How American Student Assistance and ProjectSet are helping students to build the durable skills they need for career and lifelong success

Many school district leaders are adopting the Life Ready Student model to address the gap between K-12 education and workforce needs. In 2019, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) highlighted this issue, focusing on two key questions: How can schools bridge the gap in soft skills—also known as durable skills such as time management and resourcefulness—and how can education and business leaders collaborate to better support students? Continue Reading...

As digitisation takes an increasing hold in our personal and professional lives, video CV is emerging as a fresh, powerful way to present ourselves. A video CV is a short audio-visual  presentation for us to showcase our skills, experiences, and capabilities in a way that goes beyond the limitations of a traditional static, paper-based resume in 3 key ways!    1. Personalise, Beyond Words  A video CV puts face and voice to the text and words in a traditional resume. It lends a human touch by uncovering your motivations, passions, and unique attributes in a way that resonates with recruiters on a personal level. Speaking confidently and maintaining eye contact, you can narrate your journey and achievements in a video CV more powerfully than a long list of qualifications can.    2. Get Yourself Heard, Get Away From the Herd  Use the magic of colours, movements and sounds in a video CV to engage your audience effectively. Simply speak into a camera or use visually engaging slides, images, video clips or sounds to highlight your unique attributes and suitability for a role. For example, you may provide a short demo of a relevant project when applying for a software coding role; or present a design portfolio when applying for a digital marketing, PR or media role. Overall a video CVs demonstrates your proficiency in handling digital communication media.    3. Don’t Choose, Don’t Lose You don’t need to choose either/ or; use a video CV in addition to – not in place of – the traditional text CV. This way, you offer your audience a choice and yet leverage the power of different media forms to grab their attention. As the job market becomes increasingly competitive, job seekers are scrambling to find ways to stand out from the crowd. Video CVs offer a novel and impactful way to capture recruiters' attention and differentiate oneself from other candidates. Remember: the objective of you CV is not to get you the job…. But just to get you on the list of interviewees.    Light, Camera, Action!  So, grab your camera, script your story, and step confidently into the future of job applications with your very own video CV.  Take that important step into the digital age to stand out in a hyper-competitive and super-crowded job market. You may want to view these examples to get some creative ideas on how to script your winning video CV.     Check Out Some Inspiration:

Relocating for a new job can be a challenging task. It requires a great deal of planning, organisation, and the ability to adapt to new situations. However, with the right approach and mindset, you can make this process less stressful, more cost-effective, and time-efficient. This guide provides a comprehensive framework to help you navigate through your upcoming career-related relocation smoothly.   The Home Buying Process The first step in your career-related relocation is finding a new home. It's crucial to understand the home buying process to avoid unnecessary costs and stress. Consider the option of buying a house "as is," which means purchasing the property in its current condition without the seller making any repairs or improvements. This strategy can save you money upfront, but it's essential to get a thorough home inspection to avoid potential costly issues down the line.   Consult Friends and Family If you have friends or family near your new location, don't hesitate to reach out to them for advice and support. They can provide valuable insights about the area, such as the best neighborhoods, local amenities, and cost of living. Their firsthand experiences can help you make informed decisions and ease the transition.   Establish a Moving Budget Creating a realistic moving budget is an essential step in your relocation process. It should include expenses like hiring movers, packing materials, transportation, and potential accommodation costs. Remember to factor in some extra funds for unexpected expenses. A well-planned budget will help you manage your finances better and prevent overspending.   Plan and Organize Your Move Effective planning and organisation are key to a successful move. Start by creating a timeline for your move, detailing tasks such as packing, hiring movers, and setting up utilities at your new home. Prioritise decluttering before packing to reduce the volume of items you need to move. Also, make sure to label boxes clearly to make unpacking easier.   Connect with Moving Professionals Hiring professionals can make your move smoother and more efficient. Do your research and get quotes from multiple moving companies to ensure you're getting the best deal. Check their reviews and ratings to ensure they're reliable and reputable. Remember, the cheapest option isn't always the best one, especially when it comes to handling your valuable possessions.   Communicate with Your Employer It's crucial to maintain open lines of communication with your employer throughout the relocation process, discussing your moving schedule to ensure it aligns with your start date. If your company offers relocation assistance, make sure to understand the terms and utilise the benefits. Moreover, keeping your employer updated about your transition progress can help in resolving any potential hiccups promptly and efficiently.   Network with Locals Networking with locals can help you settle into your new environment faster, whether it's by joining local clubs or groups related to your interests, attending community events, or using social media platforms to connect with people in your area. Building a local network can make your new location feel more like home, and furthermore, these connections might also open up unexpected opportunities in your new job and social life.   A career-related relocation is a significant life event that requires careful planning and execution. By following this guide, you can navigate the process with less stress, cost, and time. Remember to stay flexible and open-minded throughout the process, as unexpected challenges may arise. With the right preparation and mindset, your relocation can be an exciting new chapter in your career and personal life.

You cannot make a perfect CV - because there is no such thing as one! But keep reading to learn some tips and tricks to create a CV that's perfect for you. Let’s dive into these tips and tricks that will help you create your own version of a perfect CV to land you your dream job. Do your research Sound boring? Well, no pain no gain! You need to research the skills that recruiters are looking for.   Go on platforms like LinkedIn, TotalJobs, etc to search for your desired roles, and go through the job descriptions. Try to highlight some key skills and note them down. See below for an example:     After doing your research, let's start writing your actual CV. The first quarter of the CV is very important as that is what the recruiter will look at and decide whether to continue further reading your CV or not. This part of the CV needs to be impactful.   Add LinkedIn to your profile You can add a custom LinkedIn URL or try to embed a word hyperlink to your LinkedIn profile. This is a must, as it will help the recruiter look at your personal branding in broader terms.     Use a professional email address Let's be real, waiting4you@outside.com is not a professional email address. It should be formatted appropriately, for example: firstname-surname@gmail.com. When your email address looks professional, it comes across as genuine as well.     Your 'Education' section Recruiters do not worry about how many grades you have scored because they know that having practical proven experience will be more effective. Sometimes they might look for key qualifications such as English and Mathematics, but they will make this clear in their job descriptions. So rather than including your scores, mention your projects and competition achievements.       Your 'Experience' section This section needs to start with your latest relevant experience. Always start the sentence with action words. It should be in bullet points and with meaningful measurable metrics. The Responsibility and Result formula can be used to create these bullet points. For people with no experience, you can also add your internship experience or any other project you have worked on in your course or at any other place. For instance, rather than using “Creatively arranged the store items to increase footfall”, you could write, “Increased footfall in the store by efficiently creating visual display as a result of which sales increased by 20%”.   TIP: If you are an experienced candidate, you can move the Experience section above the Education section!   Your 'Skills' section Soft skills are usually underrated when it comes to the skills section. They are as equally important as hard skills because, referring to the example above, the person was able to increase sales because they have communication skills, a can-do attitude, and team leadership skills. Hard skills are also a must as technicalities are always there. These can include some software, some apps, or even some systems that you can operate. The key is combining your soft skills with your hard skills to show your capabilities at your workplace.   Do not use buzzwords or clichés! This is a big NO! Avoid using phrases like “Hard working team player”, “I go the extra mile”, and “I am a strong communicator”. Rather than stating these phrases, show their implication. That way it will be more convincing. For example: rather than saying "I go the extra mile", say what you did to go above and beyond to achieve that goal or target. (You can google resume buzzwords or clichés and remove all this from your CV.) Use the right keywords and skills (you have already done your research before so this will be easier) in order to make your application considered for an interview.     Your 'Certificates/Achievements' section It is not mandatory to have this section in your CV but is advisable since it will show your professional achievements. You can fill this section with list of all the certificates and awards you have, with the latest one being on the top. If you wish you can also mention the year in which you secured the certificate as well. If you have any sports achievements you can mention them as well. To see how to add your sports achievement to your CV, we've written another blog post on the topic that you can read here.     Some general tips! Keep your CV simple and short with a length of around 1-2 pages with all the most relevant information on page 1. Tailor your CV according to the job description of the particular job you are applying for. Do not overlook the small things like grammar and spelling mistakes. Follow the same structure throughout the CV. Once your CV is finished, email it to ten individuals you know or submit it to some recruiters and alumni; get their input and make any necessary revisions.   ProjectSet is also one such platform where you can take part in virtual hackathons, competitions, projects and much more which can be added to your CV. Sign up for free and boost your CV today!