How to apply for a Career Development Loan

How to apply for a Career Development Loan by Michael Cheary Looking for a little help to take the next step in your career? A Career Development Loan (also known as a Personal Development Loan), could be the perfect way to move forward in your professional life. And the best part is, you might already be eligible for one without even knowing it.To help you find out, here’s our advice on how to apply for a Career Development Loan:What is a Career Development Loan?A Career Development Loan allows you to borrow a set amount of money from the bank to help you get into work or progress in your career.Generally, these are spent on courses or professional qualifications. However, whatever you choose, it must genuinely help you with your career to be considered.How much can I get?You’ll be able to borrow between £300 and £10,000.The actual amount will be based on your chosen course, and your eligibility.When do I have to start my repayments?Career Development Loans are generally offered at a reduced interest rate, whic h the government pays for you whilst you study â€" and for one month after you leave.After this point, you will be solely responsible for the repayments.However, as with most loans, your monthly repayments will vary depending on the length of time you choose to pay it back over.Which courses can I do?To qualify for a Career Development Loan, your course must:Last for no more than two years (three if work experience is included)Be provided by an organisation on the Professional Career Development Loan RegisterHelp you move forward in your careerPossible examples include postgraduate courses (e.g. MSc or MA), a management courses, technician level training (e.g. plumbing), NVQs or courses specific to your chosen industry.Your chosen course does not have to lead to a professional qualification.How do I find out whether I’m eligible?To make your application, you must meet the following criteria:Be aged 18 or aboveHave resided in the UK for at least the past three yearsPlan to work in the UK, EU or EEA upon completionHow do I apply?To apply for a Career Development Loan, you’ll need to find out which banks accept applications. You can do this by contacting the National Careers service.Each bank will have their own application form to fill out. Once you’ve filled out your form and submitted it, the bank will then decide whether you qualify or not.Aim to apply at least three months before the course starts so that the bank are able to process the forms in time.What are the benefits of a Career Development Loan?Benefits of a Career Development Loan include:The financial backing to move your career forwardLow interest feesFlexible repayment termsGovernment assistanceNo interest rates or repayments while you studyInterested in moving your career forward? Find out about a Career Development Loan today.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 yo u 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 communications about jobs and career related topics. Salaries

Work Experience And Its Importance [Report] - Career Geek

Work Experience And Its Importance [Report] - Career Geek This is another post in the series of posts on analysis of the  High Fliers Research  report on  The Graduate Market in 2013. The report can be downloaded from High Fliers Research  here. In this section we look at the Graduate Salaries outlook for 2013. The report is based on the analysis of  Times Top 100 Graduate Employers. 5% Increase in Work Experience Places Available in 2013 The Graduate Market in 2013 reports that over half (of top 100 graduate employers) stated that it was either not very likely or not at all likely that a graduate whod had no previous work experience either with their organisation or another employer would be successful during their selection process and be made a job offer There are more than 11,300 places on offer to students and recent graduates from The Top 100 Graduate Employers. To see which sector is increasing the number of work experience positions on offer, see this report. Industrial Placements Offered By More Than 50% The chart below shows a detailed breakdown of work experience on offer from the UKs Top Employers in 2012-2013. Source: The Graduate Market in 2013 To read the report and look at more amazing data and information, please download The Graduate Market in 2013 report. Three-quarters of the graduate vacancies advertised this year by City investment banks and half the training contracts  offered  by the leading Law firms are likely to be filled by graduates who have already completed work experience with the employer. Image: High Fliers Research, The Graduate Market in 2013 To view this animated banner you need to have Flash Player 9 or newer installed and JavaScript enabled. BannerSnack is a GIF banner creator that allows you to create cool GIF banners. 3

8 Tips for First-Time Business Owners

8 Tips for First-Time Business Owners We spend most of our adult lives at work, so sometimes it can feel as though people who start their own businesses have found a magic trick to enjoying their professional lives. However, studies show that around 20% of new businesses fail in the first year and around 50% fail within the first few years. The reason companies fail is often because they go into business without knowing the basic fundamentals of how to run a businessâ€"it’s easy to get blinded by your vision for a product or dive right into the “fun” stuff, like package design. But if you’re considering taking control of your career and starting a business, follow these eight tips to get solid footing as you begin. Write a strong business plan A business plan helps you organise your thoughts and ideas into actionable tasks. It should include an overview of your company, assets, marketing, how you will address problems, and your finances. Treat your business plan as sacrosanct, and teach any partners to do the same. Refer to it, update it and continue to build it. Write a 5-year plan When you start a business, you need a goal and a vision of how to achieve your goals. By all means think big, but understand your ultimate goal may not be reached within the first few months, or even the first few years. Therefore you need to break targets down into yearly and monthly bites that are measurable and achievable. Five years in a reasonable time period to envision. You can then break this down into months, year by year, so that your tasks are bite-sized and achievable. Know your market For your business to be profitable, you have to know how to sell your product or service. To do this you need to analyse the market so you know who your audience is and where to find them. How will you attract your audience? You also need to know who your competitors are and what they are doing. How can you make your business better? What do you have that will make prospects choose you over your competitors? Be economical You will be on a budget, so don’t overspend on things you do not need. There is no shame in starting out with the basics and building your business graduallyâ€"no need to invest in fancy office spaces or top-of-the-line software from day one. If possible, avoid bank loans or other high-interest loans. Employee trustworthy people If your business needs employees, you need to be assured that you trust the people you are working with. Can they fulfil their role diligently and help to make the company profitable? If the answer is no, their poor performance could be damaging to the business. You therefore have one of two choice; to train the employee so they perform better, or replace them. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes Whilst you are finding your feet, be prepared to try new things and determine what works and what does not work. In which case, be prepared to fail. Some plans will not work out and you will have to try another way, so when things do go wrong, don’t give up. Take care of legalities There are certain legal formalities you have to follow when you set up a business. You must register with HMRC for tax purposes, and Companies House to register your business name. You may also need a permit, or license, possible even planning permission to expand your premises. Keep it simple Finally, keep things simple. Setting up a business can be overwhelming, so keep your tasks as simple as possible to start with. Don’t overcomplicate matters by trying to do too much at any one time, as you invariably get few things done. By putting your “things to do” into a realistic work schedule that can be achieved on a daily basis, you will eventually tick everything off your list. Setting up your own business is an exciting time in your life, but it can also be stressful, time consuming and overwhelming. Good planning and a little patience will help you manage your time and relieve you from stress. 12

Classy Career Girls 7 Secrets to Get Your Career Unstuck

Classy Career Girls 7 Secrets to Get Your Career Unstuck Over the last two months, I have spoken to over 50 readers of my blog on career strategy sessions. During my strategy sessions, I always ask if they have heard of my 7-Step Get Your Career Unstuck system. Very few of you have heard of it so I thought it was time for a refresher!  I have coached all levels of professionals and students to find careers they love with my 7-Step Get Unstuck System.  I have coached recent graduates, college students, young professionals, mid-level professionals, executives and unemployed stay at home mothers. Most people havent done the self-evaluation that is really required before jumping into their career after college.  Many job searchers are submitting resumes over and over again online without having a targeted direction of a career they know they would be truly happy in.  You must find that perfect career fit for you instead of the first job that just comes your way.  Understanding yourself better is the #1 way that you will be able to be more successful and confident during interviews and networking events.  Not only that, but you will actually perform better at your job if you are in a career that you love and are passionate about.  Its like finding that career that you were born to do instead of what just came along after you graduated and you got stuck in. Classy Career Girls 7-Step Get Your Career Unstuck System You may know someone (or you might be that someone!) who just  applies  online to any old job and not jobs that they are passionate about.  This is a great way to get stuck in another job that you hate. You will be unhappy if you just move into another job that is just like the one you hate now. It’s a repetitive cycle and you will always hate your job unless you do something about it. Instead, you need to have a plan and a goal. You need to find what that perfect job is for you BEFORE you start looking at future career opportunities. And that is what networking is all about. You can ask all the questions you want to someone already in that career field and determine if something is right for you BEFORE you start! You have to narrow it down from applying to any old job and instead have a very specific type of work that you would like to do in order to have any success trying to find the perfect career for you. So how do you evaluate what type of job fits you best?  There are 7 Secrets that I am going to share with you. Step 1: Understand You There are two things you need to look at to understand yourself better. It is important to think about your current career situation and identify all of the things that you love and hate so you can make sure you figure out what you truly want in your next job. Also, you should identify your own unique personality because not all personalities fit every career path. I always recommend a personality assessment to all of my clients because it helps them map out their future career path to the type of career that fits them best. Step 2: Nail Your Mission Many people have a really tough time putting their finger on it. Some people think that their purpose in life is to get a good education so that they can get a nice house and great car. If this is what you think, you have a lot more thinking to do. Each of us has a unique purpose that cannot be replaced by another person. Unfortunately, the culture at many companies makes us believe that we can be replaced if we were ever to leave our work. Your purpose is why you get out of bed in the morning and it includes figuring out your values and mission statement as well. Step 3: Self-Reflection This step is all about identifying not only the skills that you are good at but also the skills that you enjoy.  Its about looking at your motivations and interests.  Its also about imaging your ideal workday and ideal work environment. This step also identifies if you have an entrepreneur personality and if starting a business could be in your future. Step 4: Target Your Job Search During this step, you brainstorm potential career targets and narrow down the best careers for you based on your prior experiences and your self-reflection from steps 1-3. Step 5: Uncover Any Issues In this step, you uncover issues that could potentially come up with your career targets. Are industries you want to go into doing well in our current economy? What is the forecast for your ideal career target for the future? Are they hiring? Step 6: Create Your Ideal Career Outline and Brand In this step, you create your ideal career outline which is a one-page document that consolidates all of your responses form steps 1-5.  This way you have it all on one page and can use it when you get a job offer to ensure you accept a job that is the right career fit for you. This step is also about creating your online personal branding strategy and getting your social media accounts all set-up for job search success. Step 7:  Kick it Into High Gear With Networking This step is all about establishing your goals and then creating a networking action plan that matches those goals.  I suggest strategic and efficient networking so you network with the right people who have the opportunities that you want.  This step is all about informational interviews and kicking it into high gear where great things start happening! But you cant just start here, you have to start at step 1. Sorry! And what does that spell? UNSTUCK! My recommendation to most job searchers is always to start at the beginning and learn more about what the best path for you is before jumping into the job search. This will help you  from repeating the batter and ending up in another job you hate.

Important Guidelines For Writing Resume

Important Guidelines For Writing ResumeImportant guidelines for writing resume are very important and if you don't have them in place, it will be hard to get the job that you want. A successful resume is what it should be and without the guidance of a professional, it is not going to be created as it should be. Here are some of the guidelines for writing resumes that can help you get ahead in the job hunt. And if you follow them, you will not have to worry about your resume.There are many different kinds of resumes on the market, from the simple one that just lists your education and other relevant information, to those that come complete with specific skills and qualifications. You want to make sure that you choose the right one, because there are so many out there that do not really hold much weight when you compare them to a resume that has a lot of information. So here are some guidelines for writing resumes that can help you choose the right one for your needs.First, decide what information you are going to put on the resume. You will want to find the information that will be relevant to the job that you are looking for and the position that you are applying for. Use the one that will help you stand out from the competition and give you an edge in the search for a new job. Don't just put in any kind of information, because it will not necessarily be effective.Your experience and skills are the next thing that you need to consider when choosing a resume for yourself. You should use what you know, but you should also be creative enough to include some information that will help to prove your skills. The information should be shown off, because it is an element that will help you get a job.The last thing that you will need to consider is the style of writing that you want to put together. It is important to remember that not all resumes are created equal. Some have professional and properly formatted paper. Others are going to be text based and should be crea ted on a word processor or laptop. You need to know which kind of resume will work best for you and the type of job that you are looking for.Now that you have taken a look at the first important guidelines for writing resume, let's take a look at what you should avoid. Avoid the common mistakes that people make when writing resumes. Don't include any information that will not be relevant to the job that you are applying for. The most important piece of information that you can put on your resume is how long you have been working. This shows how experienced you are and is going to be a good start for the hiring manager.Another thing that you want to avoid is the information that will be irrelevant. This means that the information should have no bearing on the job that you are applying for. You don't want to waste the employer's time by wasting their money. So avoid adding information that is unimportant and unnecessary.These are some of the important guidelines for writing resume tha t can help you get the job that you want. They can also help you avoid the mistakes that you can make and come up with a resume that is going to show you off well. So put these tips to use and get ready to stand out in the crowd!

new books coming - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

new books coming - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Im running a little low on books, so I ordered up some more (and one movie) from Amazon: Memories, Dreams, Reflections The Philosopher at the End of the Universe The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales (Penguin Psychology) Good Business: Leadership, Flow and the Making of Meaning The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living Good Work: When Excellence and Ethics Meet Good to Great All Hat and No Cattle: Tales of a Corporate Outlaw: Shaking Up the System and Making a Difference at Work The Story Factor: Inspiration, Influence, and Persuasion Through the Art of Storytelling How Our Lives Become Stories: Making Selves Getting It Done: How to Lead When Youre Not in Charge Gesundheit!: Bringing Good Health to You, the Medical System and Society Through Physician Service, Complementary Therapies, Humor and Joy The Deep Democracy of Open Forums: Practical Steps to Conflict Prevention and Resolution for the Family, Workplace and World Answer to How Is Yes: Stop Looking for Help in All the Wrong Places Koyaanisqatsi / Powaqqatsi [1983] Cant wait! Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Why teaching is one of the fastest growing careers amongst Millennials - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

Why teaching is one of the fastest growing careers amongst Millennials Born between 1982 and 2002, the Millennials are the generation who will take over from the Baby Boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, as they retire. But, experts and commentators are telling us that the Millennials are unlike any other generation that has proceeded them. And this is one reason among many why NCC Home Learning’s Teaching courses are becoming increasingly popular with this generation. But why teaching? When you realise the five factors that make Millennials a dynamic generation, you will understand why teaching in all education sectors is fast becoming the career of choice: Millennials do not believe in being shackled to location nor tradition Instantly, you may think that teaching is not the right career because, surely, if there was ever a career steeped in tradition and patterns of thinking, it is education. But times have changed, and so has an education. Rather than the teacher asking questions and guiding learning, learners are being encouraged to ask their own questions, steer their paths and so on. And, there is no one prescribed method of learning. With the advent of the internet, the boundaries of what makes for suitable material has all but been blown away. Smart technology â€" phones, tablets, interactive whiteboards, videos, vines and so on â€" are all perfect mediums for learning and something that Millennials will be using every day, in all kinds of situations. Less face time, but with more value Millennials are not anti-social, neither are they socially inept but, endless rounds of meetings are not the way they want to do business. Thus, lectures, tutorials, and class-based lessons are better, or so they say, when there is less of them. In effect, they are self-driven, and although the education system stipulates that each learner must have so many hours each week of education, translating into so many weeks in any given academic year, it may be that some of this face-to-face time will be reduced when the Millennials begin to climb to higher echelons. And when face time does happen, it needs to be of the highest possible value. Learning is not signified only by a piece of paper Remember those days when we were told and pressured into qualification after qualification? When something that interested you or you enjoyed meant completing an almost nonsensical course because, ‘that piece of paper’ was the most important thing ever. The piece of paper was meant to catapult the learner to a better-paid job. It did happen but through hard work rather than just that piece of paper. Millennials are not paying as much heed to the degrees, and the pieces of paper, not to say that they do not value formal education. Teaching is, of course, all about formal education and yet, Millennials are looking to this field for a career. They are bringing a new sense of value to the formal education sector, where experience and skills will be just as coveted as the formal piece of paper. Time will tell how much formal education across the sectors will change. They learn from others too Millennials value learning â€" across all dimensions â€" and no more so than learning from others. They seek the wisdom and actions of trailblazers, they pick the brains of more experienced people and so within the sphere of teaching, they enjoy the mentoring process from senior, more experienced colleagues. They will possibly use this as a method of teaching too. Life over work. Every time. We read and hear a lot of the workload of teachers which is now seen as being too much to bear. Hours teaching in the classroom is far outweighed by the hours spent marking, feeding back, forming filling and box ticking. It leaves little room for life and as such, many teachers are leaving the profession, worn out, stressed and utterly burnt out from the pressures placed on them. On one hand, people say ‘what is the world coming to?’ but others will find this an enthralling challenge. And this is possibly how Millennials will see the teaching profession: an exciting opportunity, a chance to make a change but, the pressures could begin to change and decrease. Is teaching right for you? Education is an exciting place, full of mysteries waiting to be discovered and talent to be nurtured. Guiding, helping and teaching students a new skill or subject is exciting but is it the right career move for you?