From Greeting Cards to Furniture

From Greeting Cards to Furniture Success Story > From: Job To: Solopreneur From Greeting Cards to Furniture “I felt stagnant and frustrated.” * From Greeting Cards to Furniture George Winks' career was stuck in rut. So, when his experiments with woodwork got positive responses, he decided to take the plunge and build a business of his own. It's been stressful, but he's happy. Here's what he's learned along the way. What work were you doing previously? After finishing my studies in fine art (drawing and painting), I worked as a lead graphic designer at Moonpig.com for nine years. What are you doing now? I am the founder, owner, designer and lead craftsman at Temper Studio â€" we make furniture and homewares. How did you feel about your work before you decided to make a change? I was stuck in a rut. My job was comfortable, well paid and my colleagues were a great bunch, but it was never my intention to become a graphic designer or to work for someone else. The company had grown and become very corporate; I felt stagnant and frustrated. Why did you change? I'd always intended to be my own boss, whether as an artist or something else. As I approached my 30s the desire to run a business grew, as did my interest and skill in furniture making and design. When was the moment you decided to make the change? Amidst a relationship collapse, deep dissatisfaction with work and a bout of depression, I went off to the Outer Hebrides in deep winter on my bicycle to have a good think. I returned full of drive, zeal and optimism. Are you happy with the change? Certainly. It's stressful beyond expression but comfort is a killer for the creative brain so this works well. What do you miss and what don't you miss? Of course I miss the safety of a reliable salary, the ability to leave my work at work, and to have time for things like cycling and holidays. But I don't miss the grind â€" the feeling of unending repetition towards no particular goal. How did you go about making the shift? And how specifically did you choose your new career? I've always made things. I 'think' with my hands. I spent a lot of time in my father's little home workshop messing about with tools and bits of wood, so it seemed natural to me to apply that skill to something commercial. I knew I wanted to start my own business and I started making a few bits of furniture, some for my home and some just as experiments in design. They got a good reaction, people responded to my aesthetic and I enjoyed doing it. It made sense to build the business around something I was good at. I will admit that I was very fortunate in having a very supportive relative who, upon seeing my work, offered to loan me some money to get it going. What didn't go well? What 'wrong turns' did you take? Mostly it's just taken a very long time to get to where I am now, and there's a long way to go still. Being a designer and maker I often don't make decisions with a business head but rather based on what the most exciting thing for me to do next might be. I sometimes suffer from spreadsheet blindness if the numbers don't support the thing I want to do. Which is bad. How did you handle your finances to make your change possible? I had a small amount saved and, as mentioned above, a very generous and supportive relative offered me a loan to get things going. I had planned to try to get going whilst continuing my job three days a week, but he advised me to borrow the money and jump right in to do it properly. The stress, fear and necessity of the situation are serious motivators. What was the most difficult thing about changing? Anxiety. I left a job that I knew so well I could do it still half drunk from the night before. My responsibilities were basically to turn up, draw some pictures and make up some jokes. Running your own business, however, requires you to suddenly become 12 different people with different skill sets and to bear the full responsibility of every decision you make. It's liberating, but on a bad day it's debilitating. What help did you get? Financial support from family as well as emotional support from friends and family who recognised from the outset that I'm very good at what I do. What resources would you recommend to others? We live in the best time ever for learning new things. Almost anything you need to know can be found on YouTube or the internet in general. Find it and practise it. What have you learnt in the process? So. Many. Things. First I had to learn how to make furniture. Then how to sell it. Mostly I've learned that the stress and anxiety of doing your own thing are far more bearable that the dull slow death of the soul I experienced beforehand. I’ve also learned that you can just decide to do something new. You are not beholden to your past ambitions if they no longer make you happy. What do you wish you'd done differently? I wish I'd done an accounting course. What would you advise others to do in the same situation? Carve out some time from your job to learn a skill. And go on journeys alone. It is in solitude that you find out what you really want. Talk to your friends about your ideas, show them your work and listen to their responses. Not all of them will get it but some will; listen to both and try to figure out how to get the former to get it. To find out more about George's work, visit www.temperstudio.com. What lessons could you take from George's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

How to Use the Following Steps in the Resume Writing Process

How to Use the Following Steps in the Resume Writing ProcessEmployers and recruiters can follow a timeline for the following represent stages in the resume writing process. Make use of these tools to tailor your efforts, and manage the chaos that will ensue if you try to follow each stage in a vacuum. Here are the four points that you should be considering before you proceed.Advance Notice - The employer does not need to know what you are planning to do for your job until it is time to apply for it. Most companies have to hire and retain people who can work well with others. This includes coworkers and superiors. You do not want to let on that you intend to graduate a portion of your resume before you apply for a position. This will send up red flags about possible problems that might arise later.Record - One benefit of using your own handwriting is that you can easily make changes when you find something wrong or incomplete. Using an applicant tracking system can increase your chanc es of having your information recorded accurately. In the same way, the electronic form can reduce the number of mistakes that you make as you do the application.Lapse of Time - While your resume is being read by potential employers, they may see some errors. Once they see that it was poorly written, they may lose interest. On the other hand, they may recognize the resume as suitable if they find something that you wrote interesting. As a result, they will probably proceed to send you a second or third interview.Proofread - When your resume is due for a reply, make sure that you review it carefully to make sure that there are no spelling errors. Look for spelling mistakes in all parts of the document, including the index and bibliography. The resumes that go unanswered can indicate problems with your writing skills. Your career objectives should be mentioned first in your resume.Automated Applications - All applications are susceptible to errors, which can be corrected with the corr ect application or user interface. Most programs provide corrections that appear as instructions or do not need to be submitted. These corrections can help to decrease the time it takes to receive a response, and reduce the number of queries that the employer has to handle. You should also make use of the ability to use signature fields that state that your name is attached to the resume.Submit - Make sure that you submit your application to the proper department. This may vary depending on the industry and the company that you are applying for. If you write a letter to them, they may want to see it before they decide to send it out.Follow these points in the resume writing process, and you will be able to maximize your efforts. Follow the sequence, and you will also be in a position to put all of the pieces together, and present a very attractive resume to a hiring manager.

4 Ways to Work Well with a Client You DONT Like

4 Ways to Work Well with a Client You DONT Like Relationships in business can be hard, especially when they’re ones you can’t remove yourself from easily â€" like when you’re working alongside a tricky client. However, there are ways to combat the strain. With a few simple tweaks, you can learn how to put your personal grievances to the side, and nurture a healthy working relationship instead. Want to find out more? Keep reading and we’ll show you how! 1. Remember that you are at work This may be the simplest piece of advice, but it’s an important one to start on. You are at work, and you are doing a job â€" and sometimes, the job may involve aspects that you don’t totally like. Perhaps it’s the morning meetings, or being on photocopying duty â€" or being the go-to for a particularly challenging client. Start to distance your personal feelings away from the situation, and treat it as plainly as possible. Remember that you are serving a purpose, and fulfilling a work commitment â€" you’re not seeing this person in your free-time, where the choice is entirely your own. Try to put your own personal feelings to the side, and channel your focus onto the job in hand instead. 2. Examine the situation, and suggest a new way of working Does the problem run deeper than your client being slightly off-hand to you over the phone? Are there bigger problems at play that need to be addressed that are causing you to be over-worked and stressed? If so, action them. Maintaining strong business relationships doesn’t come easily, and if problems do arise, it’s up to you to fix them â€" only you know how much a situation is affecting you. Schedule a time to discuss a change in process with your client, but make sure that the change is mutually beneficial. For instance, allotting a set day for your client to send you new job briefs can lead to better productivity during the week, and a higher quality of deliverables. As well as the client benefit, it will offer considerably less strain for you and your workforce. Spin the changes as a win-win situation to keep both parties happy at all times. 3. Write everything down Make sure that you keep a written or digital log of conversations between you and your client. As Business Bee points out, then “if the client says there is a problem with the way your services were performed, you have these details to show you took the right course of action.” It’s important to ensure you’re covered when working with external clients, and to not over-promise on deliverables. If there’s a written log to back up (or dispute) claims, this will help to add security. This way, if a client is pushing for more work than has been originally agreed, you have a document in which you can prove this isn’t true. It’s all too easy to bend over backwards for a client, but it’s important to maintain a sense of control when discussing projects, and to manage expectations correctly. 4. Take a breather The Muse share a poignant statement on this topic: “no one needs to be a hero every hour of the day.” It’s easy to get caught up in client’s demands and deadlines, and lose yourself in worry and stress. You are entitled to step away from a situation for a while, and re-evaluate. Not everything has to be completed straight away â€" you are a human, not a robot! It’s good to remember that the whole business does not rest on your shoulders â€" you have a team around you to support you, and your work. So, use them! Involve them in your stresses and work out a plan of action. If you do this, you will feel closer to your colleagues, as well as feeling happier in the workplace, which is absolutely paramount. About the author: Lucy Farrington-Smith is a careers advice writer for  Inspiring Interns, a graduate recruitment agency which specialises in finding candidates their dream internship.

The proof is in the paper

The proof is in the paper There is nothing more frustrating than hearing the tell-tale beep from the printer mid-way through a print job.   Paper jam!   After my last adventure in clearing a paper jam, I decided to look into what exactly causes these seemingly random paper jams and what I could do to help prevent future jams. Paper Quality One of the most surprising and overlooked causes of jams is the paper quality itself.   I had no idea, but even a minor inconsistency in paper thickness can lead to paper jams.   Cheap paper also has a higher tendency to have creased or wrinkled sheets mixed in, which are a sure recipe for disaster. If youre like me, youre used to going to the discount store and buying the cheapest ream of paper you can find.   I decided to put this newfound knowledge to the test, and I got 3 different reams of Boise Paper products, each of which has a 99.99% Jam-Free ® Performance Guarantee.   I printed through all three reams Boise ® X-9 ® Multi-Use Copy paper, Boise ® ASPEN ® 30 Multi-Use Recycled Copy paper, and Boise ® POLARIS ® Premium Multipurpose paper.   1500 sheets later, and not a single jam!   Since I historically had at least 1 jam every ream, going through these 3 reams with no jams was a major improvement! If you are struggling with jams, check your paper quality.   Boises 99.99% Jam-Free ® Performance Guarantee lives up to its name.   No time or money lost because of a jam! Less is More After discovering the culprit of my paper jams, I switched permanently to Boise Paper products.   Choosing high-quality products keeps my business running smoothly.   I spend less time fixing paper jams, and more time on import things like growing my business.   My productivity has increased and Im more efficient than ever!   There is something to be said for the old adage: Quality over Quantity.   The proof is in the paper.

What is the Best Writing Structure For Your Resume?

What is the Best Writing Structure For Your Resume?Many people often make the mistake of thinking that the process of writing a resume for themselves should be easy. In fact, it is not really that simple since there are many things that need to be considered in order to come up with the perfect resume structure. If you want to avoid making mistakes while writing a resume, then you should always take some time to think about how to best arrange the information of your resume.Before starting to write the important parts of your resume, make sure that you already have an idea about what you want to convey. You can do this by reading your resume or just by thinking about the best things that you want to say to your future employer. It is very important to be able to know what your purpose is when composing your resume. Then, try to picture the exact job that you are applying for in your mind. Once you know the purpose of your resume, you will be able to construct the structure that is ne eded for writing the important sections of your resume.Most resumes actually start out with the headings. These sections will contain the first sentences of your resume. The headings are usually given a heading code, which will help you in deciphering the information that is being presented in the resume. The details that should be included in the first few sentences of your resume can be described in a single sentence in the heading.Headings should also be one paragraph; however, it is okay to put them into two or three paragraphs. If you cannot fit the information within the first paragraph, then break it up into two or three paragraphs. There are so many examples that you can find in the internet for example headings and the details they contain. You can use these examples in order to get a feel for what you should include in the heading.The next part of your resume will be the summary that includes the heading. This section is also broken down into several paragraphs so that it does not take too much time to read. In fact, you should only include the summary and the keywords in one paragraph.It is important that the information that you are going to include in your resume is correct. You should be aware that the employers who read your resume might just ignore certain details that are not right. Therefore, you should be absolutely sure that the details that you include are accurate before you submit your resume.After the heading, the next section of your resume is the next paragraph. This section is comprised of the details that are relevant to the job you are applying for. In fact, the paragraphs on your resume are called the title pages. The title pages usually contain only the titles of the paragraphs, but they could also contain the keywords or names of the positions that you are applying for.Although writing a resume structure is not that difficult, it is still essential that you have the proper knowledge on how to make it properly. In other words, yo u will need to know which bullet points to use and which ones to leave out. If you want to make sure that you are able to come up with the perfect resume, then take some time to read as many tips and guides on writing a resume as possible.

Content Stealing Bloggers Behaving Badly - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

Content Stealing Bloggers Behaving Badly Until recently, I was spending too much time fretting over and dealing with content thieves. It happens to me a lot. The more content I build on my blogsites, the greater the likelihood and opportunity for people to swipe it and use it as their own. Google Alerts and my regular routine of Googling my name to monitor my online footprint reveal these content thieves. Sometimes I just stumble across them. I’m not specifically looking for these people. I can only imagine how many more of them are out there that I don’t know about. As an avid blogger, I love the sense of community among us â€" bolstering each other by blogging about each other’s good posts and spreading the word by tweeting each other’s posts. This kind of mutual support is gratifying, and builds friendships and trust. I guess I’m asking too much to expect each of us to respect each others’ intellectual property by at least giving attribution and a link back to the original writer. Maybe this isn’t important. Maybe I should forget about it and just be flattered that people think my content’s good enough to steal. But it bugs me. And I havent waived claim of copyright on any of my content, as Zen Habits Leo Babauta did and discussed in his very enlightening post, Open Source Blogging: Feel Free to Steal My Content. I spend a lot of time and take a lot of care with any content I post â€" on my sites or elsewhere as a guest writer. They’re my thoughts, and my attempt to add value and hopefully position myself as a subject matter expert. If my thoughts are out there in places other than my own sites, I want people to know that I’m the writer. It doesn’t bother me so much anymore if I haven’t been asked for permission to re-post entire blog posts of mine, as long as I’m given attribution. With a busy entrepreneur’s schedule, I don’t have the time (or inclination) to deal with the frustrations involved with tracking down and holding all these content thieves accountable. I suppose many of them are fully aware of that, and it drives them to continue stealing. I used to try to keep up with it, but came to understand it was a losing battle. Still, sometimes when I find a scraper, and it bothers me enough, I send them a polite email, presuming good intent, whether or not they deserve it. Generally, I let them know that all content on the web, whether it carries a copyright statement or not, is automatically protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. I gently explain that it’s not okay to use other’s content without their permission, and that giving attribution to the original writer with a link back to the original site is standard practice â€" and cultivates relationships, instead of testing them. Last year, someone set up a blog that consisted entirely of my blog posts. It had no pages or information about the owner â€" just a simple site with a blog stream updated with each of my new posts. I tracked the owner down and found that, ironically, she has a business offering SEO services. She gave me full attribution and linked back to my original posts, so I let that one go. But I was annoyed. Several months ago I came across a new site for a recruitment firm in the UK that had set up several pages and blog posts, mostly copied from my content,  slightly reworded, but no mention of me.  I tracked down the owner and let him know he needed to take the content down. He immediately did so. Too often these offending bloggers are  colleagues of mine in the careers industry. Because they know me, or know of me,  that must somehow make it okay to scrape my content. I recently came across a new post by a colleague who was new to one of my professional communities. At least half of the content was copied from an earlier post of mine. I didn’t know him at all and assumed he may be a novice blogger and didn’t know any better. When I politely notified him by email that he should take the content down or give me attribution, and briefly informed him of blogging ethics, etiquette, and legalities (copyrighting issues), I was shocked by his response that  he didnt do any copying.   He did give me attribution for one paragraph, but readers would assume  the other content was his. In his email response, he claimed that my content was his thoughts. He said he would take the post down (which he did), but this was not an admission of guilt.   It’s funny how more of his thoughts showed up as a new page on his blog that was copied, word-for-word, from one of my blog pages. Dealing with this issue becomes sticky when it’s someone I may have to continue rubbing elbows with professionally. One of the problems is that, if these people are not held accountable for scraping content, they tell themselves it’s okay to do it, and continue doing it. This bounces off to others who are too lazy or unwilling to generate their own content, and convinces them it’s okay to grab whatever content out there looks good, and use it to promote themselves. If you’re a blogger, has your content been stolen, too? What do you do about it? Let it slide or take the time to deal with these people in some way? Related posts: How to Lose Friends and Alienate People with Social Media Executive Job Search and Blogging: Perfect Together You’re a C-level Executive Job Seeker and You’re NOT Blogging? C-level Job Search: Blogging? What Am I Going To Write About? 00 0

Reinventing Your Career - Smart strategies to change job roles, industries or professional goals...

Reinventing Your Career - Smart strategies to change job roles, industries or professional goals... Reinventing Your Career Smart strategies to change job roles, industries or professional goals Reinventing Your Career Smart strategies to change job roles, industries or professional goals May 28, 2011 by Career Coach Sherri Thomas Leave a Comment Feeling stuck in your career?   Thinking about changing your  job but not sure how to go about it?       As a leading career coach, the #1 biggest question I get asked is, How can I reinvent my career without decreasing my salary? A client of mine, Matt, just reinvented his career from being a manager in the TV industry to becoming a manager in high tech, and he even received a 15-percent pay increase.   So how did he do it? Reinventing your career means repackaging your skills, qualifications and successes so that you can transition into a new job role, company or industry.   It takes a strong vision, a solid plan, and  someone  who can coach you through  your transition, but yes, it is possible!   Below are four steps to help you jump start your  career and  transition into a new career more quickly, easily and maybe even with a higher salary!  What are your transferable skills?   These are skills that transition from industry to industry, or from job role to job role.   Examples include: managing projects, teams, clients or budgets, as well as negotiating contracts, or proposing and implementing ideas that generate money, save money, or help the company be more competitive.     Other transferable skills include personal characteristics such as demonstrating leadership or risk taking, training or mentoring team members, being goal driven, results oriented, a problem solver, or having the ability to influence senior managers.   These are great skills to have, and they transfer from industry to industry.   All kinds of industries and companies value employees with these types of skills and characteristics.   Match your transferable skills to job roles.       Read job descriptions posted on CareerJournal.com, CareerBuilder.com and Monster.com, as well as the classified ads in industry magazines, business publications, and company websites.   If you want to work for a specific company then check out their website’s on-line job postings.   Learn the skills and qualifications required for various job roles. Match your transferable skills to those jobs you want to go after.   If there’s a gap between the required skills and the skills that you currently have, then look for ways to gain that experience such as taking on an extended assignment in your current job, or if you’re in between jobs then try freelancing, consulting, or volunteering.     Also, attend industry conferences, trade shows, business networking events and association meetings. Talk to people who work in the industry to learn about their career path, key skills, and advice on how to break into the business.   Blow up your resume.   The first thing I always did before I transitioned into a new career was blow up my resume.   Trying to piece together a resume that highlighted the skills I used to get my last job with the skills I need to land my next job is like trying to weld together Lexus parts on a BMW.   It doesn’t work.   You need a brand new resume.   Showcase only those jobs, responsibilities and successes that relate to the job you want.   The hiring manager doesn’t care about every job you’ve ever had.   They just want to know, Can you do their job?     You may also want to get a professional resume critique to help you customize your resume and identify your transferable skills.    Attitude is the key ingredient!   I’ve found that getting a new job really boils down to two things: confidence and passion.   I’ve never walked into an interview having met all of the job requirements.   In fact, for the television interview, I lacked the two biggest requirements which were a minimum of two years experience in television, and a reel to show my TV work.   To compensate, I focused on my transferable skills which were being highly creative and a solid copywriter.   That got my foot in the door for the interview.   But to get the job and beat out the other 4 job candidates, I was passionate about the company and the job!   I also told the hiring manager that I absolutely knew that I could do the job!     And finally There’s a kind of quiet confidence that we all have down deep inside.   A confidence that comes from knowing what we’re capable of doing.   When you transition into a new job role or a new company, you need to show the hiring manager that you have confidence in yourself and know that you’ll be successful in the job.   When it comes to reinventing your career, it’s not just your talent but your attitude that counts!     Sherri Thomas is President of Career Coaching 360, an international speaker, and author of Career Smart 5 Steps to a Powerful Personal Brand on AMAZONs TOP 10 LIST for personal branding books!  Career Coaching 360 (www.CareerCoaching360.com) provides career planning, management coaching, and leadership development support to help professionals change careers quickly and easily.    To learn how you can reinvent your career quickly and easily, visit Career Coaching 360s website for resume help, interviewing support, and personal career coaching packages.

Am I my resume -

Am I my resume - Have you ever seen the play The Chorus Line? Its about a group of dancers trying to get jobs When I was graduating Michigan, and my best friend and I were busy conducting informational interviews and trying to figure out our future plans (plan A, plan B and plan C), we used to sing this song. Loudly Some lyrics for your review: [TRICIA] I really need this job. Please God, I need this job. Ive got to get this job. . [A FEW VOICES] My unemployment is gone. [ALL] Please, God, I need this job. [ALL] Ive got to get this show. [PAUL] Who am I anyway? Am I my resume? That is a picture of a person I dont know. What does he want from me? What should I try to be? So many faces all around, and here we go. I need this job, oh God, I need this show. Is your resume a picture of a person you dont know? I can help! Contact me so we can put together a resume that represents you! photo by  phrenologist