Is Self Employment Right for You?
Self employment is becoming an increasingly popular career choice in a world with fewer secure jobs. It can provide an extra income for individuals and families or replace a job lost through redundancy or unemployment. It can also provide a welcome source of revenue for those who have retired with insufficient pensions. Young people are also setting up online businesses to fund their college education.
How can you decide if self-employment is right for you?
There are a number of factors to consider:
Are you self-motivated?
In other words, will you get out of bed early and be at your desk on time without a boss to notice your arrival time? And will you get on with work, rather than phoning friends, surfing the internet or watching daytime TV?
Are you prepared to do whatever it takes?
When you start up in business, you’ll have to do everything for yourself, unless you have the funds to pay someone else. This means doing everything from the accounts, to buying stationery, answering the phone and emails, as well as getting on with providing the goods and/or services which form the basis of your business.
Are you persistent?
It can take time to get a business off the ground, especially if you are starting on a shoestring budget and you may have some initial setbacks. However, it’s important to keep going despite this.
Can you cope with isolation?
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Résumé Writing Tips 2
A CV or resume should be easy to read and
must be neatly set out. It is an important piece of
paper, as not only is it the document which could
get you an interview, it is also the first impression
you will make with your potential employer.
If you follow the tips below our CV will look
professional and will be easily scanned by
prospective employers.
Some basic rules:
Paper
- good quality white paper
- standard letter size
- always send a top copy, never a photocopy.
- two pages for most CVs
- one page for school leavers
- longer only for academic CVs or
- very senior posts
Consistent layout
- double check your margins and tabs
- make sure everything is lined up properly.
- choose one font and stick to it throughout
Consistent headings
- use the same format for all your headings
If you need help with your resume, you’ll find all the information you need in Resumes which get Results.
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Résumé Writing Tips
It’s really important that you target your CV
or résumé to highlight the requirements of the job you are applying for.
When employers are scanning a batch of CVs - and remember they
may have to look at several hundred - they will spend 20-30 seconds
on each.
That means that you have 20-30 seconds to make an impression!
So, if you are applying for a job as a secretary, does the employer
want to know that you worked for 3 years in a factory? No!
dressmaker? No!
Whatever the employer wants, comes first. The rest can be included, but not highlighted. Whatever is related to the job should stand out, so that the employer sees it within that crucial 20-30 seconds.
It is usual, at least in the
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It’s Your Résumé - Write Your Own!
Your résumé is one of the key factors in the process of getting the job of your dreams. Its purpose is not to actually get you that job, but to make the employer want to interview you. I’m going to explain why you should write it yourself.
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Jobs in Technology
Technology is another trend which keeps on growing, with computer-related jobs also expected to experience massive growth, but you can still cash in on this without entering a high-tech career. The increased application of technology in daily life also creates more jobs in sales and if you enjoy teaching, there is plenty of scope for educating people in how to use the latest inventions. These jobs do require a certain amount of technical knowledge, but their main focus is on other skills and you can specialize in one small area. Of course, technology moves incredibly quickly and you’ll have to keep up. So you’ll have to enjoy ongoing learning!
And for those of you who truly hate technology, how about helping people deal with the increased stress that technology causes? This seems to be more topical than the time-saving benefits which were talked about so much in the past!
The rapid growth of the internet has led to many new opportunities, not only for young computer geeks, but also for people of all ages who want to make a living from home. Many internet-related skills are therefore in demand, from teaching beginners how to surf and send email, to programming and designing websites. Depending on age (despite laws against age discrimination, computer-related jobs tend to go to younger workers) and ability, jobs in these areas can be in full-time employment, on short-term contract or on a freelance basis. Anyone with internet skills can use them to build their own online business or help other people build theirs.
And if you don’t like the internet, how about organizing internet-free activities for families? With kids spending so much time in front of computer screens, communication within the family is an area in need of encouragement.
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Health Care
If you are at the beginning of your career or intending to change career, you might find it useful to know which sectors are growing fastest at the moment.
Naturally, this is not the only factor you should be taking into account when you decide on your career path, but the areas predicted to experience the most growth in the next 10-20 years are certainly worth considering.
These careers are likely to offer more security than some others, but that in itself isn’t a good enough reason to choose them. However, looking at areas of growth and then expanding your outlook to take in the bigger picture will help you to find a career you do enjoy and which isn’t likely to disappear overnight.
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Volunteering Your Way to a Job
With thousands of new graduates entering the job market over the summer, those who haven’t yet found a post will be starting to get a little despondent, especially as Christmas approaches. Whether you are a new graduate or simply looking for a career change, it may be time to reassess your strategy.
If you find you can’t get a job because you haven’t got the right experience and you can’t get the experience because you can’t get the right job, it may be time for a radical rethink.
If you are stuck in a Catch-22 situation, one alternative approach is to think about volunteering. This has a couple of big advantages – it will get you both the valuable experience you so desperately need and it will get you a reference. Not having a good reference in a relevant field can be a sticking point if you are just out of college or have been out of the workforce for some time.
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