Black Friday when is it and what deals on courses are coming

Black Friday when is it and what deals on courses are coming by Amber Rolfe Black Friday is coming…  Want to make the most of your money this Black Friday? We’ve got you covered. With a wide range of courses expected to go on offer, and discounts of up to 80%, 2019 could be the year you finally learn something new (yes, 11 months in still counts).  Here’s everything we know about our biggest courses sale, and what to expect when the time comes:When is it?  Black Friday is on Friday 29th November but the best deals on courses are available from the 25th November right through to Cyber Monday (December 2nd).But it’s not just one weekend that you’ll be able to make great savings.  With some deals starting as early as the 13th November, and others extending beyond the 2nd, your chance of getting a course for less is even better.  What can I study?  There’ll be a variety of courses on offer this year, with subjects like HR, project management, IT, copywriting, accountancy and much more marked down to prices that don’t break the bank.  So whether you want to get AAT qualified, you’re ready to get your Six Sigma Black Belt (definitely a real thing), or you just want to brush up on your floristry skills, there’ll be a course to suit you.  What’s not to like?      How much can I save?  It’s time to buy something you actually need on Britain’s biggest shopping event. And let’s face it, you don’t need another toaster.  Luckily, we’ve made it easy with savings of up to 80% on courses this Black Friday weekend.  All of our Black Friday deals will be marked with a price drop tag, so all you have to do is look for these to find the best discounts.  That includes courses starting from just £10. So no matter what your budget, there’ll be an opportunity for you to get qualified for less this month.  What was available last year?Black Friday 2018 brought a number of unmissable discounts to the courses site.These included both classroom and online courses, awarding industry recognised qualificatio ns in everything from PRINCE2 ®, CompTIA, and Cisco, to Sage, AAT, and CIPD.  When it came to sectors you could get qualified in for less, the choices and discounts were vast, featuring up to 94% off project management courses, 83% off IT courses, 84% off teaching courses and much more.  But that’s not all. You could also study health and care, GCSE and A levels, accounting, and cyber security, all at great prices.    And although we cant guarantee all the savings to come just yet, its safe to say that the majority of these courses will be on offer again at an even better cost.Why get qualified?Low cost is just one of the reasons you should buy a course this Black Friday.  Getting an industry recognised qualification is a great way to progress in your career, not to mention boost your earnings and expand your career prospects.  And, with qualifications like PRINCE2 ® and AAT being the international benchmarks for project management and accounting professionals (and a number of o thers for each sector), it could make all the difference when it comes to standing out to employers.  What’s more, expanding your knowledge in areas you’re passionate about could be a great opportunity to make the most of your hobbies, learn something new, or change careers.  Six reasons you should start studyingReady to start searching? View all available courses now.  Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the Features

Finding Purpose in Big Problems

Finding Purpose in Big Problems Sometimes personal disaster has a clarifying effect on our life goals. Tina Herold found purpose she never anticipated after going through the rigors of chemotherapy for breast cancer. Now a survivor for more than 5 years, Tina walks other cancer patients through the process of finding the perfect wig at her shop, Wigged Out. But wig-selling isn’t Tina’s first priority. Every customer who meets Tina finds a listening ear, a sounding board, a resource, and a friend. She is able to provide comfort and dignity to women who have been feeling a lack of either. Some of Tina’s customers are experiencing stage 4 cancer. Their prognosis isn’t optimistic, and yet, they receive the same care and attention from Tina. There is nothing like experiencing hardship to make us more empathetic. When struggling with hard times, it’s easy to become self-focused. But by realizing that our own hurts and struggles are keys to the experiences of others, we open ourselves to the possibility of doing good for others that we would never be capable of before. By developing this focus in our own life, perhaps we, like Tina, can create careers that are much more than jobs. The best work is vocation: passionate pursuit of a personal life purpose. Not all of us will experience cancer, but suffering in some form is one of the guarantees of life. But it’s not all bad. Hard times let us remember what is most important to others. For those of us balancing careers, personal lives, interests, and goals, we can find a sense of purpose in helping others through things we’ve struggled with ourselves. Take a look at the problems you are facing now, or ones that you have already found your way through. Perhaps this is area in life that you can offer someone else compassion, insight, and real help.

5 Signs You Work for a Toxic Boss

5 Signs You Work for a Toxic Boss Have you ever heard this phrase before?“People quit managers, not companies.”It may sound cliche, but it might be the truth.A recent Gallup report found that half of the professional workers said they had left a job because of their boss.Toxic bosses can create toxic work environments that make it difficult for workers to succeed.So what are the signs that you work for a toxic boss?They MicromanageIs this a regular occurrence in your office?Your boss assigns you a project. He spends thirty minutes describing certain details. When you finally get to start on the project, he regularly checks in on you and asks to see every tiny detail. Any progress you make is interrupted by questions and comments along the way. Countless hours are wasted because your boss needs to know what’s happening at all time. If you have found yourself in that situation before, your boss is most likely a micromanager.A toxic boss doesn’t trust that you can get your work done, so they are continually m icromanaging you and your work.They Have Poor Communications SkillsAre you struggling to understand what your boss wants?Do you find yourself second-guessing what you're supposed to be doing on a project?Do you have trouble getting your boss to listen to your ideas?Toxic bosses often have poor communications skills.They lack the ability to communicate what they want from their employees.They also have poor listening skills and don’t value or listen to what the employees have to say.If you find yourself struggling to get direction from your boss or can’t seem to get your ideas to be heard, you may be working for a toxic boss.They Are Incapable of Giving or Receiving Constructive FeedbackFeedback is important for career growth.Employees need to know what they are doing well and what they can improve on to be more successful.Likewise, employees also need to be able to let management know what is working and what needs to be worked on.If you are working for a toxic boss, you may fin d that your boss isn’t able to handle constructive feedback in any way.Toxic bosses often offer feedback that is unclear or unhelpful or none at all.In turn, they also resist hearing your constructive criticism and may even punish employees who express these ideas.They Play FavoritesUnfortunately, cliques and favorites didn’t get left back in high school.They are still alive and well in toxic work environments.Finding out your boss plays favorites can drastically affect your work.If one or two co-workers are constantly getting special treatment from your boss, it can build resentment and kill morale.The workplace starts to feel unfair and uneven.Toxic bosses may offer their favorites better clients, more resources, or even access to better positions.Not being one of the favorites can put you at a disadvantage and make it hard for you to grow with the company.They Behave Inappropriately or UnethicallyHas your boss made inappropriate jokes towards you or your coworkers?Are they co nstantly engaging in conversations that seem unethical or inappropriate in the workplace?If you work for a toxic boss, you may find yourself at the receiving end of inappropriate jokes, questions, or gestures.A toxic boss who makes inappropriate comments towards or about his employees can create a hostile work environment that makes it hard to thrive in.They may also contribute to gender bias and discrimination in the workplace.

A New Year, New You Maybe Not!

A New Year, New You Maybe Not! I find the concept of making resolutions on New Year’s Eve fascinating.   The frenzy with which people attend to resolutions during the end of the year intrigues me.   The burst of energetic resolve, the elaborate goal-writing and the endless conversations to identify the “right” goals seem to pop up in conversations, essays and blogs.   Each year I listen, read and ponder: “What is so special about setting goals at the end of the year?” “Why does it consume our attention so enthusiastically?” “Is there that magical list which when followed will ceremoniously anoint your goal as worthy of action?” You would think that after reading all that has been written and continues to be discussed about year-end resolutions and goal-setting, I would be less intrigued or would have been equally evangelical about making a few resolutions of my own.   The opposite is true. I continue to listen, read and ponder because I am unable to mirror the zeal and capture similar enthusiasm to actually come up with a New Year resolution, much less act on it. The story behind a tradition or a practice always captivates me and I went looking for the story behind making New Year Resolutions.   There are many historical references, and I picked the story in a recent Washington Post article, “Why do we make New Year resolutions?” by Howard Bennett to think about this practice this year with more intention than I have given it in previous years. The month of January, according to this story is named after Janus, a two-faced Roman God, facing backwards and forwards.   January then does seem like a perfect time to make resolutions for the rest of the year, wouldn’t it? As you look backwards at your successes and failures, what behaviors of ingenuity, resiliency and ownership have remained steadfast in your life? How might you use these practices to create forward-looking pathways today?   I believe the goal in of itself matters little.   For a goal to create joy, productivity and fulfillment, most of us might need to dig deeper to flush out hidden energy that will redirect our lives more fully, with insight and awareness.   It is the sweet intersection of what is gone before and what is yet to come, when explored fully, that creates the synergy for becoming unstuck.   So, here is an exercise that might support the actions you take to set your resolution into motion: Identify three stories each from your life that gave you the deepest satisfaction AND the deepest embarrassment. Remember the examples of ingenuity, resiliency and ownership that showed up in ALL your stories. With intention, bring to awareness this ownership to inform your daily actions. See your goal evolve effortlessly and seamlessly into all aspects of your life. My unsubstantiated theory is that whatever your goal, the chances that you will meet it is higher when you carry with you a deep awareness and recognition of the thread that connects your past to what is current and potentially creates the fabric to your future. I also learned that Janus is the Guardian of arches, gates and doors.   Now, isn’t that a great visual? A sentinel standing guard who in a moment’s notice can either sternly command you to stop and close the door shut or can usher you in with pomp and circumstance.   Of course, the nicer choice is being ushered in with pomp and circumstance.   What might help persuade this “guardian” to be gentle and empowering towards attaining your goal? You are your best guardian because no one else has your interests more in mind than you.   The issue, I believe, lies in the scripts that have become dear to us and take us to predictable and mostly unproductive outcomes.   It is this attachment to a way of doing things or thinking a certain way or confirming our self-doubts that stops resolutions from going that extra mile.   Again, I believe the goal in of itself matters little.   What is fruitful, perhaps, is freeing oneself of the various deals or contracts we make with ourselves on an unconscious level so that we can truly engage in magical thinking.   Might this thinking then, lead to a sustainable transformation, rather than a mere checking off a goal from a well-intentioned list?   So, here is an exercise that might help replace the predictable, fearful and rigid thinking that could close that gate or door on you: Understand clearly how discrepancies between thought and action show up on a regular basis and why.   How do these distractions diminish your goal? And, why does it matter to you? Shrink the anxiety implicit in goal-setting by recognizing the part in your goal that is other-focused and helpful to others.   This is hard work because it forces you to have greater clarity around your goal in a way that it captivates you and others, thereby becoming truly inspiring in thought and action. Imagine the “guardian” with some humor â€" dress her up fancily or have her do a cartwheel each time she looks sternly at you or give her a piece of your mind! Remember, she does need your permission to mess with your heart and head.   Why give her that ownership? See your goal evolve effortlessly and seamlessly into all aspects of your life. Seems like I have to first work on some of the insights I am sharing with you here before I can buy into making a resolution specifically on New Year’s Eve!   For now, I will continue to work on goals as they come into my life.   What helps you keep your New Year resolutions?

3 Traits of Successful Career Oriented Job Seekers - Career Pivot

3 Traits of Successful Career Oriented Job Seekers - Career Pivot 3 Traits of Successful Career Oriented Job Seekers You know whom I am talking about when I say successful career-oriented job seekers. When they get laid off or are just dissatisfied with their current position, they find that next position with ease. How do they do it? They have three things in common: Strong personal brand An online presence A large supportive network Let’s talk about each: Strong Personal Brand These people know who they are and can communicate their brand both online and in person. They can clearly articulate the skills they have and how they can help their next employer or client. Another way of stating this is they can clearly articulate the problems they can solve. This is key! It is not just about having a set of skills but articulating how you use them to solve real-world problems! Successful job seekers have a strong personal brand! An Online Presence This should start with your LinkedIn profile. You should have a profile with a great picture, a defining headline, a summary section with your brand story and sample of your work attached directly to your profile. Do you have a blog or personal website? Does any of your work appear online for people to find? This will vary from industry to industry. I know many people who work for the government where they are strictly forbidden from posting examples of their work. Are you active in any online communities? LinkedIn groups, tweet chats, Facebook Groups, Google+ Communities,… These are great places to build up your online presence and personal brand. Successful job seekers have an online presence! A Large Supportive Network We live in a referral economy. Your next job will likely come through a connection in your network. It is not just to have 1000+ Twitter followers, 500+ LinkedIn connections, or 1000 FaceBook friends you must reach out and connect with this network. Notice I did not say “A Large Network” but “A Large Supportive Network.” This requires careful and regular cultivation. Think of your network as a vegetable garden, where you have to regularly, weed, water and fertilize your plants to get them to produce a bounty of vegetables. The same is true for your network. If you reach out and connect on a regular basis and weed, water and fertilize it you too will get a bounty of help in your career. Successful job seekers have a large supportive network! What about you? Do you possess all three of these traits of successful job seekers? What do you need to improve? What are you going to do today to be among those that call themselves successful job seekers? Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

Finding Your Niche

Finding Your Niche Each of us has a niche. A place where we can practice our specialty. It seems we sometimes forget what we love to do and why. Re-evaluating who we are and what we do is critically important. Secondly, is finding a niche that will provide financial gain. I dont believe that most of us are qualified or even capable of seeing what our niche is. It will take someone else to help us identify what this niche is. I say thins because, I have struggled myself, and this is what I do for a living. It took a conversation over coffee to validate my niche and this will allow me to move forward. It took way too long for me to make this happen. I also want to thank my colleague for helping me with this, Luis, thank you! Take time out of your job search, and early in the process, to sit down and begin the self assessment. I have written a lot about self assessment because it is the one thing most unemployed and employed job seekers dont take the time to do. Get a Clue, Know What You Can Do What Do They Call this At Your Company? Transfer Your Skills We Are All Changing Careers Getting Back to Basics Know Thyself Passion Finding the Right Fit Culturally Speaking

Free Resume Templates For Free - How To Use Them To Get A Great Job

Free Resume Templates For Free - How To Use Them To Get A Great JobMany websites offer free resume templates. This is a good way to look up information about the job opening you want to fill out, or just as a way to see what sort of template you would use for a resume that you may be thinking about using. If you are searching online, you will find that there are many different sites that offer free resume templates to take a look at.The problem is that many of these sites don't give you the advantage of looking at thousands of free resume templates. You want to make sure that you get all of the information that you need about any company that is giving you freebies such as these. Because many of these places offer free resume templates, they are a good place to begin your search.Remember, if you use these free resume templates you want to have them with you when you go into the interview process. When you are talking to the person who is doing the hiring process, it will be easy for you to tell them what you are looking for in the position that you are looking for. Your resume can be the first thing that is asked about and you want to be prepared.As you can see, getting your resume ready for the interview can be a little intimidating. It is important that you prepare ahead of time and make sure that it is well prepared. There are many different websites that can offer you many of the things that you need.These free resume templates that are offered by these websites can help you with putting together a great resume. Some of these free resume templates are actually very easy to put together and can help you get started on the right foot. Many people say that they were able to get a job because of these free resume templates.Many people like the fact that these websites are offering these free resume templates. You do not have to worry about having a lot of money to buy a resume. When you look at some of the places that offer these templates, you will see that th ey are very affordable and will save you time in the process.Once you get the free resume templates that you like and use them, you should write up a short resume with them. You want to keep your resume short and sweet, but you want to make sure that you get a feel for the company that you are interviewing with. Make sure that you get a feel for the type of job that you are looking for.Try to write as much as you can about yourself and the things that you like. Your resume will be helping you with the interview and that is always a good thing. You should also keep in mind that you should be willing to go with whatever the company suggests for your resume.