From Charity to Tech

From Charity to Tech Success Story > From: Freelance To: Job From Charity to Tech “Like many other changes in my life, it was down to meeting the right people at the right time.” * From Charity to Tech Heather Taylor Portmann loved the variety of her career, but missed learning new skills and the buzz of working with others. Now, she's found her perfect niche in a sharp team where she's learning every day. Here's how she did it and what she learned along the way. What work were you doing previously? I worked for over five years in different roles in the charity and education sectors, as an executive assistant, programme coordinator, and managing events. In 2011, I turned my events and project management experience into a freelance business and worked on contracts for organisations like The Campaign to End Loneliness and the NSPCC, designing and producing participatory learning events. What are you doing now? I now work for Made by Many, an innovation studio making digital products. We blend a user-centred design process with agile software development to make successful apps and websites for clients like Skype, Universal Music, and ITV. Why did you change? I think I'd reached a point where I wasn't learning as much as I wanted to working independently as a freelancer. I wanted more chances to collaborate. I've always embraced change, and was looking out for interesting opportunities. When was the moment you decided to make the change? My change from charity project management to digital innovation was more of a natural evolution than a moment, and (like many other changes in my life) it was down to meeting the right people at the right time. Are you happy with the change? I feel incredibly lucky to work with the kind of sharp minds, kind hearts and ambitious spirits I have found at Made by Many. I've learned a lot from my colleagues in a way I couldn't when I was a lone freelancer at my kitchen table. What do you miss and what don't you miss? Sometimes I miss working directly in the 'social good' space, but at Made by Many we work to make products that matter to real people, so I don't think it's that far removed. Health and education are two key areas we work in, alongside media. After working independently as a freelancer, I've also had to adjust to working in a busy studio. Sometimes I miss being able to follow my own rhythms, and working at the times of day when I am most productive (early morning and early evening). I don't miss working on my own. Making things as a team is much better. How did you go about making the shift? In January a couple of years ago, I was looking for my next freelance gig when I was introduced to Charlotte Moore by an ex-colleague of mine. Charlotte was working at Made by Many on a project for Skype Social Good. Initially I started out part time, working with Charlotte at Made by Many to grow partnerships for education using Skype in the classroom, while running a conference for another of my clients. Towards the end of that summer, Made by Many offered me more project work for a media client in Belgium. I developed more skills in innovation processes and user research. In my own time, I completed a Service Design course with Central Saint Martins, and the Human-centred Design course with IDEO. This year, I've trained as a Certified ScrumMaster and taken Wolff Olin's masterclass in facilitating workshops. Made by Many made me a permanent member of the team at the end of that year, as a Product Manager. This role spans four areas: client relationships, user research and service design, business and product strategy, and facilitating project delivery through agile process. What didn't go well? What 'wrong turns' did you take? It can be hard, when you're entering a new industry, for your past experiences and knowledge to be accepted as relevant and valuable. This is particularly true when moving between the charity and private sectors, where there can be a lot of negative misconceptions about how people who've worked with charities are motivated and what their skills are. Social sector organisations are guilty of this too, often 'importing' private sector candidates for senior roles â€" although this can work in your favour if you're career changing into the charity sector! Something I didn't know about the tech industry before I joined is how women are such a minority. Coming from a sector which is largely made up of female talent, this has been a bit of a culture shock. How did you handle your finances to make your change possible? I've been lucky not to have to take much of a pay cut in my move, as I'm using many transferable project management and relationship development skills I'd developed in my previous work. I've learned a lot about how to save to make sure you have a parachute if you need one. If you have some savings it will always give you more choices. What was the most difficult thing about changing? One of the slightly uncomfortable things has been going from being one of the most digital savvy people in the charity organisations I worked in, to feeling like a digital dope when surrounded by technologists! Knowing what you don't know is crucial in a new setting. Don't be afraid to ask questions. What help did you get? I've benefitted from being a part of various online and offline networks. This has meant meeting new professional contacts, talking things over with smart people, and connecting with those who share my passions. One such group is Ada's List (for women in tech). I also took some relevant courses which were designed with direct input from the industry I wanted to work in. What have you learnt in the process? Having a 'portfolio career' can help you try out different types of work before making a commitment. When I started at Made by Many, I was on a three-month contract for three to four days a week. At the same time, I managed a conference for a campaigning organisation in Westminster, and managed an online community for a charity. I was then slowly able to grow into the next space I wanted to occupy. Using overlaps like this can limit the risk you are taking and allow you to seamlessly return to your previous career without any gaps if the new thing isn't a good fit. What do you wish you'd done differently? I wish I'd had more of a strategic plan. Lots of my career journey has been down to the opportunities that came up, rather than those I've made for myself. It has worked out rather well so far, in this serendipitous way, but I'd like to take more control over the next five years and make some of my own luck! What would you advise others to do in the same situation? I'd definitely recommend having some career coaching sessions to help you work out your strengths and personal values, and to understand opportunities. Many coaches will offer a first session for free so you can work out if it's a relationship that will work for you. There are self-coaching exercises you can do, too. Go to lots of events. Many agencies (including us!) host talk series where you can learn about digital products that people are making and understand other people's careers. Stick around afterwards and introduce yourself to people. Go to events that fit your interests and you'll meet people who share them! Collaborating with people on side projects is another great way to learn and build evidence of your interests and skills outside of your current day job. Events has been a natural thing for me to be involved in: in November I co-organised a panel debate event about design and technology careers at the University of the Arts, London, and I also help out at Small Talks, an event Made by Many host every other month. What resources would you recommend to others? Twitter has been great for picking up the industry conversation and getting up to speed. I bookmark lots of links to read later. If you are a woman trying to move into tech then do sign up for Ada's List; there are lots of opportunities to be found there, along with advice and support from awesome women in the industry. What lessons could you take from Heather's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

Am I really in the right career or am I treading water

Am I really in the right career â€" or am I treading water This is a question that most of us ask ourselves at some point in our lives â€" sometimes more than once! It is an important question, however, because for many of us, our career dominates our life. We spend the majority of our time at work, so if we feel unhappy or unfulfilled in what we are doing or the path we have chosen to take, then that can be distressing and difficult for us. Making a U-turn or a fresh start and changing your career completely can be very daunting, Gone are the days when people stayed in one job or career for their entire lives. We are now in a climate where it is normal for us to hop from one job to the other, and adapt and change our careers, and our expectations, as and when we need to. It’s certainly no longer indicative of‘failure’ or a negative thing to have swapped jobs or careers more than once over the course of your working life, and in fact, this only adds to your experience in the eyes of many employers. Am I really on the right path? Some would say if you are asking the question, then it clearly indicates some disquiet surrounding where you currently are in your career. Although sometimes, however contented we are, we still ask ourselves the question “is there more?” In a ‘grass is greener’ society we are always encouraged to seek for more, strive for better â€" but actually, you may be doing very well and need to stay on this path to achieve your bigger goals, except you are perhaps becoming bored or can’t see what you have already achieved because you are so focused on the next step. Alternatively, this may not be the right career for you. Maybe your gut is telling you something and you should listen to your intuition and look for something different. So what can you do to check whether you are on the right path or not? Write a list of pros and cons Making a visual list of the good and bad elements of what you are doing now (and a new career, if you have one in mind) is a great way to see more clearly the advantages and disadvantages of changing. There may be things that crop up that you simply hadn’t considered, but which may be a deal breaker for you either way. Ask yourself questions ‘If this was the last day of my life, is this what I would be doing?’ â€" A poignant question for which most of us the answer would be ‘no’. Of course, we need to work to earn money. But that work should be fulfilling and if the answer is ‘no’ then it may be time to reconsider your current path. Consult a psychic A psychic can connect with you on a spiritual level and give you advice as to whether you are on your chosen path, and what steps you may like to take to get you to where you want and need to be. Psychic guidance can be comforting and offer us solid support in making a firm decision on the direction we’d like our career to take. Following the advice above will help you to see if your career is really all that you wanted, and if not, will help you decide on what you really want to do so that you can really get started on a career path that will suit you long term. Post Credit  Derek Acorah’s Psychic Ether, providing online psychic reading experiences as personalised as though provided traditionally face to face. 11

Brand Tall! - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Brand Tall! - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career The crowning spectacle of any Olympic Games is the opening ceremonies. No matter what Olympic sport of which you happen to be a fan (or even if you are a fan of no sport at all), this exhibition is captivating, entertaining, and inspiring. Traditionally, the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games is officially opened by the head of state of the host nation, such as a president, prime minister or even a king. From there nation after nation enters the stadium, each being led by an athlete representative that carries that country’s flag. Dips in deference As each country proceeds around the infield, when they pass where the head of state is seated, following tradition, the flag bearer dips the nation’s flag in deference to the host country’s lead dignitary. Literally every nation follows this protocol â€" every nation but one … the United States. This exception to the tradition is considered tradition in and of itself and it relates back over 100 years to the 1908 London Games. On July 14 at approximately 2:45 PM, with Austria leading the way, nations began to parade into London’s White City Stadium for the opening ceremonies of the 1908 Olympic Games. Eventually, the United States joined the procession, being led by 6’6”, 275 pound Ralph Rose as its flag bearer. No earthly king As the contingent of Americans marched before King Edward VII, to the outrage of the crowd, Rose did not lower the American flag as was custom. Although there is some debate as to just how much of an uproar this created amongst the British, one American’s response to the act was clear. Martin Sheridan, known as a burly, hot-tempered shot putter, emphatically stated, “This flag dips to no earthly king.” As such, a tradition-bucking tradition was born. In the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games, the American delegation does not lower its flag. The American flag has remained high before kings, presidents and emperors. It has not dipped in great nations such as Canada, Germany, and China. Pride, confidence, and optimism. No matter the dignitary and no matter the country, in the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games the Americans keep their flag standing tall with pride, confidence and optimism … proud of its past contribution to the world … confident of its place as a leader in global humanity … optimistic of its role in a great future. You are no different than the American flag. You have every reason to stand tall in any situation, no matter who you encounter. And thus you should shy away from meeting no one. Do not concede anything Yes, there are people who have accomplished much â€" award-winning authors, note-worthy business professionals and civic leaders of every kind. Do not concede anything to them. Rather, stop, reflect, and take inventory of your own past. It is a proud one too â€" marked by wonderful milestones, accomplishments, and achievements. Yes, there are people who offer a great deal to society â€" architects of innovation, masters of a craft and commanders of loyal followers. Do not wilt in their presence. Rather have every confidence that no matter what you do, your contribution to society serves to make the world a better place â€" even if it is just in your little corner of it. Stand tall equals brand tall Yes, there are people whose crowning achievements are clearly ahead of them â€" future dignitaries, rising-corporate stars, and budding entrepreneur types. Nevertheless, do not back down from them. No matter how high their stock may rise, remember you should have every optimism that yours will rise too. In short, no matter where you find yourself and no matter whose company you are in, believe that you belong. As such, stand tall, throw your shoulders back and offer yourself to those around you … but do not bow to any earthly king. If you stand tall under any circumstance, in the end your brand will be tall in the company of anyone. Author: Frank Agin is the founder and president of AmSpirit Business Connections. In addition, Frank is the author of Foundational Networking: Building Know, Like and Trust To Create A Lifetime of Extraordinary Success and the co-author of LinkedWorking: Generating Success on the World’s Largest Professional Networking Website and The Champion: Finding the Most Valuable Person in Your Network.

You Dont Need to be an Expert to Build Your Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

You Dont Need to be an Expert to Build Your Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career According to my blog archives, I have been blogging for exactly 1 year.   For an entire year I have been trying to build my personal brand equity through video interviews, a video documentary, and getting publicized throughout the internet. Looking back, there are a lot of things that I feel I could have done better.   This is what I have learned after a year of building my personal brand: You dont have to focus on one topic I made this mistake plenty of times during the past year as a blogger, and do you know what it lead to?   Frustration. I was frustrated because I couldnt find that one topic that I could become an expert in.   I was frustrated because everywhere I turned, there seemed to already by someone who was the voice of that niche. One of the most frustrating things was that I didnt have a talent. I looked at my brother who is a musician or every artist out there and thought to myself, Man, if I had their talent, I could be killing it right now!   I started getting jealous, and the green eye of envy engulfed me for a certain period. You dont need to have a talent; you dont need to be an expert. Build a brand of openness, friendliness, helpfulness, and transparency.   Above all else, create a brand that people look at and say, Wow, this person is a very genuine and honest individual who sincerely is looking to help others.   Your brand doesnt have to be a subject, it can be a characteristic. You dont have to comment on everyones blog Everyone   talks about this one.   You need to build community and start commenting on other blogs. So, I did what everyone was advising me to do.   I went onto Google Blogsearch and started finding random blogs to make a comment on.   Half the time I didnt even read the post; I just read the title, skimmed, and left a half-assed comment in order to get more traffic onto my site.   I turned into a traffic hog all I cared about was my analytics. Look, commenting on other blogs is important, but being genuine trumps everything else. Leave a comment ONLY if you have something valuable to say. Actually, forget about the value.   Only leave a comment if your truly feel moved to do it. Maybe the post was so good, that you just want to leave the author a compliment: Hey, that was a real good post.   Thanks for opening up my eyes to a new perspective!   This comment leaves no value, but its genuine because it comes from the heart. Be honest with yourself and everyone in the community and I promise your readership will grow. You dont have to create a profile on every social network Again, everyone tells you that you need to use Digg, Mixx, Reddit, Stumble, and all of these others sites.   When I first started blogging, I jumped into all of these sites, tried to add random content, tried to add random friends, and ultimately felt frustrated with all of these sites because they were driving me no traffic.   I used these websites for the wrong reasons. Join Mixx, Reddit, Pownce, and the other sites only if you really enjoy the community.   If your forcing yourself to find good sites online and be the first one to Digg them, its definitely NOT fun.   Thats what I did for a few months!   Did I meet some good people on Digg?   Yes, I really did.   But overall my experience was not great because I forced myself to Digg things I didnt like and make friends with people who I didnt feel a connection with. Dont use a site because you feel you have to.   Join a site because you actually like it. Personal branding is not about positioning yourself to pitch your company. Personal branding is about being happy with who you are.   You dont need to please everyone around you and you dont have to constantly think about how others perceive you.   Focus on being happy and helping others and I promise you will build a positive personal brand. Author: Jun is the Founder and CMO of Future Delivery where he is building Viralogy, the Social Media rank.   His personal blog, Become a Young Successful Entrepreneur, gives a real, unfiltered view of the Startup Life so that current and aspiring entrepreneurs can learn from his successes and mistakes.

Tips on How to Write a Resume For High School Students

Tips on How to Write a Resume For High School StudentsThis article gives you tips on how to write a resume for high school students. Most people take this as an opportunity to sell themselves, which is wrong because doing this will not help you sell yourself.So what are you going to do when you are flipping through channels and find that real estate agent who has all these offers for homes for sale. One of them looks good, what do you do? You buy it and start selling it.But you don't have the money to buy these homes or even the time to do it. What are you going to do if you are just starting out in real estate? You will have to work at home while flipping houses.However, you can do it with Powerpoint. Even though you have to invest some time in creating your Powerpoint, you still get to save a lot of money. You also get to use all those skills you learned in high school and apply them to a business that you are going to be running for the rest of your life.There are hundreds of entr epreneurs who have this same business, but they are all selling it in different ways. So how do you know which one to try? Well, the best way is to take a look at the Powerpoint. With this, you will be able to see what the author did and how he got it there.You should use Powerpoint as a learning tool. Once you have finished writing your resume, take the time to download free PowerPoint samples and create a Powerpoint of your own. Learn how to format your slides, how to use the proper color combinations and the right fonts.Don't worry about the formatting until after you have created your resume. Create the slide show and keep it in a file folder so that you can refer to it and use it as a reference whenever you need it. This will help you organize your information and make it easy to read.After you have created the final creation, save it to your hard drive. This way, when you start selling your home you will have it handy.