Author Archives: Simon

For many people, a new year is a time for a new start. This means looking for a new job, which also means you will need to have your CV perfected and up-to-date. Your CV is the first thing a potential employer will see,  so it is a key selling tool.  It needs to show  your core skills that make you employable, while giving insight into your attitude and personality too.

When writing your CV,  start by showing your most recent experience.  This is the experience most relevant to potential employers. Make sure you go into detail about all of your key duties and what they show about you, and your work ethic.  Further down your CV,  you can also include hobbies and interests to get your personality across. Make sure this is done in such a way so as to make you sound professional still, while also showing you are a well rounded person.

Attending an interview can naturally make you feel nervous. There is a lot at stake, especially if it is a job that you would really like to get. If this is the case, then you will want to put a lot of work into your interview technique – but this still won’t necessarily stop you feeling the fear. Here are some tips to stay calm during an interview:

• Take deep breaths. This will help to slow your heartrate down so you will feel calm.
• Concentrate on the questions. When the interviewer asks you a question, think deeply and carefully about it, rather than about what the interviewer thinks of you and how you are coming across.
• Change the way you think about an interview. One of the best things you can do to combat nerves is to think of an interview as a chance for you to find out if you want the job.

Many of us dream about running our own business, but often the reality of it is far from the dream we had in mind. Businesses can go wrong for a number of reasons and if you are the business owner then you will most likely feel the stress and pressure more than anyone else.

If you have been self-employed or owned your own business and feel it is time to go back to employment you may find the transition period very hard.

Being employed will most likely mean that you have a boss that you report to. You will be given a job role and either a salary or commission based structure of pay and will have to work certain hours to achieve this. Working for yourself takes discipline but so does working for someone else and you not only have yourself to answer to but possibly a manager or business owner.

Starting your own business can be daunting. You may worry about how you are going to attract customers and get the work and if you are going to be able to make money. If you have to buy stock or employ staff from the offset then this will also be a concern, especially if you have had to take out a loan to get you off the ground.

When starting your own business, marketing is essential. You need to be able to promote your company in a cost effective way and ideally monitor which marketing avenue is most successful for you.

When you have a good idea of what you want your business to do and have created a business plan, then you need to start to think about company names and logos. Having a business card, flyers or even just a logo can give your customers more confidence to buy from you.

If you are looking to go self-employed then you must have a certain level of discipline to ensure that you get your work finished on time and to a high standard. Unlike an employed position, where you may have a boss to answer to or someone who is checking your work, you may only have to answer to yourself, but to really make a go of it you ned discipline.

Time management is often one of the hardest things self-employed people struggle with, especially if you are working from home. There are often a number of distractions in and around the home which can very quickly and easily encroach on our work time, leaving you behind and having to stay up late or work weekends to catch up.

Being self-employed can be very rewarding as long as you are strict and make yourself work the correct number of hours needed to succeed.