Career Advice On Freelance Writing Jobs

Sometimes the freelance writing jobs available are those that no
one wants. Or, they are those that new businesses are looking to
fill. You will not find postings for the best jobs and
employment because many of those jobs go to individuals who
already have an established career or a good working
relationship with those businesses. For those looking for career
advice to find the best freelance writing jobs available, they
can find a few things here that will help them get the
experience they need or at least get a foot in the door.

The most important aspect of getting the jobs that you want is
to present a well written portfolio. Any writer can create
pieces of work to show to individuals who want a sample. You do
not have to be commissioned to write, you can write just for the
sake of filling your portfolio. Just remember to put the best of
the best work you have in there.

Secondly, there are many types of freelance writing jobs
available. Yes, it is not just the book or prized article that
you should look for. Look for vacancies in smaller areas as
well. This will help you to develop relationships in the field.

Strive to meet the client’s needs. This will mean that you meet
deadlines. It will mean that you offer the best material you
can. But, it needs to meet the client’s specified requirements,
not necessarily what you think they should be.

Be professional, and build a website. Most businesses these days
are centered around their websites. Being professional means
presenting yourself in the most appropriate way.

In any case, there can be be many freelance writing jobs
available to you once you are in the know. When you learn how to
write to your clients needs and meet those needs properly with
each and every assignment that you do, employment will be
available to you. To find the assignments to start with, you may
have to present yourself outright. Simply always do so in a
positive, professional manner.

Career Advice: References Can Make or Break Your Job Search

Career Coaching

 

References are golden assets as you travel your career path. Nurture them with great care.

 

They may be personal or professional. The personal ones can speak to your stability and character. On the professional side, references should address your qualifications to handle the job. A combination of both types is first prize.

 

There are six career tips that will help you make sure your references assets work to your advantage in your search for a job.

 

1. Never take for granted that a reference will be positive. Get approval from each one, no matter how solid you may think the relationship is, so that the referring person can be prepared to speak for you from first hand knowledge. The last thing you want is for a reference to be caught off guard. This contact is best made with a face-to-face meeting. 

 

2. Bring the potential reference up to speed on your job status. Detail the history of your career. Explain the reasons you are looking for a new position. Explain your career goals.

 

3. Describe in detail the job you are seeking. Ask for career advice, as well as any leads to job opportunities. Never forget, everybody likes to be ask for advice.

 

4. After you secure their assurance of a positive reference, send them a copy of your resume and cover letter. Request their comments. This is a good way to get them involved in your search.

 

5. Keep references involved in your job search. Request that they notify you when they receive calls from prospective employers. Get their take on the degree of interest the interviewers have in your application and the status of the search.

 

6. The follow-up is an extremely important part of the process. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and challenges of a new job so you forget to thank those who provided references. That’s a big mistake. Send “thank you” notes for their agreeing to serve as a reference. Keep them posted on the progress of your job search. After you get the job, keep your references posted on the progress you make on your career path.

 

Never burn your bridges. Remember you may need these references in the future.

Career Advice & Professional Mentoring Tips

If you have just left school and are trying to find a way to start your career then you might find that it’s much more difficult than you imagined. There are however quite a few things that you can do to land that dream career so that you’re proud and happy with your job.

Things you can do

Later on we’re going to mention the possibility of hiring professional career advisors to help you decide what sort of job to do, however before we show you how to find mentors we will look at some of the important things that you can do yourself.

Getting a job and building a career is ultimately your own responsibility, even if you do decide to hire help you will still be required to put in plenty of effort. It’s not all up to the career advisor to get you your dream job. You must think about the type of job that you would like to do, and start planning how you are going to achieve it. If you can find your own way then you will find it much more rewarding.

Keep an eye on job vacancies in your local paper or on the internet, if you find any that match your career plan then apply to them even if you already have a job. Try to build relationships with people that can help you to achieve your goals.

To stand any chance of landing a good job you need to be seen as a form of expert in the field, to make this possible you should make sure that you communicate as much as possible. Tell people what you are doing, and don’t be afraid to take the credit when you do something right. The idea is to try and build your personal brand, some way to differentiate you from the hundreds of other applications.

The most important thing that you can do yourself is take a personal interest in getting the job done, don’t wait for people to come looking for you. Make sure that you’re the first to do everything, this way you stand a much better chance of climbing up the career ladder as quickly as possible.

Hiring Help

Once you’ve done all of the things that you can do to help yourself you might like to consider hiring a career advisor, there are a number of different executive coaching experts all over Australia, many of which can offer very useful services.

One of the most popular career advice websites is CareerSavant which can be found at www.careersavant.com.au. This site is wonderful because it puts you in touch with the business experts that you so desperately need to see, the cost of the service is very reasonable, and considering what you get should make all the difference to your career.

When using the services of CareerSavant you can either find a mentor through the website and then pay using them as an agency, or you can also look at private listings.

www.careersavant.com.au

Moving Beyond the Typical Careers Advice for a Successful Career

There is no shortage of people offering careers advice to graduates throughout the United Kingdom. This advice comes with the best of intentions but most graduates are focused narrowly on getting their foot in the door within their industry. There are a few proven bits of career advice that graduates can take with them through their first year on the job.

All graduates need to keep advanced education opportunities open in their early careers. Advanced education can take the form of an online education program, an advanced degree program at a traditional university or a comprehensive training program within the workplace. Graduates just entering the work force need to think of tuition costs and fees as an investment in better wages down the road.

Graduates also need to show their interest in advancement early and often to their managers. Young professionals make the mistake of assuming that their hard work and completion of major projects will show their desire to move upward in the workplace. Every graduate should sit down with their manager as soon as they realize that they want to make their job a career and develop a path up the corporate ladder.

It is also important to build a network of colleagues and contacts throughout the workplace for support as a career progresses. Graduates make friends with their office mates but many overlook important contacts in different departments and different levels that can help them meet their career goals. The use of full staff meetings, parties and outings as networking opportunities can help a graduate build a list of references unparalleled by their peers.

In many industries, graduates need to begin publishing early and often in trade publications. Graduates who want to expand their possibilities within their particular industry should seek out every opportunity to promote their professional skills. Trade websites, blogs and conferences allow graduates to meet with experienced colleagues while showing off their acumen. The process of publishing itself shows the resilience and intelligence of a graduate before they ever get their first credit.

Graduates need to reassess their career goals on an annual basis to keep their perspective on their career path fresh. The idea that career goals are set in stone has been eliminated by the transient nature of modern employment. A graduate will change career paths and jobs several times in their lives which makes an annual reassessment of long held goals is the smart thing to do.

Career Advice: Tension’s Brewing Over Internet Use; Know The Rules

By

Ramon Greenwood

There’s tension building between employers and their staffs over use of the Internet at work for both personal and business uses.

Younger staffers, who are usually more tech-savvy than their bosses, are pushing for more access to social networking and others sites, both for work purposes and for when they’d like to take a break from their jobs.

At the same time, many are finding that the sites they are expected to use for researching and communicating for work are blocked; and they are unable to take a break to read a news story on line or check their personal e-mail or social network accounts.

Meanwhile, employers want the advantage of Internet technology, but are concerned about security for confidential competitive information, time being wasted and legal exposure. The result is that many lean toward blocking all or most access.

Career Tip: The Boss Is Always Watching

According to a study by the American Management Association, 76% of the companies surveyed monitor Internet usage; 55% store and review e-mail; 51% use video surveillance; 50% store and review computer usage;

22% record telephone calls

“Wide-open Internet access is the risky approach,” says Chris King, Palo Alto Network. “But to close off all access is “increasingly untenable for cultural and business reasons.”

The wise careerist makes sure he understands his employer’s policy before blogging, tweeting, sending personal e-mails, to say nothing of watching sports and downloading movies. (Nearly half of U.S. employers have policies against visiting personal networking or video sharing sites during work hours.) If there’s not a policy in place, he ask for guidance. He can be sure that his employer is probably looking over his shoulder, stated policy or not.

Career Guidelines

The Associated Press offers career guidelines for using the web and other electronic devices at work:

• Remember that anything you do on a company-issued computer or cell phone–in or out of the office–could be tracked by a boss, the courts or a regulator. Many employers monitor web site use, keystrokes, instant messages and e-mail. Some even archive text messages on work cell phones.

• Avoid mentioning your company, boss or co-workers in outline postings unless you have permission to do so.

• Avoid using any device to take or transmit any company-related photos, videos or other recordings without permission from management. This rule includes any images of company buildings or logos and embarrassing or unprofessional photos of co-workers or clients.

• Know your company’s policy on social networking, video web sites, e-mail and other tech-related activities.

• Regularly delete personal e-mail from your work account.

• Remember when searching for a job that many employers check social networking sites, blogs and other online activity.

The wise careerist follows two pieces of common sense career advice:

1. Know the rules your employer is enforcing for use of electronic devices.

2. Never post anything on a company-owned electronic device that you wouldn’t want to appear on the bulletin boards where you work.

Career Advice: There Are At Least 14 Ways To Sabotage An Interview

You’ve been invited in for an interview for a job that looks to be just right for you. You are confident that your qualifications are a good fit for the requirements of the job.

Now, it’s up to you to conduct a winning face-to-face interviews with those persons who will make the final hiring decision. It’s time to sell the total package that is you and the benefits you can deliver. In other words, it’s time to close the deal. Will you make the sale? It’s not likely if you commit one or more of the most flagrant errors of omission or commission. Here are 14 such bombs that can sabotage your interview, along with advice on how to avoid them.

1. Be over confident. Assume the interviews are just a formality on your way to a job offer.

2. Fail to gather information about the potential employer before the interview such as mission of the organization; type of business; where the job you are interviewing for fits in the hierarchy and culture of the organization.

Having this information in hand enables you to demonstrate your interest and to tailor your presentation to fit the requirements of the position.

3. Fail to lay out a map for the case you want to communicate; include the points you mean to make and the questions you will ask.

Know the impression you want to leave with the interviewers. Identify at least three points you mean to communicate as well as a brief summary. Rehearse, rehearse, preferably with some one who can and will critique your presentation.

4. Be late for the interview.

There is no surer way to show a lack of respect and interest than to arrive late for an interview.

5. Fail to pay attention to your physical presentation from the moment you enter the premises of the potential employer until you are well away from all contact.

Remember, you are selling a total package.

Strive to make a favorable impression on everyone you meet from receptionist to the final interviewer. Adhere to the code of dress. Unless you know for certain that the environment is casual dress in business attire. In any case, be well groomed.) Walk briskly, heads up, shoulders back. Don’t slouch when seated. Avoid the dead-fish handshake. Speak distinctly. Keep in mind that everyone you encounter is important to your mission. Be courteous to one and all.

6. Fail to concentrate on the interviewer and the give and take of the discussion.

Maintain eye contact; avoid gazing out the window or admiring the artwork on the wall. Unless forced by the interviewer, avoid chitchatting about the weather and the score of last night’s big game.

7. Ask about work hours, time off and other benefits before an offer is in hand.

8. Fail to treat the interview as a two-way communication process. Sit out the interview like a knot on a log. Let the interview become a monologue conducted by the interviewer.

Asking well-informed questions demonstrates you are interested in the opportunity and shows off your qualifications, as well as personality. In addition, they develop information you need to evaluate how the opportunity serves your career goals.

9. Waste valuable time bad criticizing your former employer (s) and people you have worked with.

10. Lie about your qualifications.

11. Let your guard down when it appears the interview is over.

A canny interviewer may act as if the interview has ended, then blindside you with questions in order to see how you react to the unexpected. What appears to be an off-the-cuff comment or question could be among the most vital parts of the interview.

If you are invited to a meal, keep in mind that you are still being interviewed. Mind your manners. Avoid alcohol. If the interviewer insists, limit yourself to one glass of wine. Don’t order food that can be difficult to eat without making a mess.

12. Overstay your welcome.

Once the interviewer has signaled that it is time for you to go–even though you are anxious to keeping selling–wrap up the discussion and leave in short order.

13. Fail to make it absolutely clear that you want the job.

14. Fail to express appreciation for the opportunity to interview; thank everyone with whom you had contact during the interviewing process.

Here’s the core message to this career advice: To conduct a successful interview present yourself as a product to be sold. Mind your total packaging (i.e. dress). Identify the benefits you can deliver.

Good Financial Career Advice for You

A lot of careerists think of job security and hence they stay stuck to a single job. But then there is one thing you must face with, job security is something of the past. You have to keep your guard up because you have to recognize when your job is in danger. You also need to have a stand by or a plan b which you are going to follow if you lose your job. The first tip in financial career advice is that you have to have a backup job if you lose the one you are currently in.

Now there are various signals which you will see which is going to tell you that you are in trouble.

The first is that you have performance rating which are bad or even mediocre. Then you should be searching for a new job. No one will keep someone who has bad performance rating.

The second is if you see that the business if falling apart. If you see that there are rumors going on saying that the company is having trouble then your alarm should go ringing and you should start looking in the classified ads.

Finally if you see that your employees are being cut off or fired then there might be a chance that you will be as well. Or if you see that managers are dropping out of the company then it should be time to jump ship. So check out if other companies want employees like you.

After all you don’t want to be left unemployed when you are fired from your job. So the second finance job tip is to find a job the moment you think something is wrong and to not stay unemployed.

There are a few other finance job tips, you need to lean everything you can about the state of business that your employer is in. then you need to make sure that your resume is up to date this way if you are laid off then you can immediately start job hunting. You won’t have to waste your time updating your resume.

After all time is money. Then you need to have an emergency account which will help you if you can’t find another job. Another thing you can do is trying and pick up new skills.

As times change the pattern of demand in the market also changes and if you are updated with your skills then you will have a better opportunity of finding a job. Finally you need to make sure that you have proper contact. You need to stay in touch with people who are important and who could help you in the future.

Agile Informatics for Best Career Advice ? Explore Various Opportunities to Fulfill Your Dream

How to make career through Agile Informatics:Everybody wants to choose the best career option and therefore tries to find a suitable job. Everyone has a dream of making it big in this world. Young minds are full of enthusiasm and think that in today’s modern society almost anything is attainable. They are continually expanding their ambitions. They want a fulfilling and stimulating job with respectable pay and career longevity. The highly desirable jobs pay well, attract huge interest and can be extremely competitive. However, sometimes it becomes very difficult to find jobs in some particular professions. In that case, Agile Informatics is the best option for you as they can help you by providing the best career advice. Let me share with you my experience with Agile Informatics.

I consulted Nishu Gupta(Owner of the company)of Agile Informatics so that she advised me regarding the best career option. She told me about the various career options available in Agile Informatics. For e.g. – you can choose to be a Business Analyst, Systems Analyst, Programmer Analyst, Test Automation Engineer, Performance Test Engineer, Business Analyst-Data Warehousing, and Marketing Research Analyst and so on.

After discussing all the options in detail with him, finally I decided to go with the option of becoming a Programmer Analyst. So Nishu Gupta told me about the benefits of becoming a Programmer Analyst and its scope. Actually Programmer Analyst is a person who analyzes and designs information systems and also designs and writes the application programs for the system. A programmer analyst is both systems analyst as well as an applications programmer. She also gave me lot of other valuable information like how to prepare a resume for programmer analyst job. For example-

A programmer’s resume should include the following info:

· The name of each of your employers and your job titles.

· A brief description of what each employer does (if they are not well known).

· The number of staff you manage (if applicable).

· Planning, analysis, design, implementation and testing responsibilities as an analyst / programmer.

Really, Agile Informatics gave me the best option for my career. I thanked Agile Informatics from the bottom of my heart for doing all these things for me and for all their help. I would like to say that having complete faith, trust and patience will surely get you through all the difficulties and bring you happiness by fulfilling your wishes. Like, I achieved success by having patience and complete faith in Agile Informatics.

Career Advice: Three Secrets to Telling Your Story for Career and Life Success

When was the last time you received a job promotion?  You are doing a great job at work but everyone else seems to get the promotion you want.  You may even start making excuses as to why you are not getting the career promotions you deserve.  Well, I ask you the following question:

Did you ever tell your story?

The following career advice story will show you how to put your career on the fast track:

Recently, I was facilitating an oceanfront retreat for over two hundred employees of a university.  During this session, I had the participants think of something or somebody they appreciate.  I then asked for volunteers to share with the group whom or what they appreciate and why this is important to them.

Lonnie volunteered and stood up in front of the group to share his thoughts of appreciation.  Lonnie explained that in his job he helps children improve their lives.  He mentioned that whatever the lowest pay and title scale was, he was at that level.  However, he said that was all right because of the joy he received from helping the children.  You could hear and sense the passion in his words as he shared his experiences with the audience.

About a month later, Lonnie was in another workshop I was facilitating, and he asked to speak with me before the start of the session.  I could see the excitement in his eyes as he explained what had happened to him since the oceanfront retreat.  One week after sharing his story at the retreat, he received a call from the Office of Academic Affairs.  Someone of influence, who was impressed with Lonnie’s speech and the way he told his story that day, wanted Lonnie to come in for a job interview.  Lonnie went to the interview and received the job of Assistant to the Dean of Academic Affairs, with a substantial increase in pay and title.  That was a career quantum leap from just a couple of weeks earlier.

So what happened?

Lonnie told his story for career success.  Like so many of you, you are toiling away in your careers everyday and making a difference for your organization.  But if no one knows about your successes, your passions, and your ideas, you will not achieve job and career success.

The following are three secrets to putting you on the fast track to career and job advancement:

1. It’s Not What You Know… – I’m sure you have heard the old saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” when talking about getting ahead in life.  Well, in this new age of information and self responsibility, I am declaring that this saying is dead.  Instead, I always say the following:

“It’s not what you know.  It’s not who you know.  It’s who knows what you know that creates success for you.”

There are people doing a great job everyday.  There are people everyday that know people of influence.  Yet, unless these people of influence know what you know (your skills, your knowledge, your ideas), you won’t be put in a position for success.  Lonnie, during his two-minute presentation, let people of influence know that he was passionate about helping children at his job and he was willing to do it for little compensation.  That’s a powerful message.  It moved people to help him and make him a part of their team.

2. Prepare Yourself for Powerful Story Telling – When the opportunity comes to tell your story, will you be prepared?  Lonnie was prepared and made the most of his opportunity.  However, I have seen many opportunities vanish for a person to tell his/her story because of the fear of speaking in front of a group or in a meeting.  Whether it’s in a job interview, monthly meeting, or at a conference, have the confidence to tell your story.  You may never get another opportunity to do so.  Have the courage to work on your presentation skills.  There are various resources for improving your presentation skills.  You can take a class, join Toastmasters, or hire a presentation skills coach.

Also, outline what you will tell in your story.  Think of your successes and how you achieved those successes.  Thinks of the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.  Express the joy you felt while achieving your goals.   Relate how your activities helped you develop your skills, your creativity, and your determination.  Let your passion show in your story.

3. Create Opportunities to Tell Your Story – When Lonnie volunteered, he created an opportunity to tell his story.  How can you create opportunities to tell your story?  You can volunteer for job-related assignments and give reports during management briefings.  You can be active in workshops or seminars and tell your story among a variety of people that normally might not be exposed to your story.  Join various associations and groups and tell your story.  This is a great way to network among people who are active in their industries.  Contribute your story to your in-house publication, local newspaper, or magazine.  Create a blog or website and tell your story.  The more you tell your story to a wide variety of people, the greater the opportunity to increase your success.

Apply these powerful career advice secrets and put your career advancement on the fast track.  Tell your story and others will sit up and take notice.

Career Advice: Five Career Advice Secrets for Being the Perfect Employee Everyone Wants on Their Team ? Part 2

The following are five career advice secrets for being the perfect, motivated employee that everyone wants on their team, putting your career on the fast track, and creating great relationship with management:

1. Be Enthusiastic
Be known as an employee who has a great attitude and is enthusiastic about his/her job and work.  Enthusiasm is contagious and spreads quickly in the workplace.  Just the opposite, constantly whining and complaining deplete valuable resources of energy in the workplace.  Think of people you know at work and ask the following questions:

* Who energizes me at work?  Who has a can do attitude?
* Who drains the energy out of the day?  Whom do I hate to see come through the door in the morning?
* How do my co-workers and managers see me?

Positive and negative employees, when presented with the same situation, have two different ways of handling the situation.   The positive employee looks for the positive solutions.  The positive employee is a proactive person who looks at change and challenges as opportunities to grow and develop new skills.  The negative person looks at the same situations as being taken advantage of and has the “why is this happening to me” attitude.  The negative employee tends to gossip and participate in unhealthy competition.  Obviously, management feels more confident with the positive, enthusiastic employee with the “can do” attitude.  Be known as the positive employee who creates solutions.

2. Know Management
You will avoid career landmines and be favored by management by taking the time to “manage your manager.”  Find out and understand your manager’s strengths and weaknesses, priorities and communication style, and how he/she manages people.  

When I was rising up the corporate ranks, I worked for a vice president who was uncomfortable speaking in front of a group of people.  Whenever he had a department meeting, you could always see he was nervous and tense, especially when he had to persuade us to accept a very challenging situation.  There would always be a team member who would challenge this vice president in front of the group.  To say the least, this did not go well for the employee who challenged him.  However, I recognized the vice president’s weakness, never questioned him in public, and waited until the meeting was over and went to his office to discuss the challenging situations of the day.  Behind our closed-door discussions, this same vice president was very open, conversational, and confident.  We were able to create solutions for the company and when it came time for promotion to vice president, my name was at the top of the list.

Remember, to get what you want in your career, you must help your manager succeed.  Focus on what is important to your manager and provide the solution.  If customer service is important, speak with your manager in terms of creating customer solutions.  If your manager is a numbers person, quantify all your results, etc.

3. Walk the Talk
Show integrity in everything you do at work.  Be the employee that management can depend on to get things done.  When you prove you are an employee who consistently delivers on his/her promises, this will impress management and you will go to the top of the list for choice assignments and promotions.  If you are someone who is known as undependable, you will lose the respect of management, and your opportunities for promotions will decrease.

Also, the employee with integrity owes up to his/her mistakes.  The employee that doesn’t have the courage to own up to his or her mistakes and take responsibility is very frustrating for managers.  If you make a mistake, do the following:

* Own it
* Apologize for it
* Explain what you learned from the mistake
* Ask your manager for input
* Tell what actions you will take in the future so the mistake won’t happen again

This benefits you because it shows you have integrity, you take ownership for your actions, you can learn from challenges and mistakes, and you are developing a relationship with your manager by asking for input and assistance.

Last, but not least, integrity is also not taking credit for someone else’s work.  Take credit for your own work and acknowledge others for their accomplishments.  Fellow employees have a long memory, and you may need these same people when it comes time for a promotion.

4. Take Risks and Grow Rich
There are employees who do a good job everyday and do not advance in their careers.  The employees who stretch themselves and their abilities are the ones who advance in their careers.  Risk takers are comfortable with the challenges of taking the risk and know how to adapt to job situations when they arise.  They also know that there may be some challenges that they may not accomplish the first time.  However, they will take responsibility for the results, learn from these challenges, and prosper in future opportunities.

The following are some ways to take risks and grow rich:

* Volunteer for high exposure, high risk projects
* Get agreement and an understanding as to the resources needed to succeed
* Combine questions with solutions in meetings
* Actively find work challenges and provide solutions

5. Be the Team Player
Managers look for employees who are not only talented, but work to make the entire team better.  Team players work well with other team members and support them emotionally.  Team members are proactive about pitching in when and where needed.

They also understand what the team mission is and work with other team members to accomplish its goals and values.  Because of this understanding, team players are competitive for the team not within the team.

When it comes to your career, talent helps but is not the sole factor for success.  Take time to apply these five career advice secrets and you too will be the perfect employee everyone wants on their team.

Next Page »