The Importance of a Great Company Culture

The Importance of a Great Company Culture After standing at Waterloo station for 45 minutes on a Tuesday morning and being inundated with various job offers from around the world and one of the biggest football clubs in the world Manchester United graduates still ask me why did I choose to work at my company? So what attracted me to the job? I wanted to work somewhere where everyone knows my name, I don’t want to be on the fifth floor and other employees are staring at me like who is this new guy even though I’d have  been there for about 9 months. I wanted the chance to manage my own projects in various industries simultaneously rather than working for a big sexy company like Nike, Adidas or Coca-Cola, where I would probably just handle one of their social media accounts #Boring. How did it happen? So about 2 hours after leaving Waterloo station I received a LinkedIn InMail from company Director Matt Churchward, stating that he had walked passed me at Waterloo station, saw how busy I was and asked me to come into their head office. I sat with all three company directors who congratulated me on my out of the box efforts in  attempt of landing a marketing role. I was just what they were looking for to help the business move forward. They told me what I wanted to hear, I would join as a Marketing and PR Project manager and create my own marketing campaigns, as well as being a part of the internal recruitment process hiring more graduates. The deal sealer What sealed the deal for me was when I walked into the office for my second interview. The atmosphere was just what I was looking for. It was a young group that I knew I could get on with and achieve some great things with and we have already been nominated for a few awards this year. In comparison to everywhere else I interviewed with, I didn’t feel the same connection between current employees and I just couldn’t work somewhere where people just turn up and are glued to their computers for 9 hours and leave. We play football together, have team nights out, as well as going on company holidays to Barcelona, Berlin and Budapest. What sets us apart from the rest and why it is such a great place to work in comparison to other organisations  is the great  company culture that has been built. There is no magic to solve the issue of graduate unemployment, but we  will be playing its part to provide opportunities in the green, digital and property sector as I’d hate to be the reason commuters are bombarded by hundreds of graduates at station in the morning asking for a job! Author:  I am Alfred Ajani the Coventry University graduate from South London also known as ‘The CV Man’.  I am Marketing and PR Projects Manager at The Asoria Group, responsible for driving the Marketing and PR function.

Insights On the Life of A Fashion Buyer

Insights On the Life of A Fashion Buyer What’s it like working in a fast fashion brand? And how do you take your first steps into the industry? Senior Buyer Karen Dougall from QUIZ Clothing gives us an intriguing insight into life in the industry â€" as well as giving her own hints for trends in Autumn/Winter 2016. What is life like as a senior buyer? Life as a senior buyer with QUIZ is amazing! Every day is different. At the start of the week we read our sales reports religiously to get a feel for whats hot and whats not. We look for new colours coming through as well as new styles and fabrics that have reacted well with our customers. As we are a fast fashion brand, we follow our customers lead and react quickly to new information on sales. If we see a specific colour reacting well we develop more in this shade to create a full story for the new season.  What is the best bit about your job? The best part of my job is working with the design buying team on developing new exciting collections.   Im a creative person so really enjoy seeing a range come together from concept to product in store. How do you decide which items to stock? We decide what to stock by following catwalk trends, social media, celebrities and youth trends that just pop up. Being a buyer now is more like being a product developer too as we pick fabrics, styles and also negotiate prices delivery dates for the stock â€" its full-on! How did you get into buying? I studied fashion at the Scottish College of textiles now known as Herriot Watt University. I graduated with a first class honours degree in fashion with business. After I graduated I went to work for an importing company based in Glasgow. From there I was promoted to the London office where I worked with buyers from Topshop to Ted Baker. I got a feel for what buyers did and thought that was something I could do too. I was moving back to Scotland so wrote to Scottish retailers with my CV explaining that I wanted to be a buyer. As luck would have it QUIZ was a growing retail company looking for a junior to help out with administration, fitting the clothes and assisting with selection. The buyers took a chance on me and thankfully it paid off. Ive been with QUIZ for over 15 years and have grown my buying career with the growth and success of the company.  What makes a good buyer? One of the key points is to build strong relationships with your supply chain and manage the supply chain to ensure you get your product into store on time. A good buyer has a keen eye for commercial styles and is always hunting for winning lines. You have to be confident knowledgeable on future trends, colours, fabrics and have a good business mind too. A good buyer is also able to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times.  What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a buyer? My advice would be to study hard at University to gain a fashion-related qualification. After that I would say its all about building relationships, studying your customer and always being one step ahead of emerging trends, whether its the newest shoe style or top quality wallets. Which celebrity influences your style the most? My personal style is influenced by celebrities like the Kardashians, style icons like Olivia Palemero, and bloggers such as Up Close and Stylish. What trends do you expect to be big for Autumn/Winter 2016? The biggest trends coming for AW16 are Velvet: Tops, dresses, boots, shoes, play suits and camisole dresses. If its velvet buy it! Underwear as clothing: This is a massive trend breaking through at present. The camisole slip dress in satin with lace detail is set to be an AW16 wardrobe essential. Embroidery: DG shows were dominated with opulent floral embroidered creations as well as Gucci. This trend is set to continue in clothing, footwear and accessories.  What’s the one must-have item for Autumn/Winter 2016? A metallic pleated skirt. This is a huge trend for this season!  What’s your last fashion purchase? My latest fashion purchase was a pinstripe embroidered shirt from Zara. Its my new prize possession!

Salary Negotiation Etiquette and Tips

Salary Negotiation Etiquette and Tips A recent study showed that only 19% of recently graduated MBAs attempted to negotiate their salary offer. I know sometimes it is hard to approach this subject because it can be so awkward! Especially when you really want the job and dont want to say anything that will start you off on the wrong foot with your future boss. But, what I have learned is that you have every right to be prepared and to ask for a salary that you deserve. The most important thing when interviewing for a new job is to do your research and be prepared for this question, What are your salary requirements? On my very  first interview out of college for my dream job, this question was one of the first things asked and I was not prepared!    Because of my lack of preparation, I  dont believe that I  received what I deserved.   But I got my dream  first job and that is all that really matters in the long run.   My advice is to try not to discuss salary requirements until you are at the end of the interview process but always be prepared with a salary range. Another thing I have learned is that you cant  expect to be making millions at your first job out of college. We all have to start somewhere but if you are patient and work you butt off, your rewards will follow in due time.  If you are at the office an hour before you have to be and stay late to make sure a report is completed perfectly, your  management  will notice how valuable you are.   Not too many employees will go the extra mile  but  if you do, you will stand out and your management will make sure that you are happy. Unfortunately, during this economic crisis many employers cant afford to give their hardworking employees raises.   But, if you ask for a raise now and show how valuable you are, you will be first in line to get  a raise when funding does become available in the future.   And trust me, you will feel so much better about it because you worked for it and actually deserve it. I never want a raise because I negotiated the best. I want a raise because I performed the best and I actually deserve it. Another thing I learned from speaking with an executive at a career seminar is that you shouldnt tell your current company that you are looking for a job and that you have a higher salary offer elsewhere.   Instead,  be passionate about your job and making  your company successful.   If you show that you are quick to even think about jumping ship, they will lose faith in you and give the  raise to someone else they know will stick around in the long run. Here are  few other tips I have learned at career seminars: Do your salary research before the interview (check out http://www.salary.com/).   Know what you are worth but be realistic. Be assertive but never argumentative and  never burn your bridges.   Separate your emotions from  the objectives you hope to achieve. When looking for a raise, be prepared to discuss any additional responsibilities you have added to your job and any recent accomplishments. Make a compelling case. Did you save the company money, increase productivity or take on a new management role? Practice your negotiation skills with a friend or family member. This is too important of a conversation to walk in cold! Know your timing.  Has your company gone through some hard times lately? It doesnt hurt to ask now but be aware of your companys financial situation.  Prepare for a Plan B request such as more vacation time or a flexible schedule which could make up for the lack of a funding available for a raise. Other questions to ask during salary negotiations: Where does this offer stand in the pay range? What would it take to be in the next pay range? What experience and qualifications would it take to get to the next level?   How often do employees get raises? Do you find salary negotiations awkward and difficult like me?   How do you prepare to negotiate  the salary that you deserve?

How to Start a Career as a Car Trader

How to Start a Career as a Car Trader This is the perfect career for anyone who loves cars. You don’t even need to do this full time if you don’t want to either, you can easily do this part-time, whenever you feel like it. If you have a passion for cars, then starting a career as a car trader will probably be the right career choice for you. Car trading is pretty straightforward as well. You buy cheap cars, then you sell them for a profit.   Being a car trader is the perfect career for an entrepreneur looking for a simple business idea. Research, Research, Research Before you start buying and selling cars though, you need to make sure that you research as much as you can, and then do some more research on top of that. You need to make sure that you have a good amount of knowledge about which cars are selling and which aren’t selling. If you don’t do this, then you’ll make a mistake easily and get the wrong car. Buying the wrong car means that you lose out on profit. This is something which you will want to avoid. When it comes to buying a car, you need to think about who your customers are, then you need to figure out how you can best cater for these people. Are they all family based so will need bigger and safer cars? Or are they more into the faster and littler cars that are better for a sportier person? If you don’t know who your customer is then you won’t be able to get them the car that they want. Create a Business Plan When you know exactly who your customer is and what sort of car they would want. You can then start to think about your business plan. You need to work out all the costs and how much you might sell a car for. If you aren’t making any profit, then that’s not the right car for you. If you are truly interested in turning this into a career, and not just as a hobby then this is a really important step. There is so much that you will have to consider when it comes to your business plan though. It doesn’t just stop with which cars will give you the biggest profit, but you will also have to think about things like how you will go about with repair issues, any aesthetic improvements and any other things that might cost you (like the premises that you work on, how much motor trade insurance will cost, plus a lot more). Get Motor Trade Insurance Motor trade insurance was briefly mentioned in the paragraph above, however, it is incredibly important that you get this (particularly if you buy and sell cars). If you don’t have this insurance, then you will be breaking the law. This type of insurance covers you when driving cars without you having to insure yourself separately. This is something which will greatly benefit your business as you can add and remove as many cars as you want, without you having to pay any additional costs. These are only a few things that you will have to think about when it comes to starting up your career as a car trader. So, if this is the career that you want, then make sure you know exactly what you need to do in order to make it a successful career. It may sound easy buying and selling cars, but there is so much more to it that you will have to sort out. Don’t go in without a business plan, otherwise you might get a bit stuck. For more business tips, check out this article hereabout achieving your career goals.

5 Things You Didnt Know About Becoming an Aircraft Mechanic - CareerMetis.com

5 Things You Didn't Know About Becoming an Aircraft Mechanic Photo Credit â€" WikimediaThe aviation industry is now vast. Each year, millions of people travel by aircraft. And as a result, huge pressure is put on the vehicles themselves. That means that there are now more opportunities than ever before for people wanting to work on them.With that said, the field is a complicated area. In other words, there’s a lot about it that you probably don’t know.The following are five things you didn’t know about becoming an aircraft mechanic.1. Top Mechanics Earn Over $76,000 A YearevalevalOne of the great things about becoming an aircraft mechanic is the wide range of skills you pick up. Thanks to the complexity of aircraft, the role is highly specialized. That’s because aircraft mechanics spend a lot of time dealing with advanced technology and systems.According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, average pay for a technician is around $55,000. But that’s just the average. Those who go on to do specialist training can get their pay to rise t o as high as $76,000. That’s not bad, considering how fun the work is.2. You Need Specialist TrainingBecoming an aircraft mechanic is just like any other profession. You have to go to school. Fortunately, there are aircraft mechanic schools dotted all over the US. Each school offers Federal Aviation Authority training. And each school has its own specialisms.The average course takes about two years to complete. But you can continue in school for longer if you want to gain further experience. Those with more training tend to progress faster once they begin work.3. There Are Big Opportunities In AgriculturePhoto Credit â€" YouTubeIt might not be the first place you think of, but agriculture demands a lot of mechanics. The world of crop dusting has changed enormously since the early days. In fact, those who do crop dusting are not longer called “crop dusters.” They’re called “aerial applicators.” And theirs is a complicated trade.Now aircraft fly over crops in precise patte rns, guided by GPS, of course. And the aircraft themselves are multi-million dollar machines using the latest technology. As a result, big agriculture firms are constantly on the lookout for new mechanics. As you might expect, their fleets need servicing and optimizing for the task in hand.4. You Can Specialize In GlidersPhoto Credit- PixabayIt’s worth pointing out that jet aircraft aren’t the only aircraft in need of maintenance. There are many other varieties of aircraft that require a mechanic’s touch. One such breed is the humble glider.evalYou might not think that much could go wrong with this type of aircraft. But you’d be surprised just how much maintenance work even these aircraft can require.5. Aircraft Mechanics Also Learn About HelicoptersevalWe tend to think of aircraft as having two wings and a long tube in the middle. But the term aircraft really refers to any craft that goes in the air. And, obviously, that definition would include helicopters too.Most aircraf t mechanics will find themselves working on helicopters at one point or another. They’ll either do this as part of their training, or they’ll work on helicopters on the job.

Career Emergency First Aid Kit

Career Emergency First Aid Kit Career Emergency First Aid Kit Career Emergency First Aid Kit February 23, 2010 by Career Coach Sherri Thomas Leave a Comment Life is hectic. Careers are hectic. And it takes a few tricks to manage both successfully. I have a close friend and client, Tracey, who’s now been in the successful role of Communications Manager for the American Red Cross in Phoenix for the past two years. One of the many things she does besides helping drive relief efforts for Haiti, is publicizing the Red Cross’ emergency First Aid Kit. It made me think how much we all need our own “Career Emergency First Aid Kit.” A box of tools including an escape plan to help us stay afloat should our career take an unexpected turn. Earlier in my career, I experienced a few setbacks that caught me off-guard. After I landed back on my feet, I became smarter about anticipating and preparing for change. Planning and preparation are critical to surviving any disaster. Can your career weather any storm, and rebound quickly? One tool that is must be in your kit is a polished and professional resume. If you’re unsure about how your resume measures up, you may want to work with a professional resume writer.

How To Get A Professional Resume For Free

How To Get A Professional Resume For FreeAnytime you need to get a professional resume written, it can be a real chore. You'll find that most people spend an average of five hours or more on it. However, with the internet, there are many ways to make it easier.The first thing you can do is look for a service. Some people think that a resume writing service will only charge you for their time. This can be true for some people. However, these services will also charge a fee for the resume writing services that they provide.It's a good idea to keep an eye out for the hourly rates that the services charge. Some of them will offer you free samples of their work. In addition, there are some services that offer samples at a small cost.You should also take a look at the types of information that you'll be able to get from the professional resume writing service that you select. They may be able to provide you with information that you would not be able to get on your own. Information such as samples of past jobs. The types of personal and professional references that you can provide them with.Some companies have certain rules about what type of information they can provide. It may require that they use some of your prior work experience. It may require that they put in some personal information. You may be able to write a cover letter for the professional resume without having to use anything that they have provided.This is why it's a good idea to check out the fact about the type of information that they have before you choose to get a professional resume written. You don't want to write a resume that you will be giving away when you sign up for one of these services. You also want to get a professional resume that will have everything you need to be hired for the job.You can take a look at the types of things that a professional resume writing service can provide. Of course, the types of information will vary according to the company. However, you should still be abl e to get information that you can use.You may also find that the professional resume writing service has access to a very large database of past resumes that you can look through. You may even be able to download a free sample of your previous work. There are many reasons why you may want to consider looking into a professional resume writing service, including the fact that you may be able to get the information that you need to be hired for the job.