Going back to university Is it right for me

Going back to university Is it right for me by Amber Rolfe Stuck in a dead-end career? It might be time to go back to school… Going back to university to gain another qualification, start afresh after not finishing a previous degree, or even take on postgraduate study, could be a great way to enhance your career prospects.But is going back to university the right decision for you, and will it suit your current situation? Here are a few tips to give you an idea of your options:You want to change careers, but you don’t have the relevant qualifications…The desire to go back to university often comes down to unhappiness in your current job.Whether it’s because you’re struggling to find work in the field you’re actually qualified in, you’re stuck in a dead-end role, or your dream career just didn’t turn out the way you thought it would, going back to university to study something new could be exactly what you need to finally land your perfect graduate job.And don’t be daunted by the prospect of jumping bac k into education.No matter how long ago it was or what you studied in the past, your previous university experience will have taught you more than you think. Even if the subject is new to you, you’ve probably already gained a variety of transferable skills to help you hit the ground running.You’re on the right path, but you need extra qualifications to progress in your career…Going back to university might not mean changing your degree subject completely. Instead, you could enhance your career opportunities within your preferred field by studying for a post-graduate qualification.For example, some industries will require PhD or MSc qualifications in order for you to advance or earn a higher salary. These can often be studied alongside a job, and many employers will offer them as part of an employment or career progression package.Not only could going back to university help you move forward, it could also help you to branch off into a particular specialism within your field of work.You’re keen to gain a new qualification, but you have other commitments…If you’re currently tied down by other commitments, such as work or raising a family, that doesn’t mean you can’t get back into education.A variety of courses offer online, distance learning, and work-based learning options, which will allow you to study wherever you want, without compromising your busy lifestyle.You could also choose to study part-time, or take on an accelerated or extended course to speed up your degree â€" so there really are no excuses not to get started.  You want to go back to university, but you’re not sure you can afford it…Cost is always an important factor when it comes to making the choice to go back to university â€" and the amount of funding you’re entitled to will depend on your individual situation and circumstances.As a general rule, you qualify for student finance for your first full undergraduate course, as well as an extra year on top of that. But how wil l taking on further study affect your eligibility?If you’re repeating a year: there are many reasons why you’d need to repeat a year at university. And whether it’s because you had to drop out temporarily due to illness, you didn’t achieve the grades you needed, or you transferred to a different university, you’ll always be entitled to funding for the year you missed â€" thanks to that extra year of finance.If you’re starting a new course after dropping out: in this situation, the amount of student finance you’ll get will depend on how long you studied before dropping out of your first course â€" with your added bonus year of funding taken into account (usually adding up to four years in total).The previous year(s) that you received student finance will then be deducted from your next course.If you’re studying for a second degree: if you already have a degree, you won’t usually be entitled to any further funding. However, some courses may still offer payment of tui tion fees â€" although you may not receive a maintenance loan or grant.Additionally, you may be entitled to a variety of bursaries and loans, including a career development loan designed specifically for those wanting to develop their career with further study.For more information on your eligibility, visit the UCAS website.    Not sure what to study? View all available university courses nowFind 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 terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Postgraduate advice Postgraduates

Getting Unusual Resume Writing Tips

Getting Unusual Resume Writing TipsObtaining an unusual resume isn't all that hard, but it's easy to get stuck on your assignment. When you're attempting to be the best you can be in your career, these tips will help you by laying down the ground rules for how to be creative with your unconventional resume.Do not let your resume writing become predictable. Make it unique and you will show that you're someone who can stand out from the crowd. A common mistake is to use the same resume for a year or more, only adding a little variation here and there. That is bound to give the resume the same look.The resume you submit should be addressed to the prospective employer and direct them to your position within your company. You should always keep your title, location, and your name brief. Keep your cover letter simple, concise, and to the point. Remember, the key is to tell them why you are the best person for the job. This will get you an interview.Online resume sites are a great resource to help you put together your CV. There are usually tutorials on every topic imaginable. Make sure that you follow these guidelines to ensure that your resume will stand out. It's important to remember that these are often people who have no idea who you are or what you can do.Give a reason for why you're writing your resume. The reason you want the job should be the focus of your resume. Never lie in your cover letter or resume, but make it clear what you're looking for.Pay attention to the language used throughout your resume. Employers are only going to read the information they need to know about you. Make sure that your sentences are clear and concise.Check back to see if your resume has been approved before you start submitting. Some employers check your resume twice. It's a good idea to wait until the job is posted before you start submitting your resume.If you're interested in obtaining an unusual resume for free, you can do so online. There are plenty of places where you ca n find samples of unusual resumes and the way to apply them. The best way to learn how to write a resume is to get out there and apply for the jobs you want.

Five Tips to Ace your Skype Interview

Five Tips to Ace your Skype Interview Are you looking for a new job? Considering relocating to a new city or country? Then you may be asked to complete a Skype interview for your new position. If you are not used to Skype, sitting in front of a webcam for an interview can be an intimidating experience. Follow the steps below to prepare yourself for your interview and make the most of the opportunity. Setting up Your Profile Your Skype profile will be the first thing your potential employers see during an interview so make sure it looks professional. Your profile name should be simple stick to your full name and birth year if possible. Humorous handles or names which include emoticons may not give the best impression to your interviewers â€" the same goes for the email address your Skype account is registered too. For Skype interviews, your profile picture should be a simple image of yourself, ideally a headshot against a plain background. Do not use group images or a photo of you out socializing these don’t match the formality of a job interview and you may come across as unprofessional. These adjustments may seem minor, but they will give a good first impression to your potential employers. Preparation As with any interview, practice makes perfect. Prepare answers to possible questions well ahead of time and consider practicing on Skype in a mock interview with family or friends. This should help you get used to talking to your computer, so it feels more natural on the day. With Skype interviews normally taking place in your own home, you can use this to your advantage. Set up your computer, tablet or laptop on a big flat surface (either a desk or table) and lay out all the documents you will need for your interview in front of you. These documents can include your practice answers, all the documents you submitted with your application (so you have them for reference if the interviewer asks anything specific about them) and little post-it notes for prompts. Technical Testing One of the biggest downfalls of the Skype interview is the wide variety of things that can go wrong. Wi-Fi failure can be a major problem for Skype interviews. Unexpected dips or cuts to your internet access will disrupt your interview and make for an anxious time. If you are able, invest in an ethernet cable to connect your device to an ethernet port, which are subject to fewer fluctuations than Wi-Fi connections. Check to make sure that your microphone and speakers are all on and not obstructed by anything on your desk or table. Consider using a headset for the call. You’ll be able to hear the people on the other end much more clearly and it will prevent disruption from any unexpected noises on your end. Also, if the device you are using for the interview is portable, plug it into a power source. Even if it is fully charged, the last thing you want to be doing in an interview is searching around for a charger so play it safe and be prepared. The last bit of technical advice we have is test, test and test again. Check that everything is working, that you are visible and audible to someone on Skype and that your internet connection is good enough to maintain an hour’s conversation without failing. Your Appearance Just because a Skype interview is not taking place in an office or boardroom, don’t get tricked into thinking that you don’t need to make an effort with how you look.   Usual rules for interview-wear should still apply for Skype equivalents. Formal office outfits, such as pantsuits, are best. Have a look round the room you plan to have the interview in â€" interviewers will not want to see mess, dirty dishes, or pets running about. Tidy up everywhere your interviewer will see on camera and make sure you are alone in the interview room, with no pets, children or TVs making noise in the background. Making the Call As with any interview, good time-keeping is essential. Double check the interview time and make sure you aren’t caught out by any time zone differences. Be at your computer waiting for the call around ten minutes before the interview time. The Skype platform offers a range of privacy settings which prevent people you don’t know from contacting you. Make sure that these are altered when you are expecting the interview call so that your interviewers can find and contact your profile. It is also worthwhile checking with the interviewer who is calling who. If there is confusion on this point it can mean your interview is late, or that you get stuck in a cycle of missed or blocked calls. Last but not least â€" have a backup option! Even the best-laid plans sometimes go awry so exchange email addresses and numbers with the interviewers, so you can get hold of each other if something goes wrong and rearrange for another time. These helpful tips for Skype interviews have been summarized in infographics for you to explore further. This guest post was authored by Hannah Rogers Hannah is a passionate writer, with a love of horses, history and tea. She is a content specialist with a focus on the business and HR niche.’

QA Tester Cover Letter Sample - Algrim.co

QA Tester Cover Letter Sample - Algrim.co Qa Tester Cover Letter Template Download our cover letter template in Word format. Instant download. No email required. Download Template

Get Professional Resume Writing Services Minneapolis

Get Professional Resume Writing Services MinneapolisThe best way to get a new job is to find the right professional resume writing services. The hiring manager at the right company knows what you need and will find the perfect person for your needs. These people have experience in each resume format, as well as key skills for improving them.Successful resume writing services have the experience, and know the proper ways to format a resume. It is not necessary to wait until your last day on the job to find someone to do this work for you. You can let them do it for you! This is an opportunity to see the end result of what you had hoped to achieve when you were the one doing the hiring.You will want to give the professional resume writing services on your first impression. This may be the first chance you have to impress the person who hired you. They will look over your resume as well as the company who provides the resume service. They will make suggestions, but they are in the busin ess of improving your chances of getting the job. Your chance is the interview.There are many different types of samples and cover letters that are available to be used when a company hires you. No matter what your job title is, or what your resume requirements are, these will be put together for you. They can be modified to fit whatever the most appropriate position at the company is for you.A professional resume service can produce the best possible resume for your needs. If you can get a professional to review and edit your resume, this will be a great help. They can help you improve your chances of getting the job. All of your resume information will be put into a single file to keep your resume organized and ready for the next time you apply.After you have the most impressive resume you can, it will be up to the team of professionals to turn it into a cover letter. This will be a letter that is mailed to the hiring manager for your future reference. This is the first letter you should write for the hiring company. You should include a recommendation to the employer and make sure to call them to confirm they received your letter.A professional resume writing service will go over your cover letter and make suggestions to you. These professional are capable of writing their own cover letter. Once the writing team is finished with the cover letter, it will be sent back to you for approval. When approved, it will be added to the top of the pile for your reference.Getting the right professional resume writing services to do this work for you will give you the best possible chance of landing the job. The right resume writing services can also guarantee the job to you, so there is no question of you actually getting the job if you have the experience. Remember, the hiring manager already knows your name and reference number.

Are You Seeking Respect and Failing in Interviews [Updated] - Career Pivot

Are You Seeking Respect and Failing in Interviews [Updated] - Career Pivot Seeking Respect in Interviews Are you seeking respect and backing off your usual style when you first meet someone? I have several new clients whose natural style is to be direct in their communication. In contrast, they have a high need for respect in their dealings with other people, as defined by their Birkman Assessment. In other words, the way they communicate is not how they want to be treated. Hmm…an interesting combination. This is far more common than you think. Most of us communicate in a more direct fashion than we want others to communicate with us. These clients, who are seeking respect, will often back off their usual style when they first meet someone. They will ask more questions and listen more to get the respect they desire. Does this work in an interview situation? Not necessarily! Have you been failing in interviews because you are not your authentic self? Note: This post was originally published in December of 2014 and was updated in April of 2018. Salespeople This “style” is actually fairly common with really good salespeople. They tend to be fairly aggressive in their communications style except when they meet someone new like a new sales lead. What they do is back off from their naturally aggressive communication style and start to ask really good probing questions. At this point, they become very good listeners which is what a good salesperson is supposed to do.Once they gained the new client’s respect they can start reverting to their more natural direct style of communications. This works really well in a sales call but is disastrous in an interview situation. If you want that next sales position you had better be prepared to sell yourself from the outset. Interviewing with Unfamiliar People It is very common that you will interview with the hiring manager and potential future peers that you are unfamiliar with. What can you do? Try the following: Listen to the most recent episode Court everyone on the interview list, but please do not stalk! Learn as much as possible about the people you will be speaking with. You may want to research them on FaceBook and particularly find pictures of them on social media. Make sure you can recognize them when you first meet them in the interview. The more familiar you are with them, both personality and visually wise the quicker you will revert to your natural style. Be prepared to tell stories to answer any question they may ask. “Let me tell you about the time when…” If you have your stories down cold, you can tell them with authenticity and be your natural self. You do not want to memorize the stories but be able to tell them in a natural way. Be prepared mentally by following these three steps for walking into your interview with confidence. This is far more important than most people think. If you walk into this situation feeling good about yourself, your confidence will exude from every pore in your body. Be prepared to tell the interviewer why you want the job. Are you excited about the job opportunity? If so, be prepared to show it. I have always said you cannot fake passion. Probing Questions Bring a set of probing questions with you to the interview. You want to probe for pain points. The more insightful the questions you ask, the faster you will gain the respect you want. My favorite is “what keeps you up at night?”. Hopefully, you have used some of these questions during the screening interviews which would allow you to tailor them to each person you are interviewing with. We are setting ourselves up to get the respect we want as fast as possible. The more we know how we fit into this new organization the faster we will revert to our natural communications style. We all are human and should seek to become comfortable with the situation as quickly as possible. Use probing questions to get yourself comfortable quickly. Closing the Interview Be prepared with a set of questions that will help you determine whether the job is a good fit for you. Please rehearse asking these questions so that they roll off your tongue. This does not mean memorizing them but know them well enough that you can tailor them to any situation. Practice asking these questions with others and in front of a mirror. Be as natural and direct as your usual style. Pay Attention to You Do you know what is your natural style of communicating? Pay attention to how you naturally communicate. Ask your friends and colleagues (who you trust) to describe your communication style. One of my favorite exercises that I use with my clients is to ask 3 people who know you from work and 3 people who know you from your personal life for 3-5 words or phrases that describe you. The more you understand how you communicate, you will be able to identify when you are seeking respect in an interview and adjust accordingly. If you have been getting to the final round of interviews and losing each time this may be the reason. Marc Miller 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 ...

The 123s of Connecting During Job Search

The 123s of Connecting During Job Search Hindsight is a wonderful thing! It provides us with the wisdom and honest criticism to evaluate our actions.   Too deep or profound?   Then let me ask you this?   When you look back over the things youve done and the people youve met during your job search, what have you learned? Number 1:   Love at First Sight Do you remember how and when you met your best friend or spouse/partner?   Did you love them immediately? Or did you like them enough to meet with them again?   Often I hear people say it was love at first sight, but was it really?   Or was it after the relationship blossomed that you were able to say you knew from the first moment you met them, they were it? Or how about this scenario.   Did you ever see a job posting that was the perfect job for you?   You applied and interviewed and what did you find out?   Sometimes things are not as they appear. It often takes a second encounter to sway your decision. Number 2: Part Deux I bet you dont remember all the details of your second second meeting or encounter with your partner/spouse/best friend, but there certainly was a Part 2.   Most likely, this second meeting and all subsequent meetings cemented your emotional attachment with them.   You continued to discover new things you had in common. It felt natural or you were compelled to meet with them again and again. When interviewing for a job, you most likely had a second interview.   During this interview you meet a new round of people for the first time.   You begin to solidify your relationship with your initial contact or not. PS: Sequels are seldom as memorable as the first episode! Number 3:   Third Times a Charm I love this saying.   It gives me the courage to move forward and continue to try.   It is along the same lines as the saying, If at first you dont succeed, try, try again! Persistence is an attitude! You either want something so badly that you try and keep trying or you know it isnt worth pursuing! Putting the 1 2 3s Together Where I am going with this is that you cant expect immediate results. The other point I am trying hard to make is that you should try to replicate these phases of relationship building with each person you meet.   In job search, your first encounter sets the tone and can influence whether or not the person you have met will want to meet with you again.   Dont overlook this fact. Be positive, be optimistic and put on your A game when meeting someone for the first time! I can think of numerous occasions when Ive met someone I didnt want to meet again.   Nothing clicked and in most cases, I never met with that person again, either because they didnt reach out again or because I didnt.   If you dont take that relationship for another test drive, youll never know. 1.   Put on your best you 2. Find commonalities 3. Be Persistent These are the 1 2 3s I am talking about! As you look back on your job search, what have you learned about yourself or others?

Career change social media can help -

Career change social media can help - Career change is usually difficult for the one doing the changing. There are always aspects of advertized jobs the applicant has not exactly accomplished, if only because he or she hasn’t had the chance! Highlighting transferable skills (the ones you can use in any job) as well as targeting your application materials for the positions in question are important pieces of a successful career change. Having a well-targeted resume that makes it clear why you can do the job (even if you’ve never done it before) is so important! Beyond the resume and typical job search materials, I believe using social media tools can really help build a career changer’s bridge to a new occupation or vocation. In my book, Social Networking for Career Success, I explain how social media may help career changers who naturally have a difficult time proving they have what they need to succeed in the next job: How? It solves several problems: It allows you to extend your network to meet people you otherwise would never encounter. Statistics show how important introductions and “warm leads” are to job seekers. Companies value referrals from within their organizations, and meeting new people you would not otherwise know via online interactions provides more potential for referrals. (Moving those social networking interactions to in-person or telephone conversations is a good next step.) You have easy access to information and resources about your targeted profession. I like to think of social networks as offering a constant opportunity to learn what people in the field and thinking, saying, writing and sharing. Twitter is particularly useful in this regard. In the book, I describe how it’s possible to follow content from conferences you don’t attend in person via hashtags, and share tips from Mark Stelzner, of Inflexion Advisors, for live tweeting a conference. If you find and follow people like Mark in your field, you may be able to grasp the key problems your new targeted industry is grappling with, without leaving your home and without spending a dime! (I elaborate on all the details in the book for HOW to find and follow the right community online.) Social media allows you to demonstrate your newfound expertise, engage in your targeted community, and make a name for yourself in your new industry. Social media can’t MAKE you an expert, but if you have what it takes to excel in your new field, you should be able to demonstrate it online. Show that you know what’s going on, suggest solutions based on your expertise in other industries or fields and be someone who contributes to the conversation in your targeted field. Your lack of actual experience in the field may become less important once potential colleagues view you as an active contributor. If you’re good at sharing what you learn and know, the connections you gain and their willingness to promote you as a contributor will outweigh your actual lack of industry, paid work experience as a factor. (It won’t totally erase it, but it goes a long way to helping you get where you want to go.) Being familiar with social media tools may be just the unique skill you need to help you land a job. Social media isn’t going away. Having an online profile, a Twitter feed and/or using LinkedIn to connect with prospective colleagues helps show you are staying ahead of the curve regarding technology. In and of itself, that may help you exceed another qualified candidate’s credentials. Dont let the competitive market discourage you from making a change. Dive into social media I hope youll take a look at my book to teach you how to get on the right path and you may be surprised by the results! Be sure to learn more about my book, Social Networking for Career Success, as I teach you how to use all the social networks you know about and some you havent even considered and Amazon has it for a great price! photo by vistavision