Nursing Resume Guide: 15 Best Tips

A Nursing Resume plays a very important role in the hiring process if you are looking forward to having a career in the nursing field. In today’s world, the nursing industry is booming as even in pandemics we saw there was so much need for healthcare professionals and the nursing job is one of them.

Many of you may think to pursue your career as a nurse but have no idea how to get started. Don’t worry this blog got you covered in today’s blog we will be talking about some tips to build your nursing resume, what will be the format, and talk about some nursing cover letter tips.

So stick around to know more.

What Is A Nursing Resume?

nursing resume
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Just like every other resume, the work of a nursing resume is to highlight your qualifications, skills & experience. Your resume is the first impression of you that the employer gets so make sure it’s apt as per the job description otherwise it will land up in their spam folder.

Also one should also keep their Cvs ready if you are applying for nursing jobs as some employers may ask you to provide a CV rather than a resume.

Let’s get to know the difference between a CV (Curriculum vitae) and a resume. A cv is a more detailed version of a nursing resume, it talks about your detailed experience, achievements, award, academic history, professional experiences, and so on.

It’s longer than the cv and is not just one page. That’s why it’s important to keep both Cvs & resume with you. Many people use these words synonymously but there is a difference in both of them.

If we talk about a resume it’s nothing but a very “to the point” version of your cv. The resume summarizes your experience, skills & education. There is no need to write too much information in a resume in detail just write what’s important and will be suitable for the job.

Many people just send in one resume wherever they apply which is not really a good thing. You need to customize your resume according to the job description of a company. Use the appropriate keyword mentioned in the description as your application goes through applicant tracking software, so if you don’t have an apt resume according to the job you may not get selected.

The ATS software helps the employer to select the best candidates for the job.

Before we proceed further into the steps of writing a nursing resume let’s just quickly understand the difference between a normal nursing resume and a registered nurse resume.

After the completion of your nursing school if you are looking for a job in the field your resume will be different than that of a professional registered nurse resume. Employers know that you are a fresher, so you need to explain how was your clinical experience, and what did you learn, write about different technologies you used, and so on.

We will be discussing resume formats so even if you are a professional graduate nurse of entry-level or holds an experience of many years it would be helpful to you, also will cover what nursing skills are essential.

Things To Keep In Mind While Writing Strong Nursing Resumes

nursing resume
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  1. No matter what job posting you apply make sure you customize your nursing resume according to it. Keep the job description in front of you and highlight the relevant nursing skills and qualifications required for the job in the resume. So that your employer knows that you are a suitable candidate whose resume matches the requirements of their company.
  2. It’s important to keep your resume short don’t write every detail in a very long way it would simply get ignored by the employer. Market yourself through your nursing resume carefully you don’t have much time to catch their attention. If they find your resume to be cliche they won’t even read it.
  3. Pick the keywords from the job description and mention them in your resume don’t copy-paste, use it wisely.
  4. Research about the facility you want to work for, this will not only help in your resume but also in interviews. As your employer will know that this candidate is not just applying for the sake of just applying anywhere for the job but are aware of the facility as well and is interested.
  5. Check your resume carefully, proofread and edit it as required. There should be no grammatical or spelling errors in the resume. Write your resume as an achiever, don’t write it like a doer.
  6. Mentioning your achievements and success will create a good impact on the reader.
  7. Write your work experience, where did you work previously, and in which facility and unit. Using numbers to quantify your work would be great.
  8. Write about your hard skills, for those of you who don’t know what hard skills mean it is technical skills that are required to complete your day-to-day task like eg management, Microsoft office, Seo, content writing, coding, and so on.
  9. Also mention your volunteer work if any, in the healthcare industry they look for this experience.
  10. Your education and qualifications are an important part of your resume so mention them as well. It’s also important to include if you took a graduate certificate in nursing online and post-graduate courses.
  11. While you send your resume to the company make sure to send it through a professional email address. Don’t use your fake accounts or funky names for professional purposes.
  12. Use action verbs in your resume and avoid using words like created, wrote, helped, managed, listen, and so on. Use words like founded, formulated, designed, developed, organized, and so on.
  13. Format your resume document properly it shouldn’t look messy or cause any problems for an employer to read it or for the ATS machine.
  14. Mention technical skills that you have as being in the nursing field you may be required to know some technology, patient care, data, or knowledge about using medical facilities. Whatever skills you have make sure to highlight them in your nursing resume.
  15. If you know more languages you can also add that as a skill. Also, you don’t have to write any views or opinions in the nursing resume as it’s solely for professional purposes just write what’s relevant and matters for getting a job. Rest you don’t need to write an opinion about anything.

Format Of Registered Nurse Resume

Registered nurses are those who have the apt license to work in the healthcare system. They are graduates from the required nursing university and have given the license exam in which they had excelled so now they are considered to be registered. Let’s have a look at the order of writing a resume

1. Header Of Your Resume

Write your name at the top of the resume with a little big font & bold it if necessary. Your professional email address should be mentioned below it so that if the hiring managers think you are a suitable candidate they email you or contact you. Also, write your most-used phone number on the resume.

2. Resume Summary / Introduction

As the name suggests “summary” which means to sum up your whole career in a few sentences. Write about your professional career what you do, skills that you have, experience & so on. You can use numbers to quantify your expertise like for eg: I have over 2 years of healthcare experience in an ABC healthcare setting.

It’s important that your nurse resume objective reflect on your resume. Mentioning soft skills is also important along with your other skills as they play a very important role in healthcare. Soft skills like empathy, patience, compassion, work ethic, and so on. Make sure to write that you are a registered nurse. Keep summary concise in 5-6 sentences.

3. Experience Or Work history

It’s important to mention the relevant experience to be considered for the role. If you have a volunteer work history then you can mention that too. But as said in the above-listed tips always try to quantify your duties.

For eg supervised a team of 20 nurses. Basically in short you have to write what you did and what was the result of your action & what value you added to any facility. Write your resume in reverse chronological order, which means that first write where you work currently and then state the rest.

4. Skills

Don’t write any fake skills just mention what you really know. In the nursing industry, both technical and soft skills matter so you need to mention both. We will be talking about some relevant skills needed as a nurse in the further part of the blog.

5. Qualifications

You need to mention what education you have and are you a licensed nurse or not. You can also level up your career by taking some more training and doing courses or masters in the following field.

6. Licensing And Certifications

If you have any certifications of volunteering or any other nursing-related work certificate you can mention them over here along with your license details.

There are also many free resume builders available on the internet you can make use of them for templates & building a resume easily with no trouble.

If you are someone who is looking for a new job it’s important to know what all skills to add to a resume, also we further will also be talking about the cover letter which you had to submit with your job application and resume.

Basic Skills Required As A Registered Nurse Or A New Grad Nurse

1. Excellent Communication

Communication plays an important role not just in the healthcare industry but almost in every profession. You need to communicate and coordinate not just with doctors or nurses but also with patients. You need to talk to the patients identify their issues or problems if any and communicate with the doctor as well.

2. Leadership Skills

You should have leadership skills to encourage your other nurses as well sometimes you may be required to take some urgent actions then you should be able to show your leadership qualities there to lead your team of nurses.

Sometimes your colleagues may not feel good as nursing is a quite stressful job but you need to understand and motivate them. Talk to them effectively and coordinate with others smoothly.

3. Critical Thinking

If a situation or a problem arises in front of you as a nurse, it’s important that you evaluate it and know how to solve it based on the data and information present also your past experience can play an important part in solving the issue.

Critical thinking is where your expertise, knowledge & the facts in front of you comes to action. If you are someone who holds this skill it will be effective for the advancement of your career and at the same time will also improve patient care.

4. Empathy Or Mental strength

As a nurse, you got to communicate with people who are not in a physically good state which affects their mental health too so you can’t just talk to them negatively. In a nursing career empathy and active listening is a very important skill. You need to understand the condition of the front person and also during stressful situations there will be a need to be calm.

5. Patient Care & Safety Protocol

Accurate knowledge about medicines and medical protocols is necessary as you never know what situation you got to deal with. It’s necessary that you give the right medicines or follow the right protocol when the patient is in danger or ill.

6. Understanding Of Technology And Facilities

We all live in a digital world where importance to technology is given and it’s important to have practical knowledge about it. Also, various equipment and facilities are used for patients understanding how to use and when to use it is also equally important.

7. Physical Strength & Stamina

By this, we mean being a nurse you got to deal with many hectic work schedules every day and it’s important for you to manage them well. Being physically fit is also a requirement as at times you may be required to shift a patient from one place to another.

8. Vital Signs

The most important skill is to know how to measure vital signs. For those of you who ain’t aware of this term, it means you should know how to check body temperature, pulse rate, respiration, and so on. You should have the required knowledge about the measurement of vital signs to know what’s good and what’s bad.

These are some of the basic skills for all level nurses further we will be discussing skills according to your role and position.

Nursing Skills You Can Add According To The Level & Position You Are On

1. Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Licensed Practical nurses are those nurses who work under registered nurses, they are ones who take care of injured, sick, and ill people.

Important Skills For LPN

  1. Empathy: To understand, listen and talk effectively with patients and their family
  2. Nursing skills: knows how to assess the performance of patients, do basic procedures, and assist the doctors if needed.
  3. Teamwork and communication: when you work in a healthcare setting it’s important that you know how to work in a team and communicate effectively.
  4. Observational skills: Observing prior signs and symptoms of patients can help in saving a life.
  5. Work Ethics & Confidentiality
  6. Technology

2. Nurse Practitioner

A nurse practitioner has the appropriate education along with advanced training so they have expertise in certain areas depending on their interests. They have a master’s degree as well and also a certificate in what they specialize in.

  1. Problem solving and communication
  2. MS office & Technological skills
  3. Research & Time management
  4. Primary care
  5. Observational skills & Stamina
  6. Must be good at Clinical Judgment

2. Registered Nurse RN Resume

As the name suggests “registered” are licensed, nursing professionals. LPN nurses work under them.

  1. Critical thinking
  2. Empathy and compassion
  3. Basic life support
  4. Teamwork & Communication
  5. Technology
  6. Emergency nursing

What Is A Cover Letter?

nursing resume
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A cover letter is submitted along with your job application and nursing resume. It gives you a chance to elaborate more on your experience and how it’s relevant to the company you’re applying for. You also got to write why you would be a suitable candidate for the company and how you are going to add value to the role you applied for.

Cover letters act as a first impression of you so make sure you write them properly and don’t make them too lengthy simple or concise. Because recruiters have no time to go through such a long letter it will probably end up in spam. Highlight your skills and past experiences which are most relevant to the position you are applying for. Also before writing a cover letter research a little about the company so it will not only help you in writing but also in the interview.

Nursing Cover Letter Tips

  1. Write your name and address on your cover letter, so the hiring managers know
  2. Mention the best phone number of yours which is active and provide an email id to contact you. A professional email id is essential.
  3. Mention the date when you will send the cover letter. So the order would go like your name, address, phone number, email address, and date.
  4. Next, mention the name and address of the company if you have it. If not then you can also refer to the job posting or website from where you applied, only when you don’t know the name of the person you are addressing and their address
  5. Hiring managers don’t have time to read lengthy cover letters so make them simple and concise.
  6. After writing all the necessary call to action like email, phone number, your name, and so on. Start with writing a formal greeting it can be a “hello” or “dear”.
  7. Then start writing your cover letter in the opening paragraph write about what position you are applying for and mention the reason why you applied and what interests you to do a job in that specific company.
  8. The second paragraph will be all about what you do, your background in the nursing field, and what relevant experiences you hold in the field which is relevant to the job you are applying for
  9. You can also mention your qualifications, do not copy-paste your whole nursing resume in the cover letter.
  10. Write down the experiences that matter to the position and will help you get the job. Also, you can mention your key achievements in that specific job or volunteering work.
  11. Don’t just write technical skills also mention soft skills. Don’t exaggerate anything in the cover letter or nursing resume.
  12. Write what you really know you don’t have to write any kind of false information to get the job.
  13. Along with your relevant experiences also relate it with how your skills & experience will benefit their company, and how you can add value to their work.
  14. Look at the job description carefully about what the job requirements are so that it can help you in writing an effective cover letter.
  15. Conclude your cover letter with why you would be a perfect candidate and give a call to action below.
  16. You can write things like “looking forward to hearing from you” or something like that.
  17. Show a little enthusiasm that you are really interested in the position and that you would love to hear from them again.
  18. After concluding, end your letter with words like “Regards” or “sincerely”.
  19. After completing the writing part read your cover letter twice and rectify your errors. As grammatical and spelling mistakes don’t look good.
  20. Run your cover letter once through grammar software as well so that you know where to edit it.
  21. Many websites also provide templates of cover letters and nursing resumes you can use that to make them look cleaner and professional.
  22. Always use a professional tone while nursing resume and cover letter writing.

Final Note

With this we come to an end of this blog, I hope you got a better understanding of what to do and what not to do while writing a resume and cover letter. Read the tips and get that job you always wanted! Thanks for reading.

How to Teach English Online: 8 Intresting Platforms to Know About

Knowing and being fluent in English add sparkle to your personality. And because of that now English is compulsory in every part of the world. Due to this teaching English has been in demand for years.  Now in every part of the country, there is a teacher who teach English online every day.

Because of so demand for English, teaching English has been in demand for many years. Also due to the technology teaching English online jobs have increased at such a rapid rate. Also according to the research by global prediction the online language learning industry will be worth a whopping $25.73 billion by 2027, representing a 10.2 percent CAGR from 2020 to 2027. English is so important nowadays that if you go to any native place and don’t know their native language, you can still communicate in English because English is a common language that is taught everywhere

teach english online
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1. What you should know before applying to be an online English teacher?

what you should know about teaching english
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  1. Know about the job

    You possibly cant teach English online if you don’t have an idea about the job. From lesson planning to know what online teaching is, you need to have a good command over everything. You have to create your schedule and decide what you prefer ie. online teaching or offline teaching. Though after the lockdown online English teaching jobs have increased at a good rate. Now in every field, everyone is preferring work from home experience. To teach English online you need to have to set your schedule altogether.

  2. You must be a fluent English speaker.

    I don’t believe a bachelor’s degree is important in English but you must have some qualification related to teaching English online or offline. You must be educated enough to have good control over your English speaking and writing. To teach English online you need to have a grasp of your all basics and language.

  3. Resume

    A resume plays a very important role in everyone’s life. That is why your resume must be impressive enough to get you hired. There are many things that a handsome resume requires:-

    A TEFL certificate:- Certification is the internationally recognized qualification for teaching English to students (including children and adults) who do not speak English as their first language. To teach abroad TEFL certificate is always asked for. The certificate can be used to get work teaching English to non-native speakers all around the world. Even though a TEFL certificate is a necessary thing but some great companies don’t require the certificate. for ex:- cambly, PrePly, and some other websites.

    If you have prior teaching experience, It will surely help in your resume. But it is not important to have prior teaching experience, you can also have experience in another file or some other extracurricular activities where you participated. You can write about some good presentation that you did or some community work, etc. In the end, it is not that important to have prior experience but having one gives you a benefit and makes you one step closer to the job.

  4. Requirement of PC, laptop, webcam

    You should have a good quality of products because teaching online will only be successful when you have a good means of communication between teacher and student. A webcam will help you to identify your student and you will be able to understand their facial reactions. This will help in learning and communication. With a webcam, you also require a good pair of headsets. Hearing plays a big role, if you are not able to hear your student’s doubts then what is the point of teaching?

  5. Strong internet connection

    Teaching English online will only be successful if you can communicate with your PC or laptop. A strong internet connection is a must. If you are unable to explain or teach your students then there is no use in using the teacher as a profession. The more you teach students, the more money you will make.

2. Is teaching English online worth it?

teaching online
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Yes, a big yes. Teaching English online can be a really good career with a great scope. Here you can either work in a big firm or you can be an independent teacher who will teach online with your schedule. This is one of the best work-from-home jobs where you can have both flexibility and command over your schedule.

Not only that if you are a college or undergrad student who wants to pick some earing you can always opt for teaching English online. There are many online language learning platforms where you can be provided with both money and cooperative learning. You won’t even have to cut your study time or fun time as you have the power to control your hours per week. A teaching job will give you discipline which will help you in your daily life. From making your own schedule to creating your lesson plans, you will experience a lot of things.

You also don’t have to be physical with the job. Here you won’t have to deal with the checking test papers, any paperwork relating to kids, or any other offline classroom things.

3. Top 8 best companies to teach English online

1) Cambly

Cambly
Photo by Avel Chuklanov on Unsplash /copyright 2019

One of the most worldwide famous websites to learn and teach English online. Here you will have to deal with many students. The best part of this website is you don’t need a TELF certificate or degree to teach students online.

There are not many things required by the Cambly. To teach English online you must be a native English speaker. Also, you are required to have your laptop or PC with a good network connection. As said before without a good network you cannot have any online teaching.

The hourly rate is $10-$12. Here you get paid every Monday. Cambly tracks your teaching time and pays you accordingly. Though in Cambly you set your teaching hours per week. The best part is there is no minimum hour of work per week. you can choose any time which suits you and can log in to the website whenever you want.

2) Preply

online website
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Here you need to make your own portfolio. You can make your own hourly rate from $10-$45 depending on your resume. To teach English online you will have to create your own schedule and curriculum. You will find many varieties of students. Some will be adult students, young learners, etc. You can decide who to teach as per your wish. The lesson set is one on one.

Here on this website to teach English online you will be required to have a good network connection with good technology. A PC or laptop must be working well to have an interactive class. A webcam and a microphone are also one of the important requirements.

Here everything depends upon your portfolio, if your resume is very experienced then you can teach English online at higher tuition fees. Because after seeing it then the students contact you. So its an advice to make it healthy so that you can earn dollars. The plus fact is there are no minimum hours per week thing here. When you give a trial lesson you will be given 100% commission but after taking regular class the commission will start at 33% and lowers to 18% depending on how many classes or hours you taught them.

3) PalFish

online teaching
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This app-based website was launched in 2015 to make a connection between Chinese students and English teachers. It is an app-based website where you will be able to chat with students from all around the world. The students can be adult ESL learners or some native speakers. What is the best part of this website is that you don’t need to be a native speaker to teach English online. All you need to have fluent English, and you are good to go. There have been some recent changes by the Chinese government that the teacher should have some certificates like (TEFL/TESOL/CELTA) or any other teaching license to teach students English online. But the good thing about this is that you don’t need a university degree or any.

The hourly pay is dependent upon the minutes you teach in this app. You will see that the average pay here is around $10-$18. per hour. You also receive a teaching bonus here. The most important thing here is that from all your teaching they will cut 20% off from whatever your rate is.

4) SkimaTalk hours

SkimaTalk hours
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Do you know what makes it one of the best websites? You don’t need to have any college degree or any certificate that’s are required in many other online English teaching jobs to teach English online. The teachers will see the diversity of students where most often you will see adult students.

Again here also a good network with good technology ie PC and laptop is required. Skype is necessary for holding online classes along with a webcam and headsets. Teachers are allowed to be creative while teaching English online. They can use their own materials and make the class more interactive.

Here instead of getting paid every week, you will only be paid once a month. Though you can work as many hours per week and set your own schedule as you like. You choose your own rate here. You also need to be a native English speaker for example Canadian, British, American and etc to have fluent English.

5) Italki

Italki
Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash /copyright 2017

Here you can teach other languages also like german, Japanese, Russian, etc. this website is what you call a global language learning community where other languages are also taught by those language fluent speakers. It is one of the biggest hubs for teaching languages.

To garb the job you need to have one of the following

  • degree college certificate
  • Proof of work at an English language school.
  • a TEFL certificate
  • a state English teaching certificate

Here as a teacher, you set your own schedule as per your wish. Unlike many other websites, there is no commission work or any commission for free trials. You will see much diversity, students from all around the world will be seen but mostly you will encounter adults. Classes are taught one to one person.

Again like every other website you need to have a good network issue with a good PC or laptop. A webcam and headset are compulsory to see and hear your students and also to be heard and seen by them.

The rates are here charged based on your resume. If you have a pretty resume with good past work experience or previous teaching experience then you can charge high prices. But here students mostly go for low pricing as it’s easy for them.

6) Tutlo

online teaching
Photo by tabitha turner on Unsplash /copyright 2020

Another website provides one-to-one classrooms to the learners. It is a Polish-based website. The teachers will be connected with many diversities as students come from every part of the globe. This company offers several different courses. From cooperative business courses to adult language courses everything is available for the students here.

Here you don’t need to have any TEFL certificate or any degrees, you are just required to have 6 months of teaching English online, and offline experience (minimum). And of course with a good network connection and good PC or laptop. You should be 18 or above to hold this job.

The pay range here is not that much but it is around $5-$11. There are no minimum hours per week, you can take lessons any time when you find it convenient. Lessons are again one-to-one where lessons are of 20 minutes, though students can also opt for 40 or 60 minutes long lessons.

7) Open English

open englsih
Photo by Mia Baker on Unsplash /copyright 2017

Open English is Latin America’s most well-known online English school. They have assisted over 5 lakh students since 2007 in achieving language fluency. Open English is the largest ESL supplier for students in South American countries. Here teachers are in very much demand whether online or offline.

Here teachers are required to have Spanish language skills or Portuguese. If the candidate is without a degree then they should have TEFL/TESOL certification where they should have at least one year of EFL/ESL teaching experience. Teachers should be native English speakers as well.

The pay here is $15 per hour. Compensation raises are offered gradually, with seniority determining pay rather than qualifications. Per week the teachers are required to commit 25 hours per week. And if you want to commit more you can go for it. Here both one-to-one and group classes are given by the teachers. Students’ native languages are most typically Spanish or Portuguese.

8) VIPKID

english online teaching
Photo by NEXT Academy on Unsplash /copyright 2019

A Beijing-based website to connect Chinese students with English teachers. Recently it has announced its official fresh launch in whole worldwide. Now, this website is available just not for Chinese students but for all other students from other countries. This company debuted in 2013 and has been on a roll ever since.

The pay over here is $22 per hour. This is also a work-from-home job where you can work from even remote areas. Your schedules here will be fixed by the VIPKID. But you can schedule your own timetable accordingly for you. You will also be blessed by the holidays and festivals like Christmas. But if you are working then you are paid extra incentives and some bonus opportunities. Mostly around $50-$60 are paid as a bonus payment.

The must-need thing is a university degree. Also, you might face issues regarding the time if you are not from Asia. Also if you get a network issue for more than 3 minutes A fee will be levied if a class is canceled. Only North American teachers are allowed.

If you want to learn more about teaching online then you can visit “Ways For A Language Learner To Make Money On The Internet”. 

4. What is the other alternative instead of getting jobs on these websites?

There can be many reasons why people won’t prefer having a job on these websites, and it is fine. You can be your own boss. You can go for a youtube channel or make your own channel on any other social media website like Instagram. There are many famous youtube channels where English is taught for free and many Instagram reels where a simple shot dose of reels is the source of information. Also if you get many subscribers, likes, and reach you can earn a good package of money. Here the certificate, degrees, past teaching experience, or anything won’t matter.

5. Frequently Asked Questions about TEACHING English Online

1) Is the money good from teaching English online?

Well, in the beginning, it can be hard to earn a good amount of money but by getting the experience you can gradually increase your hourly pay. So in the starting, you can get paid around $10-$15 per hour but after some time it can increase to around $40.

2) Is teaching English online flexible?

Yes, teaching English online is a flexible job. The work-from-home environment can really increase the comfort level. On many online teaching platforms, you make your own lesson plans, schedule plans, and at whatever time.

3) Is it compulsory to get a TEFL certificate or university degree?

It is believe to be beneficial to have at least one thing to teach English online. Many online teaching platforms require at least one of those things or some years or months of experience. There are rare websites that will give you a teaching job without those required things. It is safe to say to at least keep one of those things to get the teaching job because this will also help in improving your resume which will surely help you in the future.

 

 

What are the 7 Types Of Stipend You Should Know About?

What is a stipend? This might be a new term for all those who are just entering the world of internships and apprenticeships. You may have heard people talk that their paid internships offer them stipends, to earn along with learning and training in the field.

People prefer doing internships for their career development and to get experience in the field they are going to be working in. This blog is going to be all about what is a stipend and how it really works in the real world? Along with it we will be also looking at different types of stipends and what kind of internships may help you cover expenses.

If you’re someone who is an academic student or are someone who is looking for internships & doesn’t really know what is a stipend, then this blog is going to help you figure it out & will assist you from where you can get opportunities to get paid. So stick around to know more.

What Is A Stipend Anyway?

What is a stipend
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A stipend is a fixed sum of money paid to students, researchers, apprentices, or interns, in exchange for their regular duties performed for a certain period of time. They are given to offset expenses like travel, food, accommodation, and so on.

To earn a stipend, you need to do internships which are paid so that every month you earn little money to cover living expenses. But if you opt for an unpaid internship you won’t be receiving any kind of stipend as in exchange they compensate you with a certificate or any other benefits.

A stipend is not the same as a salary or a wage and it doesn’t give you a proper income like salaried employees. It is a less and fixed amount of money neither hourly wages nor regular pay. It may be paid weekly or monthly depending on the company you work for.

People do internships to learn and gain knowledge about the field they will be working in as a career. They are mostly focused on candidates’ training & development. Also, some companies also provide job offers if the student performed really well during the training period.

The benefits and stipend may vary according to the organization or institutions you are working for. Now as we got a clear idea of what is a stipend, let’s proceed further to its types.

Types Of Stipends

1. Volunteer Stipend

What is a stipend
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This involves when an individual offers services for any organization, NGO, or institution without taking any kind of pay it’s called volunteering. Usually, such types of jobs are unpaid, because an individual willingly gives their free services without any force or obligation.

But in some cases, you are paid not for your services but other expenses like your travel to some other place, accommodation, meals and so on. It has nothing to do with the services you perform but to assist you with your expenses so that you are able to successfully complete your tasks over there without any problems.

But after you are trained as a volunteer and have gained experience & skills you can work with the organization on a long-term basis if you want to get paid.

2. Health Insurance Stipend

What is a stipend
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Just like how an employee sometimes gets health insurance benefits from their employers, it can’t be possible for the interns. So what an employer does is they pay a little more money to the interns so that they get health insurance for themselves, or they can spend it for their living expenses as well, it totally depends on the interns. As they don’t have to prove anything to the employer whether they have taken a healthcare benefit or not.

3. Academic Research Stipend

What is a stipend
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The students who carry out research at any academic institution also receive a stipend, which can be to fund the research work or as a grant so that the researchers can do their research without any distractions.

4. Wellness Program Stipend

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These funds are provided to the interns so that they can take care of their health and well-being. It can also be in the form of gym memberships, organizing wellness programs, and so on. This kind of stipend creates a positive impact on interns that the company they work for really cares for them and their well-being.

5. Pay For Tasks

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If an employer gives you work that ain’t mentioned in your intern responsibilities then they can compensate you in the form of a stipend & pay for that specific task. For eg: if you are sent abroad for a conference, then they will pay your travel expenses and for the task, you did as well.

6. Living Expenses

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In this, the company may provide you with a stipend to assist you with travel expenses, food, accommodation, and so on. For eg if an intern has to travel from one place to another then the institution or organization he/she works in will pay for it so that they don’t face any kind of issue during the training period.

7. Assist With Educational Expenses

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Also known as fellowships, it’s basically when an institution or an organization accepts you as a candidate. They provide you with financial support for your education. So your stipend is not in the literal form of money but the institution or organization may pay your tuition fees or anything related to education.

Some employers may require you to do a job in exchange for this type of stipend. Some may just simply want you to complete your education & don’t require any kind of service in return.

It’s important to understand What is a stipend and its types in order to understand what you will be offered when you apply to an internship, apprenticeship, fellowship, and so on.

Some Unanswered Questions About What Is A Stipend

Is A Stipend Taxable Income?

Yes, the stipend is a taxable income in some cases, you have to keep aside a little amount to pay off your taxes at end of every year. As we saw above what is a stipend, it’s clear that it’s not a normal wage or a salary. So if your employer pays you as an intern he/she won’t be withholding taxes from your stipend but will pay you the whole amount.

You need to pay taxes of your own, they won’t be deducted from your stipend. If you work as an employee in the country your employer deducts the social security and Medicare taxes from your payment otherwise for interns there is nothing as such. Also if you are still unclear you can ask your employer about the tax implications of the stipend.

How Much Is A Stipend, Is It More Or Less?

As a salary cannot be paid to an intern, that’s why the employer pays you a stipend to aid basic expenses. The stipend given by the employer to you may vary depending on which organization you work for. As employees are paid more than minimum wage in the case of interns the stipend is a fixed amount that can cover the costs of basic expenses.

When Does An Employer Pay A Stipend?

A stipend can be paid monthly, weekly, or based on specific tasks. If you have applied for an unpaid internship, it won’t offer you any stipend in exchange for your services. So if you need a stipend you need to apply for those internships that offer you something in return like money or some benefits to aid your expenses.

What Is Tax Return Reporting In Case Of Stipends?

If you receive a fellowship or scholarship then it’s not considered taxable income, because this income is for expenses related to education, tuition fees, college equipment if needed by students, books, different supplies, and so on. If other than this it’s used for some other reasons then it can be a taxable income. You don’t really require to report these to the internal revenue service, but if there is a remaining amount then it is taxable.

If you are not really aware of tax returns then you should consult someone who has a good knowledge of taxes. A stipend in a tax return is mentioned in terms like taxable grant scholarship, non-qualified fellowship, or taxable scholarship. To file a tax return you can make use of any software, tax return apps, forms, and so on.

Difference Between Salary & Stipend

Let’s first get to know what is a stipend and then we will see how is it different from a salary.

The stipend is a specific cost paid to interns, trainees, or students to aid living expenses. It is not too much of an amount but it’s enough to pay off your expenses so that you can focus on your training or internship. It’s mostly focused on the career development and learning of the intern. A stipend is not something paid for your given services. Even if you perform really well still you won’t be paid any extra amount for it

Salary is an amount paid to an employee. It’s paid every month also can be weekly or commonly in some cases, also employees are eligible for overtime pay. The remuneration given to an employee is for the services they offer. The amount of salary is decided based on the market i.e how much one is getting paid for working in this field depending on their experiences. A salary is a taxable income so you need to pay. The increment is possible, depending on your performance it can be increased.

How Can You Earn A Stipend?

As the world is opening to more remote opportunities, you can even receive a stipend just by sitting at home and getting trained. Also, you can work on-site as well with companies so that you get the proper environment to work in. Many companies are welcoming students to apply to their company for various internships & apprenticeships.

The best way to gain some experience in the field you love is to start with a paid internship. It can be in any field like you can be a content writer, graphic designer, web developer, researcher, anchoring, marketing, sales, fashion designing, advertising, public relations & so on. Not just big companies give you stipends but also many startups have opened doors for new interns.

It’s a win-win situation for both the company as well as the student/intern. Because if they train a Candidate and they prove to be beneficial to the company then once they graduate they can turn them into their employee. And so it’s even a good thing for interns as well as they will get a job after they graduate.

Which Is Better A Paid Internship Or Unpaid One?

Yes, obviously when it comes to choosing between these two options many will go for paid internships because why not. But both of them have their own advantages & disadvantages. The first advantage of having a paid internship is that your expenses are taken care of and you can concentrate on your training and gaining experience.

A common advantage of both paid and unpaid internship is that it adds to your skills and experiences in your cv and resume. As we all know that in today’s world experienced candidates with the required skills are preferred. Whereas if you are doing an unpaid internship gives you an opportunity to explore what you really want to do.

Paid internships are a little too strict when it comes to schedules and training but in unpaid you are not that restricted. As we understood above what is a stipend and how it really works it’s clear that only paid internships provide you with stipends.

Websites To Find Internships Both Paid / Unpaid

  1. LinkedIn
  2. Indeed
  3. Glassdoor
  4. Internmatch.com
  5. Internships.com
  6. Global experiences
  7. Google
  8. Chegg

Final Note

With this we come to an end of this blog, I hope you understood the concept of what is a stipend and how it works. If you’re looking for some internships you can check out the above-mentioned websites. Also, Google & LinkedIn are the best way to find out more about the company you want to work for, and also the social media networks as many employers sponsor ads for hiring people not just as interns but also for jobs.

Explore various fields, earn good & build your career. Thanks for reading.

What Does A Producer Do: 8 Best Reasons To Be One

What Does A Producer Do? We see such amazing films and shows on screen which feature our favourite actors and actresses but we sometimes forget to appreciate the ones behind the screen and deliver us the best entertainment possible.

You may have seen the names of different types of producers at the end of the credits of a movie or a show, but have you wondered what are their roles and how they look after the process, what does a producer do right from the pre-production to the release of the movie.

Well, this blog will be all about answering some of the most asked questions about a career as a producer. We will discuss what does a producer do? Why there are different types of producers? What are their roles and responsibilities? Is being a producer a good career option? The advantages and disadvantages of being a producer and many more such questions. So if you are someone who is looking forward to having a career in TV shows and film production then stick around.

You may have heard terms like an executive producer, associate producer, supervising producer, and so on but have you wondered what’s the difference between all of them? What does a producer do and why they have different names? They all have different functions and roles which are necessary for the production of any film or show. So without any further, a due let’s start from the basics.

What Does A Producer Do?

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A producer is someone who is important for the production of a film, Tv show, or web series, without them the process would be incomplete. A producer’s role is to look after different aspects of production like finance, logistics, scripts, administration, and editing, and make sure that the film/web show gets completed on time. The role of a producer is not just for one stage of production but in every stage right from pre-production to post-production.

They can be someone who may work independently or with a production company. They are the ones who look after whether the production schedule is being followed or not, they supervise and make sure that everything is good to go after the project has been completed.

As now we understood what does a producer do next we will see the roles and responsibilities of a producer in different stages of a film or a show production

1. Pre-Production Stage

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What does a producer do In this stage of production? a producer gathers everyone who is required to make a film like the writers, director, creative team, cinematographers, and so on. They are the ones who approve who will be hired for the production process.

They also look after the budget part and arrange finances, approve locations as per requirements of the film, and finalize the scripts and production schedules, if the script has some flaws then they can change or improvise it by hiring a script doctor.

2. Production Stage

What does a producer do
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What does a producer do In the production stage? the producer’s job is to make sure that film production is under the budget that was decided and stays on schedule. If there are any queries or doubts any cast member is facing they can always ask the producer, as they not only manage the production but also gives assistance to those who need it.

3. Post-Production Stage

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What does a producer do in post-production stage? They are  involved in the editing part and to complete the overall process of production. Here the producer’s responsibility is to look at whether the final outcome is ready to be released or not.

The producer can ask the team to do necessary changes in a film, reshoot a scene that isn’t properly done, additional scenes to be filmed, or change an ending if required, they can get these things done so that people enjoy an excellent experience while watching.

Advantages Of Being A Film Producer

Now that we are familiar with the answer of what does a producer do let’s look at its benefits.

  1. Creative process: To make a good film it’s important to be open-minded and creative at all times so that you create something which is out of the box and express your creativity in front of the world in the form of a film or a show
  2. Like-minded people: when you work with people who are just like you and share a common interest like a film or music, you eventually connect. In a work environment like the film industry you get to know and learn different things from the people who work with you.
  3. Connect with diverse people: not just like-minded but also you meet people who come from various paths of life and background.
  4. Create your own name: Expressing your ideas, thoughts, and creativity through the means of film and putting it in front of the world to watch, allows you to make a name for yourself.
  5. Various opportunities: this field opens a lot of opportunities for you, as you connect with various people and make films/shows that entertain and inspire.
  6. Good earning: Making films is not an easy job and at the initial stage of being a producer you may get stuck at finding the right team or how to go about the whole production thing, but as you gain experience, learn new things & make a name for yourself you can earn a lot through it.

Disadvantages Of Being A Film Producer

 

  1. Responsibility: If you take up a film project, it’s your responsibility to complete it under the decided budget and time. You are responsible for the project’s success and failure.
  2. Creativity is not enough: Yes creativity matters in every part of production but also do marketing skills. Because if you don’t know how to market your movie or show to your audience you won’t be able to get the required response from them, even after putting so much time, money, and energy into the project.
  3. Pressure: A producer may face a lot of pressure about how the movie will perform at the box office and will it get the needed response or not, if it fails then what. Also, there is a lot of pressure regarding budget, getting things done rightly, completing things on time, hiring people who are best at what they do, managing and supervising different stages in production, and so on.
  4. Competition: there is so much competition in the industry that sometimes it becomes difficult to survive for the long term in this field.
  5. Less time for yourself and socializing: Making a movie or a web show is a tough job you got to be there on the sets each and every day, and the overall process of production takes months or even a year to complete. So you don’t get much time for yourself or to socialize with your friends or family.
  6. Lack of benefits: Income in this field is not steady and also if you work solely as a producer then you don’t receive any benefits related to retirement, insurance, and so on.

Types Of Film Producers

1. Executive Producer

The executive producers are someone who looks after the management of finances and the budget. Their other duties include supervising producers under them and managing all the business sides of the film.

Producers who work for films are those who are given credit for bringing in investors or funding the movie. Other producers of a web show or tv show are given credit for their creative abilities which can be for having a part in writing, scripting, crewing, and so on.

Now you may wonder what is the difference between an executive producer and normal producers, aren’t their duties similar. So the answer is no their duties differ from each other as an executive producer is someone who comes at the top level in the hierarchy of producers, they work with different types of producers but their work is not the same. That we will be looking at below as we understand the duties of different producers.

Responsibilities Of Executive Producers Are:

  1. As a movie producer, you need to bring funding for the films it can be your own money, a studio’s money, or an investor’s money who is interested in the project.
  2. To recruit the right talent it can be a writer, other producers, cast, directors, and so on.
  3. To make sure the film goes by the brand values and image of the studio or organization
  4. To provide assistance on a creative level and budgetary things.
  5. During the post-production stage, the executive producer doesn’t have much to do, they just watch the final output of the movie and provide feedback to the editors so that in case of mistakes they can make it right.

2. Line Producer

They are hired by an executive producer at an early stage of pre-production. They manage the daily activities during the production period. The line producer job description is huge as they look after various departments in a production of an ad film, feature films, or a tv show.

Other producers report to the line producer for their tasks. A line producer also manages the logistics and other operations. They take care of all activities right from the development stage to when the movie is wrapped and sent for distribution.

 The Responsibilities Of The Line Producer Are As Follows:

  1. They have to take out a budget depending upon the script which is finalized
  2. To create a rough schedule by seeing the script and knowing how much budget it will cost, what will be the location, days, timing, and the characters required.
  3. Also not only do they have to take care of the budget of the film but also other expenses like food for the crew, their salaries, and so on.
  4. After all, this comes the pre-production stage where the line producer sets up a production company and along with the director breaks down the script.
  5. They create proper schedules and allocate the proper budgets to different stages of a film.
  6. Recruits the team which is necessary to make a film like the director, actors, costume designer and others
  7. They make sure everything is on track by being updated by different department heads and by providing them with the required assistance.
  8. They also make sure that everyone is getting paid on time
  9. Further, they think about the post-production phase and the hiring of editors, music composers, and other crew which is required to complete the movie.

3. Assistant Producer/ Associate Producer

An assistant producer’s duty is to supervise every aspect of production to make sure everything is going smoothly. They coordinate with staff and look after the day-to-day creative operation of a film.

They manage the creative and business aspects of the production company. They also conduct research about the locations which would be suitable for the shoot and comes under the movie budget.

Also, they make casting calls with different agencies to hire the apt talent for the project and they also look after the overall auditioning process. They assist the producer in the production process. They make changes in the script if any and work with the post-production team in the selection of shots.

Responsibilities Of An Assistant Producer Or Associate Producer Include:

  1. As an assistant/associate producer you may be involved in the production process right from the start till the end.
  2. To find the best scripts, hire some great talent, look after logistics, and set up a location for the shoot.
  3. If you are an assistant tv producer your role includes pitching stories and editing them if required.
  4. They also help with the promotions of the film or tv shows.
  5. To coordinate with other producers and departments.
  6. Help the editing team in sorting out final shots.
  7. To organize and implement production schedules.

4. Segment Producer

Before we proceed further on what a segment producer let’s just understand what you mean by a segment. A segment mostly occurs in television news programs, game shows, talk shows, and so on.

Where the first show you a segment followed by other and which is not related to each other. For eg Lip Sync Battle with Emma Stone on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon show they are not related to one another but they are topic-specific and come in the same program.

The work of the segment producer is related to these segments they find subjects for these segments and also guests who will speak on that particular topic. These segments are sometimes live or pre-recorded. They make scripts for the same and also edit the segments sometimes when needed.

Responsibilities Of A Segment Producer Include:

  1. Interviewing different guests and people for shows and news stories.
  2. To sit with the post-production team to edit the segments, keeping in mind the guidelines of the production company.
  3. They need to pitch people to come to their segment, also they need to record footage for the segment.
  4. They need to make sure that people who appear on the segment are aware of what the segment is about.
  5. Also, it’s their duty to use their creative skills and put out in-depth and informative news in front of the audience.
  6. Also, they write scripts, create graphics for segments, and approach guests for it.

5. Co-producers

What does a producer do? Co-producers works with producers. Co-producers make sure that the crew has all the necessary things before starting the project, so the operations run smoothly. They work along with the producer to produce a movie under budget and also manage the team. They are involved in various activities like taking care of funds, finding locations & recruiting the best team.

As the name suggests a co-producer is someone who jointly produces a film or a tv show with other producers. Sometimes they also invest in a film project or act as a second-line producer, & they devote their time & skills to producing movies. They have a major involvement in taking all the decisions about the production.

Responsibilities Of A Co-producer Include:

  1. To manage the overall operations of film production, supervise the crew & provide them with the necessary equipment if they need any.
  2. To check if there is any kind of problem at the time of production or if anyone is facing any issue, then they have to sort it out.
  3. To take care that the given budget is followed, and the film should produce under the budget.
  4. They oversee the production along with their equal partner (the producer with whom they are working jointly)
  5. To keep a track of the money spent in different areas of production.
  6. Co-producers are either second-line producers or investors so their responsibilities vary in what role they perform.

Who Is A Unit Production Manager And How They Are Different From Line Producers

Now that we got the answer of the question what does a producer do let’s see the difference between unit production manager and line producer

The unit production manager is someone who is hired by the film producer or tv show producers, they make sure everything is going according to the budget, manage daily activities, decide and schedule the shooting, look after the production reports, and so on. Now you may wonder doesn’t this responsibility sounds a little similar to line producers. Let us clear this out for you.

In simple words, line producers deal much with the execution part whereas the unit production manager looks after how things will be implemented. Directors guild of America gave this title of unit production manager to its below-the-line staff. They are physically present on the set and assist the director in making sure everything goes smoothly and the vision of a movie is brought to life. They don’t have much of a responsibility related to the creative process or aspect of the film but they look after the administration.

Now that the idea of what does a producer do let’s look further into how’s it’s like being a producer in a film or television industry.

Is Being A Producer A Good Career Option And Should One Go For It

As now you got a clear idea on what does a producer do , it’s time to know about is being a producer is a great option in today’s world.Just like other career fields being a producer comes with a lot of responsibility and it’s not really an easy job. In today’s world entertainment industry is booming, and people too love to have a career in a field that is creative. Here are 8 reasons why pursuing a career as a producer is a good option

  1. To guide the cast and crew in the production process, everyone in the project works hard and gives their best but producers are important for any kind of production may it be a film or a tv show because they show you the way of what will work and what won’t which is necessary to achieve the desired goals of a project
  2. You get to work with creative people and get to learn more about the process of filmmaking. You may not always have your favorite people around at all times for different projects but you get to meet and connect with new/famous people.
  3. A producer’s job requires a lot of dedication, commitment & responsibility, they work long hours for months or even a year sometimes to create that 2hours movie that the audience watch on screens. It’s a lot of hard work.
  4. Though filmmaking is a very tiring process, it’s a fun process as well as it showcases the creative skills of the whole team.
  5. Shoots can be at any location for a film, this gives you an opportunity to travel around the world and explore different cultures which also helps you in getting some creative ideas about your next project.
  6. The audience watches the movie which the whole cast and crew made, but people behind the scenes actually get the chance to watch how the whole project unfolds.
  7. You get to know well-known people they can be writers, directors, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers & so on.
  8. Also, there are various types of producers so you can go for the one that aligns with your interests.

Final Note

With this we come to an end of this blog of what does a producer do producing a movie or a show is an exciting job to do, you get to bring the ideas that you thought to real life. So if you are someone who has an interest in this field then go for it.

That’s it for today’s Blog I hope this blog answered the what does a producer do? question and you got to know about this field from a career path perspective as well. Thanks for reading!

 

 

An Ultimate Guide On Letter Of Introduction: 7 Best Tips To Follow

Wondered about how to write a perfect Letter Of Introduction, as to get a new job or a client? But couldn’t figure out a way, how to begin and what will be the correct and professional way to introduce yourself in it? Don’t worry as we got you covered with the best tips and format of a well-written letter of introduction that will help you achieve your desired goal.

Often when we begin writing an email or professional letter of introduction we get stuck on how to get started, what will be the beginning of the letter, and how to end it? Is this the correct way to go about it? is it written formally or not? Am I introducing myself correctly or not? Does this have all the necessary information about me that a client, employer, or network needs? Our minds bombard us with these many questions and no answers.

To get all your questions answered, stick around as this blog is going to be a one spot for knowing all about the letter of introduction. So without any further a due let’s understand the basics first.

What Is A Letter Of Introduction?

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As the name suggests “letter of introduction” is written to introduce oneself or someone else to others. Here the “others” refers to your prospective employer, a client, a new network, or a professional contact. A letter of introduction can be in a form of a letter, email, or a message on Linkedin or any other professional app.

While writing it one should make sure that you create a good impression on the reader for eg: if your introduction letter is for a job opportunity, then a well-written letter to your hiring manager can help you get a new job.

The difference between a cover letter and a letter of introduction is that a cover letter is written for purpose of job openings or current job postings that you may be applying for you have to submit it along with the job application and resume.

Whereas a letter of introduction is written to introduce yourself and to show interest in a company that you like and want to know its availability, not just for jobs but also for different reasons which we will talk about in detail below. If we talk about the format of both the letters are similar to one another.

This is not just for jobs, but also in general if you want to acquire clients and establish valuable networks or even introduce a new team member to someone else, a letter of introduction can help you achieve it. Its important for an introduction letter to have clarity and a professional tone, one cannot just introduce in an informal way.

Below we will discuss to whom we can write a letter of introduction and why so that you get a clear idea about the purpose of the letter.

Types Of Introduction Letters And Reasons To Write Them

1. To A Potential Employer For A Job

As job seekers you can also write introduction letters, introducing yourself to the company you want to work with. In the letter speak about yourself, which position you want to be interviewed for, write about your skills and accomplishments, past job experiences and how they will benefit the company, and so on.

2. New Team Member Introduced To Others

When a new member joins the company, hiring managers can always introduce them to the other employees so that the other employees know about him/her and make them feel welcomed. Write about their background, skills, accomplishments, and so on in the letter. All these things will help existing employees know about the new employee and their interests so that it can serve as an icebreaker for the conversation when their new colleague joins.

3. Different Clients And Customers

Now, this letter of introduction can be written for introducing your business to your clients, investors, customers, suppliers, and so on. It’s like a business letter, it can be B2B i.e business to business, or B2C i.e business to customers. This letter can be used for introducing your new business, a new product or service, for partnership purposes, to introduce sales or discounts, investment-related things, and so on.

4. A Professional Contact

If you want to add a professional network for any purpose it can be for a specific job, partnership, just for collaboration, job referral from a mutual acquaintance or assistance for jobs, for knowing more about a field someone expertise in, and so on, you must always introduce yourself in a formal way by using an introductory letter.

5. Freelancer’s Introduction To The Company Or Clients

If you are someone who works independently as a freelancer then you may require to have contacts and clients for your business. So through a letter of introduction, you can highlight your skills, accomplishments, experience, who are you, what you do, and so on, so that your clients know about you a bit more.

These were the reasons to whom you can write an introductory letter, remember wherever you introduce yourself or a person to someone else you should always go for an introduction letter and write it in a professional tone, so other than the mentioned reasons there can be other reasons as well to write it.

Format Of Introduction Letter

An accurate format plays an important role in curating a formal letter of introduction, make sure before sending your final output to check all grammatical and spelling errors. Now let’s begin with the format that you can follow while writing a letter of introduction. Here is an introduction sample of what you can include in every step of your letter.

1. Greet The Addressee

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No matter to whom you are writing a letter or even an email the most important thing is to always greet the person you are addressing your letter to and mention their name as well along with the greeting. For greetings, you can use terms like hello and dear to sound professional.

Like for eg:

Hello Bob,

(From here you can start with your opening paragraph)

2. Opening Paragraph

The first thing you need to mention in the opening paragraph is the purpose of why you are writing the letter of introduction to that particular person. The purpose of your introduction letter can be any it can be to ask for an informational interview, job opening, to have a partnership, or to have them as a client, and so on. Also if you are writing for a person you’re introducing to someone else mention their full name as well and if you are introducing yourself you don’t have to write your name as it will already be in the signature line.

After writing the purpose, you should include a small summary of your role and position, so that the reader knows about who you are. Also, include what you do and explain your function properly and how it relates to the reader, keep it short and clear don’t complicate it.

3. Middle Paragraph

Explain why you want to work with them and how it will be useful for both parties. For example, if the letter is for an employer then write about why you would be the best choice for them, and how you will benefit the company or add value to it. While reading it your recipient should get a clear idea about these 5 questions, What do you want? How is it related to them? Why do you want it? Why you and what do you have to offer to the company/client?

4. Ending Paragraph

This paragraph mostly includes the outcome part, which is what you expect the reader to do by reading your introduction letter. An example would be: If you are writing this as a hiring manager to inform other employees about the new employee then you can mention welcoming him/her to the team and assist them whenever required.

Your closing paragraph must also include contact details or any call to action that you want the reader to take. Also if there is any other important information you need to give make sure to add it as well. If you are sending it as an email in the CC section you can add an email id if you’re introducing someone else otherwise there is no need. Make sure you write your contact details properly.

5. Signature Line

In this, you can mention your full name and signature if it’s in a written form or hardcopy otherwise if it’s an email a sign is not really a requirement just end it with terms like sincerely or regards and your name in the below line.

6. Attach Documents If Any

If the email or a letter is about a job then it’s important for you to add your CV or Resume along with it.

Introduction Letter Example

Hello Bob,

I am writing this letter to ( mention the exact purpose of why you are writing this email/letter to the recipient if its some other person you’re introducing write their full name and what they do) ( a short summary talking about your background, role and what makes you the best fit/ a short summary about your new product launch, business, offers and so on/ If its someone else you are introducing mention their background).

(This part will consist of additional information about your business, you, or someone else that you introduce – write about how it’s relevant to the reader, how it will be useful to them, why they should choose you, how both parties can come together, and for what)

(End the letter with a call to action i.e to provide your contact details, so that the reader knows what to do next after reading the letter/ email)

Regards/Sincerely,

Christine

(Attach necessary documents if required eg: a resume if its an introductory letter for a job)

Tips For Writing An Introductory Letter

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1. Keep your introduction letters simple and concise, have clarity in what you are conveying through it do not try to complicate, and stick to the point.

2. One common mistake people make in a job introduction letter is that they write everything that is already mentioned in their resumes or cv, don’t do that. Mention relevant points do not copy your resume.

3. Before hitting the send button for an email make sure you proofread your letter of introduction and make necessary changes.

4. Format it properly to make it look clean and professional.

5. Check whether the written information is accurate or not, if there are any grammatical or spelling errors make sure to correct them before sending.

6. Also along with your letter you can provide your work samples so that they can have a look at your previous work to know if you meet their job requirements or not.

7. Send it to the right person and on the right email, it’s important your email goes into the right hands while applying for a job or notifying clients about your new business, it must reach your target audience

8. Don’t just make the introduction letter about yourself, write information that is useful and relevant for both the parties.

9. Have a professional tone in your introduction letters

Final Note

No matter whether it’s a job search, a letter to a client, recommending someone for a job, or even for a professional network the above-given letter of introduction template format is the same for all so you don’t have to worry about that.

In job, customer, or client introductory letters, after you send it and don’t get a reply in a few days, you can also send a follow-up mail. But write an effective and formal one so that you get a response from them if you haven’t.

Every day a lot of emails are received by people, you need to write them in a smart way so that you get noticed by them so write only useful information so that your letters don’t end up in spam.

With this, we come to an end of this blog I hope now you got an idea of how to get started and what all information is necessary to be written in the introduction letters. Thanks for reading!

 

 

What Is A Life Coach? 6 Best Types Of Life Coaches

What Is A Life Coach? What do they do? Why does one need a life coach? How does life coaching help in real life? so many questions, but don’t know their answers as this blog is here to clear all of your doubts about life coaching. How good it would be if you have a person who you could talk to about all the things you are facing may it be in your personal or professional life & they would guide you to a path of progress and improvement.

You may think is it really possible, that life coaching can help you live life at its full potential and figure out what you really want to do or how you can deal with challenges that come in your way. Then yes, many people seek guidance from life coaches to bring improvement in their lives and bring clarity about various things in life.

What is a life coach and why you should prefer it? Well, the life coaching industry in today’s world is a growing field, people also opt for it after their studies and train for it to become professional life coaches. So there is a lot of scope in the field, also there are many types of life coaches who are experts in different niches. For eg: If you have any career-related things to discuss and need guidance, so you can go to a coach who gives career coaching.

What is a Life Coach & How Is It Different From A Therapist?

Many people often confuse a life coach with a therapist, but both of them are two different words. So let us get to know what is the major difference between both of them. A therapist is someone who helps clients to deal with their mental health issues and try to resolve whatever they are facing it can be their difficult feelings, relationship issues, beliefs, behaviors, personal problems, problematic habits, and so on. The process of therapy is to get relief or to come out of a bad phase you are facing, it is done by talking to a mental health professional who is trained to solve such problems.

Whereas a life coach is someone who is a trained professional who helps you build a meaningful life. They are not someone who tells you what to do, but they guide you on how to deal with things, how to bring a change in your life, or how to improve your relationships with others.

The talking therapy with the life coach will help you in bringing clarity about your goals, overcome the obstacles that come in your way, and provide you with the support & guidance you need to live a progressive life. They provide you with solutions and strategies depending on your the problem you face and skills. But remember that they can’t treat your mental health issues only therapists and mental health professionals can.

Now that the difference between both of the terms is clear, let’s just move on to what type of life coaches there are, and what they can help you with. Also, we will be talking about the benefits and drawbacks of life coaching and solve all your doubts about what is a life coach and which life coach will help you solve what challenges ,so without any further due let’s dive into the topic.

Types Of Life Coaches

1. Career Coaching

What is a life coach
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If you are someone who is planning to have a career change, thinking of retirement, or in general facing any issues in your career. You can have a one-to-one coaching session with the career coach. They are professionals with good knowledge about different careers and opportunities it has to offer.

They help students and clients to figure out what they really want to pursue in life, what career path they want to go on, and what opportunities are available for that particular field. Also, you can seek advice from them if you are stuck in making a certain decision about your career.

They also help their clients to determine what their career goals are by knowing their skills and strengths. Depending on your interests and skillset they also let you know about what kind of opportunities are available in the field you want to work.

They also carry out assessments based on personality and skills to know more about their clients & in which field their interest lies. They can also guide you on how to write resumes, Cvs, and cover letters for jobs and provide feedback if needed.

They can also help you in finding the right colleges that match your interests & career choice and also will guide you if you want to study abroad. Also provides information about various scholarships, student loans, fully funded opportunities and so on that you can avail of such benefits to fund your education.

2. Business Coaches

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As the name suggests, a business coach is someone who mentors and guides business owners about their businesses. They are business professionals with excellent knowledge about how businesses work and an understanding of human psychology.

If you are someone who has a difficulty in setting your company’s vision, don’t know how to go about a new business, or require any kind of suggestions about your business then you can approach a business coach to help you out.

They work with small business owners and guide them about their visions, and business strategies, and also if they are stuck with any kind of decision, they provide them with personalized advice. Whereas in large organizations they work and mentor their managers and employees on how they can maximize their potential to achieve organizational goals and increase productivity.

They analyze different strategies which lead to business success or failure and provide some suggestions for business growth as well. They communicate to the owners about the strengths and weaknesses of the business, along with monitoring the overall growth of the company so that they can provide them ways through which they can expand and improve business.

3. Family & Relationship Coaching

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If there is any kind of communication problem in a family or couple they help to solve it, by facilitating a conversation. They take family coaching sessions to help the individuals sort out issues within them. They try to talk about their problems and issues they are facing, which is leading to communication difficulties between them and give out ways to solve the issues.

They help people in having improved relationships with their family or loved ones. Also, they help in developing mutual understanding and respect for one another, by keeping in mind the nature, differences, and behaviour of the people in the family. They help in initiating a conversation between couples and family and find a middle ground for them to resolve their conflicts.

They also guide people who are facing marriage or divorce problems, they give them the space to talk about the things that are affecting them and causing issues within their relationship. It helps people improve communication skills and have better relationships with their partners.

4. Mental Health Coach

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A busy life and a lot of pressure can be a reason for your stress because of which sometimes we become emotionally drained too. To deal with these issues, mental health coaching sessions help in providing you with ways to manage stress and be more focused.

They teach you ways how you can overcome such issues and live a balanced life. They help you in identifying your fears and setting personal goals, they provide you with effective techniques to handle challenges in a better manner.

But if someone has serious mental health conditions then you should talk to a therapist, to get proper mental health treatment. Now you may be wondering why not a mental coach, the answer to this is that the life coaches in any niche focus more on the present and future and give you strategies based on behaviour.

Whereas a therapist is mental health professional who is more focused on your past and present and is concerned with emotional healing and cognition.

A mental health coach helps you recognize problematic behaviours and give ways to unlearn those so that to live a relaxed and more focused life. Many sports players approach a mental health coach to stay calm and attentive while matches or under pressure.

5. Financial Coach

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As the name suggests, a financial coach is someone who helps you in managing your money better and how you can spend it wisely. They analyze your financial conditions through your spending habits, tax returns, accounts, and so on. They provide you with strategies that you can use to overcome if you are facing any kind of financial issues.

They not only help you develop healthy financial habits but guide you on how you can manage money in day-to-day life and can save even for your future goals. One can always approach a financial coach if they think they have spending issues or they are not able to manage money properly or have savings.

They are professionals with a deep knowledge of finance, they guide you on how you can take control of your own finances and have a stable financial life. They also identify your financial problems, and how you can tackle them.

People often confuse a financial coach with a financial advisor, the difference between both of them is a financial coach is someone who gives you the necessary information about finance and how you can improve it, even if you are someone who is a beginner with fewer assets they help you get on the right track with the finances. Whereas a financial advisor helps people in advising about wealth building and how they can manage their investments for the long term.

6. Health & Wellness Coach

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This type of coach’s job is to provide its clients with wellness techniques that can help them in bringing a healthy change in their lifestyles & habits as well as to work on self-improvement.

They help you in removing the negative patterns that affect your overall life and behaviour. They look after your overall well-being and advice you about what changes you can bring to your eating habits, sleeping patterns, lifestyle, life choices, and so on so that you have a healthy life.

They take one-to-one coaching sessions with their clients, to understand more about their lifestyle, health, and habits. Also to identify what problems they are facing and give them a personalized plan which they can follow to solve them and reach their goals.

They help clients in creating their own goals about their wellness and health and support them throughout to reach the goal. They also monitor the client’s success in achieving their health and fitness goals, also they suggest new ways to achieve them too.

They provide tips and guidance for issues like overeating, gaining or losing weight, nutrition, fitness problems, and so on. They give you a personalized plan depending upon your needs and issues, in order to bring a change in your lifestyle and improve your overall condition.

Advantages Of Life Coaching:

  1. Self-confidence- It helps people in being confident and enhances self-esteem by addressing the issues and taking necessary steps to build confidence.
  2. To be content- Life cannot be always happier, but we can always try to make it better and feel good about ourselves and our life. For that, it’s important to be happy on the inside and be content with the life you are living, and seek happiness in little things. Life coaching helps you in making your life even more meaningful and opens you to a new perspective on life.
  3. Clarity – When you know what you want, what are your goals, and how you going about your life, it brings clarity to your life and helps you in making good decisions. It helps you to overcome any obstacles that come along the path and reach the desired goal.
  4. Starts building better relationships with others- When you learn how to communicate effectively with others, understand them, accept each other’s differences and listen, it helps to create a good bond with others.
  5. Unlearn bad habits- A life coach recommends you some strategies or tips which help you in eliminating the bad habits or behaviours from your life. You learn about what those habits are and work on them, to become a better version of yourself.
  6. Get to know your strengths and weakness better- You learn about your strong points and weak points both, so you can work on your weaknesses to improve them and transform them into your strengths. Also analyzing all this helps to understand yourself better.
  7. Helps in achieving goals- To set your goals and develop the necessary steps to achieve them, happens only when you have clarity about your dreams and goals. To get you where you want to be and to define what your goals are, life coaching can help you with it.
  8. To be open-minded- We often see things from our perspective and the beliefs and values that we hold, but having a life coach helps you see things from a different perspective. It opens your mind to new things and perspectives, which also helps you in trying things differently and unlocks your potential to grab different opportunities.

Disadvantages Of Life Coaching

  1. Expensive- To hire a good life coach who guides you in the right direction is important and to hire one can be a little expensive and they charge their costs according to hours i.e anywhere between 70$ – 200$ per hour.
  2. If you are not focused to achieve a goal- Hiring a life coach just for the sake is of no use if you are not really committed to your goal or bettering your life. It would be a waste of time and energy for both parties.
  3. A fake life coach- As no license is required to be a life coach, anyone can be one & can easily fool you just for money. Some real-life coaches may have some certifications for showing their expertise. So it’s always better to check the ones you are working with if they are real-life coaches or just claim that they are one.
  4. Trust issues: When you hire a life coach you don’t exactly know what their true intentions are and whether they can be trusted or not.
  5. Coaches are not magicians, that whatever they say will come true and your life will be improved, it can happen that sometimes their ways won’t work out for you as planned.

Final Note

Life coaching can really be effective for those who are really committed to achieving their goals, you can’t expect a life coach to help you in reaching your goals because it’s on you to take the necessary actions and stay committed to achieving those. A life coach can only guide you, mentor you and show you the ways you can make things work, but until you don’t make any effort to be better all these would be of no use.

Some life coaches who are great at what they do actually bring out the best in people and turned their lives around by helping them meet their goals not only professional ones but personal ones too. That’s why it’s really important to have a good life coach in your life, who empowers you to do better.

With this we come to an end of this blog about life coaching, I hope you got to learn something about life coaching as a field and its different niches along with its positives and negatives.

How To Become An FBI Agent? 7 Important Steps To Get In FBI

“How To Become An FBI Agent?” you may have searched this question on Google after watching some crime-packed shows like Quantico, Criminal minds, White Collar, Perception, and so on. But have you ever given it a serious thought on how to become an FBI agent or what would it be like in real life? Many of you may want to be aspiring FBI agents but we may not know how to go about it.

So don’t worry even if you are someone who is looking forward to having a career as a federal bureau of investigation agent or you are someone who is interested in knowing more about it stick around so that you know everything about the process of becoming an FBI agent.

So now first let’s get to know the basics of Fbi agents, like what they are, what they do, what their duty includes, and then in the second part we will talk about their education, training, salary, skills, and so on.

What Is The Federal Bureau Of Investigation?

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A federal bureau of investigation looks after the federal crimes which take place in the United States of America by which national security is threatened or national laws are violated. In simple words, “Federal” = the federal government of the country, “Bureau”= a particular department, and “Investigation”= refers to people that investigate & solve crimes, which includes things like gathering evidence and witnesses, locating suspects, and finding out who committed the crime. It protects the country against crimes like cyber-based attacks, terrorism, espionage, foreign intelligence, cyber operations, and so on.

Duties Of An FBI Agent

The duties of an FBI agent may vary depending on what career path they choose, what their expertise is, or what work is assigned to them, given below is the basic duties that FBI agents perform. Types of career paths in the FBI include counter-terrorism, criminal investigation, Cyber, Intelligence & Counterintelligence.

  • Collecting all evidence of the crime
  • Gather necessary information, data & facts and analyzes it
  • Interviews the suspects and locates the witnesses for the case
  • Monitor the activities of the suspect and studies their behavior
  • Keeps an eye on foreign governments, through its branches around the world.
  • Monitors online activities, carrying out arrests and raids.
  • Investigates criminal activities both domestic as well as foreign (the ones that affect the citizens of the USA)

1. Education Requirement

How to become an FBI agent
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The minimum requirement is to have a bachelor’s degree or higher in any relevant field, the preferred choice is criminal justice, political science, cyber security, forensic accounting, psychology, and so on. The degree must be from a US accredited college or university.

Work experience is also required along with education, for those of you who hold a bachelor’s degree you may be required to have a work experience of 2 years and if you hold a master’s degree or higher one year of experience would be enough. Can consider jobs related to the law enforcement agency so that you get the required experience.

2. Age Requirement

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To become an FBI agent you must be between 23 years- and 36 years old at least when you join. If you are looking forward to applying for the special agent’s position make sure you do it before your 36th birthday. It’s necessary for all special agents to serve for 20 years in the field. The retirement age for the same is 57 years.

3. Other Basic Requirements

Now before we proceed further to the process of becoming an FBI agent, the eligibility criteria which I’m mentioning must be kept in mind before applying for the overall process

  • To work for the FBI you need to be a citizen of the United States of America
  • You need to get your background check done (if you have any kind of criminal history or not)
  • You need to pass the drug test
  • Must have excellent physical fitness and a good health
  • A driving license is required and 6 years of experience in it too.
  • You may also be required to give a lie detector test.

4. Career Paths In The FBI

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The other career paths that you can pursue in the FBI fields are given below, education and work experience will depend on the field you want to join. I will be mentioning the fields below along with the skills required in them.

A. Special Agents 

  • Excellent communication skills and active listening
  • Must be flexible and adaptable to various situations and should know how to respond to various challenges that occur.
  • Problem-solving and teamwork
  • Interpersonal and Leadership skills

B. Forensic Accountants

  • Good communication skills
  • Knowledge about accounting and laws
  • Attention to Detail
  • A creative approach to solving problems
  • Analytical and problem-solving skills

C. Intelligence Analyst

  • Report writing skills and knowledge about Information Technology
  • Decision Making and Cyber Security
  • Knows different languages
  • Knows database management
  • Teamwork, Flexibility, and Adaptability
  • Well-versed with IT applications.

D. Surveillance

  • Good with modern technology
  • Teamwork and Good communication skills
  • Knows how to use different surveillance equipment
  • Active Listening and Critical thinking
  • Excellent monitoring skills

E. Language Specialist

  • Excellent Communication skills & active listening
  • Good writing skills are a must
  • Research skill
  • Knows how to use computer

These were some of the paths which you can pursue in the federal bureau of investigation field.

Now before we proceed further into the process of getting into the FBI field make sure you keep everything mentioned above in mind before applying to become an FBI agent.

Step By Step Process On How To Become An FBI Agent

1. The Application Process

To start with the application process make sure you meet all the basic requirements which were mentioned above. The next step is to make sure everything is clear as far as your background check and the eligibility criteria are concerned.

If not then you may be auto disqualified, for those of you who aren’t familiar with this term it means that you do not present the correct information about your past criminal history, fails a drug test, you are not a citizen of the USA or other such reasons then, you will be automatically disqualified from applying for the FBI.

In the application process, you need to provide your college transcripts, resume (not your regular one but a federal resume that you submit while applying to a federal government agency), and military documents if any. You can submit this application along with the necessary documents on the main website of the FBI or at the local FBI field office.

2. Proctored Exam

So after you pass the application process FBI, the next step in this is to give a 3-hour exam. You will be informed whether you have cleared the first step i.e the application screening or not, and then only you can proceed further. In this proctored exam your personality, reasoning, judgment, preferences, and interests will be assessed. If you pass this exam, you will be called for an interview round with FBI representatives/evaluators.

You have to travel all the way to the FBI field office at your own expense, if you clear this interview you will move to the further step. The results of these interviews are reviewed by FBI headquarters.

3. Phase 2

After part one where you have an interview with representatives, the next step is another examination you need to give after you pass the interview. This will be a written test that you will be required to give along with an interview. It will be a properly structured interview of the candidate which will be taken by the FBI special agents. If you get successful in clearing phase 2 too then you will be invited to take a physical fitness test.

4. The Physical Fitness Test

It’s not a normal fitness test you give but is quite a strict one, so make sure that you are prepared for it prior. FBI also provides an app that helps the agent trainees to prepare for it. There are in total 3 chances given to pass the fitness test so if you fail in the first you still have two more. After you are notified about the test make sure you take it within 14 days.

5. Conditional Appointment Offer

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After you pass the fitness test, you will be offered the conditional appointment offer which you have to respond to within a week. With this, the FBI will also investigate your background, verify your education that you presented, any past criminal record, polygraph test, life, interview friends and family about you, drug tests, and so on.

6. Basic Field Training Course

The final phase of the application process consists of a training program at the FBI academy. In this, the new agents have to go through intensive training which is of somewhat 20 weeks. In this training you will be taught firearms training, report writing, intelligence techniques, forensic science, interrogation, weapon training, and so on.

7. The Final Stage

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With the completion of the overall process, and also the training program you will now have to move to the location where you will be assigned. The field office where you will be assigned can be in the United States of America or outside it. This is how you become an official FBI special agent after passing the different stages in the process.

Salary of FBI Agents

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The average salary per year of an FBI agent is between $66359- and $ 72456. But it also depends on the location you are assigned to and the position you are on, so the salary may vary. Also along with salary FBI agents also get various benefits like life insurance, health insurance, paid time off, retirement, and so on.

Some Tips About The Overall FBI Agent Process

  1. It’s clear that the above-mentioned process is not at all easy and every stage of the hiring process takes a lot of time, so you need to be patient and apply only when you are totally ready to give it a go and are serious about becoming an FBI agent.
  2. Read the eligibility requirements thoroughly on the website, and see whether you meet the eligibility criteria or not.
  3. Don’t try to present any false information, because eventually, the FBI is good at finding out and it may lead to your disqualification from the process.
  4. Be physically fit, and then only go for the physical fitness test.
  5. Make sure to keep a check when you are notified about your next step so that you know whether you are qualified or not.
  6. Before going for the interview, take a rest properly so that your mind is fresh as they are very intense interviews.
  7. Everything asked at the time of the interview, say it with truthfulness don’t try to lie.
  8. Be on time for your interviews, so that you don’t waste your as well as their time
  9. Before applying for the FBI, do your research to get to know about this field, and what it is and you can also know more about people who already work in this field.
  10. Be confident! while you are presenting yourself in front of the representatives

Working with the FBI in any position you need to have a top-secret security clearance which in short means that they will investigate your whole background as mentioned in the above steps. This process even takes a year to finish which includes tests, interviews, the application process, training, exams, and so on.

Final Note

With this we come to an end of this blog of How to become an FBI agent, if you are someone who really wants to get in this field make sure that you are firm about it, you match the eligibility criteria, and then apply. It’s not really easy to get into the field like the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

It takes a lot of time and patience, as per some sources it also said that the FBI only accepts fewer than 20% of its applicants. Now you know that it’s a highly competitive field to get in.

So that’s it for this blog, I hope you got all your questions answered through this blog about the hiring process of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and also keep in mind the tips provided while applying for the FBI. Thanks for reading!

8 of The Best Side Jobs To Do From Home

If you are someone who is looking for ways to stretch their paycheck in order to get your bills paid and are looking for a way to earn some extra cash, we are here to suggest some best side jobs to do from home, to help ease your journey.

These jobs will help you sail your boat through these difficult times and find the perfect one out of all the side jobs to do from home if you are not yet ready to look for a higher paying position where you are required full time. If you are not looking to commit to a permanent job full-time or part-time, you can always consider these flexible side jobs to do from home or an on-demand gig to add to your schedule.

It’s no surprise that with this expensive lifestyle that most of us lead, the debt can pile up and in order to save one’s money and also pay off the debt, getting side jobs from home can be one of the most useful and best ways.

You got lucky by scrolling and selecting this article as you are in for a journey that will make you go through a number of side jobs to do from home in order to earn that much-needed extra money and add it as a supplement to your income.

The best part about these side jobs to do from home is that the decision of how much or how little you want to work is yours to make.

If you wish to boost your earnings or are in need of making some extra cash you can work hard and get paid for that job and in case you are looking to take things easy, or maybe to learn a new skill to boost your resume you can work at a comparatively slower pace.

It’s on you if you want to treat your job as a side job, part-time job or a full-time job and that’s the beauty of the flexibility it offers

Tips to Make Some Extra Money by Pursuing a Side Job to Do from Home

Once you have decided to go ahead with your decision to pursue side jobs to do from home to make that extra money, there will be an ongoing list of opportunities present before you with a plethora of side jobs you can go forward with, and at the same time, not one side job you can actually give a shot.

One of the ways to narrow down the list of these ways to make extra money as a supplement to your full-time position is by picking a side gig that’s the right fit for you. You need to ask yourself questions like what is it that you really like to do? Are you really good at it? And if yes, how much time are you truly willing to dedicate to that one of the many side jobs to do from home?

• Set your Priorities Straight

While starting any process, it is extremely vital that you keep your priorities straight. Your side job might be more exciting than your regular job, but you shouldn’t let that get in the way of your performance at work.

In case your boss or any of your coworkers start to take notice that you’re not giving your projects the deserved attention, it could go against you and the work reputation that you hold.

• Communication is Key

It’s not necessary for you to tell your boss everything, however when you are beginning a new side gig that guarantees your unavailability at certain times, it’s extremely significant that you make that clear to your employer so it is of no surprise to them.

In the best-case scenario, they will appreciate your honesty and might think that some skills that you pick up at your side job would help you improve your performance at your regular workplace and things could actually turn in your favor.

• Control Your Pace

One of the best things about a number of these side gigs is that you can put as much time into them as you want, be it more or less. In the beginning, you can choose to only commit a bit of time to the new pursuit.

You have to get a good understanding of what you can handle alongside your normal job without burning yourself out. Once that is done, you can pick up or slow down your pace according to your preference.

At this point of the article, it’s time for you to take a good look at all the ways you can make extra money through the side jobs to do from home and start a new revenue stream for cash infusion today itself.

Below we have mentioned a number of gigs or side jobs to do from home that you can consider whenever you are in need of some extra income.

These are super easy to get, you don’t need to acquire additional education or training of any kind in order to get hired. These are the side jobs in which you can decide when you want to work and how much you want to work.

8 of The Best Side Jobs To Do From Home

1. Content Writing

Among the number of side jobs to do from home, to work as a content writer you will need to prepare a portfolio through which you can demonstrate your style of writing as well as your competence. Some jobs might even require you to pass either writing or an editing test.

As far as the interaction of businesses with their customers is concerned, written content is always on its peak. From writing content on social media, to website pages to finally articles regarding a number of fields, a content writer can manage to maintain quite a steady side income.

The topics that you can choose to write about are very broad and open. This is one field that doesn’t in any way limit or restricts your talent.

Even if you are a college-educated student and are skilled at written communication, with a job in the field of content writing you can make some decent money.

There are some comparatively more serious writing jobs for instance say, journalism that are full-time jobs, there is a high demand for technical and content writers as well as editors in other such related jobs.

  • Content Writers– The job of a content writer is to create content for websites, marketing pieces, as well as landing pages. If you are someone who enjoys working with websites but lacks the knowledge of coding, you can build a portfolio and also get paid to create content with your side jobs online
  • Technical Writing– The job of a technical writer involves proofreading or creating instructions for some products or software. One will need to be able to absorb vast amounts of information followed by complete research, and then be able to explain all of its complexities in simple language that non-technical readers can understand and comprehend.
Best side jobs to do from home
Photo by UnlimPhotos/nnudoo

2. Digital Marketing

In order for you to apply for the post of a digital marketer, more than all the other side jobs to do from home, you will need a reliable computer with a fast and dependable Internet connection to work from home comfortably.

An extra certification from a software company like Google, Facebook, HubSpot, Alison, Bing, or even Lynda has the chance to enhance the chances of hiring you, and it is up to you if you want to pursue those certificates in hopes of increasing your chances of getting selected.

In case you are helping a client with owned media, one more thing that you will require is a basic understanding of search engine optimization that is easily obtainable through online courses from SemRush or even Moz Academy. All of these online courses are either free or low-cost, and they also allow you to proceed at your own pace.

Almost each and every business from small to big, market their products and services online. Some companies may even hire freelancers to handle their social media, online advertising, as well as website advertising.

Just as television, as well as print advertising, continue to decrease in the effectiveness that they hold, more businesses require digital marketing experts. Within the realms of digital marketing, one can focus on either;

▪︎ Owned media

▪︎ Paid media.

Owned Media

Owned media management is inclusive of search engine optimization that is best practiced with the help of blog content, backlinking techniques, and much more.

Paid Media

Paid media management is inclusive of digital ads, for instance, Google AdWords, Facebook advertising, and LinkedIn advertising. The reason being the creation of the ad and targeting the right audience online can be quite complex, you will require to be trained in the appropriate media outlet long before managing a company’s paid digital advertising.

Website, as well as social media management, encompass helping businesses to manage their social media pages, along with being able to track their traffic online.

3. Virtual Assistant

The old days of a person burdened with work in the form of files in there, running around the office doing a number of tasks for their boss are long gone.

In today’s day and age, this profession is easily achievable from the comfort of your home for some extra income with some side hustle to make some good money as virtual assistants in legitimate companies on your own terms and own hours from the comfort of your home.

There is a plethora of virtual tasks along with administration work that professionals need help with handling virtual assistant jobs, and that’s where you step in as the virtual assistant.

As most of the responsibilities and work of an assistant have shifted online, there is an increase in the demand for virtual employees for these positions of a side job to make money apart from your day job.

Some of the tasks that are associated with pursuing the side job of a virtual assistant are inclusive of:

▪︎ Making Data Entry

▪︎ Responding to several emails

▪︎ Booking accommodations for travel purposes

▪︎ Scheduling Tasks

▪︎ Calendar organization

▪︎ Performing in-depth market research

4. Translation

Among the several side jobs to do from home, to become a translator one needs to be able to speak multiple languages in their vernacular so that they can easily pick up on idioms as well as cultural references. Moreover, they will require really strong writing and communication skills.

Are you someone who speaks more than one language? There is a huge demand for translators, as it is always soaring. There are a number of options that you can choose from, like transcribing written words from both videos as well as audio files or translating website or app content to make more money online with this side job.

If you are someone who prefers to speak rather than write, there are translation jobs that allow you to interpret those pieces. These voice translation jobs might have a requirement for regular hours, so if you prefer this kind of side gig, you’ll need to make sure that your gig doesn’t conflict with your day job.

Photo by UnlimPhotos/cienpies

5. Photo Editing

The first thing you would require in order to work as a photo editor amongst the different side jobs to do at home is a portfolio to showcase your photo editing skills to the employer. You will also require a good computer as well as professional photo editing software, such as Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom.

In case you don’t have much of a portfolio as of yet, you can always consider reaching out to a local professional photographer and even offer them your editing skills at a low cost. Or, you can consider setting up an account on Fiverr for clients who are looking to hire low-cost freelancers with limited work experience.

6. Website Development and Design

For one to explore work as a web developer, they don’t need formal education, however, they will need to demonstrate their coding skills with the help of a portfolio of the sites that they have built as well as maintained. It’s extremely significant for the Web designers to have a strong portfolio, even though knowing coding languages is not really important or even a required skill set to be employed in this specific market or industry.

Both, web developers, as well as designers, are required for website creation as well as its upgradation. Web developers are computer coders who are aware of how to create websites using codes like HTML, CSS, and also JavaScript. If you are experienced in these coding languages, you could always start out by making good money for part-time work.

Having some experience with computers and site-building platforms like WordPress would be of great help, you would not need to know computer coding in order to design websites. Web development and their designs are lucrative fields that have a strong job outlook that with the help of some patience and dedication can grow into a full-time freelance business.

Photo by UnlimPhotos/bloomua

7. Social Media Manager

A social media manager is somebody who can enhance the particular brand that they are working for and they build a very strong online community with the help of a number of Social Media Platforms.

In the day to day duties of a person who manages Social Media, they are responsible for developing and administering social media content that is curated and designed in order to engage users as well as to create an ongoing and interactive relationship between consumers as well as the company.

A candidate who is successful would also be required to collect as well as review social media data in order to develop more effective campaigns to earn money and make some passive income for their online side job.

The Day to Day Responsibilities of a Social Media Manager:

•They are majorly responsible for working closely with the marketing team in order to develop their social media presence as well as campaigns that help to achieve their corporate marketing goals.

•They develop monthly reports on emerging social media trends that are submitted to the management and executive teams to take things further.

• They monitor the company’s social media accounts and even offer constructive interaction with their users

• They work towards creating methods for finding as well as saving online customer reviews.

• They even analyze the long-term needs of the company’s social media strategy and come up with ideas to offer quarterly reports to the management as well as their executive teams that outline any necessary changes to their digital marketing plan.

8. Software Development

If you are someone who is looking for a gig in software development, there is no requirement for you to necessarily need a college degree, there is a wider scope than just that. Instead of doing that, you can always learn skills like programming languages and building a portfolio for potential clients as that comes in handy for quite a few side jobs to earn money and make some passive income.

In case computer programming is your regular job, you will have to make sure that your side gig does not in any way violate the employment agreement that you have with your employer as you definitely don’t want to lose something temporary over a permanent deal.

Whether it is about maintaining the backend functionality of a mobile device app or its about building software, a job in software development among the different side jobs to do at home is one of the most in-demand and required skilled jobs.

If you consider yourself as someone who is experienced in UX design, Java, PHP or just any of the other programming languages, there for sure is a high-paying job available for you to begin your career as a freelancer, just as soon as you are ready.

Few Perks of Side Jobs

• There are a number of people who have generated vital revenue by proven ways of finding side jobs to do from home. These have been with the help of short-term gigs which tend to deliver a good revenue or cash infusion to ventures that may last for a longer time period.

• These have the possibility of growing into a real time business. One needs to keep in mind that no matter what they are looking for, there’s a checklist that needs to be kept in mind and the methods need to be selected according to what fits the best with one’s time availability as well as skillset.

• Sitting for hours and scrolling through social media can in reality be moulded a little to get the cash flow going with the help of some side hustle through job boards in a few companies for the purpose of making money with an online side job or handling an online business in your spare time.

• The best part about side jobs to do from home is that no matter what you do and who you are, then be it a stay at home mom or an employee with a 9-5 job, finding a legit side job can prove to be an amazing way to supplement your income

Final Note

A side hustle or side job to do from home can be easily defined as the paid work that you are expected to complete. These side jobs to do from home are not very high on commitment, if anything they allow one more freedom than one has with a second job. The reason is, the flexibility of time and the pay culture that they follow. The minimal requirement for such side jobs to do from home are good internet service, a computer, and a telephone.

Throughout the course of this article, a number of jobs that allow for a good cash flow, and a bit of a supplement income without having to commit to a long-term or high-responsibility project is put forward before you. What more could you want? Some side jobs can become so successful that they become your main job with the only difference being in the flexibility of hours that you can set for yourself.

 

 

What Are the 11 Most Unique Interview Questions To Ask An Employer

It is no surprise that a job interviewer doesn’t only interview one person at a time, for one to manage to stand out among a number of Interviewees and clients, we present to you some Unique Interview Questions To Ask An Employer.

You should always keep in mind that an interview is more than just an opportunity for an interviewer to question you, it is more than that. Treat it like an opportunity to ask your hiring manager all the right questions and figure out if the job is right for you while the interviewer figures out how right you are for the job.

Your preparation should not only be inclusive of your answers to the question, they should include various queries regarding the position, department or the company that you might have since that reflects on the sincerity as well as your diligence with which you look forward to the job.

Keeping this very spirit in mind, we have come up with a set of questions that would get your interview thinking and even appreciating the enthusiasm with which you have come. While some of the questions would be right there waiting to be asked, in some cases you will have to go deeper, and dig beyond the surface with your unique questions to ask an employer regarding a number of things like the hiring process, company culture, a typical day at work, how the company measures success, company values, core values as well as the professional development opportunities that they offer.

11 Unique Interview Questions To Ask An Employer/Hiring Manager:

Q.1 How Can I Focus On My Professional Development And Be Successful In This Company?

Asking this question would show the employer how focused you are on finding success in a particular role. This is one of those unique interview questions to ask an employer that makes the hiring team a lot less worried about you failing in the particular role. Their stress regarding you taking a long time to get “up to speed,” vanishes and they become much more positive. And those are some of the biggest concerns that employers typically have about new employees.

Apart from that, this one of the unique interview questions to ask an employer also demonstrates that your agenda is not just to pay your bills and be an average performer, it reflects that you’re aiming to be the best in your career. Not to forget, any employer or hiring manager would love to see such traits in an interviewee.

It becomes relatively easy for them to find someone or at least to shortlist a couple of people with the basic skills to do a job, and they can determine that on your resume, but in the job interview, they’re looking for way more from the job seekers.

A hiring manager would ideally like to find someone who is coming in with an optimistic attitude and also thinking ahead about how to be successful for and in the company. It makes you look like someone who is going to be working hard from the very first day in your new position just after clearing the job interviews for your career advancement.

Unique Questions to ask an employer
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Q.2 For My Job Description, What Are Some Skills That You Are On a Lookout For?

Unlike one of the unique interview questions to ask an employer which was more future-oriented, the employer’s answer to this question focuses on and covers the area of the interview process by the hiring managers and shows that you are genuinely interested in the rest of the job candidates. It aims at getting an insight into what they’re thinking behind the scenes. It’s a very thoughtful and interesting question while also being bold. The cherry on the cake here is that not many people gather the guts to ask an interviewer such questions, therefore, it makes the interviewer stop and really think the answer through for the new job.

Q.3 Could You Mention Some Traits That Would Make Someone Not Fit For This Role?

The purpose behind asking this question is to show the employer that you are an extremely careful and thoughtful person, especially when it comes to a job hunt. It makes you not look desperate for a job and instead you come across as someone who is looking to be the right fit for their work and not just taking up the first job that is offered to you.

Q.4 What Made You Accept the Position You Are In After Your Own Job Interview?

If you get the opportunity to ask only one of the unique questions to ask an interviewer, this might just be the perfect one. There is almost no person on earth who doesn’t like to talk about themselves. This could be your window to learn more about not only the company but an employee’s personal experience of working there.

Asking creative, opinion-based questions gives you the liberty of asking the same question to multiple people in the company. Therefore, even If you meet with three employees from a company, you can ask all three about this topic without looking bad in the interview as rest assured, the experience is going to be subjective.

Q.5 If I Were To Ask a Few Of The Biggest Concerns Faced By Your Department As Of Now, What Would They Be & Why?

This question can give you a good amount of insight of what you are getting yourself into. This is thought evoking and nudges the interviewer to be honest and vocal about the downsides of working in that particular company. You would get the required information about what you are getting yourself into with this one of the unique interview questions to ask an employer.

Photo by UnlimPhotos/tsyhun

Q.6 Talking About The Internal Structure Of The Company, How Often Do People Get Promoted?

It’s extremely important for you to be aware of the structure of the company you are working at so that you know which way is upwards and where you want to put your focus

One way to follow up this one of the unique interview questions to ask an employer is by asking the interviewer, “Could you be kind enough to describe the company’s internal promotion process? I mean to understand what an employee should do if they’d like to apply for a higher role in the company, and not to forget, how are the employees able to hear about these internal opportunities?”

This sets the record straight that you are focused on landing a good job and there is no stopping you.

Q.7 What According To You Would Be The Reason Other People Failed During The Course Of This Position?

As students, we have all studied how we learn about the past in order to avoid mistakes in the future. Likewise, In your job search, it’s an amazing idea to come up with unique interview questions to ask an employer whether people have struggled in a role that you’re thinking of taking and if yes, why.

The answer that the hiring manager would give, could get you valuable information about how to succeed if you get hired, while also being a clear warning about a position with some potential red flags.

For instance, if the hiring manager complains that each person they’ve hired as yet has failed to get a hang of the required skills, it would be a smart move to ask the interviewer about the training process and how much time each person was given to learn the role.

Q.8 What Would Your Expectations From Me Be, In My First Year With The Company?

Even though you yourself might not know where you would like to see yourself in the coming five years, an employer wants to see if you’re planning to stay with the company for more than just a year

If you consider asking a question regarding what the employer hopes you’d do in the first year with them, and then about what they hope you do in the second year you would spend in the company, it could outline your journey. This journey would be inclusive of promotions as well as additional responsibilities.

This is one of the unique questions to ask an employer that would help you to know how that particular employer treats their employees beyond the initial training period and into future years.

Photo by UnlimPhotos/sergey_nivens

Q.9 If I Were To Ask You That One Thing That You’re Hoping For A New Person To Bring To This Role, What Would It Be?

This question is quite creative and interesting to ask employers. The reason is, that it shows how focused you are on the role that this company is offering you and how you want to start helping them immediately. It also shows that you are looking to be present and then bring new opportunities and a new spark of new ideas into the company rather than dragging on the ones that already exist.

If you choose this among the unique questions to ask an employer, it will quickly show the hiring manager or the recruiter how smart you are, apart from being proactive. It also differentiates you from the other candidates who they’ve seen.

Q.10 What Are The Next Steps, After This Interview And When Can I Expect To Hear Back From You?

While this might not sound as creative as some of the unique interview questions to ask an employer that is mentioned above… This is one strong question as it shows that you’re organized and interested in the role.

Moreover, this question will give you insight into what and how much to expect after the end of your interview, this way you will be so less anxious while you are waiting for the feedback.

This would make sure that you know how long to wait for after the interview, and you’ll also be ready to follow up by email if you haven’t heard back in the provided time frame.

Q.11 What Are A Few Soft Skills That Are Most Important For This Role?

It is simple to figure out the kind of hard skills that are required for a job by looking at its job description, but it is comparatively tougher to know what type of soft skills an employer wants. So It is recommended that you ask them about this topic in your interview among the many unique interview questions to ask an employer.

Or, in case the soft skills are already mentioned in the job description, you can ask a question that goes like, “I saw the job description lists a couple of soft skills that are needed for this particular position, for instance, multitasking as well excellent communication. I’m quite confident about my abilities and expertise in those particular areas, but could you share how those would be used in the position and how strength in those areas would help me perform better at my job?”

Final Note

Throughout the course of your interview, along with answering the asked questions, even intelligent and unique interview questions to ask an interviewer is a smart way of catching their attention. However, it is important for you to realize that bombarding the interviewer with Questions is not a very good idea as it might give them the wrong impression. Asking ¾ questions from the mentioned set would be a good way to go and get that job.

When an interviewee comes up with some creative and positive-never-heard-of unique interview questions to ask an employer, they stick in the interviewer’s mind and subconsciously get shortlisted or at least separated from the interviewees who give a comparatively monotonous and one-sided interview.

As you prepare for your interviews, we hope that this set of the provided questions helps you to form a list of your version of them. Asking the same question in different interviews is also a great way of comparing which company you think that you fit well in and would prefer prioritizing. Making a great impression while doing that is just another perk that comes with doing the same.

 

 

An Ultimate Guide To Employment Contracts: Top 7 Things You Need to Know

“Employment contract” is a word that you get to hear in the world of various professions and jobs. Some of us would have also signed it at some point in our lives, but some people who are yet to join the employment world may not know about this term in detail.

But no need to worry, as this blog is here to clear out all your doubts related to the employment contract. Doesn’t matter if you have been familiar with the term or not, you will get to learn many things about it and also the things you should take care of while signing any employment contract.

An employment contract is an important document for both parties which establishes the employment relationship. Both the employer and the employee agrees to sign the written contract where all the agreed terms & conditions are mentioned. Not all are written contracts there are various types to it as well which we will also be talking about.

What Is Meant By An Employment Contract & Its Importance

employment contract
Image by Pixabay on Pexels

An employment contract is a legal document that consists of the roles & responsibilities of the employee, the agreed salary & benefits, work hours, tenure of a job if any, the conditions, the confidentiality of trade secrets, limitations and so on.

The employment contract works both ways it’s not just for the employee to follow but also for the employer. For eg, the day to day assigned duties in the agreement should be followed by the employee, and the promised remuneration is to be given by the employer. Also, it becomes important to take all the terms and conditions in a written contract, so that if there is any breach you can sort it out between yourselves or take an action.

It plays an important role because it gives a sense of security to both the parties, that they will follow the agreed terms in the contract and are aware of the things mentioned in the employment contract.

Also, the employment contract is not just for full-time employment it can also be made for temporary contract or part-time.

Types Of Employment Agreement

1. Implied Employment Contract

As the name suggests “implied” which means whatever is communicated through a statement, conduct or action to the employee during the interview process or said in an indirect way is an implied contract. In this type of employment, the employer and employee don’t sign the written contract nor it is verbally said.

You work for the business without any agreement or verbal agreement, because you think that the same things will be implied by the employer which he/she mentioned previously through their actions or conduct. Some may also follow the employee handbooks for understanding the responsibilities and benefits.

For eg: your employer mentioning the job security the company will be providing you is a form of implied contract, it’s not written anywhere but he/she stated about it which makes it an implied employment contract.

2. At-Will Employment Contract

It’s a type of agreement that allows your employers to terminate you from the company, it can be for any legal reason but they can’t fire them for illegal reasons which include caste, gender, sexuality and so on. No proper tenure is mentioned for the employee to continue and there is no job security as well.

It also allows the employee to resign from the job title for any reason, it can be because of change in job or city, or for any other reasons. But it’s always better to provide notice before leaving.

At-will employment contracts give the power to the employer to change the benefits, pay, work hours and so on. Working without a contract can have many disadvantages and it may often create uncertainty of losing the job.

One example of an at-will employment contract will be:

If the employer doesn’t like how an employee works or perform his duties or any other not so good reason, he/she can fire him for that purpose as well.

3. Written Employment Contract

This is the most commonly known type of employment contract and is mostly used by different companies. The employer and employee sign the legal document which is in the written form.

A written contract includes everything about the employment and the mutually agreed terms. It includes working hours, pay, benefits, sick leave, duties of the employees, holidays, employment duration, job position and so on.

So at any point in time, you feel that you are not clear about anything related to the job, you can read the contract for that matter.

4. Oral Contract

When an employer speaks to you about an employment offer and you agree to it, it’s called the oral contract. Also known as the verbal contract, where everything takes place in a spoken communication manner.

There can be evidence to this type of contract, someone who will listen to the terms and conditions you and your employer are agreeing on. At times some people also write it to remember what they spoke about at the time of the recruiting process.

By having verbal communication you get to know about the job offered, the job title, salary, tenure and so on. So if you agree to it you let the employer know during the discussion.

5. Fixed-Term Contract

As the name suggests “fixed-term” means that the employee works only for a specific time period in the organization. It can be for a project or a task or can be for fixed months.

It can also be said to be temporary, they receive the treatment just like normal employees. They get benefits, pay, protections and others. This contract can also be renewed if the contract changes into a permanent one.

One example of a fixed-term contract would be:

An employer offered you a position in their XYZ company for like 4 months for an important project for which they found you suitable then this can be considered as a fixed-term contract.

6. Freelance Contract

Freelancers are often said to be independent contractors. As they work by themselves with no such employer to guide or supervise them. As an independent contractor also you got to have a contract between you and the client. The contract is just like a typical employment contract.

The contract will include information such as the hours the freelancer will give to the work, the payment structure for the services rendered, details about the project, and other necessary things to be mentioned.

Different freelancers specialise in various categories like graphic designing, content writing, software development, tutoring and so on.

Example of a freelance contract: as a freelancer, you took up a project of ABC client, the project is to design a logo in 2-3 days and give it to the client. So all the details of this project will be mentioned in the contract along with how much pay you will take, the time period, when will they receive payment and other necessary details. This contract is made so that the freelancers have the proof because many clients deny or delay payments.

7. Confidentiality Agreement

Also known as the non-disclosure agreement, the confidentiality agreement is when the employee agrees that he/she will keep information like trade secrets or important business things confidential and will not disclose it to anyone or use it for any personal gain.

The confidentiality clause is of 2 types one is:

A. Unilateral: This means that the one receiving the information from the main person should keep the information confidential. It doesn’t apply to the person sharing the information.

B. Mutual: it means that both parties who have the information about the organization or business will keep it confidential and will not breach the contract.

8. Part-Time Contract

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Part-time contracts are different from full-time employment contracts. The part-time employees don’t work full time, like the other employees.

The things which are included in a part-time contract are flexible hours, sometimes there is the specific time mentioned for the part-time, roles & responsibilities, pay structure, and others.

A person who works less than 30 hours a week in an organisation can be called a part-time employee. An example of this would be: if you are a person who does a side by side business to handle, but you want to have a side income so you prefer to go for a part-time job. After you are selected for a part-time position in the company then you and the employer agree mutually to the part-time contract and you work for a few hours only.

Things That Should Be Taken Care Of While Agreeing /Signing An Employment Contract

Before proceeding towards all things to keep in mind, one thing that is important while signing an employment contract is to read the entire agreement twice by not skipping any part. If you agree to all the things written in the document and have no problem with any part of it then only you must sign. Without reading you will not know the obligations you are agreeing to and this may lead to trouble. Now let’s get back to the things you must check in an agreement before signing it.

1. The Job Title

employment contract
Image by Cottonbro on Pexels

The first thing you should look for is the job title, is it the same that you applied for and were interviewed for make sure to check. So that you know about your position and title in the company.

2. Roles & Responsibilities

employment contract
Image by Yan Krukov on Pexels

After checking your job title, check if your duties & role in the organisation matches the job description and the responsibilities discussed at the time of the interview. If you see any role or responsibilities which doesn’t match your skills or the job that you applied for, you can talk about it with your employer and sort things out. Don’t just ignore it.

3. Timings & Work Hours

employment contract
Image by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels

For someone who is a full-time employee, it’s necessary to check when you will commence your job and how many hours you will work for. If you think the working hours are not the same as mentioned to you in the interview, then have a talk with your employer and clear things out.

For those of you who work as an independent contractor, your work timings depend on you, so you can mention how much time you will be giving and at what time so that your clients know about it.

Also get to know about the overtime clauses if any, so that you will get a clear idea of how it works and what compensation will be provided.

4. Remuneration & Benefits

employment contract
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Talking about salary, make sure if it’s the same that was mentioned in your appointment letter or discussed in the interview. Many companies also offer various benefits to their employees in the salary package.

Some of the benefits are given below:

Paid vacation to any country or place, performance incentives or festival bonuses, health insurance or life insurance, paid sick holidays or medical leave, programs or workshops for employee training, pension plans after retirement and so on.

5. Holiday Policy & Sick Leave

Image by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels

Get to know about how many days off you can take, and how many days prior you need to inform before taking leave & what will be the process like. Know about the company’s leave system how many holidays it gives you annually including the festivals.

Also check whether your sick leaves would be paid or not, as some companies do provide paid sick leave. If you are not a full-time or part-time employee but an independent contractor then you may not need to ask someone else for leave, as it depends on you. Also, freelancers don’t get any benefits from any employer they have to pay for their benefits themselves.

6. Pension

Image by Wir_sind_klein on Pixabay

Some companies do provide their employees with pension plans while some companies may not have it. Check in the contract whether anything related to pension is mentioned or not.

Companies that provide a pension scheme for employees is written in your legal contract.

7. Clauses & Company Policy

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The employer and employee on a mutual agreement sign the contract which also consists of various clauses. Given below are the clauses that you should read thoroughly in a contract. All these clauses come into effect after the termination of the employee.

a. Confidentiality Clause

As mentioned in the above confidentiality agreement, this contract is made for protecting the client information and also the confidential information of the business. After agreeing to this clause the employee has to keep all the trade secrets or information of the company safe and not use it for any personal purposes.

b. Restrictive Clause

This means that the employee is not allowed to give any sort of information about a company he/she used to work with in the past. Information like strategies, customer information, confidential secrets, and so on. This type of clause is to protect the business and avoids the misuse of company information.

c.Non-Solicitation Clause

This clause includes that an employee agrees that he/she will not use or give past company’s client’s details, contacts, customer information and others to his/her former company when they exit the organization. This clause can be written under the non compete agreement or can come separately.

d. Non-Compete Clause

Under this clause, an employee agrees to the terms that he/she will not start any trade practices or business against his past employer. Also, this clause includes that the employee will not work for any of the competitors of the company.

e. Non-Poaching Clause

Under this clause, no two businesses will try to poach each other’s employees. For those of you who aren’t aware of the term poaching, it means that the company recruit employees from a competitive company. They are contracts between the employers of the same field companies to not recruit employees of each other.

f. Non-Dealing Clause

This clause states that the employee must not contact or deal with clients that are of his prior company.

About the company policy make sure to read it thoroughly so that as an employee you understand how the code of conduct & rules the company follow.

Final Note

If you are someone who is a fresher, or even someone who is currently finding a job or is on its way to getting hired by a company. Make sure that you don’t ignore any part of the agreement while signing it.

Even for the ones who are in the freelancing business, it becomes important for them as well to have a legal contract, where you can mention all the necessary terms and conditions so that if there is any misunderstanding or a breach you can sort things out with your client, as the document is in written form.

Also, you can always go to a law firm or a lawyer to get your employment contract checked. These were some of the things you need to take care of before signing an employment contract. I hope you all found this blog informative and got to learn about different types of employment contracts.