Maintaining your energy during a long job search – the role of grit

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.  

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Growth mindset myths – how growth mindset can be misinterpreted to hold you back

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.  

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Preparing your success stories for job interviews

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.

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How to retain your talent through career coaching

If you, like many other businesses, you are struggling to retain your talent right now, then career coaching could be the answer. 

Why is it important to retain your people? 

According to news reports, job vacancies have hit a record high as employers continue to struggle to fill roles. In such a fast-changing job market, it’s no wonder organisations are focusing on why employee retention is important.    Continue reading “How to retain your talent through career coaching”

Why employee retention is important

In a fast-changing job market with roles harder to fill than ever, it’s no wonder organisations are focusing on why employee retention is important.  

With estimates of the cost of recruiting a new person into a role ranging from £7,000 to more than £22,000, being able to hold on to your people, even for a little bit longer, makes financial sense.  

From a cultural point of view, having a stable group of employees gives you more chance of having an embedded and secure culture than if there’s a constantly revolving door. 

And recent research publicised by the World Economic Forum links employee turnover to decreases in product reliability in the manufacturing sector  Continue reading “Why employee retention is important”

The benefits of being a mentor

In my last blog (link), we looked at the many benefits that being mentored can bring, from boosting your confidence to enhancing your knowledge and learning. But it’s not just the mentee who can reap the rewards; being a mentor can have positive effects on your own career, too.   Continue reading “The benefits of being a mentor”

The benefits of being mentored

Mentoring has come a long way since the traditional picture of a young upstart being schooled by an older executive. In the modern business world, the concept of mentoring has had to adapt and become more relevant to careers that do not follow a straight line trajectory; it’s a more fluid, less easily defined concept these days, but undoubtedly, when it works well, it can be exceptionally – and mutually – beneficial.  

Built on trust, respect and communication, mentoring is a supportive relationship between two individuals, exchanging and exploring ideas, discussing progress and setting goals for further development.  Continue reading “The benefits of being mentored”

Having the courage to apply for a more senior role

What’s holding you back from applying for that promotion? Is it just about the courage to take the next step, to be out of your comfort zone in some areas of the role, or is there something else at play?

There’s an often-repeated statistic that women only apply for jobs if they meet 100% of the criteria, whereas men will apply if they meet only 60%. Research in 2014 investigating this claim could find no evidence for it, but it’s true that my female clients want to meet far more of the criteria before applying for a job – especially a promotion – than my male clients do.

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Is your job search taking too long?

Once you’ve decided you want a new job it can feel like your enthusiasm for your current one has left the building and all you want to do is get started on a new role. With a job market currently stacked against the candidate, here’s how to stay resilient if your job search is taking too long.

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Video interviews – my top tips for coping with the new job interview

We know the workforce won’t be rushing back to offices any time soon if it’s possible to work from home, but what impact will this have if you’re job hunting? The most obvious effect will be on the interview process, which is more than likely going to include a video interview. Continue reading “Video interviews – my top tips for coping with the new job interview”

How work has changed since 2010

I’m not sure I can even remember some of the fine details of 2010, but it’s clear to me that work has definitely changed in the last decade. Here are a few of the major things that have shifted and had an impact on the world of work. Continue reading “How work has changed since 2010”

When the job interview doesn’t work out – dealing with rejection

It was an amazing role; great package, state of the art offices, fantastic potential for the future – your job interview went well; you were dressed to impress, you’d done your research on the business and you had responses to a myriad of possible questions all rehearsed. You’d even allowed yourself to imagine where your desk might be or what your colleagues might be like.

Then the call comes and it’s not good news. So, where do you go from here? Continue reading “When the job interview doesn’t work out – dealing with rejection”