Student loan repayments What you need to know

Student loan repayments What you need to know by Michael Cheary Graduating and getting out into the real world is an terrifying exciting time.And whilst finding the perfect position and finally starting to earn some real money has some obvious benefits for your bank account, there is one obvious drawback: you actually have to pay back your student loan.We spoke to the Money Advice Service to find out everything you need to know about repaying your student loan:Repayments after you graduateStudent loan repayments begin when you join the workforce and start earning more than a certain amount. They are repaid automatically through the tax system, and stop once you’ve paid them off.It’s important to know exactly what’s involved in student loan repayment, and that you’re prepared for when you have to start making repayments. And it’s never too soon to start budgeting for them.You can work out your incomings and outgoings on the Money Advice Service’s quick-and-easy  Budget planner.What type of loan do you  have?Th e type of loan you have is called an Income Contingent Loan. How much you pay depends on your income and you pay it  back through the tax system.  There are no flat monthly payments.There are two types of repayment plan Plan 1 and Plan 2. Which one youre on will determine when you start repayments and how much you pay.Plan 1 is for students living in England and Wales who started studying before September 1, 2012, and all students living in Scotland and Northern Ireland.Plan 2 is for students living in England and Wales who started studying on or after September 1, 2012.How does student loan repayment work?You’ll start repaying your student loans through the tax system as soon as you start working and earning enough.The Student Loans Company will tell HM Revenue Customs (HMRC) to notify your employer when you start work. Payments will be automatically deducted from your taxable earnings.Once you’ve repaid your loan, HMRC will notify your employer and the repayments will stop. Any payments which slip through before your employer takes action will be refunded.How student loan repayments work »When you have to pay back your student loan?The earliest you’ll start making Plan 1 repayments is the April after you leave your course. You’ll only start repaying your loan when your annual income exceeds £17,335. You stop paying if your income drops below that amount.If you’re already studying, the earliest you’ll start making  Plan 2  repayments is April 2016, even if you drop out of your course early. If you start studying in September 2015 or later, the earliest you’ll start repaying is the April after you leave your course.Either way, you’ll only start repaying your loan if your annual income is more than £21,000. You stop paying if your income drops below this amount.Repaying your student loan »When might your student loan  be written off?Wherever you studied in the UK, if you started studying before September 1, 2006, any outstanding balance wi ll be written off when you reach age 65.If you started studying on or after September 1, 2006 and have a Plan 1 loan, any outstanding balance will usually be written off after 25 years.In Scotland, the period before the loan is written off is 35 years. If you have a Plan 2 loan, any remaining balance is usually written off after 30 years.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 Salaries

Use The Cheapest Of Resume Writing Services

Use The Cheapest Of Resume Writing ServicesIf you are still in the process of creating your resume and think that it might need some work, you may want to consider utilizing a resume writing service. Many people are under the impression that the process of creating one's own resume is quite complicated. The truth is that there are a number of steps involved in the creation of a resume.In some cases, there are even personal information on the resume that cannot be included on the cover page. Those with this information are typically called on to write an introduction to the resume. If you have any special qualifications, they will need to be included in this section as well. This is where you will also include all of the education information.It should be noted that the cover page for a resume does not mean that your resume is completely finished. There is still work to be done. The hiring company may request that you provide any additional information that they may have, including a statement of employment history.Many hiring companies do not have the resources or personnel to search through the resume they receive. Therefore, they rely on the resume writing service to find and match you with the jobs you are looking for. Your resume writing service will do most of the work for you, but they do still need to submit their work for review and approval by the hiring company.When you have completed your resume, you are ready to send it out to the hiring company. Your resume writing service will send your resume directly to the hiring company. You do not need to spend time looking for an appropriate company. Instead, your service will do the searching for you.There are many benefits to using a resume writing service. For one thing, these professionals have the technical skills and background that will make a resume stand out from the rest. They will be able to provide you with the best possible resume for the job you are applying for.You can also expect to receive p ersonalized attention when you submit your resume. Each person who reviews resumes is likely to have his or her own ideas about what a good resume looks like. By choosing to use a resume writing service, you will be assured that your resume will be reviewed on its own merits, rather than according to the biases of other people.A professional resume writers can save you time and money, which are the key to success when it comes to using a resume writing service. Whether you are attempting to get hired, or simply looking for a job to begin your career in the business world, you can benefit from using the services of a resume writing service. You will be able to make yourself stand out from the crowd, so that you can apply for jobs that interest you and get them.

4 Things to Consider Before Accepting an Offer

4 Things to Consider Before Accepting an Offer Congratulations you  did  really well in the job interview! The reference checks were positive and now  the company you are interviewing with has offered you an open position.  Naturally, you want to accept it right away but why be in such hurry? Take some time to read through the contract, evaluate it closely and discuss it with others who might give you some good advice.  The last thing you want to happen is to take on the wrong job, as that  would mean going through  the whole job search cycle again when you decide youre too unhappy to stay. So before you give the big yes or no, consider these following things: 1. Your excitement The company may not be the one that you have always wanted, but think about the reasons that make you excited to work there. If nothing immediately jumps out at you, then something is up, and you may not be ready  to spend a huge part of your life with this employer.  You want to feel enthralled at the  idea of stepping into something fresh and new. If the excitement isn’t there and it all feels just a matter of process, maybe the job or the company itself is not right for  you. However, you can always search for the missing excitement by meeting your future colleagues, finding a new place to live close by or committing to  adding more value to the company by working there, and inviting the challenge.  Entrepreneur Derek Sivers once aptly said, its either a Hell yeah! or no. 2. The company’s culture Find out the culture in the office of your next employer first. You can learn from your experience during the  interview process. You should have gotten a feel for the attitudes and values of the workplace by being there, and you can use this to decide whether you are going working  there or not.  If that experience wasnt sufficient, you can head over to company review sites such as Glassdoor to search for and retrieve reviews about the company. You are going to come across some good ones and some bad ones. Collectively they should give you a better idea of what  the company is like in general, and what its current employees say about working there! 3. Your needs Does the job offer provide for  your needs? Always evaluate the contract’s options, from its compensation, bonuses, general benefits, health insurance, flex-time, allowance, travel reimbursement, the various form of leave entitlement, profit sharing  and  retirement support. If a job offer meets your predetermined bottom line, you could go ahead and accept it. However, make sure that the entire package is going to meet your demands.  Remember the opportunity cost. If you are to take on this job, you wont be able to take one another one for some time, so  weigh it out meticulously. Will you be compensated correctly? It is worth proactively ask the hiring manager or HR about the full options available in the package. Sometimes it isnt made  clear, so you have to probe for details. It is important to discuss those matters before you accept the salary offer and sign the contract  (and regret later). 4. The company’s promising future Of course, you want to be proud of the company you are working for. Thus, ask and do some research about the company’s development plan. You have to be sure that their development path suits your career path. Also, figure out about the reason for people leaving the company as well as their turnover rate.  A promising company will give you room to improve. Its no  wonder that having a clear path for your advancement is an important consideration to ponder over as well. Although you are not a fortune teller, you should understand the company’s direction and ensure it aligns with your goals.  In addition, you would want to do some research on the industry as well.  They could be the leading company in the floppy disk drive industry, but it isnt going to end well seeing as the  industry will die sooner or later. Image: Shutterstock

Learning To Earning Coping With The Transition From Student To Work

Learning To Earning Coping With The Transition From Student To Work Graduating from college is one of the crowning achievements in life. But there are always concerns from making the transition into working life from educational life. There is always concern about debt and how it is going to be repaid. The change from being a student to being a proper grown-up with a job and responsibilities is a shock to the system. So here are a few pieces of advice to help you make the transition into the workaday world! Moving Back Home Is Okay… In The Short-Term! It may feel like a step back but moving back in with your parents after spending so many years away is a calculated financial investment. Even if you move back for just six months! Besides, they may be grateful to have you back after youve been away for so long. Use the period at home to earn as much money as you can before making the transition to renting a place. You can also use the time to reconnect with old friends, making it feel less like a kick in the teeth after flying the nest to improve your life. And yes you may feel that you dont have much privacy, but remember its only a short period of time! Manage Your Debt Properly! You may have left university with a degree, but you may also have a mountain of debt to pay off! Now that credit card you had at the beginning doesnt seem like a good idea! But not to worry, there are ways around this. Debt consolidation loans is an excellent way to put all of your individual debts into one manageable place. Chances are that you could have so many debts, that you have you might just forget about one. So keep the reminder letters at bay by doing this. Ask For Advice Whether it is careers advice, money advice, or just honest advice from friends or family, it will be a great way to keep your head with the pressures that you might feel now. Someone has been there before you! A lot of people may leave University with a degree but have no intention of using it anymore. If that is the case schedule an appointment with a careers advisor to see what they can do to help you utilize your degree in the right way, even if you have no intention of being a biomechanic! If you are looking for financial advice, you can look online at websites like The Fortunate Investor for some tips and hints. Plan Ahead! The best advice I can give is to make sure that you plan ahead. Planning for any unforeseen circumstances when it comes to money is a skill that you will need in the years to come. Budgeting and seeing where you are making frivolous purchases is the best place to start. Something as simple as where you are going to shop can have financial ramifications for the better down the line. After all, being a student, you didnt have any money in the first place, so this should be a skill you will have! Image credits Main     Back Home     Plan A

Professional Resume Writing in Ballarat

Professional Resume Writing in BallaratProfessional resume writing Ballarat is a popular place to find jobs these days. If you have recently graduated or moved away from home and you're ready to start a new career, the Regional Development Authority is always recruiting skilled employees for their various projects. There are plenty of great opportunities in the area including jobs with Australian Trade Training Authority, TAFE and the Australian Building Construction Commission.Professional resume writing Ballarat is one of the main reasons why people move there. So many other aspects make it such a great place to live and work. It is also affordable, so if you're not looking to relocate there yet, you should definitely check it out.If you want to learn how to write a professional resume you don't have to look far. You can find a wealth of information on the internet as well as at your local library. It's a great thing to do before you leave for your new job. However, if you're not c omfortable writing, you may wish to employ an expert resume writer.A professional resume writer will be able to give you guidance and suggestions on what to include in your professional resume. Writing a good professional resume is just about making the right first impression. You want to make sure that you're actually included on the list of professionals when a potential employer gets to see your resume.Professional resume writing Ballarat is a fantastic place to live and work in. It's affordable and it's very convenient. The only downside is that it is one of the hardest places to find a job, with some employers paying you less than $20 an hour. Other places that are less expensive may pay more, but it's worth a try before moving.Most employers use the Applicant Tracking System to find qualified candidates for positions in Ballarat. This system is based on personal information that is submitted by you as part of your application. This information is used to match the resumes you submit with available positions. If you want to save time applying for jobs in Ballarat, you should search the Internet for the CVATT website.The CVATT website can help you gain access to the database of personal information that is offered by employers who use the system. It doesn't matter if you're trying to find a job or if you're trying to get one that's paid, the CVATT system is a great resource. It allows you to log in and update your personal information and then it will immediately match your information with the profiles of qualified applicants.For you to really succeed in finding a job in Ballarat you'll need to write a professional resume. When you complete the CVATT application form, you will then be able to apply for positions you're qualified for. It's the process of putting your personal information into a searchable database that makes it possible for employers to match you with appropriate positions.

4 Damaging Effects of Office Miscommunication - CareerMetis.com

4 Damaging Effects of Office Miscommunication Communicating with colleagues, customers, and clients is a significant part of everyone’s career, and our proficiency in doing it can really impact how quickly we progress.Given how regularly we rely on communication at work, it’s not often considered a skill, like problem-solving or organization, that can be reviewed and improved upon. The result is that miscommunications occur on a level that many will find surprising.evalRecent researchhas shined a light on where it’s at it’s most prevalent, finding that 56% of US workers have miscommunicated in the office First and foremost, miscommunication can lead directly to misleading instructions. If you’re handing someone a specific task or communicating a wider strategy, a miscommunication can confuse employees and cause them to undertake the wrong work.When instructions aren’t clear employee mistakes can increase, poor decisions are made and the quality of work decreases.Ultimately, this can lead to a litany of knock-on effec ts, unmet expectations and can seriously impact the progress of ongoing projects.2) Unwarranted stressA lack of clarity is a tough situation for employees to find themselves in. Without sufficient direction, anxiety and stress can unnecessarily increase.In these scenarios, employees can often find themselves stressed about things that are entirely irrelevant, spending their time worrying about concerns that been borne out of poor communication.evalGood communication reverses these issues, creating a sense of stability and allowing employees to prioritize their work.3) Decrease in motivationWhat the above two points add up to is a decrease in your staff’s motivation. Morale is a key facet linked to the performance of your team, and poor communication can lead to a decrease in it.Put it this way: if you’re unclear on how to complete a task, either through poor direction or a lack of support from superiors, you’ll begin to feel like you simply aren’t capable of doing the task a t hand.This prospect is damaging to employee self-esteem and, in turn, their proficiency at doing their job.4) A Drop in productivityevalUltimately what all this adds up to is a drop in your team’s productivity levels. Not only does this harm your team’s development, but it can also harm the company’s bottom line.The estimated cost of poor communication is $26,041 per employee each year â€" according to the Holmes Report in 2011.Couple this with the regularity that technological miscommunication occurs, as the recent research cited above Insulting comments ranked just behind confidential information when it came to the communication’s content, with 17% of US workers stating they’d unintentionally sent some less than complimentary words to the wrong person.10% of these were comments made about a colleague other than the intended recipient. The other 7% had accidentally sent the insulting comments to the exact person they were written about.Men are much more regular offender s than womenIn every single measurable way, men were found to commit workplace miscommunication more regularly than women. As many as 70% have miscommunicated in some way at work, compared to just 49% of women.The story is the same when it comes to communicative methods. 45% of men have sent an email to the wrong person, 14 percentage points higher than women. 32% have done the same with an instant message or text, and 20% via a voicemail How miscommunication can damage employees and businessesAside from the financial and morale-related issues that can arise from miscommunication, it can also lead to downright embarrassing situations for employees, clients, and businesses.The research conducted above also sourced a number of the most unusual, real-world examples of miscommunication.A horrible boss once emailed asking me to do something. I intended to forward it to a friend with the message “Go [emailprotected]!? Yourself?.”I replied to my boss instead.My schedule for work had me on call on a Wednesday. My managers didn’t need me, so Jeremy, one of our managers, texted me to tell me that I wouldn’t need to come in. I was glad, so I texted back “HOORAY”…except my phone autocorrected it to “HORNY”Trying to be part of the gang at work, I thought I would send an amusing meme round to six of my colleagues.It was a little NSFW, featuring a creepy sloth with the words “whip it out Wednesday” written across the bottom.I accidentally included a client in the email.These may be extreme examples that are unlikely to occur in your office, but the perils can be significant were it to arise. Not only can it simply be embarrassing for the employee involved, but it could also damage their career â€" depending on the severity of the miscommunication.From a business perspective, if clients or customers are involved, it could lead to irreversible damage to your reputation and a loss of revenue.

3 job search lessons from Muay Thai that every job seeker should know - Sterling Career Concepts

3 job search lessons from Muay Thai that every job seeker should know 3 job search lessons from Muay Thai that every job seeker should know What is Muay Thai, you ask? It translates to the “art of eight limbs.” So while boxers use their hands, Muay Thai fighters utilize their hands, legs, knees, and elbows. (Cool, right? The elbows are particularly fun to throw.) I’ve been training Muay Thai kickboxing for about eight months now, and people close to me know that I’ll talk forever to anyone who’ll listen about how it has improved my life. It’s been awhile since I’ve written a post with a personal perspective, and I realized some of the lessons I’ve learned over the past year translate well to job search and career management. Three lessons about how to effectively job search that I’ve learned from training muay Thai: 1. You get out of it exactly what you put into it. You can attend a class and throw punches and kicks at 50% power, but you’re not doing anyone any favors, or you can give 110% to any training session and see results and improvement faster. Job searching is similar. You have to push yourself to work harder and longer. If you don’t, you’re not doing anyone any favors. Push yourself to hit a new target, perhaps making three more calls every day, think outside of the box by being open minded to alternative job targets, and cover all your bases with a targeted resume, well-written cover letter, a detailed, branded LinkedIn profile, and an online professional presence. My colleague Julie Walraven wrote a short but effective post inspired by a Chris Brogan quote about making excuses or making progress. Which one will you choose? 2. Pay attention to the details â€" all the time, every time. Any one technique in Muay Thai has a checklist of what each body part is supposed to be doing right. When you throw a punch, it’s: shoulder up, chin down, other hand at your cheek, and hips turning while pivoting on the ball of your foot. Every time you throw a punch, proper form requires keeping everything in check. “Shoulder, chin, shoulder” can be heard as a reminder in every class. There’s no point in practicing if your technique is wrong. You practice to get it right every time. Networking is the same way. There should never be anything considered a “practice conversation” or a “test run.” Just like practicing with sloppy form is a waste of time, networking just to say you’re networking is a waste of your time. You never know who could lead you to your next opportunity. If you’re going to go through the motions of networking, do it purposefully and correctly. Prepare and make every networking call your best. Offer to help those in your network. Stay connected to people on a consistent basis. Reach out to people with specific questions about whom or what they might know. Make every call or contact count. If you’re worried about being an inconvenience, my colleague Miriam Salpeter shares how to convince people to help you with your job search without being annoying. 3. Push past your comfort zone â€" again, and again. Trying new things and reaching new achievement levels is, in my opinion, what makes us better. It’s hard to improve if you don’t stretch yourself and remain open minded, and it’s certainly no fun going through life being afraid of what makes you uncomfortable. The Wise Job Search wrote about quit looking for easy â€" and I could not agree more. In your job search, how often do you avoid making that cold call or reaching out to someone in your network to ask for help? My colleague Lisa Rangel explains why conversations are the number one job search metric everyone should be tracking â€" with which I also could not agree more. Easy or comfortable is not going to get you where you want to be. * * * As a friend of mine recently commented, things enter our life at a certain point for a reason. As a woman, Muay Thai is one of the most empowering things I’ve ever done. It’s amazing exercise (cardio and strength training all in one), confidence boost, and stress reliever all in one. My wish for you is that you find your own activity that adds clarity to your job search and a release from the stress of your daily life. If you’d like help moving forward in your job search, email or call me now. Don’t wait another day. Perhaps the time is right to partner on a new resume, executive bio, or LinkedIn profile.

My Declaration on Money - When I Grow Up

My Declaration on Money - When I Grow Up Todays the start of the Money topic for The Declaration of Yous Blog Lovin Tour, and I feel a bit frozen. See, Money was the chapter that almost didnt make the book. When Jess I decided on the Big Topics we wanted to include, Money was a no-brainer because, well, it seems to be The Biggest scary topic we could find. So big and scary, actually, that it was the very last one we wrote. We talked about cutting it. About it being Too Big to include. About leaving it to someone else. About it not fitting in to these less tangible topics in the book. But we know probably, subconsciously, because we wanted to scrap it how important it was to leave in. How our relationship to Money is often a factor we hear about again and again in what stops us from defining, creating, and living a passionate, fulfilling life. How it makes up really valid, very tangible excuses as to why one thing and/or another cant be done. How its the root of very many fears. Of course, if you want to tell your jerkface boss to shove it without having to follow it up with a move to your parents basement, youll need money. And in order to delegate the stuff that doesnt play to your strengths (think laundry, designing graphics or painting your house), youll need money. And to engage in extreme self-care (like a week-long cruise or a spa retreat), youll need money. And to fund your Big Glamorous Goals (like that summer house in Sonoma), youll need money. We not only need to go from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance, but we need to be able to see that money can be used as a force for good but most likely doesnt need to be a motivating force. Even though its super scary for me to admit to you, Ive had the goal to have a six-figure business for the past 2 years, and Im not there yet. Im on track to get there or at least get closer than I ever have before this year, but since Ive fallen short more than once and it still often seems like a pipe dream, it sometimes makes me feel like Im failing. Like Ive been doing something wrong. Like who I am and what I do isnt enough. I realize now that The Six-Figure Goal Ive set for myself and the fact that I havent reached it negates all of my other amazeballs work. The thousands of people Ive helped. The relationships Ive formed. The book Ive published. The corporate job that I left. The people Im able to employ. The positive message I send. The optimism I enthuse. I never got into this coaching business because of all the money I expected to make. On the contrary I expected to struggle for quite a while (if not longer) and even to being an optimistic pessimist back in 2007 spectacularly fail. I became The When I Grow Up Coach because, above all, Im motivated by building relationships, knew that I was a stellar communicator (yup, Ill own it), and was lit up by the thought of being the career coach I needed when I decided to give up acting. Im not sure when the shift happened. When the main way I felt validated was to count the money coming in to feel badly when it fell below expectations, to be on a high when it rose above them. That said, I have gotten a big case of the warm fuzzies celebrated in various ways when I reached the milestones I listed above, so thats not nothing. Now, with this post, my declaration around money is to release it. To let go of the goal and all expectations. To keep moving forward with the work that lights me up, that helps others, that builds relationships. That is when Ill know that Ive done everything right and I can trust that the Money will follow. What belief around Money is holding you back? How do you want to reframe it? Whats your declaration around it? Use the comments below to answer these questions, or join us by writing a post on your own blog!