The Game of Life What Route Are You Going to Take

The Game of Life What Route Are You Going to Take Anyone remember the board game the Game of Life? As you make your way around the board which is essentially a timeline of your life, you are required to make big decisions about the direction you would like to take and in turn reach a series of different milestones in both your personal life and career. One of the most impactful decisions is whether to go to college or to go out and get a job. Though it is only a game, a lot of the consequences of this decision resonate with real life. For example, certain jobs are only available to those who have obtained a degree and these are often the jobs that offer a higher salary. The University of Maryland have put together this infographic that represents the game of your life, highlighting the decisions you make and the different career paths you could follow. Whether your final goal of the game is to retire and live out the rest of your days in a millionaire estate or countryside acres is in your hands! 1) Do you want to go to college or go straight out to work? Though furthering your education can often improve your employment options, its also very expensive and a lot or hard work and commitment is required to achieve a good result. By getting an entry-level job straight from school, you may even be able to work your way up to a more senior role by the time your peers have finished University. When making this decision, think about what career you would like to pursue. Is a degree required for a job in this sector? Some of the most popular degrees among top executives are Business Administration, Public Administration, Law and Liberal Arts. 2) How will you progress in your career? Make a career plan for yourself so that you have clear goals to aim for. Participate in any training programs available to you, to expand your knowledge and qualifications. Network with other professionals in your industry. Become an expert in your niche, so that you are valued in your industry. 3) Opportunities to further your education later in your career. Does your company offer any training or executive development programs? Do you want to complete an MBA? 29% of companies in the FT500 Index are headed by an MBA graduate. 46% of companies in the FT500 have chief  executives with an MBA degree. [Image Credit: Shutterstock]

How Microsoft Aligned People Promise with Purpose

How Microsoft Aligned People Promise with Purpose How can a not-so-cool any more tech company attract the best talent? By aligning its people promise with its overall purpose (of course). Paul Davies is a Consumer Marketing Director at Microsoft, and we spoke to him about the employer brand and people promise at Microsoft. Have a listen below and be sure to tune in to the Employer Branding Podcast. In this episode, we discuss: Pauls role and where Microsoft is positioned today, what brands are represented under the Microsoft umbrella. Is there an employer brand, a consumer brand, and a corporate brand, or is it all the same? Pauls view on this as a marketer. Whats the corporate culture like inside Microsoft? How a large enterprise can still be entrepreneurial. What impact has new CEO Satya Nadella had? His presence is arguably a big shift from Steve Ballmer. What are the talent challenges at Microsoft? Does the company have the same issues like everyone else? Myths about millennials, and why theyre not that different from other generations. And they do watch normal TV apparently. What is the EVP/people promise of Microsoft?  How the EVP is a derivation from the overall mission of the company. How the company communicates this message to prospective talent, both in offices and online. Particular initiatives that Paul is proud of, including ways to get women into technology roles. How to go about measuring the ROI on employer brand, Pauls views on this from a marketing perspective. Pauls best tips for employer brand managers how they need to buddy up with their counterparts in marketing. What other companies are getting employer brand right and whats next on the horizon for employer brand. Connect with Paul on Twitter at  @paul_davies.

The Key to Ending Gender Bias in the Workplace

The Key to Ending Gender Bias in the Workplace As a career woman, you may be tired of hearing “We are an equal opportunity employer”. In reality, this is rarely the case. While those companies truly believe they are following the Civil Rights Act of 1964, they may be unwittingly violating the very laws they pride themselves on observing. If you are frustrated at your attempts at promotion after promotion, only losing out to a male co-worker, here is some of what you should understand if you are to make a difference. Conversely, if you are an administrator or on the Board of your company, take the time to look at how gender bias might just be hiding in the shadows on a subconscious level. Gender Bias Doesn’t Always Operate on a Conscious Level Most often, biases are shaped in the way we have been brought up in society. Schools, families, religious affiliations, and even ethnic groups shape our beliefs and attitudes. While we may think we are being open to the possibilities in others, the things that shaped our lives during our formative years can be hard to overcome. If you find that women in your place of business are feeling discriminated against, do a bit of introspection. Perhaps you are playing into those discriminatory practices on a subconscious level. As a woman, are you being overly abrasive in an attempt to be seen as equal to male counterparts? You may be trying to be a driving force but giving it too much gas! As an administrator, are you somehow seeing women as caregivers instead of professionals? Sometimes, on a subconscious level, men compare women seeking promotions with their mothers or wives who stayed at home. The way we grew up envisioning the role of women will be a huge factor when trying to rid ourselves of unwanted biases. Even women have these biases, so take a good look at your own! Advice for Women Seeking to Advance Once you’ve done a bit of introspection, it’s time to look at how you can advance without overdoing your efforts. Consider for a moment the still predominant bias in terms of math and science. Men are still thought to excel in those disciplines.   And if you look at any graduating class of those seeking advanced level degrees in engineering, for example, you will find the ratio of men to women at something like 10:1. Is it because women can’t do the work?   Or is it because they have been programmed to believe they aren’t right for that industry? What you can do when presenting your bid for advancement is to take advantage of the technology at your disposal. Instead of simply submitting the required application, resumé, and cover letter all over again, why not put together a combination hardcopy/video presentation? Use strategic elements such as a whiteboard video to demonstrate both what you have to offer and how you are comfortable in today’s hi-tech corporate environment. Sometimes it takes showing them what you can offer as opposed to telling them. It’s hard to deny what’s right in front of their eyes.   Use every tool at your disposal to show them what you’ve got. It’s not what you have to offer but how you demonstrate it that counts. Don’t preach â€" practice!

Virtual Assistant Career - VocationVillage

Virtual Assistant Career - VocationVillage Are you interested in a virtual assistant career? VocationVillage.com interviews virtual assistant Cheryl Allin about her business.What does a Virtual Assistant do?A Virtual Assistant provides remote administrative support to clients located all over the globe. Services can range from simple tasks such as data entry all the way up to specialized tasks such as marketing or other niche services. A Virtual Assistant is best suited to work with entrepreneurs who may not want or need to hire in-house staff.What does a typical day look like for you?I usually start my day in my jammies with a cup of coffee, checking my email. I check status of some online accounts for one of my clients and I sometimes have transcription projects to work on during the morning. I take time out throughout the morning to care for my two small children, and we usually all do lunch together about mid-day. My husband also works from home, so he and I trade off managing the kids so we can both work on projects. Aft ernoon naptime for the kids enables me to finish up any pending projects and make any plans for the following day. I track everything with TraxTime software from spudcity.com, and I keep reminders in Outlook.What do you like best about your business?I love the freedom of scheduling my own hours, but even more I love the fact that this business is wholly mine, its success or failure depends solely on my actions. Every day now has meaning and a depth that you don’t get when you’re just doing the 9 to 5 (or 6am to 10pm) drudge of a regular job. It’s very satisfying. What are the most challenging things about your job?I’d have to say keeping an eye on the big picture. As an entrepreneur, you have to have your fingers in all the pies. I have to be aware of taxes, liability insurance, our own medical insurance needs, keeping up in current trends and software, and so many other issues that are all vital to my businesses success. What eases these challenges are the online organizati ons for Virtual Assistants or for entrepreneurs in general that allow me to mentor or be mentored by other business owners in my same circumstances.How did you land your first clients?First, I had my husband design a terrific Web site for my company. Then, through the advice of another esteemed Virtual Assistant I began joining online groups and networking with other online individuals with my same interests. I’m happy to say that it definitely worked. One of my best clients came from a post to DigitalEve, an online high tech womens networking group. I’m also fortunate in that one of the Virtual Assistant organizations I belong to has an RFP service, and I’ve won several clients from that.How much time do you spend on marketing now?I really spend negligible time on my marketing now as my current roster of clients is rather full. I do try to do brand building whenever possible. I have a Web decal on the back window of my car advertising my URL and I was recently interviewed for an article on women owned businesses for the Tacoma News Tribune. I had emailed the reporter several months prior, complimenting her on a story she wrote and she remembered me. Very rarely I have contacted companies advertising for in-house staff in the paper. I usually send an introductory letter explaining what a VA does and offering to follow up at a later date. I haven’t done this enough to quantify the results, however.What was your professional background before launching your virtual assistant career?I started my professional career as an Arabic Linguist for the United States Army. After my time in the military, I began an administrative career working in several fields such as customer service and financial services but I hadn’t found my niche. In 1998, I bought my first PC and got online. When I was looking for work in 1999, I used the Internet to find a position as Assistant to the CEO of one of Tacoma’s very first ISP’s. After that company folded, I moved on to b ecome the Launch Coordinator/Customer Service Manager of ImprintStore.com. I felt strongly after three years in the dot com scene, I was ready to break out onto my own.What is your educational background?I graduated from Rogers High School in Puyallup in 1986 and then went right into the military.What skills are most important to succeed in a virtual assistant career?Most important, you have to have excellent problem solving skills. Clients want solutions, they don’t want someone to tell them it can’t be done, or someone who has to ask how to get it done. You also should have an entrepreneurial spirit and be willing to be flexible in your day to day operations.What advice do you have for someone who wants a virtual assistant career?Do your research. There are online organizations like the IVAA.org or individual VAs such as myself where you can find out more information. Make sure this is the life for you.Are there any commonly held misperceptions about your career that you would like to clarify?Many people still think of VAs as temp help at best or unskilled stay at home mommies trying to get rich quick at worst. In actuality, VAs are the smartest solution for very small businesses. VAs are only paid for time on task so clients don’t have to provide desktops, software or expensive benefits.What is the income range for virtual assistants?A one person VA firm typically charges anywhere from $25 $70 per hour for services, depending upon the task. Many VAs eventually increase their earning potential by outsourcing client work to other VAs and keeping a small percentage of the fee.Any other comments?Outsourcing is a trend that I see increasing in business today. With outsourcing, a business can focus on the key elements that grow their business and leave the rest to the organizations that partner with them.Thank you, Cheryl! . 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6 important things to consider before asking for that pay rise - Debut

6 important things to consider before asking for that pay rise - Debut This post was written by a member of the Debut Student Publisher Network. Zaki spoke to a veteran journalist to get the real scoop on how to snag that pay rise: It’s not a question you’re likely to be in a hurry to ask. Few people enjoy talking about money in the workplace, especially with their boss. But building up the confidence to ask this key question, and doing so in the right way, can increase your income considerably. Phil Sutcliffe is a veteran music journalist who has worked for Melody Maker, Sounds, Q and Mojo. He now runs courses for the National Union of Journalists on pitching and negotiating. He spoke to Debut about how to ask for an increase in pay. Do it at the right time and think through your choice of words Timing is important. There may be a natural time to ask. Doing so within weeks of starting work is unlikely to be a good idea, but broaching the subject during an appraisal or performance review could work well. Try and do it when your boss doesn’t seem too busy or stressed. Ask if they have a minute to chat and plan what you’re going to say in advance. Tell them about what you’ve brought the company. What good things have you done to show your value? Emphasise that you see your future at the company but that it would mean a lot to be paid a bit more. “Always do it politely, non-confrontationally, so you’re starting a negotiation, not an argument. If the answer is no, no, no, you come back to their original offer”, Sutcliffe says. If you don’t ask, you don’t get Some companies look at giving annual pay increases across the board, particularly where there is strong trade union representation, but many don’t. “It’s remarkably widespread to see the people who ask for more getting it and the people that decide against doing so not getting it”, Sutcliffe says. He points out that, just as many young workers are reluctant to ask for a pay rise, lots of those who have been in work for longer are the same. One of his mantras is “always ask for more”. He usually cites this when discussing freelance rates, but says it’s also applicable to salaried jobs: “It’s because you need to explore the situation. Don’t accept as a given that a potential client or potential employer’s first offer to you is their final offer”. Ask in person where possible How do you ask? It’s entirely up to you. Some might prefer an email as they may find it awkward to ask in person. But I think asking in person might be slightly more effective. Then you’ll be able to see their reaction first-hand and, if they decline, get an idea of how close to saying yes they were. In general, I think people tend to be more negative when they have the luxury of hiding behind an email. They also then have as long as they want to reply. Asking in person might catch someone slightly off-guard and have them suggest that you “ask again in a couple of months”. Then you’d be in a stronger position two months on, which might be a shorter period of time than what they might suggest by email once they’ve had time to look at the company’s books or ask their own manager. Find out what might be a reasonable rate to aim for Speak to your colleagues in the pub. Casually ask what they’re on or how long they waited to ask for a rise. Chat to your trade union rep if you have one; they’re likely to know what the company pays some of its employees. Look at what salary other companies are offering for similar jobs online. If you want to suggest a figure rather than ask what they might be willing to offer, you could mention what rival companies pay those in similar roles to help your case. But don’t threaten to leave if they turn it down or do anything which may leave you in a difficult position. Negative consequences are extremely rare Sutcliffe says that a widespread fear among people considering asking for more is that their employer will react negatively and even punish them for posing the question. “But it’s vanishingly rare. We have heard of cases where that’s happened, but it’s really, really unusual. Particularly if you keep to non-confrontational ways of doing it, both in what you say and your tone of voice. Emails have tone of voice as well.” It’s fair to say it’s very unlikely you asking for more will get the same reply Oliver Twist did in Charles Dickens’ famous novel. There may be a silver lining even if you don’t get it Even if your boss says no, asking for more can have positive consequences. If they say they’ll chat about it again after a specified period of time, make a note of when and remember to ask once more then. Putting the question to them and making them think about what your work is worth could lead them to value it more. They may also see qualities in you that they want their employees to have. “Your employer is likely to see you as a person with a degree of confidence and self-esteem, and think that, when representing them, you’re likely to be better at striking good deals with other people the company does business with”, Sutcliffe adds. There are some questions you never particularly want to ask, but building up the confidence to do so can be important, even if you don’t get the answer you were looking for first time round. Feature image via  Pexels Download the Debut app and  get Talent-Spotted by amazing graduate employers! 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Possible signs it might turn out to be a bad job - Sterling Career Concepts

Possible signs it might turn out to be a bad job Possible signs it might turn out to be a bad job Whether you’ve been job searching for two weeks or six months â€" or perhaps you’re employed and have been approached by another company to interview for a potential opportunity â€" it’s important to do your own due diligence and decide whether or not the opportunity is a good one for you. While it may be tempting to happily accept any offer of employment after an extended job search, you owe it to yourself to pay attention to possible signs that it might turn out to be a bad job. • During the interview process, try to get a sense of employee morale. Ask your interviewer how long he/she has been with the company and what he/she likes about working there. Inquire as to why the position is open. Delicately ask questions to gauge whether there is a high level of turnover for this role or in this group. • Research the company online, but take it with a grain of salt as disgruntled employees often voice their comments the loudest. • It may be set up to be a frustrating no-win situation if it sounds like the role has an irrational amount of responsibilities, tight deadlines, or little to no staff. If the work dynamic raises red flags in your mind before you’ve even started in the position, pay attention to those warning signs. Ask the hard questions. As badly as you want to accept a new position, it’s better to find out now rather than two months into it and be forced to return looking for another position.

Writing a Custom Writing Resume

Writing a Custom Writing ResumeThere are many reasons why a person would want to write a custom writing resume. It's important that you have it all written out beforehand so that you know how to structure the information. Some people like to hire a professional, but others don't have the time to wait. If you feel you have done enough research and know what you're doing when it comes to writing resumes, then the process may be for you.The first thing you will need to do is choose a topic. This is important so that you know where to begin. This can also help you when it comes to editing the resume. It's okay to write a bit more than one or two pages, but only if you are confident in what you have written.After deciding on the topic, you will want to research your writing style. You can choose to have your resume scanned by a professional, but it may be more efficient to be in touch with a professional who can look over your resume. You can find out more about this form of professional assistance by looking at companies that do this type of work.It's a good idea to write in English, but don't worry about being perfect all the time. As long as the information is correct, you shouldn't need to edit your resume at all. A fresh, professional mind can look over your resume and see exactly what you should be putting on it.If you're going to include pictures in your resume, make sure you have a good idea of what you're doing. A lot of employers get this wrong. When choosing a picture, try to get one that tell a good story about you, rather than a boring black and white image.It's also a good idea to design the cover of your custom writing resume by hand making the header and the body of the document. Once you have finished all of this, you can move onto the actual writing part. You will have a lot of control over how your custom writing resume looks, and this means that you will have to edit the resume a lot less often.When you have all of your information completed, you will need to contact your employer or recruiter to make arrangements for the job. This can be done by phone, email, or in person. Remember to allow enough time for them to check out your resume and make any changes that may be necessary.Once you're all set to get started, you need to have all of the right questions ready to ask them. These may include things like what they expect you to do with the custom writing resume. You can tell them if you have any specific skills or talents that can use in the position.