Archive for the ‘Skills Training’ Category
Thursday, July 17th, 2008
Paralegals must be familiar with computers and have technical knowledge about how to use software data effectively. The Internet and software programs are now essential in legal research. Paralegals use computer databases frequently in their research. Many paralegals work to update corporate databases with scanned images, maps, bills or other documents. If paralegals have not acquired these skills or this knowledge through experience or their previous education, they should ask their employers about additional training to keep abreast of recent advancements in information technology and database systems.
Some Paralegal Jobs require a bachelor’s degree, while some require an associate’s degree. As the duties of paralegals increase in the coming years, paralegals with more education and training will have a better chance at receiving of this position. An education is needed to work as a paralegal due to the complexity and experience needed to perform the following tasks, all of which may be required of the job. Here are some of the tasks required of paralegals to perform Paralegal Jobs;
- Coordinate the activities of law office employees and maintain financial office records.
- Help lawyers prepare for closings, trials, hearing and meetings.
- Identify relevant laws, legal articles judicial decisions and any other materials that relate to cases.
- Prepare written reports for attorneys about work.
- Assist lawyers in preparing legal arguments, motions and draft pleadings.
- Draft contracts, separation agreements, mortgages, and instruments of trust.
- Prepare estates and tax returns.
- Work in many different areas of the law, including litigation, corporate law, personal injury, criminal law, employee benefits, intellectual property, labor law, bankruptcy, immigration, family law and real estate.
- Assist attorneys with employee contracts, stock-option plans, shareholder agreements and employee benefit plans.
- Prepare and file annual financial reports, prepare forms to secure loans for the corporation and maintain corporate minutes’ record resolutions.
- Monitor and review government regulations to ensure that a corporation is aware of new requirements and is operating within the laws.
- Oversee projects and serve as a communication link between the team and the corporation.
- Analyze legal material for internal use, conduct research for attorneys, maintain reference files, and collect and analyze evidence for agency hearings.
- Prepare informative or explanatory material on laws, agency policy, agency regulations for general use by the agency and the public.
Help the aged, the poor, and others who are in need of legal assistance.
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Thursday, June 19th, 2008
Everybody’s talking about IQ testing and the importance of raw intelligence. A 1999 article in Scientific American said that only the top 5% of Americans (those above an IQ of 125) are even potentially capable of doing senior roles. The bottom 5% (those below IQ of 75) are unlikely to be able to work and will form an underclass in society.
Company’s have always recognized the importance of straightforward “academic smarts” both through specific graduate recruitment programmes and more generally in the way they select and recruit people.
There is an opposing point of view though. Some psychologists have criticized the whole idea of IQ. They either claim it doesn’t actually exist or that it is simply a measure of how good you are at doing IQ tests! Others claim that it is biased against certain groups OR that it doesn’t predict work success (work “smarts” are not the same as “academic brilliance”). Some theorists have claimed its too narrow a concept; that “intelligence” is in fact a bundle of different attributes from understanding language and manipulating numbers to being able to get on with people. Different jobs require different sets of skills.
The provisional answer to “Do Smart People Make the Best Managers?” is NO! We all know very clever people who are not just bad managers but are socially totally ineffective; people who seem almost lopsided.
Yet intelligence as defined in IQ is important. IQ is often defined as being able to deal with increasingly complexity – and most managers do have to do that.
Intelligence seems to be a hurdle you have to jump over. You need a certain amount of intelligence to get into a management role. The more senior you get, the more different management jobs get and therefore the wider the variety of skills you’ll need.
Think about the different combinations of personal attributes you may need for different management jobs.
Think about particularly changes in fast track graduate schemes. There is a collapse in confidence that degrees and other academic qualifications measure what they were measuring even 5 or 6 years ago: and the evidence is that this is in fact the case. Thus many graduate recruiters are doing ancillary measures of high level reasoning to check who are the real high fliers. But the real trick is not only to measure raw cognitive intelligence but those other attributes which may lead to success later on in careers.
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Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
GETTING READY AND APPEARING FOR INTERVIEW
Preparing for interviews before the day:
• Collect Information – Find out details about the employer and the job
• Plan for the interview
• Find out if you will have to do a test and what it will entail
• Find out who will be interviewing you
• Plan your journey making sure you know where to go and leave yourself plenty of time
• Prepare for questions you might be asked
• Think about what you will wear. Recommended clothes are preferably a suit with necktie or a coat necktie and a dress trouser
Thorough preparation will give you the confidence to do your best at an interview. Gather together the information you will need at the interview.
Preparing for interviews on the day:
• Give yourself time to get ready
• Make sure you have all the relevant paperwork
• Try to relax and keep calm
At the interview:
• Be polite and friendly
• Look interested
• Provide examples to prove your achievements
• Sell yourself
• Be positive
Remember most employers like:
• People who listen
• People who answer questions with examples
• People who come prepared
• People who appear smart and confident
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Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
Tips for Writing Good Resumes
The thought of writing a resume intimidates almost anyone. It’s difficult to know where to start or what to include. It can seem like an insurmountable task. Here are few tips to help you not only tackle the task, but also write a winning resume. You can modify them according to your experience.
Determine your job search objective prior to writing the resume
Once you have determined your objective, you can structure the content of your resume around that objective. Think of your objective as the bull’s-eye to focus your resume on hitting. If you write your resume without having a clear objective in mind, it will likely come across as unfocused to those that read it. Take the time before you start your resume to form a clear objective.
Think of your resume as a marketing tool
Think of yourself as a product, potential employers as your customers, and your resume as a brochure about you. Market yourself through your resume. What are your features and benefits? What makes you unique? Make sure to convey this information in your resume.
Use your resume to obtain an interview, not a job.
You don’t need to go into detail about every accomplishment. Strive to be clear and concise. The purpose of your resume is to generate enough interest in you to have an employer contact you for an interview. Use the interview to provide a more detailed explanation of your accomplishments and to land a job offer.
Use bulleted sentences.
In the body of your resume, use bullets with short sentences rather than lengthy paragraphs. Resumes are read quickly. This bulleted sentence format makes it easier for someone to quickly scan your resume and still absorb it.
Use action words.
Action words cause your resume to pop. To add life to your resume, use bulleted sentences that begin with action words like prepared, developed, monitored, and presented.
Use #’s, $’s and %’s.
Numbers, dollars, and percentages stand out in the body of a resume. Use them. Here are two examples: Managed a department of 10 with a budget of 100,000,000. Increased sales by 25% in a 40 District Distribution
Lead with your strengths.
Since resumes are typically reviewed in 30 seconds, take the time to determine which bullets most strongly support your job search objective. Put those strong points first where they are more apt to be read.
Match resume with Job Advertisements.
Study /review job advertisements that interest you. Use the key words listed in these ads to match them to bullets in your resume. If you have missed any key words, add them to your resume.
Use buzzwords.
If there are terms that show your competence in a particular field, use them in your resume. For marketing people, use “competitive analysis.” For accounting types, use “reconciled accounts.”
Accent the positive.
Leave off negatives and irrelevant points. If you feel your date of graduation will subject you to age discrimination, leave the date off your resume. If you do some duties in your current job that don’t support your job search objective, leave them off your resume. Focus on the duties that do support your objective. Leave off irrelevant personal information like your height and weight.
Show what you know.
Rather than going into depth in one area, use your resume to highlight your breadth of knowledge. Use an interview to provide more detail.
Show who you know.
If you have reported to someone important such as a vice president or department manager, say so in your resume. Having reported to someone important causes the reader to infer that you are important.
Construct your resume to read easily.
Leave white space. Use a font size no smaller than 10 point. Limit the length of your resume to 1-2 pages. Remember, resumes are reviewed quickly. Help the reader to scan your resume efficiently and effectively.
Have someone else review your resume.
Since you are so close to your situation, it can be difficult for you to hit all your high points and clearly convey all your accomplishments. Have someone review your job search objective, your resume, and listings of positions that interest you. Encourage them to ask questions. Their questions can help you to discover items you inadvertently left off your resume. Revise your resume to include these items. Their questions can also point to items on your resume that are confusing to the reader. Clarify your resume based on this input.
Submit your resume to potential employers.
Have the courage to submit your resume. Think of it as a game where your odds of winning increase with every resume you submit. You really do increase your odds with every resume you submit. Use a three-tiered approach. Apply for some jobs that appear to be beneath you. Perhaps they will turn out to be more than they appeared to be once you interview for them. Or perhaps once you have your foot in the door you can learn of other opportunities. Apply for jobs that seem to be just at your level. You will get interviews for some of those jobs. See how each job stacks up. Try for some jobs that seem like a stretch. That’s how you grow—by taking risks. Don’t rule yourself out. Trust the process. Good luck in your job search!
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Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
The Internet has brought about a new age for the resume. As the search for employment has become more electronic, resumes have followed suit. It is not uncommon for employers to only accept resumes electronically, either out of practicality or preference. This electronic boom has changed much about the way resumes are written, read, and handled.
=> Job seekers must choose a file format in which to maintain their resume. Many employers, especially recruitment agencies on their behalf, insist on receiving resumes only as Microsoft Word documents. Others will only accept resumes formatted in HTML, PDF, or plain ASCII text.
=> Many potential employers now find candidates’ resumes through search engines, which makes it more important for candidates to use appropriate keywords when writing a resume.
=> Including an e-mail address in an online resume may expose the job seeker to spam.
Some career fields include a special section listing the life-long works of the author. For computer-related fields, the softography; for musicians and composers, the discography; for actors, a filmography.
Keeping resumes online has become increasingly common for people in professions that benefit from the multimedia and rich detail that are offered by an HTML resume, such as actors, photographers, graphic designers, developers, dancers, etc.
Job seekers are finding an ever increasing demand to have an electronic version of their resume available to employers and professionals who use Internet recruiting at any time. Internet resumes differ from conventional resumes in that they are comprehensive and allow for self-reflection. Unlike regular 2 page resumes, which only show recent work experience and education, Internet resumes also show an individual’s skill development over his or her career.
For job seekers, taking resumes online also facilitates distribution to multiple employers via Internet. Online resume distribution services have emerged to allow job seekers to distribute their resumes to employers of their choices via email.
Another advantage to internet resumes is the significant cost savings over traditional hiring methods. The Employment Management Association has included internet advertising in its cost-per-hire surveys for several years. In 1997, for example, it reported that the average cost-per-hire for a print ad was $3,295, while the average cost-per-hire with the Internet was $377. This in turn has cut costs for many growing organizations, as well as saving time and energy in recruitment. Until the development of resumes in an electronic format, employers would have to sort through massive stacks of paper to find suitable candidates without any way of filtering out the poor candidates. Employers are now able to set search parameters in their database of resumes to reduce the number of resumes which must be reviewed in detail in the search for the ideal candidate.
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Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
First impression is the last impression! So keep it in mind and prepare a best resume that covers all the features. Your resume is the first meeting between you and prospective employer more often now than ever. It is a tool with one specific purpose: to win interview. A great resume doesn’t tell them what you have done but makes the same assertion that all good ads too.
Here are some easy features to creating a resume that will get the employer’s attention.
Best Resume Features:
1: Focus on the employer’s need
Employer is not much interested in employee’s needs but in company’s. Before writing a resume keep these questions in your mind .What does the employer actually need? What special abilities would this person should have? What would make you a perfect candidate for this job?
2: Use an easy-to-read font style and size
Make sure your resume is easy for employer to read. Choose a font like Arial, Times New Roman, and use a font size between 11 or 12. This will make ensure that your text can be easy to read.
3: Use proper grammar and spelling
One misspelling or grammatical mistake can kill your resume and credibility. Make sure to have other professional people proof your resume for sending it out.
4: Use bullet-points
The person reading your resume is just scanning it. Imagine that you had to skim 100 resumes – How many are you going to read? Make sure it easy for the reader to scan your resume and see that your skills match the job description.
5: Great resumes has two sections
a) First, you make assertions about your abilities, qualities and achievements. Write powerful but honest resume that makes the reader immediately perk up and realize that you are someone special.
b) The second section is the evidence section, is where you back up your assertions with evidence that you actually did what you did. This is where you list the jobs you have held, your education, etc.
6: Use one piece of paper
It’s always good idea to keep all your career and educational highlights on one page.
You don’t want to risk other pages getting lost in the shuffle.
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Friday, June 13th, 2008
Employability is important because you may want to or need to change your job more than once in the course of your working life. Employability skills will help you to retain your present job and to clinch any new job that you apply for. You will be employable if:
=> you have the qualities and skills that an employer is looking for
=> you have the capacity to ‘add value’ to the work of an organisation
=> you can keep pace with change in the organisation
Employability skills include motivation (e.g. a positive work ethic and willingness to learn), knowing how to learn, personal organisation and time management, communication, modern languages (especially English), IT, numeracy, leadership and teamwork.
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Thursday, June 12th, 2008
Many students do internships in a different country to get international experience and learn an extra language. The meaning of an internship can be different around the globe.
Spain
At Spanish universities it is not common to do an internship during the education period. The real working experiment for them starts when they are done with their study. However, Spanish companies are getting more used to having students doing an internship at their company nowadays. Mostly these are international students from other European countries. Spain is a popular country for students to go to for a short period of time to do an internship. A lot of times students want to learn Spanish, and this is a perfect opportunity for them to do so. Another reason to go to Spain for an internship could be the opportunity to increase their cultural awareness or to experience working in an international setting. Students found that it is hard to get in contact with most Spanish Businesses. The best way to find a good company to work at will be with the help of a placement organization. Internships in Spain are almost never paid. This because companies have to put time and effort in training the student, and it will always only be for a short period of time.
UK, Canada and Australia
In these countries they have split the types of internship in unpaid or paid. The unpaid internship are mostly the ones that are chosen by students who are either still in school and doing an internship as part of the requirements of school or who have just left school. The purpose of this internships are to get understanding about how work is conducted in the English-speaking world and to improve one’s English. Another plus is to learn about work ethic and to experience cultural diversity. The paid internship is mostly for people that want to come to these countries to improve their English. The job for them is not something that they are specialized in, but see it as something that will give them enough money to support their living in these countries.
Germany
In Germany there are different kinds of internships as well. As in most other countries, most students take their internship during the third or fourth year of their degree. One of the biggest difference to other countries is that most internships are paid. The average pay is 400€ a month. In some fields of study it is common to write the final thesis in a company. Another type of internship has emerged, the post graduation internship. The high unemployment in Germany during the last years, has made it hard for people to find the right job, especially for people that have just graduated and lack work experience. Because of this, many offer to do an internship in their favorite company and earn very little, in the hope of scoring a good contract in the future.
France
At the French universities it is also most common to do an internship, in France called stage, during the third or fourth year of your studies. The duration of the internships varies from 2 to 6 months, but very seldom longer than that. In France it is also becoming more popular to do an internship after one is finished studying. Mostly for student that did not get the chance to do an internship during their study career, and try to gain some working experience this way. Most times with the thought of getting hired after the internship period. An internship in France is also popular for international students. The number one reason to do an internship in France is to learn the language. A lot of French companies seem to be open to students from different countries. It is a big plus for companies to have employees who speak multiple languages.
Netherlands
In the Netherlands it is also common to do an internship during college. Just like in France it is called stage. Students will go intern for approximately 5 months. Companies are not obligated to pay the student, so sometimes small companies won’t pay anything. The normal stage compensation rate is €200.
Denmark
It is not seen as appropriate to work without pay unless it is done as part of a work-trial were a person is tested by the authorities as part of plan to get the individual back into the workspace. The company is then compensated and the intern gets welfare during this period normally lasting about three months. The Trade Unions monitor this area very thorough so an intern cannot result in the lost of a paid job.
High school students can choose to participate in a one day working experience called “Operation Dagsvaerk” (Day’s Work) started 1985 where they work for free for a firm, for welfare organizations or as babysitters or stay in school and receive normal education. The pay then goes to a – sometime controversial – chosen project in a third world country. It is only a minor fraction of Danish students which are participating in this event because it is not accepted to support third world countries because most people see this as something the population has already paid for over the taxes. Most students stay in school. Due to a recent agreement with the Danish ministry of education the student are no longer considered to be truant during this day.
A new system for qualifying for higher education imposed by the department of education do punish those students who takes a period off to work for charity.
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Thursday, June 12th, 2008
It is often easier to get a job interview than it is to do well during the interview to actually get the job. Preparing and organizing both yourself and the materials you need helps. The more you have it together on the outside, the more calm and collected you will feel on the inside. This confidence that you have everything taken care of should show through during the interview process and may ultimately land you the job.
First, think about your past. Not only are you going to have to list your educational background, previous employment experiences, and extracurriculars on your application, but you are probably going to be asked about those verbally in the interview. You do not want to have to use crib notes in order to remember dates and names, so memorize this information so that you can answer questions more easily during the job interview.
When filling out an application, many people give one word answers when it comes to their previous employment duties. This can lead the interviewer to think that you did not take your previous jobs seriously, or did not feel that they were important enough to write about. Give detailed information about your job duties. Remember to write in complete sentences – no one word answers.
If the interviewer gives you information about the job you are applying for, you need to show them that you actually want to do the job. If you give the interviewer the impression that you could not care less whether you get the job then you will probably not get it.
If you are already aware of the duties that you would be performing if you were hired, make a mental note of instances when you have done or mastered those tasks in the past. If you can show the interviewer that you not only know what you need to do the job, but that you have already done it successfully in the past, you will have much better chances of getting the job.
Confidence and ability is not only shown through the spoken word, it is demonstrated through how you look and your body language as well. If you do not look the part, you are not as likely to be taken seriously.
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Thursday, June 12th, 2008
Cover letters may vary in content, depending on the type of position or industry to which you are applying, and whether you are applying for a listed position, sending letters enquiring about a position that is not listed, or following up on a referral.
Suggested Formula for a Cover Letter
Your Address:
Street Address
City, State and Zip Code
Date
Contact Person’s Address:
Mr. / Ms. _____________
Title
Company or Organization
Street Address
City, State and Zip Code
Dear _________:
First Paragraph: Introduce yourself by stating your degree program and the year in which you will graduate. Specify whether you are seeking a permanent or summer position. Tell why you are writing, and name the position, field, or general vocational area in which you are interested. Tell how you heard of the opening or organization (e.g. job notices on website, ad in the newspaper, etc.). If someone referred you, include that information.
Second Paragraph: Mention a few qualifications you think would be of greatest interest to the employer. Tell why you are particularly interested in the company, type of work, or location. If you have related experience or specialized training, you may point it out. Refer the reader to the enclosed resume, which will give additional information concerning your background and interests.
Third Paragraph: Close by stating your desire for an interview. You may state that you will phone or email in a week or so. If you say that, make sure that you follow through. You may want to include your contact information (phone and email) so the reader knows how you can be reached.
Sincerely,
Applicant Signature
Applicant Name
Enc. [this is only for hardcopy]
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