Be all that you can be

With me getting tired of the furniture in my home I decided that it was time for a change and went out to buy new sofas and dining room furniture, after going to the Trafford centre I finally settled down on a sofa and decided to purchase but being the type of person that is easily sold to I ended buying new dining room table and chairs, and bedroom furniture.

After realising that when they would arrive in approximately fourteen days I have to get rid of my current furniture and as some of stuff was not that old I did not just want to take it to the tip.

After starting to look through my contacts in my mobile I thought I could take a while to text all my family and friends to see if they wanted anything and how much I was selling then for, I decided to look on the internet for some online text software which people had told me about which would enable me to send multiple text messages all in one go and let me type it easier on my pc rather than the incredibly small keys on my phone and let me save some money at the same time.

After sending out all the messages with the software in a matter of seconds all I have to do now was wait and hopefully sell some, if not looks like I will have plenty of sofas for when people come round.

My posts are mainly about being all that you can be in your job and progressing your career. To go far in life and feel happy your confidence plays a huge part in this.

Some people are extremely confidence and will happily argue there way through a board room meeting and a review for a pay rise, others will sit with there with there head down in silence and take whatever is thrown at them.

When i first started looking for jobs i was shy and lacked confidence and this showed in my interviews hence the reason the candidate who had more personality and confidence in the interview sailed the whole process.

In my eyes confidence =

Smart
Lets people know that you do not take nonsense
Makes you attractive
Is when you can take rejection and not take it to heart
Fun
Happy with yourself
Enjoy life

It sounds silly but i lacked every one of the above and my friends encouraged me to go speed dating and online dating. When i first heard of this i thought it was far to seedy and not my type of thing but after much persuasion from pushy friends i gave it a go and i can honestly put this down to why my confidence soured!  You don’t have to go on these sites if you are looking for a relationship you can use them for friendship and just to meet new people for lunch and a chat. My first date i was shy  but when i left the adrenaline rush i got gave me such a buzz and i instantly gained confidence overnight  come my second “date” i was a new women and from then i have never looked back to my shy, dull self. I now have an opinion and happy to walk into interviews with my head held high!

So if you are looking for a confidence boost seriously try dating and meeting new people it will seriously help!

Good Luck!!!

Although this blog is mainly about career development and furthering your studies, I feel that it is also relevant to write on the subject of gap year voucher codes. A career break could be the best thing that you do if you feel stuck in a rut or want some time out to gain new experience or even further your career in another country.

Gap Year travel vouchers could be a great gift for anyone looking for a career break. There are many websites out there tailored towards gap year travel, or careers abroad, but there are also many dedicated discount code or voucher websites to consider. You could end up saving hundreds of pounds on your holiday. I recently booked my summer holiday and found a number of discount codes on the Internet. But make sure you are quick because people snap up such offers in next to no time. Discount codes or travel vouchers are on offer from most of the household names and websites tend to update daily with new offers.

So enjoy browsing the web as the opportunity is there to save massively on your next flight, holiday or city break. If you are doing a gap year it may also be cheaper to book flights throughout your trip rather than booking a package at the beginning. Booking a number of flights throughout your trip allows you to be flexible about when you travel, where you travel and gives you time to search for the best deals.

The classic shirt and tie combination is more difficult than many imagine. It’s not simply a case of wearing a clean shirt and pulling the first tie off the rail that you can find. It’s about style. Classic rules that have been stereotyped and rubber stamped into the business dress code hand book. Shirt and tie combos should be every man’s (and women’s) first thought when dressing for business. There are several rules to follow, but you can experiment with your own style as long as you stick within the general guidelines. Too eccentric may give the wrong image.

Classic Shirt & Tie Combo Rules

1. When you have a plain (white) shirt any tie should go.

2. Don’t wear a tie lighter than your shirt, i.e. a black shirt and yellow tie is wrong.

3. Striped shirts and striped ties don’t always go, but you can pull off the look if the stripes are not identical to the stripe pattern of the shirt. Vertically striped shirts with a broad diagonally striped tie make for a good look.

4. Checked shirts and striped ties are a big no no. Don’t subscribe to this look.

5. Colours - try to match your ties to your suit, shirt or even shoes or belt. The world is your oyster, but keep away from matching patterns for shirt, tie and suit.

Most of all, enjoy experimenting. Your shirt and tie combo is what projects your image. Think what image you are trying to portray.

Any finally - don’t let your ties hang lower than your waistband!!! It’s SO wrong!!!

I find it pretty disturbing that groomed women who wear make-up in business are the ones who get well paid, sail through a job interview and top of the list for promotions. This shows what a shallow world we live in and how every day people must be judging on appearances and not on the real talent the individual has to offer.

A large percentage of Directors admit that they prefer women who wear make-up as she will look more professional unlike a woman who wears no make-up as this will give an impression that she can not be bothered to make an effort.

The evidence is there and shows that your personal appearance plays a huge part in the way you are perceived. In only a couple of seconds for people make an instant impression so that does not give you long to sell yourself, skills and personality so your make-up, clothes and hair will play a huge part in helping you get your foot on the ladder for your dream job.

So if you are looking for a job and pay rise it is time to take pride in you appearance and as bad as it sounds if you are clueless when it comes to make-up you can visit a beauty therapist for a make-up lesson and tips.

Whether you like it or not, first impressions are pretty hard to change, so would you unwillingly wear make-up to save your job?

Have you ever thought about what you eat and how it can affect your ability to perform. Particularly, I am talking about the effect your food will have on your brain.

The way your brain functions can be improved by “Brain Foods”. Such foods stimulate the brain and help improve productivity. If you can get these foods into your daily diet, you will ensure that you are more mentally productive than others.

“Brain Foods”

Walnuts
Fruit
Spinach
Pumpkin Seeds
Fish
Tomatoes
Broccoli
Olive Oil
Natural Sugars

“Brain Drain Foods”

Alcohol
Nicotine
White Bread
Junk Sugars
Overeating
Artificial Foods/preservatives
Hydrogenated Fats

Try and see if you can fit some of the “brain foods” into your diet - mmmmm - that’s food for thought!!!

Andy Murray, Britain’s greatest modern hope of a Grand Slam tennis victory walks into SW19 today with perhaps the best chance we have had of having a British champion since the last British gentleman’s singles champion Fred Perry in 1936.

The pundits all have their opinions on Murray, who has a tough opening two rounds against Robbie Kendrick, then either Riccardo Ghedin or Ernests Gulbis depending on who is successful in their opening match.

Murray has grown as a player; his temperament has improved, his fitness is far better than his fledgling performances in years gone by, and now is the time many feel he can stand up and be counted. He reached the final of the French open only to be beaten by one of the (if not the) greatest player in modern times Roger Federer, who will be competing for a record 15th Grand Slam title. Murray also took the Queen’s Club title last week to prove that he can perform on grass at the highest level despite not being a natural serve and volley expert.

The skill of serve and volley is something Federer has over most of the other top players, namely Novak Djokovic or Andy Roddick, who is an outside bet to claim the title after his success getting to the final stages of the tournament in recent years.

So can Andy Murray win Wimbledon? Certainly this is the best chance I think he will have, with defending champion Rafa Nadal out injured. With a few compulsory rain delays and the British crowd having now warmed to him after his ‘I hate the English’ outburst a few years ago, I think there is every chance.

My prediction is however a Federer win - the greatest since Sampras on grass and possibly the greatest of them all. Murray needs another final in order to rubber stamp a red hot season, but if he strolls out onto Centre Court in 2 weeks time, I think Federer will be the man staring at him over the net with the true look of a champion in his eyes.

Every interview is nerve racking especially your first ever one as you don’t know what to expect and what questions are going to be fired at you.

I have come up with questions that tend to come up in every single interview so you can prepare yourself beforehand.

Tell me about yourself and your strengths and weaknesses

Assess yourself

Sell yourself experiences

How would you perform as part of a team

How do you deal under pressure

If you have just left a job you may get asked why

What could you offer to the company

Why do you want this job

How do you organise your work

If you need answers or advice for any interview that you are going to be attending let me know and I will be happy to help!

You have found the job of your dreams and you are up against a dozen of other candidates, one rule: Make your CV stand out against the competition!

A CV or curriculum vitae is a marketing took and its you chance of promoting yourself.

Your employer to be will on average spend only 7 seconds to make a visual impression! Yikes! That is why YOUR CV will be the best!

Follow the below tips to make sure that your CV is pretty god damn amazing:

Quality paper – white = boring, think magnolia with a faint border.

Do not write to much – your CV has to be easy on the eye and the poor person reading it does not want to be yawning and bored.

Highlight the sections in your CV that relate to the job you are going for.

Put who you are now at the beginning of your CV (make it interesting! A few white lies do no harm!)  and leave qualifications and education for the end.

A short statement about what you are seeking.

All you need to do now is post your CV feeling positive knowing that this document rests your hopes and dreams for the future.

It can be pretty daunting when planning out your future and deciding what career path you want to go down, that’s why it is extremely important that you think things through and do what you want to do.

If your friends or family are trying to push you into a job sector that you are going to be unhappy in then already this is a big No No! If you want to succeed in life you have to discover the right career path for yourself.

If you focus on your skills before you uncover your passions, you limit yourself to jobs that utilise your currently recognised skills.

Follow the below tips for ways to discover what is best for you:

When you are looking for a job if you come across one that makes you excite your imagination it means that you are interested and could picture yourself in this kind of sector, so always look out for clues!

Pay attention to activities that make you happy and ask yourself why you are happy doing this?

Don’t feel like a failure before you apply for a job and have a negative attitude of “i could NEVER do that”, never say never and consider them as real possibilities.

Then there are the major questions that you need to ask yourself:

How much money do you want to earn?
Location?
Do you need further education?