employeebuydirect.com » General http://www.employeebuydirect.com Resource for Employees Tue, 23 Nov 2010 11:15:57 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Just be yourself http://www.employeebuydirect.com/just-be-yourself-109 http://www.employeebuydirect.com/just-be-yourself-109#comments Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:50:54 +0000 James http://www.employeebuydirect.com/?p=109 Personally I am not a very confident person and I get very nervous in difficult situations such as interviews. In cases such as these it is important to learn to relax, in order to portray yourself in the best possible way. Otherwise there is a danger of losing out of opportunities as you are not selling yourself.

As difficult as it may seem, it is really important to put yourself in these situations so you can get used to them and gradually learn to perform better. At the end of the day if you have been invited for an interview, the employer has obviously decided from your CV that they would like to know more about you and have the opportunity to speak with you in person and ask you questions. Try to be yourself!

]]> http://www.employeebuydirect.com/just-be-yourself-109/feed 0 Always be prepared! http://www.employeebuydirect.com/always-be-prepared-107 http://www.employeebuydirect.com/always-be-prepared-107#comments Sat, 20 Nov 2010 10:48:55 +0000 Ashley http://www.employeebuydirect.com/?p=107 It has never been so important to prepare well for interviews. With the recession many more people have found themselves unexpectedly out of work. It means that there is likely to be more competition for jobs which do become available, as a result if you are well prepared you are more likely to stand out from the crowd.

Tips I would advise with regards to preparing for an interview include making sure you CV is up to date and accurate, be prepared to give explanations if there are gaps in your employment history. There are plenty of examples of interview questions on line, so familiarise yourself with these.

Obviously you do not know what questions you will be asked, but in general there are some questions which are asked regularly. Finally, make sure you do some research about the company you want to join. There is nothing more embarrassing than being asked about your understanding of what the company does and not knowing!

]]> http://www.employeebuydirect.com/always-be-prepared-107/feed 0 Redundancy http://www.employeebuydirect.com/redundancy-105 http://www.employeebuydirect.com/redundancy-105#comments Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:45:03 +0000 Katie http://www.employeebuydirect.com/?p=105 When I was made redundant, it came as a complete shock. I had been with the company for 4 years, starting at the bottom and working my way up to a management position. On the day I was given the news, it was honestly the last thing I was expecting to hear. It was very disheartening and difficult to come to terms with.
If you end up in a position like me, and are facing redundancy although it may feel like it, it is not the end of the world.

I understand it must be even scarier for individuals now due to the recession and the increase in competition for a limited amount of jobs. However, it can also be an opportunity to have a change of a career. I am back in full time employment now, working in a very different environment and very much enjoying the new challenge. Redundancy is a horrible experience for anyone to go through and really feel for those people effected by it.

]]> http://www.employeebuydirect.com/redundancy-105/feed 0 Volunteer! http://www.employeebuydirect.com/volunteer-103 http://www.employeebuydirect.com/volunteer-103#comments Wed, 10 Nov 2010 10:44:34 +0000 James http://www.employeebuydirect.com/?p=103 Following the recession if you are one of the unfortunate people to have lost your job due to cut backs, unfortunately you will join many more people already in a similar position.
I myself have been made redundant and I know what it feels like to be uncertain of what the future holds with regards to your career.
When I was at university, luckily for me a lot of emphasis was placed of volunteering. It was drilled into us the importance of having “on the job” experience.
Now, having managed to successfully get back into full time employment I can honestly say that the time I spent volunteering really did help be stand out from the rest of the candidates and I learnt valuable skills which I have been able to transfer into my new role. If you are given the opportunity, volunteering can really help boost your CV, so do not let an opportunity pass you by.

]]> http://www.employeebuydirect.com/volunteer-103/feed 0 4 Types of Practice http://www.employeebuydirect.com/4-types-of-practice-100 http://www.employeebuydirect.com/4-types-of-practice-100#comments Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:58:07 +0000 James http://www.employeebuydirect.com/?p=100 There are four types of practice which can all be used in different situations and dependent on the skill being learned i thought this would be really useful to share and could come into use very often:

  1. Fixed practice - Also known as drills and involves repeatedly practicing a whole skill in order to strengthen your understanding.
  2. Massed practice – This is a continuous form of practice which is best for simple skills. An example would be a rally in badminton where the learner must repeatedly perform drop shots. This causes fatigue and therefore simulates the late stages of a game
  3. Variable practice – This is used best for open skill and involves repeating a skill in varying situations. An example of this could be shooting practice in football, where the coach may set up drills and alter the starting position and involvement of defenders. This helps to build up a plan to use in game situations
  4. Distributed practice – Attempts at the skill are divided up with intervals in between to allow for rest and mental rehearsal.
]]> http://www.employeebuydirect.com/4-types-of-practice-100/feed 0 Lowest paid jobs in the UK 2010 http://www.employeebuydirect.com/lowest-paid-jobs-in-the-uk-2010-97 http://www.employeebuydirect.com/lowest-paid-jobs-in-the-uk-2010-97#comments Wed, 27 Oct 2010 09:46:50 +0000 James http://www.employeebuydirect.com/?p=97
1. Waiters and waitresses
Average annual salary: £11,930

2. Bar staff
Average annual salary: £11,930

3. Kitchen and catering assistants
Average annual salary: £12,410
Job titles include: Canteen assistant, catering assistant, counterhand, dining room assistant, kitchen assistant, kitchen porter, washer-up.

4. Travel and tour guides
Average annual salary: £12,561
Job titles include: Coach guide, courier for tour operator, escort, guide

5. Launderers, dry cleaners, pressers
Average annual salary: £12,657
Job titles include: Carpet cleaner, dry cleaner, garment presser, laundry worker.

6. Retail cashiers and check-out operators
Average annual salary: £12,736
Job titles include: Cashier, check-out operator, forecourt attendant, petrol pump attendant, restaurant cashier.

]]> http://www.employeebuydirect.com/lowest-paid-jobs-in-the-uk-2010-97/feed 0 Top 5 best paid jobs in the UK 2010 http://www.employeebuydirect.com/top-5-best-paid-jobs-in-the-uk-2010-94 http://www.employeebuydirect.com/top-5-best-paid-jobs-in-the-uk-2010-94#comments Wed, 27 Oct 2010 09:35:25 +0000 James http://www.employeebuydirect.com/?p=94 1. Directors and CEOs of major organisations.
Average annual salary: £115,576
Jobs such as : CEO, company director, general manager, managing director (of major organisations).

2. Medical practitioners
Average annual salary: £78,366
Jobs such as : Anaesthetist, hospital consultant, doctor, GP, psychiatrist, physician, registrar, psycho-analyst, surgeon.

3. Senior officials in national government
Average annual salary: £68,283
Jobs such as : Assistant secretary, MEP (Member of European Parliament), MP (Member of Parliament- UK), diplomat, permanent secretary.

4. Brokers
Average annual salary: £61,117
Jobs such as : Commodity trader, foreign exchange dealer, financial broker, shipbroker, insurance broker, stockbroker.

5. Air traffic controllers
Average annual salary: £60,548
Jobs such as : Air traffic controller, flight planner, controller of aircraft, ground movement controller.

]]> http://www.employeebuydirect.com/top-5-best-paid-jobs-in-the-uk-2010-94/feed 0 Diplomas http://www.employeebuydirect.com/diplomas-87 http://www.employeebuydirect.com/diplomas-87#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:06:59 +0000 Ashley http://www.employeebuydirect.com/?p=87 Every child is different but schools typically teach all children in the same way. The last government tried to change this by introducing diplomas, where children could get skills in much more vocational subjects such as engineering and business studies. These courses are much more hands on and better suited to the needs of some students.
The government needs to realise that every student does not want or need to go onto higher education. Instead some skills and be learnt on the job and these vocational courses are the first step towards that. Therefore if you are a student in secondary school and want a more hand son approach to teaching, then why not look into what diplomas your school can offer you.

]]> http://www.employeebuydirect.com/diplomas-87/feed 0 CV Writing Tips http://www.employeebuydirect.com/cv-writing-tips-85 http://www.employeebuydirect.com/cv-writing-tips-85#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:50:34 +0000 James http://www.employeebuydirect.com/?p=85 If you’re looking for a new job then a CV is going to be the first thing your potential employer is going to see. As we all know first impressions are everything and so you need to make sure that your CV is well written and is tailored towards the job you are applying for.
The first thing you need to focus on is the structure. It needs to contain all the relevant information, such as employment history, and skills, but not be long winded, and difficult to read. There are many free examples out there on the internet, but some companies which offer career advise also offer free CV writing tips which can be very useful.
In some professions competition can be tough, and the difference between getting an interview or not can be a as little as making a spelling mistake in your CV.

]]> http://www.employeebuydirect.com/cv-writing-tips-85/feed 0 Want to go Back to School? http://www.employeebuydirect.com/want-to-go-back-to-school-83 http://www.employeebuydirect.com/want-to-go-back-to-school-83#comments Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:13:50 +0000 Katie http://www.employeebuydirect.com/?p=83 No matter what age your are, it is never too late to learn, so whether you want to learn new skills or want to totally change your career, adult education courses can be just what you need. Whether you want to learn full time and enrol as a mature student university, or whether you want to fit your learning around your current job, there are lots of courses and options out there for you. When I wanted to learn new skills I was able to enrol on a free evening course at a local university, which in turn helped to get the job I’m in now. To get more information on the types of courses available to you, why not get in touch with your local university or college and see where your new skills take you.

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