The Gradlife - What not to do over the summer

The Gradlife - What not to do over the summer by Lydia Randall OK, so it seems like  summer has finally arrived. Our holidays are booked, our exams are finished, and the fun has just begun. But, with all that being said, how do you ensure that this summer is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced?Well, I can’t quite guarantee I’ll have all the answers. But I do have a couple of key things to avoid which could help make it a summer to remember â€" or, at the very least, help prevent you from having a totally mediocre one.We’ve also covered some of the best-paying summer jobs, if you’re just looking to earn some extra cash.  Don’t become a social media stalker Statistics show that the time taken using social media has continued to increase year-on-year, with most of us spending an average of 6. 2 hours on activities such as tweeting every single day.And that number only increases when we’re on annual leave.However, in today’s ‘always on’ culture, this hardly seems surprising. And whether it’s checkin g in on the latest news, or just sharing our own ‘latest news’ (see also: selfies), it’s no wonder that it’s increasingly difficult for some of us to disconnect.All jokes aside, social media can actually be a very powerful tool when used correctly â€" and can even be a great way to earn an extra income.A few tips for how you can turn your social media fix into something more productive (and much more lucrative) include identifying a subject that you enjoy (e.g. fashion, cars, animals,  food, travel, art, etc.) and trying to build up a social media following for your area of interest.This could be by connecting directly with those within your industry, and even just taking part in online conversations to share your interests with others, whilst still retaining your own unique style.P.S. This can also be a great way to get yourself recognised by employers; helping you showcase abilities such as creativity, initiative, entrepreneurship, and hard work. You never know, it could e ven open the door for a full-time career in social media.View all social media jobs now  Don’t work too hardSo it’s OK to use your summer to do some work. But don’t be too hasty.You actually need to enjoy your time off. So please try not to go to bed with your laptop and textbook in hand.Summer can be a great time to start or learn something you’ve always had an interest in, or work on a project you’re really passionate about.It could be to gain some additional experience, pick up a new instrument, help out with a community project or brush up on a new language. Or it could simply be to earn some extra cash you can put aside.Remember: work can also mean working on yourself. As long as you’re mentally stimulated and engaged, it can all help you work towards becoming a better you.P.S: This may also be a great way for you to revive your not-so-exciting CV and cover letter. So, whatever you find yourself working on, if it shows some of your best attributes then dont forget t o make a note of it. It could make all the difference.Five ways to refresh your CVFree CV templateFree cover letter template  Don’t leave things to the last minuteIt can be very tempting to completely forget everything you had wanted to do over the summer. Especially when the distractions start racking up.But, be warned â€" that approach often ends up biting us back.So, rather than allowing your workload to pile up, or relying on the final deadline to try and complete everything, give yourself ample time by planning and pacing yourself.Even if you’re convinced that you ‘work well under pressure’, from my own personal experience tasks always seem to go a lot better (and feel a lot less daunting) when you give yourself enough time to plan and complete them.So this summer take your time, there’s no need to rush. Plan your days accordingly and make a reasonable schedule that you’ll find realistic and easy to follow. That way you can get on with actually enjoying your summer. P.S.  By planning out your work and using a schedule, you’re able to better utilise your time which will help to reduce procrastination and allow more productivity.And, finally…Six things productive people do every daySix ways to beat procrastinationDon’t forget to have fun… Be sure to use your summer to catch up on some much needed overdue sleep, finish your half-read novel, catch up on the latest Netflix series and spend quality time with friends and family.Remember, it’s called a ‘break’ for a reason. So go ahead, enjoy it.You’ve earned it…Ready to find your next role?  View all of our current vacancies 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 terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communicat ions about jobs and career related topics. Features Graduate advice

The Oatmeals Ten Types of Crappy Interviewees

The Oatmeals Ten Types of Crappy Interviewees Are you looking for advice on interviewing for jobs? Well, no matter how many helpful, useful, or actionable posts our team writes about interviewing effectively, tricky interview questions, or how to prepare for your first job interview, were fighting a losing battle. Because in just 10 cartoon panels, The Oatmeal says it all. Succinctly, enjoyably, and while making me snort with laughter so loudly that the guy at the next table leaned over to see my laptop screen. He agreed that its spot on. Click through to TheOatmeal.com  to see the full cartoon. Im not posting it here, out of respect for his creative rights. Plus, Ive been reading his stuff long enough to know that I dont want him drawing a picture of my mother with a bear, even if it DOES raise $200,000 for charity. No thanks. Enjoy! And let us know if youre guilty of any of these interview violations. I must admit, early in my career I was a blend of the Mute and the Apologizer. {snorts!}

Take Your Career Further

Take Your Career Further Are you finding yourself doing the same daily tasks at work? Do you feel as though you’re worth so much more than what you’re doing? Well, if you can answer yes to both of those, then it is time to take your career further. Life is short, so there’s no point wasting it in a position you’re not really happy in. With a little bit of effort, and some help from the pointers below, you could take your career further than you ever thought you could! Read on to find out more. Education Education has the power to do so much for us. When you were in school, the chances are high that you didn’t really care about getting the grades. You were there for the fun. But the better the education you have, the further you’re going to get in life. That’s the main thing a lot of teenagers forget, the power of education! But when you’ve been in full time work for god knows how many years, it is obviously hard to return to it. Luckily for you, there are course that can be took online that will boost the knowledge you already have, and open up more job prospects for you. For example, you could have a master of public safety just by doing a little internet course. There are ones like this for pretty much every career path out there. Or you could education yourself using tools that your current company might provide you with. For example, you could do a training course that expands your knowledge of a particular role and helps you move forward with your career. Hard Work You can’t really get anywhere in life without a bit of hard work. But you career is probably going to be the most challenging thing you’ll ever do. Finding a way to actually work hard when you’re so tired, bored or just can’t be bothered, is hard. We suggest you try and keep your end goal in mind. If you’re determined to progress higher up, you’re going to have to put the effort in whilst you’re still at the bottom. If you struggle to remain focused, try taking regular breaks, even if it is just letting your eyes wander from what you’re doing for a few minutes to try and refresh yourself. Team Player If you’re going to progress your career further, you need to make sure you’re a team player. Employers, or potential employers, aren’t going to be bothered with you if you’d prefer to work as an individual. You’ll find that pretty much every job role you try and get will require you to work as a team. This means you need to have good communication skills, be able to share the workload, and be able to strike up friendships with your coworkers. Having friendships in the workplace is probably one of the most important parts of having a job. It helps to make the day go quicker, and offers you an escape from the reality of work.

How to Follow Up after a Job Interview

How to Follow Up after a Job Interview Interviews can be quite nerve-racking. However, the process that follows can be just as nerve-racking as the interview itself. It is a point in time when you might feel clueless, anxious, and impatient. Not knowing your status can definitely cause unease. Nevertheless, there are follow-up steps you can take to possibly determine your status and to ensure that your recruiter remembers you. STEP 1: Say “Thank You” First and foremost, after any interview, you should always send a “thank you”  almost immediately following. Try to do so within 24 hours. This way the interview is fresh in both your mind and the interviewers mind. STEP 2: Wait The next portion is the difficult part. You must be patient and wait about a week to a week and a half to see whether you get any sort of response. If you find that this amount of time has lapsed and you have not received any information on where you stand, then proceed to your next follow-up step. STEP 3: Write an email This is where things can get a bit tricky. You want to send an email that will help show how truly interested you are without over doing it. The key here is to impress them, not to be a nuisance. So how do you go about doing this? Demonstrate how you remain interested. Share how eager and excited you are and how it’s been on your mind. Reassure them that you’re the right candidate. Although this shouldn’t be anything new as you probably discussed this during the interview, it never hurts to give them a little reminder of the skills you possess and can offer. Recent accomplishments? If you have any, feel free to include them. Refrain from boasting about them. Simply include how this recent experience could potentially help you in any future  endeavours. Enquire about following actions. Ask them what actions you should take next. Through enquiries, you may be able to extract the information you were hoping for, such as where you stand in the process and what the time frames look like. STEP 4: Wait again As mentioned previously, waiting can be the most difficult part. If you do not receive any responses, do not feel discouraged. Some processes may take longer than others. If you feel you would like to send them a second follow-up email, you can do so, but email them in about one and a half to two weeks. Do not exceed 3-4 attempts as that can come off as too aggressive. If you find that you have done all this and still no luck, then this is when you must accept it and simply move on to the next one, and that’s okay! The follow up procedure can be somewhat complex and frustrating. Best of luck to all of you enduring the process, you can do it! ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Caroline is an associate at Execu Search. We specialize in  information technology recruitment  across all industries. 13

10 Ways To Unwind After A Long Work Day

10 Ways To Unwind After A Long Work Day Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comWhether you work the regular 9-5, or maybe you’re involved in the new-age 4-10’s everyone seems to be over the moon about So, if your home offers you a positive energy in the way space is utilized, you’re more likely to see similarly positive aspects in your daily life. You may find that you’ve inexplicably become more organized and tidy at the office, in your car, or in your thoughts, after doing something as simple as taking advantage of the natural light in a room, or adjusting the position of your couch in relation to the wall.While it may sound silly, there are psychological aspects behind the organization and decoration that our minds subconsciously recognize and react to.2.Practice More YogaYou don’t need a gym membership, or even a yoga mat to be able to take part in the exercise. And, not only is it known to relax your mind and body, there are numerous other benefits to partaking in yoga, a few being:Building muscle strengthIncreases bloo d flowIncreases your heart rateImproves your balance3. Take On New HobbiesParticularly if the hobbies get you outside and into the fresh air, you’re in business. People with pets are also known to have a lower chance at heart disease/other heart related complications, and, particularly with dog owner, lowering blood pressure and bodyweight as they’re likely taking man’s best friend for their daily walks. Personally, I don’t understand any reason a person wouldn’t want a pet of their own Not only do hot baths work to soothe your muscles, particularly those in your back if you’ve been sitting up at a computer all day, but with the new popularity of bath bombs (which you can make yourself, thanks to the guardian angel that is Pinterest) and essential oils, the opportunities are endless. Bombs for the water, oils for the air, and you have yourself a mini spa-soak waiting for you.7. Netflix NightWith the rise of almighty online streaming services, more and more common is it f or someone to add “watching Netflix/Hulu/Amazon Prime” onto their “favorite things to do” list. And there’s a reason, if you didn’t already participate in this yourselfâ€" the ability to sit down with a blanket, your cat, and a bowl of popcorn in itself is a nice thought, but add onto that the ability to watch every episode of every season of your favorite show, and suddenly you have your entire night planned, no pants required.8. ReadingIf you’re less of a TV-watcher and more of a book-reader, then welcome to the alternative to my previous blanket, couch, cat combination describe in #7.Apparently, reading by itself is enough to soothe your worried mind within only 6 minutes of starting. And, to champion the mighty book over the almighty streaming serviceâ€" books will never be taken away because their contract expired. You can read, re-read, and dog-ear every page until there’s nothing left.9. Keeping A JournalOther than drinking a little bit and complaining to your overly-exuberant dog about your bad day (we’ll get to that in a bit), one of the best ways to vent your frustrations while still keeping your dignity is by keeping a journal of your daily life.Even if most entries consist of only a few lines talking about how boring or great your job is, simply the act of reflecting back on your day is soothing to the mind as it helps to release pent-up emotions. So, instead of hitting the keyboard for a public complaint on Facebook, instead take to the pages of a notebook, where you can be as candid as necessary, without any possible retribution.10.WineIt’s a pretty well-known fact that alcohol helps with nervous jitters, as it takes its effects on a person’s nervous system and acts as a depressant. This slows your heart rate, and in a lot of ways your mind, so that you’re able to see more clearly through any panic that might’ve otherwise been clouding your judgement. On top of this, a glass wine at the end of the day is known to facilit ate a good night’s sleep, so long as you don’t go overboard.With all of that in mind, I only have one thing to add: grab a cat, a book, and bottoms up.

Can You Really Land The Job Of Your Dreams - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

Can You Really Land The Job Of Your Dreams Do you ever find yourself daydreaming about being in a different role? Perhaps sat in a different office, or a completely different work environment altogether? For some reason, many people avoid taking the plunge when it comes to switching careers. This is usually because they believe it to be too big of a risk, that it won’t pay off, or some kind of excuse to that effect. It’s totally normal to be scared before a big change takes place, but that doesn’t mean you should put your life on hold. If you don’t think you can land the job of your dreams, then you won’t, simple. If you change your mindset, and actually develop a positive attitude and mindset, you could find yourself in the job of your dreams, or at least working your way up to that job, before you know it. What Is The Job Of Your Dreams? To get the job of your dreams you need to know what the job of your dreams is. You can’t fantasize about being somewhere else if you don’t know where that place is. Start by writing down your skills, interests, and goals for the future. Come up with some ideas that line up with that. There are websites out there you can use to help you work out what would suit you by answering questions about yourself honestly. These sites can be extremely enlightening if you’re not sure what path to take. What Do You Want Your Lifestyle To Look Like? Have a long, hard think about what you want your lifestyle to look like. Where would you like to live? What would you like your home to look like? How much free time would you like? How many hours would you like to work, and for how much money? All of these questions can be overwhelming, but you need to get super clear if you’re going to get this job. The infographic below can help you if youre insure of salary! credit to Sunny.co.uk

Hallie Recommends Cool water bottles - Hallie Crawford

Hallie Recommends Cool water bottles I just bought one of these water bottles recently. Unfortunately I did not get one of the fancy ones with cool designs on them. I think Im going to order another one of those for my car ?? I find that having a water bottle around helps me ensure Im drinking enough water during the day. Otherwise I tend to slack off. I read about these in Body and Soul magazine. Heres the scoop: Reusable water bottles reduce waste but some can leach harmful chemicals into your water. Plastics numbered 3, 6, and 7 are questionable. I dont remember which ones are, so I think its easier to purchase one of these cool water bottles instead. They are stainless steel or aluminum which do not leach harmful chemicals. At first I wondered if my water would taste funny but it doesnt. And if you drop this its not going to break, an added bonus. Here are some places to find them: SIGG bottles have funky designs Klean Kanteens are just the silver design but have various cap styles If you prefer plastic, Nalgene has bottles made of safer, high density plastic that wont leach into your drink. Enjoy! Hallie Related posts: Why you should care about the environment Recycle your batteries Seventh Generation