Saturday, May 30, 2020

What you need to know before you start working

What you need to know before you start working by Michael Cheary Ready to start earning? There’s something you should know…Entering the workforce can be an exciting time, but there are a few things you need to consider before you start your first job. Especially when it comes to your pay packet.To help ensure you’re not caught out in your new role, we asked Money Advice Service to cover some basics you should make sure you’re aware of:Tax and National Insurance deductionsAs an employee you pay Income Tax and National Insurance on your wages through the PAYE (Pay As You Earn) system.How much you pay is determined by your tax code, which is worked out by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and sent to your employer. Your employer will deduct tax and National Insurance contributions before you get your pay.You can have a certain amount of income each year before you need to pay Income Tax. This is called your Personal Allowance. The standard Personal Allowance for tax year 2015-16 is £10,600.If you earn more than £155 a week you will have to pay National Insurance contributions. You pay 12 per cent of your weekly earnings between £155 and £815, and 2 per cent of your weekly earnings above £815.Tax and National Insurance deductionsStudent loan repaymentsOnce you graduate and start working and earning enough, student loan repayments also begin. Repayments will be taken out of your salary along with tax and National Insurance, and stop once you’ve paid them off.There are two repayments plans Plan 1 and Plan 2. Which one you’re on will determine when you start repaying your loan and how much you pay.Plan 1 is for students living in England and Wales who started studying before September 1, 2012, and all students living in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Repayments start when you earn over £17,335. This amount changes on April 6 every year.Plan 2 is for students living in England and Wales who started studying on or after September 1, 2012. Repayments start when you earn over £21,000.When youve paid back your loan, HMRC notifies your employer and the repayments stop. If any payments slip through before your employer takes action, you will be refunded.Student loan repayments Understanding your payslipAll employees are entitled to an individual, detailed written payslip.Your payslip shows you the income you earn and the deductions taken from it. It also gives you a running total of your earnings for the year as well as the total Income Tax and National Insurance you’ve paid.And it doesn’t have to be on paper. It can be sent to you by email, or accessed through a website. The right to a payslip applies to casual staff as well as employees, but not to independent contractors or freelancers.No matter what position you’re in, it’s important to keep your payslips in a safe place. They contain personal information about you and your earnings, including your National Insurance number. This will help prevent them being used for identity fraud. You may also need them to prov e your earnings if you apply for a loan.Understanding your payslipEmployment contractsAll employees have an employment contract with their employer. This sets out the rights, responsibilities and duties of both parties.Any rights you have under an employment contract are additional to your legal rights. Legal rights include the right to be paid the National Minimum Wage, the right to paid holidays and the right not to be discriminated against.Most employment contracts are in writing and are usually made up of a mix of ‘express terms’ and ‘implied terms’.Express terms are those that have been specifically mentioned by both you and your employer. These may include how much you’ll be paid, the hours you work and how much notice is needed to end the contract.Implied terms are automatically part of a contact even if they’re not written down. These might include employees not stealing from their employer, and the provision of a safe working environment by an employer.Checking your employment contractStill searching for your perfect position? View all available jobs nowFind a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the Salaries School leaver advice

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Work Life Balance Starts by Setting Limits

Work Life Balance Starts by Setting Limits Editors Note:   This is a guest post by J.D. Meier, author of Getting Results the Agile Way: A Personal Results System for Work and Life. Lifes not static.   That little idea right there is part of what makes finding work life balance such a challenge.   To find your balance, its less like striking the perfect pose, and more like being an acrobat through life.   In other words, finding your work life balance is an ongoing thing, and having a few key skills can help you better deal with whatever life happens to throw your way.    The key to growing the right skills, often starts by asking the right questions. To really appreciate something, sometimes you need to know the opposite.   I work at Microsoft.   It can feel like a wild ride of madness and mayhem, with more work than any single human can do in a day.   And the job is never done.   As a passionate corporate warrior, I embraced the ride for many years, and threw many hours at my job.   It was nothing for me to throw 80 or 100 hours.   I was known as a work horse.   That was not balance. The 40 Hour Effective Work Week Somewhere around 2003, my manager at the time, said I needed to change my game.   He challenged me to get the same output, but in 40 hours.   He said I was not setting a good example, and that getting the work done cant be based on me throwing hours at it.   To add to the challenge, he wanted me to bring out the best in others, and crank up the overall output for the team.   It was a tall order, but my manager was known for pushing the envelope, as well as being an insightful mentor. At this stage, I asked my manager how I was supposed to achieve the impossible.   He said very simply: Work smarter, not harder. Work Smarter, Not Harder While I liked the idea, and it seemed like sound advice, I thought I already was working smart.   How could I work “smarter?”   Luckily, constraints are a breeding ground for creative ideas, and its been said that necessity is the mother of invention.   My manager had already given me my new time budget.   Now, how would I spend my new time budget of 40 hours for my best results? That was the key.   It’s not about spending time.   It’s about “flowing value. Parkinsons Law says that time expands to fill its container.   I had learned a bad habit over the years of throwing time at problems.   Without the luxury of throwing time at things, I had to start asking new questions Questions that Unleash Work Life Balance Here are a few questions that helped me, chop my work week down to size, while actually flowing more value from myself and others: 1.   What are the most valuable things to work on? 2.   Are there ways to change the process to reduce friction and create glide paths? 3.   Can we tackle big things with little goals to flow more value along the way? 4.   How can I spend more time in my strengths, and less time in my weaknesses? 5.   How can I help others to spend more time in their strengths, and less time in their weaknesses? and the best part of it was, that by having everybody spend more time in their strengths, work became a form of self-expression.   Everyone was more engaged in what they do, mastering their craft, while growing their skills, and doing more of what they love. Sometimes less really is more. image courtesy of mike.ga

Saturday, May 23, 2020

How To Improvise - Dont Prepare, Just Show Up [Interview]

How To Improvise - Dont Prepare, Just Show Up [Interview] Today in my networking challenge I am interviewing Patricia Ryan Madson. Patricia is the Author of a great book I read called Improv Wisdom, Dont prepare, Just Show Up and she has been teaching adults how to improvise at Stanford University for twenty years. In case you are reading this at work and can’t watch the video, you can read all of the great advice below instead! How to Improvise: Interview with Author Teacher  Patricia Ryan Madson 1) I am a planner and an introvert. So why is it important for us to know learn how to improvise in order to have a satisfying life? I am not against planning. In fact, I am a planner, too, even though I am an improv teacher.  Planning isnt the problem. The problem is letting that planning get in the way of when you have to do something, opening your eyes and stepping into the moment. For example, a presenter can prepare and prepare, but when they finally step into an audience or an interview, if you let that planning be a part of you and speak naturally and see what comes up rather than trying to give prepared answers. It is good to prepare for your presentation, but using your natural capacity to put words together, even if they arent perfect, shows that you are human and natural rather than a perfectly sculpted and carefully prepared applicant with all the right answers. For planners, improve is even a more valuable skill that will help you trust your own voice. 2) Why is learning how to improvise great for interviews? An interview is a perfect example of when the interviewer is looking to figure out how you handle reality.  Another word for improvisation is the real world and things coming one after another.  Improvising is not about comedy or having funny responses even though improvisation is a form of comedy theatre. The way I have taught improv at Stanford is helping them redirect their attention right now to what is happening and to notice really what is going on like peoples expressions on their faces so I can allow my natural impulse to come through.  And maybe that isnt perfect like I just screwed up my words a little bit just now, but I dont mind because I think it is more important to think on my feet and be natural than to have it all real smooth. [Related Post:  The 6 Best Ways to Prepare for Your Interview] 3) Its good to know that you can make mistakes in interviews!? You are more valued if you are able to make a mistake and work through it rather than apologize or seeing a mistake as a character flaw. This is one of the main reasons I think learning how to improvise is so important. I am convinced that we admire people who make mistakes when presenting because they seem more human. I dont trust people whose speech is flawless and careful. I would like you to really listen to the question and allow your own natural mind and experience to answer. The tools of improv are simple like really, really listening because we tend to listen with part of our mind and think about what we are going to say next. If we trust that when the camera is on us, we are able to answer obvious questions or respond to whatever is in our mind normally, then we are a lot better off. Scripts are hard. I was an actress for a long time. You are supposed to do the script as perfectly as possible but we almost never do.  So why not relax and let our life be an unfolding improvisation rather than a script that we execute well or not. 4) What are some common improvisation fears that your students face and how can these fears be overcome? The number one fear is the fear of looking stupid or of not having anything to say. Humans are deathly afraid of being on the spot and having the camera on them. What you can control is how you respond if you slip up, so recovery is the controllable part. So we get used to making mistakes so it is no big deal. Follow your own voice, listen carefully and pay attention to what is going on. People are afraid of looking silly and that their ideas are not original. There is this misunderstood idea that innovation is something that no one else in the world has thought of. I think creativity is thinking realistically sometimes inside the box with really clear eyes looking at the problem and the facts of the situation. I want you to stay inside the box in the room that you are in and try to keep being awake. You are really trying to live in this moment now trusting that whatever you have to say is enough and not striving after originality. We dont want to be thought of as boring or unoriginal. But, our unique thumbprint is already original. You are already one of a kind and you can trust that is enough. 5) What is your advice to someone who is constantly keeping a to-do list and excessively planning out their days? How can we improvise more in our daily lives? To-do lists are helpful because it keeps you on your purpose and improvisers have to have a purpose.  Once you engage yourself in the thing that is on that list, you are in the world of improv. Because then you need to be awake and alert and not just doing the plan. There is a fallacy that improvisers are whatever, just go with the flow. Improvising is going with the flow with a purpose. Learning how to improvise can actually help you execute that to-do list. 6) How can we learn to improvise during presentations? The part of improvising that can help you most with presentations is paying attention. We think we pay attention but most of the time we are off thinking ahead. I suggest that to be a better presenter, you need to keep bringing your attention back to the current moment. Presenters need to pay attention and be willing to follow some kind of impulse. The other thing that improv teaches that is great for presentations is to trust your own voice. I sometimes have an idea but I am not sure if it is the right answer and I get stuck trying to evaluate this in advance. The self-doubt that we have as presenters needs to sit on the side of the room and get rid of it. You have to take that self-doubt as natural but dont let it get in the way. That would be something I would really want to tell a young person. Trust your own voice! Trust that what you have to contribute is enough. Right now, what you have to contribute is good enough! 7) What do you wish you would have known when you were a young professional woman just starting out in her career? I think the one thing that I really really wish I would have known is to wear comfortable shoes. Im serious, when I was young, I wore fashion shoes and back in the 50s they were very pointy toes with high heels and I ruined my feet and got bunions so now as an old woman I am hobbling around. Never for the sake of fashion wear shoes that hurt. It sounds kind of glib but if I would have known that when I was twenty I wouldnt have worn those shoes that ruined my feet. Its not worth it, there are plenty of nice looking shoes that really are comfortable so go for comfort girls! ?? I see women in these high heels today and they look like they are going to fall over. You want to be able to enjoy life and comfortable shoes will be a part of that. The other thing I wish I would have known is to  trust your own voice. 8 ) If people want to learn more about you where can they find you online? You can find out more on my website, Improvwisdom.com.  The website can lead you to my contact information and my blog.  My book, Improv Wisdom, is pretty short and pretty simple ideas and it might just give you that answer you have been looking for.

Monday, May 18, 2020

James Bonds Top Secret Resume

James Bonds Top Secret Resume From nailing the bad guys, to charming the ladies, James Bond always manages to come out on top, despite regularly dicing with death! Armed with a number of invaluable skills and an endless supply of  gadgets, hes gained himself status as the best secret agent around. Though his  career  has been anything but secret;  spanning over 50 years, 24 films and 5 different actors ( that would explain why he never ages!) So how does Bonds skillset and experience look on paper? Though it looks like his job may be secure for a few more years, Kick Resume have put together a resume for 007 just in case! Experience: Senior Operational Manager, MI6 (1962 present) Education: University of Geneva Fettes College Eton (two terms) Skills: Shooting Driving Combat Languages: English German French Achievements: Enemies killed: 352 Women seduced: 52 Number of times hes been shot (and lived to tell the tale): 4662 Hobbies and Interests: Flash cars Hi-tech gadgets Enjoying the occasional Martini (shaken, not stirred)

Friday, May 15, 2020

How to Look For Cheap Resume Writing Near Me

How to Look For Cheap Resume Writing Near MeLooking for a job can be very hard if you do not have an effective resume. You have to be prepared and you have to present yourself properly. If you need help for your resume, you will find it in job boards, recruitment agencies and companies that offer career advice. You can also search the internet for information on how to write a good resume.One of the ways to look for cheap resume writing near me is to visit the websites of professional writing firms. They know what is best for your resume and can make it unique for you. Your resume will show your capability to do the job and will motivate others to read it.Another way to look for cheap resume writing near me is to ask the people in your work place or network of friends and family members who have experienced how to write a good resume. You can tell them about the tips and tricks that you learned over the years and they can provide you with some pointers. You should also read the artic les of experts and watch videos of them to see what they recommend.Another way to look for cheap resume writing near me is to use the website of hiring managers who will give you some tips on how to write a great resume. They also offer free resume templates that you can use to start writing your own resume.The best resource to look for cheap resume writing near me is the writing services that offer sample resumes. These are professionally written for a certain fee and will help you come up with a great resume for you. This service will guide you through the process of writing a great resume and will also assist you in finding a job.Other than searching online, you can also search for a writing agency that will give you an opportunity to be interviewed by them to present your resume. They will help you craft a perfect resume for you that will help you get hired and keep a job once you are hired.Writing services can also help you out if you have a specific writing style that you need to improve. By working with them, you can fine tune your resume so that it has a little something to add to it every time that you go back and look at it.Once you have found a way to look for cheap resume writing near me, you can begin your search for an ideal job. With the right resume, you can find success and may even land a job you never thought was possible.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

How to Learn Everything You Need to Know About Interviewing in One Day

How to Learn Everything You Need to Know About Interviewing in One Day My daughter landed a plum internship this summer as an assistant to a musical director and casting director for the national tour of a very well known Broadway musical. On her first day she observed a typical theater audition, cattle-call style and in less than eight hours learned what it takes most people decades to learn about interviews. Here were her take-aways.Having strong skills in multiple areas makes you a better candidate. For these auditions, the directors were looking for the triple threatsomeone who can sing, dance, and act. Many of the people who auditioned could sing but not dance. They were quickly passed up for those candidates that had a diversity of skills and could perform at an expert level at each. The same is often true in todays competitive job market. The candidate with a strong and diverse competency base may have an advantage over one with more siloed skills.No one reads resumes. The casting directors saw a new applicant every 45 seconds. The resumes were c ollected the morning of the audition and reviewed just seconds before the auditions. The resumes werent read; they were quickly scanned to assess experience level and career highlights. While corporate interviews arent run like casting calls, hiring managers are still under pressure to sort through hundreds of resumes quickly and make split second decisions about who to call in for an interview.Being original helps you stand out. At the auditions many applicants chose the same song to sing. After awhile, their auditions started blending together and it became difficult to differentiate who had sung the song the best. The candidates that chose less typical songs to sing were more memorable and there was less of a chance that their performance would be compared to ten other people who sang the same song. During a typical   interview, conversations about job tasks fall flat. What makes job seekers unique is not the tasks they do, but rather their success in these tasks and the impact   they had on the organization.Looks can play a role in the interview process. My daughter observed that some people had great voices, but they just didnt have the right look for the part. Fair or not, the way a person looks can influence hiring decisions. Retailers may expect their employees to dress a certain way. Professionals who look too old or too young to fit in with the team could be turned down for the job. Candidates with visible tattoos and piercings could get a thumbs down as well. Matching the corporate culture or dressing for the part is still part of the process.The most talented applicant isnt necessarily the one who lands the job. My daughter noticed that some of the people who made the audition cut got through not because they were the best, but because they had some indefinable characteristic that the people casting the show liked. Sometimes a hiring manager senses something about a candidate that makes them feel they are a good pick. It might be something about th eir enthusiasm or drive or their ability to converse during the interview process or be a good listener.Interviewing is a subjective process. My daughter tried to figure out the system the casting directors were using to make their decisions. She soon realized that there is no formula and a part of interviewing comes from the gut. The intangible qualities still play a part in the process. In the world of entertainment, people have come to expect that there is a certain degree of subjectivity in the process and that many factors come into play when success is involved. So why should it be any different for the average Joe job seeker?You may be wondering how my daughter landed this internship. She found out about it through an alumni connection at her school. Connections and your network are important. It took her even less than one day to learn that.

Friday, May 8, 2020

Mixing Business and Pleasure How to Networking at your Next Holiday Party - CareerAlley

Mixing Business and Pleasure How to Networking at your Next Holiday Party - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. More business decisions occur over lunch and dinner than at any other time, yet no MBA courses are given on the subject. Peter Drucker The holidays are here. But instead of simply enjoying the fine selection of crab puff appetizers and glasses of champagne at all of the fun holiday parties youre invited to this year, you should be using this chance as a networking opportunity to improve your job search. When you go out to your next event, make sure to follow these networking tips below. Do Preliminary Research. If possible, you want to know who is attending the party early on. This way you get a heads-up of the individuals you should give most of your attention to. If youre really good friends with the host you might want to go ahead and ask them up front if any of the guests in attendance may be of any interest to you professionallyfor example, do they have a friend who is the manager of a particular company or the CEO? If you dont feel comfortable asking the host but you received an invitation to the event via Facebook for example, you could always do a little snooping on your own and check out the confirmed guest listcheck out their profiles and glance at their career info if available. Make a Good Impression. Experts say on average you have 119 seconds to make a first impressionthats either a good one or a bad one. Naturally youd rather it be the former not the latter. So smile, listen and be cordial. Use some flattery (dont overdo it though) and get the person to start opening up. Your goal is that you want to make friends with this person and build a relationship. Remember: the party is not a career fair. If you come off as stiff and start spitting out your qualifications right of the bat and make things awkward you could turn people off. Besides, people go to parties to get away from work. So dont make it all about business. That said, you need to weave-in your wants and goals seamlessly, which brings us to our next tip Look for Your Opening. You might have to start with small talk at first, but eventually the right time to hint that you may be looking for a job should come up and its important that you seize the moment. You may simply be asked what do you do? and this is your chance to say, [This] is what I went to school for and my career aspirations are to do [this], unfortunately Im not getting any luck in the employment sectorIf you structure the conversation right, someone might just offer you his or her business card and say that they can help you. Or at the very least be able to get you in contact with someone who could help. Keep in Contact. Lastly, even if the person wasnt able to help you out right away, its important that you touch-base with him or her from time-to-time. Sure they might not have an opening for you right away but an opportunity could arise and if you are fresh in their mind, chances are youll be offered a position first. So send an occasional email, text, and phone call when the time seems right to check-in. As a courteous gesture, you should always ask if there is anything you can do for your new friend as well. While upcoming holiday parties are a great time to network that doesnt mean you cant have some fun and enjoy yourself, just try to utilize your time wisely so you can mix business and pleasure. By-line:Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to [emailprotected] This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search.