From Corporate Suits to Cotton Pyjamas

From Corporate Suits to Cotton Pyjamas Success Story > From: Job To: Portfolio career From Corporate Suits to Cotton Pyjamas “I'd become disillusioned with the corporate work environment. I knew I needed to make the jump.” * From Corporate Suits to Cotton Pyjamas Now, Becky Lupton isawake and working at 2 a.m., juggling a baby and a business, and making mistakes along the way. But even on her exhausted days, she has no regrets. This is her story. What work were you doing previously? I was UK and International Marketing Manager for a large corporate. What are you doing now? Now, I'm the founder and owner of PJ Mamma Organic. We sell mum, maternity and baby pyjamas. I also do some freelance marketing, roughly one day per week. Why did you change? Although my professional background is in marketing I've always been very crafty and loved art, design and sewing. I started to make pyjamas for myself when I was pregnant as I couldn't find well-fitting pyjamas, and nothing made from organic cotton. I then started to make and sell my pyjamas online when I was on maternity leave, and they proved really popular with great feedback. I returned to work after my year of maternity leave in a different mindset. I was passionate about my new business and also knew the long hours and regular travel wouldn't fit around my son. At the same time I'd become become disillusioned with the corporate work environment. When was the moment you decided to make the change? There were quite a few 6 a.m. cycles to work when all I wanted to do was turn around. I thought about my vision and hopes for the future, and I knew I needed to make the jump. Are you happy with the change? I'm so happy I made the change and followed my heart. I'm so motivated by my business and love seeing it grow. My son Tate is always my number one priority and I love the flexibility I have to work around him. I'm originally from Yorkshire and we have no family living close by so that flexibility is so important. I've met so many lovely friends who are also designers / makers from London and love being part of this new community. What do you miss and what don't you miss? I miss friends from my old work, but we still keep in touch. I really enjoyed managing a team and watching people develop and grow in their roles. I do miss this aspect of my old job. However, I'm now an active member of a group called the London Local Team where we support designers and makers, so the mentoring aspects of this are quite similar. I don't miss the cut-throat corporate environment â€" I found it really fake at times. Also, I don't miss the lack of flexibility around Tate. How did you go about making the shift? At the point I left my job as a marketing manager I'd been selling my pyjamas online for six months. I was getting really good feedback and reviews, and sales were good. I spent every evening, weekend, baby nap time and any spare time I had looking after orders, building up my social media presence and developing my designs. As a new mum I was surrounded by other mums who were the perfect focus group to help with advice and feedback, too. I was in contact with people who'd previously approached me to help them with marketing, so I was in the lucky position of knowing I could earn extra income from freelance marketing management to support my new business. I had limited finances so I had to learn new skills to save costs. I built my own website and taught myself new skills. I asked for favours from friends. It's surprising what an amazing network I have around me through friends and friends of friends â€" I've found a photographer, an accountant, and mums with babies who've helped me out with modelling. What didn't go well? What 'wrong turns' did you take? In an ideal world I should have done more planning and got a few more foundations in place at the start. However, time was extremely limited as I was managing my business around work and looking after my baby. I needed to prioritise and certain things didn't get done. Instead of things like spreadsheets to manage my finances and stock, I had a notebook of numbers and plans in my head. It meant I wasn't able to create accurate stock forecasts and on a number of occasions I sold out of product lines, or was surprised to find I was out of stock of certain sizes / designs when I went to fulfill an order. I make all my products with EU organic cotton and I've had occasions when the lead time was eight weeks to get fabric in stock, which can mean months of being without certain PJ styles. I know it's crucial to understand my numbers to move from it being a hobby to a business so it's something I've really had to make time for. It's only recently I have had the time to get all these spreadsheets set up; they make running my business so much easier. How did you handle your finances to make your change possible? My shift wasn't just about setting up a new business. It was also a life change â€" one that meant I would get to spend more time with my son. I made plans about what I would need to earn to survive and in the period prior to leaving work I saved as much as I could to help. I set myself goals for my business to help support its growth. At the point of leaving my job I was selling my PJs on my own website and on Etsy. To help increase sales I started to sell on new online sales platforms including Not on the High Street, and All by Mama, too. I was lucky to have freelance marketing work as soon as I left my old job which was a huge help. I love my freelance work too as I've been lucky enough to work with small creative businesses that I feel passionate about. What was the most difficult thing about changing? It has been really hard work and a big learning curve. I think the hardest aspect is how entwined it is with my life. As I manage my business around family life, often when my day with Tate ends and he's gone to bed I'll carry on doing orders until the early hours. I'm always on call answering questions, managing my social media, etc. However, I totally love it and still get such satisfaction from each order, lovely feedback, and photos from happy customers. I never set out on starting my own business for an easy life, just a more fulfilled one, and on the days when I feel super tired I never have regrets that I made the jump. What help did you get? Friends doing me favours around aspects of my business photo shoots, accounting advice, and being models! I also get a lot of support from the team I co-organised: the London Local Team. I set it up with two other designers as we all found it quite hard to set up our new businesses and felt there wasn't a good network to support designers / makers. We share ideas and give advice; I've found the network to be a great support and I've met some friends for life. What resources would you recommend to others? I'd recommend the London Local Team, and Careershifters! What have you learnt in the process? During the busiest times when I've been working silly hours things can get a bit much. I've learnt that sleep makes everything better! What do you wish you'd done differently? In an ideal world I'd have slowed down a bit at the beginning and set up better foundations (stock sheets, budgets and so on). This would have saved me lots of time and made my life easier in the long run. What would you advise others to do in the same situation? If you have an idea or dream of a career change, ask friends and family for advice. Also, reach out to the network around you. Read about others' stories and experiences. From my experience I've found the small business community very friendly and willing to help each other. Together we're stronger! To find out more about Becky's business, visit www.pjmamma.co.uk. What lessons could you take from Becky's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

Helpful Tips For Writing A Handyman Resume

Helpful Tips For Writing A Handyman ResumeIf you are in the market for a new handyman to help you with your home repairs or decorating, a well-written and appealing handyman resume is something that will make all the difference. You need to include details of your work experience and education. Some handymen might do general work such as painting or fixing windows, while others specialize in certain areas such as painting walls or installing cabinets. The type of handyman you choose is just as important as the particular job that you seek.The easiest way to get a handyman resume done is to hire one of the many different companies that offer this service. They generally ask you to pay a small fee for a handyman resume and cover letter and then send them to the company. These companies take care of everything, including writing your applications, handling the interviews and screening potential workers. They even take care of the post-employment background checks on any potential hires. You can usually find companies that offer these services by doing a search of the local telephone directory. Searching online, though, can sometimes be more beneficial since there are often more choices for websites that have detailed information about particular types of contractors.A good overview of your services is important. In addition to your qualifications, describe what type of work you can do and why you want to become a handyman. You can also use the space to list your contact information. This will allow prospective employers to contact you if they need to.Any information you don't put on your resume should be left out. You shouldn't list any college courses you might have taken in handyman skills, for example. This will only make you look unprofessional to the employer.Give references for past jobs you have held. They should be people who hired you for a job or other type of contract, such as someone who recommended you to a company.If you use a cover letter, be sure to put your personal contact information, address, phone number and email address. If you will be mailing your resume and cover letter, include your mailing address and email address in the subject line so that your prospective employer can be sure you are serious about working with them.Remember, a handyman resume isn't really much more than a resume and cover letter. Hiring a professional company will give you a high-quality job you can use to land the job.

Career event for Chinese students on the Chinese job market book now to avoid disappointment University of Manchester Careers Blog

Career event for Chinese students on the Chinese job market book now to avoid disappointment University of Manchester Careers Blog Do you want to meet some key recruiters from China, find out about the Chinese job market and who is recruiting? Do you want to know what employers really look for from UK study? The British Council China are hosting a series of career development events during October in the UK in London, Edinburgh and Birmingham. Last year over 600 Chinese students (many from this University) attended the event in Manchester last October (pictured here) and gained some excellent insights and tips from employers. Although the event is not in Manchester this year, please do not be discouraged from attending. It is only a short train ride (low cost if you book tickets in advance) and worth a day trip out. Last year students travelled from all across the country to the Manchester event. The events are always popular with places filling quickly! To read more about the event, the employers attending and how to book a place, please see this pdf document:   2012 Career Development Workshop Students who have secured a place will receive a confirmation email from the British Council following registration, confirming full details. All International

How to Create Effective Affirmations That Change Your Life [PODCAST] - Classy Career Girl

How to Create Effective Affirmations That Change Your Life [PODCAST] The night I found out I wasn’t going to be a mom in 2013, I happened to run across The Secret, a movie about the Law of Attraction. I was in serious need of something positive. It opened my eyes to the power of thinking positive. When I started, I created an I want list. I want to quit my job. I want to work from home for myself. I want to be a mom to twins. I want to buy a house. I want to have a dog. I want to live a happy stress-free life as a mom. I want to have a great marriage. I want to have great friends. I am so glad I wrote this down because I can look back years later at these simple things. And so many of these things have come true. This started my process, but it isnt the way I am going to teach you to create your affirmations. Its the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen. Muhammad Ali How to Create Effective Affirmations That Change Your Life What are affirmations? They are something you do daily that describe a goal in its already completed state.  We believe so highly in the power of affirmations that we added them to our 90-day planner.   In the daily planner section, we created a section to write your daily affirmations. It is something I do every day, and I want you all to get into the habit of doing affirmations. So, how do you create affirmations? Subscribe  on  your favorite platform below: iTunes Google Play Music Stitcher Radio TuneIn iHeartRadio Sound Cloud 1) The first step I learned from The Success Principles by Jack Canfield. He said to start with the words “ I am” and use the  present tense. Don’t do it for others. Do it for you. I am 100% committed to being the person I need to be. I will become the successful person that I know I can be. I am committed to my daily personal development and daily discipline to reach all of my goals. I will take actions today to take me where I want to go. I can’t wait for another year. My time is now. Start to visualize the things you want in your life and use I am. 2) Write negative qualities and flip them to be  positive. This is one of the things to help you get over self-doubt. If you are thinking,  I can’t turn my side hustle into a full-time income business. Flip it to,  I can turn my side hustle into a full-time income business. Instead of, I’m scared. change it to I am becoming more and more confident. 3) Don’t be attached if things change. Lots of my affirmations didn’t come true, and I’m so glad. Repeat it every morning and night. And remember, there is no right and wrong way to do these, it is just important that you do them. You May Also Like These Episodes: How to Find Time For Your Career Goals as a Working Mom How to Pick a Career If You Have Too Many Passions

Writing a Resume When You Havent Worked For Years

Writing a Resume When You Haven't Worked For YearsWriting a resume is a critical part of your job search. If you have never worked for years, your resume needs to look like something that someone else has worked on. The first thing that you need to do is learn what kind of skills you need to be able to put into a resume. The best place to start is with your hobbies and experience.Doing some research is a great way to get a general idea of the kind of information you should include in your resume. Look online for tips on how to improve your resume, or attend a career day seminar. A little bit of research will get you off to a good start.There are many ways to learn more about the best way to present yourself. Look at the resumes of other people that you think might be a good match for you. The more people you have in front of you that have the exact same skill set as you, the better chance you have of getting a job.There are also books available that will help you in this area. To nar row down the focus of your education, try reading a few books that will teach you about the subjects that interest you. For example, if you like to write and read, you can learn from books that teach writing to students. This will allow you to focus on what you know best.When you are applying for jobs, there are many ways to enhance your resume. There are several books out there that will show you how to make your resume stand out. You can learn a number of things such as how to make your resume stand out by using a professional cover letter, or how to make your resume stand out by including professional photographs and skills. Although you may have done everything that you can think of to get a job, it does not hurt to take some time to make your resume a little bit different.One way that you can incorporate an extra bit of flare to your resume is to try to find the person who will be hiring you. Make an appointment to meet with them, and talk to them about your accomplishments. It will go a long way in proving that you are a good fit for their company.The last thing you want to consider doing before you write your resume is to keep it simple. When you choose a format for your resume, make sure that you stick to it. Do not spend time trying to make your resume unique, since it will only make your application look bad.When you get all of the proper information in writing, the last thing you want to do is to waste your time by wasting words on things that are out of your league. Try using these basic guidelines, and you will be well on your way to putting together a resume that will get you noticed. After all, it is a resume, and the key to getting noticed is to make it memorable.

This Is Not What I Signed Up For Moment - Career Pivot

This Is Not What I Signed Up For Moment - Career Pivot This Is Not What I Signed Up For! I have had multiple discussions with people who are having This Is Not What I Signed Up For Moments. These people are at all levels who have taken new jobs and found out that the job responsibilitieswere different than what they expected. I like to say they were seduced to take the job. Now they have to decide whether to get a divorce from their employer. Sometimes they can negotiate to fix the situation but most of the time a divorce or separationagreement is needed, i.e. they need to find a new job and quit. When this happens my first question is what did you miss during the interview process? Sometimes there are red flags that people ignore. Other times the person did not do enough digging. Sometimes we convince ourselves that we can do a job that is really a bad fit. Finally, there may be circumstances that are undetectable like the hiring manager getting fired or let go in the time between accepting the position and starting the new job. Let me give you a few examples. CIO Walking into a Toxic Mess Cynthia was an accomplished CIO who was an excellent IT problem solver. She had gone as far as she could in her previous position in moving the company’s IT operation into the new world of cloud computing before her boss said stop. She grew frustrated and decided to leave. She then sought out a new position where she could modernize a company’s IT infrastructure. The management team of a medium-sized manufacturing business pursued her and promised her free range to be able to modernize the IT infrastructure. After she took the position it became evident very quickly that there were competing interests across the enterprise to prevent this from happening. The politics were ferocious between finance, manufacturing, and engineering. This is not what she signed up for!What did she miss? Cynthia was only talking with IT management and the CEO. She was hearing what the CEO and IT management wanted her to hear. She really needed to speak with the heads of others within the organization that would be affected by the changes she was in charge of. Cynthia left on her own accord for a new job in less than a year. Audit Heaven to Audit Hell Gary was a consultant who used the practice of financial audit to help companies improve their processes. He was a great leader and had an excellent reputation forbringing change using a gentle hand. He had the knack for finding flaws in the process and then convince his clients it was in their best interest to make changes that were not always easy to do. The problem was Gary had a wife and children that were wondering what he looked like. He was gone a lot. Gary decided to take an internal audit position with a company that was in an industry he was very familiar with. He was told they wanted him to be a strong leader. Gary was used to having a free hand in making changes. He quickly discovered that he could not change ANYTHING. They had a process that was rigid but very flawed. Gary tried to lead some initiatives to fix some of those flaws and each time his hand was slapped by his boss. He heard every time, do what you are told and stop trying to fix things. 9 months after starting the position Gary was let go. He is looking for a new job. This is not what he signed up for!What did he miss? He saw red flags during the interview process but ignored them. Gary had seduced himself that he could go from being an audit consultant where he advised to being an internal auditorwhere he was directly responsible for the outcome. As a consultant, he enjoyed freedom but most internal auditors are expected to follow the rules. It was not a good fit. In hindsight, Gary should have never accepted this position. My Sales Quota is What? Sam had been a B2B sales guy for many years. Sometimes it was innew business development and other times he was in account management which is sometimes called customer success these days. Sam took several years off to take care of his elderly parents. After both of his parents had passed away he was hired by a distributor for products sold to the utility industry. It was a small team of sales people that had worked together for years. It was very evident from day 1 that he was an outsider and would always be an outsider. Multiple people had been hired for this position and each left in less than a year. When he received his first commission check and it was half of what he was expecting it was a kick in the gut. When he asked why the check was so small, he was told there was a typo in his offer letter. The problem was that the company was unethical in its practices with him. This is why the people who proceeded him left in less than a year. Sam is looking for a new job. This is not what he signed up for! What did he miss? He should have looked for turn over in this position and this is fairly easy to spot on LinkedIn. Search for past employees with the company who had job titles similar to the one you are interviewing for. Reach out and ask them why they left. You would be surprised at the number of people who will talk to you. It is your responsibility to research a company. How to Prevent This is Not What You Signed Up For Moments You can be seduced into a job and I have experienced this. This can be prevented by: Know thyself Doing your homework Following your instincts It is your responsibility to dig deep into the organization to find out whether what you are being told is true. This is done through the interview process and online research. Hopefully, you know yourself well enough that you will not take a position that is not well suited for you. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. I use myself as an example when I went off to teach high school math in an inner-city high school. Listen to this podcast episode From High-Tech Training to High School Teacher, and Why I Left. [Podcast]. I had convinced myself I was an extrovert when I am really a closet introvert. Lastly, follow your gut as it is usually right. If it does not smell right then something is usually wrong. Has this happened to you? If so, tell us about it in the comment section below. Marc Miller 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 ...

5 Major Differences Between Winning and Losing Resumes - CareerAlley

5 Major Differences Between Winning and Losing Resumes - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. The key to getting your foot in the door with a company is to write a winning resume. Those who write winning resumes show that they are truly interested in the position and explain why they are a good fit for the job. What are some other differences between a winning and losing resume? 1) Winning Resumes Are Concise Nobody wants to read a cover letter that exceeds one page or read a resume that goes on forever. The goal is to tell the employer enough about yourself to get an interview without telling so much that there is nothing to talk about at the interview. Take a look at [easyazon_link asin=0471263656 locale=US new_window=default nofollow=default tag=caree07-20 add_to_cart=default cloaking=default localization=default popups=default]Winning Resumes, 2nd Edition[/easyazon_link] a great book to help you get that winning resume. 2) Winning Resumes Are Tailored for the Job Being Applied For A hiring manager will know if you have sent a resume merely to send a resume. The cover letter should have relevant keywords and talk specifically about the company or the position being applied for. Otherwise, it will get thrown in the garbage. 3) Winning Resumes Dont Lie or Exaggerate Potential employers can and will do background checks on job candidates before an interview. If you lie or exaggerate on a resume, they will know about it. Even if they dont find out, it still makes you seem insecure about yourself if you have to lie. 4) Winning Resumes Are Free From Spelling or Grammar Issues Misspelling words or adding multiple commas where they dont belong are the hallmarks of distracting text. If you cant bother to proofread your work on an important document such as a resume, when can you be counted on to produce quality work? 5) Winning Resumes Are Formatted Properly A good resume will have your contact information on the top of the first page and will flow nicely. You should start with a cover letter, follow with your professional experience and then finish with your education and other skills. This will allow the employer to see what you have done professionally and in the classroom to decide if you are worth interviewing. If you are going to use a unique or clever format, make sure that you include the pertinent information first to increase the odds of an interview. If you dont really have an eye for resume formatting, get help from a professional resume writer who can polish it up and tailor it to your industry. More 5 Steps to a Great Resume The differences between a winning and losing resume can often be subtle. By sending in only your best work, you increase the odds of impressing a hiring manager and getting the chance to talk more about the job that you applied for. This is a Guest post. 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+ Job Search job title, keywords, company, location jobs by

Dont wait until an opportunity says, See ya!

Dont wait until an opportunity says, See ya! This was from a call I took yesterday. The conversation went something like this: Caller: Hi, um, my name is Bob.   I want to know about your resume service and when you can finish it. Because I need it soon. Me: Hi Bob. Well, lets skip to your most important question. How quickly do you need it? Bob: I need it by tomorrow. I saw a job position I want to apply for at Johnson Johnson and the position closes tomorrow. Me: Oh! Tomorrow. Has the position been open a while or did you hear about it from someone? Bob: I heard about it through a buddy of mine who works there. Its for Regional Sales Management position my dream job with my dream company. He told me about it awhile ago, but I didnt really think about it much until last night when we met for a beer and he reminded me it was still open. But it closes tomorrow. He said to send my resume in to the HR person sometime in the morning. Me: Well, its 4:30 in the afternoon and I leave my office in an hour and a half. I wont be able to do it in that amount of time We talked for a little bit more and Bob even emailed me his resume. It was pretty bad (think Microsoft Words basic resume template lots of white space, left-aligned, bullet-ridden and worse, hadnt been updated since 2001). The thing that got me was that he had known about the position for a month, assumed hed have time to fix up his resume, then consequently forgot about the position, and was now in an all-out panic. Weve all done it with one thing or anotherputting off something we really shouldnt have, and then regretting it later. I felt bad for Bob because I knew his chances of getting the job with the old resume were slim to none. Worse, when he started talking about his experience and his excellent accomplishments I thought he would have probably had the chance. He said he was going to work on it himself and hope for the best. So, the moral of the story is UPDATE YOUR RESUME TODAY. Dont wait until your dream opportunity passes you by.