Your Career Toolbox for the New Year

As the end of the year approaches, were all inspired to make life changing moves however its important to plan a Search strategy for your career that is realistic and will get you where you want to go!  From experience, plans that work best are those that are specific and measurable.  Vague career goals that have no thought or planning as to how you will achieve them will usually prevent you from securing your long term career objectives.

So to ensure you have the edge on your Career Hunt in 2012 follow these 5 steps  and keep your fingers on the pulse of the job market

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2. Break down your career plan

Knowing where you want to be five or ten years down the line is fantastic however you need to know how to get there. Specific, measurable, short term goals are paramount and will give you a greater chance of achieving your long terms goals.  Ensure your goals are also realistic and set up a spreadsheet to keep on track of everywhere your CV is being sent to.  Although it may be tempting to apply for every job you see, you will not only waste your time but a potential employer or recruiters time.  Only apply for jobs that your qualified for.  If the advertisement asks for you to have five years IT experience and you don’t, move on to a better suited opportunity.

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2. Keep your CV up to date and personalize your cover letter

The beginning of 2012 is the perfect time to update or compile the perfect CV & Cover Letter.  It may be necessary for you to have two or three targeted CVs depending on the roles you are applying for and ensure your career accomplishments are incorporated your CV as well as any other online profiles you may have online.

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2. Build your online presence

You cannot afford not to have an online presence anymore so loose those fears and take your job search to new heights. Consider joining up to Linkedin, Twitter, jobsites, join group discussions and upload a visual CV.  A strong online presence will open new doors with potential employers and uncover that all important hidden job market.

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2. Network

Most jobs are now filled through personal connections, recommendations and referrals.  Meet up with old friends and colleagues and let everyone know that your looking for a new job (unless your currently in one).  Join Networking sites, local Enterprise Boards, attend Career Fairs and stay in touch with other professionals in your area. Take every opportunity possible to get advice, meet with the decision makers and expand your networking possibilities.

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2. Follow up

As the job market has become more competitive over the past two years, its imperative to follow up on any CVs sent, potential leads etc.    Job seekers worry that following up can be aggressive but potential employers will want to see that your pro active and passionate about your job search.

Nothing kills an opportunity faster than a negative attitude so keep a positive outlooks, set realistic goals and reward yourself for success along the way on your path to securing your dream career.

For more information on Retail opportunities in 2012 contact Teamworx @ 045898037. Wishing you all a very happy New Year.

The popular sports chain Lifestyle Sports recently opened the doors to its new flagship store on Dublin’s Mary Street. 

To celebrate the opening with their customers, the brand hosted a special customer night on Tuesday December 6th, with 20% discount for all shoppers. Special guest Nicky Byrne was on hand to officially open the store.

Irish Stars have also shown their support for the Lifestyle Sports Barnardos Christmas Appeal  recently raising over €10,000.  With over 10,000 new ‘likes’ on the Lifestyle Sports Facebook page since Robbie Keane launched the Lifestyle Sports Christmas Appeal in aid of the Barnardos Best Chance programme on November 14th,  the target of 20,000 new ‘likes’ by Christmas Eve is well within grasp.

For every new ‘like’ on the Lifestyle Sports Facebook page, €1 will be donated to Barnardos by the Irish sports retailer. Amongst those that have shown their support for the appeal are Westlife stars Nicky Byrne and Kian Egan, who tweeted their support to nearly 300,000 Twitter followers, as well as actress Amy Huberman and magician Keith Barry.

For more information on great opportunities across all sectors with Lifestyle Sports in Ireland contact the Teamworx crew on 045898037.

Lancome’s Christmas collection is called the Golden Hat collection and is a small edit created by ambassadress Kate Winslet in aid of her own charity, the Golden Hat Foundation. The charity aims to better the lives of autistic children by removing or limiting the barriers they face.

At least €150,000 of this collections profits will be donated by the charity so it's a win win - beautiful make up for us, the purchase of which benefits a very worthy cause!

Kate's involvement with the charity comes from when she narrated A Mother’s Courage: Talking Back to Autism, a documentary about a young Icelandic boy named Keli Thorsteinsson living with autism, the Oscar-winning actress and mother of two became inspired to make a difference. After meeting Keli's mother Margaret, Kate was deeply touched by Margaret's far-reaching journey to find a way for her nonverbal son to learn to communicate. And with that, the idea for the Golden Hat Foundation was born. Kate outlines her involvement with the charity on their website with a personal message; 'It makes me incredibly proud to work on this effort to bring awareness to the plight of people with autism. I believe that all people with autism should be given the opportunity to learn to communicate, receive a suitable academic education and experience social relationships. Only then can they truly live a meaningful life'.

Click here for more info on the collection, happy shopping!!

Argos to create over 800 Jobs for Christmas Rush

Over 800 jobs have been announced today to cater for the Christmas shopping rush in Argos. With 41 stores in Ireland this recruitment campaign will be part of the overall drive for 12,000 new staff across its oepration in the UK and Ireland.

Aplication forms for the jobs can be collected at Argos Stores or from the Argos Careers Website.

Argos Managing Director Terry Duddy sadi the company was a "fun, interesting and busy place to be over Christmas" and that teh company was keen to find "passionate and enthusiastic staff" to join its ranks.

http://www.thejournal.ie/argos-creating-800-irish-jobs-to-cater-for-christmas-rush-213321-Aug2011/