by Aaliyah Fortuin | Mar 19, 2020 | General
When it comes to job hunting, it can trigger quite a lot of stress and nerves, especially if you don’t have much experience in them. While you may have the qualifications for the required position, if you don’t do well in the interview, the chances of being chosen will be slim.
When preparing for an interview, it is important that you sell yourself to the interviewer. However, before confidently making your case as to why you would be perfect for the job, your resume and cv are what’s going to be the pitch that lands you an interview.
A key step to a successful interview is to brand or rebrand yourself if need be, making yourself an ideal candidate for jobs of your interest. As a job seeker, your brand should represent you.
Branding or rebranding simply means deciding which career path you’re on and tailoring your skills, expertise, and credentials to match that brand. Your brand can showcase your capabilities and where you are heading to in terms of prospective employers.
When it comes to branding or rebranding yourself, think of the following. What professional path would you like to take and what will the brand represent? Once you have considered these factors, create a powerful branding statement. Your statement should highlight what you can bring to future employers, as well as concise, previous employment positions and your achievements.
Ensure that your brand statement is short and straight to the point that encompasses what makes you a strong candidate for the job. Once you’ve done this step, you can then move on to establishing or updating your social media presence.
Having a social media presence can work to your advantage. It makes it easier to market yourself in a way that will appeal to your targeted audience. The more effort you put into your social media presence, the more credible you’ll seem.
Another great way to brand yourself is by making use of a cover letter. Your cover letter should be able to tell the story of your career journey. When writing your cover letter, you should include your strongest accomplishments and skills that make you qualified for the job. It should be able to convince the employer that you’re well worth interviewing.
Lastly, it is important to note that rebranding your career is not just a one-time thing. As the economy and technology changes, so does the demand for skills. So, as you learn new skills and gain additional work experience, make sure that you update your job descriptions and brand itself.
By making these slow and steady changes, you will eventually be able to use your brand successfully to boost your career.
by Aaliyah Fortuin | Mar 13, 2020 | General
Working abroad can bring you the best of both worlds. It allows you to grow as an individual, while also letting you embark on what could be a once in a lifetime opportunity in a new place.
Many people dream of being granted such an opportunity but feel intimidated by the idea of possibly not finding the right job in the right place, but also taking a huge step in building a new life and career in a different country. Working abroad opens up the possibility of being able to develop personally and professionally however, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. There will be times where you will face a few challenges as you adapt to your new life and environment and when times get tough you might need some help.
Firstly, before making any decision, do your research the world is a big place and there are many locations and factors to consider. When deciding where you want to work make sure you consider the kind of experience you would like to have. Is there a specific country you always wanted to go to? What kind of lifestyle are you looking for and how comfortable would you be starting a new life in a different language? These are all questions you should ask yourself before making such a life-changing decision.
To best understand the market, make sure you look at the average salary, the cost of living as well as the culture. By doing your research, it allows you to find a healthy market within your respective industry, in the country of your choice.
Working abroad can be quite exciting and a dream to many, however, the actual process can turn into a nightmare if you are not prepared. Before even applying to international jobs, you first have to understand the process of employment visas. Make sure you get enough information on how to obtain a temporary work visa as well as the process of the work visa in a specific country.
Once making your move, the first and probably hardest truth about adapting to working abroad, is accepting that the responsibility for transitioning is in your hands. Things may not go according to plan but the best thing you can do is to maintain a positive outlook. Making a list of all the positive aspects such as your job, social life and journey can also help turn your positive thinking into positive action.
Celebrate the small victories you achieve, celebrating any victory helps avoid feeling overwhelmed. By redefining what an achievement and working abroad means to you, you will be able to celebrate these seemingly small (but kind of huge) accomplishments.
by Aaliyah Fortuin | Mar 5, 2020 | General
When it comes to choosing a career path, it can be quite a difficult decision to make. For most of us, it can be confusing and anxiety-riddled. Finding your perfect career won’t happen overnight and may take time to find the right path for you.
If you feel stuck on which industry is the right one for you or if you’re considering making a career change and not sure where to start, start with what you know best. In all honesty, no one knows you better than you know yourself. Make sure that you stay true to your values. Recommit to those values and principles, focus on what makes these values important to you.
When it comes to choosing a career path, most people want to choose a career that will make them happy. However, if passion and expected happiness aren’t your guides, what should you do then? This is why it is important to choose a career that fits well with your skills as well as your values and principles.
If you feel overwhelmed by choice and the need to make a decision, knowing how to get there can be quite tricky. To find out which career or industry suits you best, compile a list of where you would like to see yourself. Thereafter, carefully sort through your options to find out which one suits your values, skills, and goals.By making a list of your options, you can decide which ones are tangible job opportunities, educational or career paths. This will allow you to narrow down your options to see which is best for you.
Before looking at specific job titles, take into consideration your hobbies, interests, and skills and then work out how those translate. Take your previous experience into consideration to inform your future. This will help you understand which career you should pursue.
Whatever career path you choose make sure it’s something that interests you and is something you would like to do. If you still find yourself struggling to make a decision, there are also career advice sessions that are available at various universities, colleges and schools that will also provide you with some assistance when it comes to choosing a career path.
by Aaliyah Fortuin | Feb 28, 2020 | General
With the new decade in full swing and most people recovering from the holiday season, it’s
understandable if your body is still adapting to being at work. You might even find yourself
stumbling into work, feeling unmotivated and guess what, we’ve all been there before.
When people find themselves in these moments and this goes for people who love their jobs
as well, they often have trouble pushing themselves to work at their highest capabilities. Even
the most positive of us can hit a wall occasionally and find ourselves wondering off as soon
as the demotivation kicks in.
Starting something can be the hardest thing because any task requires more motivation than
continuing the task once you have momentum and focus. Truth is, it’s much easier to set goals
than to get them done.
However, if you do find yourself in a rut and struggling to keep your fire lit, here are a few
simple tips on how you can get back into the swing of things.
Plan out your entire day
Planning out your day can be quite helpful especially when you have a massive workload.
This will not only give you structure but it will also decrease feeling overwhelmed. Begin by
writing out a daily routine and structure and set aside specific hours of the day for specific
tasks.
By creating a guide and planning your day beforehand, will allow tasks to be more
manageable. You can do this by setting up a calendar as well as reminders on your phone.
Set goals and stick to them
Many people head straight to their desks and immediately start on the work or tasks that
they’ve been assigned, without knowing what the actual goals are. Therefore, without
identifying and setting a goal, it can often lead to spending more time on tasks that may not
be a priority. Instead, you should clarify what your objectives are and focus on them being
your end result.
When it comes to managing your workload, making lists are helpful as well. By dividing
each task, it makes them smaller and more manageable. Thus by having quick tasks to
accomplish, makes it easier to stay motivated.
Create a motivating work playlist
Having a certain playlist every time you work on a task can really help a lot. It has the ability
to get you in the right mindset and even help you feel more relaxed. When you might be
feeling down, unmotivated or anxious, music has the ability to let go of some of these
worries.
Remember your “why”
When it comes to motivating yourself, nothing is more motivating than reminding yourself
why you’re doing the work in the first place. It is crucial to stay in touch with what inspires
you because it will help showcase your vision.
Stay Positive
Lastly, stay positive. As anyone will tell you, failure is inevitable. However, it’s how you deal
with failure that determines whether you will be successful or not.
Whether you fail or not, regardless of what others might say, always try to accomplish your
goals instead of learning to make any negative comments. Try not to let other people’s
success get you down and rather focus on your own strengths and not dwell on your
weaknesses.
by Aaliyah Fortuin | Feb 21, 2020 | General
Do you ever wake up in the morning and feel excited about what you do? Has it ever
occurred to you that you don’t know what exactly you do? Well don’t stress, because it’s a no
brainer that finding your passion is not always that easy.
For many people. Finding out their passion can be quite difficult. You might be sitting at your
desk, working a 9 to 5 job giving it your all but still feel that it’s not something you love
doing. Living in today’s society, we can get so caught up in all the noise and distractions
around us. But if you find yourself searching for your passion, then it’s time to take a step
back and make it your priority.
Here are 5 ways you can start doing that today :
Slow Down
I know this may sound counterintuitive, but to find your passion, you need to slow down. By
slowing down you might realise that there are clues all around you. Each clue guiding you to
what you should be doing. Once you have those moments of silence and some time to think
about your passion, you’ll be able to become aware of what inspires you. Yes, it may not be
easy to slow down however, it can make all the difference when trying to connect with your
passion.
Explore Your Talents
When exploring your talents, think about the things that you’re good at and what you enjoy.
By identifying these things, helps to discover your potential passions. Try not to overthink if
what you love doesn’t seem practical or common. As long as you enjoy them, is the only
thing that matters.
Think outside the Box
Once you’ve discovered your passion, now it’s time to think outside the box and find ways as
to where your passion fits in a market. Try to keep an open mind because it can lead you to
discover where your passion will fit. You’ll have no idea where your interests will lead you if
you keep moving toward what feels good to you. However, you can ensure you’ll be guided
to where you need to be.
Reach out to People
As you’re going through different processes of finding your passion, make sure you try to
connect with people who are in a similar field of what you’re interested in. by doing this,
you’ll be able to share and connect with your experience. Also, doing an internship or
apprenticeship can help you learn and gain experience in the particular field you’re
committing to.
Take Action
Lastly, make sure to take action. If you feel like you haven’t quite figured out how to turn
your passion into a career, don’t let that stop you. Instead, start exploring your interests in
your spare time by taking small steps before you have it all figured out, you will overcome
the fear of following your heart.
