3 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD VOLUNTEER (AND HOW IT CAN SAVE YOUR CAREER)

You can't imagine how many people told me in the past 10 years that volunteering sucks and it's completely pointless. I consequently ignored all those 'wise' suggestions, volunteered for many different charities and organizations and guess what...it gave me skills, experience, better job prospects and great leverage when negotiating my salary and benefits. As far as I know, all those people who were not happy about supporting a cause still have boring office jobs that they hate. And me? I am a happy freelancer with tons of experience.

When I first got an idea to work for a charity it was purely because I wanted to get some work experience. I studied Fashion Design and at that point, I was pretty sure that I will end up somewhere in the retail sector. One Saturday I went up to my High Street and asked out in several charity shops if they need a window dresser/visual merchandiser (I really set my mind on this role). Some of the managers were fussy: maybe come back later/we have too many people now/we don't need anyone/you don't look good enough to work here (which only told me that I don't want to work there in the first place – who would like to work with mean, stuck up people anyway?), but one manager was absolutely lovely. She told me everything about the shop, how the charity works, everything about what they do here and what kind of people they have in the shop. I stayed with them for almost 2 years and loved every moment of it. It gave me the skills I needed, great references and it allowed me to apply for better jobs when I finished my studies.

How does it all work then? How can you make volunteering work for you?

1. CHOOSE WISELY

Not every charity is the same and not every charity is great. There are some shady ones out there, but most of them are legit, solid and actually contributing to the cause.

Your role is to find an organization that you like and that helps the cause you would like to support. It's important to have both of those – if you like only how the organization looks in the media, but you couldn't care less about what they actually do it will not work out that well. Give it all a thought, because the opinion about the charity you support will stick with you (if you want it or not).

Take a look at the people at the site you are considering volunteering for. Would you like to work with them? Are they happy? Do they seem nice? It is your choice, so choose to work with someone that company you will enjoy (unhappy, stressed volunteers are a clear sign that you don't want anything to do with a place like that).

2. THINK ABOUT THE ROLE THAT YOU WANT

Do you have an idea of what kind of work would you like to do in the future? Try and align your volunteer role with that. You would like to work in retail? Go and ask for a cashier opportunity. Are you considering social media career? Try and get a role that will maintain charity's Facebook and Instagram account.

In most cases, you just need a clear idea on what kind of experience would you like to get, what role can give you that and then you can ask if it's available. If not – try another charity, someone will have an opening for you. Also, some charities offer training for their volunteers, so find out if that's available (having certain skills and a certificate or references that can confirm those is great).

3. LEARN FROM OTHERS

People end up volunteering because of many reasons – one of the most popular ones at the moment is to get away from corporate life. Switch off your 'volunteering is for old people' thoughts because most of the volunteers that you meet will be highly experienced professionals that choose to give their time for free because they are tired with stressful business life. Ask around, get to know them and figure out if there is anything that they can teach you. If you are nice, they should be happy to help. Especially if you know what interests you and if you have specific questions that need answering.

...and how will that help your career exactly?

You will get experience that is unusual. Being a volunteer you will have an opportunity to try many different things and some of them may be normally way beyond your reach. When I volunteered with one of the education-focused charities, I somehow ended up managing a team of 10 and organizing company-wide events. I was around 25 then and having this on my CV boosted my career prospects sky high.

You will meet people. Everyone that volunteers with you has the potential to teach you something or knows someone who can. Make friends, go out there and meet people and you will be surprised how many opportunities you will find along the way. Network!

You will get work experience that can be verified. Treat your volunteering as a part-time job. Be there on time, call your manager if you fell sick – and when the time comes that you need references for your next job you will have the best ones possible.

You will have an option to work with the charity. Sometimes you don't even think about that, but at some point, you will absolutely have an option to apply for a paid position with the organization that you volunteer with. They always give preference to people that worked with them before, so this may just turn out to be your future career.

It shows that you care about something. More and more companies are interested in your values and things that you believe in. If you choose your volunteer role carefully it may give you a better chance at getting your dream job – just make sure that values of both organizations are roughly the same. 

Have fun!

HOW TO MAKE A KILLER PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN (THAT WILL TAKE YOU EXACTLY WHERE YOU WANT TO BE) - FREE WORKSHEE

Where would you like to be in 5 or 10 years? Do you have a plan?

This post is for anyone that would like to stop daydreaming about how they will push their career forward, get fit and get that certification they need and start planning how they will make things actually happen. Don't worry – it's easier than you think, you just need a Personal Development Plan.

What is that thing? PDP is a super handy tool for setting your goals, listing step by step how you can make it real and helping you to keep track of everything. It works for both long and short-term goals so you can put some easy things along with the big, hard-to-achieve ones (and having a mix of those will make you more motivated, as you cross off everything that you already completed every now and then).

What you need is one simple worksheet, tea or coffee and 30 - 40 minutes of free time:

Start from the beginning. What would you like your life to be in a year? What kind of job would you like? How would you like to feel? What kind of changes would you like to make? When you have a somewhat clear vision of where would you like your life to go, try and think about what needs to be done to make it happen and strip it down to specific goals.

Do you need to find a new job, get some new qualification or start a freelance project? What is it that you would like to achieve?

Always write down why is it that you want to do something – if you have a reason and you remind yourself of it from time to time, your motivation will last way longer.

Also, set a clear deadline on finishing every single one of your goals. It's only for you and you should use it for reference – will you manage to complete everything in time?

Everything that you want to do can be broken into smaller pieces. So you want to change a job? You have to prepare a CV, find a job that you like, send out applications, interview. You would like to get a yoga instructor certificate? You need to find a course that will give you qualifications, attend, pass the exam. Put everything into tiny, achievable pieces that you can cross off as you complete them - easy as that!

You always need to know what exactly is it that you want. Do you just want to move to a different city, or do you want to find a new studio flat on a specific street? What outcome is good enough to be considered a success for you?

If there are any things that you need to make sure to send/check/hand in before a certain date – put them on the list whenever you find out about them (with a date when you will do it next to whatever it may be). This is simply to make sure that you are on top of everything.

If there are some things that are not so clear in your head (yet...) write them down in the four squares at the bottom. This space is for ideas that will develop as you go. Remember that your Personal Development Plan will change with time and will need to be updated – maybe things from the bottom part will reach the top? Maybe they are just the next goals that are slowly growing on you?

You can find a full .pdf version of this Personal Development Plan worksheet on Tiny Upload my SlideShare.

Have fun!

YOU ARE SKILLED (AND DON'T LET ANYONE TELL YOU ANYTHIG DIFFERENT) - FREE WORKSHEET!

What are you good at? What kind of things can you do?

If I asked you that now – would you know what to answer? Go! Tell me 3 things that you are great at! Don't think that I expect a certain answer, don't try to make it complicated, just tell me what kind of things can you do (because you do them every day at work or because it's your hobby). Could you do the same with 10 things or more?

Now...Could you tell me how did you learn how to do those things? When was the last time that you really used those skills?

If you have any problems with the exercise above, take a look at this worksheet that I prepared for you:

This table is for everyone that:

1. Would like to get a better idea on what kind of practical skills they have.

2. Has a job interview soon.

It is designed to give you something to think about (What kind of situations show different skills that I have? What else can I do that I don't really notice every day?) and to give you a head start at any job interview that will focus on your previous experiences (What did I do before that required me to be organized?).

You can either print the table as it is on the blog or download the .pdf version from Tiny Upload or my SlideShare.

Have fun!

QUESTION THAT RECRUITERS SHOULD NEVE ASK (BECAUSE IT SHOWS THAT THEY DON'T REALLY CARE)

There is this one interview question that I really hate. It's pointless, it's weird and it makes people lie (or worse – tell complete nonsense to a recruiter). Do you know which question is it?

Yes, spot on, this question is: What is your greatest weakness?

I could never quite understand why asking about your weaknesses during a job interview got so popular in the first place. You can't be honest (because if you say that you are lazy no one is going to hire you), you can't be too creative (because anything that actually is a bit odd or plain weird will make recruiter reconsider your candidature), you can't say what you really think (because not being able to swim is not even a tiny bit relevant to the job that you want).

You can of course go and read about all the different 'strategies' for this question – there is plenty of posts on how you should tell a great story about your 'secret weak spot' and how you are working super hard to improve. Great strategy (and I am all for change, development and getting better)...but imagine this:

You are a manager of a small IT company. Recently you got some new clients and you need to hire 2 people to keep up with all the new orders. Your recruiter gives you 5 resumes to go through. All great applicants, top universities, great experience. How do you choose who to hire?

You hire the BEST ONES. Always. The best skills, best team fit - that's it.

You don't go around asking 'What do you really, really suck at?'.

You do the exact opposite!

Have you ever heard of anyone absolutely amazing that didn't get the job because his weakness wasn't 'weak' enough? Because I can give you hundreds of stories about people that were great, skilled, experienced and got the jobs that they deserved because they talked about all the things that they excel at.

When I was a recruiter, I always asked people about what they like doing or what they enjoy most at their job – I got so many great stories in return. People were really happy and surprised that someone is actually interested in them, not their interview skills. They often told me why they chose a particular career, what are they really into, what they would like to learn. Isn't that kind of things a recruiter should be interested in in the first place?

Next time you go to a job interview talk about your talents. If anyone asks you about your weakness tell them, that there are many things you can't do. This is natural for every person. No one is perfect, no matter how hard they try - it's just impossible. You are aware of your flaws, but you decided to focus on your talents - that's why you are great at what you do and you will be even better with time.

Don't lie or tell anyone that you are 'too organized', 'overly critical of your work', 'a workaholic' or worse - that you don't have any weaknesses. Everyone knows that this is not your true answer. Be honest about what you can bring to the company and if you are talking with a no-nonsense recruiter (and this is the best type there is) it will be greatly appreciated.

Have fun!

YOUR BASIC CV CHECKLIST THAT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH NO MATTER WHAT - FREE WORKSHEET

Last month I wrote about fixing your CV and making it more noticeable for recruiters. If you went through the whole article, you probably have quite a good idea what to do/rewrite next time you have some time to take care of your resume. If not (or if you would prefer to have a more condensed version of my post somewhere handy), maybe you will be happy that I made this simple, printable CV worksheet:

You can find a full .pdf version on my SlideShare and LinkedIn

Download this list, print it out, sit down with your CV for 20 - 30 minutes and go through the whole worksheet – make sure that you have all the information that you need, delete the things that you shouldn't have and fix all typos. After that, your resume will be ready to be sent out!

Have fun!

7 TIPS ON HOW TO ACE THAT PHONE INTERVIEW

I have a phone interview...what now?

First of all - great job! This is amazing news!

How can you make sure that everything goes as you want it to go? The short answer is: You can't. The long one? You can make sure that you limit all the things that can potentially go wrong and prepare everything you want to say, what you want to ask about and what kind of impression do you want to make. Then, you basically keep your fingers crossed and try your best to sound like a capable and amazing person that you are.

Now, the things that you can control during your phone interview are:

1. WHEN YOU TAKE THE CALL

This one is really important, so please try to remember about it. You don't want to talk to a recruiter right after you wake up (because sounding sleepy and a bit spaced out is just not good) and you don't want to do that when you are tired (because you will sound either bored or angry and you will definitely not focus on the call that well). When scheduling your phone interview to be mindful of the time of the day. Aim for when you are free, relaxed and generally in good shape. 

2. WHERE YOU TAKE THE CALL

Again, this one is important and really basic. You need to make sure that when you will take the call you will be in a quiet place, uninterrupted and not bothered by anyone. If you can do this at home – great. If you can't... You can risk taking this call at a meeting room at work, but I would strongly advise against it. It's just not good this way (and you definitely don't want to use your company's phone or be caught by your boss talking to a recruiter). Try and go to the park, maybe a quiet cafe if you know one. You can also try and take this call in your car if possible. In any case – relax and think for a while before you choose the right place.

3. IF YOU WILL HAVE TABLET/LAPTOP/YOUR CV/ JOB SPEC/ NOTES WITH YOU

Since the recruiter won't see you, you can have as many open documents or websites as you like. This is a great thing, but do not go crazy with it. It's a good thing to have your CV prepared (with notes about specific things that you may want to talk about), the job spec (because you will be able to link your experience with requirements that the company wants you to meet) and some notes (if you did your homework and researched the company, you should have some key points on a separate document or piece of paper).

4. WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO ATTEND THE FACE TO FACE INTERVIEW

You should prepare some dates and times for when you are free to attend the face to face interview. Why? Because if everything goes well (and I am keeping my fingers crossed for you) it really makes a good impression if the candidate knows his/her schedule. It's way better than hearing the candidate panic and frantically go through their calendar.

5. YOUR HOMEWORK - WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE COMPANY/POSITION YOU APPLIED FOR/MOST COMMON JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

This one is simple – the better you prepare, the bigger chances you have to get the job. You should roughly know what do you want to say, how you will respond to questions about your skills and background, what the company does and what is the role they contacted you about. This research will help you relax and feel comfortable during the call. You are prepared - you got this!

6. QUESTIONS THAT YOU WANT TO ASK

The recruiter will always ask if you have any questions, so be sure to prepare a list of 2 – 3 things that you would like to know. Whether this is about a team that you will work with, type of contract or when the final list of candidates will be drafted. What are you curious about?

7. YOUR VOICE

Relax, stay calm, don't giggle, don't pause for more than 10 seconds or repeat random words. This may be a little bit stressful (as every interview can be), but to be honest – this is just a more formal phone conversation. You will be asked questions, give some answers and get to ask questions of your own – simple and easy.

Things that you can't control: there are many and you can't really do much about them, so – go prepare for your phone interview and stop worrying!

You can do this!

And remember to tell me how your interview went!

Have fun!

GOOD, BAD AND UGLY: 6 THINGS YOU HAVE TO GET RIGHT BEFORE SENDING OUT YOUR CV

When was the last time that you looked at your CV?

Do you update it regularly? Could you just start sending your resume out straight away if something happened to your current company?

For me, keeping my CV neat and up to date is all about reminding myself what I am good at, what I achieved and what should I do next. It's nice to have something that shows me how I got to where I am now. For some of my clients' CV is something that they dislike – it reminds them that they were laid off or that they are stuck in a job that sucks. But how else can you change something about your job if not starting with your CV?

Make your CV amazing and remember to:

1. EDIT YOUR PERSONAL/CONTACT DETAILS: 

You want to mention:

- your name in BIG, bold letters

- the city where you live  (because no one is interested in your full postal address at this point and it takes way too much space anyway) 

- your phone number (please include your city or country code if you are applying to an international company – I still remember one situation, where I recruited for the same post in 3 different cities and I had to guess which prefix should I use, because some candidates didn't include their location or full phone number) 

- your email address (if your email looks anything like this: xxx_lover@sweetness.com no recruiter will EVER get back to you – get a new email if necessary)

- consider including your LinkedIn profile link (I used to love clicking through them at work and a majority of people I hired were found on LinkedIn)

2. SUMMARY/OBJECTIVE/PROFILE:

Include a short statement about which job you are applying for and what makes you a good candidate. Remember, this is not a place for your complete life story, it just has to tell the recruiter the most important things of you as a candidate. The summary should have 3 - 4  lines and it should focus on your expertise and how will it help you in your new position.

3. WORK EXPERIENCE:

This section depends on how much work experience do you have. If you are just starting your career and have 1 or 2 things to put here, then try and focus on duties and responsibilities that you had in each job. List 5 – 6 things that you did and learn while being employed. 

If you have quite a few years of experience only include the posts that have anything to do with the role that you are applying for (because no one will ask you about an internship that you had 10 years ago) and try to list the most important responsibilities and achievements for every role. Don't worry if it takes you 2 or 3 pages to fit everything. It's not physically possible to squeeze 15 years of a successful career on one page. Also – remember that the most recent jobs should be at the top of this section.

4. EDUCATION/COURSES:

If you finished any university, training or professional qualification it should be listed here. You don't have to put specific dates – writing down a year when you graduated is more than enough. If only education/qualification you have is at a high school level you can skip this section entirely and it's perfectly fine.

5. SKILLS:

This is the most important part of your CV. Here you should have a solid list of all the great things that you learnt and all the character traits that you have. 

The best approach is to divide your skills into 2 or 3 categories: language skills, soft skills, IT skills, practical skills, accounting skills, programming skills, art/design skills... You can pick and choose, but make sure that you have a few key categories listed. When you decide on what categories you wish to include, sit down and go through your day-to-day work routine and think about one thing:

What kind of tasks do you have and what skills do they require? 

For example, while mailing back and forth customers and updating them about a project you show great communication skills, organisation and customer service skills. If you have to prepare paperwork for your boss every week, you are probably great at reporting

6. YOUR INTERESTS:

Because, surprisingly, they can be great. Do you love travelling? Maybe there is a position open that requires your skills and a lot of flying. Are you into languages? Maybe you would like to take care of international customers?

If you are planning to put music and reading here - skip them, everyone lists those anyways.

OK... How does your CV look like now? Do you feel like you are a super skilled and talented person? I do hope so

Have fun!