Why Arent We Engaging with Young Talent in the Social Care Sector

Why Aren’t We Engaging with Young Talent in the Social Care Sector One way for care organizations to tackle the issue of succession planning before it becomes a serious crisis is to attract young people into vacant job roles. Care organizations need to acknowledge the benefits of attracting young people earlier on in their decision-making process. This includes promoting the exciting and wide-ranging career options available within the sector. There are currently an estimated 760,000 young people (16 to 24 years) not in employment, education or training (NEET)   couldn’t some of these fill the current 110,000 vacancies in the care sector? As it’s estimated that 24% of all social care workers are aged over 55 and will retire gradually over the next ten years, creating around 320,000 job vacancies within the industry. Employers need to consider different ways to interest a younger age group to job roles and be innovative in their recruitment strategy. Different aspects of the job will appeal more to a younger workforce, so it is important to tailor job adverts and recruitment to attract younger candidates. Try introducing social media advertising and develop relationships with local schools and colleges.   You can do this by giving assembly talks and hosting stands at careers fairs, all of which can be a great way to interact directly with potential employees. Young employees are also great ambassadors â€" why don’t you use these to showcase how rewarding and successful a career in care can be â€" both on your website and within recruitment. Make applications simple to fill out and send off, limit time-consuming forms which need posting as this can prevent young people from applying.  Also, consider changing the language used in your adverts to attract 16-24-year olds by making it less formal. Finally, try listing desired skills rather than qualifications so that it removes any barriers to allow a wider candidate pool. Values-based recruitment (VBR) takes a holistic approach to the hiring process and helps employers to find the right candidates with the right skills for the role who will provide a high level of care. VBR allows employers to assess the values, behaviors, and attitudes of a candidate, rather than having the necessary qualifications and/or direct work experience. The staff you want to hire should be compassionate, responsible and empathetic. Interview questions should ask candidates to give examples of ways their personality and behavior reflects these skills; this could include caring for a relative or friend, volunteering for a local charity, etc. Although it does take more effort to begin with, there are many benefits to switching to this type of recruitment strategy it has a positive impact on staff retention, as well as improving the quality of care within a care organization. Finally, children and teenagers need to be made aware of a career to aspire to work in that particular industry.   If organizations aren’t reaching out to young children promoting different career paths, they may not hear about these opportunities until it’s too late. Care organizations are approaching young people of school-leaver or university age, but by this time many have already decided on their immediate future. If the sector wants to see an increase in the number of 16-24-year olds applying for roles, we must focus on educating the future generation on the options available in social care before they have made their decisions. Build bridges with local schools and colleges and create mutually beneficial relationships by offering work experience opportunities â€" after all these could be your future employees! About the author:  Amanda Marques, is the Business Solutions Director, at Cohesion

The demo reel for my reality TV show (and how to turn a failure into a success)

The demo reel for my reality TV show (and how to turn a failure into a success) For those of you who dont remember, a film crew came for three days to make a demo reel for a reality show based on my family. Here is the problem: we are too normal. Im not kidding. Thats what the TV people ultimately concluded. But I take being too normal for reality TV as new-millennium Good Housekeeping seal of approval. The other thing the TV people said was that listening to my coaching sessions was magical. Really. They said that. So Im writing it for you again: magical. They filmed at our house for three days, which means they heard my side of a dozen calls, and in each case, they couldnt believe how fast I could figure out the persons problems and solve them. (And then, of course, I started doing that for the producer of the demo reel. That was a big hit.) So there is probably not going to be a reality show based on my family. But the good news  is that Im going to focus on doing my own video podcast/reality show where I coach people. I am not totally sure how Im going to execute that, so if you have ideas, please let me know. And if you want to know how to specialize, this is the process. You think youll be great at one thing, but people tell you youre great at something else, so do what people tell you youre great at. Dont fight it. So somehow Im going to be great at reality TV coaching. In the meantime, here is a peek into my too-normal-for-TV family.

10 Storage Hacks to Maximize Space in Your Home

10 Storage Hacks to Maximize Space in Your Home You live in a studio. You live with four children. You live with a serious love for online shopping. No matter what your situation, you need more storage. Luckily for you, many others have walked in the same shoes and have found ways to improve their own situations with storage hacks that are almost too easy and effective to be true. Below you’ll find ten such storage tricks; enact one, two or all ten and relish in the glory of a home that functions better than ever before. Look Under the Stairs Those in need of extra space often overlook the space left under a staircase. Innovating designers before you have used this triangular area for everything from a computer desk, to a bar, to a bookshelf. Get creative with your own under-stair space and open up a whole new area of storage. Goodbye, Board In extra-small apartments, you might not have space to store a full-sized ironing board. Luckily, you can take an old quilt or blanket and adhere magnets to the back of it. Next time you need to iron, slap your magnetic blanket on top of your washer or dryer. The blanket stays in place and provides just enough heat protection to your machine’s top. Show Off Your Shoes Many small spaces don’t have a closet hidden behind closed doors, and having your wardrobe out in the open can present you many storage problems. A great way to combine utility and style is to hang your high-heeled shoes right on your wall. All you need is a few strips of crown molding turned upside-down so that the bottom edge is flush with the wall and the top is floating. Then, simply slip the heels of your shoes over the floating edge. They’re now secure and off of the floor, which means you can store other clothing or personal items there. You’ve created an eye-catching design element in your room for a low cost. Peg Your Pots Not everyone has the budget to revamp the kitchen storage system entirely. One way to increase cabinet space is to outfit one wall with a pegboard. From here, you can hang bulky items like pots, pans, colanders, spatulas, spoons, and more. As an added bonus, you now have an eye-catching centerpiece in your kitchen! Loft (or Lift) Your Bed Many small apartments rely on lofted beds to make the most of floor space. Beneath your vaulted bed, you can put a closet, sitting area, dresser or desk â€" just about anything imaginable! If you’ve got a little more space to play with â€" or you’re not in love with the idea of up-high sleeping â€" opt for a Murphy bed. This ingenious design lifts up so that you can store items under your bed and access them easily. Whichever option you choose, you’ll be making the most out of limited space in your bedroom. Coat Hooks in the Bathroom It’s not your entryway, but your bathroom can benefit from a set of coat hooks, too. A standard towel rod looks sleek, but only holds two or three linens at most. A coat hook, on the other hand, can hold multiple towels without looking a mess. This is a great option if you live with roommates, messy or not. It’s also easy for kids to whip their bath towels up onto hooks â€" no more damp linens to pick up off of the bathroom floor! Renovate Wisely This tip applies only to those in the midst of a major renovation, (but keep it in mind for down the road, too). Be sure your plans take advantage of every nook and cranny in which you can store your belongings. Take, for example, the kitchen. Many homeowners make the mistake of not extending their brand new cabinets all the way to the ceiling. This leaves storage space behind, which means you’ll probably regret it later when you can’t find a home for your fondue set or Thanksgiving turkey platter.   Stick to Magnets Just like the ironing board tip provided in #2, this storage trick relies on magnets. However, it’s a bit broader: you can use a magnetic strip or board to store and organize just about anything. A small magnetic strip in your bathroom, for example, can hold all of your small grooming tools, like tweezers and scissors. A larger one in the kitchen can grip your knives. And a full metal sheet will be strong enough to hold storage containers of your favorite spices, keeping them at arm’s length and out of the pantry where they’d undoubtedly cause clutter. De-Flub Your Tub If you have kids, you know that it takes a village â€" I mean a village worth of toys â€"  to get through bath time. While you love Rubber Ducky for making your life easier, he ends up adding to the bathroom clutter that your family undoubtedly creates on its own. An easy way to clean up your tub area is to purchase a hanging fruit basket using Frugaa  for a discount and let it dangle from your shower rod. Voila. It’ll hold toys, loofahs, sponges, shampoo bottles and anything else that would otherwise fill up the ledges of your tub. Dont let Large be in Charge Is your garage or driveway home to a car your promised your wife you would fix  (5 years ago) or a boat that rarely ever sees the water? If so, then you are losing storage space. Did you know you can use  self storage  to store larger items like a car or boat, in case you’re lucky enough (or unlucky enough?) to have those?! If you know youre probably never going to use the car, boat, lawnmower, or other big item, then it might be time to offer them up for sale. Essentially, you get the best of both worlds. Newly-discovered space and a pocket full of cash. And, now that your house is completely organized, you can treat yourself to a glass of wine, too. I call that a win-win.

I Love Living Debt Free!

I Love Living Debt Free! By, Melissa Alvarez Since I can remember, I have never been a person who liked owing money to anyone. However, I learned a good lesson in college about owning a credit card.The only debt Ive ever had was credit card debt, and this started in college. The reality is that most 18-19 year olds dont know the first thing about personal finance, credit cards, or taking out loans, and that is where they get themselves into a bind. It often happens so quickly: BOOM and you are in debt. When I first moved to Chicago I realized how expensive it was to live here; especially for a girl from Kentucky! Once I got my first job in the city and started to get that paycheck I literally just started paying everything off. It was hard of course, but I knew at some point it would get done and it would somehow feel better. Reality set in again when I left my job to pursue my dream of starting my very own business. I was back to square one. No steady income and no way of paying off my credit card debt. I quickly found a solution and sucked up my pride and began working as a nanny again. It was the BEST decision I ever made. It took me less than 6 months to pay off what I owed. Was it easy, hell no! Fortunately, I paid off my debt and I was able to begin saving and contributing to a few accounts that I set up for health care and retirement. After paying off my debt, my fiancé and I moved in together and it only got better! We are really good about keeping each other in check. For example, hes been dying to get this $4,000 leather chair. We are both obsessed with it and when we walked into the store to see if it was still there, my fiancé was ready to purchase it. Ive never seen him so serious about buying something! I was itching and I could feel my heart pounding with excitement, but then it hit me: $4,000.hmmm. What could we do with $4,000? My mind started racing and I visualized laying out on the beach in Croatia or swimming in the oceans of Australia. Thats when I whispered to Rob, Not today babe. Get it when you pass the CFP. He just looked at me and grinned and we happily walked out of the store without purchasing anything. Thats the thing- over spending is just too stressful! I dont know how anyone could feel happy just swiping their credit card and taking out unnecessary loans that they may never be able to pay back. Its just not worth it. I think as Americans we need to begin to live beneath our means versus above them. It will pay off and you will ultimately feel a sense of authentic happiness with yourself and your lifestyle, at least I do. The feeling of being debt-free is beyond words. Sticking to a budget has really allowed me to feel a sense of freedom. Im currently wedding planning for our big day and I dont have to stress about the little things. Yes, its expensive; dont get me wrong, but not owing anyone anything has allowed me to go into planning stress free. Its my life, and I personally choose to live debt free!

The penny-pinchers guide to decorating your uni room

The penny-pinchers guide to decorating your uni room If you’re anything like me, your uni room is your ultimate sanctuary. At the start of every academic year, I would painstakingly paper my walls with posters and carefully coordinate my covers and cushions then just months later decided that all my furniture needed moving around, or that my colour scheme was totally off. It’s true that a tidy room can improve your mood, but I found switching your decor up is even better. Of course, on a student budget, popping out to the John Lewis home section is rarely an option. However, there are still plenty of creative ways you can give your room (or indeed your whole house) a fresh makeover without denting your precious student loan installments. Go second hand I’ve found some of my all-time favourite pieces of furniture in charity shops. Larger charities like the British Heart Foundation and Oxfam often have shops specifically dedicated to furniture. If you haven’t got one of these in your local town or city, smaller charity shops frequently sell beautiful vases, rugs and ornaments which you can buy for a steal. Often you’ll find yourself wading through a lot of rubbish, so make sure you’ve got the time to really look. The pay-off is worth it. If it’s coming up to the spring months, check whether your local area does a car boot sale. Even if it’s a bus ride away, GO. I can’t recommend them enough   often sellers are so desperate to get rid of their stuff that you can get items of furniture, ornaments, rugs or mirrors for absurdly low prices. I once purchased a gorgeous antique mirror for £3 from a woman who I caught just before she put it back into her boot. If you go early, there’s more to look at, but go later (11am-12pm ish) and you’ll be able to barter as vendors are packing away their stalls. Sales Sales Sales Speaking of bartering, sales can be an excellent way of getting high-quality furniture or decorative items at a relatively low cost. If you’ve got your eye on something, wait until the big sales, which usually come around the end of each season, before pursuing it. See if your student discount can also be applied for further savings. Get crafty As the proverb goes, necessity is the mother of invention. With a little creativity, there’s loads of cheap or free ways you can decorate your room. Some string and clothes pegs, for example, can be combined to put your photographs on display, and leftover jars from your kitchen can be decorated then used to house tealights. If you’re going on holiday soon, look out for pretty leaflets or flyers you might bring back with you. I picked up some colourful Japanese flyers on my last trip away, and though I have no idea what the writing says, the images on them look lovely pinned on my wall. Pinterest also has a treasure trove of ideas on re- or up-cycling old stuff, so head over there for further inspiration. Grow your own Research has shown time and again that having indoor plants can have health benefits, both mentally and physically. Conveniently, plants are also pretty nice to look at. Currently, a lot of larger chain shops are selling succulents and small plants but they’re at rip-off prices. For a better deal, go to your local market or florist, where plants will almost always be cheaper and the vendor can advise you on how to care for it. Personally, I always ask for the one that’s most difficult to kill, but it’s totally up to you IKEA Okay, I know this one’s a bit of a cop-out, but for smaller items like lamps and bedside tables, IKEA can be a life-saver in terms of cost. Just make sure you have someone to cool you off while you build the thing. Without a car (who drives at uni anyway) it’s not the most convenient option for redecorating, but IKEA delivers, and by clubbing in with some mates you could slash the cost of delivery. Items like new duvet and pillow covers, for example, can really transform a room, and are a very cheap item to get from a store like IKEA or its equivalents. Remember that it doesn’t take a total overhaul to create a new look, and if you’re getting rid of anything, be sure to offer it to your friends or give it to your local charity shop. Similarly, you could arrange a swap party with your mates to exchange the stuff you don’t want anymore meaning you get something free, and nothing goes to waste. Connect with Debut on  Facebook,  Twitter,  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.

How to Write an Ignite Talk - CareerEnlightenment.com

Step 3: Build Your Slide DeckI’m a Mac user. And I struggle in admitting this (sigh), but most people in the world are not. If you furnish your slides to the Ignite committee, you should turn in a Powerpoint, because chances are, they won’t be using Keynote.Save yourself the hassle of exporting from Keynote to PP and then fixing all the font and design errors that will invariably occur â€" just build your slides in PP in the first place.Ok, rant over.Looking at your audio file, remember that the slide showing relates to the segment of script that is being read. So where there is a marker, there is a new slide. And that new slide has to relate to the segment of script the follows the marker. Make sense?Remember that your first slide is going to be the title slide. So the whole thing will look like this:Title slide (15 sec): the first segment of your scriptSlide 2 (15 sec): the second segment of your scriptSlide 3: the third segment and continue to the end of slide 15So design you r slides knowing that your title slide may not be very interesting, just the title of the talk and your name. The creative, fun, slide design work starts on slide 2, segment 2 of your script.As you go through your audio script and begin putting slides together, remember that the slides are there merely to back you up and reinforce the main point of that 15-second segment.Here are some slide design rules I’ve found useful:Remember the rule of thirds. The most important elements of the slide should appear in one of the four intersections created when you divide the slide into thirds both horizontally and vertically.Use 30 point font or larger, and use nice fonts. Choose fonts for readability, and avoid over-used fonts such as Comic Sans or Papyrus. Decorative fonts are not well suited for a presentation â€" keep it simple. You don’t need to be a graphic designer to have professional-looking slides. The large font forces you to use one point per slide, and to get to the essence of that point.Images paint better pictures than words. You might need words to clarify or reinforce a point, but don’t be afraid to use a slide that is just one big picture.For more slide design resources check these out:Presentation ZenHow to Be a Presentation GodSix Minutes: The Rule of ThirdsGet Feedback and Practice A LOTI got so wrapped up in telling my story, at first, that I totally forgot that the talk needs to have a clear point or two. It wasn’t until I practiced the talk in front of some fellow speakers that this became clear. Get feedback from people before you deliver your talk. And don’t let them see your slides. You want them to really pay attention to your material.After I got initial feedback, I realized that I needed more educational elements in the piece. I also needed to take out some details that were confusing and insert other details to clarify. Be sure you really listen to this feedback. It’s not personal, it’s a key to help you make your Ignite talk R OCK!When you are on stage, and there are hundreds of people there, you will be scared. Trust me. Even if you are experienced. The restrictions imposed by Ignite are uncomfortable, to say the least. If you are freaked out, you’ll make mistakes.You need to be really present.But you can’t be present if you haven’t practiced your materials!You can set up Powerpoint so that it moves automatically to the next slide every 15 seconds. Just go to Transitions, and pick Advance Slide Every 15 seconds.With your Powerpoint set up, there is no excuse for you to NOT practice every day for five minutes. Right?What I Got from this ExperienceThe story that emerged from the feedback, the design of the slides, the crafting of the script, and the refining of the telling was much different from what I started with. And way more valuable for me as an author and presenter.I now have the basis for a keynote talk, with lots of great details and learning points â€" something I struggled for months to cr eate.If you are looking for some clarity in your message, and a professional challenge, I would highly encourage you to sign up for an Ignite style talk in your area.

Is Resume Writing a Risky Business?

Is Resume Writing a Risky Business?A lot of us do not like to think that we will be writing resumes for people. We just want to go to work and get paid the same as everyone else. If you are one of these people, here are some tips that you can use when it comes to resume writing a risky business.You should never be too proud to sit down and write a resume. Sometimes it can be very hard to learn how to use templates properly. Make sure you always use a template. In order to do this, it would be best if you could take a look at the free sample resumes that are available online. This way, you can get some ideas of what a resume should look like and also help you out in putting your own personal touch on the material.Remember that you do not want to leave any possible mistakes on your resume. You should not make any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes either. A single slip up on your resume can cause you to lose your job and leave you with no other choice but to start all over again. Make sure that you take every opportunity that you can to make your resume perfect.Before you even start putting your name down to do a risk job, make sure that you have all the information that you need to make the move to a safer job. If you are not entirely certain about some questions that will come up during your interview, find someone who is. You want to be sure about anything that pertains to legal issues, social security issues and other areas of concern that will affect your future in the industry.The entire process of putting your name on the line will not be easy for you. As a matter of fact, you will probably have a few nervous moments during the entire process. However, if you handle the nervousness correctly, you can do this job successfully. It is a risky business, but the kind of risk that you are going to need to take in order to make it. What is more, it is a fun and rewarding career that can last you the rest of your life.Be careful not to use negative informatio n about yourself on your resume. There are plenty of people who use their personality and the way they look to try to get into positions that they are not even qualified for. There are many online sites that will be happy to advertise to other employers the truth about who you are.When you are looking at your resume, you need to know that the company that you are applying for will not have a problem taking down the information you give them. A good resume is well structured, but you need to know that any information that you put on it is fair game. Just make sure that you cover all the bases that you can and that you do not leave anything out.Resume writing a risky business may sound difficult, but you will eventually get used to the process. It is one thing to write the resume and another to read it. Your name is on the line and you will want to be sure that you do not fall prey to others who are trying to take advantage of you.