According to Tribe HR, these are the six most common job interview mistakes:

1. Talking While Chewing Gum

Instead of focusing on what you have to say, your interviewer is probably just listening to the sound of incessant chewing. Keeping gum in your mouth while you’re in an interview shows that you aren’t focused on the task at hand, and may not be focused in your role. If you are nervous and chew gum to rid your nerves, try doing something what a lot of famous speakers do – carry a small lucky object in your pocket to remind you of all the times it has helped you in the past. Out of sight, and out of (your interviewers) mind!

2. Dissing Your Previous Job

Your mission is to impress your interviewer and show you why you would be great for their organisation – don’t begin to taint your first impressions with negativity and complaints. Chances are, the values you hated in your previous company may be exactly what your prospective employer is looking for. For example: “I hated my old role. They would always give me jobs without a minutes notice and expect it to be done on the same day“. Often when you complain about something, it doesn’t tell interviewers how bad your  last job was – it tells them about who you are  in the workplace. If being asked why you left your old role, try to think of a positive responsibility or task that would have impossible to obtain in your previous role. E.g.: I’m looking for a company that can provide a balanced work/home life.

3. Appearing Arrogant

On the opposite end of being nervous, you can also cross the line by being too arrogant. Key signs of arrogance in an interview include not allowing the interviewer to finish speaking so that you can correct them or being condescending in your responses. Instead, pull back on the attitude and promote confidence instead. Less can be more, so when your interviewer is speaking – allow them to finish and be constructive in your responses if you have a differing point to make. A balance of humility and respect will take candidates far beyond the first interview.

4. Appearing Disinterested

Eyes glazing over? Yawning? When you display signs of disinterest, prospective employers are going to mirror those feelings right back at you. To avoid this mistake, prep yourself for the interview: make sure you have a good nights sleep and eat a healthy breakfast in the morning to keep your energy levels going throughout the day. Once you’re in the interview, show that you are interested in the position by asking questions and participating in the conversation instead of being a passive listener.

5. Wearing the Wrong Attire

It pays to do research about the company you want to work for before going to the interview. If they are known to be corporate, play it safe with business attire. If they have the start up vibe, opt for smart casual. You want to mirror the workers who have already landed a job at your ideal company – and to subliminally show that you already belong. Wherever you are applying – aim to be neat, tidy and well groomed in your overall appearance.

6. Answering a Phone Call

An unbelievable 71% of interviewers reported that candidates who did receive a phone call during an interview – answered them. This sends the message that you are:

a) disinterested in the position;
b) do not respect the interviewer enough to give them your 100% attention;
c) easily distracted; and
d) unable to prioritise.

To avoid this blunder, turn your phone on silent – or better yet, turn it off altogether. If you want the position bad enough, you need to give it your all.

We hope this helps you to be the best you can be to land your next job, let us know if you get lucky!

The post 6 Most Common Job Interview Mistakes and How to Avoid Them appeared first on The Paid to Learn Project.

Landing a job that you love is what everybody aims for. Fresh graduates have unlimited possibilities at their disposal. The only thing standing in their way is their own apprehension about the first interviews.

Job interviews are the initial tests that potential employees have to pass before they start working for the company that they are applying to. It is basically a sales call in which the interviewer has to decide whether or not he or she will “buy” the services of the applicant for the company. Technically, the applicant has to be able sell him or herself as a valuable asset to the perspective employer.

There are times wherein an applicant fails to land a job because he or she did not perform well during the job interview. That is why a job interview can also add to the pressure that you feel whenever you are applying for a job. However, in order to be successful in landing a job, you should not think about the pressure that a job interview makes you feel, instead focus on how to make it a stepping stone for the career path that you are aiming for.

To overcome the anxiety that you might feel during a job interview, here are some handy tips to remember:

Prepare the things you need – Before going to the interview venue, you should prepare all the things that you need like resume (bring some extra copies in case there is more than one interviewer), application forms that you need to fill in, references and if necessary, a portfolio. With all these prepared, you won’t have to panic about not having them on you during the job interview. Make sure that you have them in hand so that you can confidently give them to the interviewer when he or she needs them.

Your look affects their impression - In an interview, you should strive to look your best. You only get one chance to make a good first impression. It is highly recommended that you wear neat business attire. For women – a conservative blouse or a business suit with conservative colors will do, while for men can, it is recommended to wear a clean pressed dress shirt and tie, or a suit.

Learn to manage stress – Stress is your number one enemy. In most job interviews, the interviewer usually will test your ability on how you handle stress by putting you under pressure. Circumstances like the interviewer may not smile or may let you wait for half an hour to make you anxious can be a test to check whether how you handle situations out of your control. In order to breakthrough this, you should maintain your composure and relax. Try your best to communicate properly once the interview has started. This will show the interviewer that no matter what kind of stressful environment he or she has for you, you will be able to keep your cool.

Anticipate and practice answer questions – Prepare for the most common interview questions like “What was your most difficult work related challenge and how did you overcome it?” or “Why do you think should my company should hire you?” You can at least prepare your answers for these questions so your interview will progress smoothly.

Arrive early, but not too early – To relieve yourself from stress of thinking about whether you are late or not, you should aim to arrive at least 10 minutes before your scheduled job interview. Arriving too early will give you time to get anxious, while arriving late will make you sweaty with worry.

Job interviews can test your skill and they determine whether you are a good fit for the position. Make sure that you are prepared and up for it to avoid unnecessary anxiety that may hinder your ability to answer the questions properly. Good luck!

The post How to Overcome Job Interview Anxiety appeared first on The Paid to Learn Project.

Here are some tips on how you can find the job that you will love and enjoy:

1. Figure out what comes first in your list
We tend to have so many things on our mind – what we to accomplish and all the goals that we want to achieve. However important each of those thoughts are, you need to figure out which comes first. If you love photography over graphic design, be a photographer.

2. Find the company whom you share the same values with
When you are clear about what you want, research to find employers that share this value structure with you. Working with a company that has the same values as you do will ensure that you will want to spend your time and energy with those people.

3. Aim for the best, prepare for the challenge
If you are aiming for the best company or job for you, prepare for the hardest screening of your life. Make sure that you are well prepared and expect to be challenged. If you are willing to give your all for a position that you will love you are off to a good start. Spend time refining your resume. Remember, first impressions are vital in landing a good job.

4. Don’t rush into finding your dream job
You must be very clear about what you want before jumping into a new career. Never rush in finding the position that you want if it doesn’t meet your career goals. Study every company that you apply for. Do not just send out your resume and get the first one that will call you or accept you in their doors. Though salary is important, never readily grab the job with the highest offer. The amount of time that you enjoy in your job is priceless compared to the amount that you will get.

5. Most importantly, do what you love
It is all about passion – it is all about doing what you love to do. Doing the things that you love will open your doors to greater possibilities and opportunities. Everything starts small and when you are doing your work with
love and passion, you will surely go a long way. Love what you are doing and your work will love you back.

Working for eight hours a day or more can be very tedious if you do not enjoy your work. When you know what you want and why you want it, performing those tasks will empower you, not drain you. Remember the old saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun”? Just think how much happier your life will be when you love what you are doing in your career!

The post 5 Tips to Find a Job You Love appeared first on The Paid to Learn Project.

Your resume plays a vital part in getting your foot through the door because it assists your employer in assessing whether or not they would like to further consider your job application. It should include the relevant contact information, education, qualifications, skills and work history in a structured way to make it as easy as possible for your employer to evaluate your suitability and contact you.

Here are some additiional tips for you to take into consideration when writing your resume:

1. Make sure that the email address you provide on your resume is professional such as yourname@gmail.com instead of personal email addresses such as surfchick@gmail.com.
2. Keep it clear and concise so that your resume is no more than two pages long.
3. Use easy to read fonts (e.g Arial, Calibri, Tahoma) with clear headings and plenty of spaces between different sections…..and always avoid using Comic Sans!
4. Do not use fonts smaller than 10pt in size.
5. Do not use more than two variations of fonts and font colours.
6. Do not go back more than 10 years of employment history.
7. Do not use slang or shortcut acronyms inappropriately.
8. Do not include irrelevant information such as date of birth, religion or political affiliation.
9. Include what your professional goals are to give the employer a better idea of what you would like to achieve in your career.
10. Tailor your resume so that it showcases the skills most relevant to the role you are applying for.
11. Do not leave gaps in your work history, people will be wondering what you were doing. If you do have gaps include a short description of why you did not work during this  time.
12. If you have listed down a skill make sure you back it up by providing an example of how you have applied this skill in the past.
13. Do not include which primary school you’ve attended unless you’re 100% sure it is relevant to your employer.
14. Update and revise your resume regularly.
15. If you have a uni-sex name such as Alex, use the Ms. or Mr. prefix infront of your name.
16. When listing your work history start with your most recent role first.
17. Order your resume categories according to importance (E.g Work Experience should be one of the first things to appear on your resume and when listing your skills make sure the most impressive skills are displayed first.
18. If you are planning to submit your application in person, use a good printer and good quality paper to show that you have pride in the way you are presented to the company.
19. If you are planning to submit your application in person, please do not print your resume double-sided.
20. Use industry related terminology and appropriate jargon according to the industry you’re applying for.
21. Use bullet points and avoid long paragraphs.
22. Focus on your past achievments instead of responsibilities.
23. When listing your past achievements try include between 1 – 3 for your previous roles.
24. If you are sending in your application via email, always include your resume as an attachment (either .pdf or .doc) instead of in the body of the email.
25.  Ask friends and family to proof read your resume for typos, mistakes and additional advice

Remember that your resume is basically a brochure about you and that how you want to be viewed professional should be translated well on paper.

The post Tips on Writing a Resume appeared first on The Paid to Learn Project.

1. You Should Wait to Hear Back from your Interviewer

..and wait.. and wait.. and wait. You may have attended a job interview and been told that you would be contacted within a week. A week has passed and still no phone call. Should you take this as a sign that you were not successful? Not at all. Successful career coach Roy Cohen has always encouraged interviewees to at the very least, leave a follow-up note. If the manager isn’t calling you back, chances are that they are simply too busy and have forgotten to get back to you – or they’re too busy answering the calls of other candidates who have made the move to call them back. While calling back straight after an hour might be a bit too eager, taking the proactive route is better than not showing any effort at all.

Standard follow back tip: Write an email thanking the interviewer for their time and how you’re looking forward to hearing from them.

Stand OUT follow back tip: No doubt the company would have shared with you their plans for the future. Call up the manager thanking them for their time, and pass on suggestions you compiled since the interview on how you can help them meet the challenges of their plans.

2. Don’t share your weaknesses

It’s tempting to let your abilities to shine without stating that you have any weaknesses at all, but let’s face it – no one is perfect. You know this, and employers know this too.

By asking what your weaknesses are, employers are simply trying to find out areas that you want to improve on, and how you go about overcoming that weakness. Be as specific as possible about your area of weakness – as generalising can open them to misinterpret your weakness as a broad problem. State your specific weakness, and then list the methods you have been using to turn it into a strength.

Standard weakness response: My weakness is in coding. I’ve been reading some books to help me overcome this.

Stand OUT weakness response: My weakness is in PHP programming. I am overcoming this with a mix of self-teaching, classes and creating programs to practice my skills. Here is an example of a program I have since created to help improve my skills.

3. Leave out the boring bits on your CV

What you may think doesn’t matter any more may still help improve your chances of landing a position. As ubiquitous as basic skills are in our digital age (such as the ability to use Microsoft Office), they are skills nonetheless and may affect the decision to take you to the next round of interviews. While fanciful descriptions and achievements can lift your position on the call back list, employers also want to know that you can handle the most simplest of tasks if they need you to.

Image courtesy of Giacomo Gambineri

Stand OUT CV will include (example): Microsoft Office, data entry, reception/administrative duties and so on.

They key to all these points is to be proactive and allow all your achievements to shine through in the interview – no matter how big or small they are. Let us know if you have other myths that need busting!

The post 3 Myths You Should Bust to Land Your Next Job Interview appeared first on The Paid to Learn Project.

The following article was written by Guest Blogger Ella Utku.

Ella is the founder of Need Help Write Now and the author of ‘Job and The City’. ‘Job and The City‘ is based on an Australian novel about the changing economy, roles of women in the workplace, the impact of Gen Y values in the workplace and the changing ‘caste’ system in Australia as ethnic demographics are changing and migrants are stepping up to key roles.

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Without a doubt, one of the most important choices of your life will be to choose the career path that will lead you to success.  How do you choose the right career for you?

As stated, the career you’re choosing must be right for you.  Did you know that many people make a decision to pursue a career based on outside pressures from friends and family?

Some people even base their career choices on the fact that certain careers seem to pay better or there is job security.  Many other external factors exist.  The important thing to remember is that the career must be right for you.

Instead of taking external factors into account, ask yourself, what do you want to be?

Again, many people will have no idea which path will yield success and happiness.

Some people will say that they would like to just hit the lottery and live off the winnings for the rest of their lives.

If you really had over a million dollars and no purpose in life other than living it up, you might find that you will run out of things to do and people to hang out with as soon as your money runs out.

So, it comes back to the question of what your purpose in life will be.

The good news is, once you know your purpose and you start pursuing it, the success will come.

I have a friend who’s been trading in the share market for ten years and today he chooses the companies to invest in and meets numerous CEOs and COOs and reads people to invest wisely.

His decisions make the news.

The secret is that he’d been focusing on success in the share market for a long time.  Sure, there were times he lost money but he learned from that and moved forward.

You too, might have a passion.  But maybe you’ve been told that it’s a crazy idea or that a very small number of the people with similar goals will ever make any money from it.

Forget about money for a minute.  What would it be you’d be doing if there was no concern for making money?  Are you passionate about comic books?  Do you know all movies ever made back to front?  Been composing and performing songs for as long as you know?

You can turn all of these seeming hobbies into a business or a way to sustain a living.  Many people have done so.

If you have more conventional interests such as diagnosing illnesses, finding a cure for a specific ailment, eliminating poverty or keeping law order or an office neat and tidy, well your work is pretty much cut out for you.

Don’t let anyone tell you that there are no jobs.  Is the world in a perfect state of order?  You can be certain that it is not.  There’s much to be fixed up.  If you’ve studied Physics, you will have heard of entropy.  Entropy is simply the fact that the universe becomes more disorderly as time passes.  So there’s more to do with each passing second.

With so much chaos and disorder, pick your niche and work on making things better each day.

Oh yes, choosing your career path?  Well that’s personal to you.  You may realise that you’re better at certain things than others or that you are really drawn to certain activities.  Research the ways of turning your passions into a business.

Alternatively, you could research professional groups and see what your personality type (team player, individual, introvert, extrovert, analytical, emphatic, etc…) could best be suited for.  There are professional tools for measuring the match between the personality types and professions.  You may want to try out these tests to get an idea on which careers may suit you.

One of the tests that’s been around since the end of World War 2 is called the Birkman personality analysis.  It’s based on vast research performed on people in different careers.  It is an excellent measure of the match between a person and an occupation.  You should enquire about measurement tools such as the Birkman with your career counsellor or a HR professional.

The post Which Career is Right for You? appeared first on The Paid to Learn Project.

Amy, myself and Emma at the Best Places to Work Awards 2012

Why hello there! In case we haven’t met before, my name is Annie Nguyen and I’ve been working at E-Web Marketing for over a year and a half now but my role has changed significantly since I started.

Before I started working at E-Web Marketing, I was a full-time Business student at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) but I was desperate to get my foot through the door before I finished my degree. I’ve always had an unusual attraction towards fashion and accessories so I decided to start my own fashion and lifestyle blog which eventually lead me to selling jewellery online through my personal E-Commerce website. I picked upsome digital skills by managing my own website and during the last year of my studies I was offered a full-time job as the Online Manager and Marketing Assistant for a fashion based company, it was an offer that I couldn’t refuse. I decided to become a part-time University student and a full-time Marketer.

Unfortunately when I started work I realised that I loved my job and being around fashion but the workplace culture just wasn’t there. I didn’t feel appreciated at work and neither did my colleagues, there was a lot of distrust and unrewarded hard work which affected me more and more each day. I started looking elsewhere and that’s when I stumbled upon E-Web Marketing. I found E-Web Marketing through GradConnection and was eventually offered an interview to potentially join E-Web’s marketing team. I decided to dig deeper into the company and the more I found out about E-Web, the more nervous I was leading up to the interview. I really wanted to work here, I thought. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of one of the top 10 Best Places to Work in Australia?

My interview ended up going smoothly and I was offered the position of Campaign Manager which required me to build and maintain relationships with a portfolio of clients and manage their Online Marketing campaign. After about a year at E-Web I felt like I had somehow encountered a wall, the workplace culture was fantastic, the office is rockin’ and I loved the people I worked with but I liked my job, I didn’t love it. Why? Because my heart was still in fashion and accessories, I still ran my jewellery website on the side but I knew it eventually wouldn’t be enough. I was at a crossroad.

Suddenly, the stars decided to align. A business opportunity to be a shareholder in a European inspired jewellery company, Bellagio & Co, was presented to E-Web. Gary (E-Web’s CEO) and Josh (E-Web’s COO) needed somebody to look after this business full-time and since the E-Web family is very close, they both knew about my jewellery selling hobby outside of work. Gary approached me with the opportunity and without a doubt in my mind I said yes.

Now I’m the Creative Director of Bellagio & Co and I’m getting the best of both worlds. I work from the E-Web office in “Start-up Alley” alongside other start-up businesses within E-Web so I still get to enjoy the same cool office and the amazing workplace culture and I also get to work in the fashion industry. I guess you could say, I’ve found my dream job.

Another great thing about working from the E-Web office is that I still get to chip in around the workplace. I like to decorate the office, do things to strengthen our core values and organise charity fundraisers so I’ve additionally picked up the title of Culture Officer for E-Web Marketing.

So over the past year and a half I’ve received invaluable mentoring, industry skills and expertise as well as experience. I’m a much more confident business woman than I was 2 years ago and I’m constantly excited for what the future has to bring. If you’re looking to work somewhere that’s going to teach you how to grow, innovate and spread Happiness, Success and Fun then E-Web Marketing is the place to be.

The post From Account Manager to Creative Director appeared first on The Paid to Learn Project.

Whether you’re a current or future graduate, here is advice to equip you with the right tools and prepare you for the professional business industry.

Practice makes perfect

Rarely do Universities run classes or tutorials on how to think quickly on your feet. However, if you master this skill early, it will help you breeze through the initial screening process of graduate level interviews and then throughout your career as you network and encounter new colleagues, clients and partners. The key here is to take up any opportunity to practice and get out of your comfort zone, here are some examples:

• Apply for industry-related internships and jobs to practice your interview and communication skills. After your interviews be sure to ask the employers for performance feedback and if you get the job then take the initiative for every project you do.
• Simulate “real-life” situations with your friends or even better, those that are well experienced with graduate interviews to ask you all the tough questions
• Look for Improv Speaking opportunities
• When in group activities and projects, lead the conversation and take charge
• Participate in networking events and connect with as many people as you can
• Connect to people within your industry on LinkedIn or industry related discussion boards and invite them out to coffee. Not only do you get to speak to someone with experience to help you kick-start your career, you’re building great relationships, you’ll find yourself more comfortable connecting with industry experts in the future and your conversations will improve those much needed communication skills to help you think quick on your feet!

Ask the pros

The quickest way to learn is to ask somebody who has already done it. Connect with people either through friends, social networks, by posting queries on discussion boards or even just by speaking to your University Lecturers and Tutors after class. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, regardless of how basic you think it may be. It’s better to learn as much as you can about what you should and should not do so that you can accelerate your career faster than those who were too afraid to ask. After all, there’s nothing better than getting insider tips before your big day!

Market yourself!

If you’re planning to work in the marketing industry, you should be able to market yourself! Start establishing yourself as an industry expert by managing your personal brand online. This means that you are presenting yourself as an asset online by showing your personality, skills and ability to influence an audience. You should start getting involved in:

• Social media: Be mindful of the content you share about yourself in your social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Every time you post something online, imagine that it will be on the cover of tomorrow’s newspaper, if you’re not comfortable with it then it’s probably a good idea to keep it private. As for professional networks such as LinkedIn, make sure that you have completed 100% of your profile and that it is publicly available so that you can show off your skills to all potential employers.
• Blogging: Sign up for a WordPress account, select a page theme, start blogging and don’t forget to slap it on your resume! Your blog is a low cost marketing device that allows you to share your industry knowledge with the rest of the world. For those that are just starting out, surf the internet for hot topics and challenge yourself by writing and researching on topics that you need to learn more about. Not only does it sharpen your writing skills, it expands your knowledge base and gives you credibility as you actively taking initiative to learn and add value to the industry.

• Business cards: You don’t need to have a business to have your own business card! Invest time in creating a good-looking business card that represents you. On your card be sure to include your name, contact information and links to your social network pages to make it as easy as possible for people to connect to you.

For more about personal branding online you can download our “How to Build Your Personal Brand Online” E-Book here.

Market yourself offline

The way you interact online as well as offline builds up an image of who you are. Consistency here is key! First impressions are hard to shake so you should invest time into looking after even the little things like – tying that double-windsor knot in your tie and keeping your nails clean.

When you’re not in a professional space, still try to keep your cool at the rude waitress or the stranger that accidentally walked into you. You never know whether or not you’ll eventually bump into these people you’ve had brief encounters with again, word-of-mouth is also one of the strongest forms of marketing and you definitely don’t want your actions to negatively spread through word-of-mouth.

 Don’t tunnel vision your focus

It might be a dream of yours to work in big industry tycoons such as Coca Cola and Kelloggs but don’t tunnel vision your focus on just the large companies that you’re already aware of. Especially in this digital age where the start-up costs for businesses is lower than ever, there are so many businesses that exist that can help you gain valuable hands-on experience to help you become top of your pack. Whether they be start-up, small, medium or enterprise businesses – you never know where these opportunities can take you. Working in a start-up business also gives you a holistic experience on how to run your own business.

Many graduates also spend too much time working for their dream company in a role that isn’t related to the role they’re after. You’re much better off developing your skills in industry related roles at other agencies or firms, even if it may not be your dream agency. You will get there with hard work, just make sure you choose a company that values your growth.

 Societies and clubs

Being in University, the amount of societies and clubs you can join are endless. Get involved in the societies that are industry-related or just those that help you network with a great bunch of likeminded people (they may end up being your future colleague, manager or client!). If you’re in a society that needs help with their online marketing or promotions, volunteer yourself to spearhead the movement and keep track of the traction you create so that you can include these figures in your resume.

After University there are many industry related online communities you can sign up to. Surf the internet and find the ones most relevant to you so that you can join in on the conversation, get invited to meet up events and connect to industry leaders. If you’re participating in these online communities make sure you include links to your website and all your social network pages in your Profile settings as well as your contributor signature.

Don’t wait until you graduate to get started!

The majority of University students will only start being proactive after they’ve finished University. If you’re going to wait until you’re in your final semester to start searching for opportunities, by this time you may have missed out on even better ones. You’re also already behind the pack if the graduates you’re up against have already built a name for themselves and you’re just starting out.

The adventure has only just begun but now that you’re equipped with this insider tips, you’ll be prepared for the fun ride ahead!

The post Advice to Graduate Students appeared first on The Paid to Learn Project.

Many University graduates either seek for work through graduate programs or the general job market but you may find yourself not knowing what types of graduate marketing jobs you should be applying for. For graduate and entry level positions you will often see terms such as “Junior”or “Assistant” in the title. However, this is a general outline of what each marketing position entails.

Account Marketing Manager

Account Managers deal with different marketing campaigns for a portfolio of clients. They are expected to consistently manage and expand their existing relationships with their clients by being the key point of contact for their accounts. This involves reviewing all deliverables, communicating to the client all activities on their account, determining goals and objectives, monitoring campaign performance and ensuring client expectations are being met.

Content Marketing Specialist

Content Marketing Specialists formulate the website content strategy. They ensure that the website content is proofread and edited, relevant to the industry or topics and is search engine optimised. This may involve contacting and overseeing copyeditors and freelancers and working cross-functionally with other teams depending on the purpose behind the content.

Email Marketing Manager

Email Marketing Managers create email marketing plans and manage all elements of these campaigns from the creative design to the data collection and the coordination of workflow. They ensure that the company’s email marketing campaign is executed effectively and analyse performance data to constantly improve current and future campaigns.

Internet Marketer

Internet Marketers manage all aspects of their company’s online marketing. This involves managing the implementation and execution of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Social Media Marketing, Video Marketing, Blog Strategy, Email Newsletters, online collaborations and business opportunities.

Marketing Administrator

Marketing Administrators assist the Marketing Director in clerical duties such as the organisation of meetings, assigning appropriate staff to their projects, producing status update reports and following up on prospects.

Marketing Assistant

Marketing Assistants support the Marketing Director in their projects and duties. This may involve assisting in the design and execution of marketing materials, following up with vendors, coordinating internal and external meetings, keeping track of campaign statuses and KPIs, carrying out administrative work and coordinating other marketing groups to perform functions.

Marketing Consultant

Marketing Consultants assist a portfolio of clients in the marketing of a product and service to consumers. This role involves analysing current industry trends and target market research and developing marketing strategies based on this data to assist clients in reaching their goals. They are responsible for ensuring that the marketing strategy will be effective and cost efficient.

Marketing Manager

Marketing Managers create marketing plans and oversee all marketing, advertising and promotional activities. This involves managing the marketing team, determining marketing budgets, looking out for business opportunities, analysing industry research, continuously monitoring and reviewing the campaigns and the company’s brand.

Market Researcher/Analyst

Market Researchers and Analysts collect industry and company data to create reports and assist in making marketing decisions based on their research findings. This role will involve translating metrics into graphical data or written text, analysing and predicting marketing and sales trends and providing the company with suggested actionables for their marketing initiatives.

Product Manager

Product Managers develop new products from company ideas and manage these products throughout its entire product life cycle. This includes everything from start to finish such as brainstorming product ideas, defining the product vision and goals and creating the marketing and sales strategy to be executed.

Program Manager

Program Managers promote the marketing of their company by overseeing all company marketing platforms such as online marketing, website design, email newsletters and press release initiatives. Project Managers aim to grow their company database, improve existing and create new relationships and create a positive image of the company.

Project Manager

Project Managers monitor and manage work plans to ensure that they are executed well and completed within the goals, objectives and required timeframe and restraints such as budget and resources. They also collect metric data and generate project progress reports to make available to stakeholders and staff involved in the project.

Search Engine Marketing Manager/Consultant

Search Engine Marketing Managers or Consultants are also otherwise known as Pay-per-click (PPC) Managers or Consultants. They are responsible for the planning, analysing, budget determination and bidding strategy for all paid search marketing campaigns in order to grow the customer base and increase paid website traffic.

Search Engine Optimization Consultant

Search Engine Optimisation Consultants are otherwise known as Digital Marketing Strategists. They are responsible for increasing natural website traffic and improving website positions in organic search engine results. This role involves industry research, website data tracking and on-page as well as off-page website optimisation.

Social Media Marketing Manager

Social Media Managers formulate social media strategies and social media marketing techniques to create a strong social media presence for their company. This involves using social media tools to carry out account activities, monitor social media campaign performance and develop an online community.

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Assess your current situation

Changing careers can be risky especially if you’ve worked in the same industry for a number of years. This is why you shouldn’t solely base your decision of changing careers on a current difficult situation that you’re in at work. Sometimes the water isn’t greener on the other side, but rather where you water it so make sure you do some self evaluation to see if you’re really in need for a change or if you’re just looking for a quick fix. List down all the reasons why you like and why you dislike your current job to see if you can substantiate your decision to change careers.

Identify your passions

If you could work anywhere what would your job title be? If you already know what your passions are you’d be able to easily answer that question. If you’re still pondering then here are a few questions you can ask yourself to help you identify your true passion:

• What could you spend hours reading or researching about?
• What are the things that you currently do that you would love to do more of?
• What are things you do that make you feel good about yourself?
• What makes you want to get out of bed in the morning?

If you can’t think of anything, on a blank piece of paper list down number 1 – 10. Think back over the past few days, weeks, months or year of the things that you’ve done and as soon as you can think of things that have really excited or motivated you, list them down next to the numbers until you have all ten. When you look at these events you may notice a reoccurring theme or maybe you’re just attracted to getting variety out of your life?

Sometimes you’ll also benefit from an outsider’s opinion. Speak to your friends and ask them what they would consider your strengths and weaknesses to be. Perhaps you’ll have a light bulb moment and realise you’ve got a skill in something you can leverage!

While you’re asking yourself and others these questions it’s a good idea to start putting together a vision board of different images that represents what are your interests, strengths and things that you attach meaning to.

Brainstorm your options

By this point you should be excited about finding out what’s out there! But before you hand in your resignation letter at work, make sure you do your research.

Now that you’ve got a better idea of what you’re passionate about, you should be able to brainstorm some career options that you’d love to pursue. If you’re not quite sure of the exact role but you know what you’d like to do in your day-to-day, Google it – don’t forget that the internet is a world of resources at your fingertips! Immerse yourself in research by researching what roles suit the job responsibilities you’d like to take on, what kind of jobs are trending, which industries are booming and get involved in every article or discussion board surrounding your potential profession.

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The next steps

If switching careers was as simple as choosing what you want to do, you would have done it by now! So it’s time for you to develop your plan of attack. Take some time out to sit there and list what you’d need to do to get your foot through the door. This may involve:

• Listing all the prerequisite skills and expand with steps on how to gain these skills
• Update your resume (see <link to our resume tips page>resume tips</link to our resume tips page>)
• Find a mentor that can assist you through your big career change
• Getting some initial experience through volunteer work
• Teach yourself the skills by attending seminars, webinars and reading books
• Get the qualifications by enrolling to a class or course
• Attend networking event to familiarise yourself and connect with people in the industry
• Build a relationship with somebody currently working in the industry to exchange advice and ideas

A good way to keep track of your new skills and your rate of learning is to record everything in a blog or start your own industry-related blog to discuss the topics that you’d like to learn more about. If you build up a community of followers during the process then you’re already positioning yourself as in industry expert and making your mark in the field!

Let’s get a move on!

So now you’ve got a list of what you’ll need to do before you get there. What is currently the lowest hanging fruit? Leverage what you already have and complete the things you can first because a bit of progress is better than waiting for perfection. You’ll learn things as you go and you’ll get better with practice.

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