So we’re nearly halfway through the series and we’re now on the letter ‘K’. Can you guess what it is??

We have all been to the college keg party where some guy is selling beer for an exorbitant amount for each cup. There are much better ways to become a dorm room entrepreneur. Many college students find that the expenses of college life go well beyond what their parents or financial aid provide. Many students end up working part-time jobs to make ends meet. Instead of struggling away working for someone else, why not start your business out of the comfort of your dorm room? There are many small business startups that you can begin while in college. Coming up with business plans that will benefit your peers is an excellent way to make income and gain business knowledge before you graduate.

In the days of old, college students relied on babysitting jobs and typing papers for fellow students. This made them some side cash, but they never saw true potential in this kind of work, and it certainly didn’t benefit them beyond college. With today’s job markets continuing to look somewhat grim, college students are being proactive and stepping out into their own businesses. Many high-tech business startups began while the owners were still in college. If you are technologically driven, you too can create a business opportunity that will continue to bring revenue in well beyond your graduating year. Though everyone would love to be the next Mark Zuckerberg, it takes time to find your business niche.

One of the first steps to starting your business is to find a service that others need, and that is not being supplied. Talk with friends and fellow students to find out the complications and struggles that they face as college students. It doesn’t even have to be a complicated idea, small business startups can grow from a truly simple idea that no one else has started. Finding that perfect idea that provides a useable service to students can help you make your mark in the business world through college and beyond.

Your business success will all depend on the drive that you have to make it succeed. Once you have formulated an idea, it is time to sit down and draw up your business plan. No successful business, no matter how small, can get off to a good start without having a clear business plan that summarizes the goals and expectations of every aspect of the business. You will need to figure in startup costs for advertising, marketing, supplies and equipment. You will also need to decide what your service or product will charge in order for you to begin making a profit through your business.

This is also an important time to truly be honest with yourself on your goals. Small business startups take time and dedication. No matter how great your business idea is, you won’t even get off the ground if you don’t invest some sweat! You will need to ask yourself some tough questions and answer them honestly. Will you have the time to invest in the business? Will it cause issues with your education? Will you need to hire help? Is this is a business that you want to use just on campus to make pocket-money, or do you have a larger vision? Once you can answer these questions and know that you truly are ready for the business world, you will be able to begin formulating your business and seeding it to grow.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your business efforts quickly show you profit. With time, your business will grow and succeed if you build it on a firm foundation. The biggest mistake that people make while starting their dorm room business is that they don’t plan ahead. They buy merchandise and advertising in the excitement that the business will quickly take off. What they do not realize is that you may not see a profit for months or even longer. Often young entrepreneurs give up because they feel that they are failing, when in fact, they are right in line with any business start.

Setting realistic goals in the very beginning will help to prevent failure. No business is going to be perfect, and you will often find yourself re-working your business plan as you see how the business succeeds. If you provide a service that is needed and wanted, you will have a much higher success rate. While you don’t want to take huge risks, taking some risks may be necessary to get your business going. Measure each risk that you plan to take against the business model that you have formulated. This will keep you from making large mistakes early on in your business career.

In the end, it is up to you whether your business survives. Starting your dorm room business is not an easy project, but it may just provide income well beyond your college career. This gives you a head start on life outside of the dorm and propels your future to greater heights. Make sure that whatever business that you choose is something that you enjoy doing. This will keep your business from growing stale and give you the drive that you need to fight through those startup hiccups and succeed!

Jennifer Scott has been working as a freelance writer for over five years and contributor to the college student resource, Degree Jungle. She began her own small business in college and continues to run this business fifteen years later.

If you are in law school or thinking about going, you have probably considered what kind of law you are going to practice after you graduate.  There are dozens of different legal specialties to choose from, and deciding which one is right for you can be daunting.  If you are interested in building, design, or technology, you may want to consider specializing in patent law.

Patent law is a subset of the legal field known as “intellectual property”, which also encompasses copyright and trademark law.  This article will give you a broad overview of what a patent lawyer actually does, as well as some things you can do to prepare for a career in the field.

What Does a Patent Lawyer Do?

Patent lawyers prepare and file patent applications for people who have invented something and want to ensure that no one can legally copy their design.  As a patent lawyer, you will do more than simply fill out paperwork and send it to the US Patent and Trademark office.   Specifically, a patent lawyer acts as both an advocate and advisor, helping client/inventors determine if their idea is legally entitled to patent protection and then helping them file the best application possible to gain that protection.

How does a patent lawyer advise clients?

Not every idea or invention is entitled to patent protection.  If an invention is too similar to one that has already received a patent, or if the idea is too common, it may not be granted a patent.  It is the job of a patent attorney to review his or her client’s invention, whether through drawings, blueprints or a prototype, and then advise the inventor about whether all or part of the invention may be entitled to protection.

In this stage, the attorney will research what’s known as ‘prior art,’ which is any information, especially already-patented ideas and inventions, that will have an impact on the ability of a new idea or invention to be granted a patent.

How does a patent lawyer advocate for clients?

Once a patent lawyer has determined that a client’s invention is possibly worthy of legal protection, he or she begins drafting the detailed and complex paperwork that must accompany each patent application.  A skilled patent attorney will be able to clearly and convincingly describe why the invention is unique, useful and entitled to receive patent protection.

How Do I Become A Patent Lawyer?

Obviously, the first thing you must do to become a patent lawyer is graduate from law school.  But there are other factors that help too.  Because patent attorneys must be able to understand complex drawings, blueprints, prototypes and other mechanical matters, many successful patent lawyers majored in engineering, architecture or design in college, and some have advanced degrees in these fields as well.   Having an interest and pursuing knowledge in these technical areas will be big plus when setting out for a career in patent law.

Other things you can do to boost your chances of landing a job at a respected intellectual property law firm after graduation include the following:

• Choose a law school that offers special courses or a major in patent law.
• Work as a summer associate or law clerk for a patent attorney or a law firm that specializes in intellectual property.
• Try to get a summer job in the United States Patent Office.

Author Bio

Jennifer Motian contributes writing to Red Chalk Group, an international company based in Chicago that provides intellectual property (IP) management services and consulting.  When she’s not working or writing she can usually be found at a yoga class or seeing live music.

According to growth indicators, the green industry is set to increase at a dazzling pace over the next five years, coinciding with the retirement of up to 50% of incumbents in existing eco and environmental roles, particularly within US government and protection agencies. This makes the green sector attractive to job seekers for a great many reason, not simply the opportunities and growth prospects, but also the intrinsic motivational and satisfaction aspects of working in a ‘positive impact’ sector, of intellectually challenging and stimulating work and also – in many cases – above average salaries and benefits.

Do I need a science degree?

Many of the entry-level roles in the environmental science fields do require a BA degree as a minimum, however there are plenty of roles that don’t require science or technology backgrounds, including aligned support roles in administration, procurement, project management, communications, education and more.

What are the fastest growth jobs in the green sector?

These include environmental education roles, mechanical engineers, recycling collection teams and drivers, insulation operatives, biofuels roles – particularly in construction – and water system engineers and designers. There will also be plenty of opportunities for consultancy roles within businesses, schools and public bodies, such as BREEAM assessors and energy saving consultants. A search of the latest sustainability jobs will already show a good range of these roles.

Plenty of opportunities…

Organic farming is also set to be a big growth sector, offering opportunities for not only farmers, but also manufacturers, procurement specialists and distributors and onward retailers. The sector is the largest growth area of agriculture, closely followed by biofuels. There are also wide and diverse roles available in national parks and forests, wildlife refuges, transport systems and more – these all need maintaining, repairing, restoring and managing. Government offices hire staff to de-contaminate polluted sites, carry out business liaison and regulatory training, lead outreach and education programmes and offer technical assistance to local agencies promoting environmental efforts. Many of these roles can be trained in to, either on the job, or through structured training courses. Not all applicants will require degrees from the start and sideways moves in large organisations are often very possible for staff showing a keen interest and motivation to work in new roles.

Water conservation will also be key, with diverse roles for scientists, cleaning crews and lawyers alike, as well as communications and PR staff. Electricians will be needed to put up solar panels and transformers and carpenters will be needed to build green houses and roofing. Geoscientists will work on specialist field and laboratory research projects, focusing on areas such as pollution and global warming and environmental engineers will look at ways to effectively manage waste disposal, such as sewage waste in town treatment systems.

Other hot areas include software development for green programmes and education, forestry workers and conservation management experts and entrepreneurs, who will bring new ‘green’ products and services to the market.

For those with motivation, interest and a passion to succeed, the green sector offers a rich array of opportunities, both today and in the future.

This guest post was written by Francesca, a freelance writer and blogger who enjoys writing about everything from careers and business, to travel and environmental issues. She currently writes on behalf of En Spiral.

Here’s your letter J, coming to to you from a not so sunny beach in Worthing, Sussex…

Did you know that adding certain words to your resume could improve your chances of being hired by a huge percentage? Unbelievably, this is a fact, but the catch is that every job has its own set of ‘keywords’ that recruiters look for and applicants have no clue what they are.

The use of keywords in getting the attention of recruiters and prospective employers is the result of modern technology. It has grown in prominence in recent years as the number of job seekers increase and recruiters find it more difficult to sort out the relevant applications from the irrelevant ones. To make their job easier and faster, recruiters choose digitized resumes from applicants and add them to their database. They then use their search engine software to enter specific keywords and find the resumes that have these keywords. The resumes that do not have these keywords are filtered out, even though the applicants may have been perfect for the position.

This may sound a little harsh, but the truth is that it has become an incredibly popular means of filtering out resumes and shortlisting applicants for an interview.  Small companies use it, and so do multinational Fortune 1000 companies.

According to some sources, around 80 percent of the resumes are searched for specific keywords. To put it simply, you need to have certain keywords in your resume if you are looking to get a job. Without those keywords, it is extremely unlikely that you would get to the interview rounds. As mentioned before, there is no way to know these keywords, at least up front. Recruiters never give out the list of keywords they look for; otherwise, every resume they get would be crammed with them. Fortunately, you do have certain tools at your disposal for guessing what these keywords may be. Here, we will be discussing how you can use these tools to your advantage.

Figuring out the keywords

Most keywords used by recruiters are nouns. While action verbs are still an important part of a resume (a traditional resume writing tip that is still valid), you should also remember to add nouns that specify the relation to which you performed that action. Given below are some sentences in which the keywords are underlined. If you look at them closely, you would find that these keywords are nouns that relate to the action indicated by the action verb:

Worked in a project management role

Oversaw stock levels, distribution control, and cost analysis/compilation

Managed product upgrades and updates and customer database

Coordinated special events and marketing campaigns

As a general rule, the keywords used by a recruiter are nouns that relate to the experience and skill sets required for the position. If you look harder, you will find that the keywords are skills that are very specific to the position and industry. Keywords may also include descriptions and terms of technical expertise, certifications, job titles, industry buzzwords, company names (especially those of highly reputed companies), degree names, produce and service names, and even zip codes.

The best way to find the keywords recruiters use is to scan the employment advertisement itself or to look at resume examples online. Recruiters often mention some keywords in their advertisement, especially in the description of the roles and requirements of the available position.

In the highly competitive world of business, the recruitment process has always been somewhat of a burden, a tedious and time-consuming task undertaken by already over-worked Human Resources (HR). For companies, recruiting new employees has long been a task that has taken up a lot of time, effort and money in trying to find the perfect candidate for a particular role. In recent years this has all changed, thanks to the advent of outsourcing.

What is recruitment outsourcing?

The process of recruitment outsourcing is the hiring and using of a specialist external recruitment provider to carry out the hiring process on the behalf of a client. Recruitment outsourcers or, RO’s as they are commonly referred to, can offer different skills and come from various backgrounds providing specific types of recruitment. Some RO’s are also able to offer talent management services, attracting the very best and highly-skilled workers to fill roles and from there, integrating and developing the talent to meet the current and future objectives of that particular business. For large corporations, recruitment outsourcing has become an essential part of operations; this is largely due to the numerous benefits that come by hiring such a company.

Benefits of outsourcing

Arguably the biggest benefit of RO is the savings that can be made. These savings are not only on money spent but also in calendar time saved. There is no question that any company looking to cut down costs should consider outsourcing the recruitment process. An RO has the ability to manage the entire process of hiring a candidate for your company this is more cost-friendly and improves a company’s time to hire. RO’s are often able to allocate a couple of recruiters for a company; this is known as “economies for sale” and saves on recruiting the recruiters yourself. One of the most time and effort-consuming tasks in recruitment is job profile advertisements; this is an area in which many hours are lost by HR departments. RO companies are able to provide full analysis of each candidate and handpick the most talented for possible recruitment.

Another major benefit is the service that is provided. With recruitment outsourcing companies able to take charge of everything from job profiling to new hire and reporting, HR departments are free to focus on strategic functions. Talent management is a very usual part of any service and not only involves the actual recruitment of the best staff but the retention and fine tuning over new and current employees. The most successful companies in the world are in such a position because of their ability to organise teams of highly-skilled individuals performing at the top of their game, talent management ensures this is achieved. Organising employees ensures that each worker is designated in the correct area; this will result in satisfied staff, which in-turn leads to highly-productive operations.

Those currently operating in a medium to large sized business without the help of a recruitment process outsourcing company should seriously think about handing over hiring responsibilities to RO’s. The results are guaranteed to improve a company in the long-term.

Author’s Bio:

Maiah Cooper is a writer from Ochre House, a leading international partner for HR Outsourcing, recruitment outsourcing (RPO) and strategic talent management.

Been a while since I did a roundup so got a lot to cover – here’s the main things you’ve missed over the past few weeks…

The JobseekersAdvice.com Facebook page – come like us!  It’s only been live for a little while but already over 100 fans and counting!

Based on a conversation I had with a friend, I wrote a short article discussing transferable skills and why there may be more jobs out there that you don’t know about yet just because you don’t have experience with that industry.  Well worth exploring!

This led me on to think about some of the things I’ve done that have impacted my career and the big one was going travelling a few years ago – definitely give it a go if you ever get a chance.

All over the news last month was Goldman Sach employee, Greg Smith who wrote an open resignation letter blasting the company in what turned out to be a PR nightmare for the bank.

We’ve also had a couple of guest posts recently;

• Top 5 Reasons CVs Are Rejected
• How To Become a Licensed Attorney

We were also joined by a new guest author, Mark Larson who runs ResumeIndex.com and starts off his contributions to the site with a new post – 14 things you should avoid as a jobseeker

And regular contributor and career coach, Mark Anderson has posted his latest installment in his video series, A – Z to Finding Work You Love;

Are you on a job hunt? Have you been unable to get through to any of the prospective companies even though you are qualified enough? It’s time for you to analyze your performance, right from preparing a resume to appearing for an interview.

We have listed 14 important things you could be doing that are costing you job offers. These are the common mistakes made my many job seekers.  This will help you correct the mistakes and perform better next time.

1. Don’t look for ‘high profile’ jobs if you are just starting out

This is one of the common mistakes made by beginners. They want to get their ‘dream job’ and till then, their wait continues. You must understand that you will likely have to gain some experience to reach that ‘dream job’.

2. Don’t give irrelevant references

You must always be very careful while giving references. Some people give the reference of their friends who are unrelated to the job you are looking to get. Always give the reference of your seniors or managers who are in a position to assess and evaluate your performance at work.

3. Don’t limit your options

Many jobseekers stop searching for jobs once they are shortlisted by a company. Never do this. Look around for more options. You may find better job options.

4. Don’t be disorganized

Always be neat and tidy when you go for interviews. Keep your certificates and other documents in a file. Remember to maintain a clean briefcase where things are properly organized and within your reach if needed.

5. Don’t harbor a negative attitude

Nowadays, most interviews are conducted over the phone. When you get a call from your employer, be pleasant and charming. Don’t make your employer/s feel you have a negative attitude. They may feel that you are not fit for their organization.

6. Don’t nag your employer

You must always be patient. Wait for the call or message from your employer. Don’t pester him/her by calling up every day to know the results of your interview.

7. Don’t write long thank you notes

Once you land the job, be careful in writing the thank you note. Keep it short, preferably at 7-8 sentences.

8. Don’t be rude

Many managers take their interviewees out for lunch. This is mainly to notice your behavior in public. Be nice with the people around you such as waiters, cab drivers, etc.

9. Don’t keep a self-indulgent online profile, especially on social networking sites

Remember that your employer may check you out online, especially on social networking sites. Maintain a respectable online profile to better your chances of landing a job.

10. Don’t put too many bullet points in the resume

Bullet points make for easy reading, but don’t bombard your resume with them. This will create a bad impression.

11. Don’t put your old professional email address on the resume

Never put your work email address that was provided to you in your previous job in your resume if you’re looking for a new job.

12. Don’t include too much work history

If you have more than 20 years of work experience, don’t write the entire history from your first job in the resume. You just need to write about your job history of the last 10 years.

13. Don’t be disappointed with your temporary job post

Many companies employ individuals only part-time after a recession. If you perform well, you be appointed permanently. Don’t get disappointed with your ‘temporary’ post at the outset.

14. Don’t try jobs that are not meant for you

Before applying for jobs, get a better understanding about your skills and educational qualifications. Don’t waste your time by applying for jobs that are not meant for you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mark runs the site ResumeIndex.com which provides hundreds of quality sample resumes and cover letters for prospective job seekers.

Were you that little kid growing up that told everyone that “when you grow up you’re going to become a lawyer”?  Now that you’re all grown up its time to follow through with your dream.  This article will outline exactly what it takes to become a licensed attorney.   While some requirements may be slightly different in each state the process of becoming a lawyer is very similar everywhere.

Go To School… For A Long Time.

Becoming an attorney requires a lot of education.  If you include your high school years it is actually a 10+ year process.  4 Years of high school, 3 years of college followed by an additional 3 years of law school.  While law school isn’t required in every state it is commonly believed that it is in the individual’s best interest to attend.  Law school not only prepares you with the legal knowledge but the experience of reasoning and communicating with other legal minds.  Together this education will help better prepare you in the legal career.

Exams, Tests, and More Tests.

Becoming a lawyer requires taking a lot of tests.  It’s important that you not only take all the tests but you get good marks as well.  It all starts with high school; you want to have a good grade point average so that you can enroll into a qualified four year college.  Nothing changes in college as you want to continue to set yourself apart from your peers by excelling in your studies.  GPA is one large factor that plays a role in applying and getting accepted into law school.

Other factors involved in getting accepted into law school include experience and LSAT scores.  The LSAT (Law School Admission Test) is a test that is administered four times a year and judges each individual on reading comprehension, logical, and verbal reasoning.  Your LSAT test scores, GPA and legal experiences will play the largest role in getting admitted to law school.   With this said it’s important to take your tests seriously and do as well as you can.  In the end you will have to pass the Bar Exam which is the biggest “test” of a young lawyer’s career.

Get Legal Experience

Many aspiring lawyers ask how they can differentiate themselves from their peers before enrolling into law school or taking the LSAT.  The best answer to this question is to gain legal experience.  Many law firms offer internships.  True, you may not be doing anything exciting but simply being able to build up the experience and add references will offer a lot of value in the future.  Not only is this experience good for your resume but these are individuals you may contact after you pass the bar exam for future employment.  If you’re serious about becoming an attorney then you will want to take advantage of all the legal experiences you can get your hands on.

Bar Exam and Employment

Once you graduate from law school you will need to sit down and take the bar exam.   The bar exam is a nationally recognized test to determine if individuals are qualified to practice law.  The exam is administered twice a year typically in July and February.   It’s been highly recommended that law school graduates partake in a bar exam prep course since law schools have notoriously prepared students with the legal “know-how” but lack the practice of executing the law.  Wikipedia states that the average bar exam score is about 128 which is roughly 64%.  Once you have passed the Bar Exam you will be sworn in as a legally practicing attorney.

Employment as an attorney has been difficult with the recent down economy.  The output of new attorneys has been far above the demand for attorneys.  This has been causing employment trouble which is unfortunate with the skyrocketing cost of schooling and the student loans taken out.  Fortunately it has been said that the growth path of a lawyer’s career is expected to rise 18% over the 2008-18 decade.   This will be especially true as the baby boomer generation retires.   The biggest advantage a newly appointed attorney has is their legal experience.  This is why it’s so important to take the unpaid internships early on and build as many contacts within the legal industry.  Now is the time to make some phone calls and leverage your past legal experiences.  It might sound like a lot of work but becoming an attorney can be one of the most rewarding career choices you can make.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nicholas has devoted his time to creating the resource how-to-become-a-lawyer.com so that aspiring lawyers have an all in one resource for finding information about becoming a lawyer in their state.