From the Corporate World to the Natural World

From the Corporate World to the Natural World Success Story > From: Job To: Freelance From the Corporate World to the Natural World “I started to become afflicted by a queasy feeling that my work life was a sham.” * From the Corporate World to the Natural World James Miller was doing well in the world of retail and property, but his 30th birthday made him realise how far he had drifted from his childhood dreams of making a difference in the natural world. This is his career-change story, packed full of valuable lessons and discoveries. What was the job you had before you made a career change? Until recently I was a retail and property market strategist. I worked at a senior level, directing and guiding the rapacious market led growth of retail chains, institutional investors and property developers.As a retail and property expert, I have played my part in the development of countless retail outlets, shopping destinations and retail parks that have mushroomed across the UK. Until recently my world revolved around one key concept, that of profit and the continual drive to invest capital effectively. There is no doubt that I have been successfully employed however beneath a calm and confident exterior I harboured serious doubts about my industry, job and future. What was it that made you want to change career? I have always appreciated the importance of careers that make a real, tangible difference to society. As a kid I was fascinated by nature and the environment, enjoyed exploring the great outdoors and held strong views on everything from destruction of habitats to run away pollution.These interests have never left me, in fact they’ve grown and become more sophisticated. However as I grew older I tended to regard the urge to ‘save the planet’ as somewhat naïve. By the time I was an energetic and impatient graduate I had managed to suppress these values and ploughed head-long into a commercial career.Back then my belief was that work was just about one thing: money. As I arrived at the grand old age of thirty, more experienced, and realistic, I started to become afflicted by a queasy feeling that my work life was a sham. I could no longer ignore the fact that my personal values were at odds with the corporate way. I also saw that I had unconsciously segregated my life by pursuing all the things that made my heart sing at the weekends, such as growing food, keeping hens and trying to live a sustainable existence.These interests made me come alive but I had left them at the office door, every single day. My work just wasn’t an authentic expression of my values, beliefs and ambitions. It turns out that my simple childhood interests were not just whimsy, but a vital ambition. What was it that made you finally take action and make your career change happen? Several years of negativity and anxiety about my position ate away at my confidence and became quite debilitating ; my disposition began to threaten personal relationships and my general outlook on life. Conflicting emotions ebbed and flowed but they built so much momentum that change was the inevitable consequence. All that was required was a trigger. I hadn’t expected mine to be pink, noisy and baby shaped. Most of us can look back at our lives and identify ‘threshold’ moments; times when we step through a new ‘doorway’ and things are never the same again. The birth of my daughter was one such event, joyous, and bewildering, I have never experienced a finer demonstration as to what life is really about. She took me by the shoulders, shook me, slapped me several times and elicited the unselfish perspective I needed (my wife was weeks away from applying the same treatment and not in the metaphorical sense). The procrastination and moaning had run their course and I realised that it was time for me to find my way. I owed it not only to myself but to my ever-suffering and expanding family. Did you know what you wanted to do? Frankly, I hadn’t a clue.However I did have a strong set of values and interests and I felt that these held the key to my new life. How did you figure out the career that was right for you? My first move was to get a handle on what makes me tick.I realised that I needed to articulate my ambitions and values, and to clear the fog of confusion, which had plagued me for so long.This was an amazingly cathartic exercise and I drew up a fine set of ‘guidelines’ which speak about me and capture the essence of what I want from life: Make a purposeful and learning contribution â€" in a way that matters to me Connect to the ‘real world’ â€" work with the natural environment Explore the boundaries â€" pursue variety, explore the world and challenge myself Tap into natural creativity â€" generate ideas, pursue my interests The articulation of these values reconnected me to my old passion for the natural environment, and fascination for understanding how our world works, connects and behaves.I realised that my position could be found helping to mitigate some of the worst impacts on our planet, so that we have a sustainable and healthy future.While not proposing to save the Earth single-handedly, I knew I wanted to do my bit. I used the internet and industry publications to explore several areas of interest such as corporate sustainability, green planning and environmental advocacy.I quickly gathered too much information and realised that the key was to actually speak with people who work day in day out in these different areas.I used my extended network to make contact with a number of really interesting people (it was surprising how closely linked these people were), but when this couldn’t help, I relied on good old fashioned cold calling.I was surprised and heartened that the majority of people were very happy to talk to me.It seemed that once they realised that you didn’t wish to sell them something they were very open and generous with their time. I ruled out ‘technical’ careers and decided that my future lay in the generation of strategy and insight. I wanted to work at the heart of environmental strategy and policy, creating future solutions and therefore honouring my values.I also realised that I could transfer many of my existing skills such as project management, analysis and planning into this area. However, my values also got me thinking seriously about my lifestyle. I was on the fast-track to burning out, vehemently disagreed with the principles of my industry, and needed a change of pace. As a result I will soon start a twelve month, self imposed sabbatical in Edinburgh, where I will study for an MSc in Ecological Economics.This year out will allow me to learn new skills, reenergise and work up future opportunities. Where did you find your inspiration? I learnt much from two members of my family, now both sadly departed.They put their ambitions and hearts before more material concerns, led fulfilling and accomplished lives and contributed greatly to their respective fields.I have been greatly inspired by their example. I also stumbled across the Careershifters website and discovered that I was far from alone.I saw that there are many people out there, from all walks of life, trying to achieve a meaningful career and life transition.The examples presented on the site demonstrated that many people were making tough and brave decisions in order to build a better future.In fact I owe much to this website as it inspired me to seek expert guidance; the best decision I could have made. Where did you find help, guidance and support? I would heartily recommend seeking objective advice.I followed a link from an article on Careershifters to Rosie Walford, a creative strategist and career coach, who I worked with for eight months. What has been the hardest part about changing career? Everything would be the short answer! However, dealing with anxiety and fear has probably been the most difficult part of this process.There have been many low points when my imagination runs away with itself, conjuring all sorts of terrible future scenarios.These typically involve fears of making the wrong choice, not finding a great job or not having enough money.It is only natural to worry, yet when I examined these fears in detail I could see that they were fundamentally irrational. No-one can predict what will happen in the future. How have you handled finances? I must admit that the thought of leaving a well paid job to undertake an unpaid year of study has been quite a worry.However I have put things in to perspective and realised that no matter how much money I earn in my old career, I will never find the career fulfilment that I seek.Therefore I must invest my resources in a brighter future rather than the safer, but considerably duller present. In a rare example of foresight I began to save money several years ago (for a rainy day), not much, but enough to cover most of my year off.However I will still need to be thrifty. I have also started to explore a long held desire to become a bit of an entrepreneur and recently decided to offer my services for occasional consulting within my old area of expertise.I am at the early stages of this particular ’project’, but it is opening my eyes to the exciting possibility of undertaking a portfolio career. I am now thinking about different models of working in the future, and the thought of running my own business focused upon sustainable economic development is very appealing. What has been unexpected? I was worried that my family might react badly to my decision to change my life so completely and I kept my plans secret for quite some time.However this fear proved to be unfounded because once I explained my motivation, I received nothing but support. I also expected my colleagues not to understand, however almost everyone has commended the bravery of the decision to transform my career path.Perhaps the greatest surprise was that while I felt alone in my desire for change, lots of colleagues and friends have now confided in me that they wish they could so something similar! Another interesting surprise was that as my transition gained momentum I rediscovered interests and ambitions, long buried by years of negativity and anxiety.The fact that I have decided to finally learn French and start writing for pleasure is a testament to the liberating power of positive thinking. How has your life changed now that you’ve changed career? My life is beginning to change. I have regained an inner confidence and know that by following my strongest values I am heading in the right direction.The journey isn’t over yet, but I’m not looking back! What advice would you give to someone that wants to change career? I have learnt much over the last eight months but there are five tips that I would give to a fellow career shifter: Seek out an objective voice. This is particularly important, if like me you really have no idea what to do with yourself.I found that the tools and structure offered by a good life and career coach helped me to break free from seriously limiting beliefs and habits. Vocalise, articulate and live your values A strong set of values that speak for you and your ambitions act as a set of guiding principles.They provide an aim and structure your search. Learn to manage your emotional state Career transition is a major undertaking and most of us will worry and encounter fears along the way.It is important to put a small moment of consciousness between the trigger and reaction.This allows you to deal with these fears in a logical and clinical manner.By acknowledging what is true, false, or unknown about your fear you can address it and move on.There is often little truth to be found in our worst fears. Network and meet people in your field of interest, face to face Research is important but it is crucial to speak to people and get an insider’s view.I was surprised just how open and welcoming people were when asked to talk about their jobs. Last, but not least, take your time and don’t rush into things Good quality research takes time.It took me eight months to decide upon my direction and I know that I’ll still be working on my transition for at least another year.However good ground work has ensured that I am well prepared for whatever the future holds. What lessons could you take from James' story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

To practise or not to practise That is the question! Whats the score with the latest employer selection tests facing students University of Manchester Careers Blog

To practise or not to practise That is the question! What’s the score with the latest employer selection tests facing students University of Manchester Careers Blog Amanda Conway, Careers Consultant at The University of Manchester, explores whether practice does make perfect with 3 of the main tests facing Manchester students. When it comes to applying for graduate jobs or internships, the chances are you will face a test or two along the way. Whilst some favourites remain firmly embedded in employers’ selection processes, like the numerical reasoning test for example, newcomers in recent years have included the online game assessment and a nemesis for many students â€" the situational judgement test! So what to do? How do you give a test your best shot on the day and what really makes a difference? The old favourite â€" the reasoning test Numerical, verbal and logical reasoning tests explore how well you reason with data and have rated well for their ability to predict performance in a job based on performance in a test. But what if you are not giving it your best shot? What if you are simply not ready to sit the test? This is where the practice effect comes in. Being familiar with the types of questions you are likely to face and more importantly, brushing up on the techniques you will need to use (like percentage calculations, ratios, currency conversion for numerical tests), can make a real difference. If you want to do yourself justice, get practising. You don’t need to pay to sit practice tests â€" your university has done that for you. Log on to Graduates First, for example, have a go and find out what the right answers were and how you should have worked them out. There are even video tutorials on the site for any numeracy skills needed.  www.bit.ly/graduatesfirst The friendly but feisty â€" the situational judgement test Put together to give applicants a valuable insight into the types of situations they may face in the job, these tests usually appear relevant,  fair and quite friendly. But they can and do catch many students out. The responses sought by the recruiters are often not obvious and more importantly, can differ depending on what qualities the employer is looking for. Our favourite tips are to find out much more about the job you are applying for, the skills sought, the qualities required and what the organisation values are. Check their website and study their recruitment information closely. If you need a steer, consider the importance of customer focus, client care, professionalism, or taking action in the job. Doing nothing in a situation is often not a good strategy. The Careers Service website has a good section on situational judgement tests and links you to practice tests on Graduates First, Assessment Day and other sites where you can also reflect on the preferred answers.  It can be a balancing act between understanding more about professionalism and not trying to be someone that you are not. Being yourself and happy in your work is not over-rated.  www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/psychometric/ The new kid on the block â€" the online games-based assessment Could this be that test the one you can just sit, without any advance practise required? Claimed to give a truer picture of yourself and your personality than a questionnaire, these assessments immerse you in short online tasks and games to uncover some of your qualities and preferred ways of behaving. It could be about memorising number sequences, deciding whether to take a risk or responding to images. Not something that it is easy to prepare for. Whilst being a seasoned gamer won’t convey advantages, it may help some people to explore their levels of concentration and speed of responseâ€" so practising brain training apps, like Peak  or Luminosity, could help familiarity. Scoring could reflect qualities such as how you approach problems, plan ahead, your determination in the face of setbacks or your ability to stay focused. However, it’s not always easy to see what these tests are getting at, so it’s best not to second guess. You may try to show you’re focused on profit-making, for example, and yet a game is more about your trust in others! One thing you can do, though, is be clear on what the employer is looking for. Trying a few other personality assessments online could also give you an insight into some of your key characteristics and how they may slot best into the world of work.  After all, do you want to work somewhere that is not a good fit for you?  www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/psychometric/ Is that it, am I good to go? Nearly! It goes without saying that a good night’s sleep, a calm mind and an absence of distractions on the day will improve your performance, but remember, this will also mean turning off the notifications on your phone. A call from your parents or Snapchat updates from your chums, right in the middle of a game, will not do you any favours. Applications and interviews Careers advice Graduate jobs Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted applications Applications and interviews Assessment centre careers psychometric tests

How my friend copes with her disability at work

How my friend copes with her disability at work Wendy Waters suggested that I write about how to deal with disabilities in the workplace. So heres a story about my friend Ann, who has a really deep voice. It isnt a sexy deep voice; it sounds more like Oscar the Grouch with a sore throat or Darth Vader on Prozac. Her voice, which is a result of a birth complication, is a disability that she must deal with daily and for the most part, has overcome. While I know this now, and its the basis for this story, I didnt always see things that way. I knew Ann in grade school where I confess to having had evil thoughts: 1. Why is she first chair in saxophone and I am last chair in oboe? She has the right mouth for wind instruments, and I dont. Its not fair. 2. Why is she class president and I am not even getting invited to boy-girl parties? How can someone with such an awful voice be so much more popular than I am? But Ann and I ended up on the high-school track team together, and we became close friends. I spent so much time with her that I stopped noticing that her voice was different than other peoples. It seemed normal to me. But there were constant reminders: restaurant customers stared when they heard us talking. Often sales people did not hear what she wanted because they were so stunned by the sound of her voice. Ann never lost patience, never seemed uncomfortable. I never knew how she did it. In the track world you meet tons of kids from schools all over the state, and when Ann walked by, I heard lots of them say: Whats wrong with her voice? When I asked Ann if she felt weird about how she sounded, shed say no. A deep voice sounds authoritative, shed tell me. Ann flourished in college. She learned to be extra nice to people because they usually would be extra nice back. She became very loyal to friends who stuck by her because so many others shied away after hearing her speak. Naturally, she knew she was different, but good grades could help her overcome prejudices and she excelled in school. After college she went to a top advertising firm. I assume that her voice was not a problem during job interviews, or at least that interviewers believed Ann could overcome her voice impediment enough to impress potential clients. But then she was assigned to a manager who hated her. He berated her intelligence, made sexually offensive comments around her, and generally let her know he did not want her around. In truth, his actions amounted to harassment. But her harasser had leverage, so Ann had to leave the company. Once you leave a high-profile company without recommendations, you can pretty much forget going to another company in the same industry. So Ann returned to where she flourished school. She took programming classes, and a classmate liked her so much that he got her a job. His software firm needed someone who knew advertising and someone who knew programming, and the company liked the idea of Ann wearing two hats. The company went under in the tech meltdown of 2002, but Ann found that by switching gears, she had developed a new specialty, which is in a very narrow niche that she now dominates (and doesnt want me to identify because she wasnt thrilled that I was writing about any of this). But the bottom line is that things are good for Ann now. She weathered many storms and is successful despite her disability. Here are her tips for others who are struggling with some kind of impediment. But the tips are applicable to all of us: 1. Dont blame other people for your failures. Take responsibility for your life and move past people who dont help you. 2. Have patience with yourself if you dont choose the right career on the first try. Trust that you will find a place thats right for you, and keep looking. 3. Convince yourself you are great. Then convincing other people is much easier.

Personal Assistant Cover Letter Sample - Algrim.co

Personal Assistant Cover Letter Sample - Algrim.co Personal Assistant Cover Letter Template Download our cover letter template in Word format. Instant download. No email required. Download Template Related Hiring Resources Personal Assistant Job Description Sample

A Millennials Guide to 401(k) CareerMetis.com

A Millennial’s Guide to 401(k) Original Image Source â€" Depositphotos.comRetirement comes once, so preparing for it as best as you can is incredibly important. But, preparing for retirement is often much easier said than done. For millennials, this is especially true; in 2018 the average millennial had $25,500 in their 401A 401First and foremost, not enrolling in your company’s 401Furthermore, many employers have a waiting period, meaning you have to be employed with them for a set amount of months before you can set up and make contributions to your 401Sometimes contributing a certain amount just isn’t in the cards. If money is tight and you can only contribute a small percentage, that’s okay.Even so, it’s important to regularly check your budget and determine if upping your contribution amount is doable or not. If you can afford to increase your percentage of contribution to your account, do it as soon as possible. Again, this can amount to thousands and thousands of dollars over time.4) Ignoring the Po tential of a RothAlmost 100% of the time, 4015) Cashing Out Your 401Millennials may not have Social Security to rely on at retirement like previous generations, so avoid cashing out your 401If your employer doesn’t offer a 401(k), or you simply want to supplement your 401(k) in other ways, you’re in luck. There are a number of alternatives and supplemental accounts that can help you build a healthy retirement now.a) Traditional IRAA traditional individual retirement account (IRA) operates a lot like a 401(k) but without any employer involvement. You make contributions, your taxable income is reduced, and your qualified withdrawals are taxed at retirement.Like a 401(k), there’s a contribution limitto be aware of, so make sure you’re always staying within the limit to avoid excess contribution penalties. You’ll also have to make minimum withdrawals from your account when you reach 70 1/2. This means you can’t leave your entire IRA as a nest egg for your loved ones.Just lik e a 401(k), if you have a lot of earning potential with your job or skillset, a traditional IRA may not make as much sense for you as a Roth IRA.b) Roth IRAA Roth IRA operates like its 401(k) counterpart. With a Roth IRA, you can make post-tax contributions, build a nest egg, and then enjoy tax-free withdrawals when you retire.It’s worth noting that you’re never forced to make withdrawals from a Roth account, so you can leave this account to your loved ones long after you’re gone as well.If you don’t think you’re going to be in a substantially higher tax bracket near retirement, a Roth account may not make sense for you.c) Brokerage AccountsBrokerage accounts can be a wise way to invest and build a retirement, but they require varying levels of investment knowledge depending on the route you want to take.With a brokerage account, you invest your funds through a brokerage firm, which then takes your funds and invests them. This can be a great way to build a diverse portfoli o, as they can invest your funds in real estate, stocks, and so on.If you have a lot of finance and investment knowledge, you can use micro-investing appsor simply fly solo and invest funds on your own. If you’re less familiar or want to play it a little safer, many brokerage firms will offer their services for a fee and simply ask you about your financial goals, and then invest for you.d) Index FundsPlaying the stock market can be risky, stressful, and difficult for the layman. Index funds allow you to reap the benefits of the stock market without all the risk.When you invest in an index fund, you invest in a collection of stocks that make up an entire market index. For example, if you invest in the Standard Poor’s 500 Index, you invest in the 500 companies that make up that index. This reduces the risk that comes with investing in a single company and increases your chances of having stable growth over the course of many years.Another perk of index funds is that they generall y don’t have many fees associated with them, such as the handling fees that can come with brokerage accounts. This allows your money to go further, which again, can translate to thousands over the lifetime of a retirement account.Build Your Best FutureRetirement may feel like it’s a long way off right now, but it will be here before you know it. Account growth takes time, so getting your retirement account off the ground is more important now than ever.It’s better to invest something rather than nothing, so even if you can only afford a small amount, get your 401(k) or other account started as soon as possible. You can even consider earning additional income with a part-time weekend job to compensate for adding more into your 401(k). Over the course of many years, even the smallest sums can grow into a substantial amount that helps you live your most comfortable life after retiring.

Why not to ask why

Why not to ask why I'm a big fan of Simon Sinek’s Start With Why TEDTalk and agree that understanding the purpose (both yours and others’) is crucial to success. Yet when we’re conversing in the course of everyday life, there are definitely situations when the word why at the start of a question is not your friend. “Why” puts people on the defensive.   It tends to come across as demanding and confrontational.   As in, “why are you late?” and “why did you do that?” If your intention is to demand, confront and put someone on the back foot, then by all means, “why” away. When egos are at stake or you want to invite people to engage with you, there are a host of better options. At the board meeting My friend Nora (not her real name) is a non-executive director and shared with me her technique for phrasing concerns in a way that produces the best outcome. When the CFO presented the company’s budget at the board meeting showing a ten-fold increase, Nora’s first thought was, “Why are you showing us this hockey stick projection?   You’re never in a month of Sundays going to make that budget!”   But how to phrase that in a constructive way? She chose the following: “How do we know that a ten-fold increase can be achieved?”   And a rational discussion ensued.   In the end, it became clear to the management team that they needed to go back and review the numbers, but thanks to Nora’s deft questioning skills, everyone maintained their dignity in the process. My personal favorite is, “What would need to be true in order for us to achieve that budget?” Or another good way is to ask, “What would it take for that to happen?” With your mentee When you’re mentoring someone, a sign of success is that they leave your presence feeling better than when they came in. So it’s not useful to make them feel bad about themselves even though they may be coming to you for advice on how to extricate themselves from a tricky situation. Instead of, “Why on earth did you say that to the client?” there’s always, “What were the circumstances that led to this situation?” And “Why didn't you put yourself forward for that role?” could become “What was your thought process for deciding…” When you’re at home This works surprisingly well in my personal life as well â€" an added bonus (or perhaps the main point?). When our kids asked permission to go to an event and we weren’t very excited about it, it didn’t work very well to ask, “Why would you want to go to that?” or worse yet, “Why should we let you go?”   Not only are those questions hard to answer respectfully, they tend to cause an argument. Instead, “Can you tell us more about it?” turned out to be a more neutral and successful way to get the information and assurances we wanted. And on those “rare” occasions when family members are not “falling in line” and doing exactly what I want them to do when I want them to do it, it’s tempting to shout something like, “Why are you being so stubborn?” Much as it feels satisfying to vent, my personal experience is that no constructive conversation has ever come from a question like that. Plus, accusing someone else of being stubborn usually means I am appearing just as stubborn from their point of view.   It’s a lose-lose situation. What has worked better for me is to change tack and ask, “What would you prefer to do instead?” Back to Career Mastery At the board level, it’s all about the questions you ask, how you phrase them and how well you listen to the answers.   But why wait until you’re in that rarified atmosphere to put this to work?   You can start getting the benefits right now no matter what your level. Get to work learning to ask questions in a way that achieves your purpose… and with a minimum of collateral damage.   It’s a skill that becomes more valuable the more senior you become. I’d love to hear how you do with your practice. And in the meantime, please let us know in the comments below:   what are your favorite questions? Valuable skill: ask questions that achieve your purpose with minimum damage #CareerMastery

Elementary Teacher Resume Examples - 3 Quick Tips

Elementary Teacher Resume Examples - 3 Quick TipsNowadays, almost every company has a need for a competent and expert teacher. It is one of the few jobs that have not lost its charm. There are plenty of websites online that offer elementary teacher resume examples for you to choose from. The most obvious point to note here is that these resumes should be taken in the right perspective.Before going ahead, it is important to make sure that you don't skimp on the requirements, because there are instances when even a good looking resume is useless. Your task is to understand that no matter how much effort you put into your resume, if it lacks some requisite elements, it would be too late. Read further to know how you can make a good first impression for yourself.The very first step when you are going through elementary teacher resume examples is to make sure that it is short. Nothing is more annoying than typing out a long text and then having to waste a lot of time after writing. By hav ing short, concise resume, you will be able to make your resume the right first impression for the company you are applying for.It is a final point to remember here. Make sure that you include your contact details, your title, and any job experience that you can put up. Keep in mind that even if you have a good education, a bad resume will only be considered if you make it attractive.The second step that you should take when you are going through elementary teacher resume examples is to create a design that matches your specific situation. You should have a custom resume that compliments your skills, personality, and level of proficiency.The third thing that you must do is to reach out to the website's support team to check out their capabilities. Do not hesitate to ask questions regarding your needs or request for further clarification. Sometimes the support staff is completely overwhelmed and they may not have the answers.If you need help, there are even service companies that wil l be more than happy to assist you. However, make sure that you are not paying for anything that you don't need before you contact them.The last and most important thing to remember when looking at elementary teacher resume examples is to review the information carefully. Don't go ahead blindly, check everything out, and you will be well on your way to getting a great job.