Apprenticeships How to get started

Apprenticeships How to get started by Michael Cheary What is an apprenticeship?An apprenticeship is a work-based training programme, which allows participants to earn a recognised qualification whilst gaining practical experience.Although each apprenticeship is different, they usually provide a combination of on-the-job training and off-the-job training, which may mean day release (to attend college), distance learning or independent study.The length of each apprenticeship will vary greatly depending on the industry and employer, but will usually take between one and four years to complete.Who can apply for an apprenticeship?Anyone over 16 in the UK not currently in full time education, who may want to learn a new skill or trade.Although some apprenticeships are targeted solely at candidates between the ages of 16 and 18, there are no age limits to start an apprenticeship, with many large companies allowing applicants of all ages to apply.Do apprentices get paid?Yes. Apprenticeships are paid positions, allowin g you to earn as you learn.The National Minimum Wage for apprentices is currently £3.70 per hour. This applies to apprentices aged between 16 and 18, and those aged 19 or over during their first year.Those aged over 19 who have completed a full year of an apprenticeship are then entitled to be paid at least the minimum wage rate (according to their age).What kinds of apprenticeships are available?There is a common misconception that apprenticeships are only available for skilled labour positions when in fact, they are available to some degree in every sector or industry.There are hundreds of different types, covering literally thousands of different roles. Apprenticeships can be taken in everything from Health and Beauty to Construction and Property, Plumbing to Graphic Design, and everything in between.View all apprenticeships nowWhat are the benefits of an apprenticeship?The main advantage of an apprenticeship is that you can earn a salary whilst gaining industry specific qualifi cations. Also, they allow you to build the foundations for a career, whilst providing more practical training, making them a perfect way to gain experience in your chosen industry.Other key benefits include:One-to-one training with a reputable employerNo student loans or debtsOpportunity to build your professional networkLearn industry specific skills in a practical settingResult in a professional qualificationHow to get startedResearchThe first thing to do is decide what industry you want to work in. Try and weigh up your interests, and work out what your main strengths are. What kind of skills do you want to learn? What career prospects are there within this industry?Do some research into what’s available to you, what apprenticeship schemes are currently present within your area, what qualifications you’d like to achieve, and where you want to go in your career, before moving forward.  Tailor your CVMost apprenticeships are entry-level positions. Therefore, the majority of emp loyers won’t expect you to have an extensive employment history. However, rather than being tempted to try and compensate for this with white-lies and hyperbole, always play to your strengths.Valuable attributes for prospective apprentices include the followingpractical problem solvingbeing able to work independently and as part of a teamreliabilitygood listening skillsattention to detaila willingness to learnAs a result, some of these should be clearly demonstrated (using examples, wherever possible) within your CV. So whether it’s your good grades in Maths (problem solving), or being able to take orders quickly and efficiently when working part-time in a restaurant (listening skills/willingness to learn), these should always be kept in mind when writing your CV.From a formatting point of view, your CV should always be clear, concise and well presented. To find out more, follow our advice on how to write a CV  or download  our free CV template.  Craft your cover letterAs with y our CV, you should always use your cover letter to play to your strengths. To maximise its effectiveness, your cover letter should always be crafted for each individual application. Although time consuming, making it more personal to the position will always pay dividends in the long run.Use your cover letter to explain why you think you’d be suitable for an apprenticeship, why you want to work within that industry/for that company, and where you want to go in your career.To find out how to structure yours, try our free cover letter template.How to write a cover letterPractice your interview techniqueAs with any position, ensuring proper preparation for the interview stage is essential. However, whilst most job vacancies will be competitive, this is especially apparent when it comes to apprenticeships. With the possibility of competing against a number of other candidates, always be conscious of how to stand out from the crowd.Practicing common interview questions, knowing what qu estions you want to ask and being able to demonstrate your passion for the apprenticeship and industry in question are vital.To learn more, here’s our guide about how to prepare for an interview.Don’t give upFinally, resilience is the key attribute to adopt when starting to look into apprenticeships. They can be highly competitive and difficult to get into and, even when successful, may necessitate a lifestyle change when you start.However, never lose sight of why you’re doing it. Apprenticeships are not only a great way to learn a trade in a hands on environment, they’re also a terrific way to get your foot in the door of an employer in your chosen industry.Even if after your apprenticeship it’s not possible for you to be retained by your company, you’ll emerge with a professional qualification, as well as the vital experience sought by many top recruiters.Feel like an apprenticeship is the right option for you? View our available apprenticeships now

Smart Ways to Ask For Help Without Seeming Incompetent

Keen Ways to Ask For Help Without Seeming Incompetent The Beatles got by with a little assistance from their companions, so for what reason do you feel terrible requesting help at work? You need to be seen as sure, sharp, and able at work since you are. However, you additionally need to escape your customary range of familiarity so as to develop, and once in a while that requires taking on more than only you can realistically handle. Taking on huge activities regularly implies taking on huge issues. You can deal with muddled assignments and you are sufficiently shrewd to acknowledge when you need assistance to finish them. Here are five different ways to request help at work without appearing to be incompetent.1. Approach with certainty: Everyone needs assistance now and again, so don't apologize for it. Some portion of your supervisor's main responsibility is to direct your tasks. Nobody is employed with all the information they have to carry out each responsibility part of the set of working responsibilities. Your administrator antici pates that you should counsel her when you stall out. Prior to heading off to her, make sense of why you need assistance. Is this task past your range of abilities? Do you have so a lot other work to do that you can't fulfill a time constraint? At that point, be valiant. Rather than moving toward her with, I'm sorry to trouble you with this. Go with, I'd value your assistance with this.2. Get your work done: Go to your administrator with a particular inquiry, circumstance, or plan. You may figure you don't have the foggiest idea where to begin, yet don't let that overpower you. Make a visual cue rundown of the manners in which you've just attempted to illuminate the issue so she doesn't sit around attempting those arrangements once more. Record any inquiries you have. Be prepared to give an elevated level outline of the circumstance. To center your contemplations, utilize the who, what, when, where, why, and how strategy: Who is engaged with the issue? What precisely is the issue? W hen did the issue happen? Where did the issue occur? For what reason did the issue emerge? How did the issue create? Carrying these solutions to your administrator gives her unique circumstance and the seeds of an arrangement. 3. Know whose help you need: Has a partner previously experienced a comparable circumstance? On the off chance that the undertaking is up the creek without a paddle, attempt to locate a Subject Matter Expert inside the organization you can sound out before moving toward your chief. Is this something an associate can help you with? On the off chance that you are briefly overpowered with duties, is there a friend ready to assist you with a present moment task?4. Be eager to respond: The most ideal approach to approach somebody for help is to have just helped them, so be proactive. At the point when a friend approaches you for help, attempt to let Yes, be your first reaction so you can show proactive kindness. The opportunity will come when you have to incline to ward them. Attempt to keep up an open line of correspondence with your supervisor. On the off chance that the main time you converse with her is the point at which you have an issue, she won't have any desire to see you. Look for tutors both inside and outside the organization. You can tap these assets when you get in trouble.5. Recall that planning is everything: Make a decent exertion to achieve the work yourself, yet don't hold up until the undertaking is so in danger that the customer is irate. Most directors want to tidy up a little chaos as opposed to a major one. Also, don't be a recurrent perpetrator. On the off chance that your supervisor sends you messages in regards to how to take care of this issue, banner them and save them for future reference. On the off chance that you two are meeting about the issue, take notes and document them. Express gratitude toward her for her assistance. On the off chance that your organization has an acknowledgment, motivating force, or priz e program, ensure you use it to recognize her and each one else who helped you.

Resume Writing Tips That Will Help Ease Your Job Hunt

Resume Writing Tips That Will Help Ease Your Job Hunt Your resume serves as your business card to potential bosses. When you present it, you’re increasing your chances to be set apart from and to stand out among other hopefuls. In the same way, it shows how fit you are for the position. Hence, with a winning resume, you’re on your way to a successful job search. More than a bunch of rules, what you’ll find here are killer resume writing tips to creating effective job tools. If you want to end your job search now and work in your desired company, follow these tricks.Resume Writing Tips to Ease Your Job QuestShow off your abilitiesGet the manager’s attention by starting your resume with a great synopsis that states your years of experience, job history, and career achievements. Instead of labeling the section “summary,” use the header to highlight your abilities.Use simple fontsThe simplest scheme in resume writing tips: do not use a font with serifs. Instead, use Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Palatino Linotype, or Times New Roma n fonts.Use bullet points to detail your accomplishmentsNo hiring manager will read long sentences. Thus, use bullet points and short sentences to describe your professional objectives, educational attainment, and work experience. Your resume’s main selling points should be quick and plain enough to scan. Among the not-so-well-know resume writing tips is this: Don’t worry over the specifics. After all, you’ll get the chance to discuss them in the interview.List your achievements, not your responsibilitiesYour resume is your marketing tool. Thus, focus on your achievements instead of the tasks you’ve done and begin your sentences with action words such as “managed,” “designed,” “organized,” “supervised,” and “assessed.”Include every honor and award you receivedEven if you’ve won the award 10 years ago and you worry that the employer may have never heard of that accolade, everybody knows what a prize means. Thus, heres another tip from the obscure resume writing tips: list any award you’ve won or received.Format your resume in reverse chronological styleYou can arrange the information in your resume in various ways, but the reverse chronological format (where you list your most recent experience first) is still your best bet.Target your resume to the jobAmong the resume writing tricks mentioned above, this one is the most crucial. Tailor your resume to each job application, so it responds to the specific requirements of the job you want. To do this, review the firms job description and figure what it needs. Likewise, use the keywords listed in its ads and match them to the bullet points in your resume. Compared to a generic one, a customized resume can increase your chances to get an invitation for an interview because the hiring manager will see you as the best candidate for the post.As you write your application, apply these resume writing tips and you’ll be miles ahead of your job rivals. If writing is not your forte and you need the help of experts, try our professional resume writing services. Contact us today for inquiries!Sources: Forbes| TIME Inc| LinkedIn| Rockport Institutes Ltd.| Daily Muse| Inc| Photo by Picjumbo.com

Learn How to Prevent a Toxic Work Environment

Figure out How to Prevent a Toxic Work Environment Figure out How to Prevent a Toxic Work Environment Harassing is an across the board work environment issue, both inside the legitimate calling and without. Be that as it may, managers ought not acknowledge, disregard, or overlook harassing issues since they lead to a harmful work environment, higher turnover, an awful notoriety for the organization, and potential claims. For extra data on managing a harassing and a harmful workplace, audit these articles: Tormenting Facts and FiguresTypes of BullyingBullying StoriesWorkplace HarassmentBullying LawsProfile of a Bully Victim Continue perusing to realize what steps would employers be able to take to defuse a harmful work environment with tips from Jean Copeland Haertl, CEO Founder of Safety and Respect at Work, LLC in Boston. Harassing is an example of embarrassing, hostile work environment direct regularly executed by somebody in a place of intensity and additionally authority. Tormenting regularly shows as a maltreatment of intensity whose objectives endure genuine and dependable enthusiastic and physical wellbeing hurting impacts. Similar to batterers who sincerely misuse their casualties, menaces participate in learned oppressive work environment conduct since they frequently pull off it. From working with menaces, I have discovered that most, if not all, target explicit representatives. Menaces are likewise intellectually mindful of their activities, changing their conduct when within the sight of bosses, frequently seeming beguiling and proficient. While anybody can take part in working environment harassing, as indicated by ongoing insights from the Workplace Bullying Institute, 72% of menaces are supervisors. The first and most significant stage a business should take is to perceive that harassing isn't something that a worker ought to be disregarded to address. Basically proposing that workers ought to learn systems to react to harassing resembles advising a battered casualty she needs to figure out how to convey all the more successfully and legitimately to limit the maltreatment dispensed by a batterer.? Hierarchical pioneers should take responsibility for to address and wipe out all types of working environment misuse. Steps to diffuse a poisonous workplace incorporate however are not constrained to: 1. Set up an Anti-harassing Policy Set up and execute clear approaches and announcing methodology that address harassing. Most organizations have a code of direct arrangements, yet a considerable lot of those strategies are general, as well as exclusively address deceptive and money related wrongdoing. Once in a while do organizations keep up strategies with explicit language that enough characterizes a scope of denied practices. 2. Actualize Company-wide Training That Addresses Bullying. When a sound arrangement has been built up with clear and various detailing instruments set up, pioneers must guarantee all administrators and workers get preparing on the most proficient method to distinguish, react, and report potential harassing practices. Since numerous chiefs and representatives experience difficulty recognizing harassing practices from working environment brutality and amateurish practices, it is important that preparation underscores the numerous ways menaces focus on their casualties in the working environment. Dissimilar to one misled and amateurish remark, menaces sustain an example of coercive control, regularly segregating their objectives, subverting their work, and participating in a forceful and embarrassing conduct. Menaces are frequently known to most in the organization. They are the obvious issues at hand a lot of like culprits of abusive behavior at home. Like batterers, menaces limit, deny, divert accuse their objectives, planning to maintain a strategic distance from responsibility for their activities. Preparing must separate administrators from representatives, and feature the difficulties and fears workers battle with in detailing these sorts of practices. 3. Execute Disciplinary Action. Consider menaces responsible for their conduct by reliably and decently actualizing proper disciplinary activity. Similar to a specialist who has abused a companys inappropriate behavior or working environment savagery approach, bosses must research all grievances identified with common regard strategy infringement. Contingent upon the idea of the conduct as well as effect on the objective, businesses must make quick move and control working environment menaces - up to and including end, if vital. Now and then, a domineering jerk who is stood up to with the chance of disciplinary activity, including the way that his/her conduct has contrarily affected another representative, will find a way to change their conduct. Dynamic disciplinary activity can be joined with therapeutic preparing now and again. I firmly dishearten any type of intercession in these cases.

Millennials Would Rather Talk than Text at Work

Twenty to thirty year olds Would Rather Talk than Text at Work Twenty to thirty year olds Would Rather Talk than Text at Work Turns out Millennials, those people conceived among 1982 and the mid 2000s (the last immovably not in the activity advertise at present), are essentially old style with regards to their expert lives. Alongside individuals from Generation X (brought into the world 1965 to 1981), the staggering decision is eye to eye gatherings as the top decision of working environment correspondence. In view of overview information from in excess of 40,000 individuals worldwide in 22 distinct nations, analysts at the Center for Effective Organizations at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business and London Business School, related to PricewaterhouseCoopers, laid out the correspondence inclinations over the ages. As per data from the USC Marshall School, in excess of 80 percent of Generation X and Millennials stated, [C]ommunicating through up close and personal gatherings is fundamentally critical to keeping up connections at work â€" the most elevated rating of all, and more prominent than telephone, email, texting, messaging, informal community locales and video talk. The investigation likewise presents what is viewed as another astounding outcome: profession directing, arranging and pay dealings are additionally best taken care of face to face as opposed to through electronic media. It stated, Even all the more striking are the outcomes for interchanges identified with execution assessments, profession arranging, and pay. When requested to rank how they would like to speak with their quick administrator about their exhibition assessment, the two ages overwhelmingly pick vis-à-vis gatherings (93 percent and 92 percent). Ninety-six percent of Millennials, and 95 percent of Generation Xers showed an inclination for vis-à-vis gatherings with directors in regards to profession plans and progress; 82 percent of both Millennials and Gen Xers favored face to face discussions while examining pay. Its additionally an eye to eye discussion Millennials would want to have with ladies. A Pew Research Center overview discovers, Members of the Millennial age grown-ups ages 18 to 32-are altogether more averse to lean toward working with male collaborators than different ages. Generally speaking, around one-in-nine (11%) of youthful grown-ups state they need to work for the most part with men contrasted and 19% of Gen Xers, 16% of Baby Boomers and 21% of the Silent age (brought into the world 1928 to 1945). Adding sexual orientation to the investigation uncovers other striking generational contrasts. Millennial men are altogether almost certain than more established men and Millennial ladies to state they want to work for the most part with ladies. By and large 11 percent of these youngsters state they favor working with ladies contrasted and 5 percent of all non-Millennial men and 6 percent of Millennial ladies. Possibly the Millennials need to copy their expert seniors in light of the fact that, as a gathering, they will in general regard Baby Boomers and so forth. As per a Pew Research Center examination, They regard their older folks. A greater part say that the more established age is better than the more youthful age with regards to virtues and hard working attitude. However, a similar report finds that Millennials state the characterizing normal for their age is their innovation use. They grasp innovation however dont consider it to be the best specialized apparatus available to them in the work environment. Inquisitive to perceive how Millennial you are? The Pew Research Center has a 14-question test to pinpoint in the event that you have a place in that age, regardless of whether youre sequentially a maturing Baby Boomer.

Successful People who Werent Afraid to Ask

Fruitful People who Weren't Afraid to Ask It is frequently pride which keeps us from posing inquiries; a dread that our inquiries will be met with basic decisions or defamatory and pretentious mentalities. Contacting pose an inquiry, messaging your supervisor with a question or lifting your hand in class are activities that are flooding with thought, apprehensions and a profound feeling of fear. However it is the best people in this day and age who have instructed us that he who is rich is the person who isn't reluctant to inquire. Judge a man by his inquiries as opposed to by his answers. Voltaire Here are a couple of instances of profoundly fruitful people who werent reluctant to inquire: Steve Jobs Steve Jobs, at only 12 years of age, called up one of the organizers of HP, Bill Hewlett, to approach him for help. The American business visionary and fellow benefactor of Apple Inc. discovered the quantity of the Hewlett Packard prime supporter in the telephone directory and asked him an inquiry about structure recurrence counters. The then middle school understudy was immediately extended to an employment opportunity on the HP sequential construction system building recurrence counters. Later on in his vocation, it is reputed that Jobs recruited John Sculley, CEO of Pepsi, so that Sculley could be a tutor to him. Although it turned into a to some degree combative relationship, a central explanation Jobs employed John Sculley was clearly because of the absence of administration characteristics Jobs had thus he looked to Sculley to instruct him. Howard Schultz Starbucks organizer Howard Schultz once asked Bill Gates Sr., father of the author of Microsoft, for help confronting a titan Seattle financial specialist. Schultz went to Bill Gates Sr. by and by to be one of the main financial specialists in the now multi-billion dollar organization, Starbucks. Bill Gates Bill Gates went to his mom for an underlying association with IBM making sure about them as a customer. It has additionally been generally detailed that Gates regularly goes to the American business financier Warren Buffet for guidance. Jim Rohn The American business visionary is cited as saying, To take care of any issue, here are three inquiries to pose to yourself: First, what would I be able to do? Second, what might I be able to peruse? Also, third, who would I be able to ask? Words he lived by. Richard Branson Originator of the Virgin gathering and English business head honcho Richard Branson owes his initial accomplishment to posing bunches of inquiries. I was eager to tune in to any individual who could help. Donald Trump One of the most prestigious fruitful American specialists, Trump's total assets is $3.2 billion, as per the 2013 Forbes Rich List. Trump's kindergarten educator recalls that him as the kid who asked constantly questions. He was the most curious understudy she had ever had in her group. Michael Bloomberg The Founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. also, New York Citys 108th Mayor, Michael Bloomberg said all that needed to be said when he expressed that, curious individuals who are not afraid to pose inquiries perpetually end up knowing more and there is a high level of connection among's information and the capacity to use sound judgment. There is likewise a high level of connection between's kin who have the data and individuals who succeed. Fruitful individuals are effective partially on the grounds that they have taken in the specialty of posing inquiries. Specialists pose inquiries to discover a fix and examiners to comprehend a case. Obviously, it wouldnt be keen to approach inquiries for posing inquiries. Or maybe define an inquiry preceding posing to acquire the best and accommodating reaction. Remove a page from their books, swallow your dread and pull out all the stops. Since I will give you access on a mystery: no one has everything made sense of. Any inquiries?

Danielle LaPorte Interviews Me (yes, really!) on Quittin the 9 to 5

Danielle LaPorte Interviews Me (truly, truly!) on Quittin the 9 to 5 Out of appreciation for my super-fervor for the Danielle LaPorte tweetup/party/love-in this Wednesday (would you say you are in NYC? Come go along with us at 8p at The Brass Monkey!), Ive chose to make this Danielle LaPorte week here on When I Grow Up The Blog! I met Danielle without precedent for Sept 2009 at her gathering Firestarter meeting here on the Upper West Side. I was still at my normal everyday employment and couldnt see the light toward the finish of passage, and I realized that I adored at the Danielle LaPorte adjust. Those couple of hours with Danielle were key in slicing through the should mess, and was likewise the first occasion when I realized that considering myself The When I Grow Up Coach was going to freakin click (I stated, Hi, Im Michelle Ward, The When I Grow Up Coach coincidentally! what's more, everybody snickered and inclined in. Large moan of alleviation). I returned home, shot this video, and began tuning in to my own damn self with respect to my business. Signal the mists separating, the trumpets blowing, and the gospel ensemble singing. Along these lines, you can envision my excited ness when I got an email from Danielle inquiring as to whether I could talk with her as a major aspect of her advanced FireStarter Sessions. I might possibly have swooned at my entryway when I read it on my iPhone, and promptly booked it for my absolute first day as a full-time lady of the world/innovative profession mentor. I thought my life was finished when my meeting with her wrapped, however she immediately reversed the situation and chose to talk with me when I disclosed to her it was my absolute first day as a business visionary! Ive really had this recording for a long time, yet kept it covered up in light of the specialized issues (see the Call Recorder Demo flag at the base of the entire video, my tinny sound and fluffy face, and Danielles head getting reliably cut off). Presently, I quit mindful. Its opportunity to remove the video from the storeroom and show it the light! Check out hear us talk about Clarity Time, dry hurling into garbage jars psychosomatically, how I gave the juju to my customers every night in the wake of working the entire day for The Man, how I intrigued Danielle when we initially met, and even some cash talk. Appreciate! Danielle LaPorte interviews me on Quittin the 9 to 5! from WhenIGrowUpCoach on Vimeo.