How Does the Cost of Living in the UK Compare to Wages

How Does the Cost of Living in the UK Compare to Wages Its a depressing fact that a  large portion of your salary will go towards basic living costs, predominantly the cost of your accommodation. And though there are far more glamorous things  that Im sure we would all rather spend our money on, putting a roof over our head comes in as the top priority, so its important that we find a job that can support us financially. However, with house prices going up in the UK and the cost of renting on the increase too, this is becoming a tougher and tougher matter to face. Swift Money have put together this infographic looking at the current house prices in the UK, alongside the average wages for British workers. They compared these to prices in 1999 to see how things have changed over the years. Heres how they compare: What are the average house prices in the UK? The average house price in England was   £284,538  in 2015 compared to £74,096 in 1999. House prices have gone up by  284% since 1999. The cheapest part of England to buy a property  is the North East. How much does it cost to rent in the UK? In 2014 the average cost to rent a 2 bed property in England was £677. The most expensive region to rent in is unsurprisingly London. Youll have to fork out a huge   £1375 a month for a 2 bedroom property in the Capital. The cheapest region to rent in is the North East costing an average of just £456 for a 2 bedroom property. What are the average wages? The average wage in 1999 was £20,800. It has now gone up 27% to £26,394. The highest average wage is in London, with workers earning an average of £34,200. The lowest average wage is in the North East, where workers earn an average of £24,450.

Why An OPM Writing Your Federal Resume Might Be a Good Idea?

Why An OPM Writing Your Federal Resume Might Be a Good Idea?If you are a former employee of the government or other public organizations, you may be able to re-enter the workforce with an OPM Writing Your Federal Resume. This is a government initiative to make it easier for people to get back into the workforce once they leave government employment. And, it makes it easier for new employees to find employment because many of them want to work in public service for various reasons.This program is actually part of the U.S. Department of Labor's continuing efforts to expand opportunities for all Americans by putting people back to work. A lot of them would have had trouble finding work in their previous jobs in the private sector. A large part of the reason for this is the economy has been so bad for so long that it has caused many to lose their job security.A lot of people may not have anything to compare their previous work experience to. With this program, you can get a sample federa l resume and an introduction to how it works. You can use this information to start a job search.One of the most important things about an OPM Writing Your Federal Resume is that you do not have to pay anything to apply. This means you do not have to worry about wasting money or time on anything. All you need to do is fill out the application.The form for a federal resume is simple. You simply fill it out and print it out so you know what to put on it.Because the government offers a sample form, you can be sure that it is going to be easy to understand and you will not have to worry about any problems with it. When you get the completed form, you can send it in and it will be processed quickly.The only thing you will need is your personal information, such as your first and last name, date of birth, Social Security number, and your employer's name. You will also need a little information about yourself, such as education, experience, and salary. Once this is sent in, you will get yo ur initial evaluation.The evaluation will help you determine whether or not you qualify for a spot on the mailing list. Once you have been placed on the mailing list, you will receive a letter that explains your job posting and gives you directions on how to apply. After you have successfully applied, you will get your Federal Resume in the mail.

Are Unpaid Internships Immoral

Are Unpaid Internships Immoral This week, we asked you:  Are unpaid internships immoral?  You got back to us with a mixture of opinions. The overall consensus is  yes, experience is valuable. Many professionals agree, however, that working for free  isnt fair  on  interns desperate to get experience. That being said, to progress in your career, an internship is perhaps a great way of demonstrating your abilities, improving your skills, gaining industry contacts and potential routes into your industry. Work experience and volunteer work also serves as similar purpose: offering  hands-on experience that will be invaluable to your industry of choice. You can join our #UROpinion chat every Monday on LinkedIn.  Be sure to join our community now for the latest and greatest recruitment and career discussions. #ICYMI we want #UROpinion: Are unpaid internships immoral? Reply now on LinkedIn! http://t.co/2Rx0CIp2TYpic.twitter.com/JqJYHv5Met â€" Undercover Recruiter (@UndercoverRec) February 26, 2015 On LinkedIn: Guy Williams Handyman at GD Home Repairs Although I believe that internship might be immoral, but to who? I truly believe that an internship should get paid but not as much as a full time position does. David Hunt Design for Life Cycle design, manufacturing, assembly in one package No. So long as all parties understand the terms. Amanda Malitsky says her previous unpaid internships boosted  her career considerably: Amanda Malitsky Recruitment Consultant, LION Not at all. Unpaid internships got me into places early in my career that I would never have had the chance to be involved Kevin Pray says that internships are  worse than most people imagine, causing damage to  both employers and employees: Kevin Pray, MBA Asbestos Litigation Docket Supervisor at Schiff Hardin LLP Yes, and economically destructive to both employers and employees, as well. Rebecca Pavlik {LION} Talent Acquisition Specialist at North Star Staffing Solutions eCommerce/IT/IT Project Management I completed an unpaid internship. I wouldnt say they are completely immoral, but they toe the line. Graham Courtney adds to the opinion that  an internship is agreement by both parties, and that interns gain valuable experience from it: Graham Courtney General Manager SimuLearn Inc If someone gives themselves (or a product) away for free, they do so for future gain and opportunity. What does morality have to do with it? Its a choice made by both parties. And as a former president found out, an intern can do a heap of damage too. Felicia Woodley also says that internships are a great way of gaining valuable experience that will forward an interns career: Felicia Woodley Recruiter at Advantage Sales Marketing I dont believe they are. An unpaid internship is teaching the intern valuable business practices, that they will later carry on into a career. BLANCHE E. CORDERO HR Generalist Looking for P/T HR Opportunity Immoral is a very strong word and not at all appropriate in this situation. A person is exchanging their time for an incredible opportunity to learn and be critiqued. There are many many truly immoral things that companies do, but this is not one of them. Brian Solar, CPRW Career Coach/Talent Recruiter/Advisor with experience in career counseling, talent acquisition , and resume writing. Absolutely not. I have to agree with Blanche, immoral is too strong of a word as well. Internships, especially those for course credit, can be an invaluable experience. So often college graduates enter the workforce with little to no experience. These internships allow them to gain strong, hands on experience that they just will not get in the classroom. With the basic question of paid vs unpaid, the short term internship experience far outweighs any moral argument. Experiences that can have a deep impact on your career development can be few and far between. The internship is one of these situations. On Twitter: On Twitter, Eike Spengler said that he felt internships are immoral, signalling that many  inexperienced workers  and graduates are  desperate  for any experience. Eike said employers should at least cover travelling and other expenses: Its immoral, @UndercoverRec unpaid interns have no 2nd choice. Employers with a certain reputation cover at least the ongoing costs. â€" Eike G. Spengler (@EikeGS) March 2, 2015 @UndercoverRec An unpaid intern is a volunteer.. â€" Clyde Built (@Nemomeimpunela) March 5, 2015 Are unpaid internships immoral?  Let us know in the comments, or reply  in our discussion on LinkedIn now! To conclude,  many people feel that while they are questionable, internships are an agreement by both parties. There are benefits to be gained from taking on internships, but its only advisable with prior financial support.

How To Start Your Own Business With Anna Bance From Girl Meets Dress

How To Start Your Own Business With Anna Bance From Girl Meets Dress By Anna Bance, Founder, Girl Meets Dress One of the first things on your mind when you’re fresh out of university is your career prospects. Having completed your degree you’re already half way there to getting your first job, but now comes the tough part. Not everybody gets their dream job immediately but don’t give up â€" you never know, the job you settle for could be the stepping stone to achieving your dream job. Decision to start my company After completing my degree at The London College of Fashion I worked at InStyle magazine, The Telegraph magazine, Harpes Bazaar, and then joined Hermes as UK PR Manager where I stayed for 3 years before launching Girl Meets Dress. My decision to launch a company was something I had been planning on doing for a long time, and as soon as I had the idea for Girl Meets Dress I knew that, together with my Co-Founder Xavier, it was the one we should dive into. We provide millions of women the ability to rent designer dresses and accessories for a fraction of the retail price, allowing them to look and feel beautiful for all of their special occasions. If, like me, you have an idea that you feel could be turned into a business, you should always pursue this or at least look into the market. The Girl Meets Dress story began in 2009 when I was working as UK PR Manager for French Luxury brand Hermes and like my previous roles in the fashion industry, it involved lending the collection of dresses and accessories out on a daily basis to fashion magazines, shoots, celebrities and journalists. I thought  wouldnt it be amazing if we could all borrow dresses for just one event, and wear a different designer for every event in our calendar?” When we looked into the market we saw that no one was doing it. We were the first company to rent luxury fashion online and it is wonderful that Girl Meets Dress is now pioneering the way for rental as a new and exciting e-commerce category of its own. The initial preparation I knew it was just a matter of time before I started my own business.   Something I had always wanted to do when the right idea came along. Launching a business is always going to have an element of risk, but I believed in the idea, my co-founder and the market potential. There will never be a perfect time to leave your secure job, risk your salary decrease or take a chance on an idea which might not work. When launching a business I recommend choosing an area that you know something about. There are exciting ways to pioneer every market, whichever field you love. Of course, you can learn about any new topic â€" but will need to be able to compete with people with years of knowledge and expertise. The very first steps in setting up the business are very simply putting a basic website live and confirming demand for your product. Once you know the market potential exists and customers are excited, you can build on that and expand further. The early days are all about testing. The trend for fast fashion phenomenon over the past few years has been fuelled by trend-led low-cost retailers and celebrities, so we have ended up consuming at such a rapid rate that women now buy four times as much clothing as 30 years ago and the average woman has 22 garments in her wardrobe that she has never worn. Promotion and marketing are important One of the most important and impactful skills to have is the ability to promote and market the product and brand to get that all-important traffic through the doors. PR for us was a huge element in growing the awareness of Girl Meets Dress so I couldn’t have wished for a more suitable previous career (I was UK PR Manager for Hermes). Find a Co-Founder with a different skill-set to yours. This is a brilliant way to launch without needing to hire a full team on day 1. If you can split the main areas of the business between you, then you can launch with minimal cost and test the product at market â€" which is the first step to seeing if there is demand. When we started, ensuring we have a full team in place while bootstrapping was no easy feat. We were lucky to find so many hard-working and ambitious staff to stick with us and the vision. Fulfilment and logistics is an area which has to evolve and improve all the time as the company grows and orders increase. New processes and staff roles have to adapt to demand for the product to maintain efficiency. Girl Meets Dress now has the potential to be huge. When creating your business don’t over think it what’s the worst that can happen? You’ll go back to your previous role until you come up with the next idea!

How To Improve Your Barbara Resume Writing

How To Improve Your Barbara Resume WritingBarbara, who didn't want her last name used, had never received a resume in the mail. While she certainly wasn't the best qualified candidate for the job, the circumstances surrounding her lost work experience were unique. Therefore, Barbara's thoughts turned to how she could improve her chances at the position in question.The confusion stemmed from Barbara's self-esteem issues, which stem from a tumultuous childhood in which her mother was an alcoholic and her father was an abusive figure who occasionally physically abused Barbara herself. Unfortunately, this has left Barbara with a myriad of troubles that have subsequently left her with many emotional problems. Unfortunately, despite her imperfections, Barbara did find employment at the appropriate level, which necessitated some Barbara resume writing.When people ask what should they include on their resume, the answer varies greatly from person to person. Some believe that the best thing t o include is a summary of accomplishments and skills, while others prefer to emphasize their previous jobs. Yet others still tend to overdo the hand-waving that invariably goes along with preparing for interviews and while looking for employment.Barbara's emotions were so lacerating that she didn't know where to begin. Fortunately, she had a friend who worked in HR and he listened to her plight. He was impressed by her openness to change her life to become more positive and dynamic.It wasn't a job search that changed Barbara's outlook. Rather, it was the simple fact that a job might be available in the company she had been given just two weeks earlier. This might not sound like much, but for Barbara it was a first step.Barbara made a few changes to her resume. She included a summary of her experiences and skills in the opening line and listed her skills in the second paragraph. This helped her stand out among the hundreds of applicants that she met during her short tenure as a trial employee.She was concerned that some of the applicant's chances of getting the job might be hindered due to past mistakes. However, after reading through some of the applicant's resumes, she found that Barbara didn't really have any red flags on her resume. In fact, her professional history and personal experiences were quite impressive.This conviction gave Barbara hope that she might be granted a position. When Barbara returned home, she did make a few changes to her resume. She read through her past employers' histories and learned that it took a long time for the company to act upon her application.

How Highly Successful Leaders Drive Innovation CareerMetis.com

How Highly Successful Leaders Drive Innovation â€" CareerMetis.com Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comInnovation has become an overused, hollow buzzword.Quite the opposite.Martin Reeves, head strategist at BCG’s think tank in New York, offers some startling statistics:The average lifespan of a public company is now just 30 yearsEmployees can expect no more than 15 years of tenure in their current companyThere’s a 30% chance that your business will fail in five yearsClearly, as a leader, trying to surf trends won’t cut it anymore. As I’ve mentioned in my recent interview with the Huffington Post, you have to genuinely, aggressively, passionately innovate â€" your strategy, your value proposition, your culture, and your products.As in, what sort of culture does your leadership inspire? Below are some descriptors to get you thinking:Cautious or inquisitiveServing the C-Suite or serving your customersReactionary or strategicCompetitive or connectedBe honest with yourself.Because where you are stylistically is likely a direct reflection of your company c ulture.evalOften, our approach to challenges evolves as a means of survival. And once the energy is set in motion, it can be tough to undo. But it can be undone.EVALUATE YOUR PEOPLEWhat kind of work does your team produce â€" good, or ground-breaking?If you’re at the good end of the spectrum, you’re not alone. And again, it’s likely a by-product of the classic big business culture in which so many of us function. Where individuals matter more than teams; and where only ideas from senior leadership make the cut.So, now that you know where you are, where do you want to be?evalI suspect that if you really think about it, the roadblocks in your company’s culture have been disturbing you for a while now.HOW, THEN, TO SHIFT THE PARADIGM?Author, leadership consultant, and entrepreneur Margaret Heffernan professes that the secret lies in chickens.In her famous TED talk, she quotes a six-generation productivity study that compares a group of diverse hens to a group of continually han d-picked “super chickens.”While the diverse group of hens thrived and grew more prolific, the super chickens destroyed each other. Literally.So, what do these chickens have to do with your team’s ability to innovate?Let’s break it down:Super Chickens = High Potential EmployeesDiverse Chickens = Blended TeamCould it be that the days of relying on an uber-talented SME or a hand-picked first-string senior exec are gone? Check.evalAccording to Malcolm Gladwell, in his podcast Revisionist History, the phenomenon isn’t just showing up in the corporate world.He asserts that sports teams and institutes of higher education are also more innovative when driven by a culture of what Gladwell calls “weak-link networks” Jean Oelwang, CEO of Virgin Unite, said that honest dialogue is a new power, the new success, the new sexy.So, what exactly might this look like?Consider 50+-year-old company, WL Gore. The creators of the material Gore-Tex, and countless other inventions, the culture is known for its focus on innovation. But with a few unique twists.1. There’s No Set HierarchyGore refers to his company’s structure as a “lattice-work”, one of the original matrixed organizations.And when team members from different sections of the lattice come together on a project, they make it a point to distinguish between questioning someone’s idea and questioning the person.By taking the personal element out of it, everyone is free to speak their minds about the work.2. Many Employees Have Been Around for 20+ YearsAnd they’re still active in ideation. In fact, the millennials onboard call them the “Wise Ones”.Whether virtual or in-person, their project teams are multigenerational. Again, everyone has their place. Everyone’s contribution matters.Which brings me to my last point about WL Gore.3. They Don’t Call Their Culture “Innovative”They don’t offer Googly perks like free food and onsite dry cleaning.HR refers to their culture as “conscious”. Meaning, it empowers the individual to mindfully question and create. And amazingly, leaders and associates READY TO LEAD LIKE AN INNOVATOR?Start with these five actions that Stephen Covey coined the “Innovator’s DNA”…Question: Challenge conventional wisdom at every turn, especially when it’s uncomfortable.Observe: Scrutinise everything about your business as though you’re seeing it for the first time.Network: Seek out people who are utterly different from you (and your team) to spark some constructive conflict.Experiment: Tweak, twist, bend, flex, and move in ways that might seem outlandish to see what results emerge.Connect: Don’t limit your sight to your industry, or your comfort zone. Use your vision to connect the dots on a universal scale.Wondering if the approach will work? Personally, I love concrete examplesâ€"especially those coming from outside the corporate world. So I’ll leave you with one.In the late 1950s, a breakthrough American TV series called The T wilight Zone tackled taboo topics like aliens and time travel.The writer and creator, Rod Serling, felt it gave him the perfect forum to question the country’s political status quo.“I found that it was all right to have Martians saying things Democrats and Republicans could never say.”How will you rethink your world?

Job Search Research Tools Part 1

Job Search Research Tools Part 1 I love doing research on the Internet and I frequently direct my clients to job relevant resources on the web. But for certain research, you just can’t beat the public library. Some of the best research tools online are fee based, but you can gain access to these same resources in book form at your local library. Whether you need to search for recruiters, networking leads, or decision makers, the library can provide priceless (and free) access to numerous search-relevant materials. Below are a few of my favorites:The Corporate Directory of U.S. Public Companies contains essential financial and business data for over 11,000 U.S. public companies. The directory is the only publication to provide salaries and ages of officers and directors as well as their full names and titles.The Encyclopedia of Associations is a comprehensive source of detailed information on 22,000 American associations of national scope. They also publish an International Organization listing of 22,300 associatio ns and a regional, state, and local organization listing with 115,000 entries. Included in the reference book are addresses and descriptions of professional societies, trade associations, labor unions, cultural, and religious organizations.Kennedy Guide to Executive Recruiters published annually, this national guide includes recruiter names, addresses, phone and fax numbers, and web and email addresses. An international version of the book is also available.The Directory of Top Computer Executives concentrates on organizations that have the highest potential to be supporting large IT functions. For an organization to be listed it must have a full-time VP, Director, or Manager of IT; have a multi-user host computer; or have more than 75 deployed PCs in the U.S. or 25 in Canada. The Directory lists the top-ranking individual over the IT function, such as the CIO or VP, Director, or Manager of information technology. In addition, second-level managers (which directly report to the top executive) include the manager of software development, manager of operations, manager of networking/data communications, manager of microcomputers, and the manager of technical support.Check back tomorrow for some more great tools!

Career Corner Interview Tips from ReFocus on Careers - Face-to-face Interviews Conduct the Interview Part III - Hallie Crawford

Career Corner Interview Tips from ReFocus on Careers - Face-to-face Interviews Conduct the Interview Part III I recently spoke to a great networking and career search group, Re:Focus on Careers, about creating a kick ass elevator speech. Keep an eye out for all of these free interview tips in my Career Corner posts: Conduct the Interview Have your own agenda and know where the interview should be heading. This will give you confidence and help you move from one area of questioning to the next. Remember: Most interviewers are as uncomfortable as you are. They just want the position to be filled as fast as possible. If you can put the interviewer at ease by helping things move smoothly, youll improve your chances of being hired. Remember the following: 3. Communication skills. Good grammar and articulate speech are essential. If this is an area where youre weak, work on it. Practice on your family, practice in front of a mirror, record your voice, take classes do whatever it takes to become a more effective communicator. If you’re interested in having me speak at your next event about finding a career you love, go here: www.halliecrawford.com/appearances.html. I’d be happy to discuss! Certified Career CoachCareer Speaker