5 Things You Can Do Now To Enhance Your CV

Taking great care in putting together your CV can have its benefits. We’re not only referring to the actual task of filling in your personal details and presenting your qualifications in a logical order… we are also referring to the things that you can do to enhance your CV, no matter where you are in your career! Here are 5 things that you can do to improve your CV… and that will set your CV apart from the rest.

Tip #1 – Community Service

Whether you are at school, college or university and even if you are already working, putting in the time for community service or to work as a volunteer is not only rewarding, but it also shows future employers that you like to take time out to do something for someone else.

Tip #2 – Work Experience

By gaining work experience you are showing initiative by engaging with the industry that you want to work in. Your future employer will see this as an advantage, because they will accept that you have experienced the working environment and that you do not have unrealistic expectations of the job.

Tip #3 – Get a hobby

Hobbies like photography, writing or even participating in a choir amongst others indicate that you enjoy a variety of skills and that you understand the importance of achieving balance in your life.

Tip #4 – Participate in sport

Much like having a hobby, sport indicates that you understand the importance of a healthy balanced lifestyle. It also assists with skills like hand-eye co-ordination and teamwork.

Tip #5 – Short courses

Short courses are an easy way to develop your skills in your current field of work or to develop a new set of skills that you will be able to apply immediately, once your course is completed. You get to complete these while you are still working, so you do not have to interrupt your work schedule in order to give yourself a head start! Short courses also show future employers that you are eager to continue learning.

Did you know…

Eduloan offer loans to suit your educational needs. We also have loan options that cater for specialist equipment for your course like textbooks, laptops and even tablets! If you are looking to further your career with a study loan, you can contact Eduloan and one of our consultants will be able to give you all the information you require to get the financial assistance. For more information or to speak to one of our Eduloan consultants, visit our website www.eduloan.co.za.

5 Reasons Work Experience Can Give You A Head Start

Whether you are in school or still busy with your full-time studies, work experience is a term that might cross your path at some stage. Many schools, colleges and universities encourage students to commit to work experience… but what is all the fuss about? It might be cutting into your holidays or keeping you from going on a trip with friends, but the truth is that work experience can be exactly what you need to give yourself a head start. This week, we look at 5 reasons why you should sign up for work experience:

Reason #1 - Getting direction

Not too sure what industry you would like to work in? Work experience can give you the opportunity to sample different occupations and different industries. By committing to different kinds of work experience opportunities, you can sample the different working environments, assessing which one you enjoy most and which environments unlocks most of your potential!

Reason #2 – Get in touch with the real world

So you’ve already decided which industry you want to work in and perhaps even what job you would like to have… but are you ready for the daily demands? Every job has its challenges, and work experience allows you to get a feel for the environment you will be working in. Whether you have to stand all day, work in an open plan office or whether you have to do all or most of that dreaded administration, there are a host of hidden daily activities that might not be include in your college or university curriculum. Take time to do a couple of days’ work to experience and get a feel for the day-to-day activities to make sure you know exactly what you are in for!

Reason #3 –Identify your key strengths

By working at a company, in your chosen field, you will quickly learn where you core strengths are. Perhaps you are really good with people, or your creative eye can help you add a little more value to your temporary job-description. By identifying you key strengths, you can focus on these to ensure that you position yourself so that you can perform to the best of your abilities!

Reason #4 – Getting a foot in the door

More often than not, who you know is almost as important and what you know. If you can prove to a company that you have the potential, they might keep you in mind when they look to hire juniors at the company. Get to know and understand your industry – it is as important as studying for that degree or diploma!

Reason #5 –You’ve got the power!

When an employer takes a look at your CV, they often look beyond your education and qualifications. Extramural activities, community service and work experience are small things you can list on your CV that will have a great effect. Work experience proves that you took initiative, that you are willing to put in the hours and that you have a better understanding of the working-environment. Make sure that the work experience is related to the industry that you are applying to!

These are just a couple of reasons we think you should pick up the phone or send that email to make contact with a company in your chosen industry. Tell us about your work experience? Comment below and let us hear your story.Whether you are in school or still busy with your full-time studies, work experience is a term that might cross your path at some stage. Many schools, colleges and universities encourage students to commit to work experience… but what is all the fuss about? It might be cutting into your holidays or keeping you from going on a trip with friends, but the truth is that work experience can be exactly what you need to give yourself a head start. This week, we look at 5 reasons why you should sign up for work experience:

Reason #1 - Getting direction

Not too sure what industry you would like to work in? Work experience can give you the opportunity to sample different occupations and different industries. By committing to different kinds of work experience opportunities, you can sample the different working environments, assessing which one you enjoy most and which environments unlocks most of your potential!

Reason #2 – Get in touch with the real world

So you’ve already decided which industry you want to work in and perhaps even what job you would like to have… but are you ready for the daily demands? Every job has its challenges, and work experience allows you to get a feel for the environment you will be working in. Whether you have to stand all day, work in an open plan office or whether you have to do all or most of that dreaded administration, there are a host of hidden daily activities that might not be include in your college or university curriculum. Take time to do a couple of days’ work to experience and get a feel for the day-to-day activities to make sure you know exactly what you are in for!

Reason #3 –Identify your key strengths

By working at a company, in your chosen field, you will quickly learn where you core strengths are. Perhaps you are really good with people, or your creative eye can help you add a little more value to your temporary job-description. By identifying you key strengths, you can focus on these to ensure that you position yourself so that you can perform to the best of your abilities!

Reason #4 – Getting a foot in the door

More often than not, who you know is almost as important and what you know. If you can prove to a company that you have the potential, they might keep you in mind when they look to hire juniors at the company. Get to know and understand your industry – it is as important as studying for that degree or diploma!

Reason #5 –You’ve got the power!

When an employer takes a look at your CV, they often look beyond your education and qualifications. Extramural activities, community service and work experience are small things you can list on your CV that will have a great effect. Work experience proves that you took initiative, that you are willing to put in the hours and that you have a better understanding of the working-environment. Make sure that the work experience is related to the industry that you are applying to!

These are just a couple of reasons we think you should pick up the phone or send that email to make contact with a company in your chosen industry. Tell us about your work experience? Comment below and let us hear your story. 

Getting The Right Career Advice

Why it’s important to decide what you want to study early

From the day you can choose your subjects, you are constantly made aware of how your choices will affect your future. Even if you have chosen a career, it can be difficult to decide on the right subjects or courses to support your career path. Starting the process early and planning in advance will make sure that you don’t have to catch-up or run into dead-ends.

Deciding on a career

Deciding on a career might be a daunting task. Visit your school or college’s career counselor, who will be able to help you with your decisions. You can also do some thinking yourself! Ask yourself what your interests are and if you have any skills or personal strengths? By recognizing your interests, skills and strengths, you might be able to identify or narrow down your options.

You can complete our free Career Aptitude test to assess your skills and interests, which will give you an indication of the type of career that you are best fitted for. We cannot guarantee that this fun assessment will match you with your perfect career, but it is a wonderful tool to narrow down your choices and open avenues that you might never have thought to explore!

Speak to family or friends already working in your chosen industry. Ask them questions about their day-to-day activities, their responsibilities, what they enjoy and perhaps even what they do not enjoy about their job.

It might be worth contacting a company or business and commit to job shadowing or work experience. Job shadowing and work experience will give you a chance to observe day-to-day activities (for example, you might not expect a teacher to do as much administration).

Choosing the right subjects, degree, diploma or qualification

Once you know what career you would like to follow, you can speak to a career advisor to make sure that you choose the correct subjects required to meet a degree or diploma’s prerequisites (you might need mathematics and science for certain careers). Many careers also involve specific qualifications to make sure that you have the knowledge and skills required to do the job (for example, you cannot just decide to become an electrician if you do not have knowledge of important laws and safety standards).

What if I changed my mind?

You always have the option of changing your mind. Many people choose to change their career paths after working for some years or choose to further their studies to take on more responsibility (a plumber might choose to do a business management course to help him become a manager and eventually owning his own business, for example). Keep in mind that you might have to go back to college or university and this process will take time and money.

Eduloan has a solution for full-time and part-time students and even offer you the opportunity to deduct your fixed monthly repayments from your salary. For more information and to speak to one of our Eduloan consultants, visit our website (www.eduloan.co.za), 
like our page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/EduloanSA) and follow us on Twitter (@EduloanSA).

Here are four tips for making study or career decisions

·         Identify career opportunities that suit your interests

·         Evaluate your skills and strengths

·         Research the prerequisites of your chosen career (do you need science or biology or do you need a certain qualification to make sure that you have the knowledge to practice in your field?)

·         Constantly develop skills and experience

The entrepreneurial student – ten ways to supplement your income while studying

Now has never been a better time for tertiary students to start a business.  Much more than the graduates of the past couple of decades, current students need to be prepared to find ways to supplement their incomes. Let’s face it; the cost of living continues to increase every year and the job market is a tough place to break into, making it harder for students to make ends meet while they are studying and to find a job after they’ve finished. 

Launching a business while you’re studying sets you up for success.  Here are ten business ideas you can start while you’re studying that shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg to set up.  You can use one of these ideas or come up with your own.  Some of them may work better than others, or may not work at all, depending on your personal circumstances.   So choose wisely, and remember to adjust quickly if the business you start isn’t growing.

Before we start, let’s look at some quick tips for creating a successful student business:

* Innovation is good but it can also be overrated.  Don’t feel like you have to come up with the next big idea. The main idea is to start a simple business that generates a profit.  And that’s the main idea.

* Pick an idea that has an immediate and obvious customer base that needs or strongly wants what you plan to sell. Ask yourself if there is a demand for your product or service.

* After your initial investment, don’t put any more outside money into the business.  That’s your test for whether you’re succeeding.  The business needs to pay for itself and pay you.  Once you start, the business should generate enough for you to reinvest into the business and then begin to pay yourself.  If you see things dwindling, figure out whether you need to adjust prices, offerings, or do more marketing and selling.  Pay attention to customer inquiries and demands. They will lead you in the right direction.

* Remember the business is a great experience but it’s not the main reason you are on campus.  You are there to get a great education.  So develop discipline and time management skills that will allow you to go to class, get good results and still operate your business in your free time.

Our 10 student business ideas:

1. Tutoring service – if you’re attending university or college on a scholarship or bursary and know a required subject very well, consider start a tutoring service for local elementary or high school students who want to get into a good university or college like you.

2. Staffing service specializing in internships – start an on-campus staffing service where you help local or national businesses connect with the best students for internships and help students who want to do internships find the best opportunity.

3. Personal training service – are you athletic and into sports?  Think about starting a personal training service for students wanting to get fit and active.

4. Graphic arts and design services for presentations and papers – if you enjoy graphic arts and presentation design and you’re good at it, think about offering these services to students (and perhaps lecturers too) who want to jazz up their research and reports.

5. CV writing service – are you good at finding the best angles to present information? Start a CV writing service helping students put their experience in the best possible format and phrasing to attract interview and career opportunities.

6. Hair styling and grooming services – provide hair cuts or hair styling as a mobile hairdresser or stylist.

7. Babysitting service – if you know how to look after children and you’re responsible and reliable, starting a small au pair business could be an easy way to make extra income.

8. Bookkeeping service – if you’re studying accounting and have a love for numbers offer to keep books for a few small local businesses or find customers online.

9. Photography and video services – if you have a great eye for composing scenes and images consider starting a photography and video service. You can offer your services to students and faculty, take photos and videos of campus events and help local businesses produce and post videos online.

10. T-shirt company – really cool t-shirts just never get old and they’re the standard uniform for lots of college students. Come up with neat designs or funny sayings or create custom shirts for on-campus organisations and find someone to print the shirts for you and you’re in business!

Are you a student thinking about starting a small business? What do you think about these ideas? What are you excited about, or maybe scared about? Tell us what you think in the comments section below!