The top companies hiring for Christmas 2014

The top companies hiring for Christmas 2014 by Michael Cheary Looking for seasonal work? Tis the season…If you’re excited by all things Xmas-sy, finding a new job over the festive period could be the perfect career move for you not to mention the perfect opportunity to earn some much needed cash over the busy Christmas months.Not sure where to start? Here are some of the top companies hiring this Christmas on reed.co.uk:AmazonWant to avoid the queues? Start searching Amazon.Formed in a Californian basement in the mid 1990’s, Amazon have gone on to become an online retail behemoth and, arguably, the go-to destination for Christmas shoppers worldwide. In fact, on a busy day over Christmas they can make anywhere up to three million sales in the UK alone â€" amounting to a staggering 2,500 customer orders every minute.To keep up with demand, Amazon employ somewhere in the region of 15,000 temporary employees over the seasonal period. Current opportunities range from vacancies in HR and IT through to procurement posi tions.N.B. ‘1-click’ may not be available for careers…Locations: Throughout the UK.View all jobs with Amazon now »HarrodsHarrods â€" as big a part of some people’s Christmas traditions as awkward family chit-chats and Noddy Holder playing on the radio/CD player/gramophone.What you may not know, however, is that the famous London store occupies a five acre site, made up of over 330 individual departments, and over one million square feet of selling space. There’s also a pretty spacious grotto for those with jollier ambitions. But more on that kind of thing later…They’re looking to add to the 12,000 staff that already call the department store home, and available roles over Christmas range from Sales Associates and Personal Shoppers through to Chefs and Interior Designers.Looking for a new career this Christmas? Stop window shopping.Locations: LondonView all jobs with Harrods now »John LewisThere’s much more to John Lewis at Christmas than stuffed aquatic animals and the music of Tom Odell.As one of the biggest department stores in the UK, and 43 stores nationwide, they provide Christmas essentials ranging from excellent gifts for your loved ones, through to the all the traditional trimmings for your Christmas dinner.They’re passionate about delivering excellent customer service, and a big part of this comes in the form of the friendly staff they have on hand. Oxford Street, their flagship store and arguably the busiest of all their outlets, are looking for Stock Management Partners to help out over the Christmas period.If youre interested, find your next role with John Lewis and give someone the Christmas theyve been dreaming of.(Warning:  Spheniscidaeaphobics* need not apply) #montythepenguinLocations: London.View all jobs with John Lewis now »MenkindMenkind is a novelty gadget retailer, found in many of the busiest high-streets and shopping centres around the UK.Not only is it a haven for last-minute shoppers seeking stocking stuffers and original Secret Santa gifts, it’s also a great place to work. Especially if you’re looking for a fun and festive working environment, and you’re a big fan of Pointless: The Board Game.Menkind featured in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 group of the fastest growing companies for two years in a row, and their latest recruitment drive is mainly concentrating on customer-facing retail positions for their seasonal stores.So if you like the idea of racing remote control helicopters around whilst simultaneously spreading a sense of Christmas spirit, this might be the right role for you.Warning: technophobes need not apply…Locations: Throughout the UK.View all jobs with Menkind now »Toys R Us‘There’s a magical place, we’re on our way there, with toys in their millions all under one roof â€" it’s called…’ Well, you know the rest.**With over 1,500 stores worldwide, Toys R Us is the largest standalone toy store chain in the world. And whilst it almost goes without saying that Christmas is their busiest period, what you might not know is that somewhere in the region of 40% of the company’s sales come during the fourth quarter of the year. And that’s a lot of money. Just ask the Giraffe.They’re looking for bright and enthusiastic individuals to fill a number of positions, ranging from Sales Advisors and Shift Supervisors through to HR and Marketing positions. In return, you’ll receive a competitive salary, comprehensive training and support, and a whole host of other benefits. Also, did we mention employee discount?Want to work for Toys R Us? Apply today. Let’s face it parents, you’ll probably be spending a lot of time there anyway…Locations: Throughout the UK.View all jobs with Toys R Us now »And finally…SantaIf you really want to indulge in the Christmas spirit, why not go all out?Father Christmas (a.k.a. Santa/St. Nick/The big guy) is in demand all over the UK, to help fill grottos and generally spread Christmas cheer to the masses . And whether working in a local garden centre or one of the country’s biggest department stores, there can be few more rewarding positions.Basic responsibilities include asking children what they want for Christmas, and apologising to their parents for setting expectations too high.Santa Claus jobs are coming to town…Locations: Throughout the UK.View all Santa jobs now »*The irrational fear of penguins. Youre welcome**To settle any potential debates over the ending of this advert, reed.co.uk feel it’s our duty to point out that the last line is as follows: ‘There’s millions says Geoffrey, all under one roof’. There were not, in fact, millions of Geoffrey’s.    Ready to wrap up your perfect Christmas by finding a new job? Search all available Christmas jobs now.  Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applic able to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Features

Interacting with Social Influencers Creates Awareness for Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Interacting with Social Influencers Creates Awareness for Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Trust is the most important factor when forging new business relationships online. Having the right connections for your personal brand is a start, but it’s how you nurture those relationships that counts so that people know and trust you. How can your brand interact with influencers in a successful way? Through individual attention and conversation. It’s good to know exactly what works and what doesn’t, especially when it comes to social media. As a personal brand builds meaningful connections social measurement services like Klout and Kred are taking notice. This also affects your website and search engine ranking as more people connect with you online. There are a few simple strategies to follow when communicating with the right people and brands. How to Build Winning Relationships A good image for your personal brand is built over time through daily interactions. Begin these steps today to make lasting connections: • Target market research Who is the most influential and active online in your brand’s niche? Check Alexa ratings, social following, and LinkedIn to learn more about who would be best to connect with. Once you find the right people and businesses start interacting on their blogs and social networks with helpful, and professional comments and shares of their content. • Build your social influence Social media measurement matters, especially to influencers. By keeping tabs on your score on services like Klout and Kred you can learn how effective your personal brand’s communication is online, and learn where to increase your engagement. In Klout especially it’s important to connect your website and active social networks in order to have an accurate measurement. • Be a part of various online communities Conversations are happening in professional groups, and this is especially popular for Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Plus, and Twitter. Your brand will build its sphere of influence by interacting and sharing in these networking hubs. Watch for those groups in your niche that have a large number of active members who are there to bring value to the community. • Daily activity and interactions count A drop or gap in communication online can delay your personal brand’s network growth as well as negatively affect your image. Any time away should always be communicated with your followers as this shows them that your brand is both professional and trustworthy. Developing the right relationships with influencers takes time and patience, but in the end will create more networking opportunities for your personal brand. Daily communication and activity is the key to success as others begin to see your brand as a valuable connection.

Start Your Bilingual Journey

Start Your Bilingual Journey We live on a multilingual planet. The Ethnologue catalogue of world languages lists 6909 living languages. (A living language is one that is still used and spoken by people. Latin, for instance, is considered a “dead” language, because, even though we still use it in science and academic research, it is not used as an actual language of daily life.) About six percent of these languages account for almost all people on earth. Levels of multilingualism vary across the world, although the estimate is that 60-75% of earth’s population speak more than one language. In the United States, it’s estimated that about 20% of the population speak a language other than English at home; however, just seven percent of American college students are enrolled in a language coursea big drop from just twenty years ago. In an increasingly globalized world, it’s more important than ever to have an understanding of other languages. Speaking another language has myriad benefits. By communicating in more than one language, you are constantly exercising your brain. The BBC tells us that speaking a second language may help slow the symptoms of Dementia, and after a stroke, cognitive recovery is twice as high for bilingual people as it is for those who speak only one language. People who speak more than one language may have higher levels of empathy. It’s easy to think of those who don’t speak our own language as “foreigners” or “others”a dangerous mindset. On a business level, the ability to communicate in a language such as Spanish will open the door to a whole new customer base, especially in parts of the country where the Latinx community is large. You will make your service more appealing than the competition if you can easily communicate with this sizeable population. On a less mercenary level, being able to communicate bilingually could make potentially marginalized people feel safer and more respected. If you’re a doctor, your patients with apnea del sueño need treatment just as much as your patients with sleep apnea (they’re the same thing). If you’re an insurance agent, you want to make sure that any claims your insured clients make are communicated clearly. For companies that work on a global scale and work with international compliance laws, such as international medical device consulting, it is essential that they have team members who can operate in any of the languages that may come up. If you are looking to learn another language, there are plenty of options available. Companies such as Duolingo, Livemocha, and BUSUU offer easy (and inexpensive to free) website and app interfaces to quickly build basic vocabulary and grammar. Pimsleur will integrate you with listen-and repeat exercises. Most universities open their courses to community members as well. If you’re traveling, it will mean a lot to the people who live in another country that you are making an attempt to learn the language, and at least use basic phrases. If you have a preliminary understanding of another language, see if your business will let you start using it there. They may even pay for you to get further education. You may also see if there is a meetup group in your community, where you can mingle with other speakers of that language.

14 Things Your Candidates Should Never Say in a Job Interview

14 Things Your Candidates Should Never Say in a Job Interview HR advisors tend to be pretty positive people. You’ve got to be. It’s your job to fill candidates with confidence, top them up with information, and send them off to their dream job interviews with nothing but the other candidates to stand in their way. But what if, with all that positivity, you’ve missed a few negatives that needed throwing in, too? Your candidate may know what to say. But it is just as important for them to know what not to say. Recruitment candidates are making the same mistakes over and over again because human nature (and the clichés we see in the media) tells them that certain strategies or phrases will serve them well in the interview room. It doesn’t always cross the HR professional’s mind to nip this in the bud before it happens. Example? Your candidate, Johnny Eager, turns up to interview for his ideal role at a long-established but low-profile company. Johnny is freshly qualified, confident that he can tick every item on the candidate description list, and he has polished his shoes. Unfortunately, he’s so confident that when the panel asks him if he has any questions, young Eager decides to show his energetic enthusiasm by boldly asking for an overview about the company, its products, its history. Sure, Johnny has proved he is interested â€" but not interested enough to do his research before showing up. It just takes a small adjustment to an inquiry like this to make a winning candidate. Johnny should do his research, reflect what he’s learned in his answers, and then ask for clarification on something that he has read about the company, or for a detail that hasn’t been made public â€" something to do with workflow, or plans for the future, for example. At the opposite end of the scale, you will always have candidates who struggle to maintain their confidence when they get into the interview room. But while you already know to equip them with certain tools to keep their poise, you might not think to warn them of certain things they might say to try to excuse their lack of confidence. For example, it is never a good idea to admit that you’re nervous in a job interview. It might seem like a good idea at a time: it’s an honest, down-to-Earth thing to say, and might also excuse your candidate’s nervous mistakes. But employers who see dozens of candidates each day can easily dismiss a potential candidate if they think they lack confidence â€" even if the candidate is a nice enough person to admit it. A better word than ‘nervous’? ‘Excited.’ If your candidate is likely to struggle with nerves in an interview, their voice shaking, cheeks blazing, sweat dripping… explain it away with excitement. It’s basically the same thing anyway, right? Another side-effect of nerves is being over-compliant. Your candidate wants the job, they want to come across as a reasonable and kind person, so when the panel asks if there are any particular tasks the candidate would expect to complete in the job, the candidate replies â€" with a winning smile â€" “I’ll do whatever!” Wrong answer! Employers want employees who are laser-matched for the role. They want someone who is passionate about the tasks they’ll be given, not just the chance to have any job at all. Your candidate should be able to identify (by asking, if necessary) the key daily roles they’ll be expected to play, and should express that this is the exact job they’re looking for â€" as long as that’s more or less true. For a full run-down on the 14 things your candidates should never say in an interview, and what they should say instead, take a look at this new infographic from resume.io. About the author:  John Cole  writes on behalf of NeoMam Studios. A digital nomad specializing in leadership, digital media, and personal growth topics, his passions include world cinema and biscuits. A native Englishman, he is always on the move, but can most commonly be spotted in the UK, Norway, and the Balkans

4 Ways to Align Productivity with Purpose

4 Ways to Align Productivity with Purpose Being truly productive goes beyond running around like a busy bee trying to complete as many tasks as possible. Real productivity is not based on quantity; it’s based on meaning and working towards an overall purpose. We can spend our time doing many things, however if they don’t have impact or purpose they are essentially a waste of our time Ask yourself what you ultimately want to achieve in your life and with your career. Assess which areas of your life are out of balance and need prioritization. Stephen Covey talks about the four fundamental human needs in his book ‘First Things First’ where he mentions if we are not balanced in these four areas of our lives, we are not fulfilled: physical, social, mental, and spiritual.Write down how can you add more purpose to each of these areas. For example to increase your mental needs through your career, work out how you can align your passions and talents to your current or future role.2. ClarityOnce you have added purpose to diff erent areas of your life, it’s time to get clear on what you want to achieve. For example, if your purpose is to become healthier and reduce inflammation in the body then your clarity could be to eat more nourishing and nutrient dense foods. If your career goal is to serve more people and use your gifts as an extrovert, then your clarity could involve writing down a perfect job description for yourself.Remember to get as specific as you can and have faith you can accomplish your goals. If you don’t have exact clarity in some areas right now, then ask for the answers to be revealed and stay open to receiving the information. They could appear as an intuitive hit, advice from a friend, an offer you receive in mail, or an ad you see that stands out.3. Planned ActionPick one priority in your personal life and one priority in your career then build some actions steps to accomplish your goals. Without overwhelming yourself, schedule the goals into your calendar starting with one thing you can do each day in both areas.Once you have momentum you can add in 2 tasks per day then work up to 3 tasks a day for each. To improve your health you could do a cooking class, then visit a market to buy produce, followed by cooking a nutrient dense meal.To interact with more people in your career you can make a list of different responsibilities you want to take on in your role, then speak to your supervisor about it. If you want to change careers then you can interview friends in roles that appeal to you then research what you would need to do to get into that role yourself.4. EnergyevalProductivity requires taking action, which requires energy. Even with the best-laid plans if we don’t have the physical or mental energy to focus then we are doing ourselves a disservice. Prioritizing self-care not only increases productivity it also promotes longevity.Getting enough sleep, eating nutrient dense meals regularly to fuel our brain and body, as well as reducing stress are key t o productivity. Assess where you are in these areas then come up with a plan to balance and build strong energy.Do you need to go to bed earlier to get the sleep you require? Can you commit to eating 3 meals a day no matter how busy you are and make them nourishing? Do you have too much stress in your life that is spiking your nervous system? If so, can you commit to meditate, remove stressful situations, or avoid caffeine to calm down the nervous system?

Job Search Success System - Sterling Career Concepts

Job Search Success System Job Search Success System             Are you overwhelmed, stressed, and somewhat paralyzed by the thought of another job search?             Don’t have time to drive to a meeting or listen to teleconferences scheduled at someone else’s convenience?             Would you like to have a job search system that would contain all the elements you need to move ahead in your career?             Do you need a simple, easy process to guide you through job search and result in a higher success rate than you have achieved in the past? If you replied yes to any one of these questions, the Job Search Success System may be your answer! Having been in business nearly 10 years, I’ve come to realize almost all job seekers echo the same frustration: “Job search strategies and techniques are my biggest challenge.” As a certified resume writer, I hear my clients’ frustration. To help ensure their success, I have partnered with Mary Elizabeth Bradford, a leading national career coach and author, who has created a time-tested, trusted, and award-winning job search tool, The Job Search Success System. My colleague Mary Elizabeth Bradford has shown hundreds of professionals at all levels how to land their ideal job in less time while maximizing their compensation. Learn how to easily set up a job search strategy to find positions perfect for you in a current or new industry, tap into the hidden job market, use Internet techniques to research companies and industries, overcome job search challenges, and much more. You’ll have access to multiple step-by-step coaching audios and corresponding worksheets that are yours to download and keep in your library to refer back to throughout your career. One of the benefits of this Job Search Success System is that you have access to it at your convenience.   You can go through the modules at your own pace, from the comfort of your home or office. And, once you have purchased the program, it is yours for life with no monthly maintenance fees. Want to know more? Program details and purchase information available at http://tinyurl.com/anq29un. Even if you’ve never considered a program like this one before, I encourage you to check this one out. If you’re a client of mine or a loyal reader of my blog, you know I do not often recommend products and services.   I stand behind The Job Search Success System and am available to discuss how it would benefit you personally in your unique job search.

Writing and Objective For a Functional Resume

Writing and Objective For a Functional ResumeWriting and objective for a functional resume is not as simple as it may sound. It can be a bit intimidating, especially if you have never written one before.The first thing to do in writing and objective for a functional resume is to ask yourself some questions. What is the purpose of the resume? Why should I write this particular resume?There are three common reasons why someone would write a functional resume. One reason is to meet an employer who is looking for a specific skill set, another is to catch the attention of a prospective employer, and the last is to have a brand new job opening. To write a functional resume you should ask yourself these questions before you begin writing.The purpose of the functional resume is to answer the question, 'Why should I write this particular resume?' If you simply decide to fill in blank spaces with 'I'm sorry, but I do not know'I don't remember' then you are missing the point of your resume.A fu nctional resume can be used to clarify your skill sets, qualifications, and experiences. It is also a great way to show any gaps in education. One word of advice; never ask someone, 'What did you do before this?' This can be interpreted as a job application.Using a functional resume to show what you are good at will help your chances of getting the job you want. To write a functional resume, you will need to write the specific skill sets that you would want in a potential employer. When thinking about the question, 'Why should I write this particular resume?' you will need to think about whether you would want to use these skills in a new job or in a job opening. Other reasons why you would want to write a functional resume include asking yourself, 'Does this particular employer value my skills?' Also, think about whether you want to get this particular job, or would you like to stay in the company. Think about how long you will be there before you consider leaving.Writing and objec tive for a functional resume is not as easy as it sounds. The best way to learn about the resume writing process is to do it for yourself.