From Translation to SEO

From Translation to SEO Success Story > From: Freelance To: Job From Translation to SEO “I couldn't see any way to progress from what I was doing.” * From Translation to SEO Rachel Baker liked her work, but it left her feeling isolated and with little room to develop. So, she decided it was time for a change. Here'show she used her existing skills to manoeuvre herself into a new career,and found greater financial stability along the way. What work were you doing previously? I was previously working as a freelance translator, translating German to English. I'd studied English and German at university, then afterwards did a proofreading internship at a translation agency in Hamburg. My job there was to proofread translations that had already been done. After a while, I started doing translation myself (having taken a module in it at uni). At the end of my six-month internship, I carried on doing freelance translation work for that agency and signed up for a few other agencies too. I moved back to the UK and worked remotely with agencies in both Germany and the UK. What are you doing now? I'm now working in search engine optimisation (SEO), as Senior Content Executive at a digital marketing agency. I joined the agency a year ago as a copywriter and have since learned the fundamentals of SEO. I now plan and map out the written content for all of our clients, carrying out keyword research and crafting website text that reads well to customers and helps sites rank well in Google. I've also learnt some of the technical side of SEO to support this work â€" coding and using technical tools. How did you feel in your work before you decided to make the change? There were aspects I enjoyed about being a freelance translator. I enjoyed being my own boss, having the freedom to work from anywhere, being able to take a holiday or get up whenever I wanted. I also enjoyed using my German on a daily basis. However, I often experienced 'cabin fever' working from home. Plus, the financial implications of being freelance could get a little stressful â€" there might be a week where hardly any work came in, for example. The main thing that caused me to change careers, however, was the feeling that I'd plateaued in my current career and couldn't easily progress. Why did you change? The translation work I was doing fell under the category of 'general' translation â€" it involved a lot of marketing texts, customer newsletters, etc. While I enjoyed this, to really make a career, and money, out of translation, you need to be specialised in something such as medicine, law or technology. Most of these niche translators have a background in this area and also happen to be bilingual â€" after all, there's no shortcut to learning about law or medicine if you only have the language skills. As such, I couldn't see any way to progress from what I was doing, or to up my earnings. I also missed working in an office and having human interaction on a daily basis! I was doing the same, solitary thing all the time; I wanted a job that was more varied and challenging, with room for progression. When was the moment you decided to make the change? It was January last year â€" I had the 'January blues'. The short days and sitting at home trying to motivate myself to work were getting me down, so I started looking for jobs online. How did you choose your new career? A main component of translation is being able to write well, so I knew that writing was a skill I had. I'd ended up doing some copywriting and copyediting for freelance clients and enjoyed it, so I decided to go down that route. I also knew that copywriting could be a good route into a marketing career â€" something I'd long been interested in but never explored. I've always been a creative person, so the creative side of marketing appealed to me. Are you happy with the change? Really happy! I love working in an office, especially as I get along well with my colleagues, and I like being out and about every day instead of cooped up at home. In terms of the work itself, I enjoy SEO as well. It's combined my love and talent for writing with more practical, technical skills â€" I'm enjoying the mix. What do you miss and what don't you miss? I miss being able to decide when I do and don't work. I also miss using my German all the time, although my agency does have one German client, so I get to use it a bit! But I definitely don't miss the isolation and never knowing exactly how much money I'm going to make that month. How did you go about making the shift? Once I'd decided, it all happened quite quickly. I saw my current job advertised online, applied, did a test piece, interviewed and got the job! I was worried that people might be put off that I hadn't worked as an in-house copywriter before, but actually my current employers saw the fact that I'd worked freelance as a plus. They knew I could work with clients and deadlines; they also saw the potential for me to progress to being a content executive. What didn't go well? What wrong turns did you take? Around a year before, I'd been having a think about a career change. I interviewed for a job in e-learning â€" using my writing skills to create digital training courses â€" but the job and the company just weren't the right fit for me. A year later, I'd had more time to think about what I wanted to do, and found a company where I really fitted in. How did you handle your finances to make your shift possible? To be honest, the shift made my financial situation better! Having a regular pay cheque from a single source was a novelty to me â€" it was great not to have to send out and chase up invoices! What was the most difficult thing about changing? The switch to the 9â€"5 was a bit of a shock to the system at first, but I'm used to that now. I did enjoy translation and miss it sometimes, but it's something I've put to the side for now. I feel like it was the right decision. What help did you get? Mainly just support and advice from friends and family! What resources would you recommend to others? I don't have any specific resources to recommend, but I would say do your research on the industry / job you're thinking of going into. Talk to someone already doing it if possible, to get a realistic picture of what it's like. What have you learnt in the process? I've learnt that different jobs are right at different times in your life. I enjoyed translation at first but I outgrew it, whereas what I'm currently doing is right for me now. What would you advise others to do in the same situation? Trust your gut. I thought about changing careers for a while, but it hadn't felt like the right time. I felt like I should be doing something with more career progression, but I didn't know what. I remember my dad said to me that when the time was right to change careers, I would know â€" and he was right. I waited until I was sure I wanted a change and had identified what I wanted to do. Then I just went for it! I'd advise others to do the same. What lessons could you take from Rachel's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

Hospitality Resume Writing - Where to Start

Hospitality Resume Writing - Where to StartWhen a person applies for a job, the first thing that needs to be done is to write a hospitality resume. It can be easily produced by anyone, but it needs to be carefully planned and properly written in order to succeed. The following paragraphs will present information on how to do this effectively.A reliable method to avoid plagiarism is to write according to someone else's idea. This may not be possible for many people. Some people have to adapt things from other people, but most often they can get a good idea of how things are done. If you do this you must ensure that the topic is not copyrighted or if it is you should provide credit to the author. The best way to prevent plagiarism is to research on a given subject before writing your resume.As for the content of your resume, you should find out if there is a need for the information you are about to put in. You should also make sure you know how to create a unique resume with your own style. You may not want to go through all the trouble if it does not take a lot of time. That is why there are a lot of free services that are available online.If you are looking for different kinds of details for the resume, there are a lot of these services available online. You can also find a lot of guides that will give you some helpful tips on what to put in your resume. These should not cost too much though.Another thing you need to keep in mind is that you should always keep your resume simple. There is no need to write a complicated resume when there are already a lot of complex ones out there. There are also services that will help you create a formal resume. You do not need to spend too much time on it because there are also those that will give you suggestions. Make sure you read what they are saying though, because that is the only way you will be able to determine if you need more information.In hospitality resume writing, try to make it look simple and straightforward . You should try to see the bigger picture and understand the needs of the employer. Keep your resume clear, yet detailed. Some of the details on the resume may be outdated or hard to understand. This will not be good when you have to present it to an employer.There are also a lot of professional services that are available online. These will include tools and tips that will make your job easier. You may want to have some money to pay for these services, but remember that you do not have to use these services. Even though they are affordable, they still should not be considered as substitutes for proper hospitality resume writing.In any job position you can find a resume from a person with little or no experience at all. As long as you follow these tips, it will be easy to achieve success. This will allow you to gain the respect of your employer.

How Should a Candidate Follow up After an Interview

How Should a Candidate Follow up After an Interview Its probably one of the most-asked questions from your employees. Should you call or email after being interviewed to see how youve done? How long should you wait before you make contact or do you sit it out and wait for them to get in touch like the famous saying Dont call us, well call you. Well, this week our panel of recruitment experts share their thoughts on what should be done.   Kerri-Ann Hargreaves This is where old school meets modern day practices work for me. Follow up after a meeting, send an email thanking the interviewer for their time and highlight your interest for the position. Don’t be afraid to say it out loud for all to hear â€" I am interested in this opportunity Kerri-Ann Hargreaves,  Director, H2 Consultancy. Jeff Berger Send a personalized follow-up email to each interviewer within 24 hours of your interview. This follow-up message is a unique opportunity to express your gratitude, reiterate your interest in the role, and remind the employer of qualifications; however, many candidates overlook this step and pay dearly for it. In a study conducted by our resume-writing business, TopResume, we found that a candidate’s thank-you note ? or lack thereof ? can impact their chances of landing the job. 68% of employers confirmed that receiving an interview follow-up matters, and nearly one in five interviewers have completely dismissed a candidate for not following up after an interview. Jeff Berger, CEO and Founder, Talent Inc. Lysha Holmes Call the recruiter with your initial thoughts as soon as you can- failing that, a voicenote on whatsapp is helpful as we can hear your tone. Then reflect for a while and call back later once you have had chance to fully digest your thoughts and desires to pursue- or not. But always call your recruiter even if you dont wish to proceed. Lysha Holmes, Recruiter of Recruiters, Qui Recruitment. Paul Wolfe It is always a good idea to send a personalized thank you note to each person you spoke with during the interview process. If you don’t have their email addresses, ask for the business card of each person you spoke with during the interview process so that you can follow up with them individually. If your interview took place earlier in the day, send your follow-up emails the same day. If you interviewed in the afternoon, the next morning is fine. Make certain that each email is distinct from the others, using the notes you took during the conversations. Paul Wolfe, Indeed Senior Vice President of Global Human Resources. Rebecca Fraser Start with a single thank you email. Generally you will be provided information on next steps, including the time frame of notification. Respect this in any follow up and don’t harass. The worst thing you can do is to break rapport by not respecting the time frame or realising that sometimes priorities in business change and they can’t get back to you as soon as they were hoping to. Rebecca Fraser, Digital Experience and Learning Manager. Ben Martinez Email or a short text to just say thank you. Dont get pushy in your follow-up. Just something short to let the hiring manager know you are interested. Ben Martinez, Principal Founder, Ramp Talent. Jo Cresswell Candidates aren’t always explicitly told to send a follow-up after an interview, especially if all communication until that point has been through the recruiter, however it is seen as common courtesy and will put the candidate in a good light. The best way to do this is simply a short, concise and professional email to the interviewer/s within 24 hours of the interview taking place. Express gratitude for the interviewer’s time, mention appreciation of all the information the interviewer provided and the candidate should finally reinforce their enthusiasm for the role. Jo Cresswell, Corporate Communications Manager, Glassdoor. Darain Faraz Each situation is different, but it never hurts to send a “thank you” email following an interview, either through your recruiter, or direct if you are in touch with the interviewer yourself. It’s a simple way to show your interest in the role, and a prompt for them to let you know if you’re through to the next round. Feel free to also use this as an opportunity to follow up with any further questions you may have from the interview. Darain Faraz, Careers Expert, LinkedIn. Allan Leung This can differ depending on the circumstances, but an email follow up that recaps the conversation and thanks the interviewer for their time should be sufficient. Ideally this is sent by the next day or so. Allan Leung, Lead Talent Acquisition Advisor, HCSS. Chris Murdock If the role is time sensitive, send an email thank you immediately. If you have some time, a handwritten note will separate a candidate from 99.99999 of the field. Chris Murdock  is Senior Partner and Co-Founder at IQTalent Partners

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Why Top Companies are Killling the Traditional Performance Review

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Why Top Companies are Killling the Traditional Performance Review Hear that whooshing sound? Thats the collective sigh of relief from Microsoft employees who wont be subjected anymore to the companys despised stack rankings. Under that system, employees were essentially forced to compete against one another to receive excellentperformance rankings. The rankings were supposed to cull the weakest from the herd, but instead it led to employees feeling helpless and somehow encouraged to backstab colleagues to get a better ranking. Its estimated that at least 30% of Fortune 500 companies use such rankings that rate employees along a curve. For example, an employer might state that a manager can only put 10% of employees in a top category, while 2% must be in the bottom group. But Microsoft was often criticized for using the yank and rank process made popular at General Electric in the 1980s. Motorola CEO Greg Brown has referred to its ranking system that iteventually tossed as demoralizing and creating a culture of infighting. But Samuel A. Culbert has argued for years against that evenannual performance reviewsare horrible, calling them one of the most insidious, most damaging and yet most ubiquitous of corporate practices. Everybody does it, and almost everyone whos evaluated hates it. Its a pretentious, bogus practice that produces absolutely nothing that any thinking executive should call a corporate plus, Culbert says. Culbert, a professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, argues that companies should instead use what he calls performance previews. Under that scenario, an employee outlines what kind of supervision helps him or her operate most effectively and what kinds of past management practices cause a problem ingetting work done. The manager then shares with the worker what is needed for the manager to be most effective. Ongoing discussions about how to best combine their talents would then help them communicate better anddeliver better resultstogether, he argues, and puts an end to performance reviews that he says are nothing more than intimidation. Employers are clearly re-thinking performance management, but what will evolve is under debate. Will all companies eventually abandon rankings? Will the annual performance review be scrapped as well? While experts debate the merits of how best to manage their employees to achieve results, here are what some other employers are trying: Motorola.The company scrapped its employee rating system because CEO Brown worried about how employees might feel being called a valued performer rather than excellent or outstanding, he toldCrains Chicago Business.Managers and employees now have ongoing communications about performance in addition to the annual reviews that ensure employees met their goals. Pay discussions are (read more here)

Writing Achievement Based Resumes is a Very Important Part of Your Job Search

Writing Achievement Based Resumes is a Very Important Part of Your Job SearchDo you think your resume is on par with the other writing achievement based resumes available today? That can be a big problem because it could make it hard for you to get interviews or even employment offers. This is especially true if you are from an industry where it is not a good idea to overstretch your resume to try and impress your potential employer.It is important that you understand this concept because you would be wise to pay attention to your resume so you do not overstretch it and take it to places where it will be less likely to get a response. There are many fields in which it is better to stay away from an industry. You may have already taken a look at some of the most successful businesses in your industry.If you are serious about reaching out to a serious customer base, then you will want to take a look at those companies. The first step is to make sure that you understand what you are doi ng when you write your resume. You need to be focused on one thing: getting your resume and cover letter noticed by a hiring manager.When you see that your resume has received no responses it is time to start thinking about how you can change it. While many professionals will simply make a few changes here and there, you may also find that you have to think about your resume writing strategy. Some people will make changes in the skills they list, others will focus on the accomplishments they provide.You may find that you have to take a course to learn how to focus on certain industries, but it is still important to remember that you want to get your resume to look impressive. You can focus on customer service and how you have provided that in your career, but you may also want to take a look at your qualifications. You want to be sure that you have included all of the things that your potential employer may look for. If you are not sure what accomplishments and skills you need to in clude, then you should start by reading over all of the writing achievement based resumes available. From there you can take a look at examples of resumes that have been written by professionals. A lot of the best-selling books and other materials that can help you in this area will give you sample resume sections.Take a look at the section that is filled with the specific details of the skills you want to include on your resume. Once you have gone through each section of the resume and reviewed all of the detail, then you can look at the overall organization and get ideas on how you can improve your chances of getting hired. You do not want to take your time and make more mistakes than you need to, so try to get a lot of work done in one sitting.Remember that taking a look at all of the writing achievement based resumes is a great way to become familiar with what exactly you are writing. Just do not get carried away with the thought that it is time to go overboard. What you will do is you will go on your own wild goose chase when you do not need to because there are plenty of success stories out there.

6 Easy Ways To Inject A Foreign Language In Your Daily Routine

6 Easy Ways To Inject A Foreign Language In Your Daily Routine When you are learning a new foreign language all you want to do is speed up the process. The best way to do this is by using the language frequently throughout your normal day.Once you have a basic grasp of the language, learning by using becomes the best method by which to develop your knowledge and progress quickly.Photo Credit â€" theodysseyonline.com1. Speak To Someone Who Speaks The LanguageWhether it is someone who sells you the paper in the morning, a neighbor who likes a five-minute chat or the girl in the copy room, find someone you can have a conversation with about anything and everything whenever you meet up.evalForeign language speakers have great respect for people who try to speak their language and will usually be really patient in helping others to get it right. So build a relationship with someone who speaks it and that you have access to most days.If you can talk to someone about what you saw on TV or read in the paper every single day, not only build a friendship, but your vocabulary will grow too.2. Read A Foreign Newspaper/MagazineEvery language will have magazines or newspapers aimed at different levels of speakers. You may even want to read children’s comics, to begin with. Imagine reading your favorite superhero comics in Spanish, act like a child and read them over and over again, reinforcing that new vocabulary.If you’ve seen a news story on television in English and then read about it in Spanish, you’ll already have the backbone to the story so piecing together new words for your vocabulary by reading a newspaper article becomes a rapid learning method.3. Listen To Foreign RadioIn the same way that comics, magazines, and newspapers will be language structured so that most people can read them, hearing a language spoken will wire your brain as to how the language should sound.Hearing the words with routine regularity will mean that your accent will improve as will your vocabulary as you familiarize yourself with the radio presen ters morning, afternoon or evening routine. You may eventually develop the courage to call into the show and share your views.4. Watch Foreign TVTelevision not only enhances the vocabulary you already have and build upon it, but it also enriches your understanding of cultural nuance and innuendo including the use of body language. Remember that hand signals in one language and culture may be perfectly acceptable and yet if used while speaking another language, the person on the other end may consider you to be exceptionally vulgar.evalAnother way to learn nuance and how things may be said differently is to watch a dubbed version of a show you have already seen or already watch that was produced in your native language.5. Make Language Labels For The HomeIt may seem childish to have the word refrigerator stuck on its door, but you’d be surprised at how fast you’ll absorb a language by having a few small labels strategically placed all over your home. The word for the mirror at th e bottom of your bathroom mirror, the word for a dog on the front of the dog bowl, or remote control on the bottom of the remote control. This can get more interesting as you look around your home for vocabulary opportunities.Get a key hook that displays the word for keys in whichever language you happen to be learning.6. Visit The Language-Speaking Country On VacationAfter you’ve been learning a language for a while, why not throw yourself in the deep end and go on vacation where you will have to speak the language to get by. This process is called Language Immersion. Whereas in any city in the world you will be able to find someone that speaks English, going a few miles out into the countryside you will have to use the local lingo and this could become a fun experience.evalLocals in villages and towns love outsiders because they bring in money to the local economy, so they will do everything possible to help you with your language as long as you’re going to buy your beer local ly and rent a room at the local hotel.Not only will it make the vacation a better experience, but it will also improve your language dramatically within a week or two.Start your language learning experience as soon as you’re on the plane as you listen to the flight attendant.These few tips will get you up and running and with daily use of the language you will soon be speaking it with confidence.

Top 5 business maxims that need to go - Part II - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Top 5 business maxims that need to go - Part II - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog It aint what you dont know that gets you into trouble. Its what you know for sure that just aint so. Josh Billings Much well-known business advice is sadly obsolete but can still be found in articles, business books and, not least, in daily use in the workplace. It seems that some companies are still guided by thinking that is sadly out of date if it was ever true to begin with. The worst of these old maxims are not only wrong, they?re bad for people and bad for business. Businesses who use them are making their employees unhappy and are harming the bottom line. I recently wrote a post about the Top 5 Business Maxims That Need To Go, listing 5 horrendous examples. I also asked people to contribute the maxims they would like to get rid of, and got some great suggestions, so here are 5 more pieces of bad business advice that are making people unhappy at work and harming the bottom line. Old maxim #1: People only work if you constantly kick their butt Meaning: People are inherently lazy and only work when properly spurred on and controlled by managers. Submitted by JACH This is of course just plain wrong. The interesting thing is though, that managers who take this approach often end up with people who behave this way for two reasons: Treating employees in this way makes them demotivated and resentful so they start doing as little as they can get away with Motivated, skilled employees refuse to put up with this treatment and leave Instead, treating people like responsible adults who actually want to do great work makes people want to live up to this. People have an amazing ability to live up (or down) to our expectations. New maxim: Treat people great and they do great work Old maxim #2: The only way to get ahead is to put in the hours Meaning: Success requires more than 40 hours/week. If you wont put in the hours, somebody else who will is going to come along and take your place. Some results can be achieved through working more. If you can dig one hole in an hour you can dig two holes in two hours. But some results dont scale that way: If a programmer can write 100 lines of code in an 8-hour work day, it doesnt follow that she can code 200 in a 16-hour day. In fact, the output of 16 hours of work may be significantly lower than what you get in 8. You might even get more work done in 6 hours a day than you do in 8. Thats what one company discovered, to their great surprise, when financial problems forced them to reduce working hours. Instead of mindlessly putting in the hours, ask yourself how the work you do scales? How long is your optimal work day or work week? New maxim: Maximize your results, not your hours Old maxim #3: Sales fixes everything Ill let Guy Kawasaki explain the meaning of this one: As long as you have sales, cash will flow, and as long as cash flows, (a) you will have the time to fix your team, your technology, and your marketing; (b) the press wont be able to say much because customers are pouring money into your coffers; and (c) your investors will leave you alone. I adore sales. Cash is absolutely delightful. But sales and cash do not solve every problem. Lets say your entire team is stressed and overworked. Will sales fix this? Lets say nobodys communicating properly, because half the people on your team hate the other half. Lets say two of your best employees are about to quit because theyre being bullied by their manager. It would be pointless to try to solve these kinds of problems by increasing sales. In fact, more sales can make a bad situation worse because: The company will focus more on the customers than on its own people More sales means more work and potentially more stress for an unhappy organization So while sales are wonderful, there are a whole set of common issues in a workplace that are not solved through more sales. I would in fact suggest that making your people happy is much more likely to result in higher sales, than higher sales are to result in happy people. New maxim: Happy people fix everything Old maxim #4: Leave your personal life at home Meaning: We come to work to work. Who you are in your free time does not matter. Submitted by Scott Nutter This is just ridiculous. As if youre one person at home and a different person at work. As if your personality, private interests and opinions were somehow going to contaminate the workplace and ruin everyones professionalism. Henry Ford is said to have complained ?Why do workers come with a brain, when all I need is a pair of hands???? Well today businesses cant settle for hands. We cant even settle for brains alone, we also need peoples energy, creativity, ideas, opinions and motivation. We need the whole person to come to work every day. New maxim: Be yourself at home and at work Old maxim #5: The business of business is business Meaning: Companies must focus on their business and nothing else. Also often used to mean that the only goal of a business is the bottom line. Well if this is true, then why do successful companies like Southwest Airlines, Patagonia, Semco, Kjaer Group, Great Harvest and many others spend time and money on charities, in their communities and on environmental issues? Ill tell you why: It feels good to do good and it makes employees happy and proud to work for these companies Its good for the bottom line Also, Jim Collins proved in his book Built To Last, that companies who only focus on the bottom line perform significantly worse than companies who maintain a broader scope and also focus on other issues. New maxim: Theres more to business than just business Wrap-up The scariest thing about these old maxims is that they tend to be accepted unquestioningly because they are repeated so often a little like nursery rhymes used to educate children. That means its not enough to oust the old maxims we need to replace them with new ones that are likely to bring better results for people and for the bottom line. So here they are at a glance, the tired maxims and the suggested replacements: Tired old maxim Shiny new maxim To get ahead you must work long hours Maximize your results, not your hours People only work if you?re constantly kicking their butt Treat people great and they do great work Leave your personal life at home Be yourself at home and at work Sales fixes everything Happy people fix everything The business of business is business Theres more to business than just business Know any more bad business advice, mantra, maxim, truism that needs to go? Write a comment! If you liked this post, Im pretty sure youll also enjoy these: Why job descriptions are useless How to deal with jerks at work Why The Customer Is Always Right is wrong The Seven-Day Weekend by Ricardo Semler my review Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Link Love August 2009

Link Love August 2009 Yes, Im still using dachshunds to represent links in my Link Love posts. Its just too puntastic not to! Here are Elephant Apple Fabric Mini Dachshund by aliceapple. As promised, here are my freakin favorite links of August 2009!: Youre Not a Real Shark on pecannoot Why You Must Discover Your Purpose on Pick the Brain wonder what their dream is unfetter your happiness (you know you want to) on white hot truth Always/Never Notes on Swimming A Story About Ping (yes, shes on fire!) on Emma Alvarez Gibson (I created my Always/Never list here. Share yours!) The Little But Really Useful Guide to Creativity on Zen Habits Start Before You Finish: A Case Study on Productive Flourishing Candy Clouds on Color Me Katie You dont have to be the best on unclutterer All advice on how to manage creative people is awful by Penelope Trunk Why Not You? Why Not Now? by Carolyn Rubenstein on Psychology Today (shameless self-promotion alert!) 11 Ways to Find Serenity Amidst the Chaos by Carolyn Rubenstein on A Beautiful Ripple Effect What did you enjoy in the blogosphere this month? Id love to read what youre reading, so please comment below!