Career Development has become a primary responsibility and an essential requirement for every individual in any organization. A profound career development skill can help an individual to meet the constantly changing needs of the market.

Career Development can be discussed under two perspectives- organizational and personal career development. Organizational development looks at how concerned individuals manage their careers within and between organizations. Personal career development aims at individual career development to bridge his skills with his career objectives.

Decision making is one of the toughest obstacles that an individual faces before he finally gives a kick start to his career. A right Career Development Centre can provide a great deal of help and support while launching one’s career. An individual’s career skill varies from another. So, choosing a right career needs proper counselling and lots of research works. An ideal Career Development Centre will help you sort out your professional skills, launching your career towards a right track. For a successful career path, it’s advisable to take counseling and guidelines from a renowned career development centre.

Why Career Development Centre has become a great demand in the market?

Career Development Centre has become a great demand in the market because:

It provides individual learning solutions and job search services Provides unique enterprise learning solutions for career oriented students and professionals Affords learning solutions for students, employees, academic institutions etc Provides help in decision making strategies for individuals Assists you to take charge and supervise your future Moves forwards your career, add new skills, or build up abilities

Computer Training Centre as one of the wings of Career Development Centre

Computer Training Centre has also been considered as one of the wings of Career Development Centers. Whether you want to launch a career in IT or upgrade your current desktop skill set, Computer Training Centres provide you with the right training programme to allow you achieve the desired goals. There are various computer training centres in the market that provide rich and compelling computer knowledge. Most of these computer training centres provide Red Hat certificate to ensure the privacy of communications. Red Hat Certificate system abridges enterprise-wide operation and implementation of a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).

The science of career development may take a new shape or role. However, with a wide range of career options for everyone, the further need for Career Development Centres will keep increasing day by day.

Its tough to get your job-hunting right first time. Fashion guru Caryn Franklyn talks us through how she got it right second time To find out more become a fan at www.facebook.com or visit: www.direct.gov.uk
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By Meg Brooks

Its always worth having a look at our daily routines if we are to understand how our work/life balance can affect our emotional well being.
Life in 2010 has become pretty busy and there is no end to the demands on our time, especially to those that have to juggle a career and children. These days most families have both partners working as living costs are so expensive.

Some days the pressure of handling these varied responsibilities can just seem too much – it’s hard to know how to prioritize.

One of the most valuable life lessons that I have been given was being shown how to separate the Urgent from the Important.

That seems like an easy thing to say, but there lies within a valuable truth.
Urgent issues are not often that Important in the larger scheme of things. A good rule of thumb is to consider whether the subject at hand will really matter in a week or two. If it will, then it may be Important and prioritized accordingly.

Quite often, Urgent issues can become forced onto us from other people. They can try and push their crises onto you and attempt to make you take responsibility for them.

Learning how to gently but firmly say No to these matters can free up a surprising amount of time that you can then devote to the Important. As with many life skills, its worth practicing such matters in a safe environment as you build your confidence in this area.

This is such a powerful life lesson that its worth spending a little time on. I used to have a colleague in an office that I worked in that looked after Purchasing. Their responsibility was to make sure that any product sold by the company was replaced in a timely manner. She was one of the loveliest people you could meet, and always would spare her time to go the extra mile.

However, its sadly the case that not all of us are like that, and I began to notice that after a few months she was looking increasingly stressed. I was in her office one afternoon and one of the firms accountants passed by and asked if she would help with one of his activities. It had nothing to do with her main job, but as she couldn’t resist helping people she agreed.

This pattern kept repeating itself with other people to the detriment of her work. We talked about it over coffee one morning and it was clear she was quite worried about losing her job. I suggested that she politely decline these requests and within a month she was back to her old self, and smiling happily once more!

Its hard to strike a good work/life balance, but the ability to say No to people who would take advantage of your good nature is such a powerful tool. It also allows you to focus on what is Important in your life, and free up more time to spend with your loved ones doing what you really want to be doing.

View this as an opportunity to get more of what you want out of life – try these steps at your own pace and you may be surprised at the positive results that they deliver.

 By Richard Spridgeon

This is a follow-up to a previously published article on CareerHunter.
There are other creative ways you can let your career goals be communicated in your resume. For example, you provide additional information for each position you held, you can indicate how the work or the tasks in question, has helped you towards your career goal. Like all the other pieces of your resume, this information must be indicated clearly and concisely. A simple sentence can indicate to a potential employer how to position helped to develop the skills necessary to achieve your career goals. Avoid the temptation to omit important information. Unfortunately, some job seekers become so focused on career goals that feel they have to radically change back to show their commitment to their current goals. This approach is sure to backfire, as it creates misleading signals.

When an employer discovers that you have left out some important information that he or she may be reluctant to hire you. For example, consider the following scenario; you have just learned about an available position at a highly respected company known for its promotion policies, with a fantastic benefit package and other attractive elements . This is exactly the type of job you want, not only because of its potential, but also because it will help you tremendously in saving your long term career. You decide that a new draft resume is absolutely vital. But when you begin again the process of writing, you decide to give a great focus on “relevant experience”; in your resume. You remove all the jobs that do not directly relate to your career goals. You hope that your “streamlined” resume can increase your chances of getting the desired position. 

Unfortunately, things in the world of business are not so simple. Not referring to a specific job you did in the past means you’re doing a disservice to the employer and yourself. You are trying to make it look like you are going in the same direction throughout your career when, in fact, your career may have taken several twists and turns. In addition, your ‘improvements’ have led to serious shortcomings in your work history. In this case, where the employer believes that they were unemployed for long periods of time, they will simply place your resume in the reject pile.

Be open and recognize that your career goals can change during your career. Therefore, it might be to ok to tinker with some of the text to align experience with career objectives from time to time, but don’t just leave blanks. This is not an admission of loss, but is simply evidence of how as your experience grows, your ultimate goal may develop along paths you never imagined possible.

 by Richard Spridgeon

When writing your resume, it is easy to fall into the habit of focusing on the past.

After all, a great part of your resume is composed of a list of things you’ve done, the positions you held, special awards you may have received and certainly those important academic grades.

A resume is actually a collection of achievements and in some cases, a personal story. Therefore, much of your resume will naturally focus on the past.

And yet, a good curriculum vitae should also look at your career going forward.

In other words, your resume should not only indicate where it was, but should also inform a potential employer about where you want to be headed. Therefore, in order to develop a truly effective resume, there must be something of the futuristic in your thinking.

This means clearly articulating your desired career goals in the text of your resume:

First Stage; Set your Goals

Placing your career goals in your resume can be quite a challenge if you do not have a clear idea of what those objectives are. If you’re in this position, you’re definitely not alone. Many of us have trouble viewing what may be in five or ten years from now in our career.

In many cases, this can lead to short selling ourselves, thinking that the highest achievement in our chosen field is closed for us, because of what we perceive we lack in one area.

However, if you talk with someone who has made significant progress in his career, you may be surprised to learn that this individual also experienced feelings of inadequacy, or believed that they were ill-prepared for the job they now do.

Even the sons and daughters of business owners often start in jobs at an entry level before mastering the skills and knowledge needed to run a business. In other words, it would be a mistake to believe that a business leader is inherently more talented or smarter than you. Through investigation by interviewing executives, reading business magazines, and talking with members of professional organizations you should be able to develop a clearer idea of what career goals to aim for, and how to present them in your resume.

Maybe you want a management position … Maybe you want to teach at the college level … or maybe you’d like to have your own business someday.

Consider two immediate objectives and a long-term role so that you have an idea of what kind of information to transmit to his curriculum vitae.

Second Stage; Present Your Goals.

Once you’ve defined your career goals, it is important that you reflect this in your resume. Of course, there are different schools of thought on how to identify career goals as efficiently as possible. The method you ultimately decide to take depends on several factors: what your colleagues and mentors consider to be most effective, what you’re comfortable with and whether they are the most appropriate to the position you are trying to aim for.

An effective way to focus on your career goals is to place them under a “Career Objective” category in your resume. This category allows you to clearly define the direction you want your career to go. If you have more than one career goal list, it is perhaps most effective to list your goals in bullet-point format.

By Ahg Hejill

It may seem an obvious point, but what you enjoy in life is one of the most important factors in choosing a career. But just as much as having a taste for what you do, you gotta love the when and the how.

If, for example, you are thinking of becoming a lawyer or doctor, but hate working weekends or long hours, then that may not be the career for you. This just means that there are other great opportunities than that provided by law or health care that will be a better fit for the life you want to live. The key is knowing what kind of worker that you are before you are in a race that makes you want to leave every day. Here are some tips to help you determine what career and industry is good for you.

If you’re into the bucks …You are ready, willing and able to give 120% from the time you enter the door in the morning, and are even willing to work late when a large project requires overtime. But in general, you want your weekends off to spend with family and friends, pursue hobbies, and explore your other interests. Careers to consider may be Banking, Healthcare Management, Business Management, Human Resources.

If you are a night owl … You hate getting up in the morning, and so it may be much better to have the hours of the day free for shopping, take a mid-morning coffee at Costa with friends, or catch up on the latest episode of your favourite show. Careers to consider may include; Hotel Management, Law Enforcement, Food Service Manager or other shift work.

If you are a morning person … Getting up before everyone, including the sun, is your preferred way to start the day. You’re most productive in the early hours of the morning and enjoy the solitude that comes with getting a quick start. Careers to consider include Florists, Home Health Care Nurses and Market Workers

If you’re a volunteer … You like helping people in need, and will not be happy in a career you are in unless your occupation increases the ‘general good’ of people with whom you work. Their success is what is most important to you. Careers to consider include Fundraising, Nonprofit, Social Worker, Rehabilitation, Counselor, and Teaching.

If you’re a people person … Well, you are usually pretty extroverted: you like working with a team of colleagues to brainstorm, develop ideas and solve problems. You are energy driven and are inspired by your teammates and their innovations, and you also love working with customers and help them to find solutions to their challenges. Jobs to consider: Marketing, Public Relations, Event Planner, Sales Manager

If you are a little introverted … You do best when you can take a project and run it by yourself. It gives you solitude which helps you focus on the task at hand so you can put your analysis and problem solving skills to work. Your reward in your work is a problem solved or a question answered. Jobs to consider: Engineer, Computer Programmer, Laboratory Technician, Database Administrator, Graphic Designer

If you’re pretty active. .. the idea of a cubicle or desk all day is way out from where you would like to be. You may need a career that allows you to be active and walk away, where you can interact with different people every day. At work, you like to be active physically and where you can work with your hands. Jobs to consider: Athletic Trainer, a Chiropractor, an Electrician, Hairdresser, Pet Groomer, or maybe a Yoga Teacher

By Jane Ahnfredi

Are you doing what you always wanted to?

Much of what lies behind having the right job is having the right attitude, and a lot of that is self belief.

If your self belief isn’t quite where you would like it to be, consider this.

You trust many other people today and every day; what they do, what they represent as professionals. How did you learn faith and confidence in their abilities? If you believe in other people, other people must believe in you, so is it not time to count on yourself? Who better than you to know what you are good at, and what kind of career you’re perfect for?

Then believe in the choices that flow from this. You can make your way! Realize this is a process. Because you are likely to have your current job to support you, you can go slowly if necessary. Because you are learning, the course of your career change may vary along the road.

Any reinvention process may take some time. Career transition involves careful planning and outlining of the steps and procedures. Set realistic goals, but also be stretched so that you can leave your comfort zone. Take time to consider the most important questions:

• What do you like most about the work you do?

• What are your greatest strengths?

• What areas do you prefer to stay out of both now and in the future?

• Who are the key decision makers that you need to make your career dreams come true?

Remember: there are unlimited options out there. One of the things I see people do is take a job that meets a certain number of their requirements, but not all. You must consider all of the components to a fulfilling career. Don’t settle for second best if you don’t have to.

If you are serious about making a career change, you must create a transition plan and establish milestones for steps to be taken along the road.

Here are four initial steps you can take immediately:

1. Get involved. How committed are you to finding a career on a scale of 1 to 10? If not 10, what do you have to do to move up the ladder?

2. Learn to overcome obstacles.
Obstacle 1: Not knowing what to look for in a job (Avoid if you can taking one that is “good enough” but that you won’t really like that much).

Obstacle 2: Do you really believe you can? Are you willing to go beyond / to blow through these barriers?

3. Get help. It really helps to have the support of a group or a professional counselor to remind you to stay positive and focused.

4. Claim your life. There is never a perfect time to do and you can always find excuses / reasons.

The key is to minimize risks and get the support you need. I myself was able to make my very successful career transition in large part due to my own coach. They helped me create my plan, stay positive, to identify what I wanted to do, and overcome obstacles. You can too. I encourage you to take a stand for your life and what you want!

Is it not time to find a career that matches your aspirations?

by Rupert Green

Some studies have shown that over 77% of Americans dislike their jobs.

That’s probably not a surprise for most people!

Often when I’m at a party or a restaurant, people can be heard discussing what they hate most about aspects of their work – who has got the worst job or the most difficult boss. Jobs are a big part of life, so it naturally falls into the conversation.

I think we often complain about our work because really we’re not in the right job.

There is something in the mutual commiseration of the daily grind  that connects us and makes us feel that we’re all in the same boat. But what if we were to be connected in the sense of actually liking work instead? What is it that can be done to move from the one to the other?

Let’s see what can be done to find a career you are passionate about …

The most important aspect is the planning. I’d thought I would share what I do before that – to put me in the right frame of mind to make decisions

First, take a deep breath. At this time, take a nice long, deep breath to ease the pressure. I do not know what will happen when I’m tense and tight – I have no power. When you are tight, your thoughts become generally restrictive, limited, and often counterproductive.

So free up some of this tension and agree to allow the ideas and motivation to flow. Breathe deeply and easily. Allow your mind to open to new possibilities. Because our jobs are so very important to us, we tend to take them a little too seriously.

Remember: There are endless possibilities out there, and know that there are many ways in which you can earn a good income. So; breathe, and realize that you can make new choices that could have a great impact on the rest of your life.

As you yourself let go of that nervous, negative energy, let your mind open to new alternatives. Acknowledge your career situation, how do you know where you are today? Is it possible to recreate this process and go in another direction entirely new to you, for the rest of your life? Of course it is. You chose your job before. You can do it again!

By Csaba Nilgesz

Are you ready to find a new career? If so, there are hundreds of ways to get there, and one of the most popular ways is to take career aptitude tests

There are some very useful tips that can help you succeed in these tests. Career Aptitude tests are tests that help you choose the best career choice for you. These tests will help you achieve this by asking you various questions regarding your personality and behaviors and the answers are usually on a 1-5, or 1-10 sliding scale. There are no wrong answers!

These questions are very easy to answer; the test is simple and fast and doesn’t take too long to complete. There are various strategies on taking these tests to get the best results for you as a person. By this, we don’t mean that you should manipulate the test; it’s more that its worth thinking about what you want to get out of it.

1. Answer the question truthfully – It’s a very simple one but rarely used! You need to fill in the correct information in order to get the right results.

2. Think about each question before answering – You will have to think about each question before you answer it.

3. Answer each question with your future in mind – If you aspire to become a tennis player then think like a tennis player and answer the questions like one.

4. You will have to understand why you want to start a career – If you have no idea why you’re starting a career then there’s no reason for you to take a career aptitude test!

5. Don’t think of money - this should not be your reason for taking a Career Aptitude test, its about finding out whats most suited to you. Your career should depend on an analysis of what you love to do and what suits you. Also, you are much likelier to succeed at something you enjoy doing anyway.

These are some of the main pointers that can help create better results for you. There’s a bunch of great content out there that can help you understand how to get the best results in a Career Aptitude test. But the five that I have listed above are the framework of strategies that you can implement when looking for the best ways to get the right results when taking career aptitude tests to decide which career choice you would like to pursue in life.

Unfortunately very few people are that lucky to do what they love to do, but trust us it is possible, complete a Career Aptitude Test and enjoy your personalized future career.

http://www.career-aptitude-test.com/

]]> http://www.careerhunters.net/career-aptitude-tests-strategies/feed/ 0 http://www.careerhunters.net/meaning-and-importance-of-career-aptitude-tests/ http://www.careerhunters.net/meaning-and-importance-of-career-aptitude-tests/#comments Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:31:50 +0000 careerhunters http://www.careerhunters.net/?p=158

by Jeffrey Wright

Efficiency and effectiveness is critical for every job; so its really vital to make sure that you find a job that aligns with what makes you efficient and effective. generally speaking, these are factors that will work best when a job aligns with your natural skills.

Remember though that talents for a particular type of job are acquirable, and an individual or a job-seeker can also consequently alter his mind-set in order for him to become suitable for a different role.

But what happens when your skills are inappropriate for the job at hand? You will end up doing something that doesn’t suit you, or you may simply throw your time and effort away. For this to be avoided one should consider an aptitude test; and that career aptitude test should be taken before job-hunting and definitely not after landing a job!

Basically, a career aptitude test is designed with the intention of ascertaining an individual’s skills that are fundamental for success in a particular job or career.

This can be looked at in many ways; mental alertness, handling pressure, insight, and the capability to manage the stress on the job are just a few. Furthermore, this test is often used in companies  to ensure employees are suitable for understanding the basic skills in each department.

There are some skills that are common to all levels, such as dealing with ad-hoc crises and exhibiting team spirit. Therefore the tests to measure up ability are conspicuously seen in the career aptitude test. Intellectual capability is also displayed during the test and the job-seeker is given more counseling to develop his current skills.

Also, training programs indirectly test the job-seeker’s attitude and the points on leadership, progress, knowledge and mental stamina during these meets. The questionnaire for a career aptitude test can also be at the induction level or even when the test-taker is called for an interview. These are fundamental questions that appear simple and yet bring out the innate characteristics of the test-taker’s temperament.

Moreover, a comparative scrutiny about academic background, previous experience and current career during an aptitude test evaluation is very much necessary so that the prospective employee or job-seeker is able to fully justify his position in the current job profile.

Other factors such as hobbies, disposition, age and many other functions work in tandem to produce a personality measurement

The career aptitude test can also be designed for senior positions though the questions have to be geared more towards emotional quotient metrics. This point must be clearly remembered. More often than not, career aptitude tests need to be conducted annually and before an annual appraisal so that the candidate has a useful set of information to compare against the job role.

These are scientific tests and the appraisal is adjudicated by a qualified counselor. The answers are usually based on varying degrees of agreeing and disagreeing with the questions. The evaluation sheet mentions scores that point out the skill set of the prospective employee or the job-seeker. Above all, enjoyment and happiness in the role is vital for success in the career path and progress for the organization. Skills improvement is given by means of training, temporary assignments in other areas, and also coaching in soft skills. Lastly, the role of a counselor and career aptitude tests are mutually beneficial for the organization and the aspirant.

By Tess Brooks

Here is my quick guide on how to navigate your way around the minefield of those trickier interview questions.

What were your professional achievements / what do you consider your greatest achievement of your career to date.

The answer to this interview question depends on the type of work you do or you’re looking for and should be something quantifiable, such as ‘I tripled the sales of aluminium extrusions to Davies and Sons in my time’ or of a larger project that succeeded; ‘In the context of a merger with BenJion Inc, I managed major changes with minimal impact on production’.

 Give an example of a work situation where……….

The most common of these interview questions are listed below. You should have a ready answer for each. If you cannot find a concrete example then it’s useful trying to ‘create a memory’ of‘ an incident or event that fits the bill.

 (i)   You have overcome an obstacle to complete an end / finish a project.

(ii)  You resolved a conflict

(iii) You implemented a change for the better or improved a company you worked for or with

(iv) You improved communication and collaboration between colleagues / services: companies.

(v) Why did you leave or want to leave Davies and Son?

To answer this interview question try to emphasize the positive aspects of the company that you enjoyed, and make sure that you strive to minimize the negative aspects about your present or previous employer.

It may well be the case that Davies and Son shy away from the use of modern methods and are too mean to pay someone what they are worth, but referencing this in your interview question response is not very useful. So, for example “I feel that my desire to grow professionally would be better served in a modern company with a reputation in the industry as good employers who value their staff” (which has the added advantage of nicely flattering the interviewer / panel) .

Do you describe yourself as go-getting/dynamic / conservative / depth, etc.

This type of interview question can be equated with being a ‘leader’, the interviewer / panel may also ask, why this is a feature of role of that person type.

Always respond positively and with a back-up sample (eg dynamism, ‘I am actively reforming an outdated and inefficient sales system to enhance leads; which led to a 60% increase in quality leads for our product)

Good luck with your interview!