3 Tips to Get Your First Graduate Job
Finding your first job as a new graduate can seem overwhelming in today's competitive job market. Graduate mentor Anne Wilson has practical, achievable advice
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Anne Wilson
Dr. Anne Wilson is an independent careers counsellor based in London. A former freelance journalist, she is also an award-winning writer and communications consultant.
http://www.graduatejobmentor.co.uk
I'm a Female TV Sports Addict
Do you realise the pressure I’ve been under this summer? Not because of my job, or an unusual number of family celebrations. Instead, it’s the pressure of watching every World Cup game, the tennis, the Tour de France and keeping an eye on the Premiership transfer market, whilst still maintaining a semblance of normal family life.
I love watching sport; I was brought up on it. It was a family thing - tennis and athletics for mum, footie for dad. I remember the delicious ritual of closing the curtains to keep out the summer sun while we watched the Olympics,...
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How to Manage Your Online Presence
Your professional reputation matters. What you say about yourself online, what others say about you, the comments you make, the opinions you express - all these can influence whether or not colleagues trust and respect you, give you business, a promotion, or a job. It’s vital to take control of your online presence and make sure that the spaces you inhabit, and what you do and say in those spaces, fits with the image you want to project.
And here’s the key - consciously thinking about how you want to appear to your professional peers. Do you want them to see you as...
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5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Writing at Work
Writing is a craft which you can learn, get better at, and improve throughout your working life. No matter how well or badly you think you communicate in writing, you can improve your clarity and effectiveness by working on these areas:
Empathise with your target audience
I mean REALLY put yourself in their shoes. Think hard about what they want and need to know, not just what you want to tell them. Decide what style is most appropriate for what you want them to think or feel - but remember, even formal documents benefit from a sparse and simple style. Consider...
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What Therapy Did For Me
I have the dubious distinction of having made my therapist cry - when I said goodbye recently, after four and a half years of therapy, I gave him a small artwork I’d made which featured the words ‘you helped me change my life’. He was moved; it was gratifying to see him cry, since I’d struggled not to throughout our entire relationship. But I was truly grateful for his care, his insights, humour and professionalism. We’d had quite a few laughs together, along with the agony, sadness and confusion.
What I have now accepted is that there are times in your life when you...
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What Not to Wear to Work - and Why
Does it matter what you wear at work? In an ideal world, perhaps it shouldn’t matter what you wear, as long as you’re good at your job. In the real world, in many jobs, it matters quite a bit.
Lawrence needed a company to organise a corporate event. “I met this woman twice and both times she wore a low cut top. Great for a night out, but for a financial services conference? I don’t think so.” The business went to someone else.
And here’s Alice talking about a new grad who hasn’t realised yet that his clothes are stopping him being taken seriously: “His outfits...
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Applying to University? Read This.
Imagine buying an expensive item for which you have over 40 different choices. A phone, say, or a laptop. You might feel a little anxious about choosing the right one.
Now imagine buying an item costing £33,000 which will affect your future, and having over forty thousand choices. Feeling anxious yet? Your teachers won’t tell you this, and your family probably doesn’t know it, but choosing a university course (combined with studying and worrying about your grades) can cause massive stress. But it doesn’t have to be that way if you follow some simple guidelines.
1....
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How Empathy Can Advance Your Career
Empathy can work for you, at work. By putting yourself in the shoes of a prospective employer, your colleague or your boss, you can find more positive ways of responding to challenges. Here are three scenarios where empathy made a real difference.
The ‘difficult’ boss
Clare, a senior manager, was tearing her hair out trying to please her line manager (a female, board level executive). Clare felt her boss undermined her constantly, by challenging every detail of her plans and reports, and wanting reasons (in writing) for every decision. Clare was on the brink of...
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5 Steps to a First Job You'll Actually Enjoy
Feel a bit lost after your degree? Wonder what happened to that glittering career? You’re not alone. Many graduates feel disillusioned in the brutal reality of today’s job market. The good news is that if you follow these five steps, you can get new inspiration in finding a job you enjoy....
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