From Marketing to Own Business

From Marketing to Own Business Success Story > From: Job To: Solopreneur From Marketing to Own Business “When I realised that I was no longer springing out of bed in the morning, eager to start the day, I knew that I had to do something about it.” * From Marketing to Own Business What do you do when you fall out of love with your job and find nothing that feels even vaguely interesting in the job ads? You could do what Steff Booth did, which was to reinvent herself and launch a business where she does the things she enjoys. Here's her story. What work were you doing previously? I was Marketing and Events Manager for a global business with offices in 15 countries. I was responsible for marketing the services of one division in the UK. My role was extremely varied over the ten years I worked there, encompassing all types of marketing, events and communication activities; it was a job that I'd loved. What are you doing now? I'm now self-employed with my own business called Girl Friday. I offer a wide range of services, including event management, administration, household services, gift services â€" basically taking care of projects and chores that my clients don't have the time (or the inclination) to do themselves. In a nutshell, I'm an extra pair of hands to call upon when your to-do list gets too big. Why did you change? The business started to change, as did my role. When I realised that I was no longer springing out of bed in the morning, eager to start the day, I knew that I had to do something about it. After doing the usual things like trawling job ads and getting nowhere, it dawned on me that the reason I wasn't finding my perfect job was that I wasn't actually sure about what job I wanted to find. I'd had a varied career over the years but I couldn't put my finger on what job I wanted to pursue next. I had thought about starting completely afresh, but the fear of having to start from the bottom in a new field soon got rid of that thought! When was the moment you decided to make the change? After reading a book that was recommended by Careershifters: Screw Work, Let's Play, by John Williams. The idea that you can make a career out of doing the things that you enjoy doing may seem a little 'dreamy' at first, but by the time I'd finished the book, I was starting to believe that it might just be possible. All I had to do was work out what it was that I really enjoyed! Luckily, I didn't want to make a career out of eating cake, being the next invisible woman or staying in bed all day. As it happens, I'd enjoyed most of the things I'd gained experience in over the years and I wanted to use them all to give me variety though the working week. I also get a lot of satisfaction from helping other people; what could be better than utilising the skills and experience I already had and enjoyed using, in order to make life a little easier for others? Are you happy with the change? I'm very happy that I made the change. Girl Friday is still in its early stages but I'm back to jumping out of bed in the mornings, looking forward to the day ahead. What do you miss and what don't you miss? It may be a cliché, but I do miss the people I worked with (well, some of them!). I enjoy working from home on my own but I also miss having someone to throw ideas around with. I don't miss sitting in traffic on the way home and I certainly don't miss the office politics, or the unnecessary egos. How did you go about making the shift? I attended a Careershifters evening workshop. I knew I would be completely out of my comfort zone. Although I didn't have a 'Eureka!' moment, I did meet lots of like-minded people who were all going through the same thing. I left the workshop knowing that I had to make the change if I wanted to get back to being happy again. I handed my notice in later that week. What didn't go well? What 'wrong turns' did you take? I'd thought that I'd be able to set the business up fairly quickly, but unfortunately not all the suppliers I'd chosen were working to the same deadlines that I was! My eagerness and enthusiasm were not enough to get the ball rolling any quicker. How did you handle your finances to make your change possible? I'm lucky to have a fairly healthy savings pot and a very supportive partner. However, my love of new shoes has been kicked into touch. What was the most difficult thing about changing? Making the decision to change, and resigning from a role that I'd once loved. What help did you get? My partner has been my rock; he's supported me to make the change and get back to being happy. My family and friends have also been extremely supportive. I've had some amazing help from a few people that I shared my idea with from the start. What have you learnt in the process? Large businesses have big budgets, but lots of red tape; small businesses have to watch every penny but have the ability to make swift decisions. Both want good service but don't always get it. This makes me more determined than ever to ensure that I give every client the highest level of service at all times. What do you wish you'd done differently? I wish I'd worked with suppliers that had been recommended by someone I know. What resources would you recommend to others? Talk to other people, share experiences, don't limit your options â€" anything is possible. Reading about other people who have successfully made a change is a great motivator! Steff attended one of our 'How to find the work you love' evening workshops in London. To find out more, visit www.careershifters.org/london-workshop. To find out more about Steff's services, visit www.girlfridayharrow.co.uk What lessons could you take from Steff's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

Reasons of Writing an Objective in a Resume

Reasons of Writing an Objective in a ResumeThe reason of writing an objective in a resume is to give the reader a detailed insight into your previous job experiences. An objective always has a specific purpose. It is written by listing what you have done or what you are doing now. It states your skills and abilities.A resume needs to be relevant to the position for which it is used. It is relevant if the job is related to the position in which the person applying for the job is currently employed. The objective is a summary of the skills and qualifications a person has and how they have been used in the past. It describes the quality of that individual. Hence, it is important to state why you want the job as opposed to stating your reasons.Writing an objective is a serious matter. The reason of writing an objective in a resume should not just be a way to describe what you do or what you want to do but also about the reasons why you are the best candidate for the position. Employers w ill pay more attention to an objective which is done professionally and makes a clear statement about the skills and abilities.The reason of writing an objective in a resume can be used as a starting point for asking the employer's attention to certain sections of your resume. It is a good way to take control of your resume and transform it into a successful resume format. It is also the first thing that the employer sees.There are a number of aspects to writing an objective in a resume. Firstly, the objective should be in writing. It is best to use a professional resume writer to write the objective. They will be able to understand what is required in writing an objective in a resume and also take care of the grammatical errors in the English language.After writing the objective, the resume should contain other details. The details include what work experience is covered by the position, how many positions were held and what the responsibilities were of the employees. The date of t he last job and what position were filled, are also included.The reason of writing an objective in a resume needs to be concise and precise. The employer should be able to skim through the resume and get an idea of the applicant's current skills and abilities. Therefore, you need to keep your resume brief and informative. Some employers prefer to see a list of the previous jobs they have hired, where the reason of writing an objective in a resume is outlined.In summary, it is important to make sure that the resume is properly written to meet the needs of the employer. If the resume is not well written, the employer will leave the resume without reading it and will not even bother to look at it further. A poorly written resume will not get you a call back and the reasons of writing an objective in a resume are not relevant.

Spice Up Your Job. Pick Up a Book!

Spice Up Your Job. Pick Up a Book! Please dont tell me dont tell me you have been sucked into robot mode at your job.   No excitement, only routine, and you show up everyday just to pay the bills.   Nooooo!   You are better than that!   You were hired because of your special talent that sometimes needs an upgrade, refresh, or just a little lift! For an EASY way to spice up your job and bust out of robot mode, simply pick up/download a new book!   (Im not talking about Hunger Games or The Girl with the  Unicorn Earring- we are talking business section!)    You dont have to read the whole thing, I promise.   A couple of minutes and a few pages are all you need to add variety and stop going through the motions. Here are a few of my fave picks: 1. Never Eat Alone Keith Ferrazzi I remember reading only a couple of pages each morning before heading out.   This book transformed the way I build relationships with peers and clients.   Pick it up ASAP! 2. The 4-Hour WorkWeek Tim Ferriss This brilliant young dude has cracked the happiness code by providing tips and tricks to become more effiicient at your job, do what you love, and spend more time enjoying life. 3. The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World Harvey Mackay Harvey will make you stop and re-read one sentence over and over by stating the obvious we NEED to hear.   How to find the right mentor, when to stop, when to keep pushing- afterall, we are all in sales. Lets get serious when was the last time you stopped in front of the Business Section at Barnes and Noble?   Pick up one of these, read the pages that interest you, and apply to YOUR job.   Afterall, you cant expect to get ahead by doing the same thing everday.

5 Steps for Building a Website Portfolio

5 Steps for Building a Website Portfolio Though crafting the perfect CV and resume is an important component when landing job  interviews, an online portfolio is an excellent way to enhance your skill-set. A resume tells a  potential employer about what you’ve done, but a portfolio website shows a potential employer  what you can do, which is an enticing element to bring to the table. In the past, a web portfolio was usually used only for certain industries, such as web design or a  field related to the arts. However, now you can easily see the benefits of having an online  portfolio when looking for a job, including: Professionalism Higher visibility Display of actual examples Easy sharing And thanks to today’s technology, creating a customized portfolio isn’t difficult. You just need  the right steps. 1) Choose a Website Builder Before you do anything, make sure you have a great website builder that’s easy to use and will  function the best possible for displaying your work. Here are several popular platforms you could try: WordPress Weebly MoonFruit Wix DoYouBuzz IMCreator Brand-Yourself Folio24 Webs About.me Flavors.me The basic makeup of each of these web tools is essentially the same, but there are a few  differences worth considering. To begin with, decide if you should purchase the domain for your  portfolio. If you’re a freelancer who is always collecting odd jobs, it’s worth it to have your own  domain so that people can contact you often. If you’re looking for a long-term, in-house position, paying for a domain would probably be a  waste of money, since you hopefully won’t need to use the portfolio for several years. Next, assess the navigation capabilities. Navigation is one of the most important parts of a  website, and if the navigation doesn’t help you meet your goal or is confusing, your online  portfolio won’t impress one bit. 2. Design a Logo and Draft a Tagline Now, it’s time to define your brand. If you want to stand out against the other applicants who  have similar or better qualifications, you need something that the employer will remember, and a  great logo and tagline is just the thing. Generally, for job applicant purposes, your logo should be some design of your name, so that the  employer has a visual picture in mind when it’s time to flip through the stack of applications. Also, be sure your logo links back to your homepage for the sake of convenience, and that it’s  placed in the top left corner of every page, so that it’s the first thing the reader sees upon entering  your website. A tagline is also a great way to snag attention. In essence, a tagline is a brief, catchy summary of  what you do. For some great examples of effective taglines, use this article as a reference. 3. Fill in Information Tabs When you’re absolutely certain that your logo and tagline will make you stand out in a good  way, move on to filling out the information tabs of your website. The subject of each  navigational tab is primarily up to you, but employers have come to expect the following pages: About Me: This is where you let the employer know who you really are. It’s not about  simply describing your background. It’s about showing your personality through  specifics, including what makes you interested in what you do, any awards and  recognition you’ve received, and a quick glimpse of your personality through writing  tone. Don’t forget to add a picture of yourself so the employer has a face to put to the  name. Portfolio/Examples: What’s an online portfolio without a section for examples of your  best work? Comb carefully through your samples and pick out a selection of the highest  quality pieces to upload to this tab. Remember that images should be high quality, and  you should always check to make sure all links work properly. Include a brief description  with every piece you display and organize them into easy-access folders. In addition, if  you have previous client testimonials, this is a great place to include them. Services/Specialties: Though you may have experience in every aspect of the field,  everyone has specific services or specialties worth mentioning. Using specifics, showcase  those particular talents in this section. Don’t sell yourself short on any of your talents, but  avoid coming off arrogant. Contact: Make sure employers know how to get ahold of you when they’re so impressed  with your portfolio that they want to offer you a job. This is the most important section of  your portfolio, so make sure it’s visible with its own tab. 4. Use a Call to Action When a potential employer has looked through your portfolio, remind them why they are there  with a direct call to action, or phrase that tells them what to do next. On each page, place a  strategic call to action that will direct a viewer to contact you. For example, consider this video editor who uses this call to action at the bottom of her pages: “I  love to edit video. That’s right! I love to put together totally awesome videos. I’m technically  proficient, easy to work with and I don’t stop till it’s perfect. So what are you waiting for?” It  then links to her contact page, which is an enticing way to remind potential employers that she’s  worth hiring. 5. Link to Social Media Finally, make sure your employer can see who you are through your social media presence with  links to various platforms. Be sure that the interactions on your pages are professional and show  who you are. Employers like to see what you’re like outside of the interview, and online  portfolios make it easy to link to social media. Author:  Larry Alton is an independent business consultant specializing in social media trends, business, and entrepreneurship. Follow him on Twitter  and LinkedIn. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

What is a Resume Maker?

What is a Resume Maker?A resume maker should be able to format a resume very easily and quickly. The person who is going to create the resume will probably be more experienced than you are. Make sure that you hire a resume maker who is qualified to create resumes.If you are not comfortable with designing resumes yourself, then you should look for a resume maker. You may have seen these people on TV or in an interview when the hiring manager was talking to the applicant. You know what I mean; they stand there for five minutes, posing for pictures and saying 'look at me, look at me'.The nice thing about hiring a resume maker is that you do not have to pay someone to do this job for you. You can find a resume maker by doing a simple search online. You can also use the Yellow Pages to do a search.The first thing you should do is decide whether or not you want to hire a company to do the work for you or a great way to do it yourself is to write your own resume. Do not allow the resume mak er to make you believe that they know what you need to have in your resume. If you are the type of person who takes too long to get things done then you are likely to get a resume maker who is just going to throw out a bunch of junk.Now, let's discuss what a resume maker does. They are people who have written several resumes for people in the past. If you have already got a job and they want you to rewrite your resume, they will be glad to help you.The next thing you should do is ensure that you have formatted the resume correctly. The format of a resume should match the content in the resume. Formatting a resume means that you want to arrange it in a way that it can easily be read and seen.You should also think about the type of information that you are including in your resume. If you do not know what you should be putting in your resume, then you should consult a resume maker.There are a lot of reasons why you should look into hiring a resume maker. Having a good resume can help you land a better job.

127 VALUES DRIVE OUR CAREER DECISIONS - Jane Jackson Career

127 VALUES DRIVE OUR CAREER DECISIONS - Jane Jackson Career Lets have a chat about Career Values in this podcast episode where youll also have a chance to listen to my interview on Hope Radio 103.2FM with Laura Bennett and Duncan Robinson. We discuss why values are so important to us. I’m always talking about the importance of values, as I honestly believe that you can’t make good career decisions without understanding what makes you tick.My clients going through career change so often express frustration or dissatisfaction with their previous employers for a multitude of reasons and when we distil all the frustrations it’s often due to a mismatch of values and some of their top values just weren’t met.Our values represent our deepest beliefs and guide us through our everyday life. Our values shape our opinions and our dreams. Our values are deeply embedded in our minds and spirits.If you know which values are the most important to use, we can find a way to increase our life and career satisfaction. And, if we don’t know which ones are important to us, we’ll suffer a lot of physical, mental and emotional stress.Take a listen to this 3-minute interview on Hope Radio embedded in this episode and then we’ll talk about some research by the well-known American researcher, John Di Martini who is a best-selling author and international speaker in human behaviorLet’s now consider some research in the importance of values by John Di Martini.Everyone has a set of values, things that are most important to them, and we are able to discern what those values might be by the way they behave at work and at play.John Di Martini has said that Values are like fingerprints: no two people have the same set of values and no ones values are right or wrong.When it comes to career management, you need to understand your true values AND you need to understand the values of the organisation, the department, and the manager, where you are interviewing before deciding whether or not you will take the job. If there is a misalignment of values then there is the danger that over time you will find that you will not be satisfied in that environment.Di Martini conducted over 42 years of research into human behaviour, and developed the Demartini Value Determination Process which is a series of 13 questions that reveals what you truly value.What do you fill your space with (home and office)?How do you spend your time?What energises you the most?What do you spend your money on?Where are you most organised?Where are you most disciplined and reliable?What do you think about or focus on most?What do you envision or dream about most?What do you internally dialogue about most?What do you externally dialogue about most?What are you inspired about most?What do you set goals towards most?What do you love to study or read about most?Give three answers for each, and you will see a pattern forming.Distil your answers to find out what came up most, second most, third most and so on until you have compiled a hierarchy of about thr ee to seven values.What we perceive to be missing from our lives gives rise to our values.Analyse what you value and you will see it is what you most perceive missing, or out of order, in your life.For example, if you perceive you are missing money, then building wealth will appear high up on your values.If you’re trying to decide what job best suits you, understanding what you value provides the clue to the type of work that will provide you an inspired and fulfilled life.In my book, Navigating Career Crossroads, there is an  in-depth assessment to identify your values and to rank them in order of importance. Then you can identify which values are currently being met in your personal life and in your professional life.You will also identify what’s missing. Once you know what’s missing, that’s when you can start to take action to fulfil you values that are crying out to be met.I’d love to be able to help you to find and follow your true passion and direction so feel free t o book in for a complimentary chat about your needs. Just go to janejacksoncoach.com and click on the ‘book an appointment’ link. Even though I’m based in Sydney, Australia, wherever you are in the world, Zoom meetings or Skype make it possible for us to work face to face!Until next time,Believe in yourself and create magic!Follow me on Twitter:  @janecareercoachIf you need help in your career, book in for an exploratory conversation and see how I can help you click here to find out more!

Think A Little White Lie Wont Matter Dont.

Think A Little White Lie Won’t Matter Don’t. Think A Little White Lie Won’t Matter? Don’t. Job Search / Resume Writing Many people embellish the truth a little on their resume. Most common is when candidates “clump” all of the jobs at a single company under their current and, probably, highest position. A reputable resume writer will warn his or her clients not to do this. However, it happens all the time. If you’re considering exaggerating on your resume. Don’t. Getting caught in a little white lie will likely put you out of the running. The majority of employers said that discovering a lie on a candidate’s resume might derail his or her chances of being hired according to survey conducted by CareerBuilder. In fact, most employers (51 percent) said that they would automatically drop a candidate if they caught a lie on his or her resume while a slightly lesser number (40 percent) said it would depend on what they lied about. A small number (7 percent) indicated that they would overlook a lie if they liked the candidate. “Trust is very important in professional relationships, and by lying on your resume, you breach that trust from the very outset,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. “If you want to enhance your resume, it’s better to focus on playing up tangible examples from your actual experience. Your resume doesn’t necessarily have to be the perfect fit for an organization, but it needs to be relevant and accurate.” The more competitive the job market, the more likely it is that candidates will lie on their resumes. In this 2014 CareerBuilder survey, the majority of respondents (57 percent) said that they had caught a candidate in a lie. Fully, one-third (33 percent) noted that they’ve seen an increased number of lies on resumes since the 2008 recession. The most common lies that employers find on resumes are: Embellished skill set â€" 57 percent Embellished responsibilities â€" 55 percent Dates of employment â€" 42 percent Job title â€" 34 percent Academic degree â€" 33 percent Companies worked for â€" 26 percent Accolades/awards â€" 18 percent While employers have find embellishments on resumes in all industries and at all employment levels, the industries where employers catch the most lies are: Financial Services â€" 73 percent Leisure and Hospitality â€" 71 percent Information Technology â€" 63 percent Health Care (More than 50 employees) â€" 63 percent Retail â€" 59 percent If you’ve been exaggerating on your resume, stop. Employers reported that they are spending more time reviewing resumes. Almost half (42 percent) of survey respondents said that they spend more than two minutes reading each resume. Most employers (86 percent) say they typically have more than one person review candidates’ resumes, with 65 percent saying resumes are reviewed by two or three people and 21 percent saying resumes are reviewed by four or more employees before a hiring decision is made. While most resume lies are things like exaggerating skills or job responsibilities, some statements on resumes are truly surprising. A few of the most unusual lies employers have caught on resumes are: Applicant included job experience that was actually his father’s. Both father and son had the same name (one was Sr., one was Jr.). Applicant claimed to be the assistant to the prime minister of a foreign country that doesn’t have a prime minister. Applicant claimed to have been a construction supervisor. The interviewer learned the bulk of his experience was in the completion of a doghouse some years prior. Applicant listed three jobs over the past several years. Upon contacting the employers, the interviewer learned that the applicant had worked at one for two days, another for one day, and not at all for the third. Applicant applied to a position with a company who had just terminated him. He listed the company under previous employment and indicated on his resume that he had quit. Applicant applied twice for the same position and provided different work history on each application. For more details visit  CareerBuilder.