week’s #brandchat conversation on Twitter discussed whether people “tweeting for a company under a company’s Twitter account are seen as corporate drones”.       Unanimously, BRANDidos (a term of endearment for those who chat on brandchat) shared that a company IS its people. Here are some stellar nuggets from the conversation: vococreative: @andrewmueller I think the distinction between influence/control is huge and widely misunderstood. Sadly. karenswim: Q3: If we’re asking people to be robotic with no personal touch in any job, then yes they R a drone jasonbreed: Q3: personal branding does help to lift the corp veil get behind the wall that’s typically set up. rather deal w/person than Co abarcelos: Q3. UR always a personal brand in people’s minds, especially after engaging (I think @scottmonty =Ford). It’s natural in people. Can you imagine if Ford listened to “horse and buggy experts”?   Would they have unveiled a Twittering car at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) this week?   Would they be so well known for their corporate social media connections? Why do employees need to manage their personal brand? Because they already have one and if a company provides the tools for them they can effectively deliver on the corporate brand promise through strengths that are uniquely theirs with an authentic sincerity and genuineness that is just priceless.   If a company doesn’t provide the tools for employees to understand, harness the power of and manage their personal brand, they are truly throwing their customer experience out to the wind or they are making it so “JLP” that it thwarts relationships and the personal connections that customers seek. Does helping create a personal brand encourage an employee to leave? This is an age old question tied to what if I train my employees and they leave? And, here the answer comes in the form of a question Which is worse? The trained employee who MIGHT leave or the untrained employee who stays and represents your company, controls your assets and affects your bottom-line? Employees come with their reputation and their circle of influence and that is currency in our hyper-connected society. Relationships have even more value in today’s world of business as there are more opportunities and more choices competing for your customers money. When a relationship become cold and ceases to no longer be mutually beneficial, somebody leaves â€" we see this in friendships, in marriages and in businesses. Business is built on relationships and relationships require people. Author: Maria Elena Duron | chief buzz officer, speaker and coach. Share your greatest personal branding challenge in the Brand NOT Brag Contest to win a strategic 5-point personalized plan to create positive word of mouth for you!

Top Resume Writing Services

Top Resume Writing ServicesIn this competitive era, you need to be smart in using top-rated resume writing services. Because they will need to come up with a resume for your prospective employer, you need to make sure that you choose the best one that can give you a well-crafted resume.As much as you want to create a resume for yourself, it is not going to happen overnight. A lot of effort and time are needed to get a good resume in place. The best thing you can do to save yourself from a lot of time and effort are to hire one of the top-rated resume writing services.These are people who have expertise in different types of resumes. They will also take care of the things you can't handle. For example, they will have a variety of skills to create a resume for you. This way, you don't have to spend all your time and effort on the creation of the resume.These services offer different types of resume. Some are generic, while others are specific to your career. There are also those which cover multiple professions and jobs. Regardless of what type of resume you need, there is a service available to create it for you.When you work with professional resume writers, you are guaranteed to get a quality resume. There are a lot of doubts as to whether they can really do the job. The truth is that they are the best service out there.You know that they can write for you. This is what makes them the best service out there. They have years of experience in creating professionally written resumes. They will give you a well-written resume with all the necessary information.They will also be able to understand what your needs are, and they will help you write your resume. It may be a little bit difficult to understand everything. But they have done this before, so they can write resumes for you. In case you are still unsure about what to write, they will make suggestions as to what you should write.You can find these services in the internet. Just look for them in your favorite search engine. You will be able to find them easily. Of course, you can also ask around in order to get the best offer.

LinkedIn Experts Reveal How To Use Video On Your Profile - CareerEnlightenment.com

Youre probably wondering: What types of videos can I use in my LinkedIn Profile? Well, let me give you some examples:Video testimonials from happy customersProduct demosHow-to videosCompany news and updatesVideos of you giving a speech, industry talk or presentationMarketing videosBook trailersA benefits driven elevator speechAdvice or information or tips videos that would be valuable to your target audienceBehind the scenes team related videosOther content related to your field that would be helpful to LinkedIn users in their professional careersIn which sections of your LinkedIn Profile can you include video? Currently, there are 3 sections in our LinkedIn Profiles that we can include video. These are:The Summary SectionThe Experience SectionThe Education SectionNow, you might be wondering:How do I add video to these sections of my LinkedIn Profile?It is very simple and straightforward:All you have to do is click the pencil icon next to your Summary Section, A job role in your Exp erience Section or your Education Section and go to the Media section. Select “Link to Media”. Then in the text box that appears, paste the link to the video and click Add to add it to your profile. Make sure to include a call to action for your LinkedIn Profile visitors, enticing them to watch the video.In conclusion, adding a high-quality video to your profile can be the most powerful aspect of your LinkedIn Profile. As a LinkedIn expert, it’s one of the most important things I recommend to my clients. The successful ones, the long-term vision ones, the ambitious ones, see this immediately!Of course, the video has to be relevant to your clients, your industry, your prospects, not just a “brag”. It also needs to be aligned with your professional goals! So make sure it has significant content, as well as high-production value; you want people to watch it with interest through the end, once they’ve clicked on “play”. This is more important than ever, when you consider that LinkedIn has approximately 500 million members and is growing by leaps and bounds every day.Heres the deal:In the crowded social media atmosphere, it is becoming more and more difficult for any one person, no matter how accomplished, to stand out. Adding video is a powerful way to establish yourself as an authority, and a person (employer, collaborator or potential client) viewing your video, if it’s done well, gets to feel like he/she knows you already. And remember, people do business with those they know, like and trust!Support your LinkedIn Expert Status by including video to your LinkedIn Profile!If the goal of LinkedIn is to get people to know, like and trust you, (and of course, ultimately hire you, collaborate with you, refer you to others) a well-produced video is one important rung on your ladder to Success! The ladder to becoming a LinkedIn All Star!What are your thoughts? Are you currently showcasing videos on your LinkedIn Profile? Can you think of any other way s to use video on your LinkedIn Profile? Would love to hear about it, in the comments section below!

Networking Online

Networking Online Since Ive been blogging and moreactive insocial networking, Ive had some neat experiences. I want to share them to help you understand how it can work for anyone. LinkedIn: I was looking for a contact name at a specific company for a job seeking friend.I sent an linkedin invitation to connectand the response I got was call me, we need to talk.The phone callresulted inan attempt to try and recruit ME. Now, all I was trying to do was send this guys profile over to the company contact (giving back, sharing information). Blog: I just write my blog to help others navigate the extreme terraine of job search. I am trying to disperse my information. I have received numerous emails/commentswhich have resulted in numerous on-line contacts whom I correspond with and consider networking contacts. Ive guest blogged on a site in England and have received mention on some noteworthy blogs. This sounds a little egotistical, and it isnt meant to. It is to demonstrate that if you want to become a known player, you have to play. Twitter: I have met some interesting people on twitter and enjoy following their tweets. I have learned new things about the job search world by reading tweets too. Facebook: Ive always considered Facebook a way to maintain contact with my personal/family network. I sort of want to keep it personal and find that hard to do. I do post my blog on Facebook to provide information for my family friends, some who are looking for their next job. I have connected with family spread out across the US as well as friends from elementary school and I love see what everyone is up to. Facebook is a great way to stay in touch or reconnect with people you havent been in regular contact with. The medium is great because it allows you to share pictures, articles and daily life written updates. Staying in touch is as easy as logging in! Dont be afraid, just be aware ALWAYS, of what you are saying.