Latest news with #jobhunting
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Steal This ChatGPT Prompt To Make $10,000/Month From Your Resume
If your resume is not being picked up by employers, repurpose it into a business asset Your resume is being wasted on job boards, and you know it. You keep sending out job applications. You follow all the rules. You target specific employers. You keep tweaking and tailoring your resume to ensure it hits all the keywords so that their ATS system scans it and you're in the interview pile. You wait for ages for interview invites. Still nothing. Days, even weeks, refining and fine-tuning this precious one- to two-page document. But you're still not getting anywhere with your job applications. You're nowhere closer to landing a dream job than you were a few months ago when you started job hunting. Have you wasted your time? Was all that effort on your resume in vain? It depends on what you do now with it. Most people use resumes only for applying for jobs. After all, that is their main purpose, right? But did you know that you can turn your resume into something far more valuable that makes you money and rebuilds your career even if you never landed a job again? Resumes are valuable because in just a couple pages at most, you're able to share the highlights of the value of your years of experience, the skills you've learned, the certifications you own, and essentially, your elevator pitch in your professional summary section. Hopefully, if designed correctly, you've highlighted your quantifiable metrics, what you designed, executed, delivered, spearheaded or achieved. This positions your resume as an invaluable sales pitch for your own freelance business venture (you're essentially hiring yourself). And it's even better when done with AI. Using your resume for the sole purpose of attracting job leads means that you're missing out on its enormous potential for generating inbound revenue through client contracts, partnerships, and freelance and gig work. Instead of making your resume a relic of the past, use it to demonstrate your credibility and provide proof of value. Your resume, as it is, or the details extracted from it, can demonstrate to potential clients and partners: Here is the prompt: You are a copywriter and your job is to help professionals turn their resumes into persuasive client pitches for freelance contract work and partnerships. Based on my attached resume, create a short freelance bio and a LinkedIn About section that: Some examples of use cases and applications for the results of this prompt include: You can take this a step further and ask ChatGPT to help you create multiple business assets using your resume as the base for information, for example: In fact, when I was laid off from my job as a project manager in March 2023, I had no other choice but to turn my resume into a business asset. In fact, I'd applied for jobs for almost six months, and still no offer. I was doing everything right. I even made it to the third and final interview stages. But I had less years of experience than the next person. So, instead of letting my resume rot and go to waste, I reinvented myself and transitioned from an employee mindset to a full-time entrepreneur. This mindset shift enabled me to pivot into a six-figure income annually, where I've made $10,000 , and even $40,000+ on some some months. So, the next time you're tempted to discard your efforts on reworking your resume as a waste of time because employers won't hire you…think again. Your resume holds significant value beyond a traditional job. It's time to view it as a business growth tool. You can adapt your resume to land freelance clients, even if you have no experience as a freelancer What if I don't have experience as a freelancer? You can still use your resume to land freelance clients. Leverage your employment experience for credibility and speak to the outcomes you delivered. How do I make money from ChatGPT? ChatGPT can be used to make money by generating passive income, like the passive income ideas and ChatGPT prompts listed here.
Entrepreneur
11-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Editor's Note: Home Working is Great – Until the Company Gets Too Big
53% of employees say they would consider quitting if asked to increase their in-office presence, emphasizing the ongoing demand for flexible work arrangements. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. The new survey on employment sentiment in the UAE, by Michael Page, a global recruitment consultancy, makes fascinating reading. "Despite economic uncertainty, 77%of professionals in the UAE are actively exploring new job opportunities, a sharp rise from 65% in 2024," the survey said. Basically a polite way of saying the majority of your colleagues (and probably you as well) are job hunting. "Companies that can offer clear answers to the pressing questions of today's professionals are better positioned to stand out in a complex talent market," the survey said. It added that recent years have brought dramatic shifts in workplace dynamics in the country, fueled by evolving priorities, new expectations, and rapid AI advancements. But here is the really key bit: while only 34% currently work hybrid, 53% of employees say they would consider quitting if asked to increase their in-office presence, emphasizing the ongoing demand for flexible work arrangements, it said. Unless I read that wrong, what this is saying is that the majority of people would give up their job, and step into the unknown, rather than having to consider actually coming into work. I know there are multiple views on this. But the main point I believe is that companies need to be clear from the outset what their policy is, otherwise, it leads to a muddled work environment where nobody is quite sure who is where and what they are doing. This is especially true is companies with over 200 staff, where communication break downs between those in and out of the office are more common. I have heard many stories of fairly large organizations – some with over 500 staff – where at least 10% are often believed to be "missing." The bigger the organization, the easier it is to disappear from everything but the payroll. "The message from UAE professionals is loud and clear. They want clear answers, purpose, trust, flexibility, and future-focused leadership, said Jon Ede, Regional Director UAE at Michael Page. He couldn't be more right. But in my view, home working policies can be very effective – until companies reach a certain scale, probably the 200 staff mark.
The Sun
10-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
The best jobs that allow you to retire early and how you could boost your pension pot to £345k
EVERYONE dreams of escaping the daily grind early and retiring - but what jobs will help you do that as quickly as possible? Here, we reveal the top roles to get the best paid pension and the employers offering more to make you richer in retirement. It might be tempting to choose a job based on salary alone, but it's important not to overlook how it will affect you when you retire. While private sector jobs tend to offer more flexibility and a higher salary, public sector jobs typically offer more generous "defined benefit" or "final salary" pension schemes. These schemes guarantee an income that rises with inflation, making them a "gold-plated" option rarely found in the private sector. In the private sector, you'll likely have a "defined contribution" scheme, where your retirement income depends on contributions and investment performance. Auto-enrolment requires at least 8% of your salary (5% from you, 3% from your employer) to go into a pension fund, and the government adds to this through tax relief. For basic-rate taxpayers, every £80 contributed becomes £100. Although defined contribution schemes may seem less appealing, starting early and maximising contributions can build a substantial retirement fund. According to the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association, a single person needs £13,400 per year for a basic retirement, while a couple requires £21,600. Craig Rickman, pensions expert at interactive investor (ii), said: "Don't overlook pensions when job hunting. "Even though it might not seem like extra cash in your pocket right now, an attractive workplace pension means you don't have to save as much personally every month to retire comfortably. "That's why it's vital to engage with your workplace pension at the earliest opportunity." Kings Speech 2024 reveals huge pensions shake-up that could add over £11,000 to retirement pots Below we reveal the best jobs in the public and private sector to help you build your pension pot and boost your chances of retiring early. Top jobs for solid pension pots Town planners have some of the most generous pension pots. For example, someone earning £30,000 a year from the age of 30 could retire with an annual pension of £41,400 through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), according to ii. The LGPS works by adding a small portion of your salary - 1/49th - into your pension pot each year. This amount grows over time in line with inflation, helping it keep its value. Boost your pot by £354,000 RETIREMENT expert Helen Morrissey, head of retirement analysis at Hargreaves Lansdown, shares how to maximise your pension savings. She said: "Small changes can make big differences to your pension." "And increasing your contributions beyond auto-enrolment minimums can make a huge impact over time. "The amount you contribute now will directly impact how much money you have when you decide to retire, typically around age 68. "For example, if someone starts saving at age 21 and continues until age 68, with a starting salary of £25,000 per year and an investment growth of 5% per year after fees, they could save around £236,000 by retirement. "This assumes they contribute 5% of their salary, and their employer adds an additional 3%." "If you increase your contribution to 10%, with your boss still adding 3%, you could boost your savings to roughly £384,000. "But what if your boss is feeling generous? "A more substantial contribution from your employer can significantly boost your retirement savings. "For example, If you save 5% of your salary and your boss matches that with another 5%, your pension could reach approximately £295,000 by the time you retire. "Even better, if both you and your boss contribute a hefty 10% of your salary each, you could be looking at a substantial pension pot of around £590,000. "It really pays to find out what your employer's policy is on pension contributions – it could make a massive difference to your future." Meanwhile, armed forces personnel don't have to pay into their pensions at all, as the Ministry of Defence contributes on their behalf, adding 1/47th of their salary each year and adjusting it for inflation. The standard pension age is 60, but those who serve for at least 20 years and leave after age 40 can benefit from the Early Departure Payment (EDP) scheme, which provides a tax-free lump sum and monthly income. For example, a sergeant retiring as a major could receive a pension of around £32,000 a year. Plus, teachers can build a pension of roughly £25,700 a year after 40 years of service on a £60,000 salary, plus a £170,000 if they tax a one-off tax-free lump sum, according to ii. Tax inspectors in the Civil Service Alpha scheme could receive £23,600 a year on a £36,100 salary. The Civil Service Alpha pension scheme is a 'career average' defined benefit scheme where you build up an annual pension based on 2.32% of your pensionable earnings each year, adjusted for inflation Police officers can retire after 30 years with about £22,000 annually. Firefighters retiring at 60 might get £20,000 to £29,000 a year, depending on service length. NHS workers build pensions based on 1/54th of their salary each year, offering strong retirement income. Museum curators in public roles could get £15,000 a year after 30 years, earning £30,000 annually. I tracked down lost pension and boosted my pot by £5,000 KATHERINE Brant was one of millions who lost track of an old pension pot – a common problem in the UK, where 4.8 million pots are "missing, Each time you start a new job you start a new pension, which can leave you with several pots of cash that are easily forgotten about. On average, employees lose sight of pots worth £10,000. As an assistant manager at a charity shop in Lincoln, Katherine, 32, realised she had no idea where her old pensions were, fearing that the savings from her previous jobs might be lost forever. Determined to take action, she decided to get on top of her pension planning during the pandemic. "I only had a very basic understanding of how pensions worked, but I knew I must have old pots knocking around somewhere that I'd completely lost," she said. Her search led her to Moneybox, an app designed to help people locate and consolidate their pension pots. Unsure of what to expect, Katherine signed up and provided her details. What followed was life-changing. The app helped her uncover a forgotten £2,000 pension pot, which has since grown to £5,000, significantly boosting her retirement savings. With decades left before retirement, Katherine now has plenty of time to grow her savings even further. "Finding this extra money feels life-changing—I had no idea it was even there," she said. If you're looking to track down a lost pension pot, you can also use the government's Pension Tracing Service by visiting Top jobs in the private sector Some private sector companies offer generous contribution rates to employees. The financial services industry tends to be a good place to start, with average employer contributions around 9.5%. For example, Unilever provides a benefits package equal to 25% of your salary. If you earn £40,000, this means £10,000. You can decide how to use it - put it all into your pension, take some as extra pay, or split it, such as £8,000 for your pension and £2,000 as cash. Shell follows with a total pension contribution of 20% (5% from employees and 15% from the employer), which can rise to 27.5%. Legal & General combines a basic contribution with a matching scheme, allowing employees to potentially reach a total of 20%. Kingfisher, owner of B&Q and Screwfix, offers a sliding scale where employees contributing 8% or more receive 14% from the employer. Phoenix Group boosts salary sacrifice contributions, enabling employees to receive 14.2% while contributing only 2%. A salary sacrifice scheme is where you agree to reduce your gross salary in exchange for a non-cash benefit, like increased pension contributions. This reduces your taxable income and National Insurance contributions, potentially saving you money while boosting your benefits. Royal Mail contributes 13.3% to its Collective Defined Contribution scheme, with employees adding 6%. Tesco matches pension contributions up to 7.5%. INDUSTRY trade body The Pension and Lifetime Savings Association calculates how much a single person and a couple need to afford different levels of comfort in retirement. They factor in all household bills, groceries, travel and car costs, going away on holiday, clothes, beauty treatments and more, into the amount of money you need per year. There are three lifestyle levels - minimum, moderate and comfortable. Here's how much you need per year to afford them all. Basic retirement: A single person needs £13,400 annually for a basic retirement lifestyle, while a couple needs £21,600. This covers essential needs plus a few extras like a small holiday and monthly cheap meal out. Moderate retirement: A single person needs £31,700, while a couple needs £43,900. This covers one holiday abroad a year, eating out once a week, and budget for two or three weekly activities like going to the cinema or swimming. Comfortable retirement: A single person needs £43,900, while a two-person household needs £60,600. This includes a foreign holiday and several mini breaks a year, as well as beauty treatments and hair appointments every six weeks.
Independent Singapore
10-06-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
‘Job portals are dead' — Retrenched Singaporean shares his "Actually Applicable" job hunting tips for others in the same boat
SINGAPORE: A Singaporean retrenched earlier this year took to Reddit's r/askSingapore to share job-hunting tips and seek advice from others in the same boat. He kicked off the thread by outlining what hasn't been working for him: mass applying through job portals. With the overwhelming number of applicants for each listing, he found himself getting little to no response and believes this approach no longer gives job seekers a fair shot. 'I think just applying via the job portals and hoping for the best is not viable anymore. This goes the same for any roles posted on LinkedIn,' he wrote. He then suggested a more refined strategy: to start with, going directly to the company career pages. While this method may be more time-consuming, he noted that it allows candidates to bypass the noise of crowded job portals and uncover opportunities that are less visible to the general public. He also encouraged job seekers to explore beyond the usual big-name firms, suggesting that smaller or lesser-known employers may attract fewer applicants and therefore offer a better chance of gaining visibility. Another important point he raised was the need to tailor each application. He shared, 'Every resume and cover letter of mine is tailored to the role and JD specifically. Resume must be ATS-friendly without a doubt.' Finally, he shared what's been most effective so far: tapping into personal networks. In his experience, referrals from friends or former colleagues have led to more opportunities than sending out cold applications. Reaching out to hiring managers or team members on LinkedIn has also resulted in more productive and engaging responses. Hoping to get insights from others, he posed several thoughtful questions to hiring managers, recruiters, recent hires, and fellow job seekers towards the end of his post: 'To hiring managers/recruiters/HRBPs of Reddit — any advice on what a candidate could do to stand out to you or get you to vouch for them? If they reached out to you on LinkedIn, what is something they should definitely say that will get you to consider them seriously? Any other ways to game referral/ATS systems? 'To recent employees — congrats, and any tips you felt were most helpful for you to get you through the door? To other job seekers — anything you found particularly helpful? Have you considered looking at other countries instead? I'm considering going to career fairs to actually meet humans and have a chance to speak to them.' 'Just keep applying and don't wait until the market turns good…' In the comments, one Singaporean Redditor said, 'Best advice is to ensure you are still in contact with people in the industry. You will be surprised how many of them are willing to help you. It is easier to get a job via internal referral.' Another shared a practical resume tip: 'The top section of your resume should summarize your experience, skills, and strengths. This section should be able to tell recruiters who you are, including the busy or lazy recruiters who only spend about 15 seconds on each resume. Also, I only apply to roles for which I meet at least 80% of the requirements. In an employer's market now, there's no point applying if you only meet half the requirements; there will be someone else more fitting who also applied, and the company will choose that person.' A third advised job seekers to stay calm and confident during interviews, saying, 'Treat interviews like a conversation between you and your friend. Do not be too nervous or desperate during the interview; the interviewer can tell and either skip you or try to lowball you. I have interviewed candidates before, and yes, I can tell who is desperate for a job and who is chill.' See also DBS Bank's Neal Cross steps down A fourth added, 'Tip from me – in my 20 years of working, I only heard once where sentiment is that the market is good. That was slightly after COVID, and it's only for a short while. So, the job market is always bad. Just keep applying and don't wait until the market turns good.' In other news, a 25-year-old accountant is thinking about leaving her job after just one year due to ongoing issues with her supervisor. Posting on r/askSingapore, she shared that although the job itself isn't terrible and comes with generous benefits like 20 days of annual leave, the daily interactions with her only direct supervisor have taken a toll on her mental well-being. 'My only and direct supervisor has been really hard to work with,' she wrote. 'An example being how she loves to accuse that it MUST be me messing up the printer settings when I don't receive it in my mail.' Read more: 'Just seeing her gives me cold sweat' — Accountant wants to quit her job after just one year because her supervisor blames her for everything that goes wrong Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)
CNET
09-06-2025
- Business
- CNET
What's a Layoff Fund? Here's How Much Money to Save and Where to Stash It
Be prepared with enough money to cover several months of expenses after you're laid off.A layoff can really shake up your finances. I know the feeling well. I was laid off in my early 20s with three months of severance and no idea how I'd land a new job before the checks stopped rolling in. I didn't have much savings stashed away, and an emergency fund hadn't ever occurred to me. With job cuts on the rise, CNET recently covered how to prepare for a layoff. One of the most important takeaways is to build an emergency fund while you're still employed. I'd recommend a layoff fund too. If you lose your job, you want peace of mind that you'll be able to cover necessities like housing, food and bills. A layoff fund is money specifically set aside in case you can't get employment for several months. The fund can even help you with job-hunting expenses. Preparing for the unexpected can be scary, but it's important to start saving now and to put your money in the right savings account. Here's what I'd recommend. What your layoff fund should cover To start building your layoff fund, look at your personal circumstances. Factor in the monthly expenses you cover now, accounting for everything from groceries and rent to gas and utilities. Also, consider how you'll pay off debt or any new expenses that might come up. For example, if you're currently receiving health insurance through your employer, you might have to enroll in a marketplace health care plan or jump on a family plan. If you're able to continue your employer's health insurance coverage through COBRA, you'll want to have enough money to cover that cost out of pocket. How much to stash in your layoff fund ZipRecruiter career expert Sam DeMase says you should expect to remain unemployed at least three to 10 months after a layoff. Saving a large amount of money to stay afloat for a year can feel impossible, but every small contribution can help. If you have extra time or resources, a side hustle or part-time job can help you shore up your layoff fund sooner. Also, look at what you can cut from your budget now, like subscription services, dining out or even vacations. Your emergency fund can serve as your layoff fund. If you don't have an emergency fund, start there. However, if you already have a well-stocked emergency fund, putting extra savings in a separate layoff fund should give you some peace of mind. These Are the Safest Places to Keep Your Money Right Now These Are the Safest Places to Keep Your Money Right Now Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 3:55 Loaded : 5.04% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 3:55 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. These Are the Safest Places to Keep Your Money Right Now Where to stash your layoff fund You never know when you'll be laid off, so it's best to keep the funds easily accessible and liquid. I recommend a high-yield savings account. Here's why: You'll earn interest on the money you're setting aside. Currently, many online-only banks have annual percentage yields between 3.50% and 4% APY, which can help you get better returns on your money than a traditional savings account. For instance, if you deposit $100 into an account now, and contribute $100 a week for the next six months, you'll have saved an additional $2,400. If the account has a 3.6% annual percentage yield, you'll earn close to $20 in interest, bringing your balance close to $2,420. That might not seem like much, but if you make the same deposits into a traditional savings account with a 0.02% APY, you'll earn only pennies in interest. Also, make sure you're not losing money by paying a monthly maintenance fee on the account. Savings rates are variable, so how much you earn in interest could change over the next several months. Regardless of the APY, what matters most is saving what you can now to prepare for the unexpected.
