It is probably not a very common dilemma, choosing between a higher paying job or a better company atmosphere, but I have experienced it and it turned out to be quite a difficult decision. Before going more into this, I’d like to share my background story with you and provide you with some tips that might come in use when you are actively job hunting.

Background

I am originally from the Netherlands and decided that I wanted to study a MSc in International Marketing Management in England. During the course, I started to develop a passion for digital marketing and decided that this was the direction I was going for in terms of finding my first job. I had attended many career fairs and lectures whereby career coaches explained us about the importance of being able to sell yourself and knowing what your unique selling point is.

Tip

Know your unique selling point! There must be something that you are extremely good at or something that you know will set you apart from the rest. My unique selling point is that I speak three languages (Dutch, German and English). When you know your unique selling point then you also need to promote this the best way you can. If you, for example, speak more than 1 language as well, incorporate this in your social media usage by including this information on your Twitter profile description “Tweets in English and Spanish”.

As I got to know more and more about digital marketing, I decided that I wanted to get a certificate in digital marketing, so I completed a test from the IDM (The institute of direct and digital marketing). The reason why I did this is because (1) I wanted to know more, but (2) I knew that this would make me stand out just a bit more from the rest. You see, there are many job seekers that have completed a MSc but fewer have extra certificates aside their diploma.

Tip

If you have a passion for something or would like to specialise in a certain field, then consider completing a course for which you can get a certificate. Recruiters will notice when you’ve got extra educational achievements and you will subsequently have a higher chance of getting an interview.

The Job Hunt

The job hunt began once I graduated. Applying wasn’t the difficult part because there are so many jobs out there that are advertised through recruitment websites, via twitter and company websites. However, the interviews were difficult. I didn’t have a lot of interview experience and therefore decided to apply for as many jobs that suited my criteria, even though I didn’t necessarily wanted the job, because I knew that if I would get the interview, I could at least practise.

Tip

I therefore believe that it is good to apply for many jobs at the same time even if you don’t necessarily want to work for company X. Gaining the interview experience will boost your confidence significantly so just use them as practice material.

I received three interview offers and attended all. Unfortunately, I also received three rejections. I believe this was because I was still very nervous and unsure of the kind of questions they would ask me. In the beginning, I felt quite disappointed but I carried on and applied for a few more jobs. Luckily, I received 2 more interviews from companies that I always wanted to work for.

Company Y

When I received the interview invitation, the HR manager advised me that I needed to present for 5 minutes. I was free to choose whatever topic I wanted. I decided to go for a general introduction and an overview of a real life consultancy project for my course, for which I had received excellent results.

When I walked into company Y, everything was quite strict, not welcoming and very formal. During the interview, I made a small joke (to show them that I’ve got personality!) but to my surprise, the faces of both interviewers remained strict and formal. This made me feel quite uncomfortable.

The salary was all right, £17,000 per annum and the office was only 5 minutes away from my house.

Company Z

Company Z was a completely different experience. I didn’t have to give a presentation and when I walked in the office, I was kindly greeted by the receptionist and was offered a cup of coffee.

During the interview, I felt very comfortable and the interviewers seemed really nice. Unfortunately, Company Z “only” offered £16.000 and was a 30 minute bus drive for which I needed to pay an additional £80 per month to bus tickets.

Job offers

To my surprise, both companies offered me the job so I was faced with a difficult decision. I really liked company Z but in terms of location and salary, company Z was the better choice.

I eventually decided to go with company Z due to the company atmosphere. Personally, I find it more important to work in a nice environment as opposed to a higher paying job. I am still working for company Z, and I am still very happy with the choice I made.

Tip

If you find yourself in a similar situation and unless the salary differences are huge, please take a company’s atmosphere into consideration. Even if you receive £100 more per month, it is in my opinion very important to feel welcome and to be happy when going to work. I hope my story will help you in the process of choosing one company over the other. Good luck with the job hunt!

This is a guest post by Susanna Cha currently writing on behalf of Guardian Jobs.

Freelancing and contracting can be daunting at first. If you have left fulltime employment, you may miss your job security and having people around you who guide and support you when you need it most. However, contracting can offer you a greater quality of life, flexibility to do what you want and greater financial reward.

If you are new to the world of freelancing or are considering making the change soon, here are a few helpful tips to maximise you earnings.

1.  Be Sociable as well as Professional

Many people struggle with the idea of working on their own but working as a freelancer or contractor needn’t be lonely. Build relationships with the clients you obtain as if they were colleagues and talk to as many people in the department as possible. See it as a perk of the job. Every time you get a new contract, you also get a chance to meet new people and make new friends and contacts.

2.  Don’t Burn Your Bridges

Most advisors will tell you to focus your time on the people that provide you with the most money. This could be recruitment agencies that provide you with work or clients that you deal with directly. The problem with this is that many freelancers often take this advice too literally. They screen calls or don’t bother responding to emails, because they don’t want to waste their time with people that won’t generate money. The key is to keep your finger in as many pies as possible. Keep all of your contacts sweet and you will always have the option to pick and choose who you decide to work with. After all, you never really know where the next big job is going to come from.

3.  Practice What You Preach

It seems like an obvious thing to say, but make sure you use your skills to help you get business. If you are a web designer, make sure your website demonstrates your very best work. If you are a software programmer, design something in your free time which you can talk about and don’t be afraid to show off. Show that what you do is important to you, that you really strive to be the best. This will win business over and over again.

4.  Be Transparent

Building solid relationships means you will generate repeat business. Building good relationships isn’t only about the work you provide, it’s also about YOU. If a company feels they can trust you and depend on you, why would they both looking elsewhere when they need the service you provide? To inspire trust, go above and beyond to do the right thing. IF you complete a project in less time than you had initially quoted, tell them about it and reduce your fee. You may make less money in those situations but you will get more work in the long run and that is key to freelancing success.

5.  Keep Your Friends Close and Your Enemies Closer

When you work for a company, you are surrounded by your peers who stimulate and educate you. Freelancers sometimes struggle to develop or discuss new ideas as they often work alone. This needn’t be the case. Go to networking events and don’t just look for work, look for your competition. Get friendly with them and study what they are doing. Discuss the industry and your ideas.  Is there anything they are doing which you don’t? Can they teach you something new? Understanding your competition can often be as important as understanding your clients.

Above all, be 110% committed and dedicated to what you do. Never forget why you got into it in the first place and enjoy it.

Ben Holbrook works for Red Commerce, who specialise in permanent and contract SAP jobs.

Networking online is one of the best ways to find a job these days, and there are lots of different ways that you can network online. One article in the New York Times outlines how difficult it is to network for jobs if you don’t network online. In fact, the article notes that many colleges and continuing education programs are working to teach college students and graduates how to use online tools like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to network during their job searches.

If you’re wondering how you can use e-networking to find a new job, here are a few tips:

First, be present

The first key to e-networking is to actually start networking on major sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the site that’s meant for professional connections, but having networks on Facebook and Twitter can help, too. You can also choose to use one network, like Facebook, for personal connections while using Twitter and LinkedIn for professional connections.

Create your network

Creating a network on a social networking service isn’t hard, but you should be careful about who you network with. It’s better to have fewer connections with people who are actually going to help you than to be connected with hundreds of people you barely know. If you’re trying to build a connection with someone you’ve met in your professional circles in the real world, make sure they know who you are by re-introducing yourself when you make the e-network connection.

Ask for introductions

Check out friends of friends on different networks. On LinkedIn, for instance, you can click on the People tab to see if any of your acquaintances and friends know people at specific companies or in certain industries. Be polite, but don’t be afraid to use a mutual acquaintance to ask for an introduction to someone who could get you a job.

Update with job-related statuses

It’s important that you don’t just let your social networking accounts lie dormant, assuming that people will connect with you automatically. Use your social networks to give people updates on what you’re doing in your career. If you publish and article, attend a conference, give a speech, or do something else that would be considered good for your career, you should put it on your social networking sites. You can even send out a short email update to your contacts. Don’t be obnoxious by updating every five minutes, but don’t be afraid to use social networks for a little bit of self-promotion.

Keep tabs on your online reputation

It’s absolutely crucial that you keep track of your online reputation. More and more employers today will screen job candidates with a quick online search, and some will even pay specialists to actually do an in-depth online study of a job candidate before they’ll give out interviews. Preempt problems in this area by keeping pictures of last Friday’s wild party and negative mentions of yourself from popping up in a Google search. Your online reputation matters.

Keep your financial reputation clean, as well

Keeping your online reputation in social networks and blogs clean is important, and keeping your financial reputation clean is important, too. Depending on the job position and your state law, some potential employers will run a credit check on you before they’ll decide to hire you, so work on that as you’re working on your social reputation. Pull your credit report every few months to make sure it’s clear, and pay your bills and debts responsibly to keep your credit report squeaky clean.

How it lands you a job

So how does all this social networking land you a job? It could work in many ways. Being online makes you more visible to recruiters, and many professionals who use social networking end up being contacted by the recruiters before they’re even actively job searching. Social networking could also give you the hook-up with someone in your industry who can recommend you for a job in the future.

Daniela Baker is a social media advocate at CreditDonkey.  Remember, using social networking to promote yourself and make business contacts is one of the best ways to boost your chances of getting a great job in the future.  Visit Daniela’s blog at http://www.creditdonkey.com/for more everyday financial tips.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The employment and jobs market is more competitive than ever before and with increased numbers of applicants for full time and increasingly part time work, finding that right vacancy has never been more crucial.

Positions posted on job boards are closed earlier than ever before due to the high volume of job applications for each position and many job seekers will end up missing promising job vacancies that they would not only be well suited to, but they could also be successful with.

Encouragingly despite the economic downturn and global recession, there are still a large number of job vacancies across a number of sectors, with retail, manufacturing and engineering producing a number of part-time and full time paid positions along with apprenticeships.

Job searches online will usually display filters in the form of drop down menus and check boxes that can aid searching by including or excluding certain types of employment depending on whether permanent or temporary vacancies are desired, so it is important to check what filters are selected before searching.

There are however a number of tips for job seekers searching for vacancies online.

Industry Sector Searches

It is important to be familiar with any niche, sector or industry specific jobs boards and online recruitment agencies. Many employers will look to hone in on a targeted and skilled pool of applicants by registering their specialised and highly skilled vacancies with agencies that focus on a particular sector and line of work or industry. Whilst the quality of job seekers may be much higher, the return of ideal employment opportunities substantially increases.

Job Specific Email Alerts

Virtually every online recruitment agency and jobs site includes the facility to set up alerts of new jobs straight to your inbox.

Setting up job alerts helps job seekers stay on top of any new vacancies that have arrived onto the jobs board and ideally any alerts should be received on a daily basis.

At the bigger jobs sites and agencies that carry a wide range of jobs and job titles, creating email alerts can save job seekers substantial time and is a far more efficient way of finding that perfect job opportunity. Any email alert that is set up should not be too broad; as this would return too many jobs that could be either too far away or do not carry the right role. Conversely any alert that uses too much of a narrow search will return too few jobs, although these would at least be highly appropriate vacancies.

It is also important to have a knowledge and understanding of job titles as many ideal job opportunities can be bypassed from bad searches assigned to these email alerts. Employment organisations, recruiters and government agencies can help job seekers find and match the best job titles used in these searches.

Travelling Distance

Increasing the flexibility of job seekers in terms of the travelling distance can dramatically increase the number and availability of job opportunities and crucially these may receive less competition and receive more benefits as a result. Increasing online job searches by a further 5 or 10 miles can substantially increase a job seekers choice in the job market.

Marie Warren is an expert in recruitment and job searches and currently works for RecruitmentRevolution.com who are a leading online recruitment agency in the UK that specialises in low cost recruitment.

Well, that’s January gone.  How did the first month of the year go by for everyone?  How many of your resolutions did you keep?  Did the detox last as long as you hoped?  This is weekly edition of our careers roundup of what’s been happening here and across the web.

From JobseekersAdvice.com

Mark Anderson posted his latest installment of his career advice video tips – check it out:

Click here to view the embedded video.

We’ve also had a couple of great guest posts this week, so check them out:

• Gap Year Working Abroad Tips for Graduates
• It’s Man vs. Machine in the Battle for Employment
• Career Spotlight – Become an Editor!

If you would like to write for us, then get in touch!

From around the web

Why Being An Average Worker Can Damage Your Career by Katie Lewis

A great article which offers some excellent advice;

Positions are becoming more specialized and fluid than they were decades ago, which requires workers to become more involved in their career direction. Making yourself indispensable through your work, will not only keep your job, but also keep you engaged and motivated to go beyond your job description.

4 Ways To Get A Promotion in 2012 by Heather Huhman

Want to move further up the career ladder, then why not check out these great tips for getting a promotion in 2012.

Show that you’re ready to take the next step by taking on more responsibility. Ask for—and volunteer for—more tasks and projects, especially those that correspond with your desired post-promotion position.

Half Of Employees View Diversity Programs As A PR Stunt by David Woods

An interesting insight into the UK market from research carried out by Adecco Group, that finds that almost half of employees think that diversity programs as PR stunts.  This issue has been around for decades with measures put in place over the years to avoid discrimination in the workplace, but in recent years, particularly from the late 90′s onwards there is somewhat of a perception that the “PC Brigade” have been going too far in the wrong direction.  What do you think?

The poll found that a further quarter (27%) of employers believe that campaigns to promote a diverse workforce are aimed at gaining publicity rather than actively changing company culture. At the same time, over a quarter (29%) of employers admit that there is a ‘certain type’ of person that they regularly seek to recruit.

Scott

There are many different avenues you may follow when it comes to choosing a career. This will depend on what your strengths are and where your passion lies. In this article we look at how to become an editor and discuss some steps to help you along the way. Whether you are just starting out and have just finished school or you would like to embark on a new career path, becoming an editor may be for you. Your passions will obviously lie in the written word.

What does becoming an editor entail?

When you become an editor you have the main responsibility to make sure that articles and any written work in a publication is perfect. An editor goes over certain manuscripts ensuring there are no errors in grammar, spelling, the words used and makes sure it makes sense before going to print. Obviously becoming an editor means you need to be highly proficient in English and writing. It can be an incredibly rewarding and enjoyable job but you need to also be very accurate when sending off final work to the printers.

Steps to help you become a copy editor

1. If you already know in high school that you want to become an editor then you should adopt a focus on all English and literature based courses and subjects. Make sure you are granted access and entry into university as you will need to complete your studies. A broad general knowledge is also key as you will initially start off as a writer and work your way up to an editor and this enable you to write about interesting and worldly topics. It is also advisable to join the schools newspaper and write for them. Even if you are not editing, it will give you some experience in the field and how a newspaper or magazine is put together.
2. Completing a degree either specializing in English or journalism with help you along the road to becoming an editor. You should also take copyediting classes as well as constantly practice and evolve your writing.
3. When becoming an editor, it is advisable to complete a series of internships while studying. This will help you with some much important real life experience and will look favorable on your resume. This will also give you an opportunity to see what it is like to be in the industry and make some contacts.
4. You have the choice to work permanently at a certain publication or become a freelance copy editor.

We wish you the best of luck when you decide to become an editor. Have a passion for what you do, gain as much experience as possible and work hard.

Jemma Scott is an avid writer of diverse careers and her interest for the different professions  around the world stems from her time in offices in London and serviced offices Leeds in the United Kingdom.

Robots are a popular theme in science fiction. Usually they start off doing all the menial jobs that humans don’t want to do anymore, like street sweeping, housework and baby sitting. But then they start to think for themselves and it all goes horribly pear shaped.

Currently, we live in the infancy of this vision. We don’t necessarily have robots in our homes but we do have a lot of machines in the work place. And rather than having them take on tasks that we no longer want to do, people are starting to think that increased mechanisation is decreasing valid human employment opportunities.

This is not good news in fragile global economies where every job, no matter how menial, is an important job.

Machines are a godsend for manufacturers that need to lower overhead costs and increase production. Machines can churn out products more quickly and efficiently than a team of humans and they do it without breaks, sick leave or salary demands. Software systems can oversee production processes and, by and large, the people who are employed are also more productive as a result of all the increased sophistication of the technology all around them.

If you look at an admittedly rosy bigger picture, more technology and mechanisation increases productivity and profits, which can increase business prospects, which can lead to greater employment.

In the short-term, however, the knee-jerk reaction, especially from unions, is that sophisticated computers and machines are depriving the man and woman on the street of their ability to put food on their families’ tables.

Even President Obama has said that the advances in technology have allowed ‘businesses to do more with less’; the less in this case referring to manpower. Machines may increase productivity and create more jobs but the question of the moment is whether they create more jobs than they take away.

Business Week bandies about a few statistics on employment and machines in the work place. The article cites economists who maintain that mechanisation has little effect on overall employment. As an example, technology on US farms has driven human agricultural employment down by 39% since 1900. But, according to the economists, all those people work in other sectors.

The problem is that, these days, many of these other sectors are also mechanised and in the interests of survival are cutting back on non-essential staff.

There are those, some would call them the voices of reason while others would call them fools or optimists, who say technology is not responsible for rising unemployment, but that people, who make their own financial messes and are ultimately in charge of their own destinies, are responsible. The people who have the wherewithal to keep their wits and see the potential in technology will fill employment niches that we don’t know exist yet.

However, until the economic situation settles and people feel comfortable spending money again, which will lead to greater demand in all fields of production, employment is likely to remain a contentious issue and that means machines, while not yet self-fulfilling beings, are still a threat.

Sandy writes on behalf of Job Board Gurus, a specialist job board software development company.

As we move towards a more globalised job market the accessibility for working abroad increases and becomes more appealing to those who can; in particular the university graduate who has spent the last two decades in education and is yet to forge a career path in their home country.

With a degree behind them the feeling of having the world at their doorstep is apparent and for many a gap year working abroad provides an opportunity to explore different cultures, have fun and also take the first steps in what could turn out to be their chosen career path.

For many years now the idea of a gap year has always been promoted by employers and for good reason – individuals get the opportunity to broaden their horizons, experiment in certain job sectors, experience different working cultures and partly satisfy the inner question most have of “there must be something else out there”; they can then return knowing where their commitment lays, the type of work they are suited to and also the environment they can best perform in.

The Perils of a Gap Year

There are however potential pitfalls which exist to the somewhat naïve graduate which may lead to them not getting true value from their gap year and instead taking an “extended holiday” and returning home to find they are then a year behind their peers and somewhat off the pace in the home country job market.

Preparation and a clear idea of what they wish to achieve can help avert this and graduates need to understand that this is an opportunity that although is easy to come by now may never be an option again later in life when certain responsibilities and commitment will keep them chained to their home turf.

How to Prepare

In terms of preparation graduates should try and develop an idea of the industries they may consider for long-term employment and aim to fulfil roles which will help give them visibility. Parallel to this is the country in which they choose to work, for a finance graduate considering a career in financial services it will be a struggle to find employment in popular tourist destinations such as South-East Asia or the party towns of South America, however a move to the booming economies of some Australian cities such as Perth maybe ideal. On the flip side, those thinking of getting into hospitality or events may find the Asia and South America continents can provide accessible, diverse and worthwhile positions.

In terms of tangible preparation that a graduate can undertake before departing there are issues such as the CV, references and any courses that may be required to work in certain roles.

A CV, for example from the UK may note a prestigious University and well-known work experience company where the brand is instantly recognisable and well regarded but this can soon become redundant and meaningless when travelling 5000 miles and is handed over the counter of a Asian restaurant for hospitality work whereas a small paragraph detailing the candidates work ethic, physical abilities and outgoing nature may go a lot further.

The personal and professional references that make their way onto a CV may also need to be considered for the destination country, it is common for recent graduates to list a tutor/course leader as a professional reference which is fine when being reference checked by a UK conglomerate with a 500 staff human resources team who can phone/email/write and follow up if needed.

If applying for a small, family run business in a country with an inverted time zone to the UK candidates need to rethink and possibly reference a close friend/colleague that can simply confirm the individual is an upstanding, reliable character. It may also be a good idea to let them know in advance that they are a reference so they are not in fear of picking up the phone in the early hours from a completely unrecognisable number.

Interviews

Last but definitely not least is general interview preparation which is a part of nearly all recruitment nowadays. As graduates load up their 60 litre rucksack with straw hats, flip-flops and logo emblazoned t-shirts it needs to be considered if they have an outfit suitable for an interview and if its needs to be included, will shoes be required, are there any certificates which the employer may need to see?

Almost without question potential recruiters will require passport copies, visa eligibility and possibly driving licenses. It makes sense to have all this prepared beforehand as well as proof of any courses completed/first aid certificates that have already been fulfilled. In a lot of regions local courses may need to be completed for certain roles, although this may not be something that can be completed remotely it is a wise investment to look up the requirements, where they can be fulfilled and how much they will cost.

Final Thoughts

Gap years have, and will be, a feasible option for many graduates for years to come and provide some tried and tested benefits for the individual which may indirectly benefit them for years to come both on a personal and professional level.

There is however the possibility of walking into a gap year not knowing why and struggling to realise any end benefit or true purpose (the issue of finance has not been regarded by this article but with the ever increasing University fees/student debt has to be considered).

Graduates can maximise the value of their gap year by thoroughly thinking the year through, what they want to gain, where they want to experience it and also by ensuring the necessary preparation for any job role is completed and is relevant to the position they are seeking.

Redcommerce.com wrote this article to help recent graduates make their career path and gap year decision. Redcommerce.com are a SAP recruitment agency providing SAP Jobs to the UK, Europe and US market.

Am I the only one that can’t believe the first month of 2012 is almost over?  How quickly is the year going by?  I hope everyone has had a great start to the new year and all those resolutions are being kept! Here’s my roundup of the last week in the career advice world;

From JobseekersAdvice.com

Only a couple of new posts this week – been busy tinkering with the website (and frankly it’s driving me a little crazy, so looking forward to getting back to writing more when it’s all done!).  Lot’s of nice changes coming up soon, so watch this space.

One of the things I wanted to do when I relaunched the website this month, was to review some of my older articles and do what I can to improve on them.  Some of them are almost 10 years old!  One of the first articles I wrote when I was setting up this website was this one on how to prepare for a job interview.  I revised it this week and included some more up to date information – I plan to review it again and write a more comprehensive guide over the next few months.

I also found this article on how to become an accountant.  A friend wrote it for me some time ago, while I was in the middle of another project and I completely forgot to add it to the site!  Doh!  Still, it’s here now and a good starting point for anyone looking to start off their career as an accountant.

Finally, I shared some of my experiences as a freelance consultant to help you make the transition from employment to self employment.

From around the web

7 things to do to progress your career by Duncan Brodie

Some great tips on how to move up your own personal career ladder:

Sit down and do an honest assessment of what you do really well and what are your weaker areas.  Chances are your strengths will far outweigh your weaknesses.

How to address a misunderstanding with your boss by JT & Dale (via @UndercoverRec)

A Q&A sessions where the question is asked, how do you address a misunderstanding with your boss?

If you have a review coming up at midyear, I’d wait and see if your boss can make good on her word. Help her do so by asking what you need to do to make sure you are prepared for the review and so you can make it easier for her to get you the raise and bonus.

8 Steps to a Perfect Recruitment Website by Holly Fawcett (via @recruiterblog)

One for the recruiters (and designers) – some tips on designing and branding the perfect recruitment website.

Web designers are not recruiters, they DO NOT understand your business, nor can they expected to be! They will be guided by your brief. If that brief is crap (sorry!) or lacking in specifics, well then don’t expect a brilliant end-result! The proof is in the planning.

So what have you done this week to progress your career?