Sunday, May 31, 2020

From Teacher to Education Start-Up

From Teacher to Education Start-Up Success Story > From: Job To: Startup From Teacher to Education Start-Up “I thrive on the freedom to act based on what I think is right.” * From Teacher to Education Start-Up Joel Balkwill knew there was a better way to prepare his students for life. When his school didn't support his plans, he decided to make them a reality on his own. Here's how he took a leap of faith, with no financial safety net, and discovered that being around the right people can be the perfect springboard to success. What work were you doing previously? I was an English teacher in a secondary school in Southwark. What are you doing now? I am running my own start-up education social enterprise. Why did you change? I was disillusioned with the direction our education system was heading in and noticed some massive gaps in what we were offering our students. When was the moment you decided to make the change? The leadership at my school didn't support a project I was working on and were heading in a very different direction from me. I'd pitched a project to the senior leadership team which was ignored so I decided to take it elsewhere. Are you happy with the change? I am incredibly happy with the change. I thrive on the freedom to make decisions based on what I think is right, as well as the freedom to surround myself with people I trust and respect. It's been distressing at times â€" taking a pay cut and stepping away from the security of my previous job put quite a strain on my family and friends. However, they've been hugely supportive and I've brought them along for the ride. What do you miss and what don't you miss? I miss my school and the students I worked with. The 'day to day' of teaching was exhilarating. I thrived on the responsibility, the interaction and the community. I also miss my colleagues, many of whom were good friends. How did you go about making the shift? After deciding what I thought needed to be done to properly prepare the students for life, I spent some weeks researching how I could go about this. Before really grasping how this would pan out I handed in my resignation. I still had a few months left to work,so I spent those ensuring my last term was the best ever. This helped me to feel better about leaving the school behind. I began networking with people I thought could help me make the transition and telling everyone I knew what I was planning. From the advice I subsequently received, I developed a clearer picture of the path I needed to take. I then created a small team of friends who were supportive of my idea and ran a pilot at my school in the last weeks before I left. Over the summer, I applied to an incubator competition but got absolutely nowhere. This made me realise it would take slightly longer before I could employ myself full time. I signed up to teach English for one more year at a nearby school as a temporary contractor. This gave me some security, much more time than my previous job had ever allowed me, and a setting to run my second pilot. Midway through the year I discovered On Purpose, an organisation which develops leaders for social enterprise, and immediately applied to the programme. I completed the pilot the day before my last day at work and pitched up at On Purpose the following morning. The programme was a fantastic bridge between full-time work and full-time self-employment: it allowed me time for personal and professional development, the security of a wage, and an inspiring work placement in the social enterprise space I was hoping to work in. When the year at On Purpose ended, I was prepared and raring to go with my own business. I'd already found enough clients to get started and had developed my programme and business so it was ready to go. How did you handle your finances to make your change possible? I didn't save any money to prepare for the change. In fact, I embarked on the process in a precarious financial situation. This put a major strain on my family and friends, and made for some tricky months. What was the most difficult thing about changing? Giving up the job I loved and letting down the students I worked with. What help did you get? Teach First and On Purpose were very helpful. They provided me with mentors and coaches who helped me get through the really challenging times. What have you learnt in the process? I've learnt a lot about how to run a business, although there is so much I still need to find out! I've also learnt a lot more about my own values, as well as my strengths and weaknesses. What do you wish you'd done differently? I'm happy with how it went â€" I've learnt a lot from my mistakes and won’t make them again. Without the mistakes I wouldn't be as well prepared if things go wrong in the future. What would you advise others to do in the same situation? Save a bit and go for it. Talk to as many people as you can in the industry to find your way. Find a supportive team, mentor or friend to help you make it there. To find out more about Joel's enterprise, visit www.myspiral.co.uk What lessons could you take from Joel's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

Thursday, May 28, 2020

When Writing a Resume For Clooge: What is My Objective?

When Writing a Resume For Clooge: What is My Objective?When writing a resume for Clooge you want to take your objectives as seriously as you do your accomplishments. The objective portion of the resume represents the basic summary of your experience and education. Your objective will include your most recent employment history, the position held, and a brief description of each position held, as well as your prior employment.When you begin to write your career objective section, you should begin with a description of each position you held. You can also include your current position, but make sure that the positions listed in this section are the only positions held. You will want to tell the interviewer what you were responsible for doing each day, so that the interviewer knows what type of employee you will be and that you will fit into their corporate culture.You can use your former employers as a way to 'point-and-click' your objectives for the employer. In other words, simply te ll the interviewer what you were responsible for doing in each position and provide the duties in an outline format, using bolding to emphasize the duties. Explain why you were hired and how you were able to fill the role.For each position you held, you should include a detailed explanation of your responsibilities and accomplishments in the position. This section must be included in the beginning of your resume. It can be included at the end, or even before the summary. It is important to state these facts in the beginning of your resume as it will help to set your career goals for the future.The next section of your resume should be the skills section. This section will list your most recent professional qualifications and educational achievement. Be sure to include any credentials your previous employers would accept as valid for this section. If possible, tell the interviewer if there are any other previous employment opportunities that were relevant to the position you are appl ying for.In addition to stating your career goals, be sure to state the areas of skills that you have learned and demonstrated your skills in. When you know your career goals, it is easy to write the rest of your resume by listing those skills.The last section of your resume is the experience section. This is where you will list any training or academic credentials that may be applicable to the position you are applying for. This section will not be required, but it is a good idea to list this information when you are applying for a position that requires any type of additional training.Remember that when writing a resume for Clooge, you must emphasize your education and skills over your experience. This is a simple but effective method for helping to get your resume noticed. After all, it is the employer's responsibility to be aware of your qualifications, and the responsibility of the applicant to show the employer why they should hire them.

Sunday, May 24, 2020

7 Universal Rules of Respectful Co-worker Conduct

7 Universal Rules of Respectful Co-worker Conduct The following is a guest post By Vicky Oliver.  Her bio follows. On average, American workers spend  30 percent of their lifetimes  working at their jobs often more than they spend with a spouse. And more than the work itself, the people they work with can directly impact the amount of workplace stress they shoulder. Even in a productive office, co-workers often become like extended family, complete with all the off-color and dysfunctional characteristics represented among relatives. Your best hope of minimizing job-related stress is to distance yourself from any workplace negativity and to keep from creating any yourself. Setting your professional bar high means refraining from inflicting your quirks on co-workers, or letting their annoyances drive you to distraction. Follow these seven universal rules of workplace conduct to get along with your co-workers: Practice principles of common decorum. You may self-identify as a lone wolf, but this doesnt mean you get to continually avoid co-workers or refrain from returning a greeting when ones offered. If you regularly keep a veritable do not disturb sign on your sweater, or wear earbuds through the entire workday, it may be time to adjust your thinking. Every business is a people business, after all. People  you just cant escape from them. Be discreet about bodily functions. Staff members cross the line when they let out a loud burp or wont retreat to the drinking fountain to drown their hiccups. Even loud yawns are more than the rest of the office needs to hear. Behave as you would if you were meeting your boss for the first time. Dont cross the line with probing questions. Whether your colleague in the cubicle next to you comes dragging in with bloodshot eyes, or a team member appears to be developing a baby bump, stifle your curiosity. Questions about co-workers private lives, even if youre friends, may put them in an awkward or defensive situation. Dont ask. Instead, let your coworker tell. Give her room to broach the subject or not. Refrain from intra-office dating. Besides the obvious risks of potentially having to work with an ex if the romance doesnt pan out, you need to keep your private and working lives separate. Its horrible to compete with a partner over a promotion or plum assignment. You dont want your coworkers to think you will always take your love interests side either. Avoid body image comments. Any comments on changes in a co-workers appearance whether its regarding weight, wardrobe, hair or complexion is a potential minefield. Even if youre framing it as a compliment, a co-worker may find your comment laden with either judgment.  Or, if coming from someone of the opposite gender, chauvinism. Squelch the rumor mills. Spread gossip and you will become labeled as a gossip. Negative comments about one co-worker to another co-worker make you look almost as bad as the person youre chatting about. Take the high road, and  nevercontribute. Do unto others. Think about how your words and actions affect others. Dont demean a fellow employees work; leave that to a supervisor. If you expect others to pick up your slack or do all the grunt work, resentments will fester. Be that person to whom others give high marks for plays well with others. *            *            *            * Vicky Oliver Vicky Oliver is a leading career development expert and the multi-best-selling author of five books, including  301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions  (Sourcebooks 2005), named in the top 10 list of Best Books for HR Interview Prep,  Bad Bosses, Crazy Coworkers Other Office Idiots  (Sourcebooks, 2008); and 301 Smart Answers to Tough Business Etiquette Questions  (Skyhorse 2010). She is a sought-after speaker and seminar presenter and a popular media source.  She has made over 700 appearances in broadcast, print, and online outlets. For more information, visit  vickyoliver.com. Image credits. Main.  Body.     Romance.  

Thursday, May 21, 2020

How Employee Networks are Powered by Social Media

How Employee Networks are Powered by Social Media The best candidates for your jobs are often times part of your existing employees networks. This means they have already interacted with somebody within your organisation and might already have a feel for what its like to work there. The definition of employee network has been widened  with the growth of social networks, meaning we can now manage having more  people in our networks than ever before. We may not see these people on a daily basis but we know where to find them online, and vice versa. Our friends at RolePoint have looked at the difference social makes to employee networks  in the deck below. Takeaways: Employee networks have grown with social media, offering access to: structured career data through sites like LinkedIn and unstructured data through networks like Facebook. Employees are continually adding new contacts and growing personal networks. Encouraging employees to share jobs into their networks offers the potential to reach these connections, but it is only a chance. A direct message is always going to prove to be more effective. All networks consist of an inner and outer circle. The inner circle includes those connections where an offline relationship exists based on work interactions and personal knowledge. The outer circle consists of those connections who have connected online. This offers access to data for mining and matching, and reach for personal messaging via an established connection. When you consider the potential reach offered by the combined population of all of your employees, it’s easy to recognise the potential of operating your employee referral program around social connections. The key is to enable employees to weight the referrals they make, giving priority to those in their inner circle whilst leaving the way open to search all connections however distant for a skills and experience match. The use of data mining technology enables recruiters to identify potential candidates based on skills and experience of any employee who permits access by signing up for the employee referral program. RELATED: Why Employee Referrals are the Best Source of Hire.

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Writing a Scientific Resume

Writing a Scientific ResumeWhen we write a scientific resume, it may be a difficult process to draft a resume that can easily stand out among the rest. Most people think that their resumes should be very formal and one-sided, but this is not the right approach to have when writing a scientific resume. It is important to make the most of your natural abilities. This article will provide you with several tips on how to structure your resume so that it fits the requirements of scientists.First, you must state the following: your study career and experience. This is one of the most important points in your scientific resume. The words, which make up your resume, need to convey your message clearly. This means that you should have a definite idea of the major topics that you would like to cover in your scientific resume. You can use keywords and key phrases to achieve this.For example, if you want to mention a career that you have had in the field of organic chemistry, you should say some thing like, 'Before going to school, I worked as a laboratory assistant for several years to help pay my way through school.' You will need to make sure that you do not leave any subject off of your resume.Second, you need to incorporate a career objective in the middle of your resume. Career objectives are important as they can guide the reader in their decision as to whether to hire you or not. It will also give the reader an idea about your level of expertise.For example, you can have a career objective statement like 'I am very interested in biology.' This can represent the minimum amount of technical knowledge that you need to fulfill. After all, if you had studied biology and you want to work as a biomedical scientist, it is not as much of a concern to you as it is to the prospective employer.In your scientific resume, you can also include the other required items like the names of research groups that you were involved in. These will give the reader an idea of your areas of e xpertise. This is because you can point out that you are specialized in your field.Furthermore, you need to mention the most important part of your job: your training. For example, if you are a molecular biologist, you will need to list the field that you specialized in. This will provide an indication as to what your true area of specialization is.Lastly, you need to give your position in the organization on your scientific resume. It will not really matter if your scientific responsibilities are at the early stages of your career or you are already in your senior career. Your job title is still very important when it comes to giving the reader an idea about your competence.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

4 reasons why Christmas at uni is better than home - Debut

4 reasons why Christmas at uni is better than home - Debut This post was written by a member of the Debut Student Publisher Network. Ben prefers Christmas at uni, and we reckon hes going to convince you to feel the same.   Whether it’s juggling the unwanted attention of your extended family  or lying to your mum about how much you love your new pair of socks, Christmases at home can feel a little tame these days. Adjusting from freedom with your own friends to having to battle with the parents about every little decision is  tough, man.   That half-spent, low budget little Christmas you throw yourselves at uni every year before heading home used to feel crummy. Now? It has quickly become the go-to festive treat for any student worth their salt. Here’s why:   You’re in charge Uni Christmas is never really about what you should be doing, It’s pretty much always about what you want to be doing, and as a result, it’s so much more fun. No more arguing with the ‘head of the house’ about which way round the cutlery goes, or what is/isn’t a suitable time to sit and eat dinner. This is university, you (and your friends obviously) are totally in control. Want to have turkey at 3 in the morning? Why not. Want to replace stuffing balls with maltesers? Just do it. I mean, it might be quite disgusting, but the point is, it’s entirely up to you.   It’s time for new traditions Every family has their own ridiculous traditions, from the peak time for present-opening, to that same tired old Christmas Day film every single year. But that’s another wonderful thing about Uni Christmas it gives you the room for a total tradition overhaul, and for those three (or four, or however many) years, you can introduce the weirdest and most wonderful customs imaginable. You and your friends are in many ways a student family, and what better way to celebrate than with some new yearly traditions? From specific post-dinner songs to an annual after party night out, and more, student Christmases are never boring.   You can really be you There’s something quite formal about Christmas Day at home. After all, youve got elderly relatives and/or small children running all over the place, and your parents highly strung trying to pull together every family tradition possible in a highly organised manner. The result? Usual behaviour ends up being quite repressed. You can’t really talk to your nan about how many Jägerbombs you can manage in a night on the town. Not to mention the flat-wide dramas going down in your halls, so you just end up smiling and nodding and occasionally telling everyone how “good” you’re doing at uni. Whilst you’re actually at uni though, you don’t need any of these pleasantries; you can say pretty much anything you like. Freedom.   Life experience It’s no secret that at some point down the line, you’re going to have to leave uni and rejoin the ‘real world’. And one day, you might even need to host Christmas for a family of well-wishers and grumpy looking students, meaning the life experience you can gain from a student Christmas is very, very much needed. Learning how to time your cooking, how much food to dish out for everybody, the logistics of present handling; it’s all important business that you never think to tackle until you’re right there in the thick of it. You don’t pick up nearly as much at home, or if you do, it might just be the old-fashioned family way of doing things, so this is why Christmas at uni is the undisputed champion. Images via Pexels, Unsplash Download the Debut app and  get Talent-Spotted by amazing graduate employers! Connect with Debut on Facebook and Twitter

Saturday, May 9, 2020

How important is likeability for career success

How important is likeability for career success Do you need to be likeable to succeed in your career? Well, I was having dinner with ten other senior women and the conversation turned to key factors for career success. We agreed on so many things, like you’ve got to be really good, you have to be able to influence people, you have to have presence. Then I asked, “How important is likeability?”, and that’s when the discussion got really interesting. The ‘yes’ camp said, “People prefer to work with and do business with people they like.” By the way, there’s also a Harvard Business Review article that says pretty much that. The ‘no’ camp was all about much more important to be respected than liked. We ended up with a compromise that talked about, instead of likeability, the concept of relatability. Could people relate to you? Do you engage and connect with others? Well, stepping back, here’s my take on it. No matter what words we use for the likeability factor, it’s not a requirement. We all know people who are difficult, maybe even jerks, and they succeed because they’re so good at what they do. We also know people who are likeable, even loveable, and they don’t succeed because they’re just not that good. On that normal distribution of performance, the top 10% succeed no matter what. The bottom 10% won’t and it’s that 80% in between, the solid citizens â€" and by the way, that’s most of us â€" all other things equal, likeability enhances our chances of success and, by the way, probably makes it more fun for us and creates a better working environment for everyone. So here are three actionable thoughts for you: If you are concerned about being low on likeability, and you tend to be seen as difficult, then why not experiment with ways that you can achieve the same results without the collateral damage that comes from being difficult. You might actually achieve even more and have more fun. If you’re high on the likeability scale, and being likeable really matters to you, then make sure you don’t let it stop you from taking a stand, making the tough decisions, taking actions that might upset others. These are really important things for senior leaders to do and it’s all about the how. Wherever you stand on the likeability scale, look for it in others. Of course, they’ve got to be credible but these people that are likeable can be real assets to the company, to you, to themselves, and that’s because they can bridge the gap between two factions. They can connect people and they can bring teams together. So recognise and value what they can do. Let me leave you with the following set of questions to consider: What’s your take on likeability? Where do you stand on the likeability scale? And how important is that in your career? Please take a moment to leave comments in the section below. I’d love to hear what you think.   Image credit: AP Photo/20th Century Fox

Friday, May 8, 2020

Feel the Career Fear Do It Anyways! - When I Grow Up

Feel the Career Fear Do It Anyways! - When I Grow Up How an hour that deals with fears can be fun, I have no ideabut thats what happened last night at my Feel the Career Fear Do It Anyways webinar on Spreecast! I think the fun mighta started when I decided to make an image to go with each fear, and discovered Create Your Own Someecards. Their old timey images with my snark made the perfect pair. Here are my 3 faves and one more, cause I cant not. But on to the recording! Its an hour of calling out the common career fears Ive seen hold back my ~250 clientsand ways to combat each and every one. Cant play/see the recording? Click here to watch it on  YouTube. And nowresources! Heres all that I mentioned in the Spreecast (dont get scared its a lot!): The Renaissance Soul Productive Flourishing planners Bombchelle How to Become a Speaker at TED interview on BlogcastFM The Declaration of You The Artist in the Office Communicate with Your Dog Rockin Resumes Pinterest board 20 Jobs in 7 Years Grown Up Gigs with Laura Neff In fact, all my Grown Up Gigs are worth a look-see the 10 Ways to Discover Work That Feels Like Play video series starts on my homepage About.me Mint.com Your Win Book An Effective Escape 8 Ways to Get Through Your Day Job Without Shooting Yourself In The Face CNN Money credit card debt reduction calculator TeamworkPM online project management software OK, I triedbut I cant not post all the Someecards I created. Seriously, I might be addicted. Someone send help. I also cant end this post without making sure you know about my brand new, online career change program for creative women. If youre lookin for a fearless Career Fear Slayer (hey, that can be a new series Michelle the Career Fear Slayer! Ill be Buffys grown-up protege) Ill be your Head Counselor in Career Camp. Registration is only open for another day-ish itd be the best to have you join us. Consider this your official invite and this Spreecast as a precursor to finding a living doing what you love!