The Gradlife - What needs to go

The Gradlife - What needs to go by Lydia Randall Brace yourself: summer is coming… So, summer is fast approaching and many of us, if not all, have begun planning every detail of how we intend to spend our long summer nights. In preparation, we may have renewed our gym memberships, changed our diets, stocked up on discounted sunscreen, or even started to save.But whatever your plans might be, and whatever you’re looking to do with your time off from work or education, now’s as good a time as any to plan, and prepare for it.To help you get work out what needs to take precedence (and what needs to go) here are a few of my top tips for getting your priorities sorted. And, of course, with us it will always begin with you, your studies, and your career.  Spring cleanFirst things first, you need to spring clean your priorities.Over the coming months, many of us will be facing up to our objectives. Whether you set them at the start of the academic year, or you left them to your resolutions (the ones that stat istically less than one in ten of us actually stick to).But just because you’ve been working on them for a while, it doesn’t mean your goals should be set in stone.It could be deadlines and hand-ins that urgently require your attention, or dealing with the stressful exam period. Whatever academic, career or even personal challenges you’re facing right now, use them to reassess your priorities and realign your focus in the short term.That doesn’t mean you have to forget your original goals completely. You just need to think about what’s important to get done right now. Ask yourself, A) what you need to accomplish, and, B) what you’ll gain from accomplishing them. Then adjust your workload accordingly.Remember, it’s not how you start but how you finish…How to: Prioritise work  Cut the distractions Assess your daily routine and then identify what activities will help you to reach your goals, or prevent them.For example, those studying for exams. If you want to achieve t he best grades, then your revision time needs to reflect the effort required. Which might mean that other distractions, such as work or nights out, need to be put on hold â€" at least on a temporary basis.The same principle can be applied if you’re working towards a business objective or goal. Without a    clear, structured routine, you’re unlikely to keep focus and achieve the results you really want.Ask yourself this question: ‘what needs to go?’And it doesn’t necessarily need to be as drastic as a drop in hours, or a complete ban on nights out. Part of it could even come down to cutting down on procrastination, whether it’s your phone, social media, or any other activity that gets in the way of getting your work done.My piece of advice is to cut out or cut off anything that possesses the ability to become a distraction â€" and know when to take a break, if you need to. Once done, revert your attention back to the things that really matter.Remember, no situation lasts forever, we all go through seasons and each season will require something different. Don’t misuse the season of hard graft for playing hard.Six things productive people do every daySix reasons you haven’t met your goals  Be consistent One of the main ways to underachieve, lose focus and lack proper priorities, is to be inconsistent and undisciplined.However, if you combine a structured plan (in this case a clear routine), with discipline and consistency there’s nothing you can’t achieve.Once you’ve put in place your plan the next thing to do is, stick at it. Will you ever hit the famous ‘brick-wall’? Of course. In fact, you’ll probably hit multiple.But, it’s at these points, where you lack motivation and willpower, that you really need to muster up the strength to push through. Trust me, the results will be worthwhile.So, this summer why not prepare the reed.co.uk way.   Spring clean your priorities, throw out the junk. Reorganise your routine, but most importantl y stick at it.You won’t only feel better â€" you’ll be better.Still searching for your perfect position?  View all of our current vacancies 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 terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Features Graduate advice School leaver advice

Customer Service Beliefs that Can Hurt Your Business - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Customer Service Beliefs that Can Hurt Your Business - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Business owners understand that customer service is an important aspect of building repeat and referral business. But some beliefs and ideas around customer service may actually hurt business. Here are some common customer service beliefs you should rethink. Customers only care about price Few people want to pay more than they have too, but price is mostly an issue when quality and service is the same. The customer’s experience with you is a bigger predictor of whether or not he’ll pay more especially for a similar or same product. Sure, many people buy on Amazon, but what if the local bookstore offers personalized service and can put the book in the customer’s hand right now as opposed to two days from now? Along with price, level of service, speed of delivery and selection also influence consumer buying decisions. If there’s a problem, customers will let you know According to Salesforce, only about 25 percent of customers complain when there is a problem. That means only 1 out of 4 people who are unhappy are letting you know. Or in other words, for every one person who complains there are 3 more who are unhappy but haven’t said anything. So even if you don’t get many emails or calls regarding your products or service, you can bet that there are people having trouble who aren’t saying anything. Instead, they’re finding another business to give their money to. All customers are alike A lot of emphasis is put on target marketing; defining the specifics of your most likely buyer and then directing your marketing attention toward those people. But while your target market shares many similar traits, not everyone is alike. Each customer will come to you with similar needs, but the reasons for that need will vary. The more you can personalize your customers’ experience, the better you can serve them and the more valued they feel. Customers don’t care about loyalty If there is one thing to be learned by social media, it’s that consumers like to talk about the companies they buy from. They share the good, bad and the ugly about their experiences from the time they research their purchase, to spending their money and finally using the product or service. While consumers may be more likely to talk about the bad, they do share the good and many consumers will not only become loyal, but also evangelists if they love your products and services and the experiences they have doing business with you. Customers are always right As a business owner, you know this isn’t true. Every entrepreneur has a horror story that highlights how wrong this statement is. I once had someone demand a refund on a product I didn’t create or sell. So, no, customers aren’t always right. That doesn’t mean it’s okay to yell at or demean customers. What it does mean is that you need to find a balance between listening to customers’ frustrations even if they’re mistaken and then professionally and helpfully seeking a solution to the problem. It costs a lot to keep customers happy True, customer service takes time and money, but it’s much cheaper to keep a customer than to find a new one. Happy customers are more likely to stick with you and tell others about you. making repeat and referral business is the most cost effective form of marketing there is.  Further, most customer service complaints are relatively fast and easy to fix.

Growing student debt is seriously impacting young adults prospects

Growing student debt is seriously impacting young adults prospects The student loans system was designed to help increase social mobility. Borrowing to cover the cost of education played a crucial role in enabling generations of people to study without necessarily having the private means to cover the entire cost. However, we have now got to a stage where the level of debt on graduation is becoming a serious impediment to the lives of graduates and the true cost of being a student could be higher than expected. This is the case, not just for the big purchases we all want to make later in life, but even for some of the smaller and more frequent costs too. For example, 27% of people say that they find it difficult to buy daily necessities because of their student debt. 73% have had to put off saving for retirement or saving for other investments as a result of the level of debt that they have. Graduating with student debts and entering the working world There are a number of different ways in which graduating with a large volume of debt is beginning to hold people back. These are just a few of them: It affects career choices If you graduate with an intimidating student debt then your first instinct is likely to be to start trying to pay it off. This results in many more graduates going into careers they would not necessarily have chosen were it not for the fact that they have debts to pay off. In some cases, due to difficulties getting a job, it’s necessary for someone to take a job for which they’re vastly over qualified â€" so, not even using the qualification that they have incurred the debt to obtain. The impact of doing a job “just for the money” On an individual level this can lead to restlessness and dissatisfaction for an employee. However, the impact goes far further than that, as employers may be faced with a significant proportion of their workforce that doesn’t really want to be there. This may seem fairly inconsequential in the long run. However, workers spend roughly 14 million working hours per week looking for a job. The cost of that, financially (in terms of the consequent drop in productivity), is $400 million a year. The talent drain from public sector jobs We need graduates to enter the public sector in order to maintain infrastructure and services. However, rates of pay are just not the same for a public sector job as those in the private sector that are higher paid. As a result, whether or not a graduate would actually prefer to work in the public sector, they are nevertheless driven towards higher paid roles outside of it to get out from underneath the debt burden. No room for creativity Start-ups are usually bootstrapped; creativity rarely comes from a place of money. However, as graduates are increasingly forced to go into jobs for the cash to ensure they can meet debt repayments, entrepreneurial spirit and creativity in general are being seriously squeezed. The effect on significant life choices It’s not just in the context of work that graduating with significant debts is impacting on former students. Many also find themselves completely unable to start striving for the life goals that older generations have taken for granted. Getting on the housing ladder Research shows that those who have student debt are statistically less likely to enter the housing market in their 30s than those without. Student loans are described as “the new mortgage” for younger generations and are so onerous that buying in to the housing market doesn’t even feature as a future plan for many. 75% say that having student loans has impacted on their ability to buy a home. Getting married and having children On average, we are getting married six years later now than we were in 1965. And while there are many more reasons for this than purely student debt there’s no doubt that high levels of debt have a big impact on whether or not we are able to go ahead with these kinds of big plans. Why? Well because weddings cost money and kids cost money. Psychologically, the ongoing burden of student debt has had the knock on effect that many people don’t feel ready to get married because they are still effectively attached to their student experience. Retirement planning The need to repay student debt and meet loan obligations is so pressing that many people rate it above planning financially for the future. Many of us are already moving through life without any pension planning or retirement savings in place. And those with student debts are even less likely to have the spare income to start putting cash aside at the stage of life when this needs to happen. 73% have put off saving for retirement as a result of student loans. This not only has an impact on the individual but could affect society much more broadly too. Future generations of retirees who simply don’t have enough money put aside to pay for their own retirements as a result of the debt they incurred as students could become a serious burden to others. Living life day to day For many people, the burden of student loans means that it’s more difficult to cover day-to-day costs and expenses. It also makes it harder to plan for short-term financial goals, such as a holiday or a new suit for a job interview. The result may be that graduates have no choice but to take on more loans to meet immediate needs, which could create a situation of completely unmanageable debt. Why it’s a good idea to pay off your student debt more quickly You’ll find it easier to live within your means You’ll be better able to plan for your financial future You might well feel better about yourself and more positive about the future You will pay less interest if you pay your student debts off more quickly Life is easier without the burden of student debts hanging over you

Is a Career in Real Estate Right For You

Is a Career in Real Estate Right For You A career in real estate is an attractive prospect from the outside. What could be easier than playing matchmaker for house-hunters? With a national average of a 2.22% commission on every real estate sale (depending on the state), the paydays are tempting, too. Despite this, a career in real estate has its own set of challenges. Before you enter into the field, consider if it is the right one for you. What are the traits that a real estate agent needs? A Will to Study In countries such as the United States and Australia, real estate agents need to pass state licensure exams before they can practice. In Australia, aspiring agents need to acquire at least 2 licenses. One is the Certificate of Registration, or Agent’s Rep Certificate from the state. There are some educational courses you need before you can get those. Second is the Real Estate License, also known as the CPP40307 Certificate IV in Property Services. You can either take a qualification course or a government trainee program. It does not stop thereif you are considering a career in the Australian Capital Territory or New South Wales, you will need an annual Continuing Professional Development course. A Love of Constant Activity Compared to being a real estate agent, matchmaking is a sedentary lifestyle. Because real estate deals with physical property, agents should be prepared to travel around all parts of the city to match their clients with the houses they are looking for. An agent should also enjoy a certain level of flexibility and unpredictability in her activities. A client may call out of the blue, with free time and an itch to visit some houses, and without a very good reason it is unprofessional to say no. However, if the lifestyle agrees with the agent, she is bound to enjoy herself. Passion for Communication The best real estate agents are not only well-informed, they are passionate. This means that before they bring a client to a house, they will have already inspected it from front step to back porch, and every inch of the floorboards and ceilings. Agents learn for themselves who would best suit the house, and what makes the property the right place to live. It means walking around the neighborhood to see the nearest stores and study the neighbors. Real estate agents tend to be people-persons. Without personal enjoyment of speaking to brokers, property neighbors, and clients, their passion would fall short at application. Agents not only are good at communication, they enjoy it. Ease Using Technology Some real estate agents underestimate how online the entire industry has become. Clients can now sit down at their computers and click through different real estate sites like iBuyNew to find houses for sale in preferred locations, with specific amenities, and even within specific price ranges. Agents should be on board with this trend to stay in the competitive game. The new technology available to real estate agents also makes staying in contact with clients a breeze.  With  real estate crm almost all of the followup is automated.  You can stay in touch with previous customers, as well as keep track of leads and prospects.  That helps grow your business and your income. Even if it does not mean maintaining a website, the least it requires is a constant social media presence. With the clients online, agents should know how to interact naturally through chat functions of social media platforms, and to do simple things such as upload pictures and post them or send them directly to current or prospective clients. Is a Career in Real Estate Right for You? Certainly there are challenges to having a career in real estate. The question is if they are your kinds of challenges. If the aforementioned suits you, then we may have just helped you in matchmaking your life with your new career.

Learn How to Write a Professional Summary - A Simple Step by Step Guide

Learn How to Write a Professional Summary - A Simple Step by Step GuideIf you are about to write your resume, you should learn how to write a professional summary first. A professional summary can help make the difference between you getting the job you want and giving the other candidate an edge over you.A professional summary should include all the essential information about you. You should emphasize the most important things that employers look for when reviewing resumes. For example, if your interest in teaching is mentioned, make sure that it is included in the summary. Any company that wants to hire someone will want to know that they can rely on you in this area.An effective summary also mentions any references that you have that relate to the position you are applying for. References are usually a good idea, but even more so if they are recent ones. There are many reasons why this is a good idea, but one of the most important reasons is that references often have a lot to sa y about the position and a person who has not been exposed to them before may not be able to recall what was said.The next tip that can help you become a successful resume writer is to always include an objective. It should be clear in the summary that this is the objective of the person reading it. There is no reason to leave any room for interpretation, so the summary should give the person reading it what they are looking for.To come up with interesting facts about yourself, include them in the summary as well. These should be based on your skills and experiences. It is an easy way to personalize your resume, which can be important when you are looking for a job.If you are applying for a position with the military, then you will want to include in your professional summary how you have served. You should also list any awards or medals that you may have received. Military resumes are typically more formal than a regular job resume, so these details will need to be put in. Addition ally, these details can help get you a better chance of getting hired than other candidates would have.Writing a professional summary is not as difficult as it may seem at first. You can take any information that you think will be useful to someone else and put it in your summary. This is a common type of resume template that many people use. With it, it is easy to figure out what information needs to be included.By following a simple outline, you will be able to write a professional summary. There is nothing that you should not include in this section of your resume. You just need to find what works best for you and make it fit into your overall resume.

7 Phone Interview Mistakes You Dont Want To Make

7 Phone Interview Mistakes You Dont Want To Make The phone interview is your first chance to WOW the recruiter. To help come up the curve faster, here are some phone interview scenarios you need to know how to handle. If you are new to job search, there are hundreds of new situations you havent experienced before, like the phone interview. Heres a common situation. Out of the blue, your phone rings. Its someone from a company you supposedly applied to but you didnt catch the company name or the job title. Do you: a) Fake it and pretend  you know about the job. b) Ask for more details  about the job. c) Stop the conversation and explain you missed the company name and job title while you search for the cover letter and resume you sent. Think about this carefully because how you manage the call can determine whether you move on to the next interview or not. The answer is c. But how many times were you tempted to go with answer a? You only have one chance to make a great first impression! Making a great first impression is the only way you can get to the next step of the job interview process! Lets see if you are making any other mistakes Don’t Get Caught Making These Mistakes During A Phone Interview 1. What job is this again? It may not be possible to remember every job youve applied to. The reality is, if youre actively job seeking, youve applied to a lot of positions. It is your responsibility to be able to track and reference the jobs youve applied to by job title and company. In a recruiters mind, the job they have to fill is the only one you have applied to. Its possible that recruiter fails to mention the full job title and company name during the call. Dont feel embarrassed to ask for more information or to clarify the job they are calling about. Simply ask them to repeat what company they are with and the job title. If you need to stall while you look for the resume you submitted, cover letter and company research, just let the recruiter know you are looking for the information. (You are showing how organized and prepared you are.) 2. Just Talk Loudly To Drown Out The Police Sirens You dont need to stay at home waiting for a call, but you do need to be aware that any call you answer could be from a potential employer.   Be polite and professional when you answer the phone during a job search! You want to make the right first impression. More and more, people are letting calls go straight to voicemail and recruiters expect to leave a message. So make sure your voicemail greeting is set up to mention your name and/or phone number so they know theyve reached the correct number. If you do answer the phone and it is a recruiter, dont be afraid to ask if you can reschedule an unexpected call if the conditions arent right. If you intend to have a phone interview in a public spot or in your car, make sure you wont be distracted and can access your files with the job posting and the resume you used to apply. 3. Surprise. This is a video interview! If you passed the phone screen and have another interview set up, make sure you know the format. Not knowing the interview format can cause you problems. All you need to do is ask if the recruiter will conduct the next interview via phone or video? While youre thinking about the next interview, do you know how long your conversation is scheduled to last? There are no normal set of guidelines for interviews today. Each company has a unique approach, so it is up to you to ask questions in order to know what to expect. Be sure to collect these details so youre fully prepared and perform your best during the conversation. 4. I grew up on a small farm, love fly fishing Dont miss the point of your introduction. How you respond to Tell me about yourself can make or break the interview. This question is technically the interviewers way of asking why you are qualified for the job and a match for the company. Using your research, match your top two to four qualifications with the job requirements. Also, include why you are specifically interested in the role and company. Keep your answer around a minute, so you dont overwhelm the interviewer. 5.  Nope. Not going to interview here. Dont jump to conclusions too early. Is the recruiter turning you off? Maybe they seem rude or unpleasant. They may be having a bad day. Go ahead and have a great phone interview and once you are done, dig around and find people who work for the company so you can get insider information. Even if you hear some of the warning signs, words, such as micromanage or toxic, take the interview seriously and ask questions, such as, Tell me about one of your best employees and how you supported their development? or can you tell me why this position is available? These answers should help you better uncover the company culture. 6. Dang. Theres that salary question again. Do you know what the going rate is for the work you do? Expect an employer to ask how much you made in your last job and how much you would like to make in the job you are applying for. In fact, in many parts of the US, it is ILLEGAL to ask about your previous salary. These screening questions help the company assess if you fit within their budget and what your value is. Stating a number too high or too low could eliminate you prematurely. To prevent this from happening, use salary calculators and industry contacts to gauge what the company may offer. You could even ask what the company budgeted for the role, rather than providing your answer. However, if your past salary or expected salary is not close to what the company is offering, you are better off deferring your answer until later in the conversation once you have a better understanding of the job requirements. 7. Theyll train me, right? Dont ignore the fact that you lack some of the job requirements. It is unlikely that youll have everything the company wants. And thats ok. You do need to have prepared an explanation for how you will come up to speed in the areas where you fall short. For example, if you dont have specific software experience, you might at least know what it does. Talk with someone who uses the software and find out if the software is similar to anything you have used before, how difficult it is to master and where you can get training. Now, when asked about your software skills, you will be able to address how you intend to come up to speed on the software you are missing. The same logic applies to any skill or experience you are lacking. Speak with someone who is knowledgeable and construct an answer on how you would bridge the gap. If the interviewer doesnt bring it up, you can provide your skill gap solution anyway. You dont want to leave issues that may eliminate you unaddressed. BONUS: Texting is a thing now More recruiters are reaching out to candidates through text messages. This is a good compromise for them and for you. You can respond when it is more convenient for you and the important message wont get lost in your email so youll respond sooner. Just make sure you use professional language and grammar (no text abbreviations or emojis!). This post originally appeared on USNews World Report

Advice on Submitting Your Resume for Posted Jobs

Advice on Submitting Your Resume for Posted Jobs Yes, submitting your resume for posted jobs is one of the methods of job searching. But know this-   It will fall into a terrible black hole, youll be competing against a lot of candidates and just applying online is one of the least effective ways to job search. Youve heard that applying online is ineffective, right? Why do so many people do it? Because it makes you feel productive. And even the Department of Labor says you have to apply for jobs online in order to continue getting unemployment. So yes, submitting your resume for jobs is a viable option and these are things you need to know. 1) Follow Up While not the first thing you do, following up is the most important thing you can do to show your interest in the job and company. Plus, most job seekers wont do this! So how do you follow up and when? Youll likely receive an automated email saying your application has been received. Read any instructions it may contain and follow them. If nothing is mentioned in the message about following up or you dont receive a message, then wait a day and contact HR. Read this to see what youll say  Advice On How To Follow Up During Job Search and Follow-up Tactics. 2) Apply if you meet 60% or more of the stated requirements Many job seekers look at job postings and self-eliminate.   Dont do that. If you dont have everything requested, and the job interests you, apply! Its like playing the lottery, you cant win if you dont buy a ticket! You have to remember that many employers dont really know what they are looking for. They may be thinking, if we get something close to what we are looking for, thatll work.   Or, well know the right candidate when we met them. You do not know which requirements are most important to the employer, therefore, you dont know which they may be willing to overlook or compromise on. Of course, the closer you are to having what they want, the better.   Over-Qualified? But having more skills or experience than the employer is asking for is not a good thing. Employers interpret that as EXPENSIVE. Or they think youll be bored.   What makes you think you would be happy performing a job that only requires 1-3 or 3-5 years experience if you have over 5 years experience?  That job would be way below your skill level.   The temptation is that you see more of these entry level or low level jobs.   The more senior jobs, requiring 5+ years experience, are usually filled from within the company or through word of mouth.     3) Find an Insider or Informant Before submitting your resume, get the inside scoop on the position and company by speaking with an employee. I call this the two-step, find a job posting, find an insider. Learn more about how to do this here Never Just Apply For a Job- Use the 2 Step Method 3) Customize Your Resume Carefully review the job description, line by line. Highlight the skills, work related processes, keywords, and technology the employer mentions. Then, make sure youve included them in your resume. Use these keywords in context and dont include skills you dont have (thats called lying).   You can see how to customize your resume for a job posting here Easily Match Your Resume To the Job Posting 4) Understand How Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) Work When submitting your resume to an online job posting, it will be parsed and processed by an ATS. So youll need to understand how that works so you can be sure to format your resume appropriately and use appropriate   keywords. This post explains everything you need to know about ATS: How To Get Past The Applicant Tracking System (ATS) 5) Include A Cover Letter Yes, some employers still read them. And you want to explain why you want to work for that company in that role. So write one. Learn more about what to include in your cover letter here: 5 Ways To Customize The Dreaded Cover Letter 6)   Use Job Aggregators Indeed.com and SimplyHired.com pull job postings from different places on the internet and may help you uncover jobs. Google for Jobs is another option. And dont forget LinkUp which only searches jobs listed on employer websites. Some employers have logic they use to determine where they will post their openings. Other employers have preferred sites they use to promote job opportunities. It might be based on the type of job their are trying to fill, or it may be based on the type of candidate they hope to recruit. The benefit of using aggregators is that you dont need to search every   job board, thats what Indeed, SimplyHired and Google for Jobs do! 7) And Niche Job Boards Also use niche job posting boards.   If you are looking for a position in a college or university, try higheredjobs.com. You can see more specialty job boards in my article here Best Websites for 2020 Job Search There are tens of thousands of job boards. You dont know about many of them, but ask around, you will soon know more than you want to. Of course you will definitely want to regularly check target company websites too. Employers actually prefer candidates who are submitting resumes directly. 8) Send Your Resume Cover Letter Once youve applied online, research the physical mailing address for the company. Submitting your resume and cover letter through the USPS is duplicate work, but it may catch attention since so few people will take the time and effort to mail something. Remember, you dont know the preferences of the people or person receiving resumes. It might be easier to review a hard-copy than opening and reviewing email.   If you have sent your resume and cover letter both ways, youve increased your odds. 9) Blind Ads Can Be Real Just because a posting doesnt list the companys name, doesnt mean it is bogus. It just means the company doesnt want to list its name.   It could be they are replacing someone who still works there. Unless you are employed, theres no risk, danger, or problem with applying for these jobs.   No, you cant followup, but, it may be worth it, youll need to find out. 10) Use Time Wisely Make the best use of your time. Since customizing your resume and cover letter takes some time, create a master resume and cover letter you can easily customize. A master resume lists all your achievement bullets, every skill you have seen mentioned and is really long. All youll need to do is eliminate the elements you do not need. This is easier than adding content to match the job description. Also, you should really be applying for jobs online early in the morning or late at night when you cant be networking or calling people at work. The bottom line Use all methods available to engage in a successful job search. While submitting your resume to online job boards feels safe, its actually not all that effective. Networking is the most effective job search method, so get out of your house!