5 Ways You Can Boost Your Career This Week for Less Than $10

5 Ways You Can Boost Your Career This Week for Less Than $105 Ways You Can Boost Your Career This Week for Less Than $10Its 730 AM, and youre counting the minutes until the barista hands over your cortado.Youre probably checking work email on your iPhone, tapping out responses to your boss, cursing autocorrect. Maybe youre ignoring the fact youre sick of your job or how badly you need that raise. And when the time comes- despite the fact youre over your fun money budget again- youll gladly fork over your $4.75 plus tip because that house-made hazelnut-macadamia milk is unreal.We get it. Its your morning ritual. But what if we told you that for the price of your caffeine-laced luxury, you could improve your chances of landing a raise or make a bold move toward a new career? So sip on, reader, but while youre at it, consider putting a few bucks toward one of these1. Attend a Creative Lecture or WorkshopWhen most of us envision business world events, it aint pretty. My Name Is __ sticke rs, fluorescent lights, droning speakers, and soggy boxed lunches.But in recent years, creatives have overhauled the genre, organizing unique lectures and workshops that stand out from their stuffy forefathers. A couple worth tryingCreative Mornings is a simple concept On a weekday morning, an innovator gets up in front of a coffee-guzzling, donut-munching crowd and explains how they got there. If youre notlage sure what career you want (or if it even exists), attend for some much needed inspiration. If your interests skew toward the tech industry, try one of General Assemblys free events or online workshops. Youll learn practical techniques for a web savvy world- exactly the skills employers love seeing on a resume.Cost Free2. Read About People Who Do Things DifferentlyIts easy to get comfortable with your routine when youre limited by a strict work schedule, but repetition makes for atrophy. When youre in cubicle lockdown, break up the monotony by taking a few minutes to scroll th rough some interview-centric blogs. Reading up on young innovators will remind you its okay to think differently, and youll probably come across ideas youll want to implement in your own life. A couple not to miss The Great Discontent and Freunde von Freunden. Cost Free3. Organize Like a Grown-up (Which, of Course, You Are)Whether youre deep in the interview process or just trying to juggle copious work-life responsibilities, you need some way to organize it all. Getting your schedule in order guarantees you wont miss meetings or deadlines, and also helps you track your after-hours plans so youll never forget about drinks with former colleagues again. Were all guilty of shirking responsibilities on occasion. Writing things down keeps you honest.Try slipping a weekly planner in your bag and remember to use it. Or, if youre always online or derive strange pleasure from checking off to-dos (oh, we get you), consider trying TeuxDeux for a whopping $3 per month. The platform is pared dow n and easy to navigate, even for the most disorganized among us. And yes, theres an app for that. Sync your lists between your phone and computer for days on the go. Cost $3 to $5 4. You Know What They Say About PortfoliosWell, lots actually. But if you work in a creative industry and dont have one? Stop reading this article now youve got other work to do.A portfolio lets you curate how you present yourself by highlighting the projects you want potential clients or employers to see. Particularly proud of a piece you wrote? Put it into your portfolio. Worked on marketing for that new cool Adidas womens line? Add it. You dont need to be a tech genius to make one, either. Cargo Collective provides free templates for creatives, while the creative world darling Squarespace offers beautiful, mobile-friendly designs starting at $8 per month. Set aside a Saturday to focus, and youll have a website ready in mere hours.Cost $8 per month or less 5. Make a Coffee DateSo youve got blogs to juggl e, to-do lists to organize, and portfolios to build, but sometimes career hacking requires you step away from the computer. fruchtwein opportunities will come from people you already know (or youre about to meet). Whats the best way to make room in a harried schedule for face-to-face connections? Your old friend espresso.Consider cutting down your latte intake one day a week, then use that money to treat someone else. Take a walk with your boss to a local cafe and ask for some informal feedback. Or, call up a former colleague or new contact and suggest a coffee break. Even if youre both swamped with daytime responsibilities, almost anyone can meet before heading into the office. You can show them why that hazelnut-macadamia milk really is better than half-and-half, and they can teach you a few things, too.Cost $4.75 to $6.75- depending on whether your beloved baristas working, because we know youre giving him a $2 tip.This article was originally published on Career Contessa. It has been republished here with permission.Photo of woman on phone courtesy of Shutterstock.

Resume Template for Students and Recent Graduates

Resume Template for Students and Recent GraduatesResume Template for Students and Recent GraduatesThis resume template provides a sample resume structure for students and recent graduates. The template is merely a starting point to help you create a resume. For workers with three or more years of experience, review theresume template for experienced employees.Resume Template (Student/Recent Graduate)Contact InformationPlace your contact information at the top of your resume.First and Last NameStreet AddressCity, State, Zip CodePhone Number (Cell/Home)E-mail AddressWebsite or Blog (Optional)Career Objective (Optional)The objective section of your resume should succinctly summarize your career goals. Your objective should mirror the prospective employers mission or job description and highlight how your skills and background would fit the position.EducationIf you are a student or recent graduate, you should list your education before your work history. The education portion of your res ume is generally presented in reverse chronological order and includes the degrees you earned as well as the name, city, and state of each educational institution you attended and the date you graduated or expect to graduate.Be certain to list any academic distinctions you have earned while in school, such as, cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude, scholarships, high-class rank, and Deans List memberships. If your grade point average (GPA) is high, generally 3.5 and above or 3.3 and above in difficult majors, you should list this as well. School Name, City, StateGraduate or Law DegreeDate of GraduationAcademic distinctionsGPA (if high)School Name, City, StateUndergraduate DegreeDate of GraduationAcademic distinctionsGPA (if high)Work HistoryThe work experience section of your resume describes your past and present work experience. List your work experience in reverse chronological order beginning with your present or most recent position. You should also list your job title, t he name and location (city, state) of each organization in which you were employed as well as your employment dates (month and year).Your work history need not be limited to paid employment you should also list in eigener sacheships, externships, clinics, and volunteer work if they are related to the field or position you seek or if the skills you acquired in those positions are relevant to the job for which you are applying.Under each employer, describe your job responsibilities in terms of accomplishments and results. For example, instead of Interned in Acme Co.s legal department you might say, Interned in Acme Co.s legal department, rising to senior intern within two months.Company Name, City, StateJob Title 1 (Most Recent)Dates of EmploymentCompany Name, City, StateJob Title 2Dates of EmploymentSkillsThis portion of your resume should list any special skills necessary to the job you seek or the field in which you aim to find employment. These skills might include technology skil ls, job-specific abilities, foreign language fluency, writing skills and software proficiency.Achievements and AwardsYour resume should also include any achievements, awards, honors, and recognitionyou have received. Examples include academic awards, writing contest awards, publications, perfect attendance awards, leadership positions in clubs and organizations, community service or volunteer awards, high scores on standardized tests and exams and offices held in clubs and organizations.Memberships and ActivitiesList any other information that helps to set you apart from other candidates such as extracurricular activities, scholarships, honor society memberships, professional association memberships, and community service activities. You can create a list such as the followingJob Responsibility/Result/AccomplishmentJob Responsibility/Result/AccomplishmentJob Responsibility/Result/AccomplishmentJob Responsibility/Result/Accomplishment?For additional resume advice, you might also revi ewresume guide,top resume mistakes,andhowtocraft a winning resume.

4 Ways to Job Search When You Have No Time

4 Ways to Job Search When You Have No Time4 Ways to Job Search When You Have No Time4Youre committed to your job search, and you use every ounce of your free time you have to comb through listings, write cover letters, and quantify your resume bullet points.But, heres the problem you keep running into you dont really have a lot of free time to dedicate. And its difficult to job search when you have no time. Maybe youre currently employed full-time. Perhaps youre a student with an existing part-time job. Or, maybe you have a family that requires a lot of your time and attention.Regardless of your specific circumstances, you dont have hours on end each day that you can dedicate to the job hunt. You get 15minutes here, a half hour there, and thats that.Fortunately, you can leverage that time to your advantage- as long as you use it wisely.Here are four ways tojob search when you have no time1. Have a plan.When youre short on time in your job hunt, you want to use every moment to your ad vantage. But, thats going to be tough to do if you sit down at your computer each day and have no idea where to even start. For this reason, its helpful to form a plan for yourself. Think of it as your overarching job search strategy that will keep you on track.Sit down with a piece of paper and a pen and list out everything you need to get done. Do you need to update your resume? Search job boards? Write cover letters? Revamp your LinkedIn profile?No detail is too small- write it all down. Then, each time you park yourself at your computer and roll up your sleeves for a solid 15 minutes of job searching, you can jump right in without wasting any time wondering what you need to be working on.2. Getorganized.From resumes to cover letters to references to job descriptions, theres a lot of information involved in the search for a new position. But, the last thing you want to do is waste precious time looking for the things you need. So, dedicate a few minutes to getting yourself organi zed. Keep your important documents in one easily accessible folder. Leverage your bookmarks bar to save your favorite job boards or listings you want to apply to.The more you can streamline things for yourself, the more time you can spend actually applying for jobs- rather than pawing through your mess of computer files in search of wherever your most recent resume disappeared to.3. Elevateyour personal brand.You know the importance of your personal brand- particularly when youre job searching. But, refining your own often seems like an intangible concept, not to mention a completely overwhelming undertaking.Fortunately, elevating your personal brand is something that you can chip away at bit by bit using the list you created in the first step. When you boil it down, your brand is really just a combination of a bunch of small things. So, spend 15minutes editing your LinkedIn summary, updating your personal website, adding some new pieces to your portfolio, joining an industry group, or drafting a relevant blog post, for example.These are all things that contribute to a polished and professional brand that any hiring manager will be impressed by- and they dont necessarily require a huge time investment4. Reachout to your network.Well spare you all of the, Its not always what you know, but who you know clichs. You already know this much- your network will be a huge asset to you when youre looking for a new job, provided youre willing to utilize it.With that in mind, make aya to dedicate a little bit of your job searching time to networking. Send an Im looking for a new role email to a few of your close contacts to see if they have any recommendations. Reach out to a thought leader you admire to set up an informational interview or phone chat. Or, grab a quick cup of coffee with a few other people who work in your industry.No, this isnt time spent tailoring resumes and submitting applications. But, you never know who your network can connect you to. More often th an not, this is time well spent.Not everybody has hours to invest in their job search. Fortunately, you dont necessarily need that much time. Use these four tips, and youll make the most of your time- whether you have 15 minutes or five hours.Check Out Available Jobs