How to Find volunteer work

How to Find volunteer work by Amber Rolfe Enjoy helping others, and looking to improve your skills? You should try volunteering…Volunteering is a broad field, with a range of opportunities to suit all skill-sets, schedules, and situations. So whether you’re looking to add value to your CV, you’re interested in working abroad, or you just want to give back to your community, there’s a voluntary programme out there for you.To make sure your help is headed in the right direction, here are our top tips on how to find volunteer work:  Choose a cause you’re passionate aboutFirst things first: you need to pick the type of organisation you want to work for.You could help protect the environment, work with animals, or support disadvantaged groups of people like the homeless, disabled, elderly, or children in need, for example.Alternatively, you could get involved with your community, and assist with local initiatives and cultural events, such as arts, music, or sports.There might even be a range of ca uses that you didn’t know existed, so always do your research and see what’s out there before you settle on one idea. But choosing a cause you care about will go a long way in making your voluntary position a success.  Recognise your skillsMaking a list of your skills is a great way to decide what volunteering route you should take. Not only will it help you figure out what you’d be good at, it’ll also give you a comprehensive list of your key strengths to reference in an application.For example, if you’re great at working with people, consider a mentoring or companionship role, and if you’re an excellent organiser, think about a position in charity fundraising and events.Whatever it is you excel in, it’s vital to pick an opportunity that allows you to help in a way that suits your own individual assets and attributes.But remember: no matter what you specialise in, all voluntary roles will require commitment, determination, and hard work â€" so make sure these skills a re also foregrounded in any application you make.Work around your availabilityThe type of volunteering you’ll be able to do will be based on the amount of time you’ve got to spare.For example, if you’re only free for a few weeks, you might be better off pursuing a short-term local opportunity. But, if you’re looking to work throughout an entire summer, you could organise longer (or multiple) volunteering placements â€" which may also include volunteering abroad.And even if your time is limited, it doesn’t mean you can’t get involved.Most local organisations will offer flexible volunteer work, and will allow you to take on part-time, evening, and night volunteering opportunities. It all comes down to tailoring your search to your individual schedule, and looking for the projects that fit in with your schedule.  Get in touchSome organisations might not advertise voluntary programmes, but this doesn’t mean you can’t get involved. Proactive tactics (like getting in touch with an employer directly) could actually persuade an organisation to give you a chance to volunteer â€" even if they aren’t offering a formal position.If the positions you’re interested in are being advertised, you should still get in touch to find out more. That way, you’ll know exactly what the role entails, and there should be no surprises if your application is eventually successful.Good questions to find out more about voluntary roles include:How long does your programme last?What will my working hours be?Will my expenses be paid?What support and training will be provided?Bottom line: if you have any doubts, always ask.Upload your CVUploading your CV to a job board that offers voluntary programmes could actually help you widen your search.Although you should combine this method with active job hunting techniques, making yourself openly available to employers could mean you’re pursued for roles that aren’t formally advertised.Providing you make what you’re looking for clear in your CV, select the right sector, and make your CV visible to recruiters, you could be offered your perfect voluntary programme without even applying for it.  Treat it like a job searchAlthough volunteering is slightly different to a paid position, it’s still a highly competitive field, so it’s important to put an equal amount of effort in when searching and applying for roles.To ensure you’re getting the most suited results, make use of the filters, use the right keywords, and be sector specific. Additionally, there’ll usually be an option to narrow your results within the charity sector (e.g. choose to find jobs in events, fundraising etc.), which will allow you to tailor your search.And when applying for voluntary work, always make an effort to quantify your relevant skills and experience â€" and most importantly, emphasise your eagerness to help your chosen cause and ultimately make a positive difference.Remember: suitability is key, but it won’t be an aut omatic yes. If you put the right amount of effort in, you’ll find a voluntary position that suits all parties.  Ready to become a volunteer? View all available charity voluntary jobs  Find 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

The Evolution of My Career Calgary Resume Writer

The Evolution of My Career Calgary Resume Writer I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by the talented Cathy Milton, for a Career Professionals of Canada (CPC) membership feature.  This opportunity reminded me that my career journey is not unlike many of yours (and my past clients); I too have challenged myself, reached milestones, and evolved my skills to be where I am today. If you would like to learn more about my career story, or if you are a budding practitioner wanting to know more about the benefits of CPC  I invite you to read the full piece here: Meet CPC Member Adrienne Tom.  I feel truly blessed to have such abundance in my life.

Still Not Sure How to Recruit on Facebook Read This!

Still Not Sure How to Recruit on Facebook Read This! With over 1.5 billion users, Facebook now tops every single social networking site on the net including Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter. As the most widely used networking site on the web, Facebook has naturally also become a huge sourcing ground for recruiters. Unlike professional networking sites such as LinkedIn however, Facebook isn’t designed to be used for sourcing, nor do many of it’s users expect recruiters to be using it in this way. The amount of people who keep an up to date professional status is vague, and privacy settings can challenge the ease of direct searching. However, this doesn’t mean that Facebook isn’t a very valuable tool in recruitment. As with everything it has its pros and cons in this case Facebook can be an excellent tool to cultivate potential candidates as well as finding and hiring candidates.  The main pull of course, is the potential of discovering passive candidates those elusive professionals who aren’t particularly searching for employment, but may be swung. Those who are naturally drawn to your company by common interests or friends, and those who don’t already have a souped up profile on LinkedIn! So, what’s the best way to use Facebook to find all of those elusive candidates? There’s a few options which we’ll take a look at here: 1) Facebook communities: First off it’s important to build up a respected Facebook community for your company. With regular input and maintenance you can gradually build up a fanbase of followers who give value to your Facebook community with their own contributions in the form of comments, discussions, pictures and the like. This initial step is relatively time consuming, however it’s the keystone to using Facebook as a viable recruiting method. By regularly updating your community page with engaging content you can successfully gain momentum as a company of interest. For standard recruitment purposes, your community page will ideally attract fans based in the same area and it’s important to keep the content focused on your company i.e. your day to day activities, latest news, new products, campaigns and the like. Or something completely unrelated but unique to your employer brand, for example: “We’re celebrating the Dallas Cowboys 37-36 win against Green Bay Packers in style!” Accompanied by a picture of your team enjoying a casual Friday in their blue shirts. Of course this might put off any Packers fans, but hey you get the point. The result of a successful Facebook community page means that over time, you’ll build up a fanbase of people who share your interests and goals. These people, and likely their friends too, will therefore be a good base to begin recruiting amongst. 2) Posting jobs on Facebook: Naturally the next step is to let your fans know when positions become available. The first, and easiest way, is to post links to open vacancies. Statistically, posts with images get more views therefore it’s always a good idea to accompany your ad with a relevant image. However, it’s more and more common to simply link your career site to your Facebook page by installing a widget or setting up an RSS feed which will automatically update vacancies directly on your community page talk to your tech guy or girl about this. Additionally it’s worth installing the Facebook widget on your career site. This way, anyone looking to work for your company will have an immediate way to get involved, even if there aren’t currently any vacancies. And so the community (and your talent pool) grows. 3) Word of mouth: As we all know, hearing a first hand experience is way more convincing that something that happened to a ‘friend of a friend’ the same goes for a company reputation. Therefore it’s worth encouraging your existing employees to spread the word via Facebook. Least of all, apart from credibility, it will increase the amount of exposure your job post receives. For example if every employee in an office of 20 people share an ad with an average of 200 friends each, that’s a potential audience of 4000 Facebook users all of which have at least one direct connection to your existing employees. RELATED:  Why  Employee Referrals  are the Best Source of Hire 4) Facebook Marketplace: Facebook Marketplace was initially launched in 2007 and is now running via Oodle meaning it’s only available to the States (for those of you outside of the US it’s essentially Gumtree). As a free service it’s a budget friendly way to reach out to more job seekers on Facebook. You simply fill out an ad, including a description and an image, and post it to the Marketplace as well as your own Timeline. As long as your post is up, it will be accessible to anyone visiting Facebook Marketplace or specifically searching for your job criteria on Facebook. 5) Facebook Graph Search: Facebook Graph Search was officially launched early last year (2013) however, it’s had a few teething problems rolling out and is still only available to English speaking accounts. For now, your best bet is to make sure your language is set to US English, and to join the waiting list. That aside, when you do get your hands on it, Facebook Graph is set to be the next big thing in social recruiting. For a start you can search Facebook’s billion plus users with pretty much any query, for example: “Engineers living in London” “People who used to work for Google in California” “Accountants employed by Bank of America” Following this you can further filter your search results by the commonly held information on Facebook profiles, for example: Location Hometown University Language Hobbies As mentioned however, most users don’t treat Facebook as they would LinkedIn, therefore the amount up to date job information that you’ll find is debatable. What Facebook Graph Search is extremely useful for though, is honing down on those secondary aspects that can make the difference between a good candidate and a perfect one.  For example, narrowing down on hometowns, language skills, or places that people have visited can be particularly useful if you’re looking to recruit for particular language skills, or people who are likely to want to re-locate to a place that they have visited. Or, of course, it might be a bonus for you if your candidate is a big fan of the Dallas Cowboys! It’s these kind of soft facts (often left unmentioned on professional sites) that give Facebook Graph Search an edge, especially if you’re keen to recruit for personality as well as skills. READ MORE:  How to Recruit with Facebook Graph Search [INFOGRAPHIC] 6) Facebook etiquette: A while ago I wrote an article here on the etiquette of social recruiting, which looked at the way in which it is, and isn’t, appropriate to approach potential candidates via social networking sites. Without going over the topic again in too much detail, it’s important to remember that many people on Facebook may well be unaccustomed to recruiters scouting them out through their personal network. Therefore, it’s good to keep this in mind when approaching someone on Facebook. If anything, Facebook lends itself to a more casual approach so it’s ok to acknowledge the fact that your message may seem out of the blue. On the other hand, it would be fair to assume that the members of your community page may well be delighted to hear from you. A good tip to remember however, is that unless you are already connected to your potential candidate, your message will go directly to their ‘other’ inbox. You know, the one that no one knows exists. Fortunately, with Facebook Graphs you do have the option to pay a surcharge of $1.00 for your message to go directly to someones main inbox. I recommend it since, I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember the last time I checked the ‘other’ folder! Onwards and upwards: So there you have it. A roundup of the basic Facebook recruitment strategies which should helpfully start you on your way to harnessing the power of a billion plus users. However, it’s by no means the be all and end all. There are countless Facebook tips, tricks, apps and widgets being developed all the time, so it’s always worth checking up on the latest news here on The Undercover Recruiter and of course, the many other excellent recruitment blogs on the web. And finally, here’s some stats* to inspire your start to Facebook Recruitment good luck! 85% of internet users have Facebook accounts 84% of job seekers have a Facebook profile 74% of internet users use Facebook daily 57% of Facebook users have 100+ friends 58% of Facebook users have liked a brand *stats from Mashable.com Have you had success by recruiting on Facebook, or perhaps you’ve used the site to look for jobs? I’d love to hear your experiences as well as any hints or tips you’d like to share!

An Interview With Sports Documentary Producers Eric Newland and George Dalton - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

An Interview With Sports Documentary Producers Eric Newland and George Dalton - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I recently had the pleasure to sit down with Eric Newland and George Dalton who are in the process of producing a documentary about America’s Negro League Baseball. Their passion of baseball and history will be ever present throughout their film, The Parallel Game, exploring American history’s greatest past time. They went on to discuss the process of producing a documentary, the people theyve met, and the determination and patience it takes to bring a story to life as they are navigating the world of filmmaking. Christian Roberts:  What inspired you to produce this project? Eric Newland:  Traveling back 25 years prior to the age of Google aided research and even earlier, we had a passion for Negro League Baseball which I followed by creating a self-inspired talk show, Inside Baseball. “Only the Ball was White” was a groundbreaking history book by Robert Peterson about the Negro Leagues.   It opened my mind to a fascinating yet sometimes disturbing history of that era-a story which was largely untold.  On the show and traveling across the country, I interviewed former NLB players, historians, and sportswriters.  A chance conversation with George about Peterson’s book  combined with my interviews, inspired us to begin this project. Roberts:  What about this project stands out from other documentaries? George Dalton:  While it could be a documentary we are not locked into a specific format.   We are exploring several possible film development opportunities.   Our conversations and meetings with experienced film producers have opened our eyes to various avenues including a documentary, a scripted episodic series or even a feature film. For example, a pure documentary is the simplest path but one which could evolve into a mini-series or we may go straight to a series. A feature film is the most remote. In whatever form it takes, we believe the uniqueness of The Parallel Game comes from the virtually untold history of the 1920s-1940s told through the background of Negro League Baseball which ran concurrently with  historic and cultural events such as the Great Depression, the evolution of music from gospel and spirituals to Blues and Jazz, and the Black experience during World War II.   Our project title, The Parallel Game, evokes both the similarity of segregated Black and White bas eball as well as the historical and social turbulence of that era. Roberts:  What is it like producing a documentary? Is this your first? Newland:  This is our first film project which came about simply by following our passion, again, we are not limiting this to a documentary but rather taking a central theme and asking film experts to take us in the right directionâ€"documentary, mini-series or other vehicles.   As relative  â€œrookies” yet having significant involvement in various businesses, we are fascinated by the learning experience and especially the diversity of people we have been meeting.   It is remarkable when people’s eyes light up with just a glance at our logo which inevitably opens a spirited conversation about our project.   Interestingly, our on-going research continues to shed new light on the culture of that era which was a precursor to integration not just of baseball, but of American society. Roberts:  What kind of people have you interviewed? Dalton:  In addition to the interviews of NLB players, sportswriters and historians which Eric conducted about 25 years ago, our recent efforts run a gamut from current and former Major League Baseball players including Frank Robinson  who is the only man to be the MVP of both the American and National Leagues, the first Black major league manager and in the Hall of Fame, All-Stars Tommy Davis and Lorenzo Cain, Black and White historians, a former owner of a notable MLB franchise, Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City, a former head of the Congressional Black Caucus, and even a prominent museum exhibit about Black migration in the early 1900s and, Louise Lippincott, the curator of the famed Teenie Harris photographic archive on Black baseball in Pittsburgh. Roberts:  Whats the next step for the project? And lastly, any advice you can give to people trying to break into producing? Newland:  We have been actively pursuing additional interviews with former and current players and, especially, meeting with experienced film insiders who are interested in the project. These insiders have been providing direction on how best to advance this project. We are in the process of building social media sites and exploring various fund raising  vehicles.   Our advice, especially for “newcomers”, is to stay focused with a disciplined structure and to network as much as possible with experts in all fields that connect with the project topic.    

Tips For Writing A Resume For Freshers Engineers

Tips For Writing A Resume For Freshers EngineersResume writing for freshers engineers is not much different from the job that regular engineers have to do. But with the pressure of learning the ropes at an extremely young age, many engineers may find it hard to prepare for the interview for the first time. Here are some tips for how to write a resume that will stand out from the crowd.First and foremost, you should be well aware of what it takes to have a working degree, complete bachelor's degree or higher before entering a new job. This will help you determine whether you have a sufficient amount of work experience. Remember, most employers who come to check out your credentials will be looking for fresh professionals with no existing work history.Second, you should write your resumes in a way that encompasses your skill set, talent and background in order to give a broad picture. By doing this, your resume will not only give a clear picture of your career goals, but also give more insight into what you can do for the company. Employers are looking for a well-rounded candidate and will evaluate your abilities based on the contents of your resume.Third, you should have a good grasp of engineering terminology, as you will need to convey to the interviewer that you have a sound knowledge of the specific field of work that you are applying for. This is a very important component of the resume writing for freshers engineers. In order to ensure that your resume is completed properly, always ensure that you choose professional, reliable sources of your resume such as those who deal directly with the company you are applying for. They can explain to you what is expected of your resume so that you will get the best output.Fourth, do not forget to include a few personal touches. You can include things like hobbies or other activities that would give away the fact that you are eager to learn and make an impact on the company you are applying for. By including personal t ouches like these, you will get a much better response and will be considered for the job you are applying for.Fifth, always keep in mind that you have been hired for a job during a career transition period. When looking for a job, candidates who have a solid work history will generally get the attention of an employer and will be considered for the position. This is especially true if they have shown a strong understanding of the company and can demonstrate that they are both motivated and driven to succeed.Sixth, when designing your resume, be mindful of the chronological order of events. It is very important that your resume is structured in a manner that incorporates the start of the work journey in your educational career. The application for a job will go from your admission to a company and then onward to the development of a strong career.Seventh, always remember that your resume should be able to provide you with answers to the basic questions asked by the employers. You sh ould always strive to provide a well-organized and well-written resume that will assist you in getting the interview that you are seeking.

6 leadership styles that are crushing workers enthusiasm

6 leadership styles that are crushing workers enthusiasm 6 leadership styles that are crushing workers enthusiasm Crushing work environments drain people of the energy and enthusiasm needed to do great work. Such environments infect the whole workplace, and what’s worse, they limit a business’s ability to achieve desired results. Workplace optimism is choked before it can even emerge,” explains Shawn Murphy, author of The Optimistic Workplace. I spoke to Murphy, and he explained that workplace optimism isn’t about one’s perspective as an optimist or a pessimist. “It’s about people feeling hopeful that good things will come from hard work,” he says. In short, the optimism Murphy describes emerges as a perception of the work environment based on how employees feel about it. Murphy explains that there are six destructive management symptoms that stop optimism from emerging. These crush work environments, reducing them to negative soul-sucking places to work. Symptom 1: Blind Impact This is when a leader is unaware of how his actions, attitudes, and words impact others. Symptom 2: Antisocial Leadership An antisocial leader lacks the ability or drive to encourage, build, and evolve a community of people united by a shared purpose. Symptom 3: Chronic Change Resistance This is a leader’s unwillingness to initiate change to help a team and organization remain relevant. Symptom 4: Profit Myopia Leaders with this symptom cling to the outdated belief that profit is the best success measure. Leaders are unable to define success beyond making money. Short-term thinking dominates the leader’s actions to generate profit for the business. Symptom 5: Constipated Inspiration This symptom infects a leader’s style and prevents him from learning what and how to inspire his team. Symptom 6: Silo Syndrome A leader afflicted with silo syndrome cannot see beyond his immediate responsibilities and has no awareness of the impacts his decisions have on others. The good news is that these symptoms can be overcome by shifting the way you lead. Murphy explains that the following actions can reverse the effects of destructive management that crush work environments. These actions can also help create the optimistic workplace. 1. Know and show your values Your presence and leadership style has the greatest impact on employees’ performance. “To deepen your awareness of how you impact others, identify, define, and know what behaviors align with what’s important to you,” says Murphy. He recommendsIgniter from Luck Companies, a free tool to help identify your values. 2. Define your team’s purpose “Not enough leaders know their team’s ‘why,’” Murphy explains. Too many leaders have fallen into a rut when it comes to inspiring their employees and connecting their work to the company’s strategies. He recommends spending time with your team to identify the reason they exist. Spend time uncovering why the team’s efforts are important. This is an iterative conversation that will take a few cycles to define. 3. Create clarity Too often, employees are unaware of their goals, or don’t know which work is a priority. This type of ambiguity can be overcome by spending time talking with employees about what success looks like and what the team’s priorities are. “Team confusion over goals and priorities is a leadership problem,” Murphy says. It’s important to coach employees to prioritize their daily work by keeping in mind the company’s strategic and operational needs. 4. Network across the company It’s not uncommon for leaders to spend 80 percent of their time in meetings, preventing them from developing or deepening relationships across the company. Murphy says, “Business has been and always will be built on relationships.” This includes the relationships you build with others within the company. To learn what’s happening outside your team, it’s vital to know what others are doing. Influential leaders can see both the forest and the trees. 5. Implement one-on-ones The best way to learn what your employees’ needs are is to spend time in one-on-ones with them. “Learn what they want to accomplish right now in their work,” explains Murphy. “Learn what their personal values are. Get to know what they like to do outside work.” One-on-ones traditionally have been ways for leaders to check on employees. He advocates a more contemporary view of this critical leadership practice. Murphy cited research from TellYourBoss.com that found that 65 percent of employees preferred a new boss over getting a pay increase. Today’s workplaces don’t need to be a negative influence. They can be energizing. In his new book, Murphy advocates that leaders should take action and create a positive environment for their teams. Given the low engagement numbers in businesses around the world, a little optimism can be a significant boost to morale.

Motivation Monday Recreating Happy Moments

Motivation Monday Recreating Happy Moments When I think of times Ive been happiest, purely and simply happy, there are usually several re0ccuring elements: Good friends Music Shared experience What are the two or three (maybe more) elements that are common to your happy moments? Why Being Blue Hurts? Because, when you are feeling less than happy, it shows! Can you lift yourself out of the rut by trying to replicate the good times? Sometimes. Other times, not so much. But it is worth a try! Try adding one or more of those happy moment triggers to your day! Being Angy Shows too! When you are frustrated or angry, that comes across as well.   As hard as you try to hide it, it is evident. You owe it to yourself, to your job search and to your career, to learn how to un-funk yourself. Tips to Change Your Attitude Be aware of the negative stuff oozing out. Ask your friends and family if/when you come across as angry, bitter, sad.   Really hear their feedback. Change the messages playing in your head. Re-program the negative self-talk or the other negative stuff you are saying.   I know it sounds hokey, but try it for two weeks and see what happens. Hang with different people. Sometimes, the crowd we spend time with feeds the negativity.   Spending time with more positive people, or maybe just different people, can do the trick. Do Good Things for yourself. Reward yourself for doing things that are difficult or uncomfortable. Positive re-enforcement works! It takes time You wont see immediate results! It takes time to develop new habits.   Try this stuff every day for the next two weeks and see what happens.   You may not see the progress, but I guarantee you, those around you will!