New Year’s evolution: how to better yourself in 2015

The holidays have passed and we have reached that time of year when everybody discusses their New Year’s resolutions. Whilst goals such as quitting smoking or ‘getting fit’ are positive ideals, the majority fall short. This year, why not also pursue an endeavour focused around your work? Below are four things to consider for 2015…

1.    ‘Rev up your résumé’ - Amy Levin-Epstein (CBS Moneywatch)

Whilst you might not be actively seeking new employment, effort should be made to regularly update your CV. When you’re comfortable in a job this might seem inconvenient, but in the current business environment the employer often comes to you. This is especially true for highly skilled individuals, who may be approached by head-hunters with time-sensitive offers. Presented with a lucrative offer, would you really want to be rushing to update your CV? 

Another benefit is that you automatically review your progress and establish ‘where you’re at’ in your current role and career. Considering most employment involves reviews and appraisals with management, this can help you provide a comprehensive justification of your contributions and achievements to date. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, then consider steps you could take and ways you could ‘upskill’ yourself to improve your CV.

Read more about ‘upskilling’ yourself in our recent blog: ‘New Year’s Resolution; three easy ways to upskill yourself outside of work’.

2.    ‘A healthy work-life balance’ - Mike Harden (CEO, Clarity Group)

Another great New Years resolution is to ensure you are content with your work-life balance; you should be working to live, not living to work. As remote working becomes more common and the traditional working day becomes less common, it is increasingly difficult to establish when work finishes. As a result an ‘always on’ culture has materialised, so to counter this it’s vital that you establish your own boundaries and fill your time away from work with activities you enjoy.

30% of UK employees experience a mental health problem annually due to long hours and thinking about work away from the office, so the issue clearly needs to be addressed. Pursue hobbies, socialise, do things that relax you and to the best of your ability, leave work at work. Consider your out-of-office/annual leave approach: some people prefer to check emails once daily, some wish to remain contactable only by phone/text and others don’t want to be disturbed at all. Those with limited annual leave should try to stagger it across the year and whilst at work, take regular breaks whilst eating and drinking sufficiently.

Read more about work-life balance in our recent blog: ‘Life-Work balance; employers and employees need to get their priorities straight’.

3.    ‘Put another oar in the water’ - Liz Ryan (CEO & Founder, Human Workplace)

Alternatively, if you find your self with an abundance of time available and an ambition to increase your earning potential, why not generate a new revenue stream? Most of us have marketable skills and many individuals have side-businesses consulting, bookkeeping, designing websites and providing administrative support. Liz Ryan states that “everybody has marketable skills and everybody can grow entrepreneurial muscles by selling their expertise”. Whilst acknowledging your extra earning potential, a healthy work-life balance should still remain your priority.

4.    ‘New year, new career?’ - Rachel Emma-Silverman (Wall Street Journal)

Finally, serious consideration should be given to your current position in the work place. Do you feel happy, valued, adequately rewarded and motivated? Or do you frequently regret the one (job) that got away? The most difficult step towards evolution in 2015 could be to change jobs or even career. Consider your career so far and whether your vocational goals can be achieved with your current employer.

Whichever goals you decide to pursue in 2015 we wish you the best of luck!

8 Hints & Tips for the Jobseeker of 2015

How do you make sure 2015 is your best year yet? When you make your New Year’s Resolutions, think about these simple tips to give yourself the best chance possible, whatever stage of the recruitment process you are at.

Stay positive - Job Searching

1. If grammar and formatting aren’t your strong suit, get a few friends to help you with your CV. 65% of employers said that poor spelling and grammar is the most likely reason for them to bin a CV. You can’t fall at the first hurdle; it’s too small!

2. Updating your skills is a great way to make yourself more valuable on the job market. There are many free and online courses you can take, where you can practice your professional skills in a safe place. This extra training will help convince a potential employer that you are driven and committed, as well as having tangible, relevant skills. Here are some easy ways to upskill in your spare time.

3.  If you have a good relationship with a previous employer, arrange to meet up for a chat about your options. If they don’t know of a vacancy that suits you, they can surely put you in touch with valuable people in the industry.

Stay cool – The Interview

4. The signals your body language displays leave an impression of your personality in the interviewer’s mind, and this impression will inevitably affect their decision. Make sure your body is saying the right thing by using this guide, which will show you some handy tricks to help you exude interview confidence.

5. Nobody’s perfect, and giving nothing but a glowing account of yourself may come across as false. Without selling yourself short, be willing to talk about your weaknesses. Show them that you are shrewd enough to identify and accept them, and then that you have the drive to improve them.

6. It’s not enough to glance over a company’s website, so do your research. Find out about their achievements in the last year, their work ethic, their history and their vision for the future. How can you be a part of their growth?

Stay humble – Responding to an offer

7. Once you have accepted an offer, send a formal letter of acceptance. You will find plenty of templates online to help you with this. Taking the time to do this will show your new company how grateful you are, and how seriously you will take your new position.

8. If you’re going to decline, do so gracefully. You never know, you might reapply! You may need their help in the future, so maintain the relationship and take the opportunity to learn from the interview experience. You want their memory of you to be a good one.

New Year’s Resolution; three easy ways to upskill yourself outside of work

A skills gap is set to rear its ugly head next year, but some employers are still reluctant to train their staff. This may be because they are afraid that employees will move on and take their skills to another employer (or worse a competitor), but according to research, they shouldn’t be so worried. 57% of ‘upskillers’ develop themselves in the hope that they may get promoted with their current employer. As we approach 2015, we’ve decided to put together a few ideas for how you can develop your own career and skillset to make yourself especially valuable in the New Year.

Here’s how to make sure you are part of the 66% of UK employees who are seeking additional education or training outside the workplace. Below are three of the top skills globally recognised as needing development in the workplace, and ways in which you can easily improve them without significantly eating into your spare time:

1. Learn to lead

According to KGWI 41% of workers want to improve their leadership skills, and one of the best ways to do this is to become a school governor. You don’t have to be a parent, just passionate about education in your area. Not only will it develop your skills in analysing data, dealing with budgets, performance management and employment issues, but it will also give you the chance to make a difference in your community.

Developing your boardroom skills as a school governor is a great opportunity to focus on the strategic, innovative aspects of leadership, without having to worry about administrative tasks. Even better, this won’t take up all your time; not only do most school’s governing bodies meet just twice a term but, under employment law, employers may give employees who are school governors reasonable time off to carry out their duties.

2. Learn a language

As more and more organisations branch out globally, KGWI found that 64% of workers want to add value to their skillset by becoming bilingual. There are many ways you can do this. One of the most popular (and free!) is an app called Duolingo; it teaches you in a similar way to how you learn to speak as a child, making it very logical and easy to learn quickly.

If your organisation is international, show your commitment and keenness to improve by asking to spend some time in another country. This is by far the best way to learn; most people can become fluent in a language in just three months if they throw themselves in at the deep end! But there are some more passive learning techniques for you if you’re a busy bee, including watching films, listening to audiobooks and reading children’s books in your chosen language. You will be surprised how quickly and subconsciously you can pick it up once you begin surrounding yourself with it.

3. Read more

All jobs require some form of written communication. Luckily, improving your written communication skills can be effortless; just read! Find just half an hour before bed each night, on your commute or in a coffee shop to read a book. Your literacy will grow without you noticing it, and this will automatically improve your own writing skills.

These are the types of skills which will set you apart from other jobseekers. Demonstrate your initiative and thirst for knowledge, and show the employers of 2015 that you are exactly what they are looking for!