We’ve been approached by the Vodafone Foundation’s World of Difference UK to tell you about a fantastic opportunity for you to boost your CV and get great experience within the third sector.

World of Difference UK is giving over 500 people the opportunity to undertake two month paid placements with a UK charity of their choice; funded by the Vodafone Foundation. The deadline for applications is fast approaching (3rd November) and is a great opportunity for anyone who has the passion, drive and commitment to donate themselves to charity.

See further information on the program below:

VODAFONE FOUNDATION GIVES 500 PEOPLE THE POWER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY

The World of Difference UK programme, delivered by the Vodafone Foundation, has launched to give 500 people the power to make a difference by putting something back into the community. The two month programme gives people the opportunity to take a paid placement with a UK charity of their choice. World of Difference UK is open to anyone over 18 in the UK who has the passion, drive and commitment to donate themselves to a charity. Taking part involves finding the right charity to suit interests, skills and experience and completing an online application form at vodafone.co.uk/worldofdifference by 3 November 2009.

Finding the right charity is easy as the website has a unique online Charity Matchmaker tool, developed in consultation with the UK’s leading volunteering charity, WorldWide Volunteering. If you’re successful, the Vodafone Foundation will pay the charity you choose a total of £2,500 and you’ll get the balance when tax and National Insurance have been paid.

In addition, Vodafone UK will donate a new mobile phone and pre-paid credit to each of the 500 successful applicants so they can share their experiences with friends and family and inspire others to make a difference. The deadline for applications for World of Difference UK is 3 November, with the first placements beginning in January 2010.

“For people who feel passionate about a charity or cause, or for those who simply have time on their hands, Vodafone’s World of Difference programme offers an ideal opportunity to help others whilst gaining valuable life and work experience,” said Andrew Dunnett, Director of the Vodafone Foundation. ”We’ve seen a huge surge of interest in UK-based charity placements, with over 127,000 Facebook fans following us on facebook.com/worldofdifference when we launched our International programme earlier this year. World of Difference UK gives people who want to donate themselves, and get paid, the chance to put that passion into practice.”

Eight UK winners from the Vodafone Foundation’s World of Difference International programme have been confirmed today.The winners (Nick Eastcott from Dorset, Kathryn Becher from Devon, Lucy Buck from East Sussex, Max Griffiths from London, Naomi Pendle from Bath, Zoe Vowles from London, Rebecca Webb from Southampton and Jain Reid from London) beat 1,000 applicants to work for their chosen charities overseas for 12 months, with salary and expenses paid up to £45,000.

For further information on the World of Difference programmes visit vodafone.co.uk/worldofdifference or join the World of Difference Facebook fan page facebook.com/worldofdifference

Have you ever worked on a winning team? If you have you’ll know the living spirit that imbues and influences every team member – a spirit that can inspire a whole team to extra ordinary levels of performance.
Have you ever worked in a team with sinking morale? If you have you’ll know the way that the atmosphere can demoralise even the most motivated individuals.
A team exists as a living system, not simply a collection of individual parts. That’s why its so important when you’re in the process of changing career or finding a new job to do your due diligence on the team you’ll soon be part of.

So make sure you:
Do your homework :- gather information about the team. You can glean a lot from the company website if they have individual team profiles. Or ask your recruitment consultant or the person who is recruiting for the role. Ask the following questions:

• What are the team member’s backgrounds?
• What made them join the company?
• How long have they worked for this company?
• What are the team dynamics?

This will give you a good overview of the team and prepare you well for the interview.

At interview: - most likely it’ll be the reporting manager and a HR representative who’ll interview you. On top of this if you decide to go further, request to meet some of the team members at the next stage. Ask questions like:

• How often are your team meetings?
• What types of things do you do as team?
• How are you remunerated as a team?
• What is your day to day interaction with each other?

This will give you a balanced view of the role and the personalities you’ll be working with.

The Beer Test: - towards the end stages of recruitment some companies have “the beer test” where they invite you out with the team to see how you all gel on a social level. Use this as your own test and ask yourself “Would I want to socialise with these people on a regular basis?”.

This  is a good indicator as to whether they are a good working fit for YOU.

(Word of caution: drink in moderation to keep an objective head)

At  all stages, keep in mind the characteristics of successful teams below:

Teams expect                                                            Which is

“One Minute Manager”
Ken Blanchard

Written by Fiona Biggins

To find out how career coaching can help you, please contact Fiona Biggins (Career Preparation Expert and Coach) for a friendly chat.

1. Internship Opportunity - Seventeen Events

Seventeen Events is a sustainable event management agency based at Container City in east London. We manage a variety of events each year including the Observer Ethical Awards. We are compliant to BS8901, the British Standard for sustainable event management, and we have a clever online system called eventberry (www.eventberry.com) which helps us manage this.

We are looking for an intern to work with us from now for at least the next two months. There will be a number of different tasks we need help with. Some of the relevant skills we’ll be looking for include:

Excellent organisation and administrative skills;

An interest in, and understanding of, sustainable issues;

Quick thinking and a common sense approach;

Attention to detail and an accurate eye.

Intern positions at Seventeen earn the minimum wage, currently £5.73/hour, so you are not going to make your first million - but you will gain valuable experience in a fast moving field and you definitely won’t be bored. We may be recruiting permanent staff later in the year so this internship could put you in an excellent position to apply for a future role.

If this sounds like it could be of interest, please email Andrew - andrew@seventeenevents.co.uk - with the following information:

An up to date CV

An event which you think Seventeen could make more sustainable

A 200 word summary of an event which you have been involved in organising

Check out our website if you need some inspiration - www.seventeenevents.co.uk.

Please find two job opportunities which are available within our network of companies.

Please mention Striding Out when you contact them.

 2. Social Researcher - UsCreates
Salary c. 24000 to 27000 (depending on experience)

http://www.uscreates.com/news/social_reseacher_position/
Uscreates is dedicated to designing and improving communications and public services for behaviour change
Uscreates is an award winning creative consultancy that supports local organisatons in delivering social change. We tackle national social problems such as health, education and regeneration by working at a local level with public and third sector organisations.
We use our innovative design and marketing expertise to come at problems from a creative perspective. We help organisations engage with people affected by social problems to establish their needs and work collaboratively to develop and deliver solutions.
We are small and rapidly growing company looking for a highly motivated, and proactive social researcher to join our team.
Main Responsibilities
This role will involve designing, conducting and managing qualitative research to inform future social marketing campaigns and public service design. In addition, you will be fully involved in the day-to-day management of projects from brief through to delivery. This will include meeting and liaising with clients, presenting work, helping to facilitate events, project administration, budget management, team briefings, and making cups of tea when it’s your round!
Essential
- 2 years minimum relevant experience (we envisage the successful candidate will have a background in market research, design research, social research, and / or insight designing).
- Knowledge of social marketing and service design sectors
- Demonstrable experience of planning and managing budgets
- Experience in developing and writing proposals
- Ability to liaise with and manage multiple partners / clients
- An interest and awareness of current social issues

Desirable
- Experience in social marketing and service design sectors
- Background in public and / or third sector
- Experience in facilitating meetings and workshops

If you are interested please send a CV and covering letter to us@uscreates.com or drop us a line to find out more.
3. Project Manager - Rafi.Ki

Project manager for the day to day running of Rafi.ki, an online network of schools. The candidate will Ideally be a former (or current) teacher who’s looking to move to pastures new.

“…We need someone to manage the community itself, from deciding what projects to do, who to work with through to ensuring our pupils and teachers are supported as well as possible. You’ll be managing an excellent team of facilitators and working with partner organisations and evaluators to ensure we’re having the social impact we need.”

The salary is £30-35K depending on experience.

Please mention Striding Out when applying for the position - contact Henry Warren henry@gemin-i.org for full job spec.

4. Eco-Centric - Intern Opportunity

Would you like office and marketing experience in an e-commerce
retailer of ethical and eco friendly home accessories and gifts?

This internship offers an invaluable opportunity to gain experience
in marketing and administration with East London’s best eco homewares
store. Join the team in bringing the best ethical and eco friendly
products to peoples attention and help to grow this exciting young
brand.

The ideal candidate will be an enthusiastic self-starter with strong
communication skills and a willingness to be flexible. Learn on the
job to become effective in website, brand and product marketing.

The position is unpaid (travel - within London - and lunch expenses
provided) and will be for a period of 6 months. View to possible full
time employment.

If you are interested email your CV and a covering letter to
Michael@ecocentric.co.uk.

Intern - Otesha Project

The Otesha Project UK is an exciting charity that combines art and sports to motivate young people to live in a more low-impact way. We are looking for an intern to work us in our London office to help organise and publicise the Otesha cycling theatre tours, taking place in summer 2009 - someone with lots of vision, drive and ideas, who is creative and wants the opportunity to have a big role in a small organisation, not just get the coffee!

The post is ideal for someone who has an interest in sustainable living and is keen to learn more about adventure and event planning, PR and media, and/or developing organisational systems. If you are looking to work in the charitable/voluntary sector or start your own project, this is a great opportunity to get skilled up and make tons of contacts. This is an unpaid position, but we are able to cover travel costs where incurred and provide £5 per day for lunch.

See more information and find out how to apply here: http://otesha.org.uk/getinvolved

Within previous articles we have looked at your motivations and your measures of success within your career.

The only person responsible for your success is you, and you need to make sure you are equipped with the right skills and the latest knowledge to achieve what you want.

Starting out in a new career or progressing within your current career is about life-long learning as society, technology and the economy change. Never presume you know it all, you have to keep pace.

Here are some suggestions for making your mark:-

• Tap into Experience - It’s important to learn from individuals who have experience in an industry or skill set, continually ask questions and learn from them what you can. Attend speaker events, training or read informative articles.
• Develop your Sklls - When your career you may want to develop and expand your range of skills so you are more valuableto an employer. Attend training workshops and undertake e-courses to up-skill and be confident in what you are doing.
• Build a Network - Utilise your personal and business network, don’t be afraid to ask for help, suggestions and advice. It can save you a lot of time and money if you can learn from other people’s mistakes.
• Ongoing Research - Keep on top of industry trends, competitors and consumer needs. Listen, learn and act quickly to changes. Innovation and refinement of new and existing products and services is important.
• Time Management - Make sure you allocate time in your diary for developing your skills and knowledge to ensure you are operating at your best! It will save you time and money in the long run.

By Heather Wilkinson, Career Coach

Do you want to develop your skills and responsibilities but you’ve found you’ve hit a glass ceiling  in your current career and you can’t progress into a new career without the additional experience or skills?

It’s a problem, so whats the solution…

Well, there is a solution and that is upskilling yourself outside of the work place, so you can progress your development at your own free will.

It is important to find suitable experience as well undertaking training and having the right support to ensure you develop the best skill set possible.

 Here are some ideas…

Leadership and Management Skills - If you are looking to develop your leadership and management skills, you could attend a training course or sign up to an e-course and look to participate in a suitable activity.

For example, you could volunteer to lead a local community group, such as Girl Guide’s, Scout’s, PTA, WI, Fitness Club etc…depending on your interests.

To complement the training and practical activity, you could also use one of our coaches to act as a sounding board to discuss your challenges, ideas, and reflect on the journey you are experiencing to refine and further improve your skills.

 Business Development and Sales - If you are looking to develop your experience in business development and sales to lead the growth of a company you could attend a course on sales or sign up to an e-course and look to participate in a suitable activity.

For example, you could volunteer to help a budding entrepreneur to develop their business, you could start your own part-time business or you could become a self-employed sales agent for a product company like Virgin Cosmetics, Avon or Ann Summers.

Figuring Out can organise a work placement for you with a budding entrepreneur who would welcome the support, or our Striding Out Business Coaches we also help you develop your own business. www.stridingout.co.uk

Developing Skills in a New Industry - If you want to apply your skills to a completely new industry it’s best to get some knowledge and experience of the industry you are looking to move too.

You should sign up to industry specific networking events, seminars or conferences that take place and research the latest trends and movements in the market place. You could undertake your own research study on the area of your interest and promote your findings to raise your profile and credibility in the industry. Alternatively you could approach companies and ask them whether there are any short term assignments you could undertake either paid or voluntary, which will help to get a foot in the door.

Figuring Out can support you during this process to reflect on your findings and experiences through career coaching and work placement brokerage.

By Heather Wilkinson, Career and Business Coach

Figuring Out

1. Find a relevant agency

It is important to identify agencies that specialise in recruiting in your field. No point registering with financial and accountancy specialists when you work in sales. One way to identify relevant agencies is by searching on job boards and this will show you what
agencies have jobs suitable for you. Another way is to ask people in your field eg ex-colleagues or friends on which agencies they have used successfully in the past.

2. Spread the net but not too wide 

Only register with agencies that are advertising relevant and interesting jobs. Go with 4 or 5 agencies maximum. You don’t want register with too many because there will be overlap andconfusion with agencies putting you forward to the same job and this doesn’t look good to the employer. It is better to be selective.

3. Build a relationship with the recruiter 

Ideally meet your consultant. If this is not possible at least stay in touch but don’t stalk. Staying in touch shows that you are still available for work making life easier for the
consultant.  

4. Write a compelling CV

Your job when writing a CV is to make it as easy as possible for the agency to see how relevant you are to the job.  Recruitment consultants receive hundreds of CVs in their inbox and scan through them making quick yes/no decisions.  Tailor your CV to contain the key words relating to the job. Plus in your covering e-mail write 3 bullets point
explaining why you think you are a match to the role. Anything to make the
recruiters job easier!  Figuring Out can help you write your CV - contact us to find out more enquiries@figuringout.co.uk

5. Know what you want 

Be clear about what you want. Recruitment consultants do not offer career advice. They place people in jobs and do not help them decide what career path they should choose. With this in mind be careful what advice you get from consultants as they have an agenda and a job to fill - how impartial is their advice.

6. Manage your expectation

Recruitment agencies provide you with a free service so you should expect what you pay for. The biggest complaints from jobseekers about agencies revolve around the service level BUT jobseekers do not pay. Expect nothing so anything more than this is a bonus.

By Fiona Biggins, Career Coach and Career Preparation Expert

Contact - fiona@figuringout.co.uk

Copyright 2009

Here are some of the people who have used the Figuring Out Work Experience service:

“The Coaching helped me to refine my areas of interest, and Figuring Out then connected me to four companies to gain different experience. These were fantastic opportunities, which included working with Polecat, co-owned by the former Head of Innovation at Microsoft UK; and working on a piece of government research for Freshminds.” (Simon, 30, London)

“My Coach connected me to MDs of some interesting small companies, including Eudemonic, Nubastar and Being Elemental relevant to my interests within the creative arts and events; I had a great time learning about their various projects. It has broadened by knowledge of businesses in this world and the different options available to inform my choices going forward.” (Leo, 24, London)

“I recently graduated from a Masters degree and I was looking for a part-time placement whilst I developed my own businesses. Striding Out was great in introducing me to the perfect business – Tree2mydoor.com! The placement gave me a decent salary and experience that far exceeded my expectations. I’ve gained an intimate knowledge of the business, its workings and the roles of its employees and I’ve been given loads of useful advice. The roles and responsibilities that I took on are going to look excellent on my CV and the experience was definitely worthwhile. After the placement came to an end they asked me to continue working with them.” (Jon Wood, 24, Manchester).

“The placement was very rewarding on a professional level because I developed my skills in marketing, communication, computing etc. and my knowledge of fair trade.
On a personal level, I gained self confidence and autonomy, thanks to Brian who gave me responsibilities and let me take initiatives.  I am very happy of this work experience and strongly recommend students to work in social businesses such as Fairgift.”   (Mathilde Duchez, 22 France)

One of the main issues with choosing a new career or job is not really knowing what it’s REALLY like on a day-to-day basis. It may sound great from the outside but how do you know that it isn’t completely different on the inside?

If you are looking to start a new career, Figuring Out can help you find out the truth by identifying suitable companies and then organising work experience placements, opportunities which are usually only accessible by students.

Using the experience and network of business contacts offered by our sister company Striding Out, we help those of you who are already working and progressing up the career ladder. We’ll connect you to companies that could potentially offer part-time flexible placements to suit your needs as well as theirs.

Figuring Out clients pay an affordable fee for being connected to organisations that can provide the right type of work experience opportunities. Fees can vary depending on the needs of our client and the type of experience/placement they are looking for. To discuss your needs please contact one of our team.

If you would like to be kept updated on work experience opportunities that pro-actively arise with some our business clients then please add your email address in the newsletter box in the top right-hand corner of the screen.