Do you want a job or not?

If you want a job right now then spread the word instead of making a secret of it. Active job search means reading several job posts per day and applying to the ones matching your skills. But there is far more you CAN do. After all, more exposure your CV gets, more likely it is that you'll find your dream job.

Image from: Emaratiya

Sounds good, but HOW?

1. First of all, use everything you can. Are you on Facebook, LinkedIn and/or Twitter? Great! Post/upload your CV, tell your friends you are looking for a job. Never underestimate the power of social media. And one more thing: according to several surveys, 1 of 3 employers reject candidates because they found something inappropriate online about them. Images showing your daring and/or sexy side are not necessary meant to be seen by future employers. So make yourself a favour: check your privacy settings and make your profile employer-friendly:

Facebook - Privacy Settings

LinkedIn - Profile Privacy

2. Use Twitter and LinkedIn to find and follow important people in the industry you want to work in and engage with them. Build relationships and learn from the bests.

3. Similarly, you can make a blog and write blog-posts that showcase your knowledge, skills and passion. I think it is more convincing than any letter of recommendation. Do you need proof? Check Matt Cutts' blog. Impressive or what? And if you think you cannot do it, I have good news: you can. Let's say you are a streamstress, I'm sure there are thousands of women who want to learn to make their own dresses. So, go ahead and show a trick or two. Make a few videos, pictures and you're good to go.

4. Distribute your CV. In 2013 hiring managers are reading not only the CVs sent to them but actively search CV databases to find the best candidates out there. So, make sure you upload your CV to respectable job sites and aggregators to increase your chances. (Find out what are the differences between job sites and job aggregators.)

5. Finally, there is one more thing you can do: increase your online visibility by making traditional as well as creative CVs. Why bother? Because creative resumes help you to show your personality and it means you can easily stand out from a large group of candidates. A solid reason if you ask me. Interested but in need of inspiration? Than check out this article that I've found on JoZoo: Creative CV Yea or Nay?

How about you? How have you increased your online visibility?

Top 5 Interview Tips for New Cooks

So you have just finished a cookery school. Congratulations! Now, the next step is to find out the secret ingredients of a successful job interview. Here are a few tips how to stand out from the applicants:

1. Prepare.

If you are called to an interview it means the recruiter considered you as a suitable applicant and took the trouble to read your CV and cover letter. Now, it is your turn to make the background checks. Learn about the restaurant, their menu, about the their target customers (just observe the people who eat in the restaurant) and so on. Think about why you want to work for them and more importantly, why should the employer hire you. In other words, be ready to highlight your strengths. You should also prepare some questions that you will ask during the interview, if you are invited to do so. It can be related to the future goals of the restaurant or to the job requirements or to anything that isn't clear for you about this job.

2. Highlight your achievements.

Being a fresh graduate doesn't mean you do not have experience at all. Talk about your achievements in the cook school where you have studied. Mention if you have participated in a culinary competition or if you have been involved in any extracurricular activity. You can also say what inspired you to become a cook.

3. Showcase your talent.

Photographers are required to create portfolios. Why shouldn’t you do the same? Create your own portfolio with the recipes you ‘invented’. You can even prepare your specialty and bring it to the interview. After all, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

4. Appearance.

Dress appropriately to the job you apply for. You are not applying for an executive job so you do not have to wear a suit, but be presentable. Keep in mind, that you are about to make a first impression and you definitely want it to be a positive one.

5. Be punctual.

It is annoying to wait for a candidate to show up. More than that, it shows that you are unreliable. Leave for the interview with 20 minutes earlier than you normally would, so even if some unexpected happens you can arrive at least in time.

If you are still looking for the right job check out this site.

What documents do you need if you want to work in the UK?

So you wish to stay more than just a couple of weeks in the UK. Great. But before you start looking for a job you should check out what documents you need to be allowed to live and work in the UK.

Of course, the most reliable sources are the official sites such as the site of the UK Border Agency and the site of HM Revenue & Customs. But they are vast, so I made a short prezi to help you find more easily the information you are interested in. You can zoom in and out freely or use the arrows to move to the next or previous slide.

Please leave a comment: How useful was this prezi?

Job Sites vs. Job Aggregators

Is looking for a job indeed a full-time job as they say? Well, it is true only if you don't use the shortcuts to reduce the time you spend searching. In 2013, you cannot ignore the online job posts, but if you want to make sure you don't miss out any great job opportunity, you must check daily the vacancies posted on several different job boards. Or do you really have to?

What are job sites and job aggregators?

Traditional job sites function somewhat like printed classified ads. The companies and recruitment agencies post their job vacancies on these job boards for a fee. Then, you as a job seeker can search for jobs matching your skills and needs. But of course you will have the advantages of online search. You can use different filters to find exactly what you're looking for and the information provided will be always up-to-date.

Then what are the job aggregators? Job board aggregators are like job search engines. They gather job posts from different job boards, recruiting agencies and employing companies. Most of them do not publish new job ads but rather republish the existing ads at one place. However, some of them have job posts of their own as well. They function as any other search engine. When you look for a job, based on different criteria, they show you relevant results from different sources. When you click on an appealing job offer you are led to the source of the job ad. It can be either a job board or the site of a recruiting company or, in some cases, the employer's career site.

Comparing job sites to job aggregators

That is, what you can do on a job board is available to you on job aggregator sites as well and you will have the advantage of checking out all the jobs matching your criteria in one comprehensive search. It will help you to save time by not having to read the same ads again and again on different boards and you will be able to concentrate on other important issues such as composing an outstanding CV, preparing for the interviews and so on.

If you are looking for a new job you might want to check out my favourite ad-free job aggregator site: JoZoo. Good luck!

What if you'd be paid for doing what you like?

More often than not, work is considered to be synonymous with boredom and drudgery. But it doesn't have to be so. Have you ever see or heard about a really successful person who hates his/her job? I myself seriously doubt that Madonna could have sold over 300 million records if she'd hate singing or performing before large audiences. You just cannot excel in something you hate. It is as simple as that. So if you are not as successful as you'd wish to be you can either go on complaining about the lack of chances OR take the time to find out what you'd actually like or even LOVE to do.

I know. Life can be extremely unfair. Especially if you are alone in a new country. Sometimes you just have to take any job you can find to earn your living. I know. I've been there. And there is nothing wrong with that... That is, there is nothing wrong with that, IF you don't give up your dreams. It sounds a bit cheese, but to succeed all you have to do is to stay motivated, be willing to change and find out what you are good at.

Whatever floats your boat

I think this is the most time consuming part of the whole process. Once you've decided what you would enjoy doing 8 or even 10 hours a day, the hard part is over. How come? If you are good at something you probably enjoy doing it. Luckily, it tends to be true the other way round as well: if you like doing something, you are most likely good at it.

Willing to give it a go? Than take a piece of paper and a pencil (a laptop would do as well ;) ). Now write down everything you are good at, like doing or you'd always wanted to try. Don't hold yourself back. Just go with the flow. When you're done, try to match each of them with a job.

I can hear you saying 'But you cannot earn your living by …' Think again, make a bit of a research on the internet or even ask a friend. Are you into shooting pictures? Why not consider becoming a professional photographer? Do you like talking? How about working as a call centre agent? Are you fond of weddings? Why not try yourself as a wedding or event organizer? And the list can go on and on.

The key element here is to know yourself. If you feel you could do with a bit of help, you might want to do a few personality tests to get to know yourself a bit better. The good news is, most of these tests are FREE, but remember: answer all the questions as honestly as you can. There are no good or bad answers. And more importantly, take the result with a pinch of salt. Just because it is written down it doesn't mean it is true. These tests are written by humans and as such, they are not faultless. Use it as a guideline rather than something that is cast in stone.

Now, plan

Once you've find something that you are talented in, it is time to make a plan. I do not know much about programming, but I know that they take a seemingly impossible task and break it into small, easily doable chunks. This is exactly what you need to do as well. Dream big and than make it happen step by step. Let's say that you want to become a head chef. The first step is to learn cooking. Most probably you already know how to prepare some basic dishes, but you still might need a little bit of experience. Based on your situation and aims you can either go to a cookery school or find a job as a kitchen assistant to gain some on-the-job training. Of course, this is not the only way to success. But you get my drift. Make a detailed plan focusing on the big question: HOW will I achieve my goals?

I cannot do it … or can I?

Motivation is essential. But it is quite difficult to stay motivated all the time. So, I'd suggest you to set short-term goals as well. If you have made a detailed plan, it will be much easier to keep yourself motivated, because reaching short-termed goals will make you more confident that you can do everything and anything you set out to do. Consider also using Matt Cutt's 30 days method to add a new habit or to get rid of some bad habits. It really works. Don't take my words for it. Take his:

As you can see, it IS doable. So, why not be paid for something you like doing?