An internship is a wonderful opportunity for you to not only gain valuable work experience, but also make an impression on an employer and get a good reference for your CV. Here are a few steps to make the most out of your internship opportunity: 1) Set Personal Goals Some internships are structured and have goals in place from the get-go, others don’t, so you will need to set some measurable goals for yourself. These goals can be anything, from what you want to learn while you’re there, to building your business network. Setting unreachable goals will make a good…
Author: Career Planet
If you’re in the process of polishing your resume in preparation for a new job search, you’ll want to make sure to include a section with transferable skills. Transferable skills are important for recent graduates, career changers, or anyone who’s been out of the workforce for a significant period of time. Not sure which transferable skills to include? Read on for the ultimate transferable skills list. What Are Transferable Skills? Transferable skills are skills you acquire during your education, internships, or through work experience that you bring with you to future employment settings. Some common examples of transferable hard skills include:…
Don’t know where your career is going? You need a plan… Although we often hope that things will automatically go the way we want, coincidences (and/or luck) isn’t always on our side – especially when it comes to career goals. That’s why it’s important to effectively plan for the future, whether you’re still studying or have been working for a while. What is a career plan? A career plan is a practical strategy that allows you to determine your skills and interests, set career goals, and put actions in place that will help you reach them. It’s a continuous…
Change is a scary thing, especially when it comes to your career… Whether you’re desperate to leave your current job, or you’re just itching to try something new – changing careers can sometimes be exactly what you need. And the good news is, it could just take the right attitude to get the ball rolling – no matter how under-qualified you may think you are. Don’t use it as an excuse to run away OK, so you can’t stand your boss/colleagues/company. But before you start searching for the fastest possible escape route, always make an attempt to fix your situation…
What is volunteering – and whats’s in it for you? To a lot of people, these two questions could somehow appear to contradict each other. As we know, most people who volunteer do so from the heart, out of a desire to give back to the community. But while you feel good about giving your time and your skills to your community, you can also directly benefit from the experience by collecting new skills along the way. Some of these skills may help you secure a job later or help them with their studies. Improve your skills set No matter…
The “power of positive thinking” is a popular concept, and sometimes it can feel a little cliché. But the physical and mental benefits of positive thinking have been demonstrated by multiple scientific studies. Positive thinking can give you more confidence, improve your mood, and even reduce the likelihood of developing conditions such as hypertension, depression and other stress-related disorders. All this sounds great, but what does the “power of positive thinking” really mean? You can define positive thinking as positive imagery, positive self-talk or general optimism, but these are all still general, ambiguous concepts. If you want to be effective in thinking and being more…
While most careers require certain skill-sets to get you on top of the candidate list, there are other qualities companies look for when recruiting. And these are things you can focus on while going about your daily routine. Regardless of the company or industry you are looking to join, these skills will give you a better chance of being hired, and improve your chances of promotion once you’re hired. Communication Most careers require that you are able to interact with colleagues, clients or suppliers. Even in the most high-tech environment. In face-to-face situations, be respectful, confident and well-spoken. When you’re…
During your grandparents’ lives and even during your parents’ lives, most jobs were divided into two main groups: (1) Men’s jobs and (2) Women’s jobs. Most men grew up to become Bricklayers, Welders, Chefs, Bankers, Doctors etc, while women became Nannies, Housekeepers, Nurses, Teachers or Secretaries etc. No-one ever considered doing anything else. It was not accepted. Now, … life is very exciting. Due to new, non-sexist legislation, you (a man or a woman) can become anything you want to be. Absolutely anything! In this generation, men are making new career choices. It’s not unusual to find male Secretaries, Personal…
We know that South Africa is deep in a youth unemployment crisis. As a young person, one of the major challenges you face is lack of work experience. As our President, Cyril Ramaphosa said at the October Job Summit: “I have spoken about this before. Young people in South Africa have said that issue with work experience – before they can even get a job – is a huge constraint for them. It prevents them from job opportunities, and they propose work experience should be removed as a requirement for employment. I agree with that.” The President has said that he…
What do all large businesses have in common? They have all dominated their markets and taken over by keeping the business competitive. Some of these large businesses such as Google and Amazon have remained there ever since, whereas others such as Blackberry and Nokia slipped away into relative obscurity despite once being huge companies. What this tells us is that there is much more to running a business than a good idea or product. Sure, a good idea and viable product is important, but it’s not as important as keeping yourself competitive in today’s competitive commercial market. If you as…