05/21/2013

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5 Best Ways for Students and Recent Grads to Breach the Real World

05/18/2013 By

Students and recent graduates who are worried about breaking into their industry or economic sector do not have to fear finding a job as long as they invest and prepare. Many students and recent graduates will undoubtedly take a while to find their ideal match for a job- mine took about a year after graduation. However, keeping positive and making the right steps toward finding the right job for you is key. There are five main ways a student or a recent graduate can really break into their industry.

1. Craft All Your Goals and Objectives

As a student or graduate, you need to self-reflect and think about what career goals you want to meet. Thinking of your life on a timetable, such as a five-year or ten-year plan, can help you micro-manage some of your thoughts. Investigating what you want to accomplish or what ways you want to provide skills to a company or community need to be seriously considered. Organizing these thoughts logically are important so you do not become overwhelmed by how many activities you may need to do. Without a blueprint to be the foundation to how you break into your industry, you may become disorganized with everything you want to do.

2. Enrich Yourself Professionally With Internships and Volunteering

Your course may not require you to complete an internship in order to graduate- this is all the more reason to get one. Being hungry for the positions and truly wanting the career is what will get you to where you want to go. An internship or a volunteer opportunity helps you gain some immense pre-professional skills and a chance to test all of your leadership and critical thinking skills in a workplace environment. Internships are indispensable tools at colleges. Colleges network students across the world with private and public sector internship opportunities. Not taking advantage of these opportunities during college could be detrimental toward your ability to stand out against competitors. Volunteer opportunities are also helpful. Volunteering shows your initiative to provide your free time to a company or non-profit and your willingness to help your community.

3. Develop Your Resume or CV

Developing your resume can consume some time, but it is obviously necessary to complete this task with appropriate details. A general resume should be developed that lists your skills, qualifications, work history, and education. After that, though, you should develop a tailored resume for each job you apply to. Each resume you send to a different company or for a job opening should be unique to meet demands. Building the resume based upon the job description is important to show you are a true contender for the position.

4. Networking

Networking is an incredible tool to get your name out there with other professionals. Professional networks include regional professional organizations and social media websites such as LinkedIn and Twitter. Appearing on a site like LinkedIn or joining local organizations or professional groups allows you to communicate and meet other professionals. Even if it is online, making initial contact is key. Even to follow an industry professional or a company you are interested in on Twitter can turn heads in your direction. Making insightful or genuinely humorous comments garner attention. These interactions can be fruitful for a number of reasons. It may lead to a follow back, therefore opening doors to the real world. It’s all about “who you know” right? Those people you know, may know of job openings in the industry, or others may become impressed by your credentials and want to reach out with an employment opportunity.

5. Invest In Professional Advice on Campus

There are opportunities to gain some advice and information on specific industries that would be impossible to find if you were not enrolled in a college program. Students who have access to unique resources must pursue opportunities in order to find the right one. Some of these resources include faculty or staff in your academic department, the career counseling department at your college, contacting your college’s alumni network, or attending the frequent career fairs that occur at your school. In order to calm your nerves a little bit, when you are meeting with a professional in the industry for the first time, look at it as YOU interviewing THEM. This is good because: 1) Takes the pressure of yourself. 2) You will be prepared to ask the right questions. Recent graduates can capitalize on the alumni network of their school, but after graduating, there are different options available. You can always invest time seeking advice from friends, acquaintances of friends, or family members as well. These talks can not only provide informal advice, but also unique techniques like practice interview sessions or job shadowing.

Tony Bradley is a career counselor specializing in helping students find entry level jobs.

Filed Under: Business

Change the Face of your Business: 6 Steps to Avoid Being Sued

02/12/2013 By

Accidents and misunderstandings can happen in any industry but the last thing any company wants is the hassle and stress of being sued.

Taking on a litigation case is a massive risk for any business, regardless of its size, because it requires a large sum of money to go to court.

Fundamentally, there is no guarantee that you will win, so there is the chance of losing all that hard-earned money; and you could end up paying the opponents legal fees too.

Essentially money is the deal-breaker but being sued also causes a lot of strain that is otherwise not needed. It is extremely time-consuming and expensive.

Ask any business owner and they will tell you the same thing; all they want is to get on with running a successful brand; not being dragged through the courts.

So how can you minimise the risk of being sued? Here are 6 key steps that will help you avoid the court of law.

  • Get insurance
This is absolutely crucial. Employer’s Liability Insurance is compulsory for all businesses and it covers you for any liability you may have for injury or death to your employees.

Elsewhere, Public Liability Insurance covers you for any liability or death to third parties, and damage to third parties property as a result of negligence by you or your employees.

Legal Expenses Insurance is vital to cover your legal costs, but check what your policy covers because often or not they can be limited in the amount covered, as well as the type of claims. A standard cover usually includes court costs, employing solicitors and accountancy fees.

  • Treat your staff and customers right
Customer service is imperative and it is the backbone to your business. If the customers are not happy, they won’t return to use your product/service, or worse, they could take you to court. A complaint should always be treated with the utmost respect.

If you fail to support your customers properly, you open yourself up to allegations. Be prompt with your responses and take a grievance seriously.

It is also important to retain your employee’s happiness. Employment disputes are a major cause of litigation and wrongful/ unfair dismissal are the most common types of claim. Treat everyone how you would like to be dealt with, and look after your workforce.

  • Stay above board
If your business does everything by the book and nothing illegal, the chances are no-one will sue you because they won’t have anything to back up their claim.

Know the law and your rights, as well as your employee’s rights and stick to them. Put policies in place and make sure they are adhered to.

For example; if the floor is wet, make sure your employee’s know the correct procedure to clean it up and put out a warning sign, before anyone slips. This minimises the risk of an accident occurring, and should a fall happen, you have backed yourself up legally.

Communicate to all employees what your policies are; make sure they know the basic do’s and don’ts; and comply with legislation.

  • Document everything
The statement ‘but I told him not to do it’ would not stand up in court. Why? Well because the claimant can argue that nothing was ever said. Nowadays, if you want to give the business a sense of security, you need to put everything in writing.

Even if something is said verbally and is agreed, follow it up with an email to document the important conversation. By doing so, neither party can deny the exchange at a later date. Any type of agreement, whether it is a contract, transaction or chat; get it in written form.

  • Run background checks when recruiting
What kind of staff are you taking on? You can minimise the risk of fraud taking place by running thorough background checks. Before recruiting anyone, run a CRB check and make sure that they are ‘harmless’ in terms of cons or schemes.

Have they previously taken anyone to court? Obviously if it wasn’t their fault this shouldn’t be penalised against, but you should take all court proceedings into account.

  • Pay your taxes on-time
As a business, you have a responsibility to pay corporate tax on-time and to report all your earnings. You can be sued if you are not paying the right amount of tax, and sooner or later the organisation which collects debt, be after you.

Whether it is HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), they will come after you if you are untrue.

Change the face of your business and follow the steps above to reduce the chances of being taken to court. Remember- being sued is costly but there are options available that can help by offering a funding solution to the costs of running a case.

This article was provided by Vannin Capital, specialists in litigation funding. The experts provide a risk-free solution to pursuing litigation for every business.

 

Filed Under: Finance, Management

How Postgraduate Study Can Help Land You A Job

02/05/2013 By

Finding a job in the current economic climate can be difficult – with an uncertain future, many businesses and public sector employers are hesitant to employ new members of staff and are increasingly looking for guarantees that they will see a return on their investment.

However, this is where postgraduate study can come in handy: not only does a postgraduate qualification make your CV stand out, but it demonstrates to potential employers that you are motivated and dedicated to your subject.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ report on postgraduate education found that the number of people undertaking postgraduate education grew by over a third between 1998 and 2010, with nearly a quarter of students in the UK studying at postgraduate level. “The advanced knowledge and capability of postgraduates are highly prized by business and the public sector,” said the report.

“The skills of postgraduates, especially researchers, are critical for tackling major business challenges and driving innovation and growth.

The UK’s ability to provide people skilled to this level is an important factor in attracting global businesses to locate high-value operations here.”

Postgraduate degrees can be taken in almost any subject, and institutions like Middlesex University offer a wide variety of courses, from accounting and business administration to nursing and social work, these courses provide a valuable next step for those who want to specialise in a subject, or even take your career in a new direction. Not only do people with postgraduate degrees earn more, but they find their skills in demand from a wider variety of institutions: everyone from blue-chip companies to leading think tanks and public sector departments seek the expertise of people who have dedicated years of extra study to their chosen subject.

Remember that these courses are typically much more intensive than an undergraduate degree: they’re demanding, fast-paced and require a lot of time and attention, but the rewards can be literally life-changing.

If you’re interested in seeing what a postgrad qualification could do for your career, go to your chosen university’s next postgraduate fair to find out more information and see what your options are. It could well be the route to finally landing that job of your dreams – and if nothing else, the experience you gain and people you meet along the way will be invaluable.

 

Filed Under: Business

The Data Protection Act and Secure Document Disposal

01/16/2013 By

Small business owners have a responsibility to protect the sensitive information of their clientele. Even if small business owners outsource some of their work, the owners are still responsible for such sensitive information. The business owners may face repercussions if these details are accessed for the purposes of fraud, which is why it is important to consider secure safety procedures such as the confidential shredding of information.

For the information of such business owners, the Data Protection Act and Secure Document Disposal states that personal data must be:

  • processed fairly and lawfully,
  • for one or more legally sanctioned purpose,
  • specific to the purpose, adequate and not excessive,
  • accurate and timely,
  • kept no longer than the life of the purpose,
  • processed according to the rights of the individual; for the individual to be informed of the information being processed, to prevent such information from being marketed, and to be compensated if damaged by such marketing, and
  • not passed to countries outside the European Economic Area.
A description of the personal information of clients to be processed is as follows:
  • the client’s racial or ethnic origin,
  • the client’s political opinions,
  • the client’s religious beliefs or similar practices,
  • the client’s affiliation with a trade union,
  • the client’s mental or physical health,
  • the client’s sexual preferences,
  • the act or the accusation of an act of an unlawful nature by the client, and
  • an action in court of an act or accusation of an act of an unlawful nature by the client.
Secure disposal of personal information on a small business owner’s clientele is not limited to merely shredding paperwork. Computers with the latest updated firewalls and virus protection programmes are a must-have. Program the operating system to notify users of the latest security updates. Encrypt personal information held in computers so hackers can’t retrieve the information for fraudulent purposes. Keep daily backups for use if the computers are lost or stolen. Remove all personal information if business owners are changing from old computers to new ones. Destroy the hard drive or use technology for such removal. Last but certainly not least, install anti-spyware software, which is often available for free. This prevents hackers from gaining personal information.

Other security measures would include training staff not to relay personal information via email that is not encrypted, nor relay it to groups of individuals. Staff should be trained not to open spam. It sometimes contains viruses or spyware. Staff should know what to look for in persons seeking such personal information for fraudulent purposes.

Robert Dean has been involved in the shredding services for several years and believes in the importance of business security and managing paperwork. He currently works for TheShreddingAlliance.co.uk.

Filed Under: Business

Online Egypt An Investment Opportunity?

01/09/2013 By

The Internet may be driving business forward in many parts of the world, but in some regions, notably in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), it’s having a bit of a tough time becoming fully integrated and established within mainstream society. Having said that, Internet use in Egypt, for example, has come a long way in a very short time.

However, although internet business banking, typically, is widely offered by Egypt’s vibrant financial sector, even there, many small and medium-sized enterprises have yet to exploit the online services available to any great degree. This is particularly so in Egypt’s tourism sector, a major contributor of GDP. Yet, if the figures are to believed, only 1 in 20 of tourism businesses make use of the Internet in any meaningful way. Now that’s a really surprising statistic given the importance of the industry.

Egypt is currently experiencing dramatic political and economic upheaval at the moment, a situation which has generated thousands of column-inches and interminable news reports in newspapers, radio and television stations around the world. So there’s little need to add to the coverage here. But, in passing, it is interesting to note how self-obsessed Egyptians have now become with the Internet since the 2011 revolution and the downfall of the oppressive Mubarak regime.

The point has been well made by a number of commentators over recent weeks and months. The pity is it took a revolution in order to bring this natural state of affairs about. How we in the West tend to take the freedoms which the Internet brings very much for granted.

It’s the young who’ve very much led the growth of internet usage in Egypt, just as they’ve done in the rest of the world. But when considering the most popular activities – email, searching for and downloading information – it’s a bit like looking at how the Internet was used in the United States some 10 or 15 years ago. But everything is now changing, catching up with the rest of the world.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in Egypt’s love affair with social media. The use of the likes of Facebook has soared in recent years, from a mere 4 million accounts in 2010 to something near the 12 million mark in 2012. More than 3 out of every 4 users are aged under 30. Indeed, there are more Facebook users in Egypt than anywhere else in the Arab world. Much of the upsurge has been driven by the growing popularity of smartphones and other such devices, used by almost half of internet users to go online.

But if social media is making major in-roads into everyday life in Egypt, the same can’t be said of online shopping. The typical Egypt bank may offer online banking and other bank account services, including as standard a debit or credit card, but in a country where cash is still king, it’s proving hard to change old habits. The statistics make that abundantly clear with a disappointing 2% of internet users shopping online in 2011. There are other reasons, too, including a lack of trust in online security.

However, even here, the landscape is slowly changing for the better, providing entrepreneurs both in Egypt and across the world with lucrative investment opportunities.

Go here for more about Egypt and the Internet.

Filed Under: Finance
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