From Classrooms to Childrens Stories

From Classrooms to Childrens Stories Success Story > From: Job To: Solopreneur From Classrooms to Childrens Stories “The workload was brutal.” * From Classrooms to Childrens Stories Catherine Carroll was giving hours of her free time over to her job. Then, her priorities changed. Here's how she forged a new, more creative work identity, and built a business that fits around her schedule. What work were you doing previously? I was an English and Drama teacher in a secondary school. What are you doing now? I've started my own company called Mummy Make Me A Story. My company writes, designs and illustrates children's stories. We aim to champion the bedtime story and the wonderful parents that bring them to life. I'm currently working on a new version of Rapunzel, set after she was rescued from the tower. Having two daughters of my own now, I was really worried about the gender stereotypes pervading children's literature. My Rapunzel takes matters into her own hands and ends up becoming a successful entrepreneur! We also run The Knackered Parents' Book Club, which encourages parents to get back into reading for themselves. How did you feel about your work before you decided to make a change? I loved my subject and that I was doing a job that was making a difference to children's lives. However, the workload was brutal. The paper work was never-ending and the marking would take up hours of my free time. There was little room to reflect or be creative. Why did you change? I got pregnant with my first child and my priorities changed. I couldn't see how I could keep up with that level of work and look after a baby. I went back after my daughter was born and found the environment stressful. I was frustrated that the focus was all on results and how the school looked, as opposed to the actual learning of the children. I didn't feel creatively fulfilled. I got pregnant with my second child when my daughter was a year old and I decided not to go back after he was born. When was the moment you decided to make the change? At the time having two children under two (I now have three!) forced me to make the decision not to go back. Childcare would have cancelled out my wage. And I'm not sure when I would have done the marking! Are you happy with the change? Yes! What do you miss and what don't you miss? I miss the relationships I had with my colleagues and the students. I'm quite a sociable person and working from home around my children can be lonely. However, I don't miss the relentless marking and paperwork, especially when I knew most of the work I was doing was pointless. How did you go about making the shift? And how specifically did you choose your new career? I'd already told work I wasn't going back after maternity leave. I felt quite isolated and confused about my place in society. I'd always worked;yet, I no longer had the social interactions that going to work brings. Time was not my own anymore and my baby didn't sleep! I felt like I'd lost my previous identity and become almost invisible. The mundane tasks involved with looking after a baby were monotonous and I definitely felt de-skilled. I started writing stories to help my baby sleep; then, it was actually a chance conversation with my mum that started me on the road to publication. My mum is in her early seventies and has had a very interesting life. She was an opera singer and also happens to be an amazing artist. I confided in her one night about my identity and confidence issues as a new mum and was surprised to hear that she felt the same. She confided that as a woman in her seventies you're seen as just some old lady: “People on the street don't know what you've done or what you're capable of. You slowly feel like you're losing touch with the world and you definitely lose confidence.” I decided to ask my mum to illustrate my stories. Her first response was, “No one will want to see my paintings!” These feelings of inadequacy we shared concerned me. I started looking into how to boost our self-esteem. I madea list of the skills a stay-at-home mum / dad needed, (organisation, time management, behaviour management, budgeting, patience, communication, empathy, creativity, storytelling). The list seemed to go on and on; it saddened me that so many of these skills are not recognised. My mum and I joined forces to write, illustrate and design The Little Girl Who Couldn't Sleep and The Little Boy Who Couldn't Sleep. Both help your children to drift off peacefully. And now a key aim of Mummy Make Me A Story is to be a platform for other parents or grandparents who have skills to share and stories to tell. What didn't go well? What 'wrong turns' did you take? In the beginning I went down the normal route of trying to get a literary agent and publisher on board. I ended up signing up with a self-publishing company; I was very disappointed with the process and the result. Ultimately, they were in it to make money from the writer (me), not the reader. The product was poor quality and all the things I was paying for were within my skill set to do myself. I then set up Mummy Make Me A Story and I now have total control of my brand. For me, it's the fact that I'm a mum to three young children, collaborating with my mum, writing and producing stories for other mums that is my unique selling point. How did you handle your finances to make your change possible? I'd saved up enough money for initial costs. I wouldn't have been working anyway, because of the kids, so we were already in a position where we were surviving on one income. What was important for me was that if I could do something myself, I did (instead of paying someone else to do it). What was the most difficult thing about changing? It's hard not having a stable income to rely on. I'vehad to be extremely self-motivated. The only time I have to work on the business is the evenings. I've also needed to keep believing in myself. Starting my own business has felt risky asI've put myself out there for judgement and rejection.I've been the one who's had to pick myself up and keep going. What do you wish you'd done differently? I wish I hadn't wasted money on the self-publishing company. I've subsequently re-published under my own imprint. Having a clear vision for my company and the brand I want to build has helped focus me. What help did you get? Just encouragement from friends and family; but that in itself is very important if you're starting to have doubts. What resources would you recommend to others? Your own imagination. What have you learnt in the process? I've learnt that rushing into things without a plan can end up costing you money. But I've also learnt that there is no reason you can't achieve your dreams. What would you advise others to do in the same situation? If you're not fulfilled in your job, ask yourself what is keeping you there. Do something you can feel proud of, and connect with other people who have similar interests or aspirations. Thanks to All By Mama, the marketplace for creative parents, for this story. Visit www.allbymama.com to learn more. To find out more about Catherine's business, visit: www.mummymakemeastory.com. What lessons could you take from Catherine's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

The Life of a Knight in Medieval Europe

The Life of a Knight in Medieval EuropeThe life of a knight in medieval Europe may be described as a sad and depressing one. In the middle ages knights were warriors and warlords who were willing to do anything just to secure their own position in life, including killing innocent civilians who had no opportunity to defend themselves.When knights were present in the court of their nobles, they became the butt of jokes and gossip about their excessive eating habits, excessive alcohol drinking and heavy smoking. Their activities and habits caused many people to dislike them as well as have a hard time getting along with them. For instance, a wealthy merchant was accused of kidnapping and mistreating his slaves.Some of the knights were feared for their military prowess. This is because they were known for using spears and swords in battle. The lifestyles of knights were a lot different from those of common men. When a knight became a member of the Royal Court of a noble, he was required to wear a red mantle to distinguish him from commoners.If a knight died in battle or if he was banished from the royal court, his body would be buried in a mausoleum, commonly referred to as a 'manor graveyard.' His possessions and money would be placed in trust in the hands of an appointed administrator. These administrators would continue the knight's life work, supervising his activities and making sure that he would not engage in activities that would disturb the life of the public or cause other problems.Medieval knights were very hard workers. A typical day for a medieval knight would include hunting and plowing fields. Other than hunting and plowing, knights also had to keep their families fed and their servants clothed. There are reports that knights had to face harsher punishments than common criminals.Knights usually went on tours and quests with their Lord (the ruler of the manor) and guarded the kingdom against enemies, who at times outnumbered them by hundreds. Knights were also required to take part in jousts and other jousting tournaments as well as taking part in duels with each other.The life of a knight in medieval Europe was certainly not easy. It was said that knights took part in the death ceremonies of their lords and they were sometimes put in the gallows. However, for the most part, knights were treated respectfully and considered as men of virtue and honor.The life of a knight was a lonely one filled with battles, bravery. However, it was an honorable life filled with duty and honor. It was a life of pain and suffering, but for the most part, a life of honor.

Shop thetiebar.com this Cyber Monday

Shop thetiebar.com this Cyber Monday I love online shopping because it is THE only way for me to shop like a guy-I go in, get what I need, and get out. When I go into a brick and mortar store, I usually come out with 10 extra items and forget what I originally went in for. Oops. This method is not a good one when shopping on a budget! Many people will return to their desks today and participate in the largest online shopping day of the year, commonly referred to as Cyber Monday. If there is one website you go to today, it is www.thetiebar.com. The Tie Bar sells 100% silk, handmade woven neckties for only $15 bucks. Along with hundreds of great patterns, colors and styles, The Tie Bar also has XL ties, cufflinks and boys ties. If you’re shopping for a wedding party, The Tie bar has ties that match bridesmaids’ dresses too. So make the men in your life proud and buy them a Tie Bar Tie today. Cross them off your long holiday shopping list. Your boyfriend will have everyone in his office fooled when he shows up looking like a million bucks in his $15 tie.

The Small Business People Puzzle, Part 1 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

The Small Business People Puzzle, Part 1 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career A  recent post titled Big Challenges for Small Business Owners  examined three important areas all successful small business owners must manage: people, finances, and time. In this and the following   posts, let’s look deeper into each of the three topics. First, let’s tackle the trickiest of the three: people. For many business owners, people truly are puzzling. Workers come in all shapes in sizes, both physically and ”mentally”. You hire one person who appears to be ideal and they fail miserably. You hire someone else who seems somewhat questionable and they become your superstar. Your existing employees are all over the map in performance and initiative. This leaves you wishing you could wave a magic wand and make it all the way you want it to be. If only it were that easy. There are lots of pieces to the people puzzle… way more than can be covered in a short post like this. So, let’s examine some fundamentals from the perspective of hiring new people. With a little creativity, many of the following principles can also be applied to your existing employees to improve their performance and job satisfaction. As you grow or need to replace people on your team, your key challenge is to find, attract, select, on-board, train, motivate, and retain the “right” people to ensure your business is successful. Let’s consider each of these steps briefly… The first step is to find the right people, or help them find you. Most owners find that the best people with the least risk for failure come through referral from people they know. Write an effective job description and share it with your network of business contacts and friends. Let them help you. But, it’s not enough to find the right people. You have to attract them to you, your business, and the job itself. Share with them what is great about your company and what types of people enjoy working there. Explain the benefits of working for you. Help them understand the potential growth and rewards of being a high performer. Whether you have multiple people or only one person, you need some type of selection process. Relying on gut instincts and soliciting reasonable answers to basic interview questions is not enough. There are a variety of pre-hire assessments that can be used to provide a more objective evaluation. Choose one or more assessments and apply them consistently in your hiring process. Once you have selected the right person, they need to be supported in the first weeks and months of coming on board. It need not be extensive, but a documented process for this definitely helps ensure that the new hire knows what they will be provided and what is expected of them. This is also the time to review job responsibilities together and explain how their performance will be measured and evaluated. Now that you have the right person on board, there is still a lot more to do. In the next post we’ll discuss training, motivating, and retaining them.

How To Job Hop Without Hurting Your Career - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How To Job Hop Without Hurting Your Career - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Job hopping is a way of life for many professionals, especially millenials who balk at the notion of staying with one company for their entire career. While moving from one job to the next to get ahead is acceptable, particularly for younger workers, it’s how you do the jumping that matters. “Everyone is allowed one or two instances of ‘bad fit,’ in which case you change jobs after a year or less, but in general, you should aim to stay with a company for at least two years,” says Aravinda Rao Souza, senior marketing manager at Bullhorn, a recruitment software company. “You want a chance to put down roots somewhere and really get to know a specific business.” Younger workers in their 20s will be given more leeway if they’ve made a lot of career changes. But once you hit your 30s experts say recruiters and hiring managers are going to be less forgiving to job hoppers. When it comes to job hopping, J.T. O’Donnell, founder and chief executive of  CAREEREALISM, a career advice and job search magazine, says there are two types. There are the serial hoppers whose entire career is made up of one or two year stints. Then there are the job hoppers who went through a rough patch when leaving one company and trying to find their ideal job elsewhere. Often those people make a couple of jumps before they find the one job they stay at for a while. If you fall into the latter category it will be easy for you to explain what happened and for hiring managers and recruiters to look past the hops. But if you are a serial job hopper, you will have a tougher time convincing employers that you are someone they should invest in. O’Donnell says people should aim to stay at their job for four or five years before moving on. “For the first two years you are developing… and after five years you are looking for progression,” she says. According to a survey conducted by Bullhorn, 39% of recruiters said the single biggest obstacle for an unemployed candidate is having a history of “job hopping,” or voluntarily leaving a company before one year even if the person keeps moving up. “When I see that someone has hopped jobs and gotten increasingly better titles with each new job, it’s a gigantic red flag for me as a hiring manager,” says Souza. “It shows me that they weren’t doing good enough work to get promoted within a single organization, so they had to climb the corporate ladder by continually going somewhere where they have no history.” For people who made a couple of wrong choices, the best thing they can do is be ready to have an honest explanation of why they did some hopping. Mary Marino, founder of EmployementPipeline.com, says the job candidate has to be able to substantiate why the job hopping was necessary. For instance, if there was no room to grow within the company, or if the job turned into something that wouldn’t further their career are two valid reasons for making some changes.   “Since previous job history is only one of many metrics used by employers to predict new hire commitment levels, I wouldn’t say it’s frowned upon or expected,” says  Marino.  â€œWhat is expected however is that job changes be thoroughly explained and are clearly in the best interest of the candidate’s career advancement.” One of the worst things they job seekers can say during an interview to explain away job hopping is “I’m always looking for another opportunity,” says Jeffrey Agranoff, principal at accounting firm Friedman.   Using that statement as an explanation will actually back fire instead of helping. “It’s a very popular answer lately but to me it’s an automatic turn off,” he says. “It doesn’t show loyalty. Why would I hire somebody who is always looking?” At the end of the day, the best thing people can do to advance their career and avoid hopping from one job to the next is to think strategically about their employment. That means before you accept any job, inquire about your progression within the firm. For instance is there a way to move up or will you be doing the same role in three or five years from now.   You also want to work for a company that provides you the opportunity to enhance your existing skills and learn new ones.   “It’s really about communications and having a game plan,” says O’Donnell. “If you can’t move forward at your current employer…then carefully choose your next employer to have that opportunity to grow.” Growing by switching companies is not the solution, she says. Author Bio Donna Fuscaldo  writes for Glassdoor.com.

How Cloud LMS Supports Training and Mentoring Next-Gen Leaders

How Cloud LMS Supports Training and Mentoring Next-Gen Leaders A learning management system, or LMS, has really revolutionized the way we approach employee training. The greatest advantage of an LMS is that they can still advance and we can tap into the full potential of eLearning by utilizing the capabilities of social network platforms.In the following article, we will discuss how an LMS, in conjunction with social media, can support training, mentoring, and even speed up the whole process.Leadership training and developmentevalevalThe corporate world and workforce are constantly evolving, and in order to keep up, leaders should change, too. If you are to acquire this new model of leadership and collaboration, you need to ensure that you and your management get the necessary specializations.A perfect solution for addressing this issue is an eLearning system, because it allows users to undergo training courses using social media, like webinars, and they can include social networks into their training structure.The reason why social network incl usion is essential for the training process is because of its widespread use. Humans are social creatures and they are strongly dependent on social interactions. So, all means of communication have evolved in order to satisfy that need for socializing.Why social media?Today, we mostly communicate via social networks, emails, SMS texts, etc. We also receive relevant information, news, and also buy products by relying on social media.Social media is now an integral part of life. People all across the globe rely on them and they have increased connectivity tremendously. In other words, social networks are potent tools that are largely underutilized within the corporate world. They have the potential to help with both leadership and eLearning, yet there is still some hesitance when it comes to using them for training programs.You can use social networks to interact with customers and employees. You can test the relevance of future projects and even turn it into a testing environment for future client managers or customer support representatives.Let’s see just how versatile social media can be for the purpose of training.1. Classroom and connectivityevalOne of the main advantages that eLearning brings to the table is the ability of learners to access the information individually. This allows the workers to train outside their workspace as long as they have access to the online course. As employees advance and learn new things, they can use the social network to share their knowledge, discuss ideas and create a network of knowledge.Creating this learning community boosts the efficiency of the eLearning training program itself. Some learners can comprehend concepts better if someone else explains them using different metaphors or comparisons. This type of exchange of experiences online can foster better collaboration.It is a truly remarkable synergy and those who know how to guide the group, and those to whom other learners look up to, are good leader material.2. I ndependence and innovationevalCommunity learning has yet another positive side and that is innovation. This kind of online collaboration creates a community that can effectively brainstorm new ideas online and find different ways to imply newly learned concepts. Of course, social media conversations and interactions tend to get hectic when a large number of users participate, so leaders get to create and maintain pages where other team members collaborate.Since this is definitely not a one man job, more people will be involved in page maintenance and categorizing ideas. Moreover, if a large number of users are also group members, people who are exceptionally good at answering their questions, or interacting with consumers in general, will make perfect community managers.3. Leadership is also about altruismThe role of a modern leader implies that you are more of a coordinator than an instructor. In a way, you are both, but for the leaders to be effective at their job, they need to li sten and acknowledge the ideas that come from the people they lead. You should identify new leaders among the groups you monitor so that you can create a functioning community that requires only minor supervision.You should take notice of other members’ strengths and weakness, in order to come up with effective future plans. Weaknesses should become areas for improvement, and strengths should be refined and utilized in the right way.All of this will be far easier to monitor if you adopt social media as your means of collaboration. There is a whole generation that grew up with these online tools, who view it as their comfort zone, so they are more likely to act natural and reveal their potentials and shortcomings.4. Cloud LMSSharing and collaborating online will be so much easier if the documents you use are linkable. Cloud LMS’ allow you to have an online working space, where your employees can collaborate and attend online courses, whereas social networks can serve as the space where they share their learning experiences and exchange results.It is crucial though, to find an eLearning system that your employees will know how to use. Also, cloud-based systems usually offer a secure and massive online storage, so there is a lot of room to create engaging and visually rich training programs. ConclusionThese were some clear benefits and reasons to switch to this style of eLearning and employee training. Your workers can get the knowledge they need and a form of team building exercise online. You can allow new talented leaders to emerge. It will also help everyone in the team hone their skills and work on their weaknesses.

Whos Hiring in Retail Vol 3 - CareerAlley

Whos Hiring in Retail Vol 3 - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else. Sam Walton Shoppers, start your engines! Well into the Holiday shopping season, and what better time to revisit Retail than now? Most of us think of the Mall or local department store when we hear the word retail, but for those of you who are in the industry you know it is much broader than that. Sales, distribution, buyers, personal shoppers (yes, you heard me correctly), retail operations and so much more. Todays post covers the entire spectrum. ihireretail.com Focused on retail jobs, the main page has featured jobs center page with job seeker sign-in on the left hand side of the page. Click the Search link top left hand side of the page to get to the search box. If you want to see jobs with out logging in, click this link == Retail Jobs Allretailjobs.com Another good retail jobs search site. Center page are featured companies (and lots of them). Click any one of them and to bring up their related page. Top of the site (when I checked) indicated that there were over 63,000 retail job opportunities. There are links on the left hand side of the page for registering and several different search boxes are at the top of the page. Retailgigs.com Your one stop career shop is the tag line for this site. There are over 74,000 job opportunities according to their website. Left hand side of the page has a search box (keywords and location). There is an advanced job search button below this along with job directory and jobs by category. You can join, logon, post your resume and take a look at their career resources. Workinretail.com Top of the page has tabs for Search Jobs, Saved Searches, and recommended jobs. Search box is on the left hand side with a few featured companies directly below followed by browse categories. Right hand side of the page has detail on recommended jobs and there are more featured companies that are based on where you live (neat!). AOL Jobs Retail AOL job search filtered for Retail jobs. Top of the page has Find a Job, Resume Center, Interview and Salaries and more with a simple search box at the top. Below this, center page, is the listing of retail jobs. Left hand side of the page are searches by all different categories. Dont forget to look at the right hand side of the page where you will find a number of job search related tools. Good luck in your search.Visit me on Facebook What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to identify and land your dream job. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

Career Advice for Those Over 50 - Hallie Crawford

Career Advice for Those Over 50 Certified Career Coach, was honored to have been quoted on Time.com recently regarding career advice for professionals in their 50s. The article, 6 Best Career Moves to Make in Your 50s, will give you tips to utilize at this pivotal point in your career. Know how to prove your worth. Rounding the half-century mark? It’s time to make some defensive moves to sustain your career success. “Some people automatically assume 50-something workers are resting on their laurels and coasting through to retirement,” says Amy Glaser, senior vice president at worldwide employment agency Adecco Staffing. As a more seasoned employee, you’re probably earning a relatively high salary, which could put a target on your back during company cost cutting, says Jaime Klein, founder of Inspire Human Resources, a New York-based HR consulting firm. Your play: Make your age an asset rather than a liability, by demonstrating your worth to your employer. Take these steps to show you’re indispensable. Read More