How to Create a Failsafe Career Plan

When you are all-set to become a part of the mighty labor force, make sure that you have with you a brilliantly constructed career map that will guide your way around that complicated job market. No doubt, it will be a journey filled with wrong turns and dead ends. But if you are armed with a failsafe career plan filled with strategic ways on finding a job, a set of goals and exceptional work tactics, you will come out just fine!

Here are some tips on how to create a fool-proof career plan.

1)Know Yourself
Before you go charging onto the professional world, you should know yourself first. What career path do you really like to take? What kind of person do you really want to become? What are the things that really interest you? If you have a comprehensive insight of who you are, it would be a lot easier for you to map out your career path. Take for instance, if you get nauseated at the thought of working within the four walls of an office every single day, you can choose jobs that require lots of field work, say an FBI agent perhaps? This way, you will be more likely to get a job that’s going to make you completely happy and fulfilled.

2)Set Goals
No one gets anywhere without a goal. If you are hungry and desperately want something to fill in your stomach, you go to a restaurant (or the fridge). If you’re bored and want to see a movie, you go to the theater. If you want new clothes, you go to the mall. And if you want a successful career, you go get ambition. A huge part of career planning is creating a list of goals that you wish to achieve and make a blueprint on the ways by which you can accomplish them.

3)Believe In Yourself
When constructing a career plan, you need to have faith in yourself and on what you are about to do. If at the start you already don’t believe that all of your plans will be fulfilled, then there really is no point of going any further. Motivation is key when setting out to fulfill your goals. The most successful people in the industry are usually the ones who are self-motivated and determined. So, be your own inspiration and allow yourself to reach your dreams.

4)Research Promising Career Advancements
Unless you are already living your dreams or have profound, unyielding love for your work, you really wouldn’t want to be in one job for the rest of your life, right? Whether you are still planning out your career or in the process of finding a job, you need to think about where you would want to be a few years from now. When creating a failsafe career plan, it is a must to research on opportunities for growth and progression in your chosen career. You can even explore other areas of profession that aren’t really in line with your career path. Just imagine certain scenarios that deem suitable for you in the years to come and work on it until it becomes a reality.

Without a doubt, the job market is one big maze. But if you have with you a brilliant career plan, you will come out of it with much ease!

5 Steps to Asking for a Raise

At some point in your professional life, you'll probably wake up to realize that the paycheck you're getting from your boss just isn't enough to justify all the work you're doing. Arriving at this point, you could suppress your discontent and keep on working as you are, start searching for a new job, or start preparing to ask your boss for a raise. While you should never dismiss the first and second options offhand, asking your boss for a raise is almost always the best option to start with. After all, there's nothing stopping you from either suppressing your discontent or trying to find a new job after you've been turned down for a raise anyway. And if you succeed in getting a pay raise, it will save you a lot of stress and hassle in the long run.

Here are 5 steps to help you prepare to ask your boss for a raise:

1. The first and most important step in building your case is to research the average pay for a worker in your position and with your qualifications. Check online career websites (PayScale.com, Salary.com, and GlassDoor.com) for insight on what your salary should be. Also, browse current job listings for similar responsibilities and skills to learn what the going rate for your qualifications are. Print out your comparables and have them ready for reference if your boss feels like you are being unreasonable.

2. Once you've done your research, you can start building your argument around that information. You may feel awkward if you're being paid at the average or above average rate but there's nothing keeping you from asking for a pay raise and a corresponding increase in your workload and responsibilities. If you're being paid below the average, then you have moral weight to your arguments. In both cases, you should set your requested pay rate a bit higher than what you actually want in order to leave you room to negotiate with your boss.

3. Having done your research and built your argument for why you deserve a pay raise, it's time for you to deliver your argument to your boss. Schedule in advance a face-to-face meeting, and let him know what it is about. This will give your boss an opportunity to come prepared. A surprise request rarely gets instant approval.

4. When beginning the meeting it is important to keep the mood serious and not completely jokey, but kick things off with a laugh. One study shows casually asking for a ridiculously large amount of money upfront both lightens the mood and creates a really high anchor value, leading to a higher pay raise than for those who kept it serious and honest throughout.
5. During the meeting, talking past one another and getting angry is something that you really want to avoid. It’s best to be professional first and it’s completely okay to suggest scheduling another meeting in a couple weeks after you have time to gather your thoughts.

Of course, you won't always succeed at getting your raise even if you follow all of these steps perfectly. Sometimes you're simply unlucky and your boss won't or even can't afford to give you your raise. But so long as you have a real shot at getting your raise, following these steps will let you make the best case possible and boost your chances of success with your pitch. Good luck!

Low-key Jobs for Fresh Graduates

Your diploma is at hand, the school handcuffs are off – at long last, freedom is here and work is on the horizon. Yet, amidst the congratulatory cheers, greetings and parties, you cannot help but be overwhelmed of the thought of finding a job in the cutthroat “real world”. If you find this a little too frightening, are not in the mood to immediately jump into the daily rat race, or just waiting for that dream company of yours to hire, don’t just sit pretty and wait for things to happen to you. Drag yourself out of unemployment as soon as you can by checking out these temporary, low-key jobs for fresh grads like you!

Tutor
Not in the mood for some serious work yet? Why don’t you put all the stuff you’ve learned from school into good use? Be a tutor and share all the knowledge and skills you have acquired through the years to children -- and get paid for it! If you’ve had it with those subjects, you can teach other fascinating stuff like arts and crafts, swimming or music lessons! Just make sure that you love to hang out with kids or have sufficient amounts of patience that’ll help you get through the class.

Research Assistant
Big companies, college departments, professors with hectic schedules, are often in need of somebody to go out and do the groundwork for them. The load really is pretty light, so you don’t have to worry about getting weighed down with all the stuff you have to do. More often than not, being a research assistant involves taking down notes, facilitating group discussions, and interviewing people. This is actually a great way for you to gain an insight on a world you are not totally familiar with as well as learn new lessons while getting paid. Plus, it does not necessitate any type of long-term commitment, so you’re free to go after your real dreams!

Bartender or Barista
Bartending can be fun, but don’t get too excited and start dancing on tabletops and throwing Vodka bottles just yet! If you want to become a bonafide bartender, you have to learn some skills and gain some knowledge on liquor first. You can do this by taking some short courses or asking tips from the party animals in your social circle, the bartenders on your favorite bar or by watching the professionals do their thing. If you are not comfortable being surrounded by all sorts of alcohol, flying bottles and annoying drunkards, you can choose the tame, day-version of bartending – barista. With this job, you get to serve non-alcoholic beverages like coffee without losing the “bar” in your job title.

School is pretty tough, but the job market is a lot tougher. If you are not hyped up for some “real world” adventures, it is completely alright to take it slow first and opt for low-key, low-commitment work. This is a great way to take a breather, get some energy, look for inspiration and gain insight on what you really want to do with your life. Once you got it all figured out, finding a job in the convoluted market would just be like walking in your neighborhood park.

How to Turn an Internship into a High-Paying Career

Internships can be a great way to test the waters and get experience in your chosen field. Putting your best foot forward involves a variety of areas that lead to your professional development and chances for advancement.

Turn your internship into a high-paying gig by being the person your boss can turn to in times of strife. Employers love to see employees, or interns, work well under pressure since they realize the everyday stress involved with doing a good job. Working well under pressure signifies maturity, increased organizational skills and coping strategies that can turn you into a potential leader. When other employees buckle under pressure, staying calm and offering your assistance will be a welcomed trait sought by upper management.

Becoming known as an expert is another way you can turn your internship into a high-paying gig. Learn as much as you can from your superiors, read as many books and online news as possible about your industry and have your mind be a sponge for acquiring new information. Knowledge determines your level of success in all fields. As you start to share your knowledge with others, you will slowly see the shift from being someone who seeks guidance to someone others seek guidance from. You can only benefit your professional and personal development by being an expert.

Being a diligent worker that pitches in to help others or offers to work on unassigned projects will make your superiors sit up and take notice. Instead of saying things like, "It's not my job," roll up your sleeves and participate in the task. Not only does this show others that you can be counted on, it improves your marketability. Increased marketability can result in higher pay. You come across as a team player who is willing to do what it takes for your firm to succeed and prosper.

Always maintain a level of professionalism, whether at work or in work-related activities like company parties. Your behavior is a reflection of the company, so act accordingly. Maintain a positive attitude at all times to increase the likelihood of obtaining a high-paying gig after your internship ends. Everyone enjoys working with positive people. Your superiors will notice this.

Even though internships are a great way to gain experience and make new contacts, treating them as an entry door for better opportunities will be the key to your success in obtaining that high-paying gig. In short, busting your ass by working smart and working hard is the only way to get people to reward you with a big cushy paycheck.

9 Things to Check Before Sending Out Your Resume

As a job hunter, it is vital for you to understand how you can sell yourself. The first impression which you create about yourself is through your resume which tells a lot about not only your education and experience but also about various details about your personality. Your resume should certainly reflect the current trends of resume writing and at the same time should also reflect professionalism and industry requirements. If you are looking up for landing on your dream job or a higher salary, you need to have a great resume which will be the best for floating around in your industry.

Most of the people feel that writing the perfect resume is an enormous task, which is just a myth. As long as you understand the below pointers, you are sure to create a fabulous, executive resume.
1) Are there long sentences in your resume? Long sentences and lengthy paragraphs make the reader lose interest in your resume. Try cutting down the length of the paragraphs as much as possible and convey the essential features as bullet points which makes it easy to read and understand.
2) Is it positive? It is important to make sure that your resume and cover letter has a positive overtone throughout. A depressed or a negative overtone of your resume will not help you to get an interview.
3) Is it too technical or geeky? It is highly important that the use of slang, flowery language and jargons is completely avoided. You should certainly sound professional in your resume and your type of language matters a lot.
4) Is it professional? Do not cram everything into your resume without proper demarcations. It takes only 15-30 seconds to scan a resume, so it is your responsibility to make a good impression in that little space of time. Adequate spacing is important and make sure that there are no spelling, typos and grammatical mistakes.
5) Is it in an active voice? Use of active voice is a must. Strong, effective words make a big difference and words like ‘managed’ or ‘organized’ should be used.
6) Does it leave them wanting more? Apart from the powerful content, a clean and simple resume manages to get the maximum attention. Having a lengthy resume of five or six pages is unnecessarily wordy. Leave them wanting to learn more about you.
7) What is the competition doing? Before you create your resume, check out a few online samples of resumes in your specific field. What is your competition (other potential hires) doing?

Setting Off on a New Career Path

While some people may be perfectly happy with their current work conditions and career choices, there are a good number out there who feel the exact opposite: unhappy and unfulfilled at the jobs they presently have. Instead of staying miserable, why not explore your options and find a job that you love? It may be scary, especially for those who feel like they’ve reached their limit in competing with younger, fresher applicants, but as long as you have the determination and drive to go ahead, it’s never too late to start over!

Find Your Passion
Cliché, but true. According to experts, the people who are happiest in their jobs are those who most love what they are doing. This has psychological basis as well, because studies have shown that a person is at his/her most productive in an environment that he/she feels is rewarding and self-fulfilling. This positive vibe contributes to an employee’s overall well-being, leading to better work performance. So if you don’t enjoy your job, it may be because you don’t like your job. And if you don’t like it, it may well be time for a change. Branch out to other things to find what you really want to do – take up a new hobby, enroll in classes you’ve never tried before, learn and experience!

Fend Off Your Fears
The thing that intimidates most people who want a new career is that they will be starting in entry-level positions again, or that they will be leaving their comfort zones. While this is admittedly a frightening prospect, just think that you have much more life and work experience to offer any company, even if it is in a totally unrelated field. You have the maturity and confidence that fresh graduates don’t have, and employers may see that as a good thing. As to comfort zones, think of it this way: would you be where you are now if you never left your home (or hometown)? New things are only scary in the beginning, but if you have it in you, you’ll always be able to welcome change with open arms.

Face Your Future
Since you’ll be walking down a different direction, you have to face the fact that this means you’ll have to work twice as hard to catch up. Go to seminars and trainings or take the necessary classes to earn qualifications for the position you want. Ask those already in that industry about how you can better your chances and do your research to find things out. Think of these efforts as investments for your future. Use your strengths to get ahead - from there, make your way to success!

Ace The First Impression

After days or weeks of waiting, you finally hear back from one of the companies you applied to. The employer has reviewed your resume and has determined that you may be a good fit for the position. The next step is for you to come in for a job interview. If you are like most people then you probably feel plenty of anxiety over the thought of going to a job interview, especially if it's for a position that you badly want. If the job interview is the only thing that's standing between you and your dream job then heed the following tips to make sure you ace your first impression. As like most things, first impression is everything.

1. Dress to impress.

Keep in mind that the interviewer will start forming an impression of you even before you start speaking, and this impression will largely depend on how you dress and present yourself. How you dress for the interview will basically depend on the culture of the company you are applying for. So if you are interviewing for a corporate company then you will obviously need to wear a corporate outfit. Other companies like web organizations or magazine publications will have a more laid-back culture. Even if the company dress code is more casual, make sure your outfit makes you look well-groomed and professional.

2. Work on your body language.

Body language is an important aspect of communication and it will certainly play an important role in your job interview. For instance, a straight posture automatically conveys confidence and professionalism. However, you don't want to appear too stiff either. If you tend to fidget when you are nervous then be sure to correct this habit before the interview.

3. Look your best and wear heels.

Studies show good-looking people and tall people receive higher salaries compared to co-workers in the same job. So look your best and look your tallest. Posture, heels, spikey hair – it can all help in landing a new job and a higher salary. Every inch helps, but don't go overboard.