From For-Profit to Not-For-Profit

From For-Profit to Not-For-Profit Success Story > From For-Profit to Not-For-Profit “I was so ready to move forward, to be challenged and developed. I decided to look for an organisation who would recognise my capabilites and potential.” * From For-Profit to Not-For-Profit Read Celia's story here. What was your role in your old job? It was an administrative position supporting a team of Graduate Recruiters. I was desk bound and much of my workload was given to me day to day by my managers. The rest of the team would go out to universities around the country to recruit graduates and then I would facilitate the process of screening, assessing and hiring each candidate. I also assisted in planning the Summer Intern Programme. What is/are your new role(s)? Now I have so much more autonomy in my role. I manage my own budget and am in charge of recruitment from 4 leading UK universities. I design my own marketing strategies and even interview candidates for our graduate programme. I'm accountable and have the responsibility to make decisions whilst still being trained and guided by my managers whom I get along very well with. Why did you change? I was bored and underchallenged in my old role. I felt over qualified to be doing such an administrative job as I already had a good degree plus lots of admin experience under my belt from temp jobs during my gap year and university holidays. I was so ready to move forward and be challenged and developed but it was made clear to me that I would have to stay as an administrator for at least 1.5 years before I would even be considered for promotion. I was simply not willing to wait to be offered this opportunity so I decided to look elsewhere for an organisation who would recognise my capabilites and potential. Are you happy with the change? Thrilled! I have been given a great opportunity to take on responsibility for interesting projects and work with people who believe in me. Working in the Not-for-Profit sector is rewarding, especially in such a successful organisation that is growing rapidly. What do you miss and what don't you miss? I don't miss being made to feel guilty for wishing to have a work-life balance. Also I don't miss feeling undermined at work. How did you go about making the change? I knew after about 4 months in my previous role that I was not happy there and so I started registering with quality recruitment agencies and talking to everyone I knew about their jobs to see what else was out there that would interest me. I considered going into Social Research for a while but eventually the opportunity to move up in the field I was already in presented itself to me and I knew it was the right choice for my next career move. What was the most difficult thing about changing? Lots of people told me it was a mistake to leave your first job after university after only 7 months and I worried that I would be considered a risk to my next employer and therefore miss out on opportunities to others with more experience and a track record of longer term commitment to their past roles. However, I realised that nothing could be worse that feeling negative at work every day and I instinctively knew I would be able to get a great job despite leaving my first role so early. What help did you get? I relied heavily on my parents for support and advice. My mother has been a Recruitment Consultant and Headhunter for many years so her help was invaluable. I also took the risk of resigning from my last role before I had secured another position elsewhere which turned out to be the best decision as it gave me time to research and consider all of the options open to me in a calm way. Job hunting became a full time job for me and I really look back on those 2 months between jobs as time well spent taking a good look at what I wanted and what was best for me. What have you learnt in the process? I have learnt never to settle for something that feels wrong - don't be afraid to take calculated risks. Also - I had the option of staying in the Financial Services sector which would have given me an impressive increase in salary but I chose to take a job with a more modest salary increse knowing it was the most fulfilling and exciting option on offer. So I would adivse anyone think carefully about what kind of salary they really could be happy on rather than automatically taking roles that pay better but could mean you compromise on happiness and work-life balance. What do you wish you'd done differently? Nothing! What would you advise others to do in the same situation? The best decision I made was to resign from my old job and devote all my attention to soul searching and job hunting. This means you make decisions about your next career move with clarity and without the desperate pressure of simply wanting to escape from a job that makes you unhappy. What lessons could you take from Celia's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

Get ready to return to University. University of Manchester Careers Blog

Get ready to return to University. University of Manchester Careers Blog It may be August but sure enough that remaining  time will fly by. Are you ready for the challenges of the year ahead? Going into your second   or pre-final year? Everyone talks about internships,   looking for one, applying, interviews assessment centres, getting one / not getting one. The joy, the despair! Internships are just another name  for work experience. This term  is often used by the big graduate recruiters and often heralds panic that if you dont get one you wont be able to do a graduate scheme. NOT TRUE. some facts Yes some companies use a summer internship to cherry pick candidates to fast track to their graduate scheme. Not all graduate recruiters even have an internship scheme. Many students will intern in one company but do a graduate scheme in a different one. Its a great way to try things out. Not all graduates who go onto graduate schemes do a formal internship many do other summer work experience. Its not all about what you do in your summer. Recruiters want well rounded individuals so there are opportunities to evidence your skills through   volunteering, societies, sports and casual jobs. Going into your final year? See above but insert the word graduate scheme LOL!   No really its true. Most graduates dont do a graduate scheme its only a small part of the graduate job market. There are plenty of options for graduates in what you might call non corporates.   Public sector, not for profit and small and medium size businesses of all types and  creative industries etc. The big graduate recruiters really want good candidates so they will be highly visible. But dont let it put you off either applying for them or looking for the quieter companies who might silently and without any fuss slip a vacancy into CareersLink for you to find. You CAN get work experience after you graduate too consider MGP. We have a range of options to help you look for whatever job you want to do next. YOU WANT TO STUDY SOME MORE.   Cool! we can help with that too ?? How to prepare Enjoy the rest of your summer and make the most of whatever is going on.   Make sure you make a note of activities where you have been challenged or learned a new skill, it will come in handy believe me. Start looking on CareersLink now some internships and graduate schemes are open for summer 2017. No clue what you want to do yet? Thats ok you dont have to make decisions for life, is there anything you would like to try our find out more about? If all this worries you just come and see us or chat to us online   All Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted careers Getting started graduate schemes Internships job hunting jobs Get ready to return to University. University of Manchester Careers Blog It may be August but sure enough that remaining  time will fly by. Are you ready for the challenges of the year ahead? Going into your second   or pre-final year? Everyone talks about internships,   looking for one, applying, interviews assessment centres, getting one / not getting one. The joy, the despair! Internships are just another name  for work experience. This term  is often used by the big graduate recruiters and often heralds panic that if you don’t get one you won’t be able to do a graduate scheme. NOT TRUE…. some facts Yes some companies use a summer internship to cherry pick candidates to fast track to their graduate scheme. Not all graduate recruiters even have an internship scheme. Many students will intern in one company but do a graduate scheme in a different one. It’s a great way to try things out. Not all graduates who go onto graduate schemes do a formal “internship” many do other summer work experience. It’s not all about what you do in your summer. Recruiters want well rounded individuals so there are opportunities to evidence your skills through   volunteering, societies, sports and casual jobs. Going into your final year? See above but insert the word graduate scheme!   No really it’s true. Most graduates don’t do “a graduate scheme” it’s only a small part of the graduate job market. There are plenty of options for graduates in what you might call non corporates.   Public sector, not for profit and small and medium size businesses of all types and  creative industries etc. The big graduate recruiters really want good candidates so they will be highly visible. But don’t let it put you off either applying for them or looking for the quieter companies who might silently and without any fuss slip a vacancy into CareersLink for you to find. You CAN get work experience after you graduate too â€" consider MGT. We have a range of options to help you look for whatever job you want to do next. YOU WANT TO STUDY SOME MORE.   Cool! we can help with that too ?? How to prepare Enjoy the rest of your summer and make the most of whatever is going on.   Make sure you make a note of activities where you have been challenged or learned a new skill, it will come in handy believe me. Start looking on CareersLink now some internships and graduate schemes are open for summer 2018. No clue what you want to do yet? That’s ok â€" you don’t have to make decisions for life, is there anything you would like to try our find out more about? If all this worries you just come and see us or chat to us online   All Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted careers Getting started graduate schemes Internships job hunting jobs

Recorded or videoed interviews Tips and advice for preparing. University of Manchester Careers Blog

Recorded or videoed interviews Tips and advice for preparing. University of Manchester Careers Blog Telephone interviews have been popular with recruiters for many years now as a cheap way to speak to lots of candidates. Skype interviews started a few years ago and seem to be neither increasing or decreasing its possible that problems with the reliability of the technology could be  making recruiters  think about different methods This brings us to the recorded or videoed interviews. They take a number of formats. You may have time to prepare for the question or not. You may have limited time for your answer or not. You may be able to re-record your answer or not. The benefit to the employer is they can watch and evaluate candidates individual responses and really compare how you measure up.   You can also be evaluated by more than one person. (This sounds scary but dont be put off) The benefit to you is you dont have to find the cash for trains, and the time to travel! So how to prepare? 99% of your preparation is exactly the same as for any other interview Research the organisation and the job role consider commercial aspects, where do they fit in the market? What are their unique selling points? Reflect on your motivation for applying why did you chose them? Why did you choose that job? Find out what skills, attitudes and knowledge  they are looking for. Consider what examples you will give of having used these skills Think about your strengths weaknesses what will you say if asked strength based questions? Prepare for that tricky tell us about yourself question! What if they ask you about your opinion on recent events pertaining to the industry? Much of this research you will already have done for the application! Read our guide and watch the videos The other 1% is You need a computer with a webcam to do this on obviously! They can see you so you still need to dress smartly. They can see whats behind you remove distracting posters on your walls. They need to hear  YOU and not your noisy flatmates. If you have a limited time to give your answer what will you say in 1 minute? What does that actually feel like? Practice giving a structured answer to a simple question and see how long it actually takes. Record yourself and see! Remember in a face to face interview you dont have time to prepare your answers or have a do over so this is not all bad! All Applications and interviews Undergraduate Applications and interviews careers Interviews

Like The Water The Maritime Industry Needs Women!

Like The Water The Maritime Industry Needs Women! Equality is worth fighting for. Women have been fighting for the right to have the same opportunities as men for a long time. Society has made incredible strides. There are women politicians, women lawyers, women army generals; it seems that there are almost no commercial or political areas that women haven’t penetrated.    Except the maritime industry. Seafarers are almost exclusively male. It’s estimated that only 2% worldwide are women.   The issue is so critical that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has announced that the 2019 theme for World Maritime Day 2019 is women empowerment. Even some governments are becoming involved. Britain’s International Labour Office plans to hold a meeting discussing women seafarers and the unique challenges they face. “It’s a hidden industry and still seen as a man’s world,” Susan Cloggie-Holden, the female champion for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) said. “We’ll start to see little wins quickly, but big changes will take up to 15 years.” Every stage in a ship’s lifecycle is likely to be managed by men. Looking for a boat mechanic? It’s probably going to be a man. Interested in speaking with a shipbuilder? It’s the same story. Why are Women Vital? The shipping industry needs to embrace women because it’s the only way that it can move forward. Diversity isn’t desirable simply because it’s fair, it’s also a way to introduce new ideas and encourage innovation. Women represent slightly more than half of the human beings on earth. Denying their voice means ignoring a critical part of the market. “As I am very interested in the paradigm we are currently in, with new technical developments and rapid digitalization it’s obvious to me that the young women are bringing in the new knowledge that we need to make ourselves essential for the future, such as 3D printing, blockchain, remote controlled management of vessel and so on,” industry Lena Göthberg said. “So, right now, I think the biggest challenge is that there are not enough women in the shipping industry” It’s estimated that the maritime and marine industry is about to be hit with a severe labor shortage problem. There will be a need for 147,500 workers as current employees retire and age out of the industry. That’s one of the main reasons why market leaders are putting so much energy into recruiting women. They need fresh talent. What Needs to Happen Shipping, seafaring, and marine activities are great jobs. They often pay high salaries and provide employee benefits. Automation has barely touched it and the demand for skilled seafarers continues to rise. Women often don’t know about the benefits. There’s a lack of awareness surrounding maritime careers. Higher education companies can help. If schools taught women about the opportunities available in the industry, they could help drive diversity. Everyone associated with the field needs to do their part to dispel the myth that jobs associated with boating and shipping are reserved for men. Women candidates might be turned off both by the lack of female role models and the strong sense of there being a “boys’ club.” To combat this, companies can focus on reaching out to qualified women. “It makes me proud to work in a company that gives targeted support to young women in their careers and enables me to pursue my dream job, looking forward to my new role as captain and aware of the great responsibility,” Nicole Langosch, the first woman captain in the AIDA fleet, said. Societal and social pressures are hard to ignore. Women might shy away from jobs at sea because they don’t want to leave their family for an extended period of time. Men are often expected to be the main breadwinners while women shoulder more childrearing responsibilities. The transition can be made smoother if companies offer generous maternal and paternal benefits. The Answer Is . . . There’s no easy answer. It’s possible that women will always be underrepresented in maritime careers. However, even if women in general aren’t interested in the roles, the disparity shouldn’t be so great. 98% of seafarers worldwide are men. There’s almost no other job on earth with such stark discrepancies. Modern working women have it easier than ever before. The glass ceiling is crumbling around them. Women aren’t actively being kept out of maritime careers, the current infrastructure just doesn’t prioritize them. They don’t have the industry experience or even the desire to have it. That’s because maritime careers aren’t as well-known as others. To alter this trend, companies need to deliberately reach out to women.

So You Say You Want to Be An Entrepreneur But Youre Not Sure [Guest Post] - Career Pivot

So You Say You Want to Be An Entrepreneur But You're Not Sure [Guest Post] - Career Pivot You’ve decided that you want to be on your own as your career pivot. There could be a lot of reasons for this. Whatever those are, they are yours and seem good and sufficient for you to head in the direction of entrepreneurship. Every year, a whole bunch of people like you strikes out on their own and form businesses, consultancies, and other revenue-generating efforts to realize their dreams of a successful pivot in the second act of life. Also every year, a whole bunch of people fail in every one of those endeavors and wonder why it happened. Let’s talk about that, and work out how you can avoid that fate. Ideas need to be for the ‘real world.’ There are an awful lot (usually for a price) of books and articles and online pieces that all do their best to convince you that not only you but anyone, have within you such seeds of greatness and brilliance that becoming an entrepreneur is only a matter of following some sort of magic formula they can sell you. The stuff you’ll see is catchy, and sure does make it look easy as you begin to pursue your dream. By all means, look at it, read it, and try to glean as much as you can from it â€" but remember one thing. Much of the advice that they give only works in an ideal world, where everybody does things in an ideal manner, including doing business and interacting with other people. In other words, a place called Narnia. Real life does not happen there, and life (and business) is not wrapped up into a nice neat bow and delivered to your hands in the real world. With that out of the way (by using a cold dose of reality), let’s begin asking some valid questions you need to answer to determine if entrepreneurship is right for you. Are you really suited to be an entrepreneur? Being an entrepreneur is hard. Mentally, emotionally, and at times physically you are going to have to live and breathe every aspect of your enterprise because no one is going to do it for you. You are IT â€" and don’t be surprised if you find yourself doing jobs that you don’t think an entrepreneur should be doing, like sweeping floors and changing light bulbs and the thousands of other items of scut work that prior to your career pivot were always done for you by some other employee. Listen to the most recent episode This is perhaps the hardest realization for anyone hoping to be an entrepreneur. They started out with a lofty ideal of how they would go in at 9 AM, work a full day, and be out by 5 PM to drive their Mercedes back to the mansion. They should be congratulated on having such a rich fantasy life. Let me say it one more time: being an entrepreneur is hard. Unless you are prepared to take on roles that you never thought you had to do, your effort is destined to fail before it even gets off the ground. Steel yourself to the fact that if you are to become an entrepreneur and start an enterprise you will be both boss and grunt, with possibly a great deal more grunt work than you have ever done before. That’s life. Be prepared for it before you start your enterprise. Planning will help you make it. Planning? If you don’t know or are not really able to articulate an overall goal and then manage it by breaking it down into usable bits, there’s a better than even chance that your enterprise is not going to make it. Far too many people go through their business lives putting out one fire right after another and windmilling at their jobs due to poor or nonexistent planning. If they are doing that while working for someone else, why would it be any different when morphing into an entrepreneur? Remember, failing to plan is planning to fail. It’s an old business maxim that has always been true, and an entrepreneur takes that and internalizes it immediately. Think about it; every entrepreneur that you or I know has planned in such a way that they are always moving forward towards their overall goal â€" so if they encounter an obstacle, the plan always takes into account how to deal with it, usually through innovation, adaptation and eventually overcoming what was in the way. All kinds of things are going to be getting in your way as you attempt to become an entrepreneur and realize your dream. Chief among these are going to be money, time, and gratification. Money, time, and gratification are possible killers of your enterprise. Let’s take those three one at a time, shall we? Money. Get used to the idea that there will never be enough. I’m not talking about money for your salary, instead, I’m talking about money to keep the business running on a day-to-day basis, particularly in the beginning. Successful entrepreneurs are always aware that they need to keep raising money in some manner, shape or form in order to keep the enterprise going. Anyone who trusts that money is going to magically appear simply because their ideas are so great will find out quite differently, and very quickly. Plan immediately how you will raise capital, and keep it coming â€" especially at the start and later, as you try to grow the enterprise. Time. We all have the same amount of time every day. The key to successful entrepreneurship? Knowing what to do with that time that maximizes the use of it in terms of building your enterprise. The phrase “Spending your time” is very true when it comes to being an entrepreneur. Movers all know that their time, once spent, can never be retrieved. They use their time wisely and productively through planning for the day. I know of some that plan for everyhourof the day. Unless you’re prepared to be an absolute fiend with your time and how you spend it, entrepreneurship may not be for you. Gratification. This relates to time above. Throughout our lives, it’s only natural to seek a certain amount of personal gratification â€" the many things that are fun, diverting, and pleasurable. To quote Admiral Akbar from Star Wars: “It’s a trap!” Now, don’t get me wrong… I’m not saying that you shouldn’t plan out time for fun or something that’s pleasurable. What you need to do is schedule those things just as you would an appointment in business. Successful people do this all the time. You’ll find that if you don’t do this you’ll be like the little metal spheres in pinball machines â€" bouncing from bumper-to-bumper in no particular way, suddenly discovering that time has gotten away from you. The time you should have been using to get stuff done, instead of wool-gathering and doing something you like. Which brings me to… Schedule each day like the politicians do. Have you ever wondered how politicians are able to recall the details of negotiations and meetings (and the results of same) days, weeks, months, even years after the fact? It’s because they keep schedules and journals to manage their time on a day-to-day basis, and as the day progresses they write down notes concerning everything that happened during that day’s business. As an entrepreneur, you need to get into the same kind of habit, particularly if you are going to be involved in an enterprise where being able to document what happened in a face-to-face meeting could save your ass. Having that kind of detailed information available to you comes in very handy when other people you work with suddenly develop a faulty memory concerning things like details of terms they had agreed to, or even the amount of money owed. (If you are a politician, it helps when testifying before a Grand Jury â€" but I digress…) Keep a journal. It will pay off dividends in the long run, and give you a great sense of accomplishment when you go back over the journals in the future and relive some of those moments. What else? (..and why are you raining on my parade?) Now, you can probably think of some other things that we haven’t discussed here, and that’s good â€" it shows that you’re thinking and considering what we brought up. While it may seem that I’ve done everything in my power to throw roadblocks in the way of your pursuit of what should be the Next Big Thing, understand the only thing I’m wanting you to do is to rationally look at what you’re trying to accomplish, and what you need to do to accomplish it. If you want to add to the discussion or the list of things that a potential entrepreneur needs to do â€" especially in the second act of their life â€" there’s a whole comments section open for you below. Have at it! This post was written by John Lewis. John was born in Europe and came by both wanderlust and curiosity from that beginning.He trained for a career in radio, TV, and print media before promptly giving all that up to spend 30 years in the jewelry industry. Once the lure of shiny things faded for him, he embarked on the Second Act in life as a Scuba Instructor, at one point with three separate International agencies. A stroke beached him in 2014, causing him to come full circle to his original training as a writer and video editor/ producer. He considers this his Third Act in Life. Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

Is Your LinkedIn Photo (Or Lack Of) Hurting Your Chances

Is Your LinkedIn Photo (Or Lack Of) Hurting Your Chances Is Your LinkedIn Photo (Or Lack Of) Hurting Your Chances? LinkedIn / LinkedIn Profiles It’s always surprising to me how many people don’t have a photo on their LinkedIn profile. A lot of people just don’t get around to it. These are generally the folks with the “skeleton” LinkedIn profiles with very little information. Some people don’t put a photo on their LinkedIn profile because they’re afraid of discrimination. While most of these concerns seem to be related to age discrimination, I’m sure others are afraid of being discriminated against for other reasons. The thing is that when you don’t have a photo on your LinkedIn profile recruiters and hiring managers wonder why. If they don’t see a photo while doing a LinkedIn search many won’t bother to click on the profile. Despite being primarily a business networking site, LinkedIn is still considered social media. That means people who click on your profile want to see a picture of you. What to Avoid Some of the profile pictures I’ve seen are rather shocking for what is basically a “business” site. While people expect to get some additional insights into who you are as a person, your Summary section us great for that, they’re primarily viewing you as a potential job candidate. When a hiring manager finds a picture of you holding a glass of wine, wearing a bikini, or, my personal favorite, wearing a wedding gown on your LinkedIn profile it can be cause for concern. They will probably wonder what type of person thinks it’s OK to post a photo in a bikini on a business site? Group shots that have been cropped to fit on LinkedIn are also inappropriate. You’ve seen those shots where the person has someone’s arm around his or her shoulder. Although I’ve been seeing more of these, photos of you with your significant other (wife, husband, partner) are not a good idea either. What to Do                                                                                                                                                                 With few exceptions, the photo on your LinkedIn profile should be of you alone. Headshots with you dressed in appropriate attire for your industry, preferably smiling. So if you work in a casual industry you don’t need a photo of you in a suit and tie. A professionally done photo is great, but it can be pricy. Don’t wait until you can afford to hire a photographer to post a picture to LinkedIn. Have a friend take a few photos and go with the best one. Like most things on LinkedIn, your photo is easy to replace. Where to Check To find out what your photo says about you before you post it to your LinkedIn profile click over to photofeeler where you can get an unbiased opinion. Random viewers on photofeeler judge how competent, likable, and influential you are based on nothing more than your photo. (You can have your photo rated on different qualities, such as attractiveness, for dating sites if you wish.) Photofeeler is essentially free as you can earn credits to pay for your evaluation by evaluating the If photos of other users. Since strangers will be assessing you based on your photo on LinkedIn, it doesn’t hurt to have an idea of what they will think. So if you don’t have a photo on your LinkedIn profile already make getting one up there a priority. If you don’t have anything suitable on hand, a headshot taken with you in business attire, then have a friend snap a few photos soon. If you have a photo on LinkedIn now visit photofeeler to see what strangers think of you. Even your best friend may not tell you that your photo looks like a mug shot but a total stranger will think nothing of giving you low scores for credibility. If you’re worried about discrimination remember you can’t hide from them forever. At some point before you’re hired you’ll most likely be meeting them face-to-face. At the very least you’ll have Skype call. What’s essential is to post a photo that shows you as your best self. Someone who looks approachable. Someone that other people will want to meet. Today you need a Background photo as well to keep your LinkedIn profile from looking outdated. Learn more about how to modernize your LinkedIn profile here.

Top 21 Social Media Resources for 2012

Top 21 Social Media Resources for 2012 These are the top 21 resources Ive chosen to visit again and again during 2012. Managing your career and job search requires you stay up-to-date with trends. This post is dedicated to everyone who believes they are a solopreneur and as such, you will want to stay current with information impacting your career! Marketing and social media no longer are stand-alone functionsthey impact everyone! I turn to these resources for current information, new ways of thinking, and overall good solid content! I hope you enjoy them as much as I have. Small Business Trends, Advice and News Chris Brogan: You have to know Chris! He has been a trendsetter and has great ideas! No need to say more, just go read his work! Duct Tape Marketing: John Jantsch regularly nails it! His blog and books help anyone (business owner or job seeker) understand the tricks and secrets to cost effective marketing! Mari Smith:   Maris weekly newsletter is a gem! Her site is also a wonderful resource especially if you want to master Facebook! Blogging and SEO You have to know about this stuff today! CopyBlogger SEOmoz Blog Social Media and Marketing Econsultancy Convince and Convert Danny Brown Heidi Cohen HubSpot IttyBiz Jeff Bullas LKR Social Media (Laura Roeder) Mack Collier MarketingProfs Spin Sucks Windmill Networking Sites You Just Have to Know About Mashable SmartBrief on Social Media Social Media Today Honorable Mention 12Most: Great content by great writers! Get ideas and learn some new things! Do you have a favorite site or resource? Leave a comment!