Tag: portfolio careers

Step up your Job Search in 2021

If you spent 2020 applying for multiple jobs, only to be rejected every time, then perhaps 2021 is the year for a different approach.

Here are eleven suggestions for improving your job-hunting process and, in turn, giving your career prospects a much- needed boost.

Update Your CV

Are you really detailing your skills and achievements, or just noting a list of tasks in each job? Also, ensure any recent experience or relevant training is included and use keywords to overcome applicant tracking systems.

Draft a Killer Cover Letter

Far too many good or great CV’s are undermined by a lazy, uninspiring cover letter. It’s another opportunity to tell a prospective employer about who you are and why they need to give you the job.

Use LinkedIn

There’s a huge difference between having a LinkedIn account and using LinkedIn to your advantage. Once you have tidied up your own page (suitable photo, engaging profile summary, etc…), then use it to network, blog and find work. This, from last year, is worth a read.

Contact Employers

If employers aren’t knocking down your door, then down theirs…well, not literally. But if there’s a particular industry or company you want to work for, contact them direct. You never know what might happen.

Upload your CV to Job Websites

Many of the big websites allow job hunters to upload a CV or CV’s. Make yours stand out and you may be headhunted.

Register with Recruitment Agencies

Many agencies specialise in particular sectors and may be able to put you in touch with suitable employers.

Think About a Portfolio Career

Perhaps you don’t need a new job…instead you need two or three or four. Think about what you’re good and make the most of your talents, working hours that suit you.

Consider a Qualification

Your CV or application form saying that you’re good at something is fine but backing it up with a recognised qualification can put you ahead of the competition.

Use Different Websites

Consider sector specific sites if you know what you want to do. Alternatively, visit the careers sections of large organisations or public services.

Work for a Charity

Good causes need admin, human resources, IT, maintenance and marketing staff as much as large, private organisations. Check out the likes of Charity Job and Goodmoves for vacancies that could lead to greater job satisfaction.

Practice the Interview

For some applicants, the CV or the application form is the easy bit. Their issues only start at the interview. Regardless of it’s down to nerves, lack of confidence or experience, practicing possible interview questions with a friend, relative or colleague could prove to be hugely beneficial.

8 Alternatives to University

Go to school. Pass some exams. Attend university. Pass more exams. Then walk into the job of your dreams.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? And, for some people, it is. But for many others, life doesn’t turn out like that.

Not everyone is suited to higher education and studying for a degree. Many people don’t enjoy the environment, while others struggle with the pressure of meeting deadlines and studying for exams. Some students pick the wrong course and there are people who just want to be out in the world making some money. There are also those who fail to meet the entry requirements.

Fortunately, for most professions there is more than one entry path. So, for anyone not keen on going straight from school to university, here are some different routes to reaching your chosen career destination.

Work Based Learning

The best of both worlds. You work, earning money and gaining valuable experience, while studying for a qualification.

Examples include modern apprenticeships and professional awards in areas such as accounting, human resources or training and development.

Full-Time Job

School is enough to put people off education for life. By the time they’re 16, they want to get out into the world and start making some money.

And for some roles, particularly at entry level, that’s fine. Learning is on-the-job, with not a test or certificate in sight.

Gap Year

Not everyone has their full working life mapped out in front of them. Some people need more time to decide what is best for them.

Taking a year out to travel, work casual jobs and (hopefully) work out what’s next can be hugely beneficial.

Mature Study

There’s nothing to stop you studying for a degree, or any other qualification, in your 20s, 30s or even later.

Due to their work and life experiences, older students often find it easier to relate their course work to the real world. And they may appreciate their studies more if they have worked in jobs they didn’t enjoy.

Distance Learning

Post covid-19, studying from home may be the long-term solution for millions of students.

It’s perfect for anyone who doesn’t enjoy attending lectures and seminars or who lives in a remote area and doesn’t want to move away from home.

Part-time Study

Completing a degree over five or six years, whether it be at a local institution or via Open University, is far less demanding than studying full-time.

It also allows for greater flexibility with regards to work and family commitments.

Self-Employment

Some people are better suited to going it alone than working for someone else. The right idea could mean you are the boss from day one.

The Gov.UK website reports that, in 2018, there were 450,000 16-24 year olds running small businesses in the UK.

Portfolio Career

It is becoming increasingly popular to gain an income from multiple sources rather than one. Usually with one steady, reliable job, the ‘anchor’, supported by other pieces of work.

For instance, someone with a flair for languages could teach night classes at a local college. They could supplement this by offering interpreter or translation services, providing one-to-one tutoring or writing a monetised blog about an aspect of life in a country where their chosen language is widely spoken.