The top companies hiring in August 2018

The top companies hiring in August 2018 by Michael Cheary Life’s a beach. But your job search doesn’t have to be… If your idea of summer is spending every available second on a sun lounger, you’re in luck. With the reed.co.uk app, you’ll have instant access to the latest jobs no matter where you are â€" so you can find your perfect position without ever leaving the beach.Whoever said being productive had to be hard work?To help you find a job you don’t need to escape from, here are five of the top companies hiring on reed.co.uk in August:Arnold ClarkLooking for a career upgrade? Step into our showroom…Arnold Clark is Europe’s largest independently owned motor dealer, with a proud history of providing people across the country with the perfect car for them.They sell over 250,000 cars a year â€" offering a fantastic choice, whatever type of vehicle their customers are looking for. And hiring the right staff is a key part of their success.From valeters, marketing executives and mechanics through to acc ountants, parts advisors and technicians, there’s an opportunity out there to suit everyone. Especially if you have good customer service skills in abundance.Benefits of being an Arnold Clark employee include discounts across almost all their vehicles, as well as private medical insurance, childcare vouchers, servicing discounts and more. And yes, excellent commission comes as standard.Finally. A car sales job that sells itself.Location:  Across the UKView all jobs with Arnold Clark hereBosch A job at Bosch is more than just a job.For more than 130 years, they’ve offered their associates around the world the opportunity to shape the future â€" whether it’s working on innovations that improve the quality of people’s lives, saving resources, or being at the forefront of all the latest technological developments.They now employ more than 5,000 people in the UK alone, in a wide range of different disciplines, and they’re hiring for a number of roles in August to help move the company forward.So, whether you’re a passionate Developer with an interest in all things automotive, an out-of-work Vehicle Assessor, or just a recent graduate looking for a great company, Bosch want to hear from you.Aside from a highly competitive salary, successful applicants will enjoy excellent training and development opportunities, as well as an incentivised company suggestion system that actively rewards creativity.Not to mention all the discounted belt sanders you could ever imagine.Your shed might never look the same again…Location:  Across the UKView all jobs with Bosch hereCenter Parcs Ah, the great outdoors. Good for relaxing family holidays. Also, jobs.Luckily, you can find both of these at Center Parcs. The school holiday saviour is the number one choice for short breaks in the whole of the UK, employing over 7,000 staff members across the country to help their customers get the most out of their holidays.They currently operate across five separate holiday ‘Vill ages’ (Sherwood Forest, Elveden, Longleat, Whinfell and Woburn), with a brand new location opening in Ireland in 2019.Each one of them is situated on over 400 acres of beautiful forest land. And, as offices go, it doesn’t get much better than that.They’re always on the lookout for passionate people to join the team, with everything from Lifeguards and Spa Therapists, through to Baristas and Bar Staff in high-demand. There are also a wide range of Head Office roles, for anyone more into marketing and HR.So, if you’re looking for a more relaxing career (and/or family holidays at a fraction of the cost), get in touch today.Location:  Across the UKView all jobs with Center Parcs hereComfort Call People in every neighbourhood, in every city, town and village, need home care.In fact, over a million people received some kind of care in their own home in the last year alone. And it’s estimated a million more people unfortunately couldn’t even be accommodated.So how do we deal wi th the growing home care problem? That’s where Comfort Call come in.Part of the City County Healthcare Group, one of the largest providers of community-based social care services in the UK, it’s their mission to provide flexible care and support of the highest standard, and promote independence, dignity and choice for all of those in need.They’re currently recruiting for Care Workers across the country. No previous experience of delivering hands on care is required as full training is provided â€" just the right mindset, compassion and excellent communication skills.Because whether it’s bringing hope and inspiration or even just company, kind words and a cup of tea, care work isn’t just a job â€" it’s a vocation.Location:  Across the UKView all jobs with Comfort Call hereHS2 High Speed 2 (HS2) will be the UK’s brand-new high-speed rail network.It will provide fast, frequent and reliable connections for over 100 cities and towns across the country, including eight of o ur largest cities. As well as improving capacity, the new scheme will shorten journey times between several of Britain’s major population centres and boost the economy.It will also require 345 miles of track, £43 billion of investment, and almost 15 years to complete. Not to mention, a hell of a lot of talented people.That’s where you come in.They’re currently on the lookout for communication and construction managers, as well as project managers, town planners and procurement professionals.Not only will you get to work on one of the biggest engineering projects in the country’s history (hello, impressive new CV), you’ll also be given excellent progression opportunities and training in abundance.Just think of the commute…Location:  Across the UKView all jobs with HS2 hereReady to love Mondays?  View all of our current vacancies 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 applicable 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

Best LinkedIn Profile Apps for Sharing and Collaborating

Best LinkedIn Profile Apps for Sharing and Collaborating UPDATE: LinkedIn has discontinued all apps, meaning none of these  work. â€" LinkedIn, the most widely-used social recruitment site, provides a directory of applications available for users to add to their profiles.  Applications cover a variety of subjects â€" from creative portfolios, to travel, to blogs â€" and having already covered the  blogging and presentation applications, I will now look at the Sharing and Collaborating applications. When adding an application, the user is given two options â€" to display it on their profile, or to display it on a console on their LinkedIn homepage. By adding an application to their profile, a user can highly increase their chances of catching the eye of a future recruiter. In terms of sharing and collaborating on content and projects, there are four application available  Box.net is the only sharing application available, with the three collaborative apps being Github, Huddle Workspaces and Manymoon Projects and Teamspaces. Box.net The tagline for the  Box.net  app is “start sharingtoday!”. This application allows for sharing of content on a users profile however, when the app is added, you have to either connect or register for a new Box account and there is a limit on the amount of files you can upload (which can be upgraded to 50GB). This application could be extremely useful if the users account is linked to the phone or web app as well, and being the only sharing application on the website, its the only real option. Positive points for this application include notifications if a user downloads your content, and the ability to upload anything for people to use. Github The first of the collaborative applications is  GitHub. Powered  by LinkedIn, the app allows a user to showcase their GitHub coding projects on their profil, see which of their connections is most active on GitHub, and gives them the option to tell their network about the app activity through network updates. Github application users have the ability to follow other users or watch projects with the number of followers and projects shown on each user profile. This application is extremely useful if you have coding projects to collaborate on, however, it is not one that can adapt for other purposes. Huddle Workspaces Huddle Workspaces  is powered by Huddle, who describe themselves as the ‘Enterprise Content Collaboration Platform’. The app allows users to create different workspaces for different groups of connections (necessary for private information or documents), and to access their documents from anywhere, anytime. The app contains discussion forums, 1GB of space per use, comments and approvals, the ability to create as well as edit documents, as well as unlimited connections through the app (all for free with a Huddle.net account). Huddle is better version of Github, and gives the same platform as Box.net but with added extras (such as the comments and approvals). Manymoon Projects and Teamspaces The final collaboration application is  Projects and Teamspaces  by Manymoon  which, as the app states,  makes it simple for users to Get Work Done with their LinkedIn connections. The application can be used in any field, with users able to share and track unlimited workspaces, tasks, projects, documents and Google Apps. This application offers everything the other three do, but with even more extras, and it is extremely professional as well. One of the extremely positive aspects of this application is assigning tasks and setting due dates. Conclusions All three applications are extremely good, and serve their purpose, however in conclusion, Box.net is a good sharing tool, whereas Manymoon trumps in the collaboration stakes against Huddle and the coding-based GitHub. Manymoon offer unlimited storage, is very easy to use (as they advertise on their page), and has even more extras than the other two. They are also constantly improving their service, as they have just added Notes and Real-Time Notifications. Github is good for coding projects, and Box.net is useful for just sharing documents job posts for example. Have you used any of these applications? Do you think there are any that LinkedIn could add? You can access the entire LinkedIn application directory  right here. Image: Shutterstock

Birds of a Feather A Look at Cities with Stunningly Similar Urban Planning

Birds of a Feather A Look at Cities with Stunningly Similar Urban Planning Mankind has been building larger and more complex cities since the dawn of civilization. Of course, the structures of buildings and the means of transportation have naturally changed over the years. It is nonetheless a fact that some cities are stunningly similar in regards to their use of urban planning even though the may be separated by hundreds (or thousands) of kilometers. Let us look at three pairs of cities to illustrate this point as well as to highlight why newer methods of planning espoused by experts could signify the road ahead. Victoria City, Morocco and New York City Victoria City is the brainchild of Mazen Al Sawwaf and his associates. While quite new on the world stage, it is already set to represent an economical powerhouse within Morocco. So, are there any similarities besides this novel urban centre and New york City? They both employ a grid plan in regards to their main streets. This design is known for its frequent perpendicular intersections and easy pedestrian access points. One of the main reasons why these two cities (and many others) utilise a grid design is that they are much easier to navigate. Another benefit of this approach is that businesses can readily access the nearby communities. Vienna and Singapore While these two disparate cities are located on opposite sides of the globe, they do indeed share one beneficial aspect in common. Both are known to boast the largest number of green spaces in terms of percentage. No less than 51 per cent of Vienna is dedicated to parks and similar environments. 47 per cent of the urban planning within Singapore is devoted to the green sector. This is due largely to the fact that more efficient structural designs and land reclamation have led to a truly open-air feel. Many architects and planners believe that this increases the aesthetic appeal of such locations and that it may even positively impact the health of its inhabitants. Guangzhou, China and Tokyo, Japan Many urban planners have taken the onward and upward approach in regards to urban planning. This is particularly evident in cities associated with rapidly expanding populations and a limited amount of additional space. Both Guangzhou and Tokyo fall into this category. 93 skyscrapers are now found within Guangzhou while Tokyo is currently home to an incredible 114. Thanks to the use of modern materials and open floor plans, it is expected that the number of these buildings will continue to increase. Planning Ahead for the Future While these similarities are indeed striking, several challenges must be addressed. This is why innovative individuals such as Mr. Al Sawwaf are often consulted. They are able to successfully tackle issues such as energy provision, water treatment options and other environmentally friendly solutions. The fact of the matter is that cities are built by humans for humans. As technology and urban planning both continue to reinvent themselves, we should witness even more innovative solutions come to the forefront in the years ahead.

Building a Celebrity Brand Through YouTube - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Building a Celebrity Brand Through YouTube - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career As an aspiring entertainer, it used to be that you spent every waking moment working toward your dream, with only a small hope of ever bearing the fruits of your labor. For a musician, singing at dive bars and airport lounges, sending demos to record labels, and praying that someone in the industry could see a hit record when they looked at you. For a comedian, hitting the open mic circuit, waiting until midnight on a Tuesday to perform for an empty bar with one tired bartender, and working for months to create 10 minutes of material that was actually funny. And for an actor, doing cold reads to get a speaking part in a student film, working 12-15 hour days as an extra on the set of an actual studio movie, and spending more money than you make in a month for the right  head-shots. Oh, and also, you would probably be packing up and moving to either New York City or Hollywood to “Get Discovered.” Becoming Famous A.I. (After the Internet) Actually, I guess some of that hasn’t changed. However, the entertainment industry has, and more specifically the proliferation of online content has opened new doors for aspiring superstars that had previously been locked shut. More and more we are seeing real-life celebrities emerge from simple YouTube videos in all areas of the entertainment space. It’s truly remarkable that a person can gain fame without ever leaving his or her bedroom, but hate it or love it; this is the reality we live in. Still, for every Justin Beiber story, there are millions of failed attempts to “Get Discovered” online. So the question is: What makes someone become more than just “YouTube famous?” According to Daedalus Howell, a Producer for the Future Media Research Lab in California, the answer lies in how seriously an artist takes social media, namely YouTube. “I think we’ll see more entertainment industry successes coming out of the YouTube fray once two points become accepted â€" that YouTube is now part of the entertainment industry and that it isn’t a means to an end, it is the end.” He’s right, and don’t think that YouTube hasn’t noticed. YouTube (via parent company Google) is now promoting studio-produced YouTube shows, and their market for legitimate entertainment is likely to explode in the next couple of years. Through acquisitions such as digital video technology company Green Parrot Pictures, and web video production company Next New Networks, YouTube is preparing for the next frontier in entertainment.  And we haven’t even started talking about the potential once Google TV garners mainstream attention. Real Entertainment For Real People This isn’t to say that YouTube and other like-minded social networks will completely fall into the mold of traditional media, as the platform will still be largely dependent on user-generated content. However, as YouTube continues to strengthen its presence as a ‘real’ form of media, it will simultaneously legitimize the content of some of its existing amateur artists. Google has started to capitalize on this wealth of talent with showcases such as YouTube Live, which brings some of the more successful YouTube sensations offline and onto a real stage. The company is also beginning to invest in some of its particularly talented users, with initiatives like the YouTube NextUp in the UK, and YouTube Creator Camp which provides training on lighting, sound and production technique. All of this is aimed at increasing the quality of the content on the site, and helping to develop real-life stars that Google can really profit from. (See any child star that has been on the Disney Channe l since the year 2000) As Howell notes, YouTube is now a place where real people go to get real entertainment. “There is a pervasive myth that one can get ‘discovered’ on YouTube, which causes creators to think of their contributions as auditions more than finished products ready for mass consumption… To wit, it behooves non-studio creators to bring their best game and rise above the piano-playing kittens and teething toddlers.” Dont Wait to be Discovered! As adorable as those piano-playing kittens may be, they won’t be getting a recording contract without a professionally edited video. Howell cites Andy Samberg of YouTube-born sketch comedy troupe Lonely Island, who crossed to national fame on Saturday Night Live after his organic attention caught the eye of SNL producer Lorne Michaels. We could also note the fame, albeit quite critical, that 13-year-old sensation Rebecca Black recently experienced with her, um, hit single Friday. Lets face it, a huge reason that it achieved such an obscene amount of attention was because despite the horribly written lyrics, the production quality was fantastic. Conversely, there are acts like Amy Walker, an actress who famously performed 21 different accents in a video that garnered 6-million-plus views as well as national TV attention a couple of years ago. “Watch her video again, and you realize immediately, she’s just showcasing, not entertaining,” Howell reflects. “If Walker created a narrative series in which she played a person with multiple personality disorder or an international undercover agent, she’d have a movie deal by now.” What does it mean for an aspiring star? It means that you need to take your career seriously, even if you are performing from your bedroom. Realize that YouTube (and the rest of the internet) is a unique opportunity that your predecessors did not have. But as Spiderman (who is a celebrity) famously said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Stop waiting to be discovered, and discover yourself! Paint a direct image in the mind of a producer, casting director, etc. of what role you might fit. By shaping your own brand, it will allow people in the entertainment industry to clearly see how they might take you off YouTube and into the national spotlight. Will it cost money? Yes, probably. Will it be harder than setting up your webcam on your desk? Yes, definitely. But it will put you at a distinct advantage, and when the competition to become famous is so strong, you can’t afford to make yourself forgettable. Author: Bill Connolly is the Sales Director for Millennial Branding and a media branding expert.

Talents versus Skills - Do you know the difference - Career Pivot

Talents versus Skills - Do you know the difference - Career Pivot Talents versus Skills Can you differentiate between your talents versus skills?Do you know what talents you have?Do you know what skills you have? For most of us,the answer to both questions will be I do not know. We might be able to say something about our skills but …. talents…. well…. Most of us have forgotten what talents we have. They have been blurred into building our career, making money, paying the mortgage, putting our kids through college, saving for retirement,…… For More:Larry Bird, Winners, Talents and Skills Talents Lets look at the definition of Talent. According to Dictionary.com tal ·ent [tal-uhnt] noun 1. a special natural ability or aptitude: a talent for drawing. A talent is something we do naturally. It is something that we do not think about we just do it. Think back to your childhood. What did you just love to do? What did you do that it required little thought? What did you do that left you energized? Think back to when you entered adulthood. Ask yourself the same questions. Is this hard? Make a list of all of your talents. Hmmm… can’t think of any or only a few? Let’s move on. For More: What are your natural talents? Skills Lets look at the definition of Skill. According to Dictionary.com skill1 [skil] noun Listen to the most recent episode 1. the ability, coming from one’s knowledge, practice, aptitude, etc., to do something well: Carpentry was one of his many skills. A skill is something that we learn. Skills are developed. You might attend training to learn a skill. You will practice that skill. You can master a skill such that it appears to be a talent. This might be a hard skill like programming, hardware design, technical writing, web design, content marketing,….. This might be a soft skill like negotiating, project management, people management, ….. Make a list of all of the skills you have. This will take a while. What talents enabled you to learn these skills? Again, I ask what are your talents versus skills? Getting any easier? For an example check out this post â€" Larry Bird, Winners, Talents and Skills I quoted the great basketball player Larry Bird â€" A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals What are your God-given talents? ForMore: Do your skills match your interests in your career anymore The Crux of the Problem If you have been working for thirty plus years like me, you have developed a lot of skills. I have been paid a lot of money to produce products and services using those skills. The crux of the problem is many of us are now saying we are sick and tired of using those skills. Why did we develop some of those skills? Many times it was because our employer paid us to develop those skills? Did we like using those skills? Many times using those skills was okay!When were required to use those skills over and over and over and over….. it got old real fast. When we say, we have had enough you may hear: You are so good at it, why would you want to quit? They pay you a lot of money, why would you want to quit? Sound familiar? The problem is the overuse of those skills that were developed because someone else wanted you to learn those skills. Over the last twenty-five years, I have inhaled many complex technologies and spit them back out in culturally neutral stories, analogies, pictures, animations, and other adult learning formats. I am really good it. I enjoy the design and creation of the materialsbut if I have to inhale one more complex technology that has no real social value well……. I am really good at the inhalation process, but that is a skill that I have developed. I do not want to do it anymore! What about you? Want to learn more? Download the Talents and Skills â€" A Winning Combination White Paper. It is free! Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

Seven Ways To Improve SEO On Your Wordpress Site - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

Seven Ways To Improve SEO On Your Wordpress Site WordPress is popular for a reason. This content management system is easy to use for beginners, and offers great tools to improve the quality of your website, from design to SEO. If you’re not sure how to get the best SEO options from your WordPress site, use this simple tips to improve your search rankings.   Use an SEO agency to build your SEO strategy. SEO requirements change a lot, and keeping up with the constant changes in search engine algorithms is difficult, especially if SEO isn’t in your area of expertise. An agency will be up to date with any changes and will know the best way to optimise your site for ranking.   Keep an eye on your site loading speed. Slow loading can cause real issues. Not only is it off putting for a visitor to your site, but it makes them more likely to click away without visiting other pages, driving up your site’s bounce rate. Google factors site speed into your search rankings, and will favour sites that are faster to load. Make sure your site host is reliable, so you know you’ve got a speedy server behind you.     Prevent search engines from indexing your site before it’s ready to be seen. While you’re working on setting up your site, you’ll be making a lot of changes. This looks bad to any human visitors if they arrive on site while you’re moving things around, and it also looks bad to Google, as you’ll likely be changing site structure and creating errors. In your WordPress settings, you’ll find an option that disallows search engines from indexing your site. Tick the box by that option, and change your site around as much as you like without causing your rankings to suffer. When you’re ready for the site to go public, uncheck the option, and your site will start to be indexed by the search engines.   Install an .xml sitemap plugin. With a sitemap plugin, Google can see your whole site structure, and find every page, making the indexing of your site much faster, getting your ranking more quickly.   Install an SEO plugin. The best plugins for SEO will do a lot of the hard work for you, and help you to remember best practice. Use the plugin to manage metadata, no indexing, broken link redirection, speed up your site, manage links and more.     Block spam comments. Spam comments don’t look good, to search engines or to site visitors. They’re annoying for users, so should be blocked or deleted as soon as you spot them. Spam that shares links to questionable, low quality sites can hurt your search rankings, as Google will see it as you leaving up links to bad content. Use internal links. For any new piece of content you create, try to link it to other, older relevant content already on your site. This helps Google to find more pages on your site, improving your overall site rankings. It also helps to keep people on your site for longer, as they move around to different pages.

The Best Tips For Writing a Resume

The Best Tips For Writing a ResumeWriting a resume is an important step in the career of any professional. Having a good resume to give to your prospective employer makes a lot of difference in the chances of you getting the job you wish for.The best thing that can be done in this regard is to ensure that the document that you are submitting to your prospective employer is a well-written one that is formatted properly and uses proper attention. Reading out information from the resume may appear as if it is written well. It is never advisable to skim over the resume as it may be interpreted differently by the employer.There are a few things that need to be taken care of when preparing a resume. The first of these is to ensure that the formatting is very precise and that the content is correct, it is also important to ensure that the information that is written on the resume can be easily understood by the employer.Before beginning to create a resume you have to first go through the ca reer strategy section of the resume, then the skills, then the academic qualifications. From here you have to look into the personal qualities that you would like to emphasize in the resume. You will want to ensure that the individual qualities that you have would be highlighted in the resume.You can take advice from people who have already got jobs from the employer, get some help from books or consult a professional. You might also want to speak to your family and friends about the traits that they find helpful. They might even recommend the resume writing software that they use.When preparing the resume, start by focusing on the career strategy section. The resume should be focused on the skills that you have. Most employers are impressed with the work that you have done in the past. Focus on the skills that will make you stand out among the other candidates.Research is another important part of preparing a resume. This means ensuring that the resume has all the required informat ion that is required for an employer to look at the resume. This will ensure that you get an interview that you were expecting.