7 Reasons Why NOT Taking Sick Leave is Bad for Your Company

7 Reasons Why NOT Taking Sick Leave is Bad for Your Company Do you ever feel like you have too much going on to be ill? How about: do you feel guilty about being ill because you have others relying on you? Now we dont mean family, we mean colleagues, managers, clients, employees, bosses. But wait… did you get ill on purpose? No? Well  then,  why do we feel guilty? Recent Glassdoor research suggests that Brits are taking time off sick; over half of employees took sick leave in 2015.  However, the study indicates that one in four employees are “too scared” to take time off, and a further quarter of those questioned cite pressure from management to not take time off for illness. 44% say that those in their workplace will take time off, but will return to work before fully recovered. What does this say about our current work-ethic? You might think that youre well enough to get in your car, and sit in the office all day â€" maybe you are? But should you use this as a compromise for being ill? No. “Presenteeism”, as its known, has been a growing issue within workplaces. So why do we fight our bodies and force ourselves to come into work? A study  into the issue suggested reasons such as: personal money issues, work-related stress, fear of dismissal, and “perceived” pressure from managers. Well, here are 7 reasons why NOT taking sick leave is bad for your company 1. You will infect others Not only are you contagious to others, everyone will avoid you because of it. So youre in the office, youre ill, and no one will come near you? Get back to bed. Plus, if anyone gets sick in the next few days, you will be blamed. Surely your managers would rather just you took time off for a few days, than an entire team off ill for even longer? 2. Your illness will affect morale in the office Even if youre not the life and soul of the office, your negative vibes will inevitably bring others in your team down, and by extension, a large percentage of the office. You are entitled to feel rubbish about your health, but when your mood can affect others and their work too, its really not worth you coming into the office. 3. Will you actually get much done? If you need to get something done, do you need to do it in the office? Can it wait? Are you self-imposing the deadline, or assuming that the client/colleague wont understand that you need some time off? Stop. Accept that youre poorly, and advise others accordingly. Stand your ground, because realistically, you wont get very much done if you drag yourself to work â€" and even if you do, it will be poor quality and a waste of the energy you do have left. 4. Your body is telling you to take a break â€" listen to it! While you probably (definitely) didnt cause your illness, maybe your body is trying to tell you something? Have you been working long hours recently? Have you been getting enough sleep, eating well (or eating at all?), and just generally looking after yourself? Dont underestimate the intelligence of our biology; we as humans can handle a lot, but sometimes our bodies reach breaking point. When this happens, we need to listen and accept its time for a rest. 5. You are stunting your recovery Forcing yourself into the office takes you out of a resting state â€" integral for your recovery â€" and into an environment where you are expected to work as if completely healthy. Because you are physically at work, but mentally feeling sorry for yourself (its okay, youre ill), you arent going to perform well, and you will be exposed to further infection a lot more than if you were still in bed. Surely, staying at home for the day and keeping an eye on important emails will put you in better stead. You will speed up your recovery so you can return at 100%, rather than an entire week of running on 50%, 60%, 70% etc. 6. You are setting a bad not good example While you might think that you being in the office while youre unwell makes you look tough, resilient and committed to your work, it doesnt. Youre setting a precedent for your colleagues/employees, and not to mention yourself, that you should come into work no matter what. But do you want to encourage others to believe that work is all there is? What about your health â€" isnt that important? 7. You are more likely to pull a sickie (and it will be obvious) If you never take time off sick, when you do, it will probably be seen as unusual or suspect. You may have to lie or exaggerate your condition, as you might feel a need to prove yourself. The aforementioned  LinkedIn suggests that 9% of employees would pull a sickie this year, but more concerning is the fact that half of these employees would do so simply because they need a rest. So when should I take sick leave? Let yourself have guilt-free time off when you are feeling less than say 70-80% healthy, as you are setting a reasonable standard for taking sick leave. You know your body more than anyone, so trust your instincts. You arent abusing the system, but you also arent denying its existence. You are just responsibly cashing in on the time off you are entitled to. Its not even like its a holiday; youre ill, you cant do much for yourself and you have to cancel plans. The least you can do is let yourself slob about at home, not worrying, and focussing on getting better. Image: Shutterstock

Strengthen Your Mechanical Engineering Professional Resume Writing

Strengthen Your Mechanical Engineering Professional Resume WritingBefore you begin your mechanical engineering professional resume writing, it is best to have a clear understanding of the resume process. Since the majority of employers in your industry will utilize LinkedIn and Facebook as well as have extensive interaction with professionals on the social networking site, it is critical that you show your employer your most relevant skills and activities.In many industries, including mechanical engineering, the need for resumes is incredibly high. This creates a unique opportunity for individuals that can benefit from the job market today. And, for those individuals that are employed today, the ability to present yourself well via this modern and fast-paced technology is a great advantage.For those individuals that would like to improve their employment opportunities within the field of mechanical engineering, they should review and implement the following strategies to help them in crease their search presence and visibility. Many individuals are quite pleased with how this technology has greatly increased the number of opportunities that they now have for getting their name out there. But, it's important to note that if you do not make use of this process, you can run the risk of wasting time and potentially missing your very best opportunity.The first strategy for reviewing your mechanical engineering professional resume writing skills is to familiarize yourself with how LinkedIn and Facebook work. These two platforms can be very powerful when it comes to showcasing and generating interest in your profile. However, you must understand that without constant updating, you are not going to effectively expose your current or past jobs and skills. Additionally, you will likely not get many new job applications that are soliciting for you.The second strategy for increasing your visibility on LinkedIn and Facebook for mechanical engineering jobs is to also develop and update your resume. Many employers utilize these two platforms to solicit resumes for their most in-demand positions. In other words, you want to make sure that you update your resume regularly and as frequently as you can for your Mechanical Engineering Professional Resume Writing.It is also critical that you regularly update your LinkedIn and Facebook profiles for your Mechanical Engineering professional resume writing. When you update your profile, your employer will know that you are interested in future employment opportunities and will feel more comfortable using these two mediums to get to know you. Employers also utilize these two platforms to send professional updates and reminders to those that they may not otherwise do so.The third strategy for keeping your professional resume active and current is to continue to research and share the information that you have available about your Mechanical Engineering professional resume writing. By sharing your latest job opportun ities and media information on social networking sites, you are able to expand your reach as well as attract employers that may not otherwise be searching for you. You also allow yourself the potential of helping others and generating interest in your field as well.As you review these strategies, it is important to remember that your mechanical engineering professional resume writing is an incredible opportunity to add value to your employer. If you do not take advantage of this potential, you will likely find yourself stagnant within your employment future.

Almost Famous Brand Building in the Music Industry - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Almost Famous Brand Building in the Music Industry - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Building a musical empire from scratch is a tall order. For every Lady Gaga, there are millions of other stories of talented yet incredibly eclectic artists who ended up â€" well â€" just incredibly eclectic.  So what is the differentiator? What steps need to be taken to bring someone from talent to fame? To find out, I recently caught up with members of “The Gate City Squad,” an up-and-coming college-age rap group that has developed a strong following through online music communities. Their new album, entitled, “Suit Up,” drops today, and theyre hoping will take them to the next level. We discussed their rise from anonymity, the ways that they manage to continuously cultivate their dream through busy schedules and distractions, and tools they have used to gain fans and become more professional artists. Starting out For some, creating a musical group is done through audition. For others, it’s done through a chance meeting of aspiring stars. For the Gate City Squad (GCS), they were simply born into it; the group consists of two brothers, their cousin, and a friend. As Matt Feehan (Who created GCS) also points out, music was a family thing right from the beginning. “Our uncle was a rapper growing up, so he would always freestyle around us when we were 11 or 12 and make us join in. Our parents are also in a band, my dad is the drummer and my mom is the singer, so music has been a major influence our whole lives.” Matt recalls learning how to play the guitar and creating basic beats when he was just 12 years old. My cousin Josh (Ramos) and I decided to put something together for fun, and made his first ‘unreleased’ album. Eventually we brought in my younger brother Dan to sing on a few of the songs, unaware he was so talented. As time passed and he grew up a little bit, we realized that we had something special in Dan’s voice. Last year John (Bourgeois) started coming around and creating some of the melodies for our songs, and we really worked well together so we brought him on board. Over that last year, the group has solidified itself and is now working on building a stronger brand presence and fan base. Applying technology One common problem with people who are ‘aspiring’ at anything is that they often need to ‘have a day job’ while they are trying to make it. Along the way, there is endless opportunity to fall off track and lose your dream in favor of a more stable lifestyle. But as Will Smith stipulates, “Don’t have a Plan ‘B’ because it distracts from Plan ‘A’.” It’s important to become obsessed with your goal, and not fall victim to a routine.   In the case of the GCS, all 4 members attend 4 different colleges, making it difficult to be together to create music (Matt just graduated from Plymouth State University, Dan attends UCONN, John attends SNHU, and Josh attends Wake Forest). Despite this inconvenience, they use technology to continue to produce music even when they aren’t together. “With all of us in school it’s important that everyone has access to a small recording studio even in a dorm so they can cut tracks and send them to me,” said Matt, who produces all of the group’s music. This use of technology is something that perhaps wasn’t as prevalent even years ago, but today’s artists can send audio files over the internet in just a couple of minutes to someone anywhere in the world. In the case of the GCS, it has helped them to remain productive and relevant all year. However, it is also a useful tool for collaboration with other artists, which is something that can take a ‘local’ group and make them mainstream. By cross-contaminating fan bases, the GCS and other successful up-and-comers are gaining exposure with fans of different artists, with the hope of obtaining new fans in different markets. This is one quality that differentiates talented groups from viable celebrity groups. Starting from scratch Another differentiator for viable groups is the level of involvement they have with the creative process. In some cases, a single song may be attributed to 3 or 4 different artists (One to write the lyrics, one to write the music, one to perform, etc.) Having complete control over your music allows you to create more efficiently and effectively, and it demonstrates that you can operate in a self-sustaining manner. Certainly, there is a distinct difference between having a lack of creative control and a strategic collaborative effort with other artists. In the case of the GCS, they see their ability to ‘start from scratch’ as a huge advantage over other artists in the marketplace. “One of the things that separate us from other groups is that we do everything 0% in house,” Josh told me. “From the songwriting to the beat making to the production, we do it all.” Something different Every up and coming artist will tell you that they are different. That they are the doing things never before seen and their talent needs to be shared with the world. Most of the time that proves completely false, for as long as this world has been around, there’s been far too many people for any of us to be truly unique. But that’s OK â€" you don’t need a unique talent to become a star. What makes the biggest stars so big is that they are able to use their talent in unique ways. GCS considers their difference to be in delivering rap in a non-traditional way. “We aren’t rapping about typical stuff that you hear, were rapping about real life experiences,” they emphasized. “We don’t rap about drugs, girls or money, stuff like that. We keep everything as clean cut as possible so we can appeal to a wide demographic and audience.” By choosing to appeal to the masses, they have created an opportunity for themselves to gain fans in all demographics. However, they also run the risk of alienating the type of fan who does enjoy listening to that style of rap. As a group, it doesn’t actually matter what style you choose, as long as you make a choice. Fans tend to respect artists who are true to themselves and who stick to their personality, whatever that may be. It goes back to branding, and building a brand that is consistent with all of your actions. Moving beyond Facebook In today’s social networking craze, companies (and individuals) are turning to Facebook as the new standard of promotion. Unfortunately, using Facebook in a silo doesn’t work. Other social networks need to be put to use, and believe it or not, traditional means of communication is actually still very important in getting your name out there. About a year ago, GCS learned that in order to achieve the results they were looking for they needed to change up their approach. As Dan said: A while ago we only would post our music on Facebook, because we thought that was the only way to connect with fans. But then we started to see all of these artists on music blogs like “Good Music All Day,” “Fresh New Tracks,” and “This Song is Sick.” We knew that we could definitely do this, and that our music was strong enough to be featured on these kinds of sites. So we started reaching out and building relationships with the people who ran these blogs. Fortunately, they heard our music and liked it, so they started posting our songs on their sites. Their realization was dead on, but unfortunately many artists don’t realize that there is life outside of Facebook. The combination of social networking with traditional relationship building is what allowed GCS to build such a strong online presence. Keep it professional I’ve discussed in other posts the importance of creating professional quality assets as an artist. As I’ve learned, social networks such as YouTube and MySpace have now become legitimate sources of media, meaning that artists need to post high quality material if they want to be recognized.   For GCS, they noticed that artists who featured music videos seemed to be getting a lot more air time. As John said: We never had a solid video of ourselves, and we realized that songs that had videos were getting a lot more play than songs that didn’t have them. So we reached out to this guy in New York City named Jon Kilmer who does high quality videos at affordable rates. We went down to NYC a couple of times, and now we have 2 professional music videos out and are working on a third. We’ve also released some behind the scenes videos because we want to connect with fans, we want them to see that we aren’t an auto-tuned group; we are talented singers and songwriters. Lean on your friends The last characteristic of an up-and-coming group that makes it big is a strong network. As GCS demonstrated by promoting their content through music blogs, knowing the right people can make an enormous impact in your success. But it goes beyond that. Starting out, artists usually won’t have a ton of resources or money to be able to manage their group, promote, and create new music. If they are able to use friends as resources, and draw on various skill sets to maintain a professional brand, it will ultimately prove invaluable to their growth. To that end, GCS got together with a friend of theirs, Ben Young, who has taken over the role of ‘Manager.’ “I’ve stepped in to take on the non-musical stuff because they are spending all of their time in the studio,” Ben said. “There will come a time when we make money but for now we are just hustling trying to keep the movement going.” And that’s it. These are the techniques and the qualities that this particular group has used to gain some notoriety and to build their media brand. But it doesn’t mean they are the only ones. The important takeaway is that successful groups have a plan. They try new methods until they get it right. Most importantly, they never give up. Many thanks to the Gate City Squad â€" Dan Feehan (Vocals), Matt Feehan (Rapper, Producer), John Bourgeois (Music), Josh Ramos (Rapper), and their manager Ben Young for this interview. If you have not heard of them yet, you certainly will soon. Their album, Suit Up, was released this week, and is available for download on their Facebook fan page. Here is the Official Music Video for one of the songs on the album, entitled, “So Fly.” Author: Bill Connolly is the Sales Director for Millennial Branding and a media branding expert.

Little Things are Big Things at Work

Little Things are Big Things at Work I made a mistake at work last week. I did not miscalculate my numbers.   I did not break procedure. I was simply going way too fast. Weve all been there before: its a super busy afternoon, and all of a sudden a bunch of requests come in at once.   This happens minutes before the system is about to close which is also about the same time your afternoon reports are due.   On top of it, youve covering some accounts you are unfamiliar with  for one of your co-workers who is out. Ive written before about making mistakes at work.   In fact, that post brought some of you to this very site after you messed up at work and immediately  Googled how to handle it (thanks for sticking around Aimee!). But my previous mistakes  seem minor in retrospect,   because I dont think I really understood the magnitude that a little mistake can have on you, your department, your clients, etc. Mistakes are meant to be reality checks.   They are also meant so that you never make them again.   Lastly, they are meant to teach you something about yourself. This may sound obvious, but the older I get the more I realize that little things are big things at work.   When I first graduated college, I felt that details were not that important.   It was more about the big picture (whatever that meant!). But now I know that missing a little detail  can ruin  the big picture.   Immediately. Consistency is Key One of the best things an entry-level employee (or really any employee) can do is be consistent.   It is in part consistency in your attitude, but also  your reliablility.   You want people to know where they stand with you and that they can expect you to do things correctly and in a timely way. Think about the little things we do every day: we buy a latte, we go to the grocery store, we   go to the gym.   What happens if your barista makes you the wrong drink on occasion, the grocery store forgets to put a few of your grocery bags in your cart or your gym is out of clean towels?   Small details?   Not to the customer.   My guess is that you probably wont be a patron of these establishments for long. If youre missing the small details, should your employer keep patronizing you? Today theres an educated and capable person on every corner to waiting take your job.   If there is ever a time to slow down, stay consistent and pay attention to the details its right now. I know for a fact that this little mistake  reinforced the importance of the little things at work.   It showed me that focus is really important so much that us  ADHD multi-tasker types need to change our ways.   Lastly, Ive shifted gears from placing value on the quantity of work I can get done and instead focus on the quality. What are your Work Mistake Confessions? Have you ever made a mistake at work that made you re-think your daily routine? What did you learn from your mistake? How did making a mistake change your perspective on your job? Was your first thought ever to blame someone else? Did you identify a bad habit after making mistake such as, trying to do too much, answering every client call in the middle of important transactions, trying to get your work done as fast as possible, saying yes to others before you finish your own work? Preferred Partner Tip: Was your biggest mistake at work suffering an injury or accident after unnecessarily being exposed to hazards or not being made aware of health and safety regulations at your workplace?

Reviews of the Ladders Resume Writing Service

Reviews of the Ladders Resume Writing ServiceThe reviews of the ladders resume writing service that you may do a little bit of research on before you start your writing project. Just remember when you are looking for this type of service you will be charged by the hour so you need to find a service that you can afford. This article will go over some things to consider before you hire a resume writing service.Reviews of the ladders resume writing service will be one of the first things that you need to do. You want to know what you will be getting for your money and then you can be sure that you will be getting quality. It is very important that you ask some questions of the company before you make any commitment to them. Don't just sign up with any company, but if you do you should look for reviews of the ladders resume writing service that they have on their website.Reviews of the ladders resume writing service that are written by people who have actually used their services will be a good source for information. You don't want to get anything that you would not be comfortable using in your job. You also want to make sure that you aren't signing up with a company that doesn't do a good job of marketing their business.Reviews of the ladders resume writing service will also give you an idea of how well you will be treated. A good way to find out how well you will be treated as a result of the work that you provide is to find out how much you will be paid. Reviews of the ladders resume writing service will tell you how good of a deal you are getting for your money.A second thing to look for is how many employees the resume writing service has. This is an important thing to see because a resume writer will be doing a lot of the hard work when you get an interview. You also want to make sure that the writing service you are getting a good deal on and you are getting at least the minimum amount of work from them.Another important factor to consider is the kind of wr iting that is being done. Some resume writers will be more suitable for some kinds of projects than others. The reviews of the ladders resume writing service will give you an idea of how the business operates and this will help you determine which company will best meet your needs.Professional reviews of the ladders resume writing service will give you an idea of what kind of freelance writing that you can expect to be doing. The reviews will tell you how much this work will be worth and what kind of terms will be provided for the projects that are being offered. Most importantly you want to make sure that the reviews that you find will come from real people who have had real experience with the company.Reviews of the ladders resume writing service will give you the information that you need to make an informed decision. Make sure that you are getting a high quality product for a fair price. The reviews of the ladders resume writing service will give you an idea of what to expect an d you can choose to use the information to get the most out of your investment.

The ultimate student guide to creating a personal brand - Debut

The ultimate student guide to creating a personal brand - Debut This post is written by a member of the Debut Student Publisher Network. Read on for  Hirans  epic guide to creating a personal brand at uni trust us, youll want to be bookmarking this. Im  assuming youre the ambitious type. You see, the student who  thinks Uhh, I think Ill graduate and get a job somewhere wouldnt have  clicked on this article. Theyll be waiting for something to fall into their lap (SPOILER: nothing does.) Not you. Youre probably busier than your friends. Youve know a  degree isnt going to be enough to get the dream career you want. Youre reading  this because you want to stand out and are looking for ways to do it.  So, Im not going to patronise you. Heres some  real advice on how to develop a personal brand whilst youre a student.  Let me break it down in 10 manageable steps and holla at me when youre done. Im excited to hear it. 1. Get your social media working for you Cull the negative/offensive/embarrassing pieces of content on your social media. Hide, privatise or remove any thing related  to drugs, alcohol  or those embarrassing Freshers photos from first year. Before you start saying, Im not going to change who I am for a jobblah, think about those banter pics  following you around in five  years time. Its not pretty is it? First impressions are super important.  Remember that this is how  strangers are going to perceive you. Your profiles will be seen most likely by  recruiters  and, more importantly, by future friends and networks. You want to show your best bits, so  learn to cultivate.  Then customise your URLs.  It might take a day or two, but it will pay off. 2. It  should  be exactly what it says on the tin Lies are one of the few things that can damage a brand, so tell your story honestly.  If I asked you, I am sure you could ring off a list of five  people who  act and look completely different IRL to how they are perceived on social media. Whilst this drags people in, its a huge no-no. Be authentic. Personal brands are  supposed  to be malleable and changeable.  The 20-year-old you wasnt the same as the 10-year-old you, and will be completely different to the 30-year-old you.  Print out and  stick this one-pager up on your wall to keep you consistent, but its okay to grow, adapt and change your mind. Once you have got your brand values in mind, you are ready to start sharing. 3. Share content and create conversation Start by following and liking accounts that resonate with you and interact with them. The only way to stay relevant is to be relevant, after all. Twitter is great for this. As Im interested in  design, I follow and regularly engage with Logo Geek, Its Nice That and Business Insider. Build up your confidence by seeing what is out there. Then begin creating original content. This is what is going to get you on that first page of Google.  Write for your student newspaper, start a YouTube account, raise money for charity, get involved in volunteering all of these things are naturally shareable. Maybe even build a personal website. 4. Start early, become a BNOC Throw yourself into as many things as possible.  I joined 20 societies and organisations every year of uni, filling out most evenings, just to try something new.  I got to know lots of people, and even if I never went back, it was a Facebook connection that I turned into something more. Being known (for the right reasons) means youre telling a compelling story. If youre the blogger guy, or the video gamer girl, and that is what you set your brand out as, then youre doing a great job. People recognise you by your talent.  Find those people and talk to them theyre probably just like you. 5. Celebrate  your niche Find something  you are good at and make yourself amazing.  If you are confident enough to show the process (warts and all!) that can be really compelling.  Seth Godin is fantastic at explaining this. Locate great people to learn from. Invite them to help you. Collaborate. Make mistakes. Encourage people to comment and critique.  Put yourself out there.   Follow the right people, find that niche and exploit it to get them engaged.  If you are really interested in music, or art, or politics, then the chances are that your friends will have similar or opposing views.  At university, you have students with the time and energy to commit with very little personal loss, so test the waters and go for it. 6. Promote yourself without pissing people off Take the show, dont tell approach. Everyone always dreads self-promotion, but it is unavoidable. And  there are  ways to do it  without people thinking youre a total butt face. The trick is to be gracious, use humour and sometimes self-deprecation can work really well. Just dont talk about yourself all the timeno one likes it in person, dont do it online. Share other peoples posts which align with your brand,  and youll be surprised how quickly they will reciprocate. University is actually a great time to do it, because  everyone is promoting something. A club night, a society event or even a graduate position everyones wearing a logo on their hoodies these days. Use this to your advantage. 7. Networking is talking with a purpose Every conversation has gold dust potential.  Most people are really intimidated with the word networking but it is purely conversation with a purpose.  It is all about perspective and starting right. Dont just talk at people be willing to listen and understand where they are coming from the more you empathise, the more students are willing to listen. Make impressions with people you havent met yet.  Most of the time, your brand is developed when you arent even there. When people mention your name, what would you like them to hear? Write these  qualities down and bring them into your patter. Be positive, pragmatic and fulfil your promises to people. Make them laugh and smile.  They are much more likely to trust you if they actually like you.   8. Put everything in one place Take the plunge and create a personal website.  In the last five years, Ive had two and here is my baby at the moment. When anyone asks me what I do, it is so cool to point them to my little corner of the internet. Domain names and hosting are pretty cheap these days, and you can even hire someone to make the whole thing for you. As a student, it will make you stand  out instantly and show you are serious. Youll literally never look back.  I know it sounds weird, but having a personal website forces you to keep your personal brand fresh. It means that you need to write blogs constantly, update the projects you are working on and make your CV look polished all of the time. I guarantee it will be your proudest thing and youll be sharing it daily. 9. Reputation is everything You already have everything at your feet to play with.  If you went to a good school, got a degree from a great university, climbed a mountain, raised a boatload for charity, started a business or did something incredible you are already in the awesome minority.  Your story is  already compelling. Now, tell me what it is in a compelling way. Boost your reputation from working with great brands. Make sure you only like and share people that align with your personal values.  Every brand you work with is a tacit endorsement, so be super careful. Even celebrities get it wrong and they are reliant on their personal brands. The popularity of influencer marketing  means that bigger brands are looking to creative students for greater influence. It couldnt be a better time to have a personal brand. 10. Focus on the big picture Dont be fooled by short-term syndrome.  Dont give into the temptation that everything  must  be lived in the present you CAN start building for the future now and you shouldnt be ashamed to start. It is easy to get bogged down in grades and things that happen at uni, but there is a big world out there. Take the time to decide what you want to do and how you can get there. It will be a fantastic head start. What sort of person do you actually want to be?  This is a personal process. Are you the type of person to put things off? Is your perfectionism slowing you down?  Are you impulsive? Do you deliver on your promises? Can people trust you?  In the end, the person you decide to be has the biggest impact on your future.  These are the things that people will remember you by, and the decision to make yourself memorable, is entirely yours. If youve done all of these things well, the litmus test will be that people come back.  They will celebrate your achievements and want to be a part of your network. Individuals like Kim Kardashian, Barack Obama and Justin Bieber have powerful brands which are infectious  for  most people.  All of them deliver something that we come back for,  time and time again, and we buy into them every day. There is nothing stopping you being the next. Feature image © e-lawyer.com Download the Debut app and you could totally grab yourself a summer internship  way before anyone else. Follow Hiran on Twitter @Hiran_Adhia Connect with Debut on Facebook and Twitter

Switch Your Career to Law How You Can Do It - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

Switch Your Career to Law How You Can Do It Making a career change later in life, or even not too long after beginning your first career, is certainly not unusual. Many people consider how they can start doing things differently if the career they have is longer making them satisfied. Even a career in law is possible later in life if youre willing to put in the work to get where you want to be. But when youre no longer a young adult, how can you manage the change? Assess Your Current Position The first thing you should do is think about your current qualifications, skills and experience. If you already have at least a bachelors degree, its going to be helpful for your career change to law. In some cases, if you want a legal career but dont want to be a lawyer, you might not even need to go back to school. Find Some Work Experience Seeking out some kind of work experience can help you to solidify your decision and show that you have what it takes to switch careers. You might be able to approach some legal firms about shadowing someone or doing some work experience of even volunteer work. Study Online Going back to school can be tough for someone who already has an adult life, perhaps with children and a mortgage. But studying online can make it easier to fit your studies around your life. You can get a quality degree when you choose an online course, and you can often choose to study when and where you want. Infographic Design By University of Southern California

Tips for Putting Salary Requirements on your Cover Letter

Tips for Putting Salary Requirements on your Cover Letter You have just seen a posting for a job that you really, really want. Your resume is ready to be emailed, you just need to fine-tune your cover letter and hit “send”. One thing is holding you up…this job is asking YOU to communicate your salary requirements. Exactly how are you going to do that? No need to worry-we offer a few tips to get you on the right track. • Look at the job title and description of qualifications/requirements. First, do you meet all of the requirements they are asking for? Even if you only have a portion of the qualifications listed in the job description, as long as you have the majority of them, you should still apply for the job. • Research similar positions that are out there and see what salary ranges are being offered. There are hundreds of job sites (glassdoor.com is a good one) on the internet that post salary ranges for specific positions, and some will even show what those positions make in different geographic areas. If you are able to get compensation information, that would help you as well. • What are you making at your current job? If you are making $55,000 per year now, it wouldn’t look good to demand $85,000 for the same type of position (unless the new position has more requirements and/or is a managerial role). Yes, you will want to up the ante from what you are making, but you still need to be realistic. • If the salary range is not listed on the job posting, contact the employer and ask what the range is. If you have a lot of experience, put your salary requirements toward the top of the range. If you are basically new to the field or only have a few years of experience, go mid-range or a little lower. You can always move up the scale once you get your foot in the door and show them what you can do. • Never list your salary requirements at the beginning of your cover letter! Draw them in with your qualifications and achievements, then end with your salary requirements. • Once you have done all of your research and have established the salary requirements youre going to ask for, list those requirements, as well as the compensation package in your current position toward the bottom of your cover letter. You can even let them know that you are willing to negotiate based on your qualifications, benefit structure, job responsibilities, and advancement opportunities. If you do land an interview, revisit your facts and research and be prepared to discuss your salary requirements during the interview. While communicating your salary requirements may seem awkward at first, presenting your information in a professional manner based on facts and research will impress the employer and hopefully get you the job you are trying for.