The rise of digital in the Charity sector

The rise of digital in the Charity sector by Michael Cheary Do you think that charity jobs are all about high-street fundraising or going door-to-door for donations?If the answer is yes, then you may be surprised. Although there is still a healthy dose of direct fundraising involved, our latest figures show the extent to which jobs in technology occupy an increasingly prominent role within the charity and voluntary sector.The study, which analysed changing job advert trends within the charity sector, shows that vacancies using specific technological terms are rapidly rising. The fastest emerging term, database, is being used in twice as many job descriptions in comparison to this time last year.There have also been significant rises in the terms digital, website and media, reinforcing that the need for a technology-driven approach is becoming the norm for more and more in this sector.Whilst terms such as street and fundraiser have also seen notable increases, showing that direct methods still have a significant part to play in the industry, the word shop has become far less prominent. Additionally, London has also been appearing less frequently in job descriptions over the last 12 months, suggesting that not only are a number of new and diverse roles becoming increasingly important in the industry, but that opportunities in regions outside the capital are also on the rise.So what does this mean for me?If youre considering the possibility of volunteering or working in the charity sector, the numbers indicate that specific technical expertise could be just as valuable to prospective charity employers as any direct sales skills.And, although roles featuring face-to-face customer interaction will always be in demand, working for a charity can be a great way to build both your proficiency and your experience in a positive and passionate working environment. Not to mention a terrific opportunity to make a real difference. With the Reed Job Index indicating a 10% year-on-year rise in Charity and Volun tary positions, in a sector consistently named as one of the best to work in, there has never been a better time to work for a worthy cause. Career Development Features

Your Job Search Campaign

Your Job Search “Campaign” It’s election time here in Jacksonville; our local mayoral and city council races are in full swing. It strikes me that your job search is a little like a political race. Maybe there’s something you can learn from a successful candidate for office. Here’s what you and the candidates have in common. First, the field is crowded with good people with similar backgrounds. Most of the serious candidates for office have business experience and public or community service that has helped them build a plausible case for their ability to do the job. There are a few hopefuls who are simply not yet serious candidates, just as there are jobseekers who apply for jobs that are clearly beyond the scope of their abilities. Except for a few supportive friends and family members, no one takes them seriously. Their time would be better spent working on building their resumes. Lesson for you: make sure you’re applying for positions where you are a serious candidate. You’re probably wasting your time if you don’t have the experience for the job. Second, you only have a few minutes to make your case in person. Candidates meet hundreds of people at events and in going door to door in their districts. They can only afford a few minutes with any one voter; no matter how much you like a candidate, you can only vote once. A candidate has to connect quickly with potential voters and donors and leave a strong first impression. Jobseekers have the same issue. In just a few seconds, you must convince a recruiter that you’re likeable, smart and prepared. You don’t have much time to build a case at a job fair or networking event. Being prepared and keeping your energy up are essential skills. If you do get the opportunity for a forum, you’d better have done your homework. It’s true that job candidates don’t get grilled next to each other debate-style (thank goodness for that!) But in traditional job interviews, you don’t get the benefit of listening to the other candidates’ answers. You’re flying blind, so you need to bring your best game. Research and preparation are essential to a successful interview; make sure you understand the company and its market challenges, and be prepared to discuss your personal strengths in detail. It’s a mistake to rely on your enthu siasm and a great handshake in a crowded field of candidates. Lastly, defeat can be as instructive as victory. When you lose a race, you are tempted to shy away from analysis. But understanding where you made errors, or what propelled the other candidate to success can help you succeed in your next race. If you were a serious contender for the job, ask for feedback about why you weren’t selected, and connect again with the recruiter in a few months. There may be future openings that you’ll be a good match for, and it’s even possible that the first choice candidate doesn’t turn out to be a good match. You never know when you’ll get a chance to run again.

You, Steve Carell, Will Ferrell, and Seth Rogen - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

You, Steve Carell, Will Ferrell, and Seth Rogen - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career “We made up all our lines,” Seth Rogen remembered of Apatow’s 2005 flick, “The 40-Year-Old-Virgin.” A lot of the stuff was just us talking to each other and trying to make each other laugh, knowing that we had the freedom to say whatever we wanted. It looks very natural, because we honestly didn’t know what we were saying until we were saying it,” per MTV.com. I particularly admire Drew Carey for getting just the right mix of players together for his Improvaganza shows, because it’s not just professional comedians provoking each other. The kind of improv I really like â€" in part because it’s so scary is when the audience is asked to shout out topics and without any script or rehearsal, the players begin to act out the scene. You hear people yell out: “Men in top hats and tutus choosing apples in the grocery produce section.” “Family under attack by giant cans of Diet Coke while they eat Thanksgiving dinner.” Of course, improvisation is more than just getting laughs or evoking strong feelings in an audience. You need to generate a coherent, compelling story line. You’d think only really experienced actors or those naturally gifted to think on their feet, believe they possess the magical talent called for in improv. But, well, no. You probably attempt it much more frequently than the best improvisational actors do. Really, I bet you Steve Carrell, Will Ferrell, Seth Rogen and of course, the late and great Robin Williams have a lot in common. You all do improv. You just do it much more often than the pros. You do improv when there’s nothing funny on the line. You do improv when it concerns your career or business. Did you know that’s what you do? Have you considered there’s one commonality among nearly every question you get asked in a job interview, in the workplace, at a networking event, by coworkers in so-called casual conversation, or by potential referral sources and investors? Questions in a job interview or in business transactions, negotiations and conversation are all predictable. The really interesting questions, that the biggest and most important bosses ask, are published each week in the New York Times. Just read its “Corner Office” column. There’s a treasure trove on nytimes.com. But really, the questions you can expect to get on the average day or the average interview? You just havent yet considered them to be the worthwhile opportunities they really are. How are you? What did you do this weekend? Why did you choose this career? What would you consider to be the perfect job opportunity? How did you decide to leave your current job or occupation, and take a risk in a new industry? What are you looking for exactly? All these predictable questions have crisp, clear, compelling and memorable answers. Those answers all transmit your personal brand. They say everything about your values, your traits, your qualities, your aspirations, your interests, and your level of preparation for the life you want. Yes, even really simple answers to questions like, “How are you?” present an opportunity for you to communicate who you are, often to the most important people. Those are the real opportunities for elevator pitches you get â€" when you meet eyes with a stranger or your CEO, and get some air-time. Heres what shocks me. Until I meet and coach or teach them,   95% of my career coaching clients and 98% of the students I teach: do not have answers for even the most basic questions. There are one hundred once-in-a-lifetime encounters you have in any given time period â€" a massive association meeting, a month of job-seeking, a year of meeting people in the city you’ve just moved to, or a couple of years at work. And, you very likely have no really good answers â€" no clear, crisp, compelling and memorable answers to these potentially life-changing questions. That’s why I train my personal branders on trigger talk. Have all your answers prepared and memorized, so they come out like you really are the brilliant, hard-working, inventive, attractive, interesting person you are. Not like you’ve been caught streaking across campus when the police show up. That’s typically the look in your eyes, when we ask you these questions. Do this: Make a stack of frequently asked questions of you. You could make the list by writing down every question you get over a month or you can just reflect on conversations you have. Then, get down your answers on paper. Yes, use a pen and paper â€" so you inscribe the right refrains in your brain. Handwriting or printing works much better to rewire your brain, than typing or thumbing on a device. If you do way more improv than you think you should or your career is evidence that you are: send me an email. In just a few weeks: I will send you my new ebook on how to avoid improv and the nine other career killing mistakes you are making. Email: Nance@NanceRosen.com. Subject line: Killer ebook.

Are you a budding entrepreneur Heres a starter for ten.

Are you a budding entrepreneur Heres a starter for ten. University is a time for studying, socialising and learning, but it is also a great time to tune into your innovative, entrepreneurial side. With so many resources, contacts and knowledge around you, you can make the most of this unique time in your life and use it for your business benefit.    Anna Pitts,  Marketing Assistant and Online Researcher at the  Graduate Recruitment Bureau, shares her tips and suggestions to turn your student years from debt to potential profit. Tech businesses Are you a computer genius or technology whizz? Are you the person that people come to when their phone is misbehaving or they need help with a troublesome laptop or tablet? Well then, there is your business. Utilise your talent for technological understanding and set up an advice, repair or maintenance service for different devices open to students, staff and the public. Digital media Can you fuse tech know-how with creative vision?  Then youre just the kind of person who is in demand (and control!) in this post-digital world. If you can design useful programs or apps, or solve a problem people didnt even know they had then you could find yourself onto a winner. Delivery It might be fair to say that students can be a tad lazy. So what better way to appeal to this (potential) mass market than pandering to this trait?  Delivery businesses thrive in student areas and they are relatively easy to start up, if you are willing to put in a little elbow grease. If you can drive then that’s your delivery vehicle sorted. Or, for local deliveries, combine it with your daily exercise and do the rounds on foot. Now you’ve just got to decide what you’ll be delivering- food and alcohol are pretty safe bets, and bulk buying (or making) ensure you keep your overheads low. Proofreading If writing is your thing then there are many related businesses that you can start up. Have you got a keen eye for detail and slightly obsessive nature? Proofreading can satisfy both of these and prove reasonably lucrative into the bargain. Offer your proofreading services around campus and charge by the hour or per piece of work. Students are always in need of second opinions and meticulous grammar-checkers, especially around dissertation time and when it comes to completing those job application forms. Blogging If you enjoy writing for yourself then why not start a blog so you can share your musings with other people? Platforms such as WordPress, BlogSpot and Tumblr allow you to create your own blog for free. Find a theme for your blog technology, cookery, politics, fashion and then post advice, information and opinion on your chosen topic. Share your articles through all the social media platorms to boost views and build your profile. If your blog gets noticed by the right people, you could find doors start to open. Freelance writing Working freelance as a journalist, although hard to break into, can be very rewarding and also great for the CV. You never know, your literary-themed efforts could be the next big thing in the student world. Just ask Jack Rivlin, George Marangos-Gilks and Taymoor Atighetchi they created ‘The Tab’ now a popular student newspaper nation-wide. Retail Clothes and shopping are pretty popular with a lot of students. What better way to appeal to fashion-hungry students than creating your own brand and clothing line? If you’re a dab hand with a needle and have a creative flair you’ve got a nifty combination. Rich Gray found this out when he started his business, ‘Priority Clothing’ as a student, which is now a successful retail brand, website and shop. Trading Think how many books people need at university hardly anyone buys sparkling new copies every time, and very few are so well-thumbed that they can’t be re-used. You can make a business as a trader, buying second hand books and selling them on to new students, making sure they are in good condition. Your biggest competitor might be Amazon, but if you can ensure a quick and reasonably priced service then you could create a niche market. Cake baking/decorating Turning your hobby into a business is a wise move. As the old saying goes, ‘Choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life’. Baking is popular in the student community (as fans of the Great British Bake Off will attest) and what’s more the modern craze is having cupcakes at basically any event, meaning you have an instant target audience. The only downside is the amount of competition, but with some clever marketing, delicious products and mates-rates deals you’ve got the recipe for success! Tutoring People need tutors for everything. Whether it is extra help with the course, on a certain module or outside of academia, if you have a talent and passion for something then you can teach it. Your students don’t have to be at university they might be GCSE or A-level students that need help near exams. Or, maybe you have a particularly interesting hobby to share like a language or skill, or both. Italian and origami evening classes anyone? It can be done! So, whether it is providing a solution, following your passion or sharing a skill, there are many opportunities to break into the commercial world at university. Why not discuss your business ideas with students across the country and get a head start by posting on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/studentstartup. Just make sure that youre steering on the right side of business and legal matters, by checking the advice and info on SMARTA. If you want to get involved at grassroots level, theres no better place to start than Warwick Entrepreneurs.  It doesnt matter whether youve started a business or have the germ of an idea, its a pretty inspirational society and youll find it hard to resist the enterprising spirit and can do attitude of your fellow travellers. As their campaign week suggests: IT CAN BE DONE! Annas work involves PR and outreach and writing informative, interesting advice based articles for graduates and students. Follow her on twitter, join her on Google+  or connect with her on LinkedIn.

The true secret to productivity is to do absolutely nothing - Debut

The true secret to productivity is to do absolutely nothing - Debut If theres one thing I know thats true about adulthood, its this. As we grow older, we start wanting to look  and sound like were really busy. Being busy has almost become a symbol of a persons success. Weve been taught to shun idleness, fill up our calendars, and crave a never-ending to-do list.  However, this has perhaps been to our detriment. The truth is, the secret to productivity,  true productivity, is to kick back and do nothing for a lil while. Seems counter-intuitive, we know. However, no one can do work for 5-6 hours straight: our attention spans are just not made for it. Heres why: The secret to productivity: doing nothing Lets talk about the science-y bits first. Our bodies run according to inbuilt rhythms. The one you may have heard of is the circadian rhythm, which is our bodys natural daily rhythm. It is often related to things like sleep. We also have ultradian rhythms, which are shorter (think hourly). To know ones rhythms is to basically hack your bodys productivity. The typical persons circadian rhythm follows a roughly 24-hour cycle and responds primarily to light and darkness. The rhythm causes energy peaks and troughs throughout the day. There are tons of articles that lay out when you should be doing stuff like checking your emails or when to work out, but lets focus on the doing nothing bit. When you should be doing nothing When we say do nothing, we dont mean watch Netflix, listen to a podcast, or anything that remotely resembles intellectual stimulation. These doing nothing periods are the periods of time that are necessary for our bodys rest and renewal. Productivity expert Tony Schwartz says that our bodies tell us to rest with some clear physical signs. When we need a rest, our bodies send us clear signals such as fidgetiness, hunger, drowsiness and loss of focus. But mostly, we override them. To combat this, he recommends we take regular renewal breaks every 90-120 minutes. Marrying this with a typical circadian rhythm schedule, your day should look a bit like this: What your daily schedule should look like, do nothing breaks included: 6am:  Shower, then read your emails. Apparently the act of reading your emails has become the new reading the morning paper routine. Before 12pm:  This is when your brain is at its highest capacity for focus and attention. Do the hard, tricky bits of your job at this point. At 1pm:  Take a brain break and do nothing. Have your lunch but dont look at your phone. Most people are at their most distracted between 1-4pm, which is why you do the most intellectually challenging tasks in the morning. Take 5 minute do nothing breaks every 30 minutes in this period. After the third 30 minute work session, take a slightly longer break 15 minutes, perhaps. Bonus points if you do something active like stretching or walking during this period. At 2pm:  If possible, take a nap. If not possible, go for a longer walk. This acts as your rest and renewal period so you can tackle the rest of the day. At 4pm:  Get like LMFAO and work out. Our circadian rhythms dictate that were at our most co-ordinated at this time of day, and our lung capacity is at its best too. At 9pm:  Do something creative. A recent study published in the  Thinking Reasoning  Journal says that fatigue and tiredness opens up non-linear paths of thinking. Therefore writing prose, journal-ling, and pre-bedtime brainstorming might be a good thing to do then. Other steps towards embracing doing nothing Its one thing to shake up your daily schedule, but its another thing to embrace the do nothing lifestyle. Joe Kraus, a partner at Google Ventures, says that our tendency towards being busy has affected our creative thinking. Were radically over-developing the parts of the quick thinking, distractible brain and letting the long-form-thinking, creative and contemplative, solitude-seeking, thought-consoludating pieces of our brain atrophy by not using them. A lot of hyphenated words there, Joe. Basically by keeping our brains too busy, were stopping ourselves from being creative. We suggest these tips to help you towards more rest and renewal: Record a log of your attention span.  If you find yourself feeling distracted from the task at hand, note down the time of day quickly in a notepad. Over time, youll be able to track when in the day youre the least focused. Book in do nothing breaks in your calendar.  Set private do nothing breaks in your Google Calendar/iCal so you remember to just chill, bruh. Block out me time in your evenings.  Remember being busy = being less creative. If youre the kinda busy bee who has a constantly busy social schedule, try your best to clear up some space for spending some time at home. Be compassionate to yourself.  Feeling at home with your own space and thoughts might be jarring at first, especially if you spend your days attached to a screen/plugged into earphones. Youre going to find this hard. It will become easier, and it will be worth it for your mental health in the long run! Godspeed, busy people. We believe in you. Download the Debut app and get Talent-Spotted by amazing graduate employers! Connect with Debut on Facebook and Twitter

Career Advice for College Graduates

Career Advice for College Graduates Tomorrow evening, Ill be speaking to soon-to-be graduates of Manhattanville College at the Backpack to Briefcase event for graduating seniors. The event is a celebration and a send-off. Rather than tell them what to do, I plan to inspire the students to find their own answers. Its advice I wished Id received.I was so focused on being the good student that I only did what others told me to do. To this graduating class I want to impart, honesty. Please be honest with yourselves about what you really want to be doing with your time, your energy, your skills, your talents, your ideas. Thats the path to a satisfying career.Also dont be afraid to try something. Thats the advice I shared in Lindsey Pollaks resourceful book, Getting From College to Career. As a new graduate in tough times, its important to have the right perspective. Take the best job you can find and learn from it. Get miles on you as a mentor of mine used to say. Even if you dont love what you are doing, you can at least l earn more about yourself and make new connections.Stay positive. There is always room for good people in the working world. Focus on where you can be of service and to whom. Talk to professors, your parents friends, career services, alumni contacts. Do informational interviews with potential employers to understand their challenges and goals. Pitch ideas of projects you can complete or roles you can play, even if on a freelance or part-time basis.Lastly, check out all the great advice posted on LinkedIn.com for fresh graduates.Are you (or do you know) a soon-to-be college graduate? How is he/she faring in the job market? What advice do you have for fresh graduates? Where are opportunities that you see?

How to Write a Resume For CFO

How to Write a Resume For CFOThe jobs market has been changing with the passing of time and some CFOs were fortunate enough to come across the latest trend in resume writing - Crowdfunding. With this popular technique of resume writing, CFOs and other leaders can advertise their skills and expertise to potential clients with a minimum effort. A well-designed resume with such a campaign can attract the attention of the employers or even get them to contact the candidate. For more information on how to do this effectively, here are a few important points to follow.The first thing to note is that you need to write your resume in an eye catching way that will grab the readers' attention. Start your resume writing process by finding something that you have special knowledge about. This can be about an individual's childhood, hobbies, family or anything which is related to the position you are applying for.Once you have made up your mind about the idea attracting your interest, then procee d to ensure that the spelling, grammar and the style in which you have written the resume should be checked. Having such skills can come in handy when you are looking for funding sources and you have prepared your resume according to the best industry standard.It has been found that most people who are looking for job opportunities in financial positions will contact the top companies first and ask them for a job in their organization. This is because they know that they can be awarded with a higher salary than those who opt for writing a resume.In case of writing a resume for CFO, it would be best to use that you have the experience in this type of employment. Aside from this, it would also be a good idea to add some hobbies or personal statement in order to project the right image of you. This can be helpful for a potential employer to check your skill and experience level.You can also find it beneficial to include some details about your education that can be checked if you are a pplying for CFO positions. While hiring CFO for the financial firm, the companies look for a qualified person who can manage finances, ensure soundness of financial policies and supervision of subordinates. Since financial company is responsible for all the investment decisions made by the business, it is an important role that the person in this position can play.There are many things you can add in your resume but it is important to add a lot of such details that have been highlighted by your resume writing skills. For example, your experience in being a CFO of certain financial firm, including details of the financial losses incurred due to the mishaps or poor financial decisions of the firm, details about the achievement made during your tenure as CFO or any other similar information that can help to showcase your skills. This can also serve as a testimonial in helping to secure the position.In conclusion, resume writing for CFO will be similar to other resumes because all the s ame rules apply. You must provide specific details regarding your experience and skills that will be checked by the employer. Remember that resume writing for CFO is quite a bit different from writing for other kinds of jobs and positions because it is a profession that deals with public and private money and also needs qualifications that are well recognised and verified.