For most people the relationship between an employee and employer ends with the employment. Many believe that as soon as you receive your final pay check you bid farewell to your employer forever. However, your relationship with your previous boss should ideally continue for at least ten years from the day you officially leave your job.  You should strive to keep a healthy relationship with your past employers and network with them as often as you can because:

• When you look for new employment and attend interviews, you can expect the questions like, ‘did you had a healthy working relationship with your ex-boss’ or ‘what is the opinion of your past supervisor about you’? Having a good relationship with your ex-boss puts you in a better position to answer these questions.
• You may need to provide details of your past employers for the references list. Your potential employer may contact your past employer and ask about your general behaviour, performance and work attitude.
• Assuming that you leave your employment at a positive note, you could consider getting re-hired by the same employer. Why not? You hear stories about employees getting rehired by the same employer. It could be you too!
• Building and maintain a network comprising of your past employers and ex-colleagues is always a great thing to do. Your network could be the key behind your career success as these people can help you with job leads.

So what can you do end your employment at a positive note and to leave way for positive relationship with your past employer?

Here are few tips that could help:

Have a Smooth Quitting Process
How you quit your job lays the foundation of good or bad relationship with your boss. You can make it a smooth process leaving both parties contented OR you can do the opposite and have a bitter experience. Once you have decided to leave, gather your reasons to quit and communicate them to your boss in the best possible way. If you are leaving because of factors like relocating or taking care of family, it can be much easier to explain. If you are leaving because of some other work-related factors, you can simply say that you are looking for a more challenging job opportunity that could use your full potential.

Provide a Notice Period
If possible, provide at least one month notice period. This will not only provide your employer adequate time to find your replacement and train them while you are there but it will also show how much you care about the company.

Tell your boss about your resignation yourself.
Make sure that your boss hears the news of your resignation from you and not anybody else.  Hearing news from someone else will not make them happy and it will also show that you don’t trust them. Have a discussion about your boss about your quitting decision and let them ask questions and provide you options.

Acknowledge and Thank your Boss
On your last day at work, make sure you have a farewell meeting with your boss. Thank them for their support and let them know how much you have learned from them and their feedbacks. Ask them if you could include their name in your references list.

Requesting a Job Reference
Before you submit your ex-boss name and contact details to your potential employer, ask for permission. You can call them or send an email for this purpose.  Let them know about the time when they should expect the call from your potential employer. If possible, send your ex-boss a copy of your resume so that they know about your key strengths.

Lay the Foundation of a Good Relationship
Few weeks after your resignation, send your boss an email or text just to say hello. Provide them brief details about your current condition like relocating or news about the new job. Make sure you provide them your new contact info and show your interest to stay in touch with them.
Make it a habit to get in touch with your former boss through an email or a phone call once in a while.

Remember, networking is considered to be the topmost way to land a job in today’s economy, as most of the jobs are filled via word of mouth. When you connect with your old employer and ex-colleagues, you make your network stronger, bigger and better which can eventually help you in your career success.  So, keep a positive and friendly relationship with your previous boss and you might need their help in near future.

Ever found yourself in an embarrassing work situation where you want to crawl under the desk, become invisible and not have anybody notice that you’re there? Don’t worry! You are not alone. Work blunders happen everywhere and are an occurrence in almost everyone’s lives. Committing a blunder is bad enough, what’s worse is when that blunder is widely publicized amongst your co-workers, peers and supervisors. Such situations can have a detrimental effect on one’s morale and self-esteem.

Here are some of the most common and embarrassing work blunders that happen at workplaces.

• You committed a major error while working on a very important project causing massive loss of the company’s time and money.
• You sent a job offer letter to the wrong candidate. (Yes, this has happened)
• You forwarded a highly confidential document containing valuable company information to the wrong client.
• You wrote something bad or offensive about your immediate boss and instead of sending it to your friend you sent it straight to your boss. (Ouch).
• You were supposed to conduct a training or workshop and you just forgot about it.
• As you can see there is no limit to how far you can go in making an embarrassing work blunder. The key, however, is to recover from the embarrassment and humiliation associated with the said blunder without losing your cool.

Here are a few tips that could help you recover from an awkward work situation.

Own up to your mistake and act responsibly
Okay, so you made a mistake. Now is the time to rectify the situation. There is no use in hiding, passing the buck to someone else for your mistake or pretending that it didn’t happen at all. Face the situation. Apologize and make all possible efforts to repair the damage.

Stay Calm
It is easy to become stressed out and nervous once you become aware of the gravity of your mistake. Stay calm. It’s not the end of the world.

Take time to analyze the situation
Ask yourself what went wrong, what made you commit the error and what you could do differently. Instead of regretting what you have done, focus on how you can avoid the same situation in the future.

Move on
Once you have accepted and apologized for your mistakes and tried your best to rectify them, move on. What happened has happened. There’s no use crying over spilt milk.

Everyone make mistakes. The point is how you learn from your mistakes and avoid making them in future. Remember the expression, ‘better safe than sorry’ and try to apply it to your daily work life.

While evaluating a job offer, do you prefer career advancement opportunities or better compensation? It can be tough to choose one between the two. You want to have great career opportunities along with an excellent compensation package in your job. But what do you prefer more?

According to a recent survey by Right Management, which is a division of ManPowerGroup, most of the workers admitted that they prefer to have personal and professional growth opportunities in their next job, rather than compensation and a flexible working environment.

Here are the findings of this survey:

• Number of employees who prefer greater opportunity for advancement – 27%
• Those who give priority to better management team – 21%
• Those who prefer more flexible work environment – 21%
• Employees who give preference to better compensation – 17%
• Those who prefer less work pressure – 14%

The above survey determines that employees do understand that in bad economical conditions raises, bonuses and benefits maybe occasional and that’s why they look for career development and personal growth opportunities as a reward to their efforts and hard work. Employers should also take this as a hint and they should offer a well-defined career path and personal development prospects for their employees. This may include varying the job responsibilities for employees, shuffling the teams, tasks and projects, arranging workshops and training programs, encouraging the employees to further their education and anything related to career advancement of employees that avoid them to feel stagnant at their jobs.

Given below are some of the reasons stated by employees about choosing career growth over the benefits and compensation:

1. When you provide a big pay check to your employees and do not provide them personal satisfaction and growth opportunities, they will never be happy. Compensation and rewards are important and attract employees but soon they begin to realize that these rewards are worthless when the fundamental element that keeps them satisfied is not there.
2. Employees look for a new job the moment they start feeling stagnated in their careers. When they see that there is no room to grow and develop themselves and their skills, there are no learning opportunities and the organization is doing nothing to add value to their employability, they think it’s better to quit and find a better job.
3. Compensation means money, salary, pay check and bank account. Career growth means adding value to your profile, increasing your self-esteem, confidence, satisfaction, responsibilities and skills. It’s quite obvious why more employees go for career growth.
4. If you dread going to work every day and you have to force yourself to work, then you really don’t care about the compensation. Career growth, development and job satisfaction are some things which makes stay motivated and positive at work.
5. So it is decided that more and more employees choose and prefer career growth and development over the compensation. So, how you should know in advance if the company you are choosing will help in your growth and development?

Given below are few tips to evaluate a job offer before accepting it.

First try finding out about the position you have been offered.

• How long it has been vacant and why the previous employee left it?
• What would be your job responsibilities?
• Are there any targets set and are these targets realistic?
• Does this position provide any room for the future opportunities?
• What is your development potential in this specific job position?

Once you have evaluated the position, find out about the company.

• Is the company on the growing and profitable side?
• What is the growth and development potential for the company?
• What is the company’s market share?
• Does the upper management consist of new people or those who have been promoted?
• Does the company take care of employees’ development opportunities?
• What is the retention rate of employees?

Find out the following about your potential boss.

• How long he has been serving on this job?
• What is his academic and professional background?
• Who does he report to?
• What is his growth and development potential?

Don’t forget to evaluate the following general factors too:

• Does the job position suit well according to your academic background and professional experience?
• Do you like the job responsibilities?
• Are there sufficient growth and advancement opportunities?
• Will you be developing new skills and adding valuable experience?
• Will this job experience be valuable for you in the future?
• Does the position fits well in your short-term and long-term career objectives?
• Is the salary and benefits adequate for you or Are you satisfied with the compensation?

The more you try to find out the better it is. It is good to do your research in advance and find out about the career development and growth opportunities that would be offered to you at your new job. When you are personally satisfied about the job you are doing, compensation really becomes a secondary thing.

Facebook has recently hit 1 billion active users worldwide and Twitter claims to have over half billion active users. With almost every other person on the earth joining these famous social media websites, is there any use to join the smaller niche communities? The answer is a big ‘Yes’. Smaller niche communities are targeted to specific areas of interest and smaller groups of like-minded people having same goals or preferences. Moreover, many businesses have also started such groups for their customers. These groups allow current and prospective customers to interact with the company and among each other for suggestions, feedback, complaints and ideas. These niche groups have catered to their audiences better than the social media kings, believing that success is more about quality than quantity.

Additionally, many of these niche online communities are becoming the hot place to be for prospective employees. We at MUST University Career Center continue to stress on the importance of becoming a part of such niche online communities to its students mainly because due to the exclusivity of such communities, prospective employees are able to connect with like-minded individuals and build a network that is tailored to their preferences. Today, MUST University Career Center talks about the many advantages niche online communities provide and how these can help boost your career profile.

Given below are the top 5 reasons why niche online communities are rapidly becoming popular.

Small groups are safe and secure
Credibility is a major issue when it comes to big groups boasting millions of users. Anyone can take you for a ride on Facebook or even LinkedIn. With small niche groups, however, it is pretty safe and secure. Some of these groups like PoliceOne even require people to submit their professional credentials before providing membership.

Small group members talk in code
Go to any of the small groups like Spicewors or FohBoh.com and you will see members talking in coded language. This may seem like Greek to a first-time visitor but, then again, that’s the point – if you are a member of that group, you will not have to worry about anyone being able to read and understand what’s being talked about. Your privacy is kept secure.

Find the people you have been looking for
If you belong to a technical or highly-specialized field you find it quite difficult to find people working in the same field as yours. Small professional groups are a great way to find such like-minded individuals or people who are working in the same professional area. With these people, you can share your ideas, suggestions and other useful information related to field of interest. The information you get from these professional people is much more credible and valuable that what you can possibly find in a Google search result.

Get information from a reliable source
As a professional or an entrepreneur, there are times when you require information from experts or learned professionals currently working in your field. Whether it is information related to the job market or which company is currently at the top, these people will provide you with factual information that is relevant to the situation you are facing at the time.

Now that you know the important role niche online communities play, the question is; where does one start looking? Here are some highly popular niche online communities that have been made to match users’ interests.

• UCubed
UCubed is an online community that is particularly helpful for people looking for jobs or a career change. UCubed is a gateway to a whole new world filled with exciting career opportunities that you can take advantage of.

• ResearchGate
This network is specifically designed for scientists working in different branches of science. Members can easily interact with one another by sharing ideas, white papers, research journals, lectures, etc.

• Italki
This group brings together people who are learning or want to learn different languages. Members can exchange language lessons or purchase lessons from expert members.

MUST University Career Center:
MUST University’s Career Center is a one-stop source for assistance on career-related issues faced by students at every stage of their professional careers. With incomparable facilities such as resume and cover letter writing, job placement services and career counseling services, students stand to gain tremendous advantages that help boost their career profiles. MUST University’s Career Center is committed towards enabling students and alumni build a prosperous future for themselves and fulfill their career ambitions.

We meet many people during the course of our lives. Some of them create a good impression right at the first meeting while others leave much to be desired. Most of the times, we don’t even know why we like or dislike someone. Such feelings stem from whether that person has been able to develop a strong and long-lasting relationship based on trust and reliability. This is what is known as building a good rapport.

A rapport can be described as being comfortable with someone such that one is able to develop a bond of trust with him/her. It can be termed as the most important element for any form of interaction. Fortunately, we can consciously use this phenomenon to build strong relationships, in our personal as well as professional lives, quickly and easily.

Given below are some sure-shot ways of building rapport:

•    The first impression people have of you comes from the way you dress and present yourself. Therefore, it is always a good idea to dress appropriately.

•    When you meet someone for the first time, try your best to find something that the both of you have in common. This works as an ice-breaker and a great start to a conversation. It also shows that you are genuinely interested in what the other person has to say.

•    Another proven way to build rapport is to match their rate of speech. This may seem a bit awkward to do but it results in greater connection.  People either talk really fast or really slow. It is important to match the speed at which a person is talking in order for him/her to develop a favorable impression of you. Otherwise, if you’re talking slowly to a person who talks fast, you will come off as unintelligent with an inability to process information quickly.

•    Many people value a great listener. Repeating and approving what the other person has just said leaves a positive impact as it shows that you are listening to what he/she is saying.

•    This one works like a charm. Act like you already have a great rapport with the person you’re speaking to. Many people feel good when they are given importance. By acting this way, you can pave the way for a stronger relationship that lasts longer.

So there you have it! 5 unique ways on how to build rapport with virtually anyone and everyone. By using the techniques mentioned above, you are sure to be on your way towards building and maintaining long lasting relationships!

Being an entrepreneur is everyone’s dream; it’s quite unlike that plain 9-to-5 job and needs a whole range of attributes and abilities that separate a businessman from an ordinary worker; it requires a great deal of grit, perseverance, patience, focus, and, above all, a fine business acumen. Becoming an entrepreneur or a CEO of an organization is the pinnacle of one’s career, and is something one aspires to become throughout one’s life. Some succeed while some fail, but the passion remains—which is the main driving force behind this great pursuit!

Below are the top reasons why you should become an entrepreneur:

Be your own Boss
Probably the best part about becoming an entrepreneur is the fact that you can be your own boss. There is no one to report to or take orders from; you’re the one in charge, therefore you’re the one who gets to make all the decisions. However, there’s a catch; you’re the one responsible for what’s taking place in your company, therefore you will be held accountable in case something goes wrong. Still, it’s a great opportunity to learn the rules of the game and in turn enhance one’s skills and capabilities.

Work At Your Own Convenience
Following an office routine can prove to be quite tedious, not to mention mundane. As an employee, you are required to complete your tasks and assignments within a given deadline. On the other hand, being an entrepreneur gives you the advantage of working at your own convenience. You have the freedom to work at any time of the day or night and at your own pace. The important part is that you get to decide.

Job Security
In today’s unstable economy, where companies are in the middle of downsizing, it has become increasingly difficult to hold on to one’s job. Organizations have become unwilling to recruit new talent, painting a very sad picture of the job market landscape. During such bad economic times, it’s not a bad idea to start your own company. At least, you’ll know that your employment status is secure.

Doing What You Love
To be able to do what you’ve always wanted to do and pursue it as a profession is perhaps the best thing you could ever do. Most people who turn their passion into a full-time job are seen as extremely lucky as they are not pushed to make the effort and strive in making their idea work. Motivated by their love for their work will enable them to realize their dream of being successful and help them achieve their goals.

So there you have it! 4 major reasons why you or anyone should become an entrepreneur. If you believe you have it what it takes to make a difference in the world of business, then go for it. All you need is hard work, determination and little bit of luck, then you’ll be on your way towards making your dreams come true.

In this age of the Internet, it’s no longer difficult to do anything. The Web is flooded with lots of information about anything you want to know, whether it’s about writing an effective resume or preparing a well-written cover letter, finding details about an individual or organization, or even getting to know in advance about your prospective job or employer. Indeed, it is very important to know beforehand whether the job you are going to do is relevant to your field and that it will help you improve your career prospects. And you can all this through exhaustive research on the Internet!

Here is how a better research can help you land a better new job:
   
•    Performing career research helps you to get acquainted with the line of work before putting in much time, energy and other resources to the field.  This is particularly important for someone entering a new field or changing role while being in the same industry.

•    When you go for a job interview, make sure you have done enough research about the company history, its values, vision and mission, its core business, number of employees and other key information. If you don’t know any of these things, the employer will presume that that you are not taking the job seriously.

•    Prior research for your career can also be beneficial for the interviews you attend for the potential job. Additionally you can also improve your job performance by finding out about the latest industry trends, routines and expectations from the employees.

•    Having complete knowledge about your career field can also impress the recruitment and hiring managers. These managers often prefer individuals who are motivated, positive and well-informed about the career choices they make.
 

•    A good career research also allows you to develop a career path in a strong and effective way. When you research for a certain career, you get know about its important aspects and pros and cons. You also get to know about people who have worked for a specific career and the factors that made them successful or unsuccessful.

It’s an established fact that good research is key to landing a great job. Being prepared and well-informed about the organization to which you are applying and showing that you are serious and motivated can help you get a fulfilling and rewarding job.

Your relationship with your boss is extremely important for the success and progress of your career. Some people think of a boss as an enemy or as someone who is continuously criticizing them for everything they do. In reality, your boss is someone you can look up to. He knows about the work you are doing and you can always seek guidance from him for any issue you might have. So, it’s crucial that you have a relation of trust and respect with your boss, where both of you work to achieve the company’s goals.

Below are some of the ways to develop a good working relationship with your boss. Give it a shot!

Make an Effort to Learn More about your Boss
Spend some time to understand your boss’s personality, his expectations from employees and his interests and preferred way of working. Watch closely and listen to him, keeping your opinion to yourself. Ask questions about his objectives and goals for further clarity. Once you have got an idea, try to act according to his likes and expectations and you will face fewer conflicts and misunderstandings.

Communicate with your Boss the Way He Wants
Some bosses like to communicate with their employees daily while others contact them once or twice a week. Whatever your boss’s style of communication is, it is your duty to maintain a good relationship with him. Make sure he is well-informed about the projects you are doing, the deadlines you have met for any previous projects and the results of anything you have successfully completed.

Avoid Excuses and Unnecessary Delays
Every boss wants his work on time. Nobody is interested in listening to excuses, no matter how genuine they may be. It is your responsibility to finish the task on time, so make sure you do it efficiently and effectively.
 
Do More than Expected
Doing the tasks assigned to you doesn’t set you apart from others. Instead, try to do more than expected. Look for additional tasks and better ways of doing them. Take initiatives in getting things done which you think should be done by someone else. Be proactive rather than reactive; this way you will soon be in your boss’s good books.

Be Professional and Well-Mannered
Dress appropriately, be punctual and courteous. Say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ whenever needed. It does make a difference and your boss might develop a favorable impression of you just because of any of these basic qualities.

Leave your Bad Mood at Home
Your boss expects to see you full of positive energy and motivation. Try to fulfill his expectations. Show a professional attitude and your willingness to take on any project.

Students wishing to pursue their career in journalism can enroll at MUST University’s School of Social Sciences and study under highly qualified and experienced faculty members. Through MUST University’s specialized courses, students will be able to gain perspective thorough understanding of the numerous aspects of journalism. Courses related to broadcast journalism and news writing help students gain an informed outlook towards the world of journalism and the requirements of the field.

In addition to the university’s comprehensive programs and well-structured courses, students are provided with an environment that promotes learning through interactive classroom sessions combined with one-on-one counseling sessions with faculty members and student advisors. Through MUST University’s Career Center, students are able to develop the skills and talents needed to make an impression on their future employers. What’s more, they are also able to get an updated view on the market with relation to employment opportunities and the demand for various skills and capabilities.

MUST University’s School of Social Sciences has produced a number of successful journalists and sociologists who have made their mark in their respective fields. This depicts the level of excellence that MUST University’s School of Sciences has managed to achieve in such a short span of time. With an internationally accredited degree from MUST University, students are given the chance to carve a niche for themselves in the corporate world.

If you want to be worthwhile in the eyes of others around you and highlight your strengths after earning an online accounting degree you need to create a personal brand.  Branding is not only for big organizations anymore, an individual can also brand himself or herself. After earning online degree in accounting from online school or online university you can build you personal brand by the help of following steps.

Consider Building Personal Brand as an Investment; your personal brand can be longer than your life, whatever you have done in your life is your reflection for a long time, like an investment on yourself, the better you will perform in your life the better your profile will be. For example after earning an online accounting degree your profile will reflect whatever you have learned in that degree and what accounting software you have worked on and the projects you have made. I.e. if you have earned an online accounting degree from any online school or online university like MUST University, your profile will reflect the projects and learning that you have experienced at MUST University.

Goal Setting for Public Profile; the personal brand is reflection of reactions, words and perception of others; it is outlined by the way you publically present yourself. With an online degree of accounting from MUST University, you need highlight your goals in the field of accounting, the expertise you developed to gain more attraction.

Starts a Website or Blog; it will develop good association with people. For example you can include a mini bio with your post about your accounting degree and about the online school or online university from which you earned the online degree.

Be Ubiquitous Personally; keep involving in social project in which you can take part as accounting professional and you can show your presence.

Keep Your Brand Fresh; you need to keep updating your brand updated so that your brand remains fresh.