Let’s face it – when you’re in the thick of university life, adding an extra placement year to your degree might not sound particularly appealing. But here’s the thing: placement years are becoming increasingly valuable in today’s competitive job market. So, should you bite the bullet and go for it?
Continue reading “Do you need a placement year as part of your degree?”
Whether you’re a recent graduate, planning a career switch, or seeking that big promotion, knowing what’s happening in the UK job market can make all the difference to landing your dream job. Here’s how you can stand out and secure your ideal role in 2025.
You’ve decided to leave your current role and organisation. You’ve submitted your resignation, agreed your last day at work, maybe even organised a leaving do. While your thoughts may be preoccupied with the future – a new role, a new industry, or even a career break – you may well have one more decision to make before you go.
You may be invited to attend an exit interview with your current employer. Many – although not all – organisations invite leavers to such interviews. But should you actually take them up on their offer?
Continue reading “How to do an exit interview – without burning your bridges”
Whatever you think of AI it’s unavoidable right now, but how is it relevant when you’re looking for a job and what do you need to do with your CV?
Continue reading “AI in recruitment – what you need to know”
Starting a side hustle could be the first step to future business success, or at the very least, a happier you as your next career move. Whether you’re feeling unfulfilled and searching for an outlet to exercise your true passions outside of your day-job, looking for an additional income stream or seeking a more permanent escape from your current career, side hustles are an increasingly popular way to switch things up.
Continue reading “Could a side hustle be your next career move”
With a new study confirming that hybrid working has benefits for job satisfaction, productivity and wellbeing, what are the implications if you’re looking for your next role? In this blog I explain how to factor hybrid working into your job search.
Continue reading “Considering hybrid working as part of your job search”
I often get asked about whether adding personal interests to a CV is the right thing to do, and as with many things in life, the short answer is: it depends.
In this LinkedIn article, the writer argues that you should always include a bit of personal detail on your CV to make you more 3D. And while I agree it can be valuable, there’s more to think about before you add stand-up paddle boarding to your current CV.
Here are some things to consider if you want to include personal interests and hobbies on your CV.
Continue reading “Should you include personal interests and hobbies on your CV?”
With millions of job-seekers in the UK and tough economic conditions, it would be easily to get disheartened if your job search is taking longer than you’d like. There are more unemployed people than vacancies in the UK, according to the latest UK Labour Market Statistics.
Constant rejections, being unsuccessful despite getting an interview and, worse, firing applications into an apparent black hole where you hear nothing at all, can all take their toll when you’re looking for a job.
Continue reading “Maintaining your energy during a long job search – the role of grit”
Many people are familiar with the work of Professor Carole Dweck and her concept of “growth mindset”. (Check out her Ted Talk, The power of believing that you can improve for a 10-minute summary.)
The idea is that people who believe their talents can be developed through hard work, good strategies and input from others have a growth mindset. Research shows people with this mindset tend to achieve more than people who believe talent is innate and fixed.
There are a range of misunderstandings and myths around growth mindset which can be misinterpreted, resulting in you holding yourself back.
Continue reading “Growth mindset myths – how growth mindset can be misinterpreted to hold you back”
With more than 0.5m university students about to head into graduate scheme recruitment processes or thinking about roles for after graduation, and college students also weighing up whether work or further study is for them, now is exactly the right time to be preparing your success stories for job interviews.
Continue reading “Preparing your success stories for job interviews”
You might not think that you don’t feel psychologically safe, but there are lots of ways that feeling shows up even in a job you think you’re happy in – is it your own self-limiting beliefs which drive this feeling? Here’s an example.
I am delighted to renew my membership of the British Association of CV Writers for the second year. Continue reading “Into my second year as a member of the British Association of CV Writers – the benchmark in high-quality UK CV writing”
