When applying for a job it is important to highlight your transferable skills to potential employers, particularly if you are looking to move into a different sector or area of work. Transferable skills are those that you develop that are relevant to other job roles and industries and are often as much of a priority for employers as relevant qualifications or experience. Examples include IT skills, project management, languages, team leadership, presentation skills and sales experience. Make sure that you emphasise relevant attributes in your CV and in application forms to make your application stand out from the crowd.

For many people, the ringing of Big Ben at midnight on New Year’s Eve will prompt not only cheering and merriment but also a New Year’s Resolution about looking for a new job, or even perhaps a change of career. If that applies to you and you are thinking about looking for a new role in 2010 then make sure you have an updated version of your CV on land-force.com so that potential employers can find you. Click here for more information.

Working in the wide open spaces has some definite advantages over the traditional lines of work located in an office. The outdoor worker enjoys a sense of freedom and connectivity with the world that would be otherwise sealed off from the office worker. The outdoor worker can break up his or her day with walking, labour or driving a company vehicle, making the day zip by at breakneck speed.

credit

And if you can incorporate your passion into an outdoor job, you can bring meaning and purpose into your daily grind. Some people have a natural affinity for animals and nature and would be well-suited for conservation, animal care positions or working in the agricultural field.

However, capturing your dream may require some academic posturing to make your job candidacy the best it can be, so be sure to evaluate your skills and professional goals when enrolling in higher education.

In addition to the outdoor jobs in the countryside, the inner city has its own options for working under the sun. Fields such as law enforcement, construction work, gardening, tree trimming, truck driver and commercial maintenance are some of the top desired outdoor jobs to keep you in touch with society while performing meaningful duties.

Although working outdoors can make going to work a pleasure, there are some pitfalls to being exposed to the elements. Persons with sensitive skin will need to use a strong sun block to avoid a build-up of overexposed skin. Once a sunburn takes hold, the remedy is to refrain from anymore sun, which is near impossible when working outdoors full-time. Also, if you don’t like getting dirty, outdoor jobs may not be for you either.

credit

The person employed outdoors may also be prone to illness during cold and flu season, but this susceptibility may be overcome by making an effort to bolster your immune system. Be sure to take plenty of vitamin C, E and fish oil to keep your system strong and able to fight off infection.

In some cases, the outdoor job may bring on cold and flu symptoms more often in winter, but there are many health benefits also involved. The person at an inside desk job remains sedentary for most of the day and may be prone to weight gain and atrophy in the muscles. Conversely, the active outdoor position provides fresh air, aerobic activity and a chance to develop a muscular physique. Overall. choosing a career that takes you outdoors can be an asset to your health, mental well-being and a great way to make new friends.

Perhaps you have a knack for banking, finance or inside sales, and although these jobs are rewarding financially, they may not be suitable for you as a long-term career. Try your hand at what interests you the most, and remember you can always change your professional pathway at any stage in life. Work a few years indoors and sample the outdoor opportunities when you feel the time is right.

A good network of contacts is one of the most valuable things you can have when searching for employment, although many people don’t know where to start when it comes to ‘networking’.

At its simplest level, networking is about building up a group of contacts in your industry sector that you regularly talk to and keep in touch with. It is not something that you can do overnight – indeed you don’t want to only be contacting people when you are desperate for work!

Go to as many events, meetings and conferences as you can and make an effort to engage people in conversation. Introduce yourself, ask them what they do and listen to the answer. It can be daunting at first, but the more you do it the easier it becomes. Always have business cards with you and don’t be shy handing them out. And if this all seems a bit awkward then another route that can be easier is to try volunteering on an industry-related project or for a relevant charity. This type of activity gives everyone involved a common aim and can make it easier to get to know people. Finally, make sure you follow up all potential leads no matter how insignificant they may seem – you never know when you might need them!

Recruiting the ideal candidate is all about setting realistic targets when advertising. It is vital that as an employer you are pragmatic about your requirements. Do the experience and qualifications that you require match the remuneration and terms and conditions you are able to offer and does this compare favourably with other similar vacancies in your geographic location and sector? It is well worth researching this before advertising in order to pitch the advert appropriately and therefore target relevant candidates. Ultimately, time spent researching the competitiveness of your offer is time well spent, as it will ensure that your advert attracts the attention of suitable candidates, helping you to rapidly fill the vacancy.

If you are recruiting staff the way you write the advert will make a huge difference to the response you get.

Remember, the advert is there to sell your organisation and the job you have to offer. Use a catchy headline and if job title doesn’t immediately convey what the job is about then use a strapline to do it. Try to write in short simple sentences and refer to the potential applicant as ‘you’ and use the second person – you, your, yours – as it helps involve the reader and lets them visualise themselves in your role. Try to stress what is unique about your organisation and the role you are offering. And make clear the skills and experience that you require from applicants.

Remember, your advert needs to attract attention and inspire the reader to apply so clarity and punchy text are the order of the day.

1. Research, research, research…

Pencil in enough time in advance to learn as much as you can about the job position and the company. Combing through both aspects thoroughly will help you demonstrate a real interest in the company at interview as well as help you ask good questions on the day. It’ll also give you more of an insight into whether it’s the type of company you can imagine yourself being a part of.

credit

2. Practice, practice, practice…

You could use a knowledgeable friend to practice your interview, a friend who’s also quite observant and objective in their feedback.

Alternatively, you could possibly make use of career/employment centres and ask if one of the advisors could help you practice your technique. They might be in a better/more useful position due to the nature of what they do.

Act as the interviewer AND the interviewee in order to gain a two-thronged approach to the process.

Record it as well (audio and/or visual) if you can, and play it back to yourself.

credit

3. Visualise the interview…

Picture every scenario as you would like it to pan out. Watch yourself walking into the room, shaking the interviewer’s hand firmly, smiling, sitting down comfortably, speaking confidently and positively, making eye contact, answering the interviewer’s questions confidently, asking your own questions, etc.

Replay the scenario in your mind again and again until it feels really familiar.

credit

4. Know exactly where you’re going…

Depending on where the location of the interview is and whether it’s actually practical and convenient to do so, it might be an idea to take a test trip to the location beforehand. By doing that, it could basically mean that there’s one less thing to worry about on the actual day as you’ll know exactly where you’re going. You might also be able to pick up on other factors that might affect your journey, giving you a chance to add extra travel time on the day.

credit
5. Some early shuteye…

The last thing you need is trying to stifle a yawn in the interview. If you can, do try going to bed early over a few days before the actual interview. At the very least, make it an hour earlier than you normally would (if you can manage it). It’ll do you the world of good the next day.

If you generally tend to find it hard winding down, try taking a long hot bath before you retire, or listening to some music.

credit

6. Nervous is good…

Nervous is natural. Nervous means you care about how well you do in the interview. If you weren’t feeling a bit anxious, then it would be quite worrying! However, you don’t have to let it get in the way of how you perform at the interview. Apart from the visual exercise mentioned, breathing in and out deeply really helps. Just focusing on your breathing for a few minutes has a calming effect. This might come in particularly handy on your way there and while you’re waiting to go in.

credit

7. Walk with extra CVs…

Even if you’ve already sent off a CV as part of your application, do go along with a few copies just in case it’s needed in the interview. You can’t necessarily assume that the interviewer will walk with a copy (he/she might forget to bring one – they are human after all!). Three or four copies will do – a copy for you, one for the interviewer and one or two extra in case there happens to be more than one interviewer on the day.

credit

8. It’s two-way…

Though you’re being interviewed, an interview is a two-way exchange. Don’t feel you’re expected to be passive and only talk when you’re asked a question. Ask your own questions – the research you’ve done beforehand will help you shape some good ones.

If there are questions you’ve been asked that you feel don’t quite cover relevant strengths you have, bring up those strengths – talk about them and how you feel they can help the company.

credit

9. Don’t complain about a current/previous employer…

No matter how much you might truly feel about your previous/current job, no matter how comfortably-well your interview might be going or how down-to-earth your interviewer might appear to be, do not speak unfavourably about a previous/current employer (even if you’re thinking it). It could lead the potential employer to wonder what you might say about their own company if you ever joined and left.

credit

10. Ask for constructive feedback…

Whether you’re successful at securing the job or not, consider sending an email or letter to the interviewer/s thanking them for the meeting and asking them for any constructive feedback they might be able to give you (your strengths at the interview and any areas that could be improved). Their feedback could prove helpful in sharpening your technique for any interviews you might decide to attend in the future (being aware of your strengths and playing up to them / transforming areas of improvement to key strengths).

credit

What to add to your CV really depends on the nature of the job you plan on applying for. However, with most CVs, you’ll need to include some of the following elements regardless of the job you’ve set your sights on:

1- Personal Details…

Include your name, address, phone number/s (home and mobile) as well as your email address. Some people also choose to add their date of birth and marital status – however, it’s not compulsory so that part is completely up to you.

If the job you’re applying for involves working outside the country, then consider adding your nationality as well.

credit

2- A Personal Summary…

This need only be a couple of sentences long and usually precedes the main body of the CV. It’s basically a very short but punchy summary/overview of what you feel your skills, merits and future aims are. The intention and the desired effect behind composing this short summary is the equivalent of dangling a carrot in front of the reader. It should pique the reader’s interest and make him/her want to read the rest of your CV.

credit

3- Work Experience…

Start from your most recent and work your way backwards. This can include paid and unpaid work.

If you’ve been working for several years, then you can really only fit in so much! Rather, focus on the last 10 years. You should also explain any gaps in your employment over that time.

On the other hand, if you’ve recently left school/college/university and don’t have that much work experience, you probably have a lot more experience than you think. Did you ever help organise an event, a wedding, a birthday, a fundraiser? That’s work experience. Did you baby-sit, house-sit, pet walk for some time? That’s work experience.

credit

4- Educational History…

Again, start from your most recent educational achievement and work back. If you hold a degree (or degrees), you don’t need to break it down into different subjects. If you have A-Levels or GCSEs, list all grades from A-C and leave out any grades beyond that. If you studied an A-Level or GCSE equivalent such as a BTEC First or BTEC National, include that too.

(p.s.: if you’ve recently left education and have little work experience, then list your education before your work experience)

credit
5- Professional Qualifications/ Membership…

…especially if they’re of particular relevance to the job you’re applying for. If you’re in the process of obtaining a professional qualification, mention that as well. It might not carry as full a weight as actually gaining the qualification but it does demonstrate a certain level of commitment and intention on your part.

Are you a member of any professional association? Add that too along with your corresponding member ID.

credit

6- Training…

If you’ve been sent on any significant training courses in the past in connection to work, then include them. This also includes any job-related courses you might have signed up to off your own back without the company you work/ed for having suggested it.

Similar to listing any professional qualifications you may currently be undertaking, you might also consider listing training courses that you’re in the process of taking.

credit

7- Skills…

Mention any computer skills you have. This includes both hardware and software skills. Consider listing things you might deem to be outdated. For example, if you’ve only ever used a really old version of a database application, mention it as it might just be a matter of training you up. (it might be quicker than training someone with no knowledge of databases at all).

Do you have any marketing skills, telephone-based skills, language, shorthand or typing skills that might be relevant to the position? If so, list them.

credit

8- Hobbies and Interests…

Including your hobbies and interests gives your potential employer a chance to see another aspect to you. It might also make for an interesting topic of discussion at your interview!

Sharing your hobbies and interests is also an opportunity to highlight any areas of responsibility you may have within it. For instance, perhaps you’re a volunteer editor for a community magazine or you love playing football and over the years have been teaching the sport to the over 50s.

credit

9- References…

You can either mention on the CV that references are available upon request or include the contacts of two people who are willing to give you a good reference. Do ensure that you let them know you’d like to use them as references before actually including their names. Even though you might have used them for a previous application, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll be willing or able to give you another. It’s also plain courtesy to ask rather than assume.

credit

10- Other Information…

This section of your CV is where you could include other important information that doesn’t readily fit into any other section.

For instance, if driving is essential to the job, and you do hold a driving licence, include it here. Or if the nature of the job is such that it involves you having a Criminal Records Bureau clearance, and you do have one, then mention it as well as the date in which you obtained it.

Include any other essential information you feel might be relevant to the job.

credit

A curriculum vitae (CV) is an important document to spend time perfecting. This piece of paper is used when a person wants to advertise or promote their specific skills and training for professional and academic jobs and programs. Your CV is one of the first things a potential employer will see about you. Thus, it is important to spend time with the document. You want to make sure that the best sides of yourself are represented so that you have a better chance of being hired. If you are interested in outdoor-type positions like animal care and landscape, you need to highlight why you are the best person for the job using specific, confident language. The following are some ways to improve your CV.

Talk About Your Skills

A CV is not just a place to talk about the jobs you have had and the school you attended: It is also a chance to explain why you are a qualified person for the advertised job. Tailor your skills section to the mission of the organization to which you are sending your CV. If you are applying to work with animals, talk about everything from animal training to patience: These are qualities a person might need for this role- so prove you have them!  The best way to show an employer that they should hire you is to show them that you are qualified for the job: adapting your CV to show this is a vital step.

Keep the CV Focused

While a complete CV with little or no gaps in employment is favourable, you don’t need to heavily discuss every single job you’ve had in the past decade unless it’s relevant to the position you’re applying for. A CV should be focused on information that relates to the advertised job or organization. Thus, if you are interested in working with the animals at a zoo, you don’t need to write an essay on the summer job you had scooping ice cream. You want each piece of information on your CV to relate back to your skills and to be aimed at the current profession or program to which you are applying.

Use Descriptions

When you talk about your skills and employment history, be sure to use descriptions. This document represents you to an organization. Thus, you want to show the reader what you have done and how this relates to your job. Be as specific and as concise as you can. Use active verbs. For example, instead of saying that you “used to work on a farm” be specific and say exactly what you did (i.e. “Managed barn staff, performed basic care for animals, etc.). A bulleted list is a good route to go if you had a job that involved a number of relevant tasks. This will make your CV that much easier to read.7

While a job working outside has many benefits, such as fresh air, sunshine, and exercise, it also carries some risks that need to be addressed. If you work outdoors or are about to start a job working outdoors, you need to be concerned with safety and protection from the environment.

If your job takes you anywhere around traffic, visibility is crucial. Wear brightly coloured clothes, preferably day-glow articles. Bright orange vests are very inexpensive and readily available. Day-glow hats and gloves are also good choices. If you are working in colder climates the hat and gloves can double as the protection from the environment. In addition, since your hands are likely in motion, the bright orange gloves will make you more visible to traffic. Even if your work takes you away from traffic and into the wilderness, you want to be visible to hunters and wildlife.

You also need to consider the proper footwear for the job you are doing. Work boots aren’t just for show; they provide a lot of functionality and protection. If you are working in muddy, wet, or slippery conditions, the proper tread can keep you from falling. In addition, the extra protection they provide to your feet and ankles are important. They can help keep you from twisting an ankle or getting injured from sharp materials or animal bites. Finally, they will keep your feet warm. Keeping your feet, hands, and head warm are important in cold weather.

Speaking of hats, in addition to visibility, protecting your head from the cold is vital. Most of your body’s heat loss is through the head. Keep it warm and you will be well protected. Gloves to protect your fingers from frostbite are also important. The proper glove can also help grip your tools and prevent fatigue in your hands from repetitive tasks. In extreme cold conditions, wear thermal underwear for maximum protection. Modern materials provide warmth without all the weight old fashioned cotton underwear had and also wick moisture away from the body to prevent hypothermia.

And last, don’t forget about protection from the sun itself. Skin cancer is a growing concern in today’s world, but is easily protected against. Apply a good sun screen any time you are going to be exposed to the elements for a long period of time, even on cloudy days. This simple procedure can save a lot of grief as you get older. Also, don’t forget your eyes. Wear adequate UV protection in the form of a quality pair of sunglasses.

Working outdoors can be enjoyable and healthy if you take a few precautions.