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How do you present yourself persuasively to employers when you’re making a career change? Package yourself in a way that is appropriate to the sector or role that you’re targeting.  The research which you’ve carried out  before deciding to make the change should be the basis for helping you to work out what transferable skills… Continue reading Marketing yourself when planning a career change

Do you dread Monday mornings?  Are you going to look back at your life and think “if only I…..”? Are you in the wrong job? As Confucius said: “Choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” If you’re not happy, then it’s up to you to do… Continue reading Planning a career change

When you go for a job interview, it can feel like a beauty parade, where you are being assessed for your suitability for the role and the company. But interviews are a two-way process: you have an agenda too which includes assessing whether you would like to work for the organisation. Will the role play to your… Continue reading Do I fit in round here?

Job search is a marketing exercise, with you being both the product and the salesperson. Online tools such as Linkedin, video CVs, twitter and blogs are increasingly being used in recruitment but the CV document is still the most common method used to assess who is asked to interview. The CV is your prime marketing… Continue reading How to write a CV that gets you to interview

In the 1920’s, Ernest Hemmingway’s colleagues bet him that he couldn’t write a story in six words or less. They lost that bet when Hemmingway wrote “For Sale: Baby shoes. Never worn.” This story has so many lessons for presenting yourself to a potential employer when job searching.  Choose your words very carefully to get across… Continue reading A clear and concise story

We all know that first impressions count. In fact, research suggests that people form opinions about others within just a few seconds of meeting them. That means when you’re in a job search situation—whether at a networking event, an interview, or even a casual conversation—how you introduce yourself can make a huge difference in how… Continue reading How to introduce yourself during job search

How many people do you know? Maybe 200? Perhaps 400 or even more? Let’s say you know at least 200 people—friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, hobby groups, and online communities. Now consider this: if each of those 200 people also knows at least 200 others, your extended network suddenly becomes a web of 40,000 potential connections.… Continue reading Unlocking the Invisible Job Market: Use Your Network

I’ll be having a session with a client and we’ll get onto the subject of how to answer questions about their strengths and weaknesses at interview.  Previously we’ll have spent a good bit of time working out what their skills are and what the evidence is for these, so I am expecting them to wax… Continue reading Focus on your strengths

What is the best way to negotiate a package when you are offered a new role? Before going to any interview, you should have a broad idea of what you would be looking for moneywise.  Research the market rate for similar roles as much as you can by checking what other organisations are advertising, talking… Continue reading How to negotiate a job offer

Most people would agree that having high standards at work is generally a good thing.  But what if you can’t help striving for perfection in everything you do?  There are all sorts of reasons why someone might be a perfectionist. It might be because of low confidence, or a desire to please others, or maybe… Continue reading Knowing when good enough is good enough