How to Become a Contractor

How to Become a Contractor by Michael Cheary Want to be your own boss? Contracting could be for you… There are many key benefits of contracting, ranging from higher rates of pay and more flexible working hours, through to getting to choose when and where to work, and when to take holidays. However, as contracting can come with less security than a permanent position, getting into the industry is not a decision to make lightly.To help you find out whether it’s the right choice for you, we spoke to ContactorUK, the UK’s number one IT contracting site, to find out the pros and cons â€" and learn the key steps you’ll need to take before you can start your first contract role.Do your researchFirstly, you need to thoroughly research your market to make sure there’s  demand for your skillset as a contractor.You also need to take a look at the rates currently being offered for your skillset, to see whether they meet your needs. You can do this by  checking roles online, using dedicated salary checker s, or even talking to recruitment agencies in your industry to see what kind of contracts are available.Another consideration is to see where the demand for your skillset is as you may need to be flexible on the location of your contracts depending on where the demand is.Find a contractThe easiest way to  find a contract  is by searching online.Looking at online job boards to see what types of clients and contracts are available is a great place to start â€" either by using the dedicated filters, or simply using ‘contractor’ as a keyword for your searches.It’s also worth checking job listings on company websites, subscribing to relevant newsletters, and keeping up-to-date with relevant forums, newsletters and social media sites.LinkedIn in particular is a handy tool for building your network and keeping in touch, and both online and offline networking are both extremely valuable ways of finding new contracts.Set up your own companySo, you have your first contract job in the b ag. You now need to decide how you want to run your business.  The two most popular business models for contractors are setting up a limited company, or operating under an umbrella company, and there are advantages and disadvantages of each.Setting up a limited company where you become director and shareholder, is the most tax-efficient way of contracting, and allows you to have complete control over your financial affairs. There are however legal obligations and paperwork requirements in running a limited company.Alternatively, if you choose to operate under an umbrella company, then they will take this responsibility off your shoulders by sorting the invoicing, paperwork, collection of money etc. on your behalf.However with the umbrella company model you do effectively become an employee again, and are therefore eligible for PAYE and national insurance contributions.Deciding which direction is right for you is one of the key considerations of contracting â€" so make sure you caref ully weigh up the pros and cons of each before making your decision.  Get to grips with IR35IR35 is a piece of tax legislation which directly affects contractors.It was designed to stop contractors working as disguised employees by taxing them at a rate similar to employment, and this affects all contractors who do not meet HMRC’s definition of self-employment.Contractors benefit from tax advantages, therefore if you are working as a contractor but with the same responsibilities, control and benefits as a permanent employee â€" you are not entitled to a different tax regime and should declare yourself inside IR35.If you declare that you are working outside IR35 but HMRC deems this to be untrue, you could face a huge tax bill and penalty. Therefore if you do declare that you are working outside IR35, it is essential to ensure that both your contract and working practices reflect that you are working as an independent contractor.It’s also worth noting that since April 2017, IR35 s tatus for public sector contracts is determined by the client, not the contractor. So if the client decides that IR35 applies, the contractor company is taxed at source, exactly as if it were an employee.Contractors: How to pay less taxGet yourself insured As a contractor, you’ll be providing professional advice and services which your clients rely on.That means that if something goes wrong, the company could decide to put in a claim against you.Even the most skilled or careful contractor can make mistakes, and clients have also been known to allege contractors have breached their contract or made mistakes when they have not.Professional indemnity insurance can protect contractors against such claims, and may cover legal costs due to negligence, or compensation needed to pay to correct a mistake.As well as protecting you and giving you peace of mind, professional indemnity insurance also provides reassurance to your clients. It’s now often specified as a requirement in many cont racts.  For more on getting started as a contractor  visit  ContractorUK.  Ready to try contracting? Search all available Contractor jobs now.Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Flexible working Self-employment

Resume Example for Nurses How to Land an Interview

Resume Example for Nurses How to Land an Interview Resume Example For Nurses: How to Land an Interview in This Competitive Field As careers go, nursing tends to be highly recommended. ‘Nurses can always find work.’, people will tell you. It is true that skilled nurses are in high demand. Indeed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the occupations related to healthcare will add the newest jobs between 2012 and 2022 with the total employment increasing by 10.8%.That said, nursing is a very competitive field. To get the best jobs, you have to outdo a lot of other skilled professionals, hunting for a better job. A great resume is key to accomplishing that and landing more interviews. Below you’ll find some quick tips for writing a resume, plus a detailed resume example for nurses for your review.Always Research The Hospital or Clinic You are Applying ToTeams deliver the best care to patients when everyone works very well together. Obviously, skills and experience are important. However, in nursing, culture is everything. Before you put together your resume and cover letter, learn more about the organization. This will help you to tailor your submission, and give you the assurance that you are pursuing a job that is a good fit.Want to make your job application even more memorable? Browse professional resume examples from other niches too!Write Your Resume For Two ReadersChances are, your resume is going to be read at least twice. The first time, it will be read by an ATS system or HR type. This is all about screening out applicants that simply aren’t a good fit. Your resume will be scanned for specific keywords. If a human is doing the job, and not an ATS system, they’ll look over your skills and experience briefly. To get through this, add relevant keywords in your resume and your cover letter.The second reader is much more important. This is your direct supervisor, the person you need to convince that you have the right skills and that you are a great match for the job. This leads up to the next tipBe Thorough When Outlining Your Hard and Soft SkillsSuccessful nur ses combine hard and soft skills in their efforts to meet the needs of patients. Both are important, and you should showcase them. Nurses must be patient, adaptive, team players. They should have excellent communication skills and show empathy in frustrating situations. Then there are your hard skills. These will vary according to your experience, specialization, and career path. List all relevant skills, but emphasize the ones that are most relevant to the job you are seeking. To make a list of these skills consider the type of procedures you perform, equipment you use, the medication you administer, and the populations you treat.Emphasize Your Duties and AccomplishmentsThe standard resume advice is that you should focus on your accomplishments, and not spend much if any time on your duties. That’s not really the case when it comes to nursing. Because your ability to perform your duties as required, with great accuracy and speed if needed is so important, your resume should fe ature both.Show You Pay Close Attention to DetailEditing and proofreading are very important here. That cannot be overemphasized. Accuracy and attention to detail are so important in this field, that missing spelling or grammatical errors can really count against you.Resume Example For Nurses (.docx version)Download resume example (.docx)Sample Resume For Nurses (text version)Margaret Bragg 4748 Shadowmar Drive, Metairie, LA 70001 (123)555-1234 maggie@email.comI’m a registered nurse with just over ten years of experience in clinical care experience. I’m an experienced team leader who specializes in coordinating continuing services for geriatric patients. I specialize in working with elderly patients who have ongoing mental health needs. I have managerial experience having led a team of nurses for the past five years.Work ExperienceNursing Team Leader Geriatric Mental Health/Memory Care Unit State Hospital, Everyday, CA June 2014 PresentManaged nursing staff in the geriatric, me ntal health and memory care unit of a state hospital. Duties included ensuring that the unit was adequately staffed at all times, supervising nursing staff, coordinating services, providing care to patients, administering psychiatric and other medications, assessing incoming patients, accompanying the resident physicians on rounds. Helped patients and their families arrange ongoing care after discharge. Coordinated care with local service agencies.Staff Nurse (RN) Maple Leaf Retirement Home And Rehabilitation Everyday, CA April 2009 June 2014Delivered ongoing care as part of a team of nurses, physicians, and other stuff. Maintained customer records. Administered medications, inserted IV lines, intubated patients. Coordinated care with physicians, occupational and physical therapists, and social service workers. Complied with HIPAA and other regulations.Nurse’s Assistant (CNA) City Hospital, Everyday, CA July 2003 March 2009Worked as a part-time CNA while attending university. Fl oated between multiple departments. Assisted nurses with various patient care and clerical duties.EducationCity College, Everyday, CA AAS in Nursing (RN) March 2007 March 2009 City Technical School, Everyday, CA HS Diploma And CNA License Graduated June 2006Organizational AffiliationsGeriatric Nursing Association of America Treasurer, Everyday CA Chapter of Nurses And Healthcare Professionals California State Nursing CommissionConclusionIn this sample, the person who’s applying for a job is fully licensed and has several years of experience. If your situation is different, play out your education and soft skills to your advantage, and opt for a functional resume format instead.And don’t forget a persuasive cover letter, combined with a matching resume template can change your odds of getting called back for that interview! previous article Focus Resume Template For Free next article A Compelling Resume Example for Sales To Nail Your Application you might also likeA Model Resume Example That Will Get Results

Why Do You Need a Weight Loss Diet

Why Do You Need a Weight Loss Diet Being healthy and fit is the goal of most people, but the couch does not make it possible for most people. Yes, couch or lack of physical activities makes a person lethargic and also makes it easy to put on weight. If you have continued the sedentary lifestyle for a while, you will definitely notice damage to your body. It is good to take drastic steps and start your pursuit towards losing weight in order to be healthy again. But how will you do that? Well, one of the best ways to do this is by following an Indian weight loss diet chart. A weight loss diet chart will help you with your endeavors to lose weight and get back to your fitter self again. Here are some reasons you need to go for an Indian weight loss diet chart. Do Weight Loss Diet Charts Help? Well, you will be glad to know that these do help you in your endeavor to lose weight. All that you need to do is to follow a pattern and you will be able to lose weight. There are several types of research conducted in this regard to find out whether eating healthy can really make a person fit again. Most of the studies show that when a weight loss diet chart is combined with the proper exercises there are increased chances of losing weight and getting back to the fitter self. Healthy Intake of Food What goes in comes out and reflects on your body, and so if you eat healthy food it will make you healthy, but if you eat food without proper proportion then that will make you unhealthy again. It not only helps you to lose weight but also provides the needed healthy nourishments to your body and makes it strong from the inside. Improves Your Metabolism An Indian weight loss diet helps you improve your metabolism as well. As a result, whatever you eat is not simply converted and stored as fat but is burnt by the body. If your metabolism is strong it will also help you get back the healthy organs that you need for your smooth body functions. Improving metabolism is a process that will take some time and so fast and best Indian healthy weight loss diet plan for women and men will help you get results for a long term. Sustainable Weight Loss You have put on the weight over a period of years due to your sedentary lifestyle, but then how do you ensure that this weight is lost? Well, a good Indian weight loss diet will help you to get sustainable results in your endeavors. If you lose a lot of weight all of a sudden then this is also not good for the body. So a proper diet chart will help you lose weight over time. However, you will need to make sure that you consistently put forth efforts for the same. What is Involved In Indian Weight Loss Diet? When you look for weight loss diet, you will come across a wide range of options. It is best to choose the diet that you can actually follow. If you are living in India and trying to find some exclusive food items exported from other countries, someday you will get tired because of non availability, the cost, and so on. However, if you choose an Indian weight loss diet, you will find all the items with great east and these are also well within your budget for sure. So your weight loss is not expensive but an affordable affair. Here are some of the tips to follow: Make sure that you drink enough water because in most cases thirst is masked as hunger by the body. As you feel hungry one of the best ways might be to drink plenty of water. This is one effective way to fill your stomach up and prevent from gorging later on. Go for super foods because these are known to be really helpful in your goal of weight loss. Super foods are nothing but concentrated nutrients from foods. Some of the nutrient rich food items are fiber rich foods, millets, seeds, certain grass varieties, and so on. Consume these foods items as recommended by experts for fast and best Indian healthy weight loss diet plan chart for women and men. Why not take an early small lunch? Well, it could be as simple as consuming chewy soups or salads. With this included in your meal plan, you will be less inclined to eat roti or rice. Ensure that you take enough amount of protein in your weight loss diet. If there is no protein in your diet, you will lack the essentials that can help you convert your food intake into energy. Many Health Benefits With Indian Weight Loss Diet A healthy and well balanced diet will not only help you lose weight but will also provide you numerous health benefits. For example, if you go for a healthy weight loss diet it will help you promote weight and also receive a number of benefits. The low rate of heart disease, low cholesterol, lower blood pressure and so on are some of the other benefits of an Indian weight loss diet. The Indian food items such as vegetables and several fruits also contain a lot of nutrients that will benefit you in the long run. So when it comes to choosing the best for your health, it is wise to only go for something that you will love to follow in the long run. There are several benefits of Indian weight loss diet but the only important thing to remember is to manage your diet and exercise well. It is a combination of workout and a good intake of food that will help you to reduce weight and become fit again. As you start your journey towards weight loss, you may fail to follow your diet plan in the initial stage but make sure that you never give up and keep trying.

E-Learning - The Online Folly

E-Learning - The Online Folly E-Learning While we the teachers may be the experts of the subject being taught, students can help us learn more about the art of education. Accepting this may help us tackle a perplexing puzzle with which colleges and universities now struggle: online education. For some schools like my own, this puzzle very nearly spelled the end. A short time ago our university president was expeditiously fired and then just as quickly reinstated. The main argument for her dismissal was her failure to implement  a working system of online learning. After all, several other schools were on the e-learning wagon: Stanford, Harvard, M.I.T., among others. So it seemed as though we were lagging, while the competition thrived. Veritably, it was announced this week that several more universities (including our own) had contracted with the company Coursera, who will assist in the development and set-up of online courses. Will online education ever really rival the quality of brick-and-mortar schools, though? Teaching a Two-Way Street This is where the student-teacher relationship hits the spotlight. A colleague recently lamented: “It’s not just about teaching students, it’s about learning’ ‘em too.” It took me a moment to catch on, but beyond the hillbilly vernacular was a very clear point. Teaching our students is just as much about educating them, as it is about us as teachers learning who the students are. ‘Facetime’ is the key to successful communication with students. The summer Shakespeare course which I currently teach is extremely complex and requires the comprehension of several facets. In order to be successfully learned I must be able to ascertain the potential of my students to interpret the material. Can they wrap their minds around the complexity of the plots? No? Perhaps it’s time to introduce a well-made film to break them in. Is the linear vernacular too difficult? If so, we must allot the necessary time to cover each speech word for word. A Great Blues Piece Each memorable class can be likened to a great blues piece. You have the fundamental rhythm, representing the syllabus. The improvised guitar is much the same as the improvisation integral to the class, laying extra color over the rhythm and beat. Through pragmatic means â€" quizzes and essays, the best of educators would find ways of keeping us tuned in. They seemed to have some sort of ‘teachers only’ ESP, honing in on our mood. A keen sense kept them abreast to changes: when we’d nod-off, when we were more attentive…to which they’d immediately react. A simple joke would be like the beacon of a lighthouse on a misty seaside, reaching out to connect with us. Dialogue and Teaching Sizable lecture classes also act as a means of epicenter from which intellectual communities are born. Beyond the core classroom, students will cross paths and interact, finding common ground and find them able to break the ice with those they may otherwise shy away from. It’s always nice to hear a student tell me that they and their friends have lively debates regarding the topics covered in class. When this happens, I feel I’ve done something right. I can now fluidly assimilate this knowledge into my teaching strategy for each class, an action not easily matched by online instructors. Online learning, conversely, lacks this teacher-student dynamic. The courses also lack the immensely critical immediacy of interaction. Emails take time to get from one person to another, not to mention the time spent writing. In this way, it can not really be considered a dialog. The Dynamics of Teaching I recently reviewed a pre-filmed online course from Yale. While the instructor was extremely intelligent and graciously articulate, the course was doomed to fail. Much like ‘Cheers’ was recorded before a live studio audience, so was this course. It was all very anonymous feeling. The worst part is that one could just as easily have enjoyed a coffee at Barnes and Noble and digested a good book on the subject â€" and would have taken more away from the experience. Truly memorable classes are always going to be those with a great student-teacher dynamic. True learning comes from intellectual community, something learned from Socrates. In practical cases, education comes from the collaboration between teacher and student which also leads to the satisfaction of acquiring new skills or knowledge. As with anything mechanized or digitized in this age, the prospect of e-learning seems doomed to be sought by those seeking solitude. It’s certainly a very lonely place for teachers and students alike.

How to Help Write a Professional Nerds Resume

How to Help Write a Professional Nerds ResumeHow to help write a professional nerds resume is an important question that many have faced in the past. It is because every successful candidate must be able to present their talents and skills. These can be presented through a resume or even by providing some samples of skills that you have acquired over the years.Some may wonder what they can do to help themselves. What they can do is to gather enough details about the skills that they possess and even the people that they have worked with. Once they have this information, they will be able to provide you with the information that you need to know.You should also compile some personal experiences that you have been part of. This may not be as useful as some of the previous sources of information, but it can still give you some ideas on how to do this. Some of the personal experiences can be considered as awards and achievements. You can list some of these in your resumes.The next step i s to prepare the resume. A professionally written resume will most likely get you a better position or raise than one that is poorly written. This is because an employer will see your resume before he has had a chance to read your other documents.You can also help yourself by making a cover letter. The cover letter must be of a reasonable length and contain the information that you need to know. If you really want to help yourself, make sure that you don't forget this crucial detail.It is very important that you think of all the details before you begin writing your professional nerds resume. This will help you create a unique resume for each of your experience. You must be aware that there are a lot of resumes on the market today. Ifyou have had some jobs in the past, you need to have a resume that is specific to the job that you are applying for.These are designed to give a great amount of detail. This will help you to be noticed as an employee by employers. Once you are able to w rite a professional nerds resume, you will find that you are more popular among job seekers than you might have thought.Writing a professional nerds resume is no easy task. However, once you begin to do this, you will realize that it is not a job at all. All it takes is a little planning and effort to create a resume that stands out above the rest.

What would you do about a gossiping boss - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

What would you do about a gossiping boss - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog While Im away on vacation (actually Im spending most of it renovating our new apartment) could you please take a moment to read this question from a reader and give her your 2 cents? Thanks! Hi I would appreciate some advice from anyonereally..PLEASE! My company just got a new manager, my old manager was bad..he was verbally abusive but he had his good sides in his organizational skills and neatness. When I found out there would be a new manager I became excited as I wouldnt get yelled at anymore. When she got hired I became assistant manager. I became even more excited because I felt like I could finally exert my potential and really help out in the workplace. Well that quickly became crap when a girl that hates me befriended my boss. My boss quickly began gossiping about me to my coworkers, asking them to not tell me anything, saying that I want her job, saying that Im the one who gossips about her andI give her attitude. Hearing about this was harsh because I tried to be as nicest and as helpful as possible. I tried backing off and letting her take the reigns so she wouldnt feel threatened by me (I have more experience in the facility). .but nothing has worked, she seems to be gossiping MORE now. The people that I have asked for advice tell me to let it go and that my hard work will shine through in the end and she will see that Im not a bad person and all the rumors she hears will all be disproven. I dont know what to do, I dont now if I should approach her or how to solve the problem. Its become quite stressful. My company doesnt really work closely with HR and its an at will company so she is pretty much able to can my ass if she wants to. I hate it when people talk about me and its been hard holding back. Can anyone give me helpful advice. PLEASE?? 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

The 5 Questions to Ask at Any Job Interview

The 5 Questions to Ask at Any Job Interview 69 Flares 69 Flares Natasha Hodgson  is a careers and entrepreneurship enthusiast, currently working as Community Manager for vibrant internships and jobs platform  Enternships  (@enternships). . . It’s easy to sit and fret about the interview. Those people, in their fancy clothes and their clean chairs, forcing you to run the intellectual gauntlet all in the name of employment. And true, you should be boning up on your personal achievements and your risk taking and your examples where you saved a group of co-workers from that fire â€" but remember, this isn’t a one-way street. At the end of every interview, after all the example-giving and the quick-fire know-how, there’s one thing you can guarantee. “So, do you have any questions for us?” they smile. And here, here is where you can out-perform the rest. Whilst other FOOLS might sit back, sweating slightly and quivering with relief that it’s all over, you finally get your turn. Because question time is rife with the opportunity to shine. Without further ado, here are the five questions you should always ask your potential employers, the lucky dogs that they are. 1. So, why do you like working here? First off, people like talking about themselves.   That’s just a truth. Getting your potential employer to relax and speak positively and enthusiastically about his or her company is a sure-fire way to spark proper, warm conversation, rather than just a slightly stilted, professional back and forth. It also makes you seem genuinely interested in them as an individual, which generally speaking, people respond well to. And hell, you need to get the dirt on this company. If they can’t muster enthusiasm, the likelihood is you won’t be able to either. 2. Are there opportunities for professional training or official qualifications? Oh hello, I believe that’s what they call the old switcheroo. Because dammit, you’re not the only one who has to come across well here. Sure, you want to be offered the job â€" no-one likes rejection, after all â€" but it’s important to keep in mind what exactly the job can offer you, too. You want to make sure that this company is a place that cares about the personal development of its team, and this question is the perfect way to get this across. It also highlights the fact that you are ambitious and always wanting to improve. Which is nice. 3. What does a typical day at [place of work] look like? It’s almost impossible to get a sense of a company without spending a bit of time in it â€" so this question tries to plug at least a few of the gaps. When your interviewing overlord is answering, look out for key indicators that might give a clue as to how this company runs â€" morning meetings to discuss the work ahead are a good sign, as is a healthy mix of solitary work and projects involving a few different people. Zero structure whatsoever is usually a warning of a haphazard way of working â€" but heck, that might be your bag. It ultimately comes down to how you like to work, so if it all sounds good to you then shut us up. 4. I  saw that you did [cunning researched thing] recently, how did affect [cunning researched metric]? OK, we’ll admit it, this is a secret question. This is the question that you ask not because you really care about the answer (though hopefully you do), but because you want to say the words “I AM THE LORD OF RESEARCH. GAZE UPON ME AND WEEP YOUR ADMIRING TEARS.” It’s the question that you came up with when googling their company, studying their recent projects and checking out their surrounding market. The question that is equal parts insightful, respectful, enthusiastic and ever so slightly nerdy. In all honesty, it’s not a question, it’s an answer. And the answer is “yes, I really am THIS smart.” 5. Are there any opportunities for travel/networking/flextime/company boat hire[whatever it is that lights your curiosity fires]? Because at the end of the day, this is your life. Before you sign on any dotted line, you need to make sure that you get to do whatever it is you love, ensure that your deal-breaker is being taken care of. Don’t be afraid of asking the big questions â€" the worst they can say is “sorry, but no”, and it’s much better that you know now, rather than 6 months in. The only other thing to keep in mind is that five ish questions is about right, in terms of time. These people have things to do, people to see, delicious office cappuccinos to drink. Make an impact, but be succinct. If they’re having THAT good a time talking to you, they’ll certainly ask you back.