When we’re working hard at work and at home and trying to make time for our loved ones and ourselves, it can be easy to think there’s no time for anything else, but what if something else could fast track your career and help you feel more satisfied and balanced in every aspect of your life?
I’m talking, of course, about volunteering. Continue reading “Volunteering for the career of your dreams”
I think most of us have probably had a bad boss at one time or another. Mercifully, most of us won’t have had to deal with Harvey Weinstein levels of bad boss-ness, but we don’t have to be getting groped at work for our managers to make us feel worthless, stressed out or to generally suck the fun out of work.
As graduates all over the UK start their search for a job, graduate development schemes are becoming increasingly popular options. A cornerstone of the recruitment process for these schemes, the assessment centre has a reputation for being difficult to come through unscathed.
But they don’t have to be tricky. As with all things, forewarned is forearmed, so here are my top tips for acing assessment centres.
Continue reading “Acing a graduate scheme assessment centre”
Recruiting is time-hungry work and finding ways to slim down the process while still getting the right people into jobs is the Holy Grail for HR people.
For candidates this has created quite a lot of changes in the recruitment and job interview process. Recently I’ve heard many people talking about recorded video interviews becoming used more often. This technique takes advantage of improvements in technology and provides a more cost and time effective way to screen applicants for job roles.
So what do you need to do to prepare for a video interview? When would you expect one and how can you perform at your best? Here’s all you need to know.
Continue reading “How to impress a robot – the new kind of job interview style”
The internet is filled with personality tests, but is there any benefit in taking one to help in the search for your next job? And if there is, which ones should you do?
Continue reading “Three reasons to take a personality test to help you get a new job”
As a professional career coach I see – and write – many CV s and you won’t be surprised to read that the standard of them is hugely variable. But one of the most common mistakes – and one that can be the most damaging – is people who only list their responsibilities, rather than their achievements.
Traditional ways to get a new job are all well and good, but many roles are never advertised, creating a hidden jobs market you need to tap into. Here are the insider secrets you need to know to take advantage of job opportunities you might not otherwise have seen.
Continue reading “The hidden jobs market – are you missing out?”
Years ago if you wanted a job you could be sure you would have to go to the offices of the company you applied to, have a formal interview probably with the person you’d be working for and then perhaps wait a week or two to hear anything back.
These days, candidates need to be prepared for a broad spectrum of interview types and techniques which extend far beyond this traditional view.
Here’s my guide to the interview types you need to be prepared for when job-hunting. Continue reading “Don’t get caught out by the interview spectrum”
Do you really need a full time 9-5 job? What if there was another way to fulfil your passions, earn enough money and perhaps give a bit of something back too?
Such a thing exists, and it’s called a portfolio career. It’s basically a way of working part-time on a few different things which all add up to your career. It’s also a great way of eeking out a work-life balance or gaining new skills while still doing a job you enjoy. Think of it as having your cake and eating it. Continue reading “The advantages of a portfolio career”
Earlier this year visual CV creator Enhancv.com attracted attention when it created CEO of Yahoo Marissa Mayer’s one page CV. As a visual person it really appealed to me and I have seen others like it but despite the appeal I would be cautious before creating one.
Like many things, CV trends have moved on at a fantastic pace and you might be tempted to create a beautiful visual CV which you hope will help you stand out. But there are pitfalls to watch out for. Continue reading “Should you have a visual CV?”
Working with a recruitment agency to support your job search can be a frustrating task. We have often described it like ‘dating’ where you have to see a lot of different people before you find one that you think is right for you!! We asked Amy Stephenson at Human, one of the recruitment companies that we work closely with, to share some tips to help avoid the frustrations and get the best out of the relationship. Continue reading “Avoid the frustrations of working with a recruitment agency”
Fear of interviews is common, especially when you’re facing your first ever interview, your first after a knock like redundancy, or if it’s for a job or promotion you really want.
However, you can help reduce that fear, stand out from the crowd and increase your chance of success by practising these ten tips. Continue reading “The 10 secrets of interview success”
