reed.co.uks guide to alternative courses 2013

reed.co.uks guide to alternative courses 2013 by Michael Cheary Its a well-known fact that taking a course can be a great way to further your career.In fact, in a recent reed.co.uk survey, two out of three people agreed that studying for a new qualification greatly enhanced their career prospects.However, with so many options available, knowing which course is right for you can be a headache. If youre all Microsoft Office-d out, and AAT isnt really your thing, there are plenty of other alternatives to help you go off the educational beaten track.Here are five of our favourite unusual courses currently available on reed.co.uk:For supernatural lovers If youre fascinated by the unknown and unexplained, we have a course for you. Parapsychology is the study of the paranormal, which could include, but is not limited to, the following: ghosts, hauntings, poltergeists, UFOs and witches. Lets face it, the list is probably endless.If cards are more your thing, try taking a course in Tarot Cartomancy (fortune-telling or divination using a deck of cards). No previous experience necessary, although not recommended if you scare easily.The truth is out there (introduction courses only). For animal loversreed.co.uk provides a wide range of courses for people who love their pets, catering for all creatures great and small. Horse lover? Take an Equine Science course. More of a dog person? Advanced Dog Grooming (Level 4) may be more your thing. N.B. Levels 1-3 not currently available.But our favourite has to be for feline fans. If youre an amateur ailurophile (cat lover), why not take your passion to the next stage with a Feline Studies course? Featuring modules ranging from origins of the domestic cat, feline breeding and the brilliantly named, rise and fall of cats in Europe.Youll never look at fluffy in quite the same way again.For the romanticsA couples wedding day is said to be the happiest of their lives. But throw in a few glasses of Dutch courage and some overeager in-laws, and things can quickly fall apart. Thats where you come in.Becoming a Wedding Planner will require highly developed organisational skills, a keen eye for detail and nerves of steel. In our experience, it also helps if youre just a little bit scary.If all else fails, try our Handling Difficult People and Situations course. Best of luck.For garden loversTaking a horticultural course can be a great way to turn a practical hobby into an exciting new career. Courses in areas such as Garden Design, Landscaping and Botany can all open doors professionally and help let you unleash your inner Titchmarsh.However, if youre looking for something a little different, why not try Moon Gardening? Especially apt if youre also interested in astronomy, this course teaches you how to improve your harvests simply by using the months of the year.You can thank us for all the money you save on fancy fertilizers later.For noir fansFeel its time for a career change, but dont know how to put your love of hardboiled crime solving to good use? Look no further than the Private Investigator (Level 3) qualification. Perhaps the ultimate course for any noir fan looking to take their stealthy surveillance skills to the next level. But if youre imagining a career of Dick Tracy-like solitude, think again. Todays Private Investigator examines each case systematically and thoroughly, combing painstaking research, an advanced knowledge of police practice and working on areas as wide-ranging as tracing missing persons and investigating traffic accidents.Novelty trilby and brown mac optional(although, due to health and safety regualtions, smoky offices are strictly prohibited). Interested in taking a course? Browse all available courses 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

Making a Name for Your Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Making a Name for Your Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career In a time where virtually every word imaginable has been used in the creation of a brand name, many entrepreneurs and business owners are finding it difficult to get ahead. The fact is that startups now have to compete on a global scale, increasing the odds of there being some heavy competition against your personal brand. In effect, this means that brand identity must be wholly unique if a business is to rise above the competition and make a name for themselves in the global arena. This is the advantage that personal branding offers over corporate branding. Leverage Personal Branding to Grow Your Business One solution that many have found is to use their own names as a foundation and begin marketing themselves to the world â€" something businesses can learn a lot from. This idea of presenting your company as a unique brand built around individuality can be adapted to suit your needs â€" regardless of the size the industry or your budget â€" provided you have: Already established yourself and your business online Set up social media accounts where your buyers are Have a found a small, if not modest, customer base We’ll address a few of the steps you will need to take to grow your business and how you can strengthen your personal brand while engaging your audience in a meaningful way. Create Content With Your Audience in Mind By now, most businesses around the world are privy to the benefits of social media and are using it to their advantage â€" more on that later. Quality content is about shareability and posting the right material at the right times. If you want, you can also go against the flow and post about controversial topics if you believe in your point of view and can back up your claims. Just keep in mind that the ultimate goal is to ignite the passion of the right percentile of your consumer demographic in a non-adversarial manner. Generally, you will need to think about: What content is most valuable to your readers What format your audience typically prefers What message or point you’re trying to get across In a great infographic by QuickSprout, the best times to post are shared. Content posted at around 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. get the highest amount of shares and clicks respectively, with Mondays being the most optimal day of the week to post an update. What does this have to do with promoting your personal brand? Everything. You need to know your audience extremely well and make things as convenient for them as is possible to build traction and grow your business over the short to long term. Humanize Your Business for the Right Reasons Approachable brands are those that are consumer-centric â€" that is, they cater to the needs of their audience. This is one of the reasons why social media has become a popular marketing and promotional platform for many businesses. In fact, the message is even getting through to Fortune 500 companies who are becoming increasingly more active online. According to a recent article on SteamFeed, 77 percent of these companies are on Twitter, 70 percent are on Facebook and 69 percent are on YouTube. If this says anything about the current state of affairs in business, it’s that communication is a critical factor in attracting and developing an audience. The conversation should be a two-way street, however, as consumers are just as interested in the people behind the brand as they are about the product or service. With this in mind, use social media to approach your customers in a personal way and don’t be afraid to incorporate elements of personal branding to humanize your business.   Build a Dependable Circle of Early Adopters If you treat your customers like people rather than walking wallets, you’ll effectively be able to encourage trust and can then begin building a rapport with your buyers. It may be more apt to refer to your customer base as your fan base. You want these people to be early adopters and trendsetters so that they’ll do your marketing for you via positive word-of-mouth. Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can go about increasing your brand’s visibility, such as: Crowdsourcing new ideas to attract and forge new relationships Establishing contests or social media campaigns to gauge loyalty Creating your own community of authority by calling on relevant experts Ideally, your marketing efforts need to be equal parts appealing and authoritative to encourage this kind of engagement and response. If you do it right, conversion rates should increase as a flow-on effect is created. Reinvent Yourself and Your Brand if You Need To One last thing to keep in mind when making a name for your brand is to use storytelling whenever possible to give your audience a sense of who you are and relate what you’ve experienced over the course of establishing a business. Additionally, remember that you’re free to explore other avenues should you choose. Personal branding as a malleable process that changes over time as you reach new milestones. As such, if you feel the need to reinvent your brand’s image, there’s nothing really stopping you. A Case Study in Personal Branding Repositioning Done Right Consider the situation the owners of Just Cabinets would have found themselves in when they decided to change their name to reflect their expansive product offering that included more than just cabinets. Rather than change the name entirely and undo years of hard work, the appropriate solution was a compromise. The brand name going forward included the words Furniture More and repositioned the business in a much stronger position within the marketplace. If this is an option you need to make, implement small changes gradually and make sure you’re aware of the basics of reinventing your brand well in advance if all possible. Ultimately, your brand’s name is of little consequence, but it does need to be marketed in a personal way. If you follow the hints and tips laid out in this article, you should start to see activity levels increase and your business begin to make a real name for itself.

Mental health A Boardroom Issue Which Wont Go Away

Mental health A Boardroom Issue Which Won’t Go Away Mental health is an important focal point in society and as with any societal shift, it is impacting the place of work, businesses and companies alike.  As a result, organizations need to respond and adapt. As companies have previously harnessed other societal shifts such as the power of social media to reach their target audience, businesses are now realizing the significance of awareness and understanding mental health. One in four people have a mental health illness Individuals and businesses can no longer avoid this subject.  But beware, just simply building awareness of mental health among your employees is no longer all that is required of a business; you must do more if you want to truly reap the rewards for yourself and your teams.  Organizations should be taking strong and positive action to support everyone’s mental health and ensuring their employees know where they can access that support. One in four people have mental health illnesses, which works out at around 8.15 million employees in the UK. That’s 8.15 million people who, at some point, might need time off work or just some extra time do their job.  Typically, these individuals are desperate for some empathy and understanding from their managers and the wider team. This can be achieved by having a clear, supportive and structured wellness program in place while at work. Championing from the top down Wellness in the workplace needs to be championed from the top and filtered down. If the top of the tree i.e. senior team and management takes it seriously, those beneath will follow. This can be achieved by the senior and management teams taking time to show your teams that they need time-out and that they understand others do too.    This will go a long way towards employees accepting there is are only so many hours in the day and some days can be less productive than others, which will help address some of the work-related stress and anxiety often felt. A big part of pushing workplace wellness, in fact, the most important part in some respect, comes from your managers. They have daily direct exposure to your employees and training them to recognize a shift in someone’s behavior and how to better support that person is key to having a strong wellness program in place. Your managers can advocate the program, constantly direct team members to the advice, update them on seminars, one-to-one, and additional support and begin to tackle mental health within the workplace proactively.  At hero, we’ve recognized this, which is why we train all management-level employees in mental health and teach them how to spot changes in their teams. Managers will have the training to understand what training and support their teams need at any given time. Advice for managers When it comes to dealing with the mental illness of employees it’s important that managers understand how to engage in a meaningful conversation but also recognize and understand their limitations as a manager.    As a manager, there is only so much they can do to support their teams but ultimately they need to understand the importance and significance of safeguarding themselves too. Hero’s checklist of advice looks like this: Educate yourself on the common signs and symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression Facilitate good conversations and really ask and mean:  â€œare you alright?” Establish what reasonable adjustments can be made to support team members. Identify the relevant support network i.e. HR, Direct Leader, EAP access, Occupational  Health or even local charities. Understand limitations â€" What level of help can be given before another individual is at risk? It’s important to remember, this is not about opinion, but instead, impartiality, being non-judgmental and supportive. The Hero difference Hero’s differing factor is its proactive approach to mental health and wellbeing in general. By delivering bespoke programs for businesses that are tailored to the employees, people can access the training and advice that they need whenever they need it and can arm themselves to spot when they are feeling strained or not quite themselves. In knowing what to look out for and having access to solutions-led advice via the Navigator app as well as one-to-one sessions, employers can help employees to keep themselves healthy and happy. About the author: Andy Romero-Birkbeck, hero Content Delivery Director, has over 15 years’ experience in Manageable Health and Wellbeing.   He regularly delivers talks and seminars on all aspects of mental health at the workplace and supports organizations with their strategies to proactively manage this.

Information Overload Find Your Answers Within - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Information Overload Find Your Answers Within - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Case Study 1 A professional woman and a mother of two was telling me that whenever she wanted to do something new she often got overwhelmed by so many advice that she lost her initial enthusiasm. She wanted to find the “best” way and for that she first needed to explore all possible information out there. No wonder she felt overwhelmed! To cater her assumption of “best”, she not only made it a burden on her, even worse sometimes she was sacrificing the original intention altogether. Case Study 2 A young tech professional, married with no kid, wanted to do a tech project of his own. His concern was that he didnt have enough time to explore all the technologies out there. His way of exploration was that he wanted to be on top of every shiny new topic/technology he could get access to. In course of our conversation he realized even if he had all the time for himself, it would be impossible for him to explore “everything” that seemed interesting. Not to mention he even didnt have enough interest on one topic to spend more than two consecutive days on it. He was hiding under “not enough time” excuse when his problem was elsewhere. Case Study 3 Many times I get this question, “What helped you to make such a big shift â€" the career change?” It sure feeds my ego and I can go on and on talking about it. At some point I wondered, who is it serving, is it for me or for the person who asked the question. Everyone is so unique and has unique situations; many times my story only brings a conclusion that “Oh it worked for you because…, but my situation is different”. These days I am more upfront about it. Instead of telling my story, I ask “I will be happy to share mine, but would you rather discuss your situation and see how you can make progress about your big decision?” Most of them choose the later. Bottom line There is a common assumption that the answer is somewhere out there and if I read all possible articles/books/advice I will find it.  In reality this data collection works only when we know what in particular I am looking for, what the bigger question I want to address. Being mindful, purposeful is the key. Unless the mind is fertile and ready, no great idea would have the chance to grow in there. There was a time I wished if I could find a ready-made answer to my questions about my career fulfillment, only to be greatly disappointed. Afterwards I accepted that reality, and focused on figuring out my own custom answers, and then finally I got the most rewarding results! It may not be the best possible answer in the democratic sense but it sure served me most. Author: Sharmin Banu   is a development partner for high performers who wants to have more Growth, Purpose and Joy for their work and lives. On top of her coach training, a deep eastern cultural background and a 12-year of high tech corporate experience give her a unique position of learning what blocks people to move up in their career path and what helps them to excel. She is very passionate about helping professionals so they can honor their core selves and leverage those to thrive and succeed in the high paced corporate culture and have more fulfillment from their lives. Sharmin’s clientele   is mostly high-tech professionals in the mid-level in their career. Sharmin and her husband have a young daughter and lives in Kirkland WA. Sharmin loves to stay in touch with her friends and the extended family.

Resume Words to Avoid When Writing Your Resume

Resume Words to Avoid When Writing Your ResumeThere are a number of resume words that you will encounter when writing your own. The following list will give you a few ideas on what words to avoid when getting your resume written.Formal way - Avoid using formal way to describe yourself. It is often hard to relate your resume to the organization that you work for. Make it as specific as possible and avoid using the phrase 'work title'position title.' This will help you be more specific.Technical and research-focused - Do not use this type of words when you are writing your resume. This may sound obvious, but it is necessary for some organizations that deal with technical matters. This may be a better option if you are aiming to apply for a technical position. When you apply for a non-technical position, you can describe yourself with the phrase 'person in the business.'Personality and motivation - Just like other resume words, personality and motivation can be very important in determi ning whether you get an interview or not. Be careful when using these words. You can use them as descriptive words or as a type of qualifier. Use your judgment on whether you need to include these words in your resume.Industry-specific - Try to avoid using terms that are commonly used in the job market. Instead, select terms that are unique to your field. Some of the common terms include: associate, salesperson, sales associate, sales manager, etc.Professional service - Do not use the term 'professional service' when you are applying for the position. Use this term only when you are being interviewed by a company that provides professional services to employees.Industry-related - Avoid using the word 'industry' when writing your resume. This type of resume words is used a lot when filling out forms that cover industries specific to a certain business. The problem with this type of resume words is that they are generic and cannot accurately describe your career or experience.When app lying for a job, your resume should be enough to get you an interview. There are many resume words that you should avoid when getting your resume written. One of the most important things that you should remember is to write your resume correctly so that you get the interview that you are seeking.

Book Review The No Asshole Rule - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Book Review The No Asshole Rule - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog When Bob Sutton started to write a book about the hidden costs of jerks at work he wanted to go full monty and call the book The No Asshole Rule. Gasp! Yes! The A-word. He wasnt writing about jerks or bullies he was writing about flaming assholes and what they cost people and businesses. His first choice of publisher, The Harvard Business School Press, were happy to publish the book if he would change the title to something less offensive. So he changed publishers :o) Once in a while a book comes along where you just immediately think Yes! What a great idea for a book! You know, the right book at the right time. A book that simply deserves success and wide recognition. The No Asshole Rule by Bob Sutton is such a book. This book and Bobs excellent blog have already generated massive amounts of well-deserved buzz, and Id like to add my whole-hearted recommendation! Its a great book, highly readable and massively important. Why exactly have we tolerated jerks in business for so long? Bob convincingly demonstrates using surveys, psychological studies and anecdotal evidence that workplace jerks are far more trouble than theyre worth. They mat be getting results and making the numbers, but they do so at a huge cost to the rest of the organization and to the well-being of the people around them. Not only that, but assholes breed. No, not with each other (a horrible thought in itself)! But not only do jerks tend to bring out the worst in others (creating more jerks) they also tend to hire jerks like themselves. Or they make sure to hire people who are too weak to oppose them. The book has some very gripping (in the same way that car crash footage is gripping) stories of workplace assholes, including some flaming assholes like the Hollywood studio boss who goes through hundreds of personal assistants, firing them for such gruesome offenses as bringing him the wrong kind of coffee. But more interesting than this, are the stories of workplaces that do NOT tolerate this type of behavior. Successfactors, a Californian HR company make every new hire agree to 12 rules of workplace behavior, including a no asshole rule. I have always been convinced, that jerks should never be tolerated in a workplace. Quirky personalities are fine. Occasional disagreement and conflict are a necessity. We dont all need to be slick, polished and on our best behavior all the time. But the people who systematically abuse other people for their own gain or just for fun should never be tolerated and its nice to read in Bobs book that more and more companies are coming to this realization and are implementing no asshole rules. The No Asshole Rule is a great read and a crucial addition to any business library. Read it if your workplace is beset by assholes, if youre afraid you might be one or if you just want to be convinced once and for all that jerks have NO place in a modern business. Related: More book reviews. My favorite books about happiness at work. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Summary Sunday Job Search During The Holidays

Summary Sunday Job Search During The Holidays Dont stop your job search during the holidays! Even in the month of December, organizations are moving candidates through the hiring process. While it is tempting to want to put your job search on hold during the holidays, dont. Keep working on it. This weeks summary includes tips for networking through the holidays and what to put in your out of office autoresponders. Youll also find answers to the biggest mistakes job seekers make, how long job search will take, and why you arent getting feedback after the job interview. Theres also a fascinating study about the importance of having a complete LinkedIn profile and some free resources for job seekers. Use this month to leverage the festive moods of friends and colleagues. And know that the hiring process doesnt stop during the month of December. It may move more slowly, but job search during the holidays is still possible. NETWORKING Seven Tips for Networking Through the Holidays by Keith Ferrazzi | Inc. The holiday season was made for networking! Take advantage of this season by trying some of these tips to stand out. While this is an old article, I still find it holds up in todays world! JOB SEARCH Career Coaches On the Biggest Mistakes People Make In the Job Search by Adrian Granzella Larssen, The Muse | Fast Company 7 career coaches share their top advice for job seekers. And while I list a summary of their advice, you definitely should read the full article. Job search is so much more than adding bullets to your old resume. Mistake 1: Not Starting With You Mistake 2: Thinking Like A Historian, Not A Marketer Mistake 3: Not Looking At The Big Picture Mistake 4: Overemphasizing What You Want Mistake 5: Relying Solely On Job Postings Mistake 6: Only Networking When You Need Something Mistake 7: Not Following Up How Long Will It Take to Get a Job? Heres What the Data Says InHerSight | Motley Fool Using data, this article breaks down how long you can expect to wait after applying for a job, after your interview and overall, how long it will take to land a job. Spoiler: according to a BLS report, the average job seeker spends 5 months looking for a new job. But theres more data you need to understand around hiring timelines to set your expectations. Bookmark This! Job Seeker Resources Edition by Sharlyn Lauby | HR Bartender This article references a free job search hotline for job seekers. It also includes several resources provided by Lauby. The Real Reasons Why Job Seekers Are Not Given Feedback by Jack Kelly | Forbes You may have been told to ask for feedback after the interview. But here are the reasons why you arent going to get any meaningful advice when you ask. LINKEDIN Job Applicants With a ‘Comprehensive’ LinkedIn Profile 71% More Likely to Get Interviews, Study Says by Laura Stampler | Fortune So, it turns out that hiring managers really DO care whether or not you have a LinkedIn profile. If you have a bare-bones LinkedIn profile and are applying for jobs, then you want to read this! CAREER Why You Should Put a Little More Thought into Your Out-of-Office Message by Michelle Gielan | Harvard Business Review The holiday season, when you take some time off and wont be responding to emails, sent up your out of office autoresponder. Heres why, according to this article- it can create a social connection with recipients including colleagues, clients, and vendors. There are several examples of messages you can adapt to your own situation. MENTIONS LinkedIn Top Voices 2019 in Job Search and Careers