Successful Blog

4 Steps to a Job When You Graduate

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A Guest Post by
Darren McCloskey

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Fully Prepare

Dissertations have been handed in and the months until graduation are quickly slipping past – but what next? It won’t be long until graduates start out on their intrepid job hunting adventures and companies begin to snap them up into employment. It’s now time to sit back and begin to plan your next steps. Finding a job is a time investment and you’re going to need to be fully prepared. Thankfully, we’ve created an expert guide on graduate job seeking so you know how to move onto the next stage of your life.

The Bottom isn’t so scary

For those of you are who are lucky enough to know what you want to do in the future, the best first step to take is to make note of organisations you would love to work for. Whether it’s because they offer high wages or just seems to have the best cultural fit, make a list of them all and spend some time looking up the various roles they offer. If there aren’t any at your graduate level, look at roles that are lower down – even if this means starting at the bottom. If you can show passion and a great work ethic at lower levels, why would they hire someone else when an opening for your ideal role appears?

Head to your chosen employers website and try to glean some information regarding their recruitment process. If they use a particular recruiter, make note of their name or find out the names of the in house recruitment team members. Remember not to dismiss any role that you can apply for – it’s not just a job but a networking opportunity, a valuable asset when only 40% of jobs are openly advertised to job seekers.

Internships aren’t always Unpaid

While unpaid internships seem to be floating around at an increasing rate, there are ways to make them work for you if you don’t live at home or have savings to support yourself. Internships are a valuable way to get work experience and gather a number of industry contacts for later use in your career. If you can’t manage to work unpaid for a month or so, ask if you can work on a part time basis, so you can balance unpaid work with another paid part time job. Even asking for an afternoon every week to do some work experience will be beneficial to you in the long run and allow you to get a grasp of job roles and contacts in the industry.

There’s Plenty out There

There’s a whole industry of recruiters devoted to placing graduates into suitable roles, so don’t fret, there’s definitely a job out there for you. Of course, there may be a higher amount of competition for certain roles, but determination and persistence can get you anywhere. On average it takes around 60 job applications to get an interview or two, but if you’re still struggling to hear anything then perhaps you should consider getting your CV checked over, or downloading a new CV template.

Your university should offer careers advice and set you on the right track. They may even advise you on contacts they have so you can call up for an impromptu chat or networking events that you can attend to widen your horizons.

Always make sure you have thoroughly researched the company that you’re sending an application to. Considering the amount of competition your application might have, it’s best to be right the first time and show you have commitment to learning more. For instance, looking up potential colleagues on LinkedIn or finding their blogs online will be another point you can cover in future interviews and make you memorable.

Companies want to know about YOU

Reports have shown that the quality of applications that employers have received has improved. Graduates have proven to be adept at answering competency based questions but seem to falter when it comes to what motivates them! Beware of tricky questions such as “Where do you see yourself in five years time?” and “Why do you want this role with us?” as questions such as these cannot be blagged. They require preparation and a thought as to what your goals in life are. Once you have an interview set some time to sit down and go through as many possible questions you can think of. Make sure you know what you want and why you want it – if you can’t explain why you want a job, why should they give it to you?

So there you have it, four simple pieces of priceless advice to get you on your way to graduate employment.

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Author’s Bio:
Darren McCloskey is a freelance writer working within the recruitment section with the people of monster to help promote how employment agencies can help find engineering jobs

Thank you, Darren!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Ideas & Infographs: The Effects Your Small Business Can Have By Hiring Just One Person

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Guest Post
by Adria Saracino

It is hard to imagine a small business hiring one person having any lasting effect on unemployment in the UK. After all, the rates are now at a 17-year high. However, new data suggests this is the case; that small businesses can in fact reduce unemployment.

Simply Business. a company that provides insurance for small businesses, conducted some marketing research after new unemployment data was released by the British government. Of the small businesses surveyed, 27% said they plan to hire at least one employee in the next twelve months. And all of the sudden, that “one person” quickly turns into over 300,00 new jobs across the market.

Simply Business created the following UK unemployment infographic to display the effect small business owners have on the economy.

Click this link to see the full-size infographic.

Jason Stockwood, CEO of Simply Business, said:

“The optimistic picture these small businesses paint is heartening in these tough times. When you consider that SMEs account for 99.9 per cent of the total enterprises in the UK and provide over 59 per cent of the jobs in the private sector their continued success and growth is key to our economic recovery.”

With such a large number of new employment, there would be an estimated decrease in over 190,000 people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance, resulting in the government saving over £10,000,000 each week.

Are you the owner of a small business? And if so, do you plan on hiring anyone in the next twelve months? If so, you just might end up being part of a large decrease in unemployment rates.

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Adria Saracino is the Head of Outreach at Distilled, a creative Internet marketing agency. When not connecting with interesting people on the web you can find her talking about style at her personal fashion blog. Follow her on twitter @adriasaracino to stay in touch.

Thanks, Adria!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

How to Make Your Surroundings Work for You

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Guest Post
by Rachel Carlson

When life gets busy, a good exercise routine can fall by the wayside. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways you can make physical activity a part of everyday life — sometimes without going to the gym! Read on to discover just a handful of ways you can make small adjustments to your day so that you never miss a workout again.

Find Exercise in Everyday Activities

Reviews of elliptical trainers suggest that they can be a great way to burn calories and get in shape, but they are not the only method for achieving physical fitness. Back in 2002, the New England Journal of Medicine published the results of a study which compared the fitness results of test subjects who only walked a bit extra every day to those who performed a set exercise program. The scientists discovered that the walkers got just as much benefit taking their exercise in small, manageable pieces as did the people who adhered to a schedule. Hence, it doesn’t matter if you exercise for one hour, or in fifteen minute increments. What really matters is the total amount of exercise you get.

Bryan Bordeaux, D.O., from Johns Hopkins University recommends taking a different approach to your everyday activities. He recommends using the stairs in your home as a means of exercise and also points out that things like yard work and house cleaning can actually burn a significant amount of calories. Bordeaux also suggests finding small opportunities for walking throughout the day. For instance, park farther away from your office and consider walking instead of driving to perform errands. You might also pass up the elevator in favor of taking the stairs. Any of these methods can get your heart rate up and burn calories.

Set Goals to Improve Fitness

Another important strategy for physical fitness is setting goals. The America On the Move Foundation cites goal-setting as being among the most important components of exercise. Begin by setting ultimate goals such as: Iíd like to lose twenty pounds or I’d like to put on ten pounds of muscle. To achieve them, you should also set incremental goals that will put you on the right track. You might decide to take 2,500 more steps every day and resolve to eat an apple as a morning snack instead of a Danish. Once you’re achieving these incremental goals on regularly, you can up the ante by adding another 500 steps every day, adding some light weight training, and having a salad with dinner every night. Achieving even these small goals will give you a sense of accomplishment and spur you on to the next level.

Keep Motivation Running High

Even with the best of intentions, we sometimes feel our motivation to be fit and active slipping away. Without realizing it, we begin to slide back into spending evenings on the couch with the television, without giving a thought to perhaps stretching or using a cardio machine while we watch.

The good news is that there are lots of strategies that can help you keep the importance of your fitness goals in mind. Certified fitness trainer Cindy Brotherston believes that people are motivated to exercise either through fear factors or positive motivations. Fear factors might relate to disease statistics, spending the balance of your life in debilitating health circumstances or finding yourself in danger of an early, preventable death. Positive motivation factors might include things like setting and achieving goals and using results of a workout program to help maintain inspiration. She also recommends taking a photograph of yourself before beginning an exercise program and then taking a further photograph several weeks in to see what kind of progress you’ve made. Noting any positive results can definitely supply you with any missing motivation.

Brotherson also recommends finding a reliable workout buddy who can give you external motivation to keep going with your fitness routine. When you know that someone else is counting on you to show up for a morning workout, it can definitely get you up out of bed and moving. Doing something you like can also help keep motivation high. Focus on fun-for-you sports like tennis, hiking at a nearby lake, or taking your dog for an extra long walk to keep moving toward your fitness goals.

Start Healthy Habits

Once you’ve resolved to live a healthier life, it’s important to begin in small increments. Cutting out every bad habit at once in a cold turkey fashion can actually be a good way to sabotage your efforts. Start by making a list of everything you’d like to either cut out or change. Your list might include things like walking to the store, eating four servings of fruits and vegetables every day, or giving up dessert three times a week. The list can be as long and detailed as you would like, but the important thing is to tackle one item at a time. Make each item on your list the focus of a week or perhaps even two. Once it begins to feel like a comfortable part of your routine, cut out something else or work on picking up a new healthy habit.

WebMD.com reports that changing even one factor for living a healthier life, like eating breakfast every morning, can significantly increase your ability to live a meaningful, active life. Involve your whole family in your healthful efforts by preparing a health-conscious dinner together on a Saturday night or spending Sunday on a long family bike ride. As a family, brainstorm for extra ways you can all get healthy and active together.

Make it Fun

Wellness expert Dr. Andrew Weil stresses the importance of making exercise fun in order to make it work for you. After all, when you enjoy your workouts, you’re more like to keep up with your routine. However, we all have a tendency to want to avoid certain exercises. Maybe you think developing upper body strength is no fun, for instance. Instead of avoiding weight training, try focusing on it instead. You have an opportunity to make significant progress and make this aspect of your workout a favorite by improving your performance.

When the routine starts to seem stale, change things up by adding a new twist. Purchase exercise bands, a new fitness DVD, or a exercise ball. Challenge yourself with a new class at the gym or resolve to change that one part of your body that you’ve always wished was different. Believe it or not, you are in charge and you can make a difference when it comes to your physical fitness.

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Author’s Bio:
Rachel Carlson is a writer and student that works from home. While she spends a lot of her time writing, she also helps different companies like Clear Wireless with gaining exposure through various blogs and websites. She has recently started a new Twitter account and is finally going to give it a real shot. She can be followed at @carlson_rachel.

Thanks, Rachel!
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

How Images Can Make Your Blog Post Demand to Be Read

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How to blog series

A Guest Post by
Chris Lamphear

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Successfully Working From a Home-based Office

Be Compelling. It’s one of the most important commandments for any successful blogger. But after you’ve written a post full of value for your reader, your job isn’t done. You have to figure out how to make your post jump off the page and demand to be read, otherwise all the work you’ve done writing the perfect post will be for naught.

I’ve been writing articles and promotional copy for more than twenty years and have learned that an attention-grabbing image is a must if you want to be read. I even started creating my own images and over time figured out the type of images that do the best job. Here’s what I’ve learned …

1. The image should communicate a concept.

Your reader wants to learn about a certain topic; that’s how he or she landed on your article. An accompanying image must clearly illustrate the same concept the reader is interested in. Don’t go with a pretty but generic picture. Ask yourself, “If I just stumbled here and didn’t know what this post was about, would this image tell me?” Make sure you pick a photo or illustration that clearly makes the very same points you’re writing about.

2. The image should be simple.

You have about one second to convince your reader to spend time with your article, and the less complex detail getting in the way of communicating your message, the better. The reader should not have to study the image to get to an “Aha!” moment and uncover your point. Think of the picture as a billboard shooting through your field of vision while you speed down a freeway. The most effective and powerful images are those that make an immediate impact. Be clear and you’ll get attention.

3. Intelligent use of vibrant color is candy for the eye.

Certain colors like red are flags that tell the reader the image is important and pull the eyes in. Stay away from drab, dull colors; instead look for primary and bright colors that jump off the page and say “look at this!” Here’s an example of an image of the word Goal with a target and arrow. Red is a color that tells the eyes “This is important,” and when the reader sees it and absorbs the message, determining this is in fact the subject he or she wants to learn about, you have succeeded.

4. Words in pictures tell a story.

Sometimes the best way to make your subject matter jump out and demand attention is to pick a picture that embeds that very word right inside it. Here’s an example: a two-way street sign with the words You Decide. Sometimes an image that incorporates a word or two can pull double duty, telling a reader what your post is all about more quickly than a wordless image can. In this sense, a word truly is worth a thousand pictures.

5. Relevant images = good SEO.

As a bonus, having images with titles and alt tags that support your subject could help you with SEO efforts. Communication is becoming more visual every day, and Google Image Search is being used by more and more people to quickly find the content they need. Be sure to include the appropriate image information in your code, such as title and alt description, and make sure you title the picture file something that matches your content.

I’ve decided to share my images with others like you to help you communicate your messages. Use one of my pictures in a post and see if it makes a difference! I’ll give you one in exchange for a link and credit. Just take a look at my royalty-free stock photo website and let me know what image you’d like to use. Click on the Contact Us page at www.theideadesk.com and tell me what you’d like to use. Good luck!

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Author’s Bio:
Chris Lamphear is author and owner of the ideadesk blog. where he writes about how to use design to boost the effectiveness of your communication, from winning new customers to growing relationships. Through the blog, I also offer free images from his site for royalty-free stock photos, theideadesk.com

Ideas & Infographs: How to Build a New Age Marketing Machine

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by Mihaela Lica

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The Right Balance of Human & Machine Outreach

Human powered search engines to artificial intelligence (AI), technology not only astounds us, but at times confounds us as to its proper uses. The same holds true for PR, marketing, advertising, even yelling at your next door neighbors for their dog barking. How and what you use to convey your messages is a crucial part of success, no matter what your goal. SPAMMING current or potential clients is only one negative where mechanized marketing is concerned, the “who” of method is just as crucial. How the message is received, this is the rub for all corporate, business, or personal community.

The infographic below reveals a good balance and some insight into how a new age marketing machine should be built. Using the right proportion of personable and technological (mechanical) power can work wonders for your business outreach. Conversely, the wrong mix will lose conversions, make some angry, and become an overall burden on your personal and business brand. You can’t grow your business to its potential, without thinking of how your message is perceived, adopted, and reverberated.

[Click the image to see the isolated infograph and again to see it full size.]

Understanding Marketing Automation

Marketing mechanization is then, in a real sense, just an extension of a good, standard communications strategy. Even “brick and mortar” PR & marketing firms do not SPAM their constituents with post office clutter, the balance is still crucial. Ask any great communicator today about chosing the right mix, and you will invartiably get the simple answers presented in the graphic above. Of course the long tail of overall communications strategies is complex, and for in depth professionals to implement, but you see the value.

Even in your personal mailbox, you can see the wisdom of correlating what you enjoy looking at, versus what really turns you off about newsletters and other communique. For the expert that comes up with the best balance? Well, the sky is the limit, wouldn’t you say? We hope you enjoyed the data above, and please let us know your views on best practices too.

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Author’s Bio:

Mihaela “Mig” Lica founded Pamil Visions in 2005 where she uses her hard won journalistic, SEO and public relations skills toward helping small companies navigate the digital realm with influence and success.

You can find Mig on Twitter as @PamilVisions

Thanks, Mig!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!