From Communications to Software Engineering

From Communications to Software Engineering Success Story > From: Job To: Job From Communications to Software Engineering “I'd always wanted something more creative.” * From Communications to Software Engineering Ste Taylor was ready to jump with both feet into a more fulfilling, engaging career. Here's why he pivoted from his first plan, and how a tough decision got him moving more quickly towards work he loves. What work were you doing previously? Most recently, I worked in communications for a university. After my English degree, I'd tried out a few different things â€" TEFL teaching in Spain, being a technician in theatre. Basically I had a series of jobs; I never planned for any one of them to go on for too long, but somehow they did. What are you doing now? I'm a senior software engineer working for a FTSE 100 company. How did you feel in your work before you decided to make the change? I felt trapped, in work that was unfulfilling. Why did you change? I'd always wanted something more creative and engaging. I'd tried to get my foot in the door of a few different industries, but I realised that if I was ever going to have the sort of life and job I wanted, I'd need to make a more serious commitment. When was the moment you decided to make the change? It was about seven years ago. I was quite unhappy with my living and work situation. My friends offered me lots of advice about how to break into this or that industry and make a change. I'd tried everything, but in the end it was clear that what was holding me back was having no money and no time, so I moved back up north to live with my parents, to take stock and re-orientate myself. This was a hard choice, but it feltmassively liberating initially and helped me find my feet. How did you choose your new career? I'd been thinking about doingsound engineering. I managed to get myselfwork in a concert hall backstage. That felt exciting at first, but the hours were unsociable, the culture was competitive, and after a while it dawned on me that to get anywhere I'd probably need to do a course. l thought ahead five or ten years and realised it was not for me. After coming to terms with this, I thought about other areas. I had a bit of a creative itch but also wanted the security of stable work. I'd done some work in computing previously â€" some vintage programming in my teenage years, then later working on a support desk, business analytics and managing the launch of a website. So, I looked for courses and found a local university offering an MSc conversion into Computing. I thought hard about whether this was the right choice; I considered lots ofpossible permutations of different outcomes and concluded â€" yes. And I went for it. Are you happy with the change? Completely. I got a job shortly after completing my course and have now set out on what I aimed to achieve. I work in a field that is creative, intellectually engaging, filled with good people, and no two days are ever the same. I have skills that are highly sought after and there's a great community locally and globally to be a part of. And what's more, while I work in e-commerce, my skills can also be put to use for ethical and social ends. The opportunities are endless. What do you miss and what don't you miss? I don't miss anything about my former life! I learned some things along the way and met some great people, but for a long time I was focused on how toforge a future for myself. That was a hard thing to endure. How did you go about making the shift? Once I made my mind up, I just applied for the course. I found out about it a little late â€" I think term had already started â€" and I also didn't know how I would fund it. I applied for the part-time course; I was already working all my spare hours in temp jobs and had my fingers crossed for a career development loan. Thankfully, I was accepted onto the course, and luck was on my side with the career development loan. The university was also really supportive. What didn't go well? What wrong turns did you take? I was behind for a long time. It was hard working and studying at the same time, in spite of the part-time hours. Sometimes, I didn't have any work, so I had to study while also dealing with the stress of looking for work and having no money. This was in addition to maintaining a long-distance relationship of ten years that I had moved away from in order to sort myself out. It took its toll, but I persevered. In addition, the course was mixed. Some modules were excellently taught, others were a bit dated or unstructured. I buried my head in textbooks and got by with help from my friends, family, and fellow students. How did you handle your finances to make your shift possible? The career development loan was the biggest factor here. It paid for my tuition fees and then some essential extras like a laptop. I'm still paying this off now, but it was the most important investment I've ever made. Then I worked sometimes four or five days a week and studied in the evenings and weekends. This disrupted my study, but I had no other choice. I have to thank Manchester Metropolitan University because they were flexible with my tuition fee payments and assessment submissions. They also awarded me a small but still helpful amount from their Access To Learning fund. What was the most difficult thing about changing? Not knowing whether I'd make anything of this. I'd put everything on hold, taken out a large loan, distanced myself from my partner and my friends. That was really stressful. What help did you get? I couldn't have done any of this without the career development loan, support from student peers, flexibility from work and my parents taking me in again. Not to mention the support from my partner. I also have a friend who let me know that his workplace were undergoing a recruitment drive for software engineers, just as I was graduating from my course. That was really helpful as it's where I got my first 'in'. What resources would you recommend to others? If you go to do a university course and it isn't your first, check out your options for a career development loan. Also check what other support universities can give you. What have you learnt in the process? This level of change is hard, but now I'm on the other side and doing well, it's given me way more faith in my ability. It was hard not to be affected by doubts when I was undergoing this process, but one thing it has highlighted to me is my drive to succeed. What would you advise others to do in the same situation? Stay calm, stay connected with friends and loved ones, and don't worry if you don't know it all. Be ready to be humiliated multiple times. Andwhen you finally get where you want to be, show some compassion to others who were once in your position and help them. Also, people hire 'people', not robots. Tell your story, be honest, and try your best to demonstrate your technical knowledge (but don't let your lack of it fill you with fear or get in the way of you being who you are). What lessons could you take from Ste's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

Get Ready For Making a Reference Page For Resume

Get Ready For Making a Reference Page For ResumeIf you are to use a reference page for resume, then it is important that the reference page is done properly. By doing this, you can be assured that your resume will be approved by the employer when he does a first look or a second look before hiring you.You should get a copy of the resume before you proceed to make a reference page for resume. But be sure to have the original file on the computer. It will save your time to go through the resume and look for any thing which might be incorrect.You should consider the style of the resume and the format of the reference page. This can be done by checking the format of the resume. If it is a multi-page document, you can incorporate it in the reference page for resume. You can add on a few pages to clarify your knowledge and skills.Before you make the reference page for resume, you must have an idea of the details about the employer who will be reading the resume. You must consider his field and it will be easier for you to make your reference page for resume. You can ask some experts in the field for their help to add some key points in the resume. There are a lot of ways to add a little information on the resume.While making the reference page for resume, it is important that you make sure that the information provided in the resume is accurate. For example, if the description of the job title given on the resume is not in correct, then there is a chance that the person will think that the job is not suitable for him. The person who reads the resume is under great pressure. He might have to read many resumes before finding out the one he likes best.You can include other points in the reference page for resume so that it does not seem like an empty one. One thing is clear that he wants to know the details about you. You should have a detailed description of your previous positions so that it is easy for him to remember what you have been doing in the past. The person who reads the resume should also be able to judge the experience and skills you have.While making the reference page for resume, it is also important that you do not mention the last name of the employee unless it is completely necessary. The last name must be used as a part of the summary in the reference page for resume. Other than that, the full name of the employee should be mentioned in the reference page for resume.While making the reference page for resume, it is important that you think of a short bio about the person. This will help in increasing the confidence level of the person who reads the resume. This will definitely add in a huge smile on his face when he is to receive the resume.

FIRE Could You Retire Early

FIRE Could You Retire Early FIRE is the acronym for “Financial Independence, Retire Early.” If 50 is the new 30, FIRE practitioners want to make 35 the new 65. Most of us think of retirement age as somewhere between 62 (Social Security eligibility) and 70 (mandatory retirement age for some professions, and the age when Social Security payments max out.) But a wave of young people have decide life is too short to spend 50 years of it working. They are working hard toward the day in their 30s, 40s, or early 50s, when work will be an option and not a necessity. Some think it can be achieved in your 20s with determination, good planning, and a little luck. I spoke to “Sam,” a FIRE practitioner who also blogs about his experience under a pseudonym to protect his privacy. He’s based in Los Angeles and works as an engineer. He’s 30 years old, and in 2015 he set his goal to be retired in the year 2024 at 35 years old. As an engineer, he’s a numbers guy, so planning and monitoring come naturally to him.   He’s also a naturally frugal person with a keen interest in personal finance. Sam says he loves his work, but his FIRE plan is a way to make sure he’s prepared for whatever life might throw his way. “If I should lose my job, or suffer some serious illness, I know I’ll be okay,” he says. “I will also have the ability to care for family if they need my help.” He’ll be free to pursue a passion full time if he discovers something he wants to explore. He says that finding your “why” is as important as finding your “how” to do FIRE right. “Once you know why you want to do this, the planning will be much easier,” he says. Your “why” will also sustain you through challenges and setbacks and keep you from giving up. Sam says that once he became serious about FIRE, it took him about a year to implement his plan. He spent six months researching options for saving money and building wealth, finally settling on real estate ownership as the best decision for him. “Then I had to decide where to invest,” he says. “LA is not a viable market for my budget. The rent I could charge for any home I could afford would just barely cover the mortgage, so I wouldn’t be building wealth at a healthy enough pace.” Sam settled on Indiana as a state with plenty of options. Real estate there is half the cost of the LA market, and will provide him with twice the return on investment. (He looks for a 10 percent profit over expenses for a property.) He located a team to help him with purchasing and managing properties: a realtor, banker, insurance agent, and tax accountant. He wanted local professionals with expertise in the market and real world experience in what works there. They can also visit the properties and provide accurate assessments of their value. Sam now owns several properties in Indiana, and estimates that the income adds 20 percent to his earnings each year. The other important pillar in his FIRE strategy is living within a strict budget that allows him to put as much money as possible into his plan for the future. At his blog he writes, “Every dollar you make can either work for you   or be burned in the trash. Money, in addition to being a tool, is a slave. Put that little green man to work for you.” He provides tips for saving money, finding better paying jobs, and ways to grow wealth. Sam admits that even a great strategy is subject to forces beyond your control. “I’m not immune to doubt and second guessing myself,” he admits. “What if the real estate market tanks again? What if I lose my job and can’t afford to maintain my properties? But I keep reminding myself that I’m young, and there will be time to recover from any down cycle, if I’m patient and rational in my decisions.” Sam doesn’t share his plan with many people; he wants to wait until he’s successful to let people know how he did it. His blog, called money-engineering.com, is his how-to guide and accountability tool for other like-minded individuals. How will Sam spend his time in retirement? He plans to attend art school, a lifelong dream of his. He’d also like to travel, to visit all the countries on his bucket list. Oh â€" and play plenty of video games. He figures Virtual Reality innovations will make for some awesome binge playing sessions. Find his writing on FIRE at money-engineering.com.

The Efficient Red Resume Template Freebie

The Efficient Red Resume Template Freebie The Efficient Red Resume Template Freebie Who says professional resumes have to be dull and boring? Splashes of color may be just what your resume needs to stand out among all the rest. Our template shows red as a clever color mix for your resume sections. But you can use this template and change the color within Word. There are many variations for you to customize this resume to suit your specific circumstances. Having a resume that stands out in a unique way is important, as potential employers have a look. But remember to maintain the focus on a few other key elements. You need to be certain that you do not dwell on what you want, but, instead, what value you can bring to a potential employer. For this, you will need to review the job posting and description very carefully and make sure that you focus on the skill sets in that description. Then, choose keywords that will be picked up by any digital screening system. If you are not sure how to proceed with this, check several resume examples our team has prepared for yo u. They hit all the requirements listed above!Select this template, edit it through MS Word, and submit a document that will grab attention and showcase you in style! File size: 65 KB Format: .docx Downloaded 6,057 times License: Free, personal use only. Please read the license terms for resources. Download previous article Gasp! I Have Been Given a Bad Job Reference! What Do I Do Now? next article Choosing a Career â€" What Job Can I do? you might also likeCadmium Yellow: Simple, Yet Elegant Resume Template

A Medium.com Resume Writing Guide for Beginners

A Medium.com Resume Writing Guide for BeginnersWhen it comes to writing a proper Medium.com resume, a good writer will learn how to do the basics on their own. The problem with this is that beginners often don't realize that they need to know some basic skills in order to get started. Luckily, there are some guidelines that can help you out.Learning how to write a unique Medium.com resume isn't hard. In fact, beginners can make their own Medium.com resume within a matter of minutes. If you are not sure if you need to do any things to get started, read the rest of this article to find out why you shouldn't be concerned about this.There are only three things that you need to know about writing a resume, and one of them is proper basics. A good Medium.com resume writing guide will tell you to avoid using any kind of formatting software on your resume. That includes Microsoft Word and all other kinds of word processors.Using these tools is what will prevent you from being able to write a unique resume. Once you have your resume written, the formatting software makes it so it can easily blend into the others. It is like doing a complete job without having to bother about it.When you are formatting your resume, you need to understand the basics. You should think about things such as headers, colors, and fonts. Without these, you won't be able to write a great resume.The next thing that you should take into consideration is your writing style. If you want to show how well you know the grammar and how polished your work is, you should always write your essay in chronological order. This is the way most people format their resumes, so you should adopt it if you are serious about it.If you want to ensure that your writing is smooth and professional, you should also write in this fashion. People usually overlook this, but just about every other resume is formatted in a way that makes the content easier to read. When you write chronologically, it is more accurate and will show a better side of your writing.Writing a Medium.com resume is only as hard as you make it to be. With these tips, you should be ready to put up a stellar job interview. Good luck!

Personal Branding Expert Series with Christopher Wirth - CareerMetis.com

Personal Branding Expert Series with Christopher Wirth The Career Insider Podcast Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSSForEpisode 82of The CareerMetis Podcast, we will be hearing from Christopher Wirth.This interview is part of the “Personal Branding Expert Series“.evalEpisode Summaryeval1. Nissar asks Chris to share his story, where brand came from, and how it applies to what he does today. Chris explained that the brand came about as a result of the perfect quote at a time when he needed it, and that it eventually grew into a brand, and then a movement.2. Nissar points out that typically a brand begins alongside a business, but in this particular instance, the brand came first, and the business after.3.The guys talk about hosting their podcasts, and the aim of each. Christopher talks about how a piece of feedback opened his eyes to the largest possible impact of his show, and Nissar brings up the trap of staring at vanity metrics like downloads numbers, and how feedback and engagement has been so much more meaningful.4.Receiving photos, texts, emails and letters is far more rewarding than numbers on a stats dashboard.5. Chris also brings up how much work a podcast can be, and how he underestimated it at first.6.He gets into detail about co-branding, and how much easier the podcast has made the entire process.eval7.He describes what co-branding is, how it benefits both parties, and how it creates a positive impact to a much greater number of people than to go it alone.8.Chris talks about a particular listener of his show, and the fact that this guy tunes in to every single episode, and set a goal to appear on the show this year.9. He describes the feeling he got when he learned this information, and the positive ripple effect it created.10.Finally, he leaves off with a few tips and ideas that listeners can use and implement to help them get results.Quotes“There’s a difference of talking about it versus doing it.”eval“Less negativity, more positivity”“My show h ad an impact on his life, and he wanted to get on the show”“Be very specific with your actions”“You should focus on your must-haves before you focus on your wants”.Links ResourcesTo learn more about Christopher Wirth visit his website. He can also be reached by Email,Facebook , Twitter. or Instagram.Chris also runs a successful podcast â€" No Quit Living Podcast, which I strongly recommend listening to.Intro Music provided courtesy of Accelerated Ideas (www.accelerated-ideas.com). Soundtrack â€" Siren KickbackEnding Music provided courtesy of Accelerated Ideas (www.accelerated-ideas.com). Soundtrack â€" No Need to Rush

Barb Poole Appears in Print - Hire Imaging

Barb Poole Appears in Print - Hire Imaging Exciting news on the book front for Barb Poole. Her quotes appear in several chapters of Katharine Hansen, Ph.D. (Quintessential Careers)s book, Top-Notch Executive Interviews: How to Strategically Deal With Recruiters, Search Firms, Boards of Directors, Panels, Presentations, Pre-interviews, and Other High-stress Situations. This vital book includes an insightful examination of critical differences that distinguish executive-level interviews from all others, along with extensive information on leveraging relationships with recruiters, plentiful sample interview questions and suggested responses, and a comprehensive list of sample questions to ask the interviewer. Career Press Release is set for October 20, 2009 but is currently at Indiebound, Amazon and Barnes and Noble for pre-ordering. Published by Career Press.

What My Story Has In Common With Grovers (yes, the one from Sesame Street)

What My Story Has In Common With Grovers (yes, the one from Sesame Street) When Shenee asked if Id be willing to tell a story as part of launching Eight Thirty Five -an online space that explores story in all its glory (love the rhyming!)   I agreed right away. But when it came to writing a storywellI procrastinated. It seemed BIG. Like, all-caps-necessary big. And besides, Ive written ad nauseum about my story (if youre a newbie, you can read it  here and here and here as well as watch the video here or read anything on my Press or About Me page). So when I took My Story away, I was left with A Story. I mean, how the heck to pick A Story from 33 1/3 years of stories? I racked my brain for days until I realized What if I read a story written by someone else but that I grew up loving, that still makes me laugh and smile, and that even has a lesson that applies to my current, continuing Story? I figured it might be bending the rules a bit, but I went for it anyway. Thus, I give youThe Monster at the End of This Book. Reading this from my life coaching eyes, I saw how much we build up what we think were afraid of, putting up walls (literally!) to keep ourselves safe. But when were met with what we most fear after all, its not only not terrible, but its lovable. And furry. And old. Or something like that. You know what I mean. Did you learn anything new from Grover? Please share it in the comments, and head on over to Eight Thirty Five to tell your story (shes accepting submissions!), read others stories and get your free field guide (I did, and its amazeballs). Congrats Shenee, and thanks for having me (and Grover!) along on your tour!