Guest Post Exercising and Job Search and Career Management

Guest Post Exercising and Job Search and Career Management This is a guest post by Amy Chambers more about her below she writes about exercise and work, but it DEFINITELY applies to job seekers. Bike week: how to incorporate exercise in your working week There’s no doubt about it, there’s something inherently romantic about a bicycle. Maybe it’s all the movie moments we’ve been fed in which the simple country girl rides around on her lover’s handlebars in soft focus, maybe it’s all the sentimental importance attached to the moment when your dad or mum takes off the stabilizers and lets you go. Of course, there’s nothing romantic about rolling into work damp from rain, sweating from exertion and liberally splattered with mud â€" and that’s the image which puts many people off commuting to the office by bicycle. But as more and more workplaces install on-site showers, there’s more and more workers who’re choosing to travel two-wheeled. Taking the cycle path is just one of the ways you can fit in some exercise around your working hours. Below we’ve got three ideas to help you incorporate training into your working week â€" it’s easier than you think! 1. Get your workplace involved Most companies want their employees to be happy, and all of them (if they’re sensible) want their staff to turn up to work healthy enough to get on with the job in hand. So they might be more open than you think to helping when it comes to keeping fit â€" whether it’s subsidizing local gym memberships, helping you work out flexible hours so you can make it to fitness classes or finding space in the office for a shower. Find out if your colleagues are interested in getting healthy and see if you can get discounted membership for local gyms or a group rate for a class â€" some trainers who work in more gentle areas of exercise (think yoga) might be happy to come into the office to do a class in a spare room. 2. Get into a routine The more organized you are, the more time you will have to exercise. It might hurt to get up an hour earlier than you normally would, it might be irritating to have to make your lunch and pack your bags the night before, but it’s all worth it when you’re gliding to work on a post-exercise glow. If you find that getting healthy meals is becoming a problem, why not think about investing in a slow cooker, or an oven which you can program to start at a certain time? Then after a heavy session at the gym you’ll be able to come home to a delicious roast or a nourishing stew. 3. Use your lunch break Going to a nearby pool for a swim, taking a walk to the nearest café rather than eating ‘al desko’ or finding a quiet place to do a quick bit of yoga are all low-sweat ways to get a bit of blood pumping. It might not feel like you’ve done much in that half-hour break between spreadsheets, but you’re laying down a valuable health foundation for yourself: it’s all going to contribute to your overall wellbeing, reducing your stress level and giving your aching eyes a chance to un-focus and rest. You’ll feel refreshed and raring to go for the afternoon’s work! About the author Amy Chambers was unemployed for six months after graduating, but found her perfect job after maximising her CV using the tips and tricks she discovered online. Shes an HR geek and lives in the sunny South West of the UK. Guest Post Exercising and Job Search and Career Management This is a guest post by Amy Chambers more about her below she writes about exercise and work, but it DEFINITELY applies to job seekers. Bike week: how to incorporate exercise in your working week There’s no doubt about it, there’s something inherently romantic about a bicycle. Maybe it’s all the movie moments we’ve been fed in which the simple country girl rides around on her lover’s handlebars in soft focus, maybe it’s all the sentimental importance attached to the moment when your dad or mum takes off the stabilizers and lets you go. Of course, there’s nothing romantic about rolling into work damp from rain, sweating from exertion and liberally splattered with mud â€" and that’s the image which puts many people off commuting to the office by bicycle. But as more and more workplaces install on-site showers, there’s more and more workers who’re choosing to travel two-wheeled. Taking the cycle path is just one of the ways you can fit in some exercise around your working hours. Below we’ve got three ideas to help you incorporate training into your working week â€" it’s easier than you think! 1. Get your workplace involved Most companies want their employees to be happy, and all of them (if they’re sensible) want their staff to turn up to work healthy enough to get on with the job in hand. So they might be more open than you think to helping when it comes to keeping fit â€" whether it’s subsidizing local gym memberships, helping you work out flexible hours so you can make it to fitness classes or finding space in the office for a shower. Find out if your colleagues are interested in getting healthy and see if you can get discounted membership for local gyms or a group rate for a class â€" some trainers who work in more gentle areas of exercise (think yoga) might be happy to come into the office to do a class in a spare room. 2. Get into a routine The more organized you are, the more time you will have to exercise. It might hurt to get up an hour earlier than you normally would, it might be irritating to have to make your lunch and pack your bags the night before, but it’s all worth it when you’re gliding to work on a post-exercise glow. If you find that getting healthy meals is becoming a problem, why not think about investing in a slow cooker, or an oven which you can program to start at a certain time? Then after a heavy session at the gym you’ll be able to come home to a delicious roast or a nourishing stew. 3. Use your lunch break Going to a nearby pool for a swim, taking a walk to the nearest café rather than eating ‘al desko’ or finding a quiet place to do a quick bit of yoga are all low-sweat ways to get a bit of blood pumping. It might not feel like you’ve done much in that half-hour break between spreadsheets, but you’re laying down a valuable health foundation for yourself: it’s all going to contribute to your overall wellbeing, reducing your stress level and giving your aching eyes a chance to un-focus and rest. You’ll feel refreshed and raring to go for the afternoon’s work! About the author Amy Chambers was unemployed for six months after graduating, but found her perfect job after maximising her CV using the tips and tricks she discovered online. Shes an HR geek and lives in the sunny South West of the UK.

How to Rewrite Your Technical Resume Without Spending a Fortune

How to Rewrite Your Technical Resume Without Spending a FortuneWhen you have finally written the best technical resume you have ever written, it is time to try to do it again, but better. The key to rewriting your resume, however, is to leave the best parts but to add something new. This is the first and most important step in rewriting your resume and does not require that you spend the money on a professional writer.In order to rewrite your technical resume you need to first think about how you have included your skills and technical knowledge in previous resumes. If you can manage that, then do not worry.You are now going to move forward and find some of your most valuable points and to highlight them. Here are some ideas.You don't have to rewrite your resume as soon as you have finished writing it, but you should not ignore it for awhile either. As time goes by and your resume continues to build, you will be able to use the old parts and make it work for you. Also, you will find that you get more out of your current work.First, you need to analyze your past and previous employers. These will be the people who are actually hiring for technical positions. Do not leave out their knowledge and skills when you write your resume.Secondly, find out what information you have written down or how you have written down your past employer. Do not leave this information out and make sure that the person who reads your resume knows exactly what you did for them and what you did well. This information is going to stand out and might even help your case.The final thing you should do is change the format of your technical resume slightly. You should not be rigid about it but change the information in it, the dates, the organization names. In other words, change the way you talk about yourself and what you do and how well you have done.If you were to rewrite your current resume you would only have to spend about an hour to do it. With this rewrite process you will be able to find more valuable information and eliminate some of the things that you just do not care about anymore.

The Importance of Budgeting When In Debt

The Importance of Budgeting When In Debt Budgeting is important even if your financial situation is a positive one.   But if you are in debt it simply becomes a necessary part of life. If you have enough disposable income to pay off your debts a little each month then budgeting is a great way of repaying those debts  looming over you each month. Careful budgeting can help you get your life back on track. Not only can it ensure you have the funds to pay off debts, you might even discover you have enough left over to move into a savings account for something special. But how do you go about budgeting, especially when you have creditors hungry for their money back? Here’s how:   Look closely at your finances It’s time to sit down and check exactly how much you’re bringing home each month and where this money is going. Look at your direct debits and  be sure there aren’t any unnecessary ones  and cancel these.   Perhaps there is a subscription to a movies package no one uses or to the gym you rarely visit.  Its easy to forget those kinds of automatic payments.  Use a budget calculator, such as this one created by the Money Advice Service, to check how much you are spending each month on things like food and fuel and consider if you could cut these costs down. Put a plan into action A budget is all about making a little sacrifice that will go a long way. If you buy a cup of coffee on your way to work every morning thats   £3.20 a cup, this will amount to £832 a year! The same applies if you buy lunch from the shop every day, instead of packing your own. A sandwich from a supermarket can come in at £2.80 (not including the drink and crisps you more than likely purchase with it) and so on a yearly basis this could cost you £728! Prepping meals is a great way of improving how your budget looks as you buy items in bulk and use them for the rest of the week. It also means there’s no mad dash in the morning to find something to take to work with you. If you are in debt every penny counts towards that final repayment, so ensure you are cutting costs on the everyday things within your budget. Switch suppliers Energy and insurance providers can be switched to save money. Changing energy supplier is relatively simple and can be done without any fees, saving you money in the long run. You may have to pay a fee to move insurance provider but if the monthly costs are significantly lower it might be worth it. Check out insurance comparison sites to find a better deal that fits within your new budget. Do not take out more credit If you are already struggling with debt, it’s very important you are not tempted to take out any more credit while creating this budget. That means cancelling credit cards, not taking out store cards and refraining from the buy now pay six months later offers. More things to pay off will do your budget no good, so avoid them if you can! We understand life can sometimes get in the way â€" the washing machine breaking for many could mean the difference between not eating properly for a week to pay for a new one or not having clean clothes until the money can be saved for a new one. Budgeting now, while you can manage in your financial situation, is a good start and could prevent you from having to seek out more serious advice from a service such as PayPlan in the future if the debt simply becomes too much. Images: Budget  GotCredit   notebook  jridgewayphotography   lunch  R. Crap Mariner

Where My Boys At

Where My Boys At Guy friends are the best. We all know that. No need to be high-strung, little concern on impressing them, and it is totally casual. And fart jokes are normally totally cool. Now living in the city, I feel like my guy friends are just as crucial as my girls. The majority of my guy friends went to college with me. Two of them, I’m lucky enough to live with! I need these boys to cut loose with, to drink beers with, and just to leave the drama out of it. But now, beyond college, how do you get guy friends?? How do you just keep them platonic? Movies these days do not help the situation. Movies like Friends with Benefits or Friends with Kids completely rule out the idea that opposite sex friendships are possible. You’ll always fall in love. Not true. My friend Ellen is best friends with a boy. Both are very attractive people. They are extraordinarily compatible, and yet they have absolutely no attraction to each other. I think the key to their relationship though is that they met in second grade, prior to hormones even being in the picture. So their pre-built friendship trumped any possibility of attraction. At this point in life, past puberty and past college, I feel like finding guy friends is harder than finding a boyfriend. If you meet a guy in a bar, the first thought isn’t “oh, we could totally be friends.” I had that thought once. And then I dated the guy. Now, women are leading with their hearts and their ring fingers and men are leading with their groins (and maybe their hearts if we are lucky?). So how do you overcome these challenges and just be friends? Dress down? No matter how unattractive you think you are, the man’s mind will still wander. High fives instead of hugs? The gentleman just thought you are the coolest chick in the bar. High fives are his favorite.  Mind wandering again… Admit you are looking for a friend? Who says they want a new friend?? They immediately assume you are looking for that kind of friend. Mind continues to wander… So what do you do? Where do you go? The best I’ve got right now is work. Work friends always stay platonic. (Or at least they should if you are taking a page from my book!). But working in a female-dominated field, that gets difficult too. So what do you think? Do you have guy friends? How did you get them? Where your boys at?? Let’s talk! Happy Thursday y’all.

Hiring the Best Resume Writing Services

Hiring the Best Resume Writing ServicesIn order to write a resume effectively, it is imperative that you pick the best resume writing services. There are different kinds of services and you should choose one that suits your particular needs.The right kind of professional resume writers are the ones who know exactly what they are doing. If you want to write your own resume, it is imperative that you hire a professional service because it is time consuming and it costs money. All these things add up to a high price that you cannot afford to pay.This is where effective resumes are written for you by people who know how to do this job well. You don't have to worry about paying someone for a resume because if you do, you will end up with a poor-quality resume. Professional resume writing services have come up with some excellent services that give them a lot of options to choose from.It is a fact that most job seekers do not have a specific time frame to prepare their resumes. Thus, they simply rush through the task so that they can get the job as soon as possible. However, if you want to make your resume stand out among the others, you have to go in for hiring the best resume writing services.By choosing the best one, you are making a great choice and you are making the most of your time. You should keep a few things in mind when you choose the best one for yourself. These include knowing how to write a resume, what to look for, and what to look out for.An important thing to look for is how well the professional write the resume. How does he or she communicate to you the key points? What were his or her qualifications before?These are some of the questions that you need to ask when you want to hire professional resume writers. By finding out these questions, you can make sure that you get the best writers in the business. The next thing that you need to keep in mind is what you want to write on your resume.What kind of skills are you looking for? Do you want to wri te a sales resume? Do you want to write an executive resume? Once you know what you are looking for, it is time to find the best one and that is done by hiring the best services.

LinkedIn Tips From the Experts

LinkedIn Tips From the Experts LinkedIn is currently 135 million members strong. Today I listened to a LinkedIn presentation given by their Public Relations Assistant, Erin OHarra, and hosted by Career Directors International. OHarra gave a lot of great advice for LinkedIn newbies and veterans. Here are her top tips.Add a picture. A profile is nine times more likely to be viewed if the profile contains your photo.Fill out the experience section completely. Profiles that contain at least one past position in addition to a current position are seven times more likely to be viewed.Connect to at least 50 trusted colleagues. Fifty seems to be the magic number necessary to reach the critical mass that makes it easier to source second and third degree contacts.Try to get at least 3 endorsements. Every time you receive an endorsement, a message goes out to both your network and the network of the person who offered the endorsement. This is a great way to become top of mind with people quickly.Be strategic about your vanit y url. LinkedIn allows you to customize your url with your name. This makes it easier for people to find your profile and it helps with optimization efforts overall. When selecting a vanity url, the best strategy is to use your first name and last name with lower case letters and no spaces or dashes. If your name is already taken, the second best choice is to use your last name and first name with lower case letters and no spaces or dashes.Add volunteer experience to your profile. A recent LinkedIn study showed that 20% of hiring managers considered relevant volunteer experience when making hiring decisions.Add skills. This helps with optimization even more than the specialties section. If you click on the skills section under to More tab on the toolbar,  you can key in a specific skill and get a list of related skills to help you build out your skills section. You can also view other profiles of people who have listed the same skill and see groups that are related to that particul ar skill set.Review company pages. If you have your own company and add a company page on LinkedIn, it will be easier for people to find you in searches. If you are a job seeker, viewing company pages helps you find out who in your network works for that company. It also shows which people from your school alumni work at that company.Save job leads. The jobs page allows you to save postings that you are interested in to make it easier to review them.Use LinkedIn Signals. This feature located in the News tab,  lets you  filter the information that is most important to you.  You can click on the search all status updates button on the homepage and search on a particular topic such as marketing jobs or JPMorgan Chase jobs and source specific user status updates that relate to your search criteria.Be a stealth job seeker.  if you want to leverage LinkedIn for job leads but are currently employed and dont want your employer to become suspicious of your LinkedIn activity, customize you r settings and turn off your activity broadcasts so you can connect discreetly. You can also hide your connections while you are looking so your boss cant see if youve connected to a competitor or you can hide information on your group activity for the same reason.Use LinkedIn Today to view trending topics. On the LinkedIn homepage you can view the articles that are most shared across LinkedIn, your professional community, and your connections and save relevant articles to be reviewed at a later time.Get on LinkedIn Mobile. LinkedIn recently revamped their mobile apps making it easier for colleagues to connect on the go.

8 Ways to Be A Smart Job Seeker - CareerAlley

8 Ways to Be A Smart Job Seeker - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Many of us are familiar with the hardships involved in being an unemployed job seeker (take a look at I Lost My Job, Now What). Not only is it frustrating and depressing when you cant find a job, but the feelings become magnified as the length of time unemployed increases and the financial stress takes its toll. Rather than be depressed over the challenges and pressures of looking for a new job, job seekers should focus on accomplishments along the way. Following are eight tips on how to fast track your job search by becoming a smarter, more focused job seeker and be better equipped for the future job market. Review Your Finances and make a Budget: If you are unemployed, the first thing you need to do is review your finances and make a budget. Immediately review your finances to see where you can curb costs and expenses. Make an unemployed budget. Apply for unemployment. Although it is not much, it is more than zero. If you need to travel for job interviews, try to schedule several events in the same day. Reevaluate Your Skills and Experience (Apptitude Test): Understand your strengths and weaknesses. There are a few things you can do, such as, Aptitude Tests, Career Test, IQ Tests, Inventory, and Personality Tests. Take a look at What do You Want to be When You Grow Up? Job Search Made Easy Take a Free Career Test The word free always gets my attention. Set Realistic and Achievable Goals: Make your time count when it comes to finding the right job. Make a specific checklist of the things you want to achieve each day to make sure your job search is productive. Set goals such as I need to make at least five calls today or Im going to reach out / network with four people today. Make you list of companies where you would like to work. Once you have this list, do some research to find competitors and add those companies to your list as well. Your Job Search is Your Full Time Job: When you are out of work, finding the right job requires the same commitment as one would commit to a full-time job. Set a work schedule of at least 9am to 5pm 5 days per week. Create your daily to do list (see above) for the next day as the last task of the day. Spend part of each day focusing on one key item (networking, job applications, research, recruiters, etc.). Build and Leverage Your Network: Make a list of your existing network. This includes every friend, relative, former coworker, current coworker, college or high school acquaintance, your neighbors, your mailman and the checkout person at the supermarket. All of these individuals are part of your existing network. Extend your network by adding people who work or worked at companies where you worked, people who work or worked at companies where you would like to work. Recruiters who cover your industry. Attend networking events. These are a great place to build you network. There are a wide range of events, including alumni events and trade group events. Improve Your Skills (and Learn New Skills): Review your existing skills (from above) and make a plan to improve skills that are weak. There are many online courses you can take. Improving your reading, writing and math skills will add confidence and make you a better candidate. Improve your computer skills, including applications that are important for your industry. If you are currently unemployed, dedicate time during your job search to acquire new skills. Professional Help: If needed, hire a professional resume writer who can help with your resume and help you build your Job Search Marketing Toolkit (see CareerAlley Resources) Im not a fan of paid job search professionals (people who you pay to help you find a job), so buyer beware on these individuals. Recruiters (they get paid by the hiring company) are professionals who can help ensure you have everything you need to succeed on your interviews. Social Media: Understand and leverage social media. Facebook can be leveraged for your job search. That being said, be careful what is on your Facebook account that may ruin your chances with potential employers. Google yourself often. Create a Google alert with your name. Be the first to know if there is anything negative about you on the Internet. LinkedIn Need I say more? Take a look at Creating Your Network on LinkedIn We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ what where job title, keywords or company city, state or zip jobs by