Whos Seen a Huge Pay Rise This Year

Whos Seen a Huge Pay Rise This Year We are half way through the year, already! So now is a great time to take a look at who is receiving the biggest wage increases of 2016, which industries are thriving and which are looking to grow over the next few months and years. Lucas Blake have assessed the situation and put together the below  infographic to help break down the information. The biggest pay rises in 2016 have seen marketing managers and bankers pick up a lovely bump in wages so far this year, new research has revealed.  2016 has seen the general business world shift to a digital platform as businesses begin improving their communications and digital outputs. Marketing spends have increased and influenced management positions associated with these fields. This is apparent when we look to wage rises of marketing managers who have on average increased their salaries by 37 per cent to £70,000 this year from £51,000 last year. Corporate baking salaries have also recorded a big rise, with an average pay increase of 37% to £82,000 from £60,000 in 2015, according to  Emolument.com.  Digital skills are the most highly sort after as demonstrated by research which suggests that Human resources managers are now expected to possess such skills. As a consequence, this amalgamation of skills has seen HR managers receive the third biggest rise in pay this year. Businesses are looking to their HR sectors to adapt their culture and management style to accommodate the millennials and generation Y. According to the statistics HR managers have seen a considerable rise of 31 per cent to £80,000 for 2016. The strength of the economy in recent years has allowed the I.T sector to grow and flourish into the industry it currently is today. This is reflected in the statistics which show increasing wages in the IT sector since the recovery of the 2008 recession. The growth is expected to continue as things currently stand, however this is highly dependent on the future EU referendum and the economic fallout from this week’s particular event. One large factor which is helping to boost wages inside the I.T sector is the increasing attempts from within the financial sector to hire the best I.T talent. This in turn is driving up wages for workers in the I.T sector. The burst of interest from within the financial industry can be attributed to technological advancements in cloud based security systems. This is therefore resulting in a number of available positions for cloud based computing engineers as well as software development positions and data architects. However, it is not simply the financial sector which is looking to further digitalise itself, creating a healthy requirement and competitive wage for the best I.T talents. According to the European Commission for Digital Economy and Society, the five most important digital changes are expected to revolve around 5G internet, cloud computing, the internet of things, data technologies and cybersecurity. All of these changes are expected to be implemented in every aspect of our lives, both at home and at work. As a consequence, the need for digital or I.T skills are growing by the day and can only expect to grow along with the economy in the future. The largest tech firm titles belong to Amazon. Amazon tops the highest paying tech firms for 2016. The news comes shortly after Amazon announce it is to created 1,500 jobs in the Manchester area through the opening of a new warehouse in Airport city. About the author: Will Ellis is a writer on behalf of Lucas Blake.   Image: Shutterstock

Why Tactics Without Strategy is a Recipe for Networking Frustration - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Why Tactics Without Strategy is a Recipe for Networking Frustration - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Are you heavy on tactics and light on strategy when it comes to networking for your business? You’ll know if you’re feeling at all frustrated that the time you’ve put in is far outweighed by the meager results you’ve gotten out. Trouble is that when we get into this situation we think we need to do more, and we look for solutions in the form of other tactics that we might not have tried yet. But imagine if you took 5 random ingredients from your refrigerator and threw them into a sauté pan. What are the chances you’d have a finished dish that you’d actually want to eat? Then what if you added another ingredient to the pan, and another and another?   Think the end product would get more appetizing? Not likely. Yet that’s what so many people do to remedy networking that isn’t working. Adding more and more stuff to an incoherent mess and getting further and further away from enjoying a satisfying, yummy, filling meal. In fact, after all that work, most likely they’ll be hungrier than ever. A tasteful and successful dish Crafting a successful dish in the kitchen starts with having a fairly good idea of what you want the dish to be, deciding what it should look like and taste like in your mind first. Only then can you choose the right ingredients to create it. It won’t work the opposite way. You can’t make beef wellington with Caesar salad ingredients no matter how skilled in the kitchen you are. It’s the same thing with networking. You need to have a good idea of the kind of help you’re looking for and who might be able to give you that help before you venture out online or in person to meet them. Otherwise you’ll have too many people in your network, nice folks as they may be, who can’t give you the kind of help you need and not enough of the people who can. A strategy helps you narrow down where to spend your networking time. That’s especially important for entrepreneurs and business owners who know that every minute spent on networking is time they’re not spending on client service and other key business responsibilities. And let’s face it, none of us has unlimited time to network, nor unlimited time to wait for networking to work. We want to do the things and be in the places that will give us the greatest likelihood of meeting the right people. But to do this, we need to focus on the who before the how. When you’re compiling your list of key relationships to build for your business, be sure to consider these different groups: Those with specialized knowledge Speaking with folks who can give insight, advice and market intelligence on key industry trends, news and people can help you find hidden opportunities to capitalize on. Those who actively network People who are active on social networking sites or who frequently attend networking events will be valuable not only because they understand the concept of networking, but also because they have a large network to connect you to and a steady inflow of new contacts. Those who’ve already achieved Having role models who’ve already accomplished the goals you’ve set for yourself can be inspirational, and they can help you shortcut your road to success by giving you firsthand advice on the mistakes to avoid. Those with access to money You’ll never know when you might need a small business loan, private investment or some other form of financing for your business. Keep in mind that being deliberate and focused about who you network with doesn’t give you license to be a jerk to everyone else. You want to be friendly and respectful to everybody you meet and never burn bridges. Even if you don’t think someone can help you, they could be of great help to someone you know. Author: Want to craft a coherent networking and business development strategy for YOUR business? Enroll in the next  Smart Networking tele-course led by Liz Lynch, founder of the Center for Networking Excellence and author of Smart Networking: Attract a Following In Person and Online (McGraw-Hill, 2008).

5 Luxury Items To Invest Your Money In

5 Luxury Items To Invest Your Money In Keeping your money in the bank is a wise idea, but some might say that investing your money in luxury items is even better. Keeping your money in the bank is a wise idea, but some might say that investing your money in luxury items is even better. If you have some money to spare, then it will be wise for you to invest in some items that you can sell later on. You can both enjoy it and make money from it later on. If you want to spend your money on something big, here are five luxury items that you can invest your money in.   Classic car You always see rich people investing in countless classic cars that they seldom use. According to analysts, classic and luxury cars are still the best investments up to this day. Investing in high-end collectible cars are said to be more profitable than investing in stocks. Some of the best cars to invest in are Aston Martin, Maserati, and Ferrari. Take a ride in your classic car down the highway, or keep it clean and maintained in your garage â€" either way, purchasing a classic car is one of the best investments.   Watch Watches are also good investments. However, you need to do your research to know if the price of a particular watch will increase over time. Brands such as Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, and Rolex are always good choices for investments. However, there are also pieces from other manufacturers that will be a good choice. One of the best watches you can get your hands on is the Gold Calibre 89 Patek Philippe, which is made of gold and features hi-tech engineering. You can get your hands on one if you have $5.1 million to spare.   Wine Invest in a few bottles of wine, let them age, and see your money grow. Wines, particularly Bordeaux, can sell for a lot of money. Just like any other luxury item, you need to do your research when you purchase wine. Research the seller, the different types of wine that you can purchase, their values, and the potential increase in price. One of the most coveted bottles of wine is the Henri Jayer Richebourg Grand Cru, which has a price tag of more than $16,000.   Artwork Fine artwork can be good investments, and can also be the center of attention in your living room. The rarer the artwork, the more value it has. Do your research and look for interesting artworks in galleries. You can also try your hand at collecting art pieces from famous artists, as they can increase value over time. In addition, you can get your hand on some of the most wanted artworks by bidding for them at auctions.   Boat Just like cars, boats are increasing in price and are good investments for those who have the money to purchase them. If you learn to drive a boat, you can even show off your boat. Experts say that the benefits you get from owning a boat will outweigh the money that you paid for it. Owning a boat is not only for the rich, you have many options if you want your very own boat. If you take care of your investment, you will be reaping the rewards sooner than you think, and this does not always mean a

Think Like a Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Think Like a Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career As a companion piece to an earlier post about important elements of branding, I felt it apropos to discuss the intellectual aspects of brand activity. Why do I refer to it as brand activity? Because your brand must be active.  All of the elements within are actions that keep your brand alive. Thus, because a brand is not a product nor a service, it is necessary to complete the connection between the heart and the head that we all have as people and is illustrated by your brands emotional and intellectual essential features. When you consider branding from this perspective, you will likely notice that as important as affinity and equity are, the place your brand occupies in ones mind surrounds the feelings that connect people to it. Be sure to remember this particular fact when you contemplate where your brand is and where you want it to be. Identity We all have names and other characteristics that help others identify us. Similarly, brands possess these components, the combination of which is most often referred to as the  logo. Your logo is so important that it is mistakenly called a brand by some. This is due to the fact that the words, fonts, shapes, colors and other attributes that make up your logo [should] say a whole lot about who you are and what you believe in. Positioning Your positioning defines where you fit in the market. The importance of this brand element has everything to do with clarity. One of your biggest responsibilities as a business is to  serve your customers and that obligation is difficult to fulfill if you dont know: 1) where you fit within the human community; and 2) who your customers are or will be. Furthermore, your position will help differentiate you from those who, at first glance, seem to be similar. Strategy Planning. It is imperative. This plan is not a general idea. Your strategy must have clear objectives and goals. And when you have crafted your well-defined brand strategy it will affect all aspects of your business including consumer needs, competitive environments and, of course, emotions. Vision How do you want to be perceived by those who come in contact with you? Your vision is an extension of your positioning as it can help communicate your present and future position through your values.  This is one of those brand elements that is exactly how it sounds. Vision win! Mission You know all of those fundamental ideas that your potential and actual customers or colleagues look for in order to decide whether or not they would like to connect with you? They reside, at least in part, inside of your mission. Moreover, your mission will contain action steps that move  your company forward. Add some strategic direction, vision and priorities. Quality Quality is defined as  the standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind;  or  the degree of excellence of something. In the context of branding, this comparison is represented by your know how or how capable your product or service is in contrast to those analogous to you. A major point of differentiation,  quality will help you stand out as well as help you set your price or other barriers to entry. Value Closely related to quality, value is an appraisal made by a consumer or colleague that is used to assist them in making a decision to connect with your brand. An amalgam of all of your brand elements, value is the importance, worth or usefulness of your brand in the eyes of the consumer. Thus, all of  the thoughts, feelings, and experiences people have with your brand contribute to its value. How you create, manage and employ your brand is based upon all of these factors both emotional and intellectual. So, when crafting all parts of said brand, be sure to actively reflect on the pieces that your consumers think about innately. It is the best way for you to firmly ensconce your brand into a consumers mind and heart.

How to Lose Your Job in 10 Easy Steps CareerMetis.com

How to Lose Your Job in 10 Easy Steps â€" CareerMetis.com Maybe it’s time to do a 180-degree shift on the subject of maintaining employment continuity.Much has been written on how to get and keep a job; I sometimes wonder if the guidance being offered by so many “experts” is resonating with people.Volumes of advice in a world with so much communications clutter often go unheard despite its worth.So let’s try a contrarian approach and see if it strikes a nerve with young professionals wanting to understand how they can increase their chances of surviving in a world of upheaval, unpredictability, and chaos.The actions you can take to contribute to prematurely ending your employment are:1) Expect more than your employer offers and make sure others know it. evalYou are entitled to certain things from your employer and when they don’t deliver, speak up 5) Avoid spending time and engaging with your colleaguesYou don’t want to make friends with people at work; it could lead to teamwork projects.In addition, they could ask you for perso nal favor requiring you to step up and step out.Photo Credit â€" Pexels.com6) Complain about what’s not working in the organization, and NEVER offer to do anything about itKeep a record of what you find that is wrong with the company’s operating procedures and policies; deal them up when you have the right senior management audience.7) Be the same as everyone else; copy what they doNever offer anything creative or different than every other employee. You don’t want to stand out from the crowd;you’ll be noticed and perhaps rewarded for doing something special.8) Duck your head when someone asks for volunteers to work extra timePlay the “balance work and lifestyle” card. Taking on extra work without being paid is verboten.It signals that you are willing to go the extra mile and that you care about what the organization does.9) Actively promote yourself to other organizations and be seen doing it. You want your boss to know you are always on the lookout for better opportuni ties and that other organizations are headhunting you.It gives you leverage for feeding the entitlement you feel you deserve.10) Stay away from any of the company’s social responsibility tasks that ariseBeing part of how the organization meets its community obligations will only require you to take time from your personal life.It’s easy to lose your job if you follow this 10-step process.But don’t expect overnight results; it could take months for your boss to pay attention to your actions and fire you.

Cover Letters for Varied Situations - Hire Imaging

Cover Letters for Varied Situations - Hire Imaging Writing a cover letter can seem confusing and challenging when it’s a “special situation” or outside the scope of directly applying to a clear-cut advertised position. Let’s look at other types of cover letters to consider in your job search and career management. Cold Letters. You can directly contact potential employers without a referral or previous correspondence. Job-seekers most commonly use this type of letter to advertise their ability to hiring managers or human resources. You should have compiled a list of the top employers you would like to work for and gathered basic company information for each. Broadcast Letters. With a broadcast letter, well-qualified candidates can advertise their availability to top-level professionals in a particular field. The candidate aims to entice the potential employer to consider his or her qualifications for available positions. Although the broadcast letter discusses a candidate’s background in detail, a resume is usually included. Since this type of letter is used primarily by seasoned executives, its tone should reflect the candidate’s experience, knowledge, and confidence in his or her capabilities. Employment Agency Letters. When searching for a job, some candidates seek help from employment agencies. These letters should focus on who you are, what type of position you are looking for and in what specific industry, and some of your strongest skills related to that field. For the agency to place you in an appropriate position, mention personal preferences, including geographic and salary requirements. Executive Search Firm Letters. Although these firms don’t actively recruit candidates (their clients are the employers), don’t let this discourage you from writing. A well-crafted cover letter can alert an otherwise unknowing recruiter to your availability. Highlight your most impressive accomplishments and attributes, and briefly summarize all relevant experience. If you have preferences, like geographical location, travel, and salary, mention them in your letter. Networking Letters. These pertain largely to a third-party industry contact to garner the reader’s attention and induce him or her to assist you in your job search. It’s important to achieve the right tone in your networking letters. Unless you’re familiar with a contact, word your correspondence in a businesslike manner. Don’t use your addressee’s first name or rely on an overly casual writing style. If you have been in contact with this person recently, it could be useful to remind him or her, “It was great seeing you at the ABC Convention last month” or “It’s been several months since we bumped into each other on the plane to New York. How are you?” Many networking letters are written to someone whom the candidate has not met but has been referred to by a mutual acquaintance. In this case, immediately state the name of the person who referred you, such as “John Doe suggested I contact you.” Ask for assistance with information and names of people to contact. Don’t ask for a j ob! Thank You Letters. Your correspondence doesn’t end with cover letters. Other types of letters, such as thank you letters are often appropriate, even obligatory. It’s acceptable to handwrite them on a generic-blank note card. Make sure they’re neat and legible. If in doubt, type or email the letter. If you met with several people, it’s fine to send each an individual letter. Call the company if you need to check the correct spelling of names. Keep the letters short and send them promptly. Here are some of the situations where a thank you letter is appropriate: After a job interview. Always send a thank you letter after an interview, ideally within 24 hours. Express thanks for the employer’s time and emphasize your continued interest in the position. Mention something specific from the interview and restate your interest. Avoid catchphrase and be careful the letter doesn’t come across sounding canned. Make it no more than a page or even a few sentences. For a good reference. In your job search, it might be necessary to call upon personal and professional references to support your credentials. These people are doing you a favor and deserve your written thanks. They also keep your contacts current. You may want to remind the person why you needed the reference and mention the outcome of his or her efforts. Keep your comments brief and your tone polite. For a letter of recommendation. Potential employers sometimes require letters of recommendation. These may be written by previous employers or, for those with little professional experience, by college professors or others who know your work ethic. For a referral. Many jobs are found with the assistance of a networking contact or referrals. Throughout your job search, keep track of all your referrals and send each one a personalized thank you note. Briefly express sincere gratitude for help on your behalf. If the person’s’ efforts directly led to a positive outcome for you, let him or her know. Offer your return assistance if that is within your power. After an informational interview. Everyone who assists you in any way during your job search deserves written thanks. This is true for any informational interview. Although you’re not asking for a job, you’ve taken a person’s time. Consider the case of my client Nancy, who wrote a timely thank you to an industry executive with whom she met in an informational interview. The executive, impressed by her considerate attention to detail, heard about an appropriate employment opportunity several weeks later and recommended her for the job! I always love to hear from you! Please comment below.

Creative Writing Project on Resume

Creative Writing Project on ResumeMany people are afraid to talk about their creative writing projects on resume. This is mostly because they don't know where to start, how to describe their work, or where to go from there. It can be a real challenge to come up with the right words to describe the work you did, and it can be scary to start talking about this topic in person.These same people may not know where to get the information to write about it on their resume. You can start by looking online for some basic information. The most important pieces of information that will tell you what sort of creative writing project you did will be your portfolio.You'll need to have a portfolio for your resume to stand out. Think about the last time you saw someone who had been working for the same company for years. When they finally showed up to get their job interview, you could have easily forgotten them.Someone who is making a professional living from a creative writing project they've don e in the past can leave a bigger impression on you than someone who is fresh out of college. This is because you really don't know if they'll do the same thing when they get the job interview. They could very well have already gotten their dream job.You want to be able to tell the difference between someone who is well suited for the job they're applying for, and someone who is going to put in all of the effort needed to get the job. To help you do this, you will need to send in a sample resume. This is your opportunity to show employers how good you are at writing, and how much you know about getting a job.Make sure to be as specific as possible with your writing project on resume. Include your credits on the resume, if applicable, and mention what happened in each writing project. If you are going to share this information, make sure you include it on the actual resume.If you don't know what to say about your writing project on resume, consider hiring a professional writer to help you. You can expect a great deal of results if you just focus on trying to express yourself creatively. The ability to create a great resume is more than just about being able to spell.Many people get stuck in a rut because they don't end up doing anything productive in life. Don't waste this valuable experience, by being stuck in one form of creative writing. Take a chance and jump into a different way of writing that you never thought you'd try.