Be all that you can be

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?

Following on from my recent post about ‘The Apprentice’, the BBC have announced that Sir Alan Sugar is now on the hunt for a Junior Apprentice. Sir Alan announced on ‘The Apprentice - You’re Hired’ that there are plans in place to launch a Junior Apprentice, aimed an grooming 16-17 year olds into budding entrepreneurs.

The series is set to feature 5 girls and 5 boys who will be set a variety of tasks with a prize in the region of £25K up for grabs for the winner. Obviously the select few will not have the business experience of the ‘older generation’ on the usual show but the prize money will be tailored towards the winners career prospects. The key aim behind the show is to look at providing entrepreneurs of the future to aid the British economy.

So if you’ve had enough of revision and exams and feel that you have a chance, then why not go for it! Applicants can apply through The Apprentice Website - The series is due to be shown in 2010.

This post is all about ensuring that you have a happy and positive outlook on life. As I write this it’s Monday afternoon and the sun is shining so I’m already in a positive mood. I think that happiness breeds happiness and here are my 5 tips to ensure that you continue to be happy in work and play:

1. Think Positive - try and be optimistic, or a least be realistic about things during your time at work and outside work.
2. Eat Healthy - a good diet will help give you energy to last the course of the day. Eat your 5-a-day and be happy in mind and body.
3. Exercise - simple but true. Exercise regularly to give you energy. Exercise will help ensure you look good and feel attractive.
4. Drink Plenty of Water - Drinking lots of water will help detoxify your body.
5. Kick your bad habits into touch - Try to cut out all your vices - smoking, drinking alcohol to excess, eating take-aways 3 days a week, and not getting enough sleep. This will help ensure that your brain and mental health is in top working order.

If you can’t do all the above straight away then try doing one at a time…good luck…and let me know how it goes.