Overcoming Work Experience Gap In Your CV

Whether you are new to the workforce or changing careers, you can have a tough road ahead of you when it comes to interviews. Well, that’s if you can even get an interview. Here are six steps that will help your interviewer look past your inexperience.

1: No Qualifications = No Interview
Hiring managers get hundreds of applications passing by their desk each year. For instance, my process coordinator position was open for three weeks and received 79 applications. 47% of those
applications never reach me.

Depending on the position, almost half of the applicants can be weeded out because they do not meet the minimum qualifications in the job description. No amount of name dropping, fancy fonts, and big words will get you the job if you are disqualified from the start. When the job description lists basic qualifications, meet them

You know how awesome it is to be called for your first interview, right?- You’re all smiles, texting and emailing your friends, updating your Facebook status… and then panic hits. What the heck are you going to do in your interview?

2: Know Why You’re There
In interviews you will be asked why you want this position. Know why. “Because I need the money”, “Because you’re the first person to call”, “Because my mom wants me to move out of the basement” are all horrible reasons.

You will be asked why you want to work for ABC Corp. Know why. I understand that you may not care at this point where you work, you just need a job. Most interviewers know that too. . . .

But that’s definitely not what we want to hear. In fact, giving a few reasons why you are attracted to ABC Corp allows us to “see” you as part of the family. It also shows that you did a little research and came prepared. If this is going to be your first job ever, why do you want to start your career here? If you are changing careers, why are you doing so and why have you chosen to start your new life here?

3: You’re Qualified. Period.
There’s nothing wrong with touching on “I’ll need to learn that” once in awhile. In fact, if you don’t have years of relevant experience, you’ll have to. Just don’t turn that into a theme or a crutch. Don’t wallow in your inexperience - Focus on what you can do, not what you haven’t done yet. If you remind me too often that you aren’t fully qualified or leave doubt that you’re the best candidate, that’s what I’ll think.

4 If You Don’t Know, You Had Better Learn
The interviewer knows you do not have as much experience as most of the other candidates. You know that too. The fact is that your learning curve may look more like a mountain peak than a gentle slope. Show how you’ll race up that mountain- Demonstrate a willingness to learn. Prepare a tentative action plan for the training you would pursue in your first 90 days. If you know you do not have some of the “preferred” qualifications, prepare a list of vendors that supply the training, the cost, and note that you are willing to pay for the training yourself and do it off work time (if you are actually willing to do so).

When I see that, I take you seriously- You know your weaknesses, and you have a plan to overcome them. Being “green” or a “newbie” isn’t going to be an excuse for you. It will be a call to action. It’s exciting to see that you have thought so seriously about your future.

5 Live in the Present, Not the Past
The interviewer wants to hear what you can do for him NOW. Don’t wait for the interviewer to connect the dots. Draw the line for him. Most of the time we won’t know exactly what we’ll be doing, but we can make a good guess. When you give examples and tell stories, relate them to what the interviewer needs. I don’t care if you won an award for creative writing if I need a bookkeeper. But I might care if you tell me how you organized your writing, balanced priorities, made a proofreading checklist, and set a deadline for your submission. Those things can all be related back to the duties of a bookkeeper. It’s even better if you tell me how you can apply the same system to this job. Then I’ll take you even more seriously.

6 Provide a Second Opinion
Unless your resume is stellar and I’m genuinely excited to interview you, I’m likely to be skeptical that you are the one. I’m going to be looking for reasons to disqualify you. You are especially at a disadvantage if you do not have experience in the field and other candidates do. Hiring you seems riskier because I have no idea how you work, how you learn, and how you interact with others.
 
A great way to make me think that you aren’t such a “risk” is to give me proof. Supply recommendation letters that can attest to your ability to learn quickly, act independently, and produce great work. Ideally your references will be senior managers (to give them more credibility) who have experience or knowledge of the industry (more credibility) and know you in a professional capacity (more credibility). If they know you in an academic capacity, I will want specific, relevant traits and experiences, not just “John was an excellent student.”

Four Entrepreneural Tips for Fresh Graduates

With the fast pace and constantly changing job market, many fresh graduates find it hard to penetrate into meaningful employment. But even for graduates who have got jobs, half of them have a job that is not even remotely related to their academic specialization.

As such, the unemployment rates are still pretty high, and job prospects are slim for recent grads who tend to have little to no experience. More so, the professional reputation of recent graduates is lacking as most employers dislike working with unqualified graduates.

However, the good news is that with the digital era, there are a number of opportunities that has
come with it. It is actually the perfect time for starting a business, becoming an entrepreneur or succeeding as a freelancer. You can always exploit the various online tools in doing business.

Here are 4 tips for anyone who had had their resume snubbed and is ready to become an outstanding online entrepreneur.

1. Just Do It (All Day, Every Day)
A recent grad, stuck in a dead end job, with no free time isn’t going to do very well as an entrepreneur – the competition will quickly outshine them as speed and efficiency are everything in this field. A great writer isn’t that impressive if it takes them two weeks to turn an article around.

Instead, put absolutely everything into freelancing or contracting to at least get on the right path. There will be gigs and clients that don’t pay well, but at least there’s an end in sight. Start freelancing full-time, and expect to spend at least 50 hours per week (if not more) working, outreaching to clients or searching for new projects.

Finally, do your best to exceed the expectations of your contract. Always over-perform, deliver your products early, and always send very professional emails. It will only take doing this a few times to earn the trust of those you contract for and they will reward you with steady work.

2. Build a Brand
 

Visibility is very important for a business, so every entrepreneur should be Google-able. Whether freelancing or starting a business, it’s important to have a good online presence. Building a powerful online presence requires a professional social media page, blog or entries in high quality, local business directories. Remember that many people do an online check to determine how serious your business is; therefore create a powerful online brand. You also should know the ins and outs of Google Analytics to keep track of their online presence don’t necessarily make yourself up a catchphrase, but don’t rule it out either.

3. Track Income Daily
As an entrepreneur you need to set a feasible goal every year for your income, as well as the bare minimum they need to survive. Work out the exact figures of the money you make and what you spend plus how you save. Though some days you might make more when business is good, others you will make less but it is important to keep an eye on this.

4. Carefully Consider Freelance vs. Business
Many freelancers get bullied into starting a business from well-meaning family and friends. Understand that there are pros and cons to each, and there’s no good reason to start a business for certain, select freelancers. Talk with a pro or a mentor to find the truly best route for each entrepreneur (not just what sounds the most professional). Importantly you need to consider the amount of taxes you pay in your business.  

For entrepreneurs that can’t find a good job post-graduation, or those who don’t want to work for someone else, now’s the best time to get on the track of entrepreneurship. Get started as early as possible to make the most of it. 

Alternatives Income Producing Strategies

As more and more investors are nearing retirement, bearish or bullish might matter no more. These investors are more interested in innovative, well balanced income strategies that try to not leave them overexposed to market fluctuations or downturns. They want to find alternative opportunities that provide a certain level of confidence and help alleviate their fears about outliving their available income.

The traditional solution to the retirement income dilemma has been to move portfolio assets from equities into a combination of bonds, annuities and/or dividend paying stocks. Increasingly, however, many investors question whether traditional strategies will be able to provide adequate income through their retirement years. At the same time, however, few of them are willing to expose their portfolios to riskier equity investments that might provide the returns necessary to satisfy their income needs.

In recent years, many investors have turned to ETFs to develop new income producing investment strategies. However, the number of income producing ETFs is limited and it is too early to determine how well ETFs correlate with other income alternatives. Also, in light of current economic events, some investors are wary of making long term commitments to investments that have not proven their ability to deliver the anticipated returns.

A Closer Look at Traditional Income Strategies

Interest rates are at historic lows. In addition, inflation and taxes can further reduce already negligible income payments. As a result, government bonds and other "safe" investments could deliver negative returns, possibly for years to come. Allocating a percentage of assets to stocks can help hedge against inflation but can wreak havoc on a portfolio that is taking regular distributions. The chart below shows the impact of a 30% decline in the value of a portfolio.

                            Accumulation Phase       Distribution Phase

Portfolio Decline                    30%                 30%

Income Distribution                   0%                  5%

Return Needed to Break Even          43%                 54%

Given historical market returns, it could take a considerable amount of time to break even-time that is often not available. In the scenario above, a portfolio in the distribution phase may be exhausted in a short time.

Seeking Consistent Income Payments in Today's Environment

More and more investors are searching for investment strategies that will simultaneously help them protect their capital and generate sufficient income throughout their retirement years. In the process, they are realizing some possible investment realities. For example:

• Passive investing may not be compatible with today's fast-paced, constantly fluctuating political and economic climate. These volatile times may require a flexible and proactive approach to retirement funds management.
• While diversification is key to capital preservation and income generation, true diversification involves more than changing a portfolio's stock and bond allocation percentages.
• Liquidity is important. Being able to have access to assets in emergencies and passing them on to heirs intact are also important considerations.
• Investment success goes beyond yield. What today's investors need are investment options that combine practical, long term risk management strategies with opportunities for asset growth and enhanced returns.

The reality is that no single approach can move both with and against market currents. The use of investment strategies that utilize a combination of approaches may offer a higher probability of long term investment success. These sophisticated strategies seek to:

• produce a higher return than prevailing interest rates,
• provide the potential for capital appreciation,
• achieve a degree of stability - low volatility,
• preserve capital by managing risk, and
• provide easy access to capital.

While the development, implementation and maintenance of these complex solutions require sophisticated modeling and constant monitoring of market conditions, they may provide an ideal solution for retirement distributions in today's economic times.

Top 9 Worst Jobs In Information Technology

Not every job in technology involves sitting in a comfy chair, analyzing data. Best Computer Science Schools has taken a look at some of the worst jobs in information technology and what makes them so dangerous, dirty or just plain disturbing.
 
1.Electronics assembly
With devices like cell phones and tablets becoming increasingly central to everyday life, those who assemble such devices are under growing strain to meet deadlines and deliver high-quality products.
The stress recently led several employees of an Apple assembly factory in China to commit suicide. In addition, accusations have been leveled against other companies like Dell, HP and Samsung, claiming sweatshop conditions and exposure to radiation.

2.Undersea Internet cable repair
Think you are able to connect to another continent thanks to satellites? Think again. Massive undersea cables provide about 99 percent of the world's Internet connectivity. Workers have to lay those cables and then return to repair them in the event of a line break, which can be caused by everything from a ship's anchor to an undersea earthquake. Robots controlled by humans physically lay and bury the cables, but humans must haul in, fix and drop the tables. And since they're in the middle of the ocean, nature could intervene at any time.

3. Climbing towers

Tower Climber.

Cell phone-tower climbing has been called the most dangerous work in the country. These towers can reach heights of 2,000 feet, exposing workers to the very real risk of a deadly fall. And with the increasing reliance on cellular networks, more and more towers go up every year, with more workers exposed to those dangers all the time.

4. Network engineer
Engineers who troubleshoot networks often have to crawl through basements and attics, pulling equipment and repairing it. That's already a pretty gross job. Imagine doing all that in a war zone. Military network engineers are tasked with doing that very unglamorous job in dangerous areas, including in active conflict zones.

5. Recycling e-waste
Spent electronics aren't simply tossed into landfills and left to nature. Workers smash used hardware so they can strip the valuable metals (gold, copper and silver included) from circuit boards. In addition to flying shards of glass, they often come into contact with dangerous minerals and chemicals, such as lead, mercury and brominated flame retardants, as well as acid to help reveal the valuable metals.

6. Sanitation
Like the developing world workers who reclaim precious metals from discarded computers, asset disposition firms analyze old computers from major companies, clean them up and decide if they must be trashed or if they can be refurbished. Many of the computers have been unused for years, so inside workers can encounter spiders, insects, dust, even animal carcasses.

7. Content reviewer
You know the bad stuff on the Internet? No, the really bad stuff - images of hate crimes, child abuse, torture, executions? Internet content reviewers get paid to filter out such material from social networks and photo-sharing sites. Some companies that employ content moderators also pay for free counseling for their employees.

8. System Administration
While system administrators often work from behind a desk or in an office, they're also very frequently tasked with jobs far outside the scope of office work. System administrators often receive panicked phone calls or emails late at night (or very early in the morning), and they often deal with users who complicate their jobs by not being entirely truthful about their activities. And especially at smaller companies, system administrators are the ones who clean and maintain equipment and must MacGyver problems by engineering solutions on the fly.

9. Building infrastructure
Those who build communications infrastructure are at risk of falls and injuries. Those who work in war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan? Add the very real risk of being shot or caught up in a bomb blast. At least five telecommunications contractors have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, though numbers are unclear, since most work for private

[Courtesy Of Pcw]

Dr. Chris Hart's Secrets Of Effective Job Search & Networking

The job market today is competitive - very competitive, as a single job adverts will get about 500 applicants. The employer is looking for the best value when hiring. Only the ideal candidates who will solve their problems, make them money, and be a valuable asset to their team gets the job. 

Therefore, every time you apply for a job you have the chance to be a standout, a star, or at least a unique individual with a string of talents that may be a great match for the employer’s needs. In a Career Seminar organised by Corporate Staffing Services on Saturday 4th May 2013, Dr Chris 
Hart talked about the Job Search Process and networking effectively during the  search.
 
Getting a job is a process and according to Chris Hart, ‘you need to plan your job search 3 years ahead as a fresh graduate.’ Being involved in as many organisations as possible helps you gain experience which will be a great asset to your job search once you are through with campus. You can either volunteer or get an internship to various organisations.

Dr. Chris Hart Addressing the audience at a Career Seminar

Job Search requires you start early enough and be patient as the success rate according to Chris is 1%. Therefore, job seekers should at least apply for jobs in 100 organisations every year.

“The easiest way to get a job is through connections or networking that accounts for 99% of successful jobs search.” Chris adds. Therefore, you must know people in the company you are applying for a job. We all laugh when Chris adds that; “you must know the company in and out including who is sleeping with the boss. Then get a connection to the employees till you can freely ask ‘if it’s true that the boss sleeps with so and so.”

Chris echoes something that is not new to us, “that before a job is advertised it has already being assigned to someone.” The Human Resource manger will first utilize her networks and those of other employees in the company to recommend someone for a vacant position in a company. This is normal because you tend to believe someone who you know or a friend knows, rather than bringing in a total stranger. 

Once in the job market, you must prepare for the next level in your career. Your current job should prepare you for the next job. Chris says that, “a job is not for life but for 2 years and anybody working for an organisation for more than 5 years is a waste.” Therefore as a job seeker, you should never work for a company for too long. He however is quick to add that you should never quit a job before getting another one.
 
While working you need to be active in your search. Do not apply to one company then wait. Instead, simplify your work so that you get time to network. For example try to get people to work for you by sharing some of your work. Try to form relationships with your networks. Have a connection with them and let them learn to trust you since they can only refer you if they trust you.

“Job seekers must hone their ability to spot opportunities and turn them real.” Chris affirms this when he says that, “there is a big difference between the way people spot opportunities and the way they respond to them.” Just like in business, always learn to change an idea to reality.  He explains this using an example of having a solution for a problem for ABC Company, plan to meet people who work there, learn about than and let them know your interest in working for them as well as how you can help them. Show them your value addition to the company. 

“We must develop social skills for social conversations” adds Chris. Effective networking is a skill that every job seeker should strive to acquire especially the "use of interrogative in person comment." For example, you can start a conversation by telling someone, "You are very smart," with a smile on your face. While networking, you need to be noticed and memorable. How many times have you attended a function or even a meeting and talked in a memorable way where everyone remembers your contribution.  


We all burst into laughter when Chris demonstrates how you should approach a CEO you have never talked to before in an event. " You need to wait for the cocktail and as you enjoy your drinks keep eying him probably from a next table as you sip your wine. When his glass is over, quickly go and greet him by name as you pick his glass asking him if he would like more wine. Say Mr Wonderful can I serve you more wine?" This will make him want to know you more as his mind wonder "who is this who wants to serve me?" There you got it, a beginning of your coversation.

WHAT PORTION OF YOUR INCOME SHOULD BE SET ASIDE FOR RENT?

Shelter comes 3rd among the basic human needs. Whether you are in the village or town, poor or rich; shelter is one thing you have to factor into your budget.
For those living in the villages, probably on their ancestral land, rent may not be a headache. For urban dwellers, if you made it to the list of the lucky few who have bought their own residence you have your gods to thank. However, for those of us who have to put up with the visit from the landlord every month, rent tops your monthly to do list.
Studies have shown that urban dwellers spend an average 36 pc of their gross income on rent every month. This is just the average, meaning others may spend even more than half  their income on rent.

So, what percentage of your income should you spend on rent?
There are three methods of determining how much you should put aside for rent  or, realistically speaking, which estate or ghetto side you should live in.
1. The first  method is to base your percentage on the national figures from the consumer federation. A research has shown that the world over, people spend between 25 and 40 pc of their gross monthly income on rent. With this percentage you can decide on which bracket you want to belong. Spending 30 pc of your gross income on rent will be considered average.
3. The second method is to do your own survey by asking how much your collegues on the same salary bracket are spending on rent. This will ensure that you live within your class. However, such data may be sometimes misleading given that it may not be realistically possible to determine the gross income of your collegues. You may not know what their other sources of income are or what their expenditure looks like. Which brings me to method number 3.
3. The third method is to determine your rent as the difference between your gross income and your total expenditure. This method requires that you list down all your monthly income, and your monthly expenditure on food, school fees, clothes, tax, saving and other must pay bills.
Simply put, you are suppose to make a budget of all the necessary expenses you must fulfill, subtract the sum from your gross income and then, from the remainder, decide on how much you can set aside for rent.
When making such a budget, it is mandatory that you include your saving for retirement within your budget or else you will be living a lie.
The worst thing is to live beyond your means, so make sure you factor in all the expenditure including: transport, food, loan repayment, school fees, house bills, savings, clothing etc. You need to have your priority right, so that incase your expenses outweigh your income you will know where to make the cut.
When all this is done, you may find that you still got alot of cash lying idle in your account. You definitely don't want to spend the whole of this cash on a lavish town house. Instead, you can increase the amount you save for your retirement and invest the rest.
Always make sure that you are living within your means. So when your income is low you may want to reside in a small house in a not so prestigious neighborhood and when you get that pay rise move to a bigger house later.
Rent is a recurring expense, so whatever the method you use to determine what you pay for rent, make sure your rent is affordable. Infact, if you can raise some cash for deposit, i would advice you to take a mortgage and think of owning your own house. It is true that rent paid for whatever apartment for 10 years, is enough to fully pay its mortgage plus the interest.