The Internship a creative approach to work experience!

The Internship a creative approach to work experience! On Sunday night, staff from Student Careers Skills and the student team from Warwick Student Cinema Society, co-hosted the showing of, “The Internship”.  Certainly enjoyable, although were not sure Google would be quite so cavalier in their recruitment practices. We laughed at the exploits of Billy and Nick and their somewhat creative approach to securing a much coveted Google internship an ambition shared with many a computer science student. Their road to (eventual) career success may have been a little unorthodox, but comedy aside there were some positive career messages. As you can tell, a careers consultant is never off duty, so think of this as film review and careers advice rolled into one! Avoid the car crash moments There were some helpful reminders of what not to do when hunting for work experience. Conducting a Skype interview in a children’s library; lying on the application form,  inventing qualifications and expressing a clear interest in the company fringe benefits. A big no-no. The story line was predictable and had an obvious narrative arc the triumph over adversity so beloved of Hollywood film execs. But cynicism aside â€" there were some genuine career tips (deliberate or otherwise!) that apply just as much in Coventry, as Palo Alto. Billy prepared and studied for the sales test, but forgot to listen carefully to the instructions, failing to turn on the essential software programme to assess his personal sales skills. Billy’s skills were his “uber” strength and this catastrophe cost him and the team dear, scoring a zero for the whole team assessment.  Socialising on a team night out, before another recruitment exercise, also led to near disaster. Food for thought when it comes to preparation for assessment centres or work placements. Dont leave it to chance. Make the most of your strengths Billy and Nick adapted and flexed throughout the assessment process, carefully selecting their personal team roles, relying on their more tech-literate colleagues to plug the skills gap. Throughout the demands and pressures of the experience they demonstrated listening, observation, assessment and self- awareness skills, drawing on these to support, guide and lead their team to success. Billy’s networking skills (with the seemingly unresponsive colleague, who turned out to be head of recruitment) proved to be a trump card and influenced the final decision. Note to (your)self: treat everyone you meet with respect, from cleaner to CEO. Billy and Nick’s main adversary in the whole week, “super confident intern” got his deserved comeuppance. His arrogance and unwillingness to compromise and adapt cast a shadow over his previous good performance. Challenging the assessors and viewing his competitors with contempt and disdain, were enough to call time on his chances of being selected. It’s not a competition Dramatic licence aside, it’s all too easy within the heat and pressure of competitive recruitment activities to exhibit some pretty repellent behaviours. Don’t fall into a trap of treating a selection process as some kind of ruthless competition, where the winner takes all. You are competing against yourself, nobody else. What shone throughout the film was the protagonists determination to keep going, drawing on their resilience and resourcefulness. Their tenacity  and good humour â€" despite obvious setbacks â€" was critical in their ultimate success. Over to you…. Good preparation, in tandem with stamina and resilience, are critical factors in surviving the rigours of the selection process whether thats at the assessment centre stage, or on the job itself.  But remember, unlike Billy and Nick, you dont have to travel solo on your career journey.  Theres plenty we can do to support you before, during and after your internship. Just pause to consider: You can book appointments for specialist careers guidance You can talk to us about your work experience needs and options You can develop your skills and get work-ready You can seek feedback on your CV, cover letter or application form You can practise your interview skills and experience a mock assessment centre You can talk to employers on campus and find out what theyre looking for You can read all the careers resources online (we have plenty!) You can Ask Warwick Alumni on LinkedIn and get insider hints and tips So really, whats stopping you? Billy and Nick had neither the support networks nor the relevant experience to help them fly, and had to make do with grit and charm. You have plenty of help at your disposal, so if you really want that internship Google or otherwise start using it!

What is Your Plan for the 2nd Half of Life [Infographic] - Career Pivot

What is Your Plan for the 2nd Half of Life [Infographic] - Career Pivot What is Your Plan for the 2nd Half of Life? â€" [Infographic] What is Your Plan for the 2nd Half of Life? â€" [Infographic] Earlier this month, we published a blog post What is Your Plan for the 2nd Half of Life? which included a survey asking questions about what you were going to do with the second half of your life. We received a quite a few responses, and here is what we found out. Do You Plan to Retire in the Next 10 Years? Copyright: Kamaga / 123RF Stock Photo A little over half of the respondents said no, that they didn’t plan to retire in the next 10 years. We should have asked a follow-up question to determine why people were not going retire in 10 years. Is it because you have more than 10 years before the retirement age? Or you don’t want to? Or can’t? We can speculate many reasons why, for so many of you, the answer to that question was no. But then again, we all know you can retire anytime that you want toâ€"65 is an age set by the government as a guideline and it is not mandatory. We have heard of people retiring in their 40s, 50s, or other ages because they chose to and had the means to do so. Do You Plan to Work During Your Retirement? An overwhelming number of respondents said that they will work during their retirement years. What Type of Employee will You Be? Many of you said that you would be either a part-time employee or self-employed. Part-time employment will allow you to try a new job within a different field if you want, or continue doing what you know best. The transition to self-employment will be assisted by all the tools that are available online that can help you run your business. You can work as much or as little as you would like. There will be opportunities to work with people within your neighborhood, city or across the country or around the world. We won’t be limited by our employment choices within our current city. The Primary Reason to Continue Working? The majority of the respondents said that the primary reason why they would continue to work is that it will give you something to do, a place to go, and a sense a purpose. Listen to the most recent episode In addition to giving you a sense of purpose, you will be able to pick which skills and talents that you want to use while continuing to work. The other skills and talents that you performed but didn’t particularly enjoy can be left on the table and picked up as necessary. Do you want more information about identifying your skills and talents? Read the blog post, Talents versus Skills â€" Do you know the difference?or watch the Office Hoursvideo about the same topic. What is Your Plan? Just like the survey says, I see myself working well into my retirement years because I want to have a sense of purpose and I will do it on my terms. For the past year, I have been thinking about my plan. What does that plan look like? What skills will I need and how can I develop them? These are just some of the questions I have been thinking about. I am learning that the process ischallenging at times, but I am glad that I am working through it now. I know that, in the end, my plan may not be perfect, but it will be a roadmap to help me create the 2nd half of my life. Check out past Career Pivot survey results here. What is your plan for the 2nd half of your life? This post was written by Elizabeth Rabaey, a Baby Boomer herself, is a creative with a love for details. She has spent over 20 plus years working for environmental engineering and consulting companies providing project management and technical assistance on many innovative engineering projects. She has applied creative, literary and scientific skills to these projects to help the client maintain a profitable business operation and protect humans, health, and the environment. Connect with her on LinkedInand Twitter. Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

Job Interview Autopsies What You Dont Know Will Hurt You - Pathfinder Careers

Job Interview Autopsies What You Dont Know Will Hurt You - Pathfinder Careers Job Interview Autopsies: What You Dont Know Will Hurt You Weve all had that awful job interview where either we bobbled a question someone tossed at us (such as: If you could be any animal, what would you be?) or we gave a bad answer  and afterwards  we smack our foreheads because we realized we could have given a much better answer. I talk to a lot of people who are very stressed out about interviews and loathe them for the very reason because theyve had bad ones  many say they would rather go have a root canal than go through the painful examination of an interview. But you know what? Interviews are actually good for you. Why? Think about it.   They put us on the spot in a way that we usually dont encounter  on a daily basis. An interview actually is a very powerful experience because you learn how you react under pressure. If you really want to get over those jitters, youll need to do an autopsy to discover what you need to know and / or work on to improve your skills in these situations. Here are some tips on becoming more comfortable and at ease: 1)   Interview often.   Practice makes  perfect.   The more you do it, the more its like staying on your bike.   And if you do happen to fall, itll be a lot easier to get back on again. 2) Dig into the interview and autopsy it.   What did you do well? What did you do wrong?   What did you expect? What happened that was unexpected?   Did you feel prepared or totally unready? 3) Write down all the questions you can remember AFTER the interview.   By keeping a running list of real interview questions youve encountered, you can gain skill in knowing what might be coming your way the next time you meet an employer. 4) Do your research.   Did the employer field a question to you that had something to do with the company?   If you had done your research, confidence comes with knowledge and even buy you some time.   Sometimes, even deflecting those questions with similar but different detailed  information can help you wiggle out of tight spots. 5) What was your gut instinct about the interview? Trusting your intuition is important if you are feeling not-so-great about an interview and your performance in there, there might have been something perhaps non-verbal that the interviewers were exuding that put you off.   If you arent walking out pumped up and energized, is this really the right opportunity for you? If you dont take the time to truly examine how you performed in an interview, and dont dissect the pieces that you did well versus the ones you had an #epicfail on, you wont learn about yourself nor will you learn what you can do better for next time.   In your lifetime, youll have a lot more interviews than job offers, so mastering the knowledge of your strengths and weak points is incredibly important to your career.. otherwise, what you dont know will hurt you.

Professional Resume Writing - Can You Do It

Professional Resume Writing - Can You Do It Professional resume objectives receive a lot of criticism. Some say the goals are usually poorly written, and have no real point. Others say that if its well written, then it will make the potential employer continue to read the resume. He or she will know what you wish to attain in your profession and your feelings for their organization. Here are some guidelines about writing expert resume objectives. Goals need to be short and powerful sentences, letting the employer know what value you can offer to the company. Its not necessary to express your dreams in an objective, but instead you need to relate to a particular responsibility. Even though resume objectives can grab the attention of the hiring officer, in some situations these might not be very good methods to sell yourself. For example, if you need to apply for more than one job or you need to submit your application on line or a job fair, an objective statement can be too restrictive. As a rule, objectives for entry-level job hunters and professionals should consist of short sentences about their objective in the profile section, not as an isolated heading towards the top of a resume. People with a lot of professional experience will notice that expert resume objectives do not always give them their greatest benefit. Writing a profile part at the top of your resume is probably the best way to handle this problem. This has to be a 2 or 3-sentence outline of your major areas of expertise, unique talents and skills, as well as your profession goals. If you can write an expert resume, you will probably catch someones attention for a job interview. If you dont think you can, search online for resume writers who can get your resume tailored to put you in a very favorable light.

Tips On Writing A Resume Summary Of Qualifications

Tips On Writing A Resume Summary Of QualificationsIf you have ever needed to write a resume for your job, one thing that you have probably done is you have probably included some writing summary of qualifications. This is a way to make sure that you are clear about what you can do and what you can't do in your current position. Your writing summary of qualifications is not only intended to give you a listing of things that you have done and left out but also to help you think about what is missing in your resume.Things you can leave out when you are writing a resume should be things like your hobbies or interests. Having a list of those things is nice but will only keep you from being able to really describe yourself. For example, if you are looking for a new job and are seeking a position as a book editor, chances are the person interviewing you probably already knows what your hobbies are.Things you must include on your resume, however, are things like your skills and experiences. While your hobbies and interests are important, they should be mentioned but it's not the only thing that needs to be on the list. Writing your skills and experience will help you show your aptitude for doing the job. There is no point in hiring someone who has everything you could ever dream of.Writing your resume summary of qualifications for the purpose of getting a higher paying job may seem petty, but it can actually be a sign of a great resume writer. You need to highlight the skills that you have learned through your work and with your hobbies.You should also look for things like the number of hours you worked every week, the amount of education and training you have completed, and the number of times you have passed your criminal background check. You should also think about any additional credits that you may have earned while in school such as books and community service.Evenif you don't find any other things in your resume summary of qualifications that you can leave out, you still need to add it to your resume. As you write your resume and think about what it needs to be in your eyes, it will start to come together.Now that you know that you have the tools you need to write a resume summary of qualifications, it is time to get started! By including these points in your resume, you will be able to land the higher paying job that you were hoping for!

The Secrets of Working As a Disney Princess

The Secrets of Working As a Disney Princess They bring our favorite childhood classics to life as Belle, Ariel, and Cinderella every day of the week. It’s even possible that one of your cherished mementos is a picture you’ve taken with one of them. But behind the beaming smile, floor-length gown, and perfect makeup of each princess at a Disney park is a real-life person. These late teens and early twenty-somethings who smile and wave all over the park, sit atop floats, and perform in shows are having fun, but they’re also on the clock. And adhering to park policies and standards, maintaining the “Disney look,” and serving as brand ambassadors is equally important to their world-renowned performances. Real Simple sat down with one of the Disney royals to hear about the makeup routine, job security, and behind-the-scenes happenings at The Happiest Place on Earth. Asking to remain anonymous, one princess tells us what it’s like to be a character at Disneyland. 1. Job Security Is Not Guaranteed. “You just have to audition for everything that’s coming out. Normally, there’s auditions that just cast members can go to and then there’s the open call for everybody, and we have to audition every year to keep our jobs. We all re-audition, so you’re never safe. That makes it sound really ominousâ€"but it kind of is! They keep you on your toes.” 2. The Princesses Are Anything But. “We get such a bad rap as Disney princesses. I feel like a lot of people assume that it’s a lot of stuck-up girls that think they’re really pretty and want to be real-life princessesâ€"it’s none of that. My friends who I’ve met through Disney are some of the most down-to-earth, kind, just warmest, some of the most intelligent people that I’ve ever met. One of my coworkers just graduated with a degree in forensic criminology.” 3. Every Princess Must Look the Same, From Crown to Slippers. “We have a makeup chart so that everything is the same park-wide. That’s for every possible spot in a parade or in a show or at the resort. As a cast member, there are certain qualifications or things you have to do to maintain the ‘Disney look.’ Like we’re not allowed to have any crazy hair colors and our nails have to be either French or a light pink or clear. We have to dress appropriatelyâ€"on and off the clockâ€"because their mentality is you represent the park, and it’s our job to promote the kind of atmosphere that we would like at Disney. We have to be almost brand ambassadors undercover to promote a positive, healthy lifestyle and look to fit the Disney brand, because the Disney brand is so specific. As soon as you start working for the company, they want to make sure you’re holding yourself to their high standards.” 4. Your Voice Matters. “You go through a lot of voice training. We meet with a dialect coach. For those of us that use dialect, you get a packet and they teach you the different vowel placements. The thing for most of these characters is you’re not just learning an accentâ€"you’re learning how the person that recorded the voice spoke. You have to learn the cadences of these specific human beings’ voices. It’s a cool, kind of tricky thing to do. And we’re supposed to watch the movie like a million times basically to try to get as close to it as we can.” 5. Part of the Job Is Improv. “It gets hard, because you have to be thinking so much on your feet. If people are talking to you or yelling things, you have to come up with a response right away. It just takes a lot of practice outside so that you’re comfortable. You have to watch the movies and you have to pull out things that they talk about or that are brought up in a movie that you know you can kind of work things back to.” 6. Fur characters (“Fuzzies”) and Face Characters Get Along. “No, no, no, no, no. That’s a myth. Maybe back before I started working for the company that was a thing. Or maybe at Disney World, but, at our park, some of my closest friends that I have met at Disney are fuzzies.”jobs. 7. The Lifespan of a Disney Princess Variesâ€"Greatly. “Normally when they age people out, they age them into a spot, like they don’t normally age someone out and fire them. They’re not going to fire someone just becauseâ€"everyone grows up and everyone grows up at different ratesâ€"physically, mentally, emotionally. But they’re not gonna just kick you out because you grew up.” This story originally appeared on Real Simple.

How To Get A Job In Logistics - Work It Daily

How To Get A Job In Logistics - Work It Daily Logistics is a growing field; with the continued increase in e-commerce to the developing nations around the world, moving people, goods, and services is more important than ever. From the big freight companies such as DHL, turning over revenue of over €50 billion, to the smaller scale local courier service â€" logistics is crucial to keeping the supply and demand chain running smoothly. A job in the logistics field involves being confident, intelligent, and diligent. You’ll be put under a lot of pressure when working in logistics, so make sure you feel ready to take the heat. A progressive career in logistics can also give you a great career pathway. Here are a few ways that you can make it easier to find a job in logistics: Logistics Degree One option of getting into logistics is to get a degree in logistics management. There are several university institutions that offer courses in the area that can lead to a career within logistics. They also give degree-level knowledge of the field itself - from sustainability to best management practices. Getting Into The Role Entering the logistics area can be done through first-hand experience, or via a management training scheme. You may have the opportunity at the end of your management to choose a preferred area to work in. Being flexible with location can be crucial as logistics can be spread across a country far and wide. Make sure you research a company before you apply for the job to be sure you’re applying for the correct role in the correct firm. Skills Some of the key skills to a career in logistics are having the ability to solve problems, be analytical, and communicate with anyone, including colleagues and clients alike. Logistically you must be professional and have good mathematical skills as these can help with making decisions within the field of logistics. Gaining Experience In The Field Getting some experience first-hand will put you ahead during interviews so applying for work placements at local logistic companies may be a good way to go, especially as you can test the water before moving into a full career and be sure you enjoy the work. Career In Logistics Going in on a graduate scheme on a management training program can set you up at a company to do well, where as some individuals may find it better to start on the ground and work their way up while gaining first-hand experience along the way. A career in logistics can lead to managerial positions and has great potential, especially with the continued growth in the area and the potential for keen individuals to prospect and gain employment within logistics. Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!