Career Networking How-To

Recently I read somewhere that you only have 1% chance of securing a job through vacancy adverts (yes, how depressing). However, I also read that you've got more chances of finding a job or at least making it through to the interview stage through networking, i.e. approaching industry insiders and asking for advice about your career area. In my earlier article on career depression, I mentioned networking as an effective tool in the job hunting process. Turns out it is also one of the most crucial tools.

Photo by buddawiggi

Why? Because ensuring your CV gets to the right person in an organisation will definitely increase your chances of being considered for a position. But how do we do that? Here are a few tips on how to get started:

1. Online networking is the easiest way to start. Clean up all of your social media accounts and boost your professional presence on sites like LinkedIn. Then start following companies and industry leaders, share industry-relevant information and ask questions.
2. Family and friends pose another easy option to start off networking. Ask your near and dear if they know anyone in your chosen filed of work and whether they can introduce you to them.
3. Use your university's alumni service to find past students who are now working in companies or industries that you are interested in. Contact them asking for some advice or information on what it is like to work in that company/industry.
4. Another way to network is through work experience and internships. Make sure you collect business cards and add colleagues on LinkedIn or other social media. Keep in touch by sharing useful information and asking about any job opportunities they may have heard about.
5. If possible, join professional associations such as the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, which offer discounted rates for students and can provide access to events and training.
6. When attending any career- or industry-focused events and conferences, make sure you have prepared a couple of questions which are not answered on the company or event website. Approach people with these questions and ask if you could take down their email address.
7. If you are really eager you may wish to considering finding out where industry leaders meet, both online (LinkedIn groups) and offline (events), and ask existing contacts to invite you.
8. When it comes to the actual nitty gritty of holding a conversation break the ice by finding something in common with the person you are trying to approach. You can find out the common 'thing' by asking about the event, whether their company has been put up for an award or if they are the guest of a sponsor.
9. Been in a conversation with someone for too long? Introduce the person you are speaking with to another contact at the event. If that is not an option you can politely end the conversation by exchanging contact details/business cards or by a simple firm handshake and a "good to meet you".
10. Finally, be proactive. Don't sit and wait for people to approach you either online or off. LinkedIn is perhaps one of the easiest ways to establish contact with key decision-makers.

It's time to wrap up this extra-long post. I hope these tips will be useful, however if you have some more tips of your own or any questions feel free to post them in the comments section below.

10 Style Tips and Tricks You Should Know (Part 1)

Here's a little something to help you up your style stakes:

• Stick to your own signature style which you know looks good on you because not all fashion trends will suit you.

• If you are not sure about an impulsive attraction to a garment or accessory, hold back from buying it until the next day - if you are still thinking about it then go for it!

• V-neck sweaters and t-shirts give the illusion of a longer torso.

• Put on so much spray tan that it ended up on your clothes? Use a lemon wedge to clean up the mess.

• Wear your new leather garment in the rain - the water will soften and stretch the leather and will also allow the garment to crease at specific points on your body.

• Use a hot glue gun to hem skirts and pants in seconds.

• Loads of good accessories (scarves, glasses, hats, jewellery) can transform even the most basic outfit.

• Dry wet shoes naturally in open air. Never use heat - it will cut the lifespan of the shoe in half.

• "Spray shirts prone to sweat stains with lemon juice before washing. The natural acid dissolves alkaline sweat reside that could cause yellow discolouration." - Perrie Samotin, StyleCaster.com

• Nude pumps give the illusion of longer legs, unlike dark-coloured shoes which can make them seem shorter.

Travel Time!

As the summer is fast approaching, you are probably thinking about holidays abroad. Before you make that booking why don't you find out what type of travel you suits you best? Go on, have a bit of fun, but make sure you count how many As, Bs, Cs or Ds you've got!

1.How would you most like to spend a free afternoon?

A. Hiking or biking on a nature trail
B. Shopping for bargains
C. Strolling a garden in bloom
D. Attending a free concert or museum

2.The drinks are on the house! Which type would you prefer?

A. House-specialty martini
B. Chateau d'Yquem sauterne
C. Champagne
D. Beer

3.Which dream getaway appeals to you most?

A. Camping in the mountains under the stars
B. Deluxe suite at a 5-star resort
C. Hotel room with a fireplace and a big bathtub
D. Caribbean cruise

4.Which male celebrity would you like to spend a day with?

A. Richard Branson
B. George Clooney
C. Hugh Jackman
D. Will Smith

5.What scent appeals most to you?

A. Bonfire/thunderstorm
B. Sizzling steak
C. Rose garden
D. Clean laundry

6.Name your favorite season:

A. Spring
B. Winter
C. Fall
D. Summer

7.Which would you rather have underfoot?

A. Grass
B. Mosaic floor
C. Carpet
D. Sand

8.Whose music are you most likely to listen to?

A. U2
B. Puccini
C. Andrea Bocelli
D. Alicia Keys

9.Pick the flowers you like best:

A. Wildflowers
B. Dendrobium orchids
C. Long-stemmed roses
D. Tulips

10.Which would you most likely choose in a restaurant?

A. Sushi
B. Risotto with truffles
C. Oysters on the half shell
D. Cheeseburger

Results are in the comments below and don't forget to leave a comment with your results and whether you think they are accurate or full of cr*p! :) :) :)

Let's Talk About Stress

Stress. We all know about it, but I thought this infographic sums it up well. However, it does not tell the whole story. Do you know any unusual ways in which your body reacts to stress? Any strange side effects?Any tips on how to deal with them? Share your story by leaving a (anonymous) comment below.

The Future of Fitting Rooms

Shopping may fun. Changing rooms not so much. The small cubicles can be the equivalent of the gates of hell, especially for female shoppers. The fluorescent lights always find a way to highlight our weak spots and the top-to-bottom mirrors tell us truths we do not want to hear. Some have argued that such is our fear of the fitting room that it has become a significant driver of the online shopping boom.

Apart from this fear, there is the unpleasantness of lugging a bunch of clothes all the way to a fitting room only to find out that we've picked the wrong sizes and need to shout out to a shop assistant whilst standing naked behind the curtain. Oh and what about the staff who has to sort out all the mess left behind in changing rooms?

Hointer ©

All of these issues have left some innovative minds thinking and the results have been varied - from Hontier where robotic pickers deliver the clothes you have selected to an allocated changing room to robotic mannequins acting as virtual shop assistants.

Hointer is a concept store set up in Seattle with minimalist retail space. As small number of apparel items hang on simple rails coming down form the ceiling allowing customers to have a good look at the clothes. 

They pass by scanning QR codes of the clothes they would like to try which are automatically sent to an allocated changing room by robots. Requesting a change of size can also be done via your phone and once you are done you can either drop the clothes in chute or take them to an automated checkout.

Me-ality ©

Finding the right size is another issue, as sizes often very from shop to shop, brand to brand. Fear not, The Me-ality booth works by scanning your whole body whilst fully clothed and recommending clothes that are most likely to fit you. The Canadian invention is already available across US malls and works with nearly 200 different brands.

If you just can't be bothered getting into a changing room and are looking for a more private experience, Fits.me is for you. This virtual fitting room service allows shoppers to see how a garment fits their particular type of body shape. 

Customers enter a set of their measurements on the website or app after which robot mannequins made up of panels that simulate muscles morph into that shape and are photographed at speed. Shoppers can then click through until they find the perfect fit.

Fits.me ©

Such technological innovations are expanding rapidly and until a way can be found to print 3D clothes that are a perfect match for our bodies they will provide shoppers with a pretty good alternative to the daunting fitting room.

Contemporary (illusioned) life and the Great Gatsby

Recently I read an interesting article on BBC's Point of View about how the Great Gatsby book and films illustrate the way society is based on make-believe or "extreme unreality". Here I will try to retell you the story.

The Great Gatsby is a story about an attractive millionaire from the Jazz Age and the era of the corrupted American dream. It is also a story about tragic love and a culture built on fraud and crime.

It was set in the Roaring Twenties, an interlude between historical periods of make-believe. A reality check after the First World War. It is precisely why the film, in cinemas at the moment, resonates with many members of the contemporary society.

Everyone knew Jay Gatsby was a fake. A fraud. A self-invented personality. Yet, the personality that he invented was a perfect fit with the social reality of his time. The lavish parties and other non-criminal glittering possibilities he offered were what made him so attractive. His goal - to make social reality seem unreal.

Thus Gatsby was a special kind of fake. One that people believed in despite being aware of his falseness. They were drawn to him in the hopes of forgetting how their wealth had been made (i.e. through fraud). 

That is because during the time the lines between the fortunes of the elite and those of organised crime were almost indistinguishable. The elite knew this could not go on forever and could not face the fact that the boom based on fraud would end soon. 

It can be said that societies function like dreams. The reality generated from such dreams turns out to be an unsustainable illusion, just like Gatsby himself.

It is his invincible attachment to illusion that explains our current fascination with Fitzgerald's character. We relate to the story from personal experience - the boom of the early 2000s which crashed in 2008 will be remembered as the result of a society based on make-believe and easy money. 

Despite this, contemporary society has not given up entirely on make-believe. Many are left today craving for a revival of the fake reality, the world that came from our dreams. Like the Great Gatsby we hope for a future without limits and boundaries although we know it can only remain a fantasy. Will we ever find the world of illusion we are looking for?

A more in-depth analysis can be found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22722999

Your Diet's #1 Enemy

Over a year ago I wrote a post on  healthy living which highlighted how sugar can sabotage your best efforts to get in shape. Now I want to show you the problems sugar causes.

A 2012 research article in the journal Nature argued that sugar is a toxic substance and should be regulated in the same way as tobacco and alcohol. Why? Because previous studies have found that too much sugar can adversely affect the liver and brain function, can wreak havoc on metabolism, and not only make people fat but also leave them more susceptible to heart disease, diabetes and even cancer!

According to US scientists 80% of our food choices contain sugar. In the earlier post I mentioned hidden sugars, such as those found in bread, milk and almost all processed foods whether they are sweet or savoury. However, there are three things to keep in mind: 1. Some sugar is converted into energy; 2. Excess sugar is turned into fat; and 3. Sugar is a type of carb and although your body needs a certain amount of sugar and fat, processed sugars are much worse than fat.

The most common problems sugar causes are:

1. Inexplicable weight gain: People often tend to avoid fat and go for all sorts of diet and low fat options. Unfortunately these are full of sugar to compensate for the lack in flavour. Too much sugar causes your blood sugar levels to spike and drop rapidly leaving you tired and hungry in a short space of time. And then you reach for some more food. It becomes a vicious cycle.

2. Brain fog: Sugar forms free radicals in the brain's membrane which prevent the cells from communicating properly. This has a negative effect on how well we remember things, process ideas and deal with our moods. 

3. Ageing skin: We all know that cigarettes and UV rays cause premature ageing of the skin, but did you know sugar does too? When sugar travels to the skin it causes amino acids (the proteins found in skin, hair and nails) to form cross-links which prevent them from repairing the skin cells. This in turn leaves the skin with premature wrinkles.

Terrible stuff isn't it? How do we stop? Well there is no easy answer to that. Many medical professionals suggests that people should try to keep their sugar intake as close to zero as possible (or at least under 10 teaspoons a day) and avoid processed foods. Some have suggested substituting sugar with cinnamon or satisfying sugar cravings with fruit and yoghurt. The real truth is that sugar can be addictive and our brains can crave the feel good boost it gives us. The only thing we can do is try our best and indulge in little treats once in a while.