How to Earn while you learn

How to Earn while you learn by Michael Cheary There’s no doubt that learning something new can do wonders for your career… But although most of us are already aware of the various benefits of studying, unfortunately not everyone has the time â€" or money â€" to follow through and make it part of our daily lives. Well, at least, not on the surface.To help you find a way to fit studying around your finances, here are some of our top ways on how to earn while you learn:ApprenticeshipsIf you’re looking to break into a brand new industry, an apprenticeship could be for you.Not only is it a great way of building up your experience and getting your foot in the door with a company, it’s also the perfect opportunity to earn a regular salary whilst you learn.There are many different types of apprenticeship to choose from (depending on your previous experience) and, contrary to some popular misconceptions, they’re available in just about every industry â€" with opportunities available in everything from health beauty and hairdressing, through to IT and engineering.So no matter what industry you’re in, and how old you are, an apprenticeship could be the perfect option for you.Why choose an apprenticeship?Seven reasons you should start an apprenticeshipInternships/Work ExperienceThink interns don’t get paid? You’d be surprised.Most internships provide at least the National Minimum Wage, especially if you’re performing the role of a worker. And, unlike apprenticeships, they generally don’t involve a long-term commitment to the course.So even if you’re role isn’t working out, you will have the flexibility to find another internship somewhere new without worrying about losing any credits towards your qualification.Similarly, certain work placements and work experience positions come with some form of payment, whilst also allowing you to learn-the-ropes of a brand new role.Just make sure you always check this when you apply â€" even if it’s just to make sure your costs a re covered.Internships: What you need to knowHow to get work experienceFlexi-TimeStudying doesn’t necessarily mean you need to start from scratch.In fact, you could even stay working in your current positon, as long you can set aside some time to keep on top of taking a course.One way you could do this is by asking your employer about the possibility of working more flexible hours (also known as ‘Flexi time’). This could involve working shorter hours (e.g. by halving lunch breaks), starting and finishing earlier, or even working from home during the week to cut down on your commute.These days many employers are surprisingly accommodating, especially if you can prove the changes will improve your morale, productivity and work-life balance.And if your qualification will benefit the company? It’s pretty much a no-brainer.Five benefits of flexi time workingHow to achieve a work-life balanceAppsYou might already have the time it takes to learn something new. All you need is to st art utilising it more effectively.In this case, tech is your new best friend. For example, there are a number of different apps out there which could help you improve your knowledge in a new area, or even provide you with the confidence you need to take studying more seriously.It could be learning to code on your commute, or picking up a new language on your lunch break. Whatever it is, finding just five or ten minutes a day could make all the difference.Whoever said train journeys had to be boring?Five ways using tech every day will make you more intelligentOnline learning If you do have a little more time to learn, why not try taking an online course?Aside from being much more affordable and much less time consuming than you might think, many even result in real qualifications which could help you move your career forward.And because they’re offered as distance learning courses rather than something to be taken in the classroom, they can all be studied at your own pace â€" allow ing you to fit them around your current commitments.That way you can still earn your regular salary â€" whilst also gaining a new skill that could actually change your career.Freelancing OK, so you’ve built up a decent set of skills. Now it’s time to put them into practice.Working as a freelancer, contractor or consultant will allow you to share your expertise and experience, without committing you to a regular 9-to-5 role.And as you’ll effectively be managing your own workload, that will leave even more time to dedicate to a course. With the best part being that your ad-hoc income will effectively allow you to self-fund.There are plenty of sites out there to offer your services. You could even combine it with a well-paid part-time position, if you still need some sort of regular income. So why not put yourself (and your skills) to the test?Your new qualification (and your bank balance) can thank us later…Freelance work: What you need to knowFive of the best paying part-time jobsTop tips to earn while you learnReady to start studying? Here are some of our top tips to earn while you learn:Think about your outgoings â€" Consider rent, bills and other expenditure. How much can you realistically live on? And can you afford a drop in hours?Work out a budget â€" Once you know your outgoings, think about what’s left over. Can you afford to put money into a course? And how much do you need to earn to cover the basics?Search for a course â€" A qualification doesn’t have to cost the earth â€" or even take that much time. See what discounted and free courses are out there, and work out whether you can fit them around your role.Make the most of technology â€" Podcasts. eBooks. There’s a wealth of available material to help expand your knowledge in a new area. So there’s no need to cut your earnings completely to get started.Try freelancing â€" If you have a service you can offer, see if there’s a market for it. Even just a few jobs a week could be enoug h to fund your studies â€" not to mention bring you an additional wage.Supplement your income â€" Freelancing isn’t the only way to boost your finances. Starting a blog, tutoring, or even renting out your spare room are all excellent ways to supplement your income â€" and all allow you to earn while you learn.Six ways to supplement your incomeWant to learn while you earn? View all available courses now. Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the Internships apprenticeships What job suits me?

Your bad mood at the office is from you, not the job

Your bad mood at the office is from you, not the job The mood you come to work with sets the mood for your workday. This is the conclusion of a study by Wharton professor Nancy Rothbard. (Shout out to Wendy for sending this link to me.) This study is a rallying cry for personal responsibility. Rothbard challenges you to stop blaming your boss or your co-workers for ruining your day: The mood you bring with you to work has a stronger effect on the days mood and on work performance than mood changes caused by events in the workplace. This is good news for people who accept personal responsibility for doing the things proven to create a good mood like a reasonable commute, a morning visit to the gym, and, in a more broad sense, cultivating a sunny outlook. For people who dont want to take personal responsibility for their happiness, you will have to figure out a way to discount this study in order to continue blaming other people at the office for your bad mood. This way of thinking works on the other end of the day, too. Keep your commute short so you are not a wreck on the way home, and say hello when you walk in the door to start the evening out right. This means, of course, that if your personal life is going well, you are likely to be happier at work. Because you are more likely to walk into work in a good mood: Start-of-day mood may come from myriad sources including persistent life challenges and opportunities, positive or negative family experiences before leaving for work, or even the commute into work, writes Rothbard. Non-work and work domains are permeable, and mood often spills over form one to the other. Specifically, start-of-day mood might affect ones appraisal of subsequent events. This is reason number fifty why the term work-life-balance doesnt work. Its not a balance so much as a synergy that we should aim for. Work and life have to feed each other rather than provide a counter-balance.

A job does not give life meaning

A job does not give life meaning People would be a lot happier with the job they had if they were happier with themselves outside of their job. We have seen steady decline in job satisfaction, no matter if the employment rate is very high or very low, and even when most people have control over their time and their workload, they still report that they are unhappy in their jobs, according to the Harvard Business Review. People do not like work because they dont like their personal life. And the key to being happy at work is not so much finding the perfect career as it is finding yourself. The more self-knowledge you have the happier you will be. So stop looking at your job to solve your problems and instead look inside yourself. Make friends with yourself and with other people, and your job, whatever it is, might start looking better because youre not asking so much from it. If you are looking to your job for the meaning of life, forget it. Even people who feed starving children with the Peace Corps have crisis of meaning. (For example, What is the point of feeding one child when six will die?) The meaning of life is elusive and you must put in a lot of time and energy to find meaning in your life. The job hunt is separate. The job is something you have to do to support yourself. Since youre going to be doing it for a good portion of your life, you should look for some basics: People who respect you and your personal life. A company that is honest. A job that uses your skills and experience. A job that challenges your abilities without overwhelming you. Work does not need to give your life a grand purpose in order to be a good experience. The most pleasurable work provides a perfect balance between too much and too little in terms of both amount and difficulty, according to Diane Fassel, the chief executive of workplace survey firm Newmeasures and author of the book Working Ourselves to Death. A career is like a mate. The relationship is limited by what you bring to the table. If you are not happy with yourself, you wont be happy with the match-up. Heres an analogy a friend once told me: You have to have the cake, and then the relationship is the icing. It doesnt matter how good the icing is if theres no cake to put it on. Who eats icing by itself? Gross. The part about you is the most important. What do you do when youre alone? How do you feel about yourself? What are your core values and do you lead your life according to them each day? Do you numb yourself with food or TV or alcohol? Its very hard to be honest about this stuff. Yet amazingly, people spend lots of time on locating a job and a mate and very little time locating themselves. Employees should not demand that companies imbue their lives with meaning, writes E.L. Kersten in the Harvard Business Review. Employers and employees have something the other needs. One of the keys to a mutually beneficial relationship is a realistic understanding of what that something is. A job is not a life. In fact, online dating is not a bad model for evaluating a job. For one thing, you should never write that you want a mate to make you feel fulfilled thats asking much too much from a single person. Yet we complain all the time that our jobs are not fulfilling. Dating services ask that you be as specific as possible in your desires. So try that for a job. Heres what I would ask for in a job, and its the same thing I looked for in a spouse: Fair Fun Mind-expanding Interesting Consistent with my values Leaves space for the other parts of my life And heres another thing about those lists: You are probably going to have to be your list to get your list. Thats why interesting people are at interesting companies. So be who you want to be instead of looking for a mate or a company to make you who you wish you were.

New Year Time to take stock

New Year Time to take stock I’ve never managed to make any resolutions much less stick to them but I do think theres real value in taking stock. As 2013 fades into collective memory and we look ahead to 2014, its worth hitting pause before rushing headlong into the New Year. Too often people reproach themselves for their failures, missed opportunities and wrong turns without taking time to acknowledge the good bits along the way. Success often comes from incremental, small steps, not giant leaps. Hit pause, not  the panic button! If you’re a final year student and haven’t really thought much about your career until now, try not to panic!  Its better to defer your job search for a while and concentrate on getting that 2:1. Without a good degree, you will find it hard(er) to compete for a graduate level job, much less the highly prized graduate schemes. I am not giving you a free pass to neglect your career development, but you do need to be honest with yourself and decide what is realistic and achievable over the coming months. Try not to deal in should. Should offers nothing but a one-way guilt trip and can make you a hostage to fortune. Yes, you might like to have your job offer in the bag by the time you graduate, but what if this doesnt happen? Success at this point is not necessarily a comment on your ability or efforts. Set goals but be flexible. Being too rigid in approach is often counter-productive. Make a checklist of the positive steps youve already taken towards career success, whether thats getting a 2:1 in your second year exams, developing your communication skills or building a professional online presence. Take small, practical steps Finding a job is a pretty time consuming process: dont take the path of least resistance by applying for any and everything. Firing off hundreds of CVs may feel productive, but its little more than application spammingand employers can tell! Secondly, you might just strike it lucky and get a job offer but find this sets you on the wrong career path.  Dont be tempted to skip the most important stage of your job search: research. Until you know whats out there and how to get it, youll simply repeat the same mistakes or see your efforts wasted. Dont cut corners and apply for something that isn’t right for you.  Take small practical steps instead that will give you a firm anchor until you have the time and motivation to fully commit to your job search. Talk to a  careers consultant.  They can help you make sense of where you are now and offer reassurance that youre not alone. You may think that everyone else is sorted but theyre really not! I think its a great idea to bounce ideas off someone as vocalising your thoughts, dreams and aspirations can help them take shape or force you to consider more realistic alternatives. Get your  CV  and  LinkedIn  profile up to scratch. This is something tangible you can do now, and it’s also a good way to see how ‘job ready’ you are. Pretending you don’t have gaps in your skills or experience won’t make them disappear. Its much better to know and take action, than ignore them and hope for the best. Start working on examples for competency based application forms. Students often invest a lot of time drafting and polishing their CV and neglect this aspect of the application process. Most recruiters will use some competency based criteria whether at application or interview stage so cover the groundwork now and there will be less work to do later on when you come to apply. If you haven’t got any work experience, make plans to find some. Fitting a work placement around your studies (and revision) might be a tall order, but its not impossible.  Come and talk to our Placement Learning Unit and make the most of our Get experience week in week 5 of the spring term (details coming soon!) Try to plug any skills gaps. If youre not quite sure what graduate employers are looking for then check out this post from TARGETjobs on skills and competencies for graduates   theyve even included handy tips to help you develop and evidence these skills. I also really like this blog which takes a more creative approach to  workplace skills for young professionals. If youre short on ideas then have a look at What Warwick graduates do? to help broaden your horizons. You never know it might just spark interest in something youve never previously considered. Build your resilience If you  have  been on the job search treadmill and simply feel like you’re standing still, now is the time to dig deep.  Small changes in behaviour and outlook can yield surprising results. I know its not easy to maintain a positive, resilient attitude but its one of the building blocks for career success. Avoid repeating the same mistakes. If you’ve fired off 200 applications and not received a positive response, its pretty clear your strategy isnt working. There could be myriad reasons for your failure but dont just sit in your room and speculate. Swallow your pride and ask for help. Be flexible. The culture of instant gratification has made us all rather impatient, but its worth remembering that career spans a lifetime, not just a few years. Dont lose sight of the long game: you may need to take a few detours along the way, but the road less travelled can be just as fulfilling sometimes more so. Ask for feedback. Self-perception is not the most reliable barometer of personal ‘worth’. What do your friends, family and colleagues think about you? Be prepared to take the positive comments with the constructive criticism. Successful people know their limits and play to their strengths. And they dont give up at the first sign of rejection! Start as you mean to go on this year by joining our Twitter chat from 6th January to do #1thingin2014. Whether its getting your applications checked, booking yourself onto an Excel course or developing your presentation skills. Remember: small steps can lead to big changes.

Resume Writing Tutorial - How to Use YouTube to Market Your Resume

Resume Writing Tutorial - How to Use YouTube to Market Your ResumeYouTube is one of the most effective ways to market your resume. While you are applying for jobs, you will have to find a way to get noticed by potential employers and make a positive impression on them. Here are some tips to help you create a resume that will stand out among the crowd.Start off with a good video. Try to create a quality video that gets the job done. You should capture people's attention by telling them what your strengths are. If you can do this effectively, your resume will be seen in a new light.Your skills should be relevant to the position you are applying for. You should try to ensure that your videos show an example of what you have been doing recently. That way, you will come across as well rounded and someone who can do the job. Be prepared to talk about the skills you have and the work experience you have had, if necessary.Your cover letter should be well written and very professional. A well -written cover letter is a big plus. Make sure you know what the prospective employer wants to know. They want to know why you would be a good fit for the job and you should be able to provide it.Tell them about any new skills you have acquired or experiences you have had that help in your new career. Describe these in your cover letter. You want to use your resume as a chance to sell yourself. It is also important to show how you have grown as a person over the years.Take your resume and write an objective about the company you are looking to work for and how your new skills could be beneficial to the company. Keep it brief and clear. The objective should not go beyond what the employer needs to know. It should put your ability to perform the job as a positive thing.Make sure you add something about the future for the company. They want to know how you can help them grow. They want to know how their business will be helped and how they can do so.Your resume should be made up of a r esume and video presentation. Videos are a powerful way to attract the attention of your potential employer. Try to make your resume stand out in a crowd of resumes by using a quality video.

History Statistics of Job Boards [Infographic] - CareerEnlightenment.com

How Your Email Address Can Torpedo A Job Search - Pathfinder Careers

How Your Email Address Can Torpedo A Job Search - Pathfinder Careers How Your Email Address Can Torpedo A Job Search Have you done an audit on your email address lately? I don’t mean opening up your account and looking for messages.   I mean taking a closer look at the actual email address that you are using. I have received a number of emails from some very interesting address names lately.   That being said, if you were to ask me if these names sounded professional, I would have to say absolutely not! Sometimes, we get so acclimated to that personal address that we simply forget about how others might perceive it. Add in the close scrutiny of a prospective employer, and your résumé containing that social email address COULD be destined for the round file. Dead-giveaways unwittingly revealed in your email address name can lift the curtain about the ‘personal’ you… and absolutely need to be tightened up, or even replaced in favor of more ‘sanitized’ versions.   I’m not saying you need to ‘ditch’ your  personal / social email; you need to bury it or at the very least, not volunteer it when presenting an otherwise professional document for consideration for a job. Think about this… what would you think “[emailprotected]” might convey? Or “[emailprotected]?”   Don’t laugh. I’ve seen similar email addresses like these on résumés more often than you would guess.   A surprising number of people continue to send out résumés that have what I call ‘goofy’ email addresses.   Even if it isn’t goofy, an email address could potentially torpedo your job search before you even get it off the ground because the one that you are using doesn’t project a professional image.   If you have to create a new ‘professional’ email, then do so, but don’t forget to check it.   Sometimes, candidates get so caught up checking their social email accounts that they forget to open up their business one… only to find a message from an employer dated 3 weeks ago waiting for them. Oops.   Game over.   You can pretty much bet that opportunity has already passed and is now a dead end. Lack of response means the employer is moving on to the next candidate. It’s now up to you to conduct a quick review and see if your email address needs triage help, stat. Here are some key email address-naming tips to help you in maintaining your professionalism on your résumé: 1)           Stay away from things that might tip off your age.  Avoid year of birth, graduation, or age references. Oh, and mentioning that you are a member of the AARP.   It’s illegal, downright despicable, but yet difficult to prove â€" employers are discriminating against people because of their age, so you should make sure to remove age references completely. 2)           Avoid political, gender, or religious references.  You may be very passionate about a particular belief, cause, or affiliation, but you don’t need to be in an employer’s face about it. After all, they aren’t hiring you for what you believe… they are hiring you for what you can DO. 3)           Be careful about health references too.   Being a cancer survivor is great, but if you let an employer know that before you get to the interview, their concern about health care costs might cause them to lose your application if you know what I mean.   Seriously. It can and does happen. 4)          Keep It Simple, Stupid. If you have an email address that looks like some kind of code and doesn’t make any kind of logical sense, create an easy one to type into a message.   No one likes peering at their keyboard to hunt and peck out a random assortment of letters and numbers. 5)           Safest bet? Your name.   Your name as the email address is your best bet. If you have a common name, then add some random number or variation that still makes it clear that this is your name. Make sure to remove any and all objections an employer might find in your career materials and documents when making an application.   Your future could depend on it!