Data Analyst Cover Letter Sample [Also for Entry-Level Jobs]

Data Analyst Cover Letter Sample [Also for Entry-Level Jobs] Youre about to compile information to write a data analyst cover letter.From gathering raw datasets to translating numbers into usable statistics (and plain English), you enable business to make the best decisions.First, thoughYou need a cover letter for data analysts as accurate and compelling as the business intelligence youll bring to the table.No sweat.This data analyst cover letter guide will show you:Data analyst cover letter examples better than 9 out of 10 others.How to write a perfect cover letter data analyst job employers love.Tips on how to grab their attention with a top data analysis cover letter.How to sell yourself on a cover letter to get the data analyst jobs you want.Want to write your cover letter fast?Use our cover letter builder. Choose from20+ professional cover letter templatesthat match your resume. See actionable examples and get expert tips along the way.Data Analyst Cover Letter for a ResumeSee more cover letter templates and create your cover letter here. One of our users, Nikos, had this to say:[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not three. With the same stuff.Create your resume nowNeed to double-check your data analyst resume to be certain its as accurate as you are? Heres our guide on that: Data Analyst Resume: Sample Complete GuideConsidering similar positions too? See other cover letter examples for jobs in your industry:Business Analyst Cover LetterBusiness Cover LetterConsulting Cover LetterExecutive Cover LetterFinancial Analyst Cover LetterInvestment Banking Cover LetterManager Cover LetterMcKinsey Cover LetterProject Manager Cover LetterRetail Cover Letter ExamplesSales Cover LetterWant to explore your options further? See our full selection of cover letter examples for every career:Best Cover Letter ExamplesFirst, heres our idea of the perfect cover letter for data analyst jobs:Data Analyst Cover Letter SampleDeborah Stansberry1710 Dancing Dove LnAstoria, NY 11106March 15, 2019Joanna ConleyHR ManagerTribeca Teknologix233 Broadway, 11th FloorNew York, NY 10279Dear Joanna,Coming off an enlightening data analyst internship, I was excited when I found your new opening for an entry-level data analyst. As a computer science student, and later as a data analyst intern, Ive developed and tweaked my informatics, data science, and statistical analysis skills, and I know I have what it takes to be a great addition to the team at Tribeca Teknologix.As an intern with Ingenious Informatics, I worked on many small- and large-scale projects which allowed me to expand my data toolset and knowledge. That experience, coupled with my university IT background, gives me a great understanding of the ins and outs of data, including systems analysis, business practices, database management systems, emerging technologies, business trends and IT project management.During my time at Ingenious Informatics, my wins included:Designed and built over 50 statistical analysis models on using Tera data.Increased data collection and processing rates by over 175% with AI and ML integration and new proprietary software.Won the Quanties 2019 Awards for Excellence for Top New Practitioner.I am quite proud of the results I achieve, whether its simple data entry or complicated calculations and compilations. If you give me the chance to interview for the data analyst job, Im certain you wont be disappointed.I eagerly welcome the chance to discuss the upcoming projects and plans of Tribeca Teknologix, as well as to share with you how my past wins at Ingenious can easily translate to increased insight and better predictions at TT.Sincerely,Deborah StansberryP.S. If you have time for a coffee, Id love sitting down with you and discussing how I could bring my increased data processing rates (175%) over to Tribeca Teknologix.How about that?Writing a data analysis cover letter as unique as a key value storage entry is easier than you might think.1Pick the Best Format for a Data Analyst Cov er LetterYou cant jump into analysis before ensuring your data has quality.Same hereOn a cover letter for data analysts, this means preparing a format that makes sense.Heres a sample data analyst cover letter outline to use as a schema:Data Analyst Cover Letter SampleFormat TemplateYour contact detailsThe date of writingThe companys contact detailsAn opening greetingAn introductory paragraphA paragraph on why youre the ideal candidateSeveral achievements with numbersA paragraph on why this data position is right for youA closing paragraphA complimentary close and your nameOptionally, a postscript after your signatureStick to around 200300 words for the written portion of your data cover letter, depending on your data-wrangling experience.This formula is sure to excite them!Pro Tip: Writing a cover letter for a data analyst internship or freelancing for online jobs? Follow this data analyst cover letter guide all the same!To read more about choosing the best data analyst cover letter components, see this article: What to Include in a Cover Letter?2Start With a Data Analyst Cover Letter Intro HR Managers LoveYou love data, so heres some for you:Data analysis is one of the most in-demand careers for the future.However, operations research specialists and data analyst jobs are expected to grow by a whopping 27% between 2016 and 2026 in the US alone, adding more than 31,000 new hires.This meansTheres row upon Excel row of candidates to compete against.So, start off strong from the get-go to minimize the risk theyll move on to the next applicant.People love hearing their own name, based on a study of MRI scansfirst name, especially.So, as you do, use this data to your advantage:Data Analyst Cover Letter ExampleSalutationwrongDear sir or madam,rightDear Joanna,How do you find their name?Scour their website, delve into LinkedIn, or pay a hacker on the dark web.If you need to be formal, such as for a more traditional agency, their last name is still better than no name : Dear Ms. Conley.Cant find a name at all?No worries.Choose something safe, such as Dear Hiring Manager. That still beats To whom it may concern!Dont care for Dear? Not able to find a name? Weve got other options for various scenarios: How to Start a Cover Letter: Sample Guide [20+ Examples]Now the intro paragraph, where grabbing their attention really begins.First, here are two opening examples for entry-level data analyst cover letters:Data Analyst Cover Letter Entry-Level ExamplesIntroductionswrongMy name is Deborah, and Im interested in applying for the open job position which you posted on Indeed. I have just finished my college, and I certainly have the skills and knowledge necessary to do this job right.rightComing off an enlightening data analyst internship, I was excited when I found your new opening for an entry-level data analyst. As a computer science student, and later as a data analyst intern, Ive developed and tweaked my informatics, data science, and statistical ana lysis skills, and I know I have what it takes to be a great addition to the team at Tribeca Teknologix.Theyre both all about you, butThe first one is bland and generic, like skimming through sample data.The right one, though, shows youre as adept at parsing info as AvroIt talks up your background, the skills, and analytics experience you have, and brings it all together in an understandable manner.Pro Tip: Never write a universal cover letter. Itll immediately be filtered out of the candidate pool. Tailor the cover letter, instead, by personalizing it directly to the company, the senior data analyst, and the exact analytics position.There are other ways to go about your data analyst introduction statement. For more ideas, see: How to Write a Cover Letter: Sample Guide [20+ Examples]3Write a Great Middle for Your Cover Letter for Data AnalystsYou hooked them in the intro.Now, show scalability by keeping them intrigued into the body section.Heres what to cover in the 2 or 3 paragraph s of a perfect cover letter core:Detail your educational and vocational data background.Include several quantifiable wins to prove you get data.Give an example of some of your best data and analytics skills.Show hunger and enthusiasm for the data analyst position.Check out this entry-level data analyst cover letter body:Sample Cover Letter Data Analyst Entry-LevelBody ParagraphsAs an intern with Ingenious Informatics, I worked on many small- and large-scale projects which allowed me to expand my data toolset and knowledge. That experience, coupled with my university background, gives me a great understanding of the ins and outs of data, including systems analysis, business practices, database management systems, emerging technologies, business trends and IT project management.During my time at Ingenious Informatics, my wins included:Designed and built over 50 statistical analysis models on using Teradata.Increased data collection and processing rates by over 175% with AI and ML inte gration and new proprietary software.Won the Quanties 2019 Awards for Excellence for Top New Practitioner.I am quite proud of the results I achieve, whether its simple data entry or complicated calculations and compilations. If you give me the chance to interview for the data analyst job, Im certain you wont be disappointed.See that?This wasnt even 150 words in length, but it packed a punch. It follows our structured data framework to maximize its effectiveness in a minimal amount of space.Whether youre a market data analyst or a financial data analyst, thatll keep them excited.Pro Tip: We suggested you use keywords on your data analyst resume, and we urge you to do the same here. Also, choose a good font for your cover letter to make it legibleall this data youre compiling is worthless if they cant read it!Need more ideas on how to tweak these middle bits? Weve got all the cover letter dos and donts here: 35+ Professional Cover Letter Tips and Advice4How to Close Data Analyst Cover Letters Like a BossYour data analyst duties arent over until you prepare a handy visualization which enables the powers that be to derive meaning.Same on a data analyst cover letterIts not ready to turn in if you dont wrap it up perfectly.Heres our take on a strong closing paragraph for data cover letters:Data Analysis Cover Letter ExamplesClosing ParagraphwrongI look forward to receiving a call back from you or your staff at your earliest convenience.rightI eagerly welcome the chance to discuss the upcoming projects and plans of Tribeca Teknologix, as well as to share with you how my past wins at Ingenious can easily translate to increased insight and better predictions at TT.The first example is common, but way too impersonalA mistake as ghastly as ignoring solid numbers.The other one, however, brings your cover letter to a satisfying close. It offers up a call to action and does the heavy lifting for them by implying a correlation between your past work and your future data anal ysis.As powerful as IBMs Watson.Next upJust a closing sentiment followed by your full name:Sample Cover Letter Data AnalystValedictionSincerely,Deborah StansberryPiece of cake, right?Finally, consider adding a postscript. While it isnt necessary, it is a useful way to catch their attention once more before the hiring manager decides.Heres a cover letter postscript in practice:Entry-Level Data Analyst Cover Letter SamplePostscriptP.S. If you have time for a coffee, Id love sitting down with you and discussing how I could bring my increased data processing rates (175%) over to Tribeca Teknologix.See how its done?Here, you add a friendly, human touch to the often-indifferent atmosphere of any data hiring process. On top of that, it reminds them youre the best analytical candidate by bringing up a win once more.Thats as solid as Hadoop.Pro Tip: Is your online data kafkaesque? Before you email your data analyst resume and cover letter, clean your online presence and ensure your LinkedIn profile is up to par.Looking for more ideas on how to close out a weather data analyst or systems data analyst cover letter? Weve got a great guide right here: How to End a Cover Letter: Sample Complete Guide [+20 Examples]Key TakeawayNow you have a data analysis cover letter as neat and orderly as Tableau insights.Lets wrap it all togetherHeres how to write the perfect cover letter for data analyst jobs:Format your data analyst cover letter template right.Begin with a captivating introduction sentence or two.Discuss your academic and professional background.List a few of your key data analysis accomplishments.Write about how this data job is the perfect fit for you.End with a powerful closing statement and call to action.Consider a postscript to add a human touch and extra info.Now THATS a cover letter thatll satisfy any senior data analysts job search query!Have any questions on how to write a cover letter for data analysts or interns? Not sure how to talk up your machine learnin g skills, artificial intelligence achievements, or data know-how? Get at us in the comments below and lets chat. Thanks for reading!

Writing a Professional Resume That Emphasizes Soft Skills

Writing a Professional Resume That Emphasizes Soft SkillsWriting a professional resume that emphasizes soft skills will help you get the best job. The majority of the job seekers today are already familiar with how to write a resume, and many already know what they need to put on it.It is usually a great idea to emphasize soft skills in your writing a professional resume that emphasizes soft skills. These can be very important if you are applying for a technical or non-technical position. In order to succeed, you must always focus on strengths and demonstrate those strengths.The best way to ensure that you have a well-written resume is to make sure that you are properly trained to write a resume. Before you start, make sure that you read the instruction booklet of the resume writing software that you are using. This will give you a good idea of what you should not do with the structure and content of your resume. You can even use this software to train yourself on how to write a prof essional resume that emphasizes soft skills.If you want to write a professional resume that emphasizes soft skills, the first thing that you will want to do is to analyze the job you are applying for. If the job description of the job that you are applying for is technical, then you will need to emphasize your technical skills on your resume. However, if the job requires soft skills, then you will want to highlight those soft skills on your resume.The next step to writing a professional resume that emphasizes soft skills is to create a list of soft skills that you possess. You can find these by researching and learning about the job that you are applying for. As a result, you can find out what types of skills that employers want on their potential employees. Once you have a list of soft skills that you know that you possess, you can start practicing those soft skills in the resume.The next step to writing a professional resume that emphasizes soft skills is to use these soft skills to strengthen your job application. For example, if you are applying for a technical position, highlight the technical knowledge you have when you write your resume. Your resume should not only emphasize your technical abilities, but also should make you stand out as a skilled professional.If you are applying for a non-technical position, then you can highlight your soft skills and learn the soft skills that you possess in your work history. Make sure that you highlight your writing abilities, your ability to take initiative, your adaptability, and your emotional intelligence. You can also make sure that you emphasize the soft skills that you possess in your previous jobs, as well as your personal qualities.Writing a professional resume that emphasizes soft skills will help you get the best job that you possibly can. You do not need to go for flashy fonts or attractive layouts. Instead, focus on emphasizing your soft skills and learn how to write a professional resume that emphasize s soft skills.

Recruiting to Build a Dream Team

Recruiting to Build a Dream Team A dream business team will comprise a well-balanced group of people who complement each other, challenge each other and bring out the best in each other. They will work efficiently together and be equipped and supported to achieve business objectives and results. If you are recruiting for a new candidate to join an existing team, whether it is to replace someone or to increase the team’s size and resources, consider how they will fit with the team as well as in the role itself. One person can have a significant impact on the dynamics of a team. If they fit well, brining complementary contributions, skill sets and an approaches, they can help the team to work even more effectively. If they don’t fit, it can throw the entire balance and reduce engagement and efficiency across the whole team. Considering the overall cultural fit of a new recruit is a great starting point to achieving team fit. With a clear employer brand featured across your recruitment materials and touch points, you should attract applicants who are inspired by and share the vision and values of your organization. How can you then take this one step further and look to identify a good fit for a specific team? Identify your current team’s personalities Before bringing anyone new into a team, take the time to understand the current personalities within the group. This could be through spending direct time with them, psychometric profiling, or a combination of both. The aim is to find out more about each team member as an individual. As well as looking at their skills and experience, look at how they work, how they interact, what their aspirations are and what they are motivated by. This will give you a better understanding not only of what additional skills or experience you need to find, but also what soft skills and working styles would fit and complement. This often doesn’t mean finding people who are all similar. Your team may currently be made up of highly creative workers for example but without the balance of people who are more detail focussed and organization orientated. Review current team roles Before advertising a new position, review the current team’s responsibilities, performance and development opportunities. Is there an opening to increase engagement levels by offering an existing high-caliber member of the team the chance to progress or move into a different role? Bringing in a new recruit without consideration of this could potentially result in the disengagement of existing team members. They may feel they have been overlooked for the role the new employee would be filling. This reduces the chances of everyone working together as the dream team you are looking to build and the probability of the newest team member being able to fit in well. If you are replacing someone, are there any learnings to be considered first? If they were a great team fit, why was this? If not, what didn’t work so well? Identifying team fit Considering the first two areas should help you to build a more complete picture of what you need to find to achieve a good team fit. This is where our expert consultants can add real value to your recruitment process and help you to identify these desired traits. We work with our clients to provide competency-based interviewing techniques which focus not only on gathering evidence of required skills and experience, but also other competencies such as behaviors and personal qualities. Our complimentary services also include psychometric and personality profiling. There are many different types of assessment tests available, but generally, they will be used to measure how candidates differ in their motivation, values, priorities, and opinions. This will help you to understand how they are likely to respond to different tasks and situations, their favored working style and how they will interact with fellow workers. These tests can be especially useful if you have already used some for m of profiling tool with your existing employees, as you will be able to see how potential candidates could fit and strengthen your existing team. Our consultants can also sit in on interviews, bringing an additional perspective on how the candidate would fit within the team dynamic. And with team fit in mind, look for ways to involve team members within the interview process. This could be a social occasion with some or all, depending on numbers, of the candidate’s prospective peers. Or you could invite one or two of the team members to be on the interview panel. This will help you to see first-hand how candidates interact with their potential colleagues. It also gives the candidate their own chance to assess how they think they would fit with the team. Giving the other team members a say in the recruitment decision will also help them to feel more invested in their newest team member and encouraged to help them to fit in from the outset. Remain flexible and fair While team and cultural fit are worth exploring for all the reasons mentioned, it is still only one element to creating an overall recruitment campaign which shows real consideration for all involved and a commitment to achieving a successful result. The information gathered should always be considered as part of a wider picture and never be the only focus. Follow a fair and inclusive recruitment process and be considerate of not letting conscious or unconscious bias get in the way of making a great hiring decision. The best teams are usually made up of a variety of different people who all bring a range of different experiences, perspectives and skill sets to the table. They also naturally evolve and change over time.

The Single Career Girls Guide to Taking Care of Herself

The Single Career Girl’s Guide to Taking Care of Herself As the New Year has taken full effect, many of us career girls may have found ourselves sans our Prince Charming when the clock struck midnight. Don’t fret, girlfriend!   Whether you’ve had a few Tinder nightmares or find yourself receiving yet another wedding invitation, being a single career girl is not the end of world and has many advantages. This is a time to get to know yourself and discover a sense of self. In the words of Carrie Bradshaw: “The most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And, if you find someone to love the you that you love, well, that’s just fabulous.” Here are five best practices to appreciate your singledom and practice self care until Mr. Right finds you this year. See a therapist. There are many reasons why people choose to see a therapist but choosing to do so while being a single lady is a great way to profoundly explore yourself â€" your fears, insecurities, what brings you happiness, strengths, weaknesses, etc. More, importantly, seeing a therapist can help you work through some issues that may be sabotaging your love life. Work it out. Now that we’ve gotten mental and emotional healing squared away, it’s time to get physical. Treat yourself by working out and eating better. Not only will you look better but you will feel better too. In fact, studies have shown that just 30-minutes of physical activity can improve your happiness and enhance your confidence. Take a solo trip. Whether you take a road trip 30 miles from your hometown or choose a more luxurious destination, taking a solo trip is the ideal way to learn how to simply be alone and thrive independently. Find a hobby…or two. This goes without saying but every career girl (single or coupled) needs a pastime she can call her own outside of the office. Last year, I found myself not having any real hobbies besides bar hopping every other weekend. Alert: Going to a bar or club on a Friday night is NOT a hobby. Take the time to learn what gives you joy (you can talk it out with your new therapist). Maybe even reminisce on when you were a young girl and rediscover what brought you joy? This can also be a new way to try something completely out of your comfort zone. Giving back. There aren’t many words that can equate to the importance of giving back. Not only is giving back good for the community but selfishly, it’s good for the soul and makes you feel amazing. Note: While we love our girlfriends, these activities are meant to be done alone to cultivate emotional independence and sense of self. . Image credits. Main.  Travel.  

How to Write a Professional Resume

How to Write a Professional ResumeWhen you're applying for a job, it is essential that you learn the basic writing skills. You should be able to put together a coherent and well-written resume. Having the appropriate skills will help you get the job as well as land a great job.When you first begin writing your resume, there are a few things you should pay attention to. The most important thing is to make sure you don't neglect to keep all the important sections of the resume in order. Remember that your resume must convince a potential employer that you're worthy of an interview. It is essential that you write your resume correctly so that it gets through the review and approval process without too many problems.First of all, when you're writing your resume, try to remain as formal as possible. Try to stick to a normal appearance for resumes. Dress professionally, avoid using flashy fonts and use bullet points instead of filled-in rows and columns. When you're first starting out, you may not have too many professional options to choose from, but in time you should be able to come up with a few unique techniques for looking professional.Make sure you maintain professionalism throughout your resume. This is very important because when a prospective employer sees that you're professionally dressed and well groomed, they'll assume that you're interested in their company and that you take pride in your work. Avoid any inconsistencies in dress, manners or general demeanor. This will come across as arrogant, which won't be considered an attractive trait by a potential employer.In addition to being professional, remember to include the proper technical skills as well. Most people don't think about it, but your resume should have the technical skills that are important to the company. Not everyone has the ability to write software, code or any other specific type of programming that a company requires. Other technical skills may be programming, computer databases, inter net marketing, writing newsletters and various other types of electronic information. Use your head when deciding what technical skills are important to the company.Also, remember to indicate if you are familiar with any new team or projects that you are currently involved in. If you are new to a team or to a company, include this in your resume. The more knowledge you have on a specific team or project, the more likely it is that an employer will hire you. And the more chances that you have of getting hired.One of the keys to a successful resume is that it must be worded in a manner that is as impressive as possible. Your resume is an advertisement to your future employer that you can do their job. So it is very important that you make it stand out from the competition. As a result, it is best to write the resume in a manner that is as detailed as possible.Having a well-written resume is a great advantage. It shows potential employers that you are competent and capable of completin g the job. This is important because you'll be competing with a lot of people for the same position. With a polished resume, you stand a better chance of winning that position. It will also help to prove to the employer that you are the best candidate for the job.

The real student store cupboard essentials - Debut

The real student store cupboard essentials - Debut This article was written by an external contributor. Connor Gotto is drawing on his own student cooking experiences to list exactly what you need in your cupboards at university.   It was just a week before the beginning of the 18/19 academic year that Waitrose sent shockwaves around the student community with its selection of five ‘student store cupboard’ essentials. Just the name of it puts you off, right? In true Waitrose style, the list resembled no store cupboard ever owned by a student. In fact, how many students even have a store cupboard? Even the idea seems ridiculous. Heading Waitrose’s offering was the must-have Marigold Swiss Vegetable Bouillon Powder (ah yes, that staple), which comes ‘free from artificial preservatives and flavourings but packed with flavour’ apparently. Vinegar, seasonings and soya sauce all organic, of course complete the list, which is noticeably lacking in anything of substance and highly unlikely to be considered an essential item in our kitchen cupboards. Help is at hand, however, as we’ve put together what we think are the real essentials that every student should keep a space for in their kitchen. Olive oil The more conscious we become of our health, the easier it is to write foods off the menu that seem to have ‘hidden calories’ or may have amassed a bad reputation. In some cases, this can be a positive step, but in the case of olive oil it’s not entirely fair. Not only is olive oil a great way to infuse flavour into your cooking, it also doubles up as the perfect dressing for salads, or a great base for pasta and noodle dishes. Plus, its also likely to be cheaper and healthier than shop-bought alternatives. Yes, low-calorie sprays and coconut oil may be the in thing, but you just can’t escape the fact that olive oil is and always will be a kitchen staple. Pasta, rice and noodles Whilst Waitrose’s list is all well and good, it’ll still leave you dashing to the shop to pick up the base of your meal which is why you should always keep well stocked up with some carbs that can be paired with lots of different foods. Keeping your cupboard stocked up with these three basics is a must-have for every student. Not only are they incredibly cheap, but they’ll also keep for as long as you need them, meaning you’re not going to end up throwing ¾ of a pack away. So, stay stocked up and you’ll never find yourself stuck for an easy dinner again! Canned tomatoes Now, we all love a bit of convenience food. But this item makes any dish a breeze to make. As the root of the majority of store-bought sauces, canned tomatoes should be right at the top of every student’s shopping list.  Midweek pasta? Add a few basil leaves. Mexican chilli? Add beans and seasoning. Simple soup? Blend and add a swirl of cream. A typical jar of sauce costs around £2, while cans of tomatoes are usually less than 50p you do the maths. For a little extra work, you’ll save a whole lot of money! Chickpeas Although something of a curve ball, chickpeas are a great store cupboard staple for those times when a walk to the shop is too much hard work. This is also a great option if your student loan is running dry! Plus, there are loads of different ways that you can put a can of chickpeas to good use: Roast in the oven and coat in spices for  a healthy crisp alternative Blitz with lemon juice, garlic and olive oil for the perfect hummus Add to curry for a good hit of protein (minus the cost of meat) They might seem trivial at first, but a few cans of chickpeas could be just the investment that you’re looking for. Herbs, spices and seasoning Stick with us on this one. Students have an unfair reputation of being lazy, untidy and a little hopeless when it comes to cooking which (let’s be honest) simply isn’t true. The fact of the matter is, to make food that’s both tasty and healthy, you need a lot of ingredients, many of which are pricey and don’t have that many uses. By stocking up on basic herbs and spices, however, you’ll be armed with enough essentials to keep your kitchen going the whole year round, adding flavour to even the blandest ingredients. With a dash of chilli, a spoonful of curry powder or a sprinkling of herbs, you’ll be able to transform the plainest of food into a culinary delight. Cooking doesn’t have to be hard work or expensive you just need a few key essentials to really get you going! Download Debut  and  connect with us on  Facebook,  Twitter  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.

The real student store cupboard essentials - Debut

The real student store cupboard essentials - Debut This article was written by an external contributor. Connor Gotto is drawing on his own student cooking experiences to list exactly what you need in your cupboards at university.   It was just a week before the beginning of the 18/19 academic year that Waitrose sent shockwaves around the student community with its selection of five ‘student store cupboard’ essentials. Just the name of it puts you off, right? In true Waitrose style, the list resembled no store cupboard ever owned by a student. In fact, how many students even have a store cupboard? Even the idea seems ridiculous. Heading Waitrose’s offering was the must-have Marigold Swiss Vegetable Bouillon Powder (ah yes, that staple), which comes ‘free from artificial preservatives and flavourings but packed with flavour’ apparently. Vinegar, seasonings and soya sauce all organic, of course complete the list, which is noticeably lacking in anything of substance and highly unlikely to be considered an essential item in our kitchen cupboards. Help is at hand, however, as we’ve put together what we think are the real essentials that every student should keep a space for in their kitchen. Olive oil The more conscious we become of our health, the easier it is to write foods off the menu that seem to have ‘hidden calories’ or may have amassed a bad reputation. In some cases, this can be a positive step, but in the case of olive oil it’s not entirely fair. Not only is olive oil a great way to infuse flavour into your cooking, it also doubles up as the perfect dressing for salads, or a great base for pasta and noodle dishes. Plus, its also likely to be cheaper and healthier than shop-bought alternatives. Yes, low-calorie sprays and coconut oil may be the in thing, but you just can’t escape the fact that olive oil is and always will be a kitchen staple. Pasta, rice and noodles Whilst Waitrose’s list is all well and good, it’ll still leave you dashing to the shop to pick up the base of your meal which is why you should always keep well stocked up with some carbs that can be paired with lots of different foods. Keeping your cupboard stocked up with these three basics is a must-have for every student. Not only are they incredibly cheap, but they’ll also keep for as long as you need them, meaning you’re not going to end up throwing ¾ of a pack away. So, stay stocked up and you’ll never find yourself stuck for an easy dinner again! Canned tomatoes Now, we all love a bit of convenience food. But this item makes any dish a breeze to make. As the root of the majority of store-bought sauces, canned tomatoes should be right at the top of every student’s shopping list.  Midweek pasta? Add a few basil leaves. Mexican chilli? Add beans and seasoning. Simple soup? Blend and add a swirl of cream. A typical jar of sauce costs around £2, while cans of tomatoes are usually less than 50p you do the maths. For a little extra work, you’ll save a whole lot of money! Chickpeas Although something of a curve ball, chickpeas are a great store cupboard staple for those times when a walk to the shop is too much hard work. This is also a great option if your student loan is running dry! Plus, there are loads of different ways that you can put a can of chickpeas to good use: Roast in the oven and coat in spices for  a healthy crisp alternative Blitz with lemon juice, garlic and olive oil for the perfect hummus Add to curry for a good hit of protein (minus the cost of meat) They might seem trivial at first, but a few cans of chickpeas could be just the investment that you’re looking for. Herbs, spices and seasoning Stick with us on this one. Students have an unfair reputation of being lazy, untidy and a little hopeless when it comes to cooking which (let’s be honest) simply isn’t true. The fact of the matter is, to make food that’s both tasty and healthy, you need a lot of ingredients, many of which are pricey and don’t have that many uses. By stocking up on basic herbs and spices, however, you’ll be armed with enough essentials to keep your kitchen going the whole year round, adding flavour to even the blandest ingredients. With a dash of chilli, a spoonful of curry powder or a sprinkling of herbs, you’ll be able to transform the plainest of food into a culinary delight. Cooking doesn’t have to be hard work or expensive you just need a few key essentials to really get you going! Download Debut  and  connect with us on  Facebook,  Twitter  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.

2008 Career Industry Mega Trends

2008 Career Industry Mega Trends Each year,  Career Directors International  publishes a report on employment trends. Below are some key trends from the 2008 report.    Paperless Resumes. Resumes with rich media components such as  Visual CV  are gaining relevance and acceptance in today’s job search.  Privacy. Public accessibility to a  job seeker’s private information  has increased and the job seeker needs to be aware of how this information can and can’t influence hiring decisions.  Resume Fraud. The report suggests that at least 30% of resumes contain factual errors.  In addition, many candidates are falsifying their educational credentials.  Social networking Web sites.  Social networking sites  are becoming a super trend and the report suggests that job seekers who keep up with technology may be more successful than those who don’t. The most popular online networking site is  LinkedIn.com.  Facebook.com  continues to grow, and is enticing more users in the 30-40 year old age bracket.  Employment discrimination. Some companies are making hiring and firing decisions based on candidate and employee  lifestyle choices  including  smoking  and personal appearance.  Clients of Career Solvers can receive a complimentary copy of the full 35-page report by contacting us  here.

A Book Deal! A Book Deal! (aka The Exact Opposite of the Last Post)

A Book Deal! A Book Deal! (aka The Exact Opposite of the Last Post) When theres yin, theres yang. When theres black, theres white. When theres low Clubhouse numbers, theresa book deal! Back in the fall, Jessica Swift was approached by Tonia, an  Acquisitions  Manager at North Light Craft Books (they published Kelly Rae Roberts!), asking if shed be interested in writing a book for them. She responded, Why yes, yes I would. Also, I have already kinda wrote one with my friend Michelle. Here it is, in case it interests you. (Aint she sweet?!) To back it up, a few months prior, we got an email sent to us straight from our Contact page, asking if wed wanna make The Declaration of You into a book-book. After a round of Duh please!, that publisher (different from this one) pitched us to her boss. Were not sure exactly what he said, but it prompted her to give us this feedback: My publisher felt you might want to consider approaching young adult houses. Im not sure if that fits with your goals, but for what its worth, thats an idea. We were disappointed about the outcome, but it was obvious that the publisher didnt get us (The Declaration of You SO isnt meant for kids!), so off we went on our merry way of e-courses and workshops and other Declaration of You goodness, with a book-book idea planted in our brains but not quite ready for prime-time yet. Obviously, we were thrilled yet cautious with the newfound interest in The Declaration of You as a book-book. We got on the phone with Tonia in mid-October and delivered a 60-ish page proposal around Thanksgiving. Thankfully she had our back and wanted to make sure we set her up to give a killer pitch, and she asked us to trim down the proposal to half the size so she could cut right to the chase with her team. We sent it to her Christmas Eve Day, and she told us she was going to present it in January. Of course Jess and I had it in the back of our minds that wed follow-up with Tonia in February if we didnt hear anything, and as the month went by we continued to go on our merry way. You can imagine our excitement when Tonia sent us an email last Friday at 9:25a saying, Send collective good thoughts Im presenting in 5 minutes and will keep you posted! There was much squealing and good-thinking and finger-crossing, and 30 short minutes later we got a teaser from Tonia saying, I am so flippin excited right now. We get to do this project together and share the Declaration of You with all the souls of the world who can benefit by it! After responding, quite eloquently, AreyousayingwhatIthinkyouresaying?!?!?!?! she said, Yes! North Light wants to add you to our list of authors! Then I called Jess and my husband and my mother and hyperventilated and paced and tried not to throw up because nobody was picking up the phone. But then they did and I didnt do any work for the rest of the day. The Declaration of You will be in real-live shelves in July 2013, and on virtual shelves a few weeks prior. Im so excited to take this journey with Jess (shes seriously the bestest on so many levels, you guys this is what a business partnership should always be/feel like!) and have Tonia and the North Light Craft Books team be on our, um, team. I know were in such good hands and, despite the craziness/pressure/deadlines that come with book-writing, I know that its going to be a super big blast! My life is so just so surreal sometimes.