Budget 2016 How it affects you

Budget 2016 How it affects you by Michael Cheary No idea about the Budget? We can help with that…Big changes have been announced by the government as part of the latest Budget. These cover a wide range of issues, with everything from income tax and savings through to sugar and soft drinks, being accounted for.Here are some of the key points you need to know, and a few details on how you could directly be affected by the Budget 2016:Changes to your pay-packetAs a result of the Budget, you’ll begin to see more money in your bank account.The personal allowance (the level at which you start paying income tax) will rise to £11,500 in April 2017. If you earn less than this you will pay no tax at all.Almost everyone will get the same Personal Allowance of £11,000 for the year 2016-17, but you may get more (if you were born before 6 April 1938) or less (if your income is over £100,000).Higher earners will also benefit, with the 40% threshold rising to £45,000 in April next year.What if you’re self-employ ed?From April 2018, anyone who is self-employed will no longer pay Class 2 National Insurance Contributions (NICs).Class 4 NICs will be reformed from April 2018 so self-employed people are able to build entitlement to the State Pension and other benefits.If you drive to workIt’s good and bad news for drivers.Fuel duty has been frozen for the sixth year in a row and, if you happen to travel between Wales and England, the Severn Bridge toll will be halved.However, your car insurance may go up due to a 0.5% increase in Insurance Premium Tax. This rise will also affect your other insurance policies such as home and pets.Going out after workEvenings out will also generally stay at the same price.Tax on beer, most ciders and spirits will not be going up, while strong ciders and wine will go up by inflation.Smokers will pay more, with tobacco going up by 2% above inflation and hand rolling tobacco increasing by an additional 5%.What about your sugar fix?One of the biggest stories of this Budget was the sugar tax on soft drinks.From 2018, your favourite fizzy beverage might cost more, based on the amount of sugar it contains.Money raised from this will be used to fund sport in primary schools.Spending your hard earned moneyPrices might increase if you shop online.A loophole, which allowed companies selling online to avoid VAT, will be closed.However, this will vary depending on where you shop, and the companies you buy from may or may not be affected.Supplementing your incomeIf you like to make a bit of extra cash by selling online, you will be able to earn £1,000 before paying any tax from April 2017.There will also be another £1,000 allowance if you temporarily rent out your home, spare room or other part of your property.What if you want to start saving?There were a few big announcements when it comes to helping people save their money.For current ISA users the limit will increase to £20,000 from April 2017.At the same time, a new Lifetime ISA will also be int roduced for savers under between 18 and 40. For every £4 you save before turning 50, you will get a £1 bonus from the government. If you already have a Help to Buy ISA you will be able to roll it into a new Lifetime ISA.If you are on Universal or Working Tax Credit, you will also be able to take advantage of the Help to Save scheme, where you receive a 50% bonus on anything you save up to £50 a month after two years.* Please note, the information outlined above is intended for general guidance purposes only. This article was first written in March 2016.For more detailed information about the Budget 2016, visit gov.uk now.  Ready to find your perfect position? Have a look at all of our current vacancies now. Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be u sed in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Salaries

5 Ways to Inspire Your Employees

5 Ways to Inspire Your Employees Weve heard the usual tricks and tips for motivating staff quarterly bonuses and flexible working hours. But what employers often forget, is that one of the key ways to motivate staff is to truly inspire them with what you do. If staff are feeling inspired, then not only are they more motivated in the workplace, but they also care more about the causes and values at the core of your brand. This naturally leads to a deeper understanding and trust to be felt between employee and employer which is always a good thing! So what are the key ways you can inspire your staff? Here are my top 5  tips: 1) Dont impose fear: If youre making your employees feel fearful and uncomfortable in the workplace, youre obviously doing something wrong. Fear-mongering in the workplace is a way that bad bosses get the results they need. They use incentives, pit employees against each other and  even use the threat of being fired to boost productivity. It may work in the short term, but your employees will feel no loyalty to your brand and employee retention rates will be low. 2) Encourage growth: Giving your employees the opportunity for growth and training is a key way to inspire them. Learning should never stop, no matter what age or experience level you have. Bring in external trainers, hold internal academies run by the employees  themselves, or even take an afternoon off work and bring in a yoga teacher. A good worker should be well rounded! 3) Brainstorm like crazy: Ask employees for their  thoughts on a new project or idea. Something that I always think is that you can learn something from everyone even if its the office intern or the receptionist. No matter what employees experience level is, they may have an idea or a few inspiring words which spark off a breakthrough in your work. So brainstorm with teams of mixed experience. Its always worth it, and will leave employees feeling like theyre valued. 4) Instill optimism: Nothings more contagious than a smile (and a positive attitude!). Spreading positivity in the workplace will inspire your colleagues and make the workplace a little lighter and happier. And whats more inspiring than a group of happy people! 5) Show your gratitude: Nothing leaves you feeling more inspired than being thanked for your hard work. Just a simple pat on the back for a project or a well done for a piece of work can make a whole lot of difference to employees outlook. Recognising the hard work that your employees do will inspire your team to continue working hard and creating brilliant work, as they know theyre appreciated. Have any other inspiring tips? Let us know!

Choosing A Career Based On Helping Others

Choosing A Career Based On Helping Others Are you a people person? Do you want to spend your life helping others and making a difference in the world? If thats the case, it sounds like you need to look for a career where you can spend your day working with people to improve their lives and help them get back on track. There are plenty of careers like this out there for those individuals with a kind heart who have a passion for making a difference. So, where should we begin? Well, that’s start by thinking of a career as a carer. The main benefit of being a carer is that you won’t typically have a boss. Instead, you’ll be working for a large company, providing a service to those in need. But you’ll hardly ever meet or interact with the people above you in the business. Instead, your main focus will always be on the service that you are providing to your patients. The other benefit of this career is that you will be able to avoid the typical model of business. You won’t be heading to the office each day that’s for sure. Instead, you’ll be visiting patients in their home, often spending the day with them and making sure that they are well looked after. But what do you need for this career? Well, you don’t need a qualification from a college that’s for sure. In fact, all you need is a little training  in social care. You certainly won’t need to know the complexities of the human body. Though, a little basic medical training could certainly be helpful and would probably make you a more attractive hire for carer organizations. You also need to have a considerable amount of patience. A lot of the patients who you’re working with may not be as tuned in as you might expect. For instance, a lot of patients for carers are often over the age of seventy-five. Once you reach that stage, you can start to encounter problems like dementia. This can be emotionally taxing so you’ll have to be prepared for this if you want to be a carer. As for pay, you’re probably looking at a fairly basic pay grade. As such, it might be a position to choose if you are providing the secondary income in the family. So, perhaps we should look at a few other careers that often different and perhaps more desirable levels of pay. Working As A Teacher   If you are interested in helping children with more than just their health, you might want to consider becoming a teacher. As a teacher, you will be shaping the hearts and minds of the future generation and impacted who they will be, who they will grow into. Or, you could just be teaching them the basics of math and English. However, it is important for teachers to understand that their role expands beyond well, teaching. Teachers have to be there for their students and make sure that they have someone who they can talk to if they encounter any issues from problems with bullies to issues with other members of staff. The best teachers always have open door policies and will be willing to help any student in need. Becoming a teaching is a matter of getting one qualification and then adding a year on. Once you have a basic qualification in any subject, you can then teach most of the basic classes. Although, you might find that you’re more likely to get a position if you have advanced knowledge of a certain subject. For instance, it’s not uncommon for the best high schools to hire teachers that have PhDs in their chosen subject. You might also find that you are a more popular hire if you have other skills as well as such basic health training. Accidents happen in schools, and it’s useful to know there are teachers with basic life support training including first aid. If you are interested in ensuring that you have this, you should look into BLS certification. This can be arranged online, and it will ensure that in an emergency you will be able to help save the life of a student. Medicine   Of course, if we’re thinking about helping people medically perhaps you should pursue a career in medicine. There are plenty of options here from research to being a doctor to becoming a nurse. Each role has different traits, and they will be suitable for certain types of people. While in research you will be helping people by providing the knowledge needed to help save lives you won’t be interacting with people directly. As for doctors, while they certainly help their patients, they hardly ever spend time getting to know them. As such, if you are interesting in helping people in medicine there are plenty of careers available but only one gives you the chance to interact on a personal level, and that’s nursing. Ninety percent of your day as a nurse will be spent with the patients, interacting and providing the support that they need. The other ten percent of time will be spent on paperwork and preparing treatment. The benefit of becoming a nurse is that you don’t need a complex college degree. All you need is a desire to help people and a year or two of training. You will still need to study and pass exams, but you won’t be at the point where you will be as a doctor. You won’t have to spend eight years getting ready for a career before you even get a chance to help others. Counselor If you are interested in helping people with mental health issues, you might want to consider working as a counselor. It is worth pointing out that counselors are typically not medically trained. For this reason, they can not offer any forms of medical treatment. What they can do is get people to talk about their issues and tackle them head on. For instance, one patient might have been through years of psychological abuse with their partner. The issue here is often a lack of confidence and unwillingness to accept there is even an issue. As a counselor, you can help them tackle their problems with support and find the confidence that they need to move on with their life. As such, counselors can be a vital lifeline for those suffering in highly stressful situations. Or, you might be helping someone with OCD. While you can’t give them medicine to help with the issues, you can help them develop coping mechanisms. OCD is a condition that is often caused due to a traumatic experience. If you find the route of the issue, you should be able to help your patient find ways to deal with it without medical treatment. Of course, if you do have a medical degree you can take things one step further and help people as a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists have medical training and therefore can give patients prescriptions or recommend other forms of medical treatment. As such, with a medical degree, it could be argued that you will be in a better position to help people, even if you are tackling mental issues. Working In Intelligence   If you’re looking for a job where you can help people and earn a fortune, you should consider becoming an intelligence office. What is the role of an intelligence officer? Well, they pinpoint, direct and uncover threats, making the world a safer place. This might involve tracing users online or looking at evidence of dangers in an urban environment. You might be fighting terrorism or dealing with an increase in the level of crime in an area. An intelligence officer typically works with the government or military and advises them on how they can make places safer for people living there and earn salaries over 100k. Of course, the pay isn’t the only benefit here. If you want to help people you might want to change as many lives as possible. This gives you a great way of doing that. Rather than helping the individual, you’ll be changing the world for the better. If you’re interested in a job like this where you’ll be helping people, you do need an advanced degree often in computing and geometrics. Geographical variables often dramatically affect how safe people are in a certain area or location. Charities   Or finally, how about joining a charity? There are charities for every cause in the world today from helping starving children to finding shelter for homeless people. If you want to join a charity as more than a volunteer, you’re going to need to make sure you know how to interact and connect with different people from various social standings. You should also aim to ensure that you have a degree in either business or marketing. Don’t forget, that charity campaigns must be promoted if they are going to be successful and inspire a lot of people to donate money or time to the cause. If you love to help people and have a strong desire to make a difference in the world, we’re sure any one of these careers would suit you. . Image credit.

3 Things You Must NOT Mention in the Interview

3 Things You Must NOT Mention in the Interview This article is  sponsored  by  Nate Sterling.   Have you ever left the interview room with that upbeat feeling of euphoria, the one where you think,  Wow, I think I just might have the job, I nailed all the questions about the work activities? But then  you wait for a month, then two, and sadly, never get a call back? Answering questions about the on-the-  job activities arent the only ingredient to securing that plum position with the plush new office. It takes  a lot more and besides the things you do say, there are some things you must never mention. Apart from your knowledge of the job, there are several things you need to avoid saying to ensure your  prospective employer sees you as a valuable asset to the organization. Even though there are many  more on the list, here are a few of the most common ones Ive noted while conducting interviews or  recapping an interview from clients. Whatever you say, never mention these verbal blunders: I really hate my job: Trust me, saying I really hated my last job might sound stupid and incredible now, but youll be  surprised what people will say when under pressure and in the heat of an intense job interview session. The individual who said this was actually referring to a question where she was asked about why she  wanted to leave her previous career at a Nursing home, after bagging a degree in IT and applying at a  leading IT firm. Granted it was a different career path entirely, and she did hate the job just as much as she stated, but  the statement simply planted a seed of doubt in the mind of the interviewer. One of the sacred rules of  any interview is to ALWAYS be positive. People are naturally drawn to positive mindsets. Even if you  were a leading candidate based on your knowledge of the job, that attitude simply repels employers. It  would be better in her case to say I loved working with my patients at the hospital but I simply felt it  was time for a change in my career. I dont know: You never thought it would come, did you? The day youd be forced to say I dont know. You were  probably a straight A student in class, have had years of valuable work experience, and you know  everything about your career. But, as much as we hate to think so, the time does come when we have to  concede our helplessness at the mercy of a question we have no idea how to answer. Sometimes, we  might even know the answer to the question but conveniently experience a temporary brain fart at the  worst possible time. Well, the first option for most people when we dont have the answer to a question would simply be to  say I dont know, but that statement doesnt exactly speak well of your problem solving skills. You can  make the best of this situation in an interview scenario by following these guidelines: Stay calm and resist the urge to fall apart into an emotional spiral; it wont help the current  situation, besides there are probably loads of other questions to redeem yourself. Keep up a confident posture even if youre unable to come up with a satisfactory answer to the  question. Confidence, even in the face of defeat, is a quality that every employer admires.  Remember the same question that gave you fits will probably prove difficult to other candidates  as well. Stall for more time to come up with a satisfactory answer if possible. You can repeat the  question to the interviewer and ask for a clarification. You might not need the clarification, but  the brief pause just buys you a few extra seconds to put things together up there. If all attempts to come up with an answer during the interview fail, dont worry, all is not lost. You still have the opportunity of finding an answer and including it in the text of your follow-up  thank you note after the interview. I have a vacation scheduled for that week: Yes, we all love our vacations but if youre really looking for a new job, then you shouldnt be scheduling  any interviews around the time of your vacation in the first place. A lady got a great offer from a prime employer after doing excellently well in both the phone and in-person interviews. It was a new role and step up in her career path; she was really excited to get the  opportunity, apart from the improved benefits to which she was entitled. But, to sour things, she was  required to start the same week that she had scheduled a vacation. She had a tough decision to make between shelving her vacation, or telling her new bosses about the  situation and pushing for a postponement of her resumption. She opted to request for a postponement  of her resumption by two weeks. The company decided they needed someone urgently and  unfortunately for my client, decided the problems they needed solved couldnt wait for the vacation to  be over. The verbal employment offer was withdrawn and the board went with a candidate who had  come a close second place in the selection process. Bad for my client, but a fantastic twist of luck for the guy who finally got the job. Lesson of the day:  Never make any requests for time off until youre actually an employee of the company, especially if its  an offer youre unwilling to snub. Author:  Nate Sterling has at different times worked with international organizations such as IBM, Price Water House Coopers and USAID over a 25 year span. He is the author of Job Interview Blueprint.

5 Reasons Why Becoming A Freelancer At 60+ Is the Best Option [Guest Post] - Career Pivot

5 Reasons Why Becoming A Freelancer At 60+ Is the Best Option [Guest Post] - Career Pivot 5 Reasons Why Becoming A Freelancer At 60+ Is the Best Option When you are 60+, one of the biggest questions you ask yourself is whether you are too old to start freelancing. The point is, that it’s never too late to learn something new. You should consider your life experience as a competitive advantage, which will help you to succeed in any remote job you will get. In fact, if you decided to continue working and want to avoid age discrimination, then the world wide web is the best place to look for new opportunities. If you still have some doubts, check the following reasons, which will inspire you to start freelancing. #1 â€" You Have Enough Experience to Get a Freelance Job You already have a great work experience, which you can apply to various freelancing jobs. Companies are looking for the experts in their niches and you seem to be a great candidate. You have been watching your industry changing for the last 40 years, so you have lots of interesting thoughts to share with the younger generation. To start freelancing, you should sum up all your achievements and clearly explain how your professional experience will help modern companies to grow. If you feel that you need to update your knowledge, don’t hesitate to utilize free online sources. You can read the useful articles, watch the explainer videos and listen to the inspiring podcasts. #2 â€" You Have Great Communication Skills If you are 60 years old, you have vast experience in communication with the different categories of people. You know how to talk to your boss and to your colleague, how to behave with the seniors and with the youth. You can easily adjust your communication style to any situation in order to make a dialogue more productive. There is no doubt that this very skill will help you negotiate with your potential clients. Being a freelancer, you need to feel comfortable communicating with the numerous individuals every day. And it seems that you will not face any difficulties at all. #3 â€" Your Life Experience Will Protect You from Swindlers The problem is that the digital workplace is not totally secure. And every user of the world wide web should be wary of the ever-growing swarm of scammers. The great news is that you have enough life experience to act with discretion and discover a fraud. You have met so many people in your life and it’s more likely that you, not a 20-year-old, will be able to detect a swindler and avoid the problems. You can use your personal experience as a superpower, which will help you to prevent any tricky situations. You have overcome so many issues in your life, so you will handle this one easily, don’t you think? #4 â€" You Can Enjoy the Flexibility When you are a freelancer, you don’t need to live in accordance with the office hours any longer. You can choose your own schedule, whichever is the most suitable for your lifestyle. If you want to spend more time with your children and grandchildren, you can manage your timetable to make it possible. Whether you have strong health, or you need to visit a hospital from time to time. Being a freelancer, you don’t need to ask your boss to let you go for an hour or two because you need to go to the doctor. When you schedule your day on your own, you can leave your workplace at any time you need without getting permission. #5 â€" You Can Choose the Most Interesting Projects The point is that when you work in an office, you have to complete every task assigned to you. You have no right to say that you don’t want to work on this very project because it seems to be tedious. In fact, this is a reason why most of the people hate their jobs. However, starting freelancing, you get an opportunity to choose the projects, which attract you the most. You can also decline an offer from a potential client without fear of losing your job. You can find thousands of new employers online, which will be happy to provide you with the exciting, challenging and extremely interesting tasks. Final Thoughts You should understand that even if you are 60+, it doesn’t mean that you become a useless employee. Vice versa, now you have enough experience and skills, which will help you to get a freelance job of your dreams. You just need to believe in yourself and don’t be afraid to try. The digital world is full of fabulous job opportunities for people of any age. Don’t label yourself as “too old to be a freelancer!” If you are passionate about your job and want to work as you did before, then nothing will stop you from achieving your goal. This was written byErica Sunarjo. Ericagraduated from South Texas College majoring in Marketing and CreativeWriting. She used her knowledge to make a difference in the realm of business copywriting andinvested heavily in traveling and language learning. At present, Erica is fluent in French andSpanish, studying Chinese and working her way to being a multilingual copywriter. She keepstrack of the latest trends in IT and technologies, blogs about efficient strategies in educationand business coaching holds educational webinars. Right now Erica is awriter forThe Word Point. Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

Out of work, trying to focus on your job search - CareerAlley

Out of work, trying to focus on your job search - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Okay, so you lost your job. Maybe you knew it was going to happen and you werent surprised, maybe you had no clue and it was a total shock. However you got here, the truth is you are out of work and its time to start your job search. If youre thinking you need a break before you begin your job search in earnest, take two or three days (no more) and then get to work on your job search (because your current job is to find a job).If youve not already done so, please read my postI lost my job, now what?. If you have been offered outplacement services, you should take advantage and use these services as soon as possible. Each service is different, but they generally offer a desk to work from, classes on various topics, a computer and a phone. Whether you are searching from home or an outplacement office, try to make a plan (take a look at Planning for Your Job Search). One suggested approach is to split your day as follows: Return calls and emails as appropriate Spend an hour or so researching/making a list of companies you would like to work for Register on 3-5 company websites Register on 3-5 job search sites Send your resume to 3-5 recruiters/headhunters Send, via snail mail , your cover letter/resume to 3-5 contacts (How to Write a Cover Letter 10 Tips to Master) BRIEFLY, review some of the job search sites and look for NEW positions that meet your criteria and apply I say 3-5 for each of the above since the process can be very time consuming and your available time is dependent on time spent on phone calls, emails and interviews. To help, somewhat, Ive listed a few research resources which may help you create your list and one that will help you keep your list of to dos. Directories of Recruiters This is Riley Guides resource page for finding recruiters. Select from any of the linked sites and start to make your list of recruiters. Best Companies to WorkFor This link is from Fortune and provides a list of the best companies to work for. Use these lists for your company website list. Worlds Most Admired Companies Another link from Fortune, this is a list of the companies that are ,well, most admired. Add these to your list of companies where you may want to work. Toodledo.com This site provides an online (free) to do list manager. You can access itwhereveryou have an internet connection. Use this to keep track of your to do list each day. Job Search Resources Best Job SearchSites From About.com, this page which provides a list of some targeted search sites. This should get you started on your job search site list. Career Tip of the Day:Wish Upon a Job Building Your Job Search Part I Suggested Reading:Reset: How to Beat the Job-Loss Blues and Get Ready for Your Next Act We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ what where job title, keywords or company city, state or zip jobs by What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to identify and land your dream job. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

Are You Wondering What the Best Resume Writing Services For Teacher Reviews Have to Offer?

Are You Wondering What the Best Resume Writing Services For Teacher Reviews Have to Offer?Are you wondering what the best resume writing services for teacher reviews have to offer? Do you believe that you can do a better job if you take advantage of the best help that you can get? All of these questions can be answered with confidence, if you just understand the truth about what it is that these writers are all about.First, you will be amazed to know that a professional resume writer will not just let you put up a resume without any reference to your previous work. They also make sure that your resume reflects the kind of education that you have had and how much of an impact it has had on you. They make sure that the content is concise and well organized and most importantly they make sure that you have achieved the kind of grades that will warrant your desire to become a teacher.The resume writer will tell you that the first thing that they look at is the quality of your work. This is because they need to know that you have what it takes to succeed as a teacher. A good resume writing service will assess you based on the kind of education that you have received.When you compare it to someone who is taking college level curriculum courses you will find that the one who has received a college level education will likely be in a much better position than the person who is taking courses at the high school level. In this respect, a good resume writing service for teacher reviews will make sure that the person who is taking classes at the college level has the right kind of education for the teaching profession. And that is the main thing that they want to make sure that they tell you.Next, the writer will use various methods to ensure that the information is properly highlighted. When they are aware that you are going to be doing your online resume review, they will be able to check on your use of proper grammar and spelling. You should know that a professional res ume writer should be able to recognize this and make sure that your information is correct.The best resume writer for teacher reviews will also check on whether you are making use of this opportunity to improve yourself. This means that they will be checking on your areas of specialization and if you are able to provide the teaching career advice that they require. They will also check your educational accomplishments, volunteer experiences and all other relevant information to make sure that they are dealing with the most qualified candidate possible.As a matter of fact, the best resume writer for teacher reviews will also check to see that you are the most qualified person to perform the teaching profession in the particular school. Of course, that can only be determined based on the requirements of the school. If you do not meet the required education requirements, the resume writer will not even bother to give you a quote.Lastly, you will see that a professional resume writer fo r teacher reviews is going to make sure that your resume reflects the kind of education that you have obtained. So, you will know that your resume is not just something that is being printed off and put up in a file. It will actually be a living document that is part of the educational process and you will be able to make corrections and use it to obtain a better position when you do your online teacher reviews.