Friday, May 29, 2020

How to Get a Job at Apple - Even If You Dont Code!

How to Get a Job at Apple - Even If You Don’t Code! Are you already over the Apple Watch? Yawn me too. But what if I told you that Apple was working on something actually worth getting excited about? Like, oh, say, their very own self-driving, electric car. For real. And then what if I told you that you could help build it? …Even if you can’t code to save your life! Chances are, it would probably sound too good to be true. So let me prove it to you. Apple Needs Non-Coders The first thing you need to understand is that Apple actually needs people who don’t code. Because as talented as the firm’s coders are, they’re not going to be happy if Tim Cook says, “Hey, would you mind jumping on a sales call for me?” Or “Sorry to interrupt your programming but it would be great if you could file our taxes…” But that stuff does need to get done. And every single great technology product the company delivers only increases that workload. So it should come as no surprise then that tech firms employ 3x as many non-technical staffers as coders. Something that I’ve proven by pulling the real data on tech employment from LinkedIn. Apple Needs Non-Coders to Work with Coders “Fine,” you say. “So Apple needs some salespeople and accountants. But they’re never going to get anywhere near the Apple Car. I might as well be working at Microsoft…” While it’s true that many traditional firms lock their functions into departmental silos (i.e., Marketing never talks to HR), tech is different. Because the whole point of a tech firm is to launch new products and not just maintain the status quo every single function has to carefully coordinate in order to ensure that the launch goes seamlessly. For example, imagine if the Customer Service team doesn’t know that the Engineering team decided to leave a critical feature out of the new product. Now, no matter how awesome the product is, the launch is going to be an embarrassment. Just look at what’s happening with Apple and the Error 53 scandal. And that’s why, even if an Apple marketer might technically report up the chain of command to the VP of Marketing, she’s still going to spend more time working cross-functionally with the engineers, designers, and data scientists on her product team: Apple Needs Non-Coders to Build the Apple Car So Apple needs people who don’t code and it needs them to work closely with coders. But what does it actually need them to do to get the Apple Car on the road? To find out, let’s walk through every non-technical role that will play a critical role in the launch: BizOps Before Apple plunks down billions on a massive new project, its going to want to make sure its a worthy venture. So the company has its Business Operations team crunch the numbers. How large is the market? How fast is it growing? And whats the ROI? HR Once the project gets the green light, HR is tasked with  hiring the right people for the job. Day and night, they scour LinkedIn, looking for the perfect candidates from both schools and the automotive industry. CorpDev Even with awesome recruiters, it takes a while to hire enough talent for a huge project like a new car. So the Corporate Development team swings into action, acquiring startups in the space to bring on dozens of new staffers in one fell swoop. Research With the team starting to come together, the Research function briefs them on trends in the marketplace. Market Researchers help them understand the demographics and psychographics of car buyers. And User Experience Researchers help them analyze the specific frustrations that this audience has with the existing options on the market. PM Inspired by these insights, Product Managers start to scope out the concept for the new product. Working with engineers and designers, they put together specifications for how the product should work and what it should do. Project With a vision in place, its up to the Project Managers to work with the engineers to execute it. Taking the specifications, they break the project into tasks, delegate them to specific staff, and then manage performance on a daily basis to ensure the product launches on-time. Ops As the engineers work to bring the car to life, the Operations team works just as hard to make sure it can be built at scale. Either by partnering with existing manufacturers or developing their own factories, Operations pros organize a clear supply chain for every part as well as the assembly capacity to bring those parts together into a finished product. Marketing With a huge launch on the horizon, the Marketing team starts ensuring there will be at least as much demand in the marketplace as there is supply. They do this by creating content (e.g., a video featuring Jony Ive pontificating about the cars world-class design) and campaigns (e.g., a well-publicized keynote before the launch, followed by millions of dollars of advertising at launch) that stir the market into a frenzy. BD Another key way to stoke demand is to find strategic partners ahead of time. For instance, the Business Development team could forge a partnership with Hertz to ensure that travelers can test drive the car around the world perhaps compensating for the absence of Apple dealerships. Sales When launch day finally arrives, the Sales team helps close the deal for any buyer who needs additional persuasion. For instance, a Sales pro could close a deal to sell 1,000 cars to a taxi fleet by handling the objections of the companys owner. CS Because Apple is all about delighting its customers, the product launch doesnt end at the point of sale. Instead, the Customer Success team works with existing clients to ensure their satisfaction, perhaps driving new cars to the customers door or checking-in a year later with a free tune-up. Finance And no product launch would be complete without a summation of the results. Here, the Finance + Accounting teams crunch the data on sales, letting Tim Cook crack a wide smile during his quarterly earnings call. Apple Needs You So, as you can see, the Apple Car really will be a huge team effort, involving coders and non-coders alike. And maybe, just maybe, you, too? Because once you do, you may just find out that you belong on the team building the next big thing. Which sure beats yet another smartwatch! Author: Jeremy Schifeling is the CEO of Break into Tech, a site for anyone who wants to launch a tech career, regardless of background. Learn how Jeremy landed jobs at Apple and LinkedIn through his free  course.

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Getting creative!

Getting creative! For many, the creative industry is seen as cool and exciting. It’s an industry that pays for you to dream and create. What more could you want? It is for this reason that the industry is so competitive. Getting your foot in the door can be difficult and a qualification is no longer the shoe in it once was. In this post we are going to explore some of the key strategies to ensure that you can get ahead of the creative tide! Get experience Experience, experience, experience! Did I write experience enough times there? Experience is so important for any of the creative roles. Experience sings from the roof top that you have the skills to do the job. Often completing a course can give you the opportunity to network and gain some experience. Use this time to approach local employers. Let them know about your study and offer yourself up for any work experience that they can put your way. If you are a budding fashion designer, try and get some one-off commissions with local fashion houses or team up with a dressmaker in your college and create a range of clothes. Ensure that you produce a flourishing portfolio bursting to the seams with exciting designs. If you are a fledgling web designer, then you should be designing some websites. Offer to work on a low-cost or no-fee basis and produce some work to show off your skills. Any website you make can add to your online portfolio! Make sure your work speaks for itself and develop some sites that you are proud of. Show off your experience Once you have gained your experience it’s now time to show it off. Develop an online portfolio that looks crisp. I’ve seen many an online portfolio that looks like it had been knocked up in 5 minutes. Spend the time to present your work in a clear and aesthetically pleasing manner. Develop a nice landing page to welcome anyone coming to your online portfolio, explaining what it is, and who you are. Once you have done all this, you are now ready to shout about it from the roof tops. Add your portfolio’s link to your CV, so an employer can instantly click on and have a look at your work. When approaching employers on a speculative basis, you will now have a great way to show them your talents. Network Building relationships with people in your chosen industry is really important. Social media can be a great way to get the ball rolling. Follow or like people from the industry that you are interested in. Contact fashion designers, design agencies, music studios, photographers etc. that you would like to work for and get connecting. Remember though, social media connections are perishable, and are in no way a replacement for a face-to-face meeting. Use social media to get your foot in and then arrange a phone call or a meeting to allow you to connect with people in the real world. A tweet may be forgotten in minutes, an email in hours, a phone call in days but a face-to-face meeting may be remembered a year down the line. Make some real connections and start developing some opportunities. Get involved and let us know your best tips for getting creative? Are you struggling to get your foot in the door or have you just landed your dream opportunity? 35

Saturday, May 23, 2020

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese How To Help Your Team Come Up with Brilliant Ideas

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese How To Help Your Team Come Up with Brilliant Ideas If someone looked you in the eye and said, You have 10 minutes to come up with the most creative, most breakthrough idea this industry has ever seen you might be tempted to laugh in that persons face. After all, youre lucky to remember to feed the dog after the long days you put in at work, let alone the hours you log at home. Come up with a breakthrough, brilliant idea? Who has the brainpower to do that these days? Yet companies are depending on workers tocome up with the innovative ideasneeded to keep them competitive and thriving into the next decade. But anyone who has been forced into a brainstorming session and ordered to submit creative ideas knows the agony of forcing a process that seems more like a punishment rather than as a way to help a companys bottom line. The problem is that the idea of innovation has sort of become the flavor of the month, says Bryan W. Mattimore. Even ideas about letting employees have 10 percent of their time to innovate or let them use innovation rooms have failed. Instead, companies are now grasping the idea that they need to do more than check off a box that they have innovative practices, and really look at how they can get innovative ideas to the marketplace, much as Apple has done, he says. Mattimore, president and co-founder of The Growth Engine Co. LLC, has helped companies like Sony, IBM and Pepsi come up with breakthrough ideas,(read more here)

Monday, May 18, 2020

Putting your out of office message to work - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Putting your out of office message to work - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career It’s summer time. Time for vacations. Time for the inevitable Out of Office message. Who still uses Out of Office messages? It  should come as not surprise, even to millennials, that  there are still a lot of people that use email. Yes, there is a trend towards text messaging, instagram and snapchat. While I don’t discount the idea that these are viable options for communications there is still a need to use email in almost every business endeavor these days. This is not a post to argue the validity and need for email. While you may abhor email …  the fact is that most of the people you work with  â€" customers, partners and co-workers still use it. Help them with a well crafted Out of Office message. So, what can you do to make it better? Recently I have been noticing a few incredibly bad out of office messages. My simple thinking is … if you are going to bother setting this up why not do it right. There are at least a few points to cover on a well crafted Out of Office message should include: Inform Re-Direct Educate Entertain (optional) What is the value of an Out of Office Message? The most simple OOO messages  help people know WHERE you will be, WHEN you can be reached (in case of an emergency) and WHO you have delegated tasks in your absence. I recommend having a little fun when possible. You might hear some people say OOF which is old skool for Out of Facility Instead of sending the standard “Thank you for your email” message use your OOO message to share more salient information to the recipient of your note. Pro Tip: Thanking someone for their email is not a best practice. Try just stating the facts and letting people know what they can do in your absence. Example OOO Message: I’m away from the office from July 18th to July 23rd. If you need help with marketing support contact Joe Smith (email / tel), if you have a question about sales please contact Jane Doe (email / tel) and if you have something that I need to address please expect a delay in my response. I will be attending the Widget Trade Show. If you will be there please look me up or visit our booth. Vacation Options As a point of comparison I wrote a post for Yahoo that the  Personal Branding Blog helped get published. The post was about Planning the Perfect Working Vacation and has a few additional points about being out of the office. Why Bother? As I mentioned in the Yahoo article everyone can carry their office in their pocket and ALWAYS be on. While this is often possible there are benefits that a OOO message can help you in a few ways you may want to consider. Sales Engagement  â€" Let people know what they can do with you and your business. Self Service  â€" Share links and options for people to seek their own answers Connecting in the  Wild  â€" If you are attending or speaking at a trade show … let people know. Note: You may have the option to set an internal audience OOO message and an external audience message. Use this option wisely. Internal people to your organization may need a different message and will be able to have access to internal links and resources. They will also understand your company acronyms. Good Use Cases for  OOO Messages If you are still doubting the value of OOO messages consider these points: What about if you are on an extended travel day What if you  are at a trade show? What if you are actually on vacation? At these times you may not be able to connect or you may be focused on the task at hand. These are great times to use an OOO message to help your colleagues, your customers and your partners know where you are, when you are available and/or who they can contact in your absence. I can tell you from personal experience that I like it when people use OOO messages. I, like everyone else, like to have that instantaneous gratification  of getting a response to a question. People that do this stand out to me as caring about my time and that my need for a response is not necessarily tied to their access to email. These are just a few reasons to consider using an Out of Office message. If you have other use case examples please share in the comments. I’d also like to see your WORST examples of bad OOO messages. Some of them are downright sad and ineffectual. I’d also like to see your best examples. OOO messages will not be here forever, but while they are … please consider using them wisely. See you on the road and enjoy your summer vacations. While you are away please take a few minutes to insure that you are putting your out of office message to work.

Friday, May 15, 2020

How Do I Start a Resume Writing Business?

How Do I Start a Resume Writing Business?How do I start a resume writing business is a question that many have asked. The fact is, writing resumes and cover letters is not only essential, but it is also a very difficult task, if you are not experienced at it.As you may be aware, the most important thing when looking to start a resume writing business is a good idea, because the money you make will depend on your ability to sell your products and service. You should also keep in mind that you will need a good mailing list of clients. This list is generally obtained by either by word of mouth advertising or networking.You can get your clients from your competitors, or you can network with your friends, family, or colleagues in order to find a prospective client. If you decide to network with people, make sure that you choose a service or product that is appealing to everyone. For example, your website could be a service that is of high quality, yet has a fun side to it.When speaking wi th a potential client, you should always focus on the service or product. You should avoid discussing anything else that you think that they may be interested in. The whole idea behind how do I start a resume writing business is to sell your services or products. You can always refer to the product brochure as a reference for this purpose.Networking is an important part of how do I start a resume writing business. It is the reason why you should feel free to join in online forums or chat rooms. Online sales are very profitable and should be made available to everyone, even though they may not know it. You can always refer to the forums as references for the type of writing skills you possess.As stated earlier, the most important thing when looking to start a resume writing business is a good idea. Your idea should be creative, unique, and should be something that does not currently exist. Do not use the same idea that is being sold by other companies or individuals. In order to make a profit, you will need to be able to write a strong proposal that will persuade a potential client to buy your product.Whether you are making money online or offline, you will need to advertise in order to get the attention of your target clients. If you are looking to start a resume writing business, then you will need to have a good idea about advertising.The bottom line is that how do I start a resume writing business does not have to be difficult, if you follow the above tips. Just remember that you will need to develop a good idea for your company before you start a resume writing business.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

3 Strategies for Dealing With Concerned Relatives - CareerAlley

3 Strategies for Dealing With Concerned Relatives - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future. John F. Kennedy Author Byline: Jessica has a true passion for the job seeker, evidenced by her desire to You must look into other people as well as at them. Lord Chesterfield Author Byline: Jessica has a true passion for the job seeker, evidenced by her desire to share everything she can with everyone she can about resume writing and interviewing. Author Website: http://www.greatresumesfast.com Last week I wrote about how to use holiday gatherings for career networking. For most people, the holidays inevitably bring more contact with another network: your family. If your family is anything like mine, the holidays offer a perfect opening for questions like, When are you going to get married/ have a baby/ buy a house/ cut your hair whatever. If youre out of work, this familial concern is bound to focus on your job search at some point. To manage the stress that can come from these questions, try to address your relatives one of three ways: Deflect We all have relatives who just arent a helpful resource for us. This may include the retirees in your family, or stay-at-home moms who have been out of the workforce for 15 years. Realistically, someone who hasnt had to look for a job within the last decade is just not going to understand what its like out there today. When you encounter these relatives, its best to deflect them with a generic comment such as, Oh, Im still looking! or, Ive gotten some good leads lately! and then change the subject. Offer minimal information Many times your relatives out in the workforce are eager to help you find work, but they just dont have the connections or understanding of your career to be of much assistance. You can spot these relatives when they cant really explain what their spouses or children do for a living. Since you, too, will probably be described as Oh, he does something in finance, you want to give these people a very succinct sound bite. For example, you can tell them that youre looking for a job in health care accounting. Even if they dont process the information, it will make sense to someone else when your relative tells them how youre doing. Make a connection Some of your relatives will probably have a professional or personal network that could help you. They may also have prior experience as a hiring manager or supervisor that would allow them to provide you with helpful advice. You can spot these relatives when they ask you probing questions about the type of work youve done and what interests you professionally. With these family members, make sure youre connected on LinkedIn, and offer to send them a copy of your resume in case they run across someone to whom they can forward it. All of your relatives wish the best for you and are eager to help you with your job search. Be prepared during the holidays for questions about how things are going, and learn to recognize which people can help you and which are just curious. Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities. Good luck in your search. Visit me on Facebook //

Friday, May 8, 2020

What Are the Different Armed Police UK Units - How 2 Become

What Are the Different Armed Police UK Units - How 2 Become In a perfect world, the police force wouldn’t need to exist at all. People would all get along, respect each other’s property, rights, beliefs, and bodies, and there would be no need for police. Unfortunately, we don’t live in paradise, and a police force is vital for keeping people safe and the country secure. For similar reasons, the UK needs an armed police force. While gun crime in the UK is lower than a lot of other countries, there’s still enough of it to warrant armed police units. Likewise, the ever-present threat of international and domestic terrorism means that sometimes an armed response is essential to keep people safe. This is why we have armed police UK forces.Why the UK Has an Armed Police UK ForceThe vast majority of police officers in the UK are unarmed. By this, we mean that they do not carry firearms. A lot of crimes can be solved and prevented without the use of weapons, and the police service does an excellent job overall. However, sometimes an armed res ponse is necessary. This doesn’t mean that armed police charge onto a scene, guns blazing â€" sometimes having firearms officers on-site is just a precaution. While armed police officers get called to crime scenes quite frequently, they only have to discharge weapons on rare occasions.In the cases where an armed police officer does fire a weapon, this might not necessarily result in death. Sometimes, officers will aim for parts of the body which will incapacitate or immobilise an attacker. However, there are times when these wounds result in death, or they need to shoot to kill in order to protect themselves or others.When this happens, an investigation is opened into the incident. These officers are then represented legally, just in case Independent Police Complaints Commission deems that the shooting was unlawful. Sometimes, these investigations can lead to criminal allegations. This means that even armed police officers are held accountable for their decisions, which hopefully prevents them from resorting to shooting unless absolutely necessary.Bear in mind that armed police officers do not want to shoot or kill people â€" they are volunteers who accept the huge responsibility of being able to end or protect lives. Armed police officers are volunteers who do a dangerous and stressful job.The Different Armed Police UK UnitsNow that we’ve discussed why the UK police force requires armed units, let’s take a look at these forces. Rather than having a single armed police force, the UK armed police is divided into different units â€" each catered to specific types of incident.Police Firearms Unit (SCO19)The armed police unit for the Metropolitan Police is SCO19. This is the main armed police unit in London, with over 500 members. The ‘SCO’ part of the title stands for “Specialist Crime and Operations”, indicating that the SCO19 is reserved for cases where an armed response is absolutely necessary. SCO19 contains ARV, CTSFO, and TST units â€" all of which will be discussed below.Men and women are both welcome to join SCO19. The two main firearms used by SCO19 are the Heckler Koch MP5 Carbine and the G36 Carbine. SCO19 also use Glock 17 handguns. SCO19 and the other armed police UK units are trained to use a wide range of other weapons, such as the M3 Super 90 shotgun and the X26 Taser.Armed Response Vehicle Officers (ARV)ARV units are responsible for getting an armed response to a crime scene or incident as quickly and safely as possible. ARV units drive BMWs â€" such as the 530d and the BMW X5 â€" which are fitted with high-tech GPS equipment so that they can find the best route to an incident. ARV units usually consist of three officers. These are:• A driver;• A communications specialist;• A navigator.ARV units also bring a range of equipment to the scene, including projectile launchers, riot shields, battering rams, and first aid kits.Trojan Proactive Unit (TPU)Unlike ARV units, who patrol or wait on standby until the y need to respond to an incident, TPUs are responsible for patrolling in high-risk areas in an attempt to reduce the amount of crime being committed. TPU personnel are on secondment from ARV, which means that in order to be a member of the TPU you must join ARV.Tactical Support Teams (TST)So far, we’ve looked at responsive and proactive patrol arms of ARV. The ARV tend to respond to incidents as they happen, whilst TPU patrols crime hotspots. Tactical Support Teams are ARV units which usually partake in pre-planned operations. If you’ve heard about police raids in London, it’s quite possible that TSTs were involved.In other cases, TSTs are deployed as armed reinforcements for other units. TSTs partake in covert and overt operations.Specialist Rifle Officers (SRO)SROs are trained marksmen. Rather than being deployed as part of a response, snipers are brought to the scene of pre-planned operations, such as armed raids on sites where illegal firearms are suspected to be held.SROs do not work on their own. They are deployed in teams which overlook the site of an operation, providing marksman support if necessary. SROs are equipped with G3K semi-automatic rifles.Counter Terrorist Specialist Firearms Officers (CTSFO)As the name suggests, CTSFOs specialise in counter-terror operations. With the constant threat of terrorist attacks from home and abroad, a dedicated counter-terror team is necessary. Despite being specialist, CTSFO teams are flexible in where they provide support. From a geographical perspective, CTSFO teams operate nationally as well as in London. They partake in overt and covert operations, and can be called to support other police units on operations.CTSFO teams consist of 1 Sergeant and 15 Constables. These teams are required to undertake more extensive training than other armed police UK units, since they need to be ready to respond to a wider range of incidents. Candidates must have already served as ARV officers before becoming CTSFOs.Air S upport Unit (ASU)ASUs are responsible for giving SCO19 greater flexibility when dealing with incidents. These units allow for SCO19 to respond to incidents in places where tyres and feet can’t get to as easily. In addition, ASUs are used to get an eye in the sky, allowing command on the ground to get a better picture of an incident and respond as appropriate.ASUs are in command of 3 EC-145 helicopters, and can be used for fast-rope operations, allowing SCO19 to respond quickly.Marine Police Unit (MPU)Sometimes, armed police need to respond to incidents which take place either in water or across the other side of the Thames. MPUs allow SCO19 to avoid bad traffic on the roads by taking to the river. MPUs operate Delta 1000TX inflatable boats.ConclusionNow you have an idea of all the armed police units that operate in London and on a national level. If you’re interested in becoming an armed police UK officer, you’ll first need to join the police force. Check out our expert guide how to become a police officer.Like How2Become on Facebook! This entry was posted in Police, Career Advice. Bookmark the permalink. Jacob Senior The Benefits Of Working As A UK Train Driver!Australian Firefighter Recruitment FAQs One thought on “What Are the Different Armed Police UK Units?” Tobi says:Hi I’m currently serving in the British army and I was wondering how to go about joining up to become ctsfo. Or in fact any other armed response unit? I’m thinking of staying in army for two more years and am looking at options I could line up.Thank you March 9, 2018 at 3:13 am Reply