Hints and Tips - Meg Burton Coach

Reasons not to hate AI in recruitment

Five-minute read | Meg Burton | Job searching

The proliferation of AI in recruitment is well documented, but, perhaps controversially, I’m here to give you some reasons not to hate it.

Various reports suggest that the use of AI in recruitment tripled in a year, that three in 10 UK employers are using it in their recruitment processes, and that it is progressively being used as part of the interview process.

On the other side, candidates are likely to be increasingly using AI to tailor CVs to job descriptions, potentially creating even more risk of overstating their experience and suitability for a role.

Continue reading “Reasons not to hate AI in recruitment”

Career planning – is promotion the only option?

Taking control of your working life by career planning is a sensible thing to do, but is promotion the only option if you want to feel like you’re making progress?

Put another way, does getting on always mean going up when it comes to your career? Not necessarily. If you want to do more, you have three main routes for career progression – step up, broaden, or deepen and a multitude of options within these.

Continue reading “Career planning – is promotion the only option?”

Don’t mess up receiving feedback – how to take it with grace

Even if it’s positive, receiving feedback well can be a challenge – here’s my tips on how not to mess up receiving it.

Most genuine feedback is great information that can help us improve. So being able to receive it, reflect on it and adjust where we need to can help us make huge personal progress.

The clue with feedback is in the name – any kind of feedback conversation should be two-way (‘feed’ and ‘back’). But, even if you’re prepared for it, hearing feedback about yourself can trigger an emotional response. Understanding and being able to manage this is critical.

Continue reading “Don’t mess up receiving feedback – how to take it with grace”

How to make the most of both your strengths and skills in a job interview

If you’ve managed to secure a job interview, you’ll be feeling the pressure to make the most of this shot at getting a new role – so knowing how to make the most of both your strengths and your skills could give you the edge you need.

In a recent blog, I explained the difference between strengths and skills. It’s an important distinction to understand, and knowing your own strengths and skills can help you do your best at job interviews, hopefully landing you that dream role!

Continue reading “How to make the most of both your strengths and skills in a job interview”

How to conquer job interview nerves

Anyone who’s had a job interview will recognise the pressure we can put ourselves under – here are some helpful tips on how to conquer job interview nerves, and a reminder that they can be useful too.

Continue reading “How to conquer job interview nerves”

Charge up your career by understanding the difference between strengths and skills

Understanding the difference between skills and strengths can be useful when thinking about your next career move. Both are important, especially when looking for a new job and going for interviews.

Here’s how to uncover your strengths and your skills, and why this information is useful when considering your career and preparing for a job interview.

Continue reading “Charge up your career by understanding the difference between strengths and skills”

Seven interview advice tips for 2026

With the jobs market as tough as ever, if you are lucky enough to secure an interview for a new role, you will want to be at your best – so here are my seven interview advice tips for 2026 to help with your search for the perfect new job.

Continue reading “Seven interview advice tips for 2026”

How to approach group interviews - advice from a career coach

When you’ve finally made it past the first hurdle and secured an interview, you might be thrown by the idea of doing one with lots of other people, so here’s my advice about how to approach group interviews. They are currently common in many graduate processes and some other interviews, so it’s worth understanding how to prepare for them.

Continue reading “How to approach group interviews - advice from a career coach”

Ghosting in the recruitment process: a new thing, or tale as old as time?

With the UK job market tougher than ever, more candidates are experiencing ghosting in the recruitment process. While the term ghosting might have been coined to mean someone disappearing from conversations when you’re dating, people are now using it in relation to job searches – and not only at the first stage.

Continue reading “Ghosting in the recruitment process: a new thing, or tale as old as time?”

Job searching tips in a tough market – how to stay motivated

It’s a tough market out there if you are searching for a new job; cracking how to stay motivated is a large part of the battle.

There’s been an increase in redundancies recently, and employers appear more cautious about recruiting – likely driven by cost pressures, economic uncertainty created by the US’s Hokey Cokey on tariffs, and higher labour costs thanks to National Insurance and National Minimum Wage increases.

Continue reading “Job searching tips in a tough market – how to stay motivated”

How to combat job search fatigue and win

You are not imagining it – job searches are taking much longer than they used to, leading to candidates getting fatigue. A survey of 2,500 people found it takes, on average, 3.8 months to secure a job after investing 6.5 hours a week on searching and sending off 162 applications.

It’s no mean feat, then, to secure your next role, and no wonder people get worn out by the process. Here’s how you can combat job search fatigue and win.

Continue reading “How to combat job search fatigue and win”

Are outplacement services worth it? Why you should ask for outplacement support as part of your redundancy package

If you’re being made redundant you may already have been offered support to find a new job, but are outplacement services worth it? We think so. They put you in a stronger position for finding your next role, help you understand your strengths and what that role could be, give you support to freshen up your CV and get you ready to sell yourself at interviews. That’s why you should ask for outplacement support as part of your redundancy package.

Continue reading “Are outplacement services worth it? Why you should ask for outplacement support as part of your redundancy package”