Category Archives: Professional Development

Healthy habits when working from home

In an ever-changing and fast-paced world, we’re now able to connect from almost anywhere. This has had an enormous influence on how we communicate and operate, both personally and professionally. Improved technology means we now have the flexibility to work from anywhere. Working from home has now become the norm for many of us, so it’s essential to make your health and wellbeing a priority, particularly if you’re still trying to come to terms with your new situation.
Here are ten healthy habits you can implement while working from home.
 

 

Maintain a routine

It’s important to maintain a routine when working from home, especially if it’s for an extended time. It’s beneficial to keep consistency to your day, such as waking up at your usual time, having breakfast, taking your scheduled lunch break, and finishing on time. […read more]

Categories : Work-life Balance, Professional Development, Career, Personal Growth

Why you should consider a career in mortgage broking

For some of us, choosing a career isn’t an easy decision. Whether you’re just starting out or making a change, mortgage broking is a career with opportunity and may be the right move for you. Firstly, what do mortgage brokers do?
Mortgage brokers are finance professionals that work in the middle between their clients and lenders to source the best loans suitable to their client’s financial situation. Mortgage brokers require great customer service, numerical, communication and organisation skills to balance multiple clients and lenders.
Now you know the basics of what a mortgage broker does, here’s why should you consider a career in mortgage broking.
 

 
Career progression:
Starting a career in mortgage broking won’t cost you thousands in tuition fees and you can generally establish a career within a couple of years. To become a mortgage broker in […read more]

Categories : Motivation, Professional Development, Career, Personal Growth

How to balance your career, life and study

For most people, studying and education doesn’t stop at the end of school or university. Expanding knowledge throughout different stages of life is vital to upskilling in a career and professional and personal development. Whether you’re a new student or furthering your credentials, balancing study with your life and career can sometimes be overwhelming. While it’s natural you’ll feel the pressure juggling these important aspects of your life, the good news is there are small steps you can implement to help you manage.
Here are our best tips on how you can balance your career and study.
 

 
Plan in advance
Planning in advance is imperative to avoiding unwanted surprises when balancing study, life and career. It’s important to know your deadlines, appointments and social commitments in advance to plan your time efficiently. An up-to-date calendar highlighting important […read more]

Categories : Professional Development, Work-life Balance, Career

Why insurance is a career for life

Being an industry of diversity and opportunity, it’s clear why insurance is an appealing career. Insurance is essential to everyone throughout life, making it a demanding industry with a variety of career opportunities worldwide. From working in life insurance, as an insurance broker or underwriter, there are numerous career paths to pursue.
Eager to know more about this rewarding industry? Here are our top reasons why insurance is a career for life.
 

 
Variation
The insurance industry has a variety of job opportunities and qualifications to start or advance your career. This provides you the potential to pursue an extensive range of career paths throughout your work life. There are opportunities to work in general insurance, life insurance, insurance broking, underwriting, claims, plus more. Within these categories, there are a variety of roles to suit different people and […read more]

Categories : Career

Kickstart your study goals in 2021

It’s the start of a new year. The holidays are over, you’re feeling confident about your New Year’s resolutions, and your motivation is at an all-time high. Although you’re feeling optimistic by a fresh start, sometimes getting back into studying after a break can be challenging.
To help inspire you for the year ahead, these are our top tips to kickstart your study goals in 2021.
 

 
Set your goals
Goal setting plays an important role in long-term success and the New Year is an ideal time to set your goals. No matter how big or small they may be, it’s important to set goals to achieve daily, monthly, and even for several years, to stay focused on what you want to accomplish throughout life.
No doubt you’ve heard this before, but one of the most valuable methods of […read more]

Categories : Professional Development

Preparing yourself for a new year

With the new year just around the corner, now’s the perfect time to get a head start on planning and preparing yourself for 2020. Whether your goal is to start studying again, take up a new hobby or to be healthier, being mentally prepared and having clear goals can help you along on your journey for next year and beyond.
We’ve outlined some of the best ways you can prepare for the year ahead.
 

 
Review and reflect
Reflect on the year that has passed. Perhaps think about:

What was successful and what wasn’t successful?
Did you meet some, if not all the goals you set for yourself?
What could’ve you done better and what can you change for the new year?

Giving yourself time to reflect can provide insight to what works for you and what you need to improve on, […read more]

Categories : Professional Development

Five steps to take after completing your qualification

There’s nothing more exciting than the sense of accomplishment after completing a course. It’s the chance to take what you have learned and apply it to the real world. However, many individuals are often left wondering what to do next. Here are five steps to take after attaining your qualification…
 

 
1. Discover your pathway
Have you got a strategy? No hope, aim or goal is achievable without a plan. Make sure you’re prepared for your next endeavour. Identify where you want to be in a few years’ time and how you’re going to get there. After finishing an entry-level qualification, you may need work experience – look to secure your role by keeping your résumé up to date and actively looking for opportunities. If you’ve completed a further qualification, you could turn to mentors or senior team members for guidance […read more]

Categories : Professional Development, Alumni

Four reasons you should consider further study

Proactive professionals excel in their fields because they find value in every opportunity. Taking steps to deepen your knowledge and gain new skills can lead to a fulfilling career and an enhanced overall wellbeing. One of the best ways to develop yourself is through building on your education. Here are our top four reasons why you should consider furthering your education with a postgraduate qualification this year.
 

 
1. It comes down to lifestyle 
Learning has the power to change the way you look at your role and your understanding of the field you work in, while making your daily processes and activities more enjoyable. Further education will enable you to gain new perspectives and expand your horizons but improve your quality of life too. In fact, a recent Harvard Business Review stated lifelong learning is good for your […read more]

Categories : Professional Development, Alumni
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Finding balance in your life

Finding balance in our daily life can be sometimes be challenging, especially if you’re studying, working and looking after family all from home. This has only been made harder by the advancement of digital technology, which has resulted in us being consistently ‘plugged in’. Other reasons can include studying whilst working, overcommitting to tasks or people, putting pressure on yourself to constantly overachieve, and not knowing when to say no.
 

 
The answer could be as simple as creating a calendar and scheduling important tasks in advance to avoid being stressed out or forgetting anything. You could also create new habits to help balance your work and personal life.
We’ve pulled together some techniques to help you to get started.
 
Unplug
Unplug and step away. Unplugging yourself can assist in employing healthy habits, so try to find ways to […read more]

Categories : Professional Development

Six ways to revolutionise the way you study

Losing focus while trying to read through notes? Struggling to find the attention span for course content and lectures? Sometimes it’s important to review the study strategies you use to ensure you’re performing in the most productive manner. To support you in your student journey, we’ve compiled six of the best study techniques to get you started.
 

 
1. Learn with visuals
We all have different optimum methods of learning acquiring information. However, the most difficult part of studying is discovering what method works for you. Rather than continuing down the path of forcing yourself to use traditional methods of learning, why not be more creative in your approach? Visual learning is one of three very common learning styles.
Visual learners respond to different elements like tone, brightness and colour. There are a range of ways you can […read more]

Categories : Professional Development