Ten Years On

This week has been the tenth anniversary of September the 11th. It will always remain one of those days that sit in your memory bank of what you were doing when it happened. A bit like when Kennedy got shot (I wasn’t born!) or when Elvis died, (I was on holiday in North Wales!).

On September the 11th ten years ago I was leaving a large organisation I had worked in for fifteen years. I was being made redundant and I’d loved the various jobs I’d had over the years. I was sad at leaving, but really sad about the fact that I was leaving behind the team of people and colleagues I had worked with, laughed with and on occasions cried with.

I was apprehensive, unsure and despite having a few ideas, not one hundred percent sure what the future would hold for me.

Wind the clock on 10 years and I’m amazingly celebrating ten years of being in business and ten years of People Potential. I can’t quite believe that!
What were you doing 10 years ago?

What's Your Image Saying About You?

Once upon a time spending time on your image and thinking about clothes was deemed something that only women did and considered a little bit girlie.



In the last ten years the world of image has drastically changed, especially image in the world of work. Life in general has got a lot more casual and so our image and the clothes we wear are also more casual.


Today if you are serious about progressing in your career and do not consider your image an important part of this you are being naïve. Most of my work today on the subject of image is with people who are well on their career path and want to develop that extra edge that a good image projects to others, but also helps them feel better on the inside too.


A good first step to starting to review and think about your image is to take my image audit, it’s free and downloadable from my website here.

Image Audit

Enjoy!

Everyone Has Gone Off On Holiday and Left Me Holding The Fort at Work!

The summer can be really busy times when you are working, colleagues are off on their holiday and very often you are left not just doing your work but covering for them too.


This time of year can be busy and frantic, however, rather than gritting your teeth about the extra work that has landed on your plate, take a moment to think about it differently.


What opportunities could this present for you? What opportunities can you make of it?


Now I obviously don’t know the specific answer to this question, however, here are a few of my thoughts:-


Opportunities to:-



• Meet new people who you wouldn’t normally interact with, this can give you good networking contacts that are useful.



• Do different tasks, which is always good and can add some variety.



• Start to develop new skills, if the job is different from the one you do already.



• Practise your organising and planning skills so you manage to get all this extra work done.



• Actually try a different job and see if you like it. You can test it out, this is often a better way than actually applying for another job.


So whilst there is no getting away from the fact that you do have more to do in a day, reframing it in this way can help you get through the mountain of work and look at it more positively.

Good Luck!

What Are You Good At?

Have you heard of the Back to Business Clubs? They are a fantastic resource for people who are job seeking. Originally set up in Peterborough a couple of years ago, due to the success the concept has been adopted and set up in other counties close by.

I was asked to present at the Back to Business Club on the subject of Skills Transfer.

The main strength the Club offers is the networking opportunities and support, for anyone who is currently job searching you will know it can be a lonely time.

I’ve given several presentations, and was invited back by Alan who runs the Peterborough group with a request could I talk about skills transfer. I thought you might be interested to see an outline of what I talked about and the group got involved with:-


• Being Aware of What You’ve Got To Offer – the group identified their top 3 skills they were taking to the job market.



• Skills Audit – we conducted mini audits to understand our broad skill bases.



• I gave several examples to the group of clients (no names) I have worked with who had used their existing skill sets and taken them in a different career route.



• Using Johari Window small groups shared ideas and gave suggestions to others on where they might transfer their skill base to.



• Finally, we had a lively debate on transferring skill sets from the public sector into the private sector and vice versa.


Being able to clearly identify what you are good at, what your key strengths and skills are is imperative if you are to make any mark on your career.  Yet for a lot of people this is a really hard task.  People often say to me I just don't know.  The reason for this is that our strengths are such an integral part of us and almost we do them, demonstrate them on auto pilot so of course being able to name them is a challenge.

If you are struggling to identify what you are good at and what your skills are, why not give me a call to see if I can help?

How Can Your Summer Holiday Help You Make Changes To Your Career?

Holidays are a great time of year for lots of reasons.


If you are about to go off on holiday I’m sure you are counting the days until you get away. Time off from the routine of normal life gives us the opportunity for space and reflection.

It’s also a great time to think about the future. I read a piece of research once that most people make major changes to their life…eg divorce, new job, house moves etc after they come back from a break or holiday. The reasoning behind this was that at any other time we are just too busy to find the space and the time to think about what we need to do to make these changes.

Time away gives us that space to think things through so we are ready to take action when we return.

So if you are going to use your holiday to reflect back on your job and think about where your career is going, here are some questions you might want to ask yourself to aid that process…

• What do you really enjoy about your job?





• If you had your dream job, what would you be doing?





• What are the not so good bits of the job you have?





• Is there anyway you can minimise or reduce these elements?





• Looking back over the whole of your career what has been the best thing you have done?





• What changes do you want to make in the next year?





• If we could push you forward in time to 2012 where would you like to be, and what would you like to be doing?

Are You Starting A New Job?

A lot of the LinkedIn Groups have a posting saying something along the lines of, if you are new here go ahead and introduce yourself. Seeing these and posting one myself on the Peterborough CIPD group made me think about starting a new job and being new.

Here are my thoughts, ideas and suggestions if you are about to start a new job….

Some employers are great and organise an all singing all dancing programme for you to get to know the company and find your way around. Others are not so great.

So if you are starting a new job, or know someone who is consider the following:-

• I’ve designed numerous induction programmes over the years and what I learnt time and time again was that the “buddy system” was the most valuable part of the whole process. It’s often the silly little questions you need answering that you don’t want to bother your boss with.

• If your company doesn’t have a buddy system in place, quickly identify who would be a good person to be your buddy or sounding board, and ask them if they would mind doing this for you. Most people are delighted and flattered to have been asked.

• Don’t rely on an induction programme happening for you, be assertive and proactive. Think in advance what would be useful for you to know and have and ask for this to be arranged for you. You’ll probably find that you can add to the list on an going basis for the first few weeks and even months.

• Don’t wait for others to introduce themselves, go up to people, smile, introduce yourself as the new boy or girl. Remember you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

• If you have any concerns about the new job, write them down, and check out who can answer them for you as soon as you get there.

• Get some clarity (preferably in the form of some objectives) of what you need to be doing and have achieved by the end of the first month and into the next six months.

• Give yourself some space in the evenings and weekends for the first few weeks of the new job, you will be amazed how tiring new things can be, even more so if you have been away from the world of work for a while.

And finally, good luck!

I offer a coaching programme for people who are starting a new role, it lasts 60 days and aims to help you hit the ground running, if you would like more details you can find them here.

Are you dressing down for work tomorrow?

Dress down day or freaky Friday originated from the US of A, thanks for that all of you over the pond!



US owned, UK based companies started the trend and it has spread over the last twenty or so years. The original idea was that as the weekend approaches we wear more casual clothes to work, the business thinking behind this was that if people are dressed in a more relaxed style, they will feel more relaxed on the inside and so enjoy the day more and so in turn performance should increase, (I’m not too sure about this last point).



So the professional business dress will be relaxed for a day and instead employees are invited to wear smart casual clothes.



Our European cousins “do” smart casual to a tee, they have it captured in an art form, indeed a lot of disposable income in the Europe is spent on clothes, grooming products and accessories. In contrast, we in the UK would rather go to B&Q and buy geraniums, or even a whole new kitchen then invest our spare cash on some clothes that are not normal at work wear so why waste our money.


The outcome of this is that on a Friday morning, millions of wardrobe doors across the UK are flung open and people frantically rummage to find something to wear that they haven’t worn all week.  It's a challenge!

What To Wear When The Heat Is On

The heat is on, it’s June the sun is out and the temperature is generally hot. This is great news if you are on holiday but what does it mean if you have to stay in the office?



How can you wear summer clothes appropriately and still convey professionalism?



Gentleman first:-



• Swap long sleeved shirts for short sleeves.



• Drop the colour of your suit (if you wear one), or trousers several shades to a lighter one, even if you currently wear navy, drop the shade down at least two bars.

• Check the labels of the fabrics you are wearing, if there is more than 50% synthetic fibres consider ditching them. They will just make you feel hotter rather than natural fibres which will make you feel cooler.



Ladies Next:



• In a formal business environment it is okay to show your toe nails but not your heels at the same time and vice versa.



• Look in the mirror and check the amount of flesh on show, this includes arms, cleavage and legs. More than 30 % is a bit too much, and results in you look as if you are heading off to the beach before you finish your working day.



• Check the fabrics that you are wearing are more light weight than the ones you were wearing all through the winter.



And finally,



Enjoy the sunshine, even if you do have to wait until the weekend!

My husband says Swishing is just another word for Jumble Sale!


I regularly tell my mother of her child neglect…the fact that I didn’t own a new, (to me) dress until the age of five.



You see I grew up in the age of church jumble sales, this, combined with parents that grew up during the war meant that I had a general childhood of thrift. I was not alone of course, and my experiences have left me craving so much more of less, whilst other friends have revolted and would sooner go near a charity or second hand shop than have their toe nails pulled out.



But for me the lure of second hand is so much, much more attractive than new. I just love rummaging and finding things that look sad and lonely but with a little bit of accessorising and matching to the right body shape look absolutely fabulous.



In the last few years the role of an image consultant has changed radically, in a recession it is the consultants who have managed to revitalise existing wardrobes that have survived.



For me personally I have been in seventh heaven. Whilst I totally enjoy shopping trips, and a recent one involved buying a whole new working wardrobe for a Marketing Director taking up a new role where she had worked from home for the last 5 years was really useful and necessary. I far more enjoy the projects where I have to use what I currently have and mesh this into a working wardrobe that is practical, cost effective and works as a capsule.



Coming soon, (once I have got to grips with the new camera lead) will be my photos from a recent assignment of just that.



If you want to find out more about swishing this is a great web site.


If you are local to Peterborough, and want to come along to a swish look here.







Photo courtesy of http://www.swishing.com/

One Day To Go!

Just to let you know that there is just one day to go until the next official Wallace & Grommit Wrong Trousers Day.

I advise people how clothes go together, how to co-ordinate and how to have a wardrobe with minimal spend but with maximum things to wear in it.

So just for fun, go on, tomorrow is wrong trousers day.  Here is how to do it in style if you are a little unsure.

http://www.youtube.com/WGChildrenFoundation

Enjoy!

How can I stand out in today’s competitive job market?

Believe it or not you are unique! You are the only person who can be you, so in order to stand out from the sea of potential job applicants you need to demonstrate what you are, what you can do, and most importantly how you do things.



Most applications and CV’s are full of bland meaningless words and statements that recruiters have read over and over again, for example “enjoys working as part of a team”. To stand out from the crowd you need to analyse the job advert to identify exactly what the recruiter is looking for. Match this list with examples of what you have done in your previous jobs; highlight your personality in describing how you achieved these things. Doing this will demonstrate your uniqueness and allow you and your application to shine out.

Did you know that today marks the start of Volunteer's Week?

It is official, the 1st to the 7th of June is volunteer’s week…so what you ask?

 

 

 

I have been chiming on for a number of years about the fantastic opportunities that volunteering can offer, as I believe a lot of people perceive the voluntary sector is mainly about working with the elderly, changing knickers and possibly delivering library books. If you too think this, you are wrong!

 

 

 

Volunteering can:-

 

 

 

Provide you with insights into a different culture


Give opportunities to meet new people


Mean you try your hand at something different


Use your natural skills and talents


Motivate you


Help you to learn something new


Make you get out of the house

 

Lots of clients I meet, for lots of different reasons are not ready, or not able to go back into the world of paid work, volunteering has really worked for them.

 

 

 

Recently I have had clients who have:-

 

 

 

Felled trees, built fences, catalogued a newt collection, set up a mentoring scheme in a prison, provided financial advice to those considering going into a residential home.

 

 

 

The benefits they have reaped from volunteering have been huge, both in terms of their personal fulfilment and also the addition to their CV’s.

 

 

 

If you are local to me in Cambridgeshire, the Peterborough Voluntary Centre is a really good place to start your journey into what opportunities there might be for you in volunteering.

 

 

 

For more information nationally on volunteering week

 

Is Your Network Full Of Turkeys Or Eagles?

Are you an eagle or a turkey networker?  Who is in your network?

Eagles fly high are able to see a lot from a long way away. They have a keen eye and are very good at big picture thinking. They know an awful lot of people, but not that many intimately. They have independent thoughts and are fairly self reliant.



A turkey keeps close to the ground, they cover an awful lot of mileage in a day, yet all activity is within quite a confined area. They have in depth knowledge of a lot of things and know a lot of people but just within their pen or field.



In your network it’s good to have a mix of turkeys and eagles. Eagles tend to have lofty job titles and are great at giving you a different perspective, in contrast Turkeys are a real valuable source of information, they have such a huge network of contacts they always know someone who can help you even if they can’t.

How to use networking for your career...it’s a doddle

Imagine the scene, you stand in the kitchen and the boiler goes bang, it is January and minus five degrees outside with snow on the ground. What do you do? After starting to shiver, are you going to reach for the yellow pages and hastily look up P for Plumber or H for Heating Engineer or are you going to phone your mate who you know had a similar problem last winter and ask them what they did, who they used to solve their problem quickly, and generally find out their experiences?




No prizes for guessing. This simple analogy is networking at its best; you are in a difficult situation and need a bit of friendly advice to give you some information. Hey presto the same concept is absolutely true for all areas of networking.



We tend to do a lot of networking when we are booking a holiday to somewhere we have never been to, yes we check trip advisor but we are much more likely to listen and act on what someone we know has experienced.



So if we are so happy doing this networking thing for some areas of your life why not do the same for your working life?



Good networking is simply about being organised about what information you would like to have that you currently don’t have.



In my head I have an ongoing list of things I’m actively networking for. My current list is:-



Find out more about mobile phone aerials within residential areas

Get to the bottom of hash tags in twitter

Understand exactly what the different sectors and division of social services all do.

Find out what people think of Lynda Gratton’s new book, is it worth buying.



These are just a few, there are lots more, I could go on, but you get the idea.



Anyone and everyone I meet each day, from my post lady to clients, from security men to people I meet in the swimming pool I engage in conversation, have a chat, and ask them some questions around my list if they seem to know something vaguely in that area.



Easy peasey, isn’t it?

Did you want to go back to work this morning?

Someone said to me this morning that next week is going to be soooo hard because it seems so long since they worked 5 days a week.




One person said to me yesterday that they were really looking forward to today and getting back to normality, they especially wanted some structure back to their days as there had been so many holidays.



Yesterday evening I heard someone say that they had really enjoyed taking the 3 days off mid last week to join Easter, the wedding and May Day in order to make a lovely long holiday, but they were really looking forward to getting back to work on Tuesday.



I thought all three comments were illuminating, they clearly show each person’s perception and preferences of work. Which person sounds most like you…



Are you the first person who doesn’t sound as if they really enjoy their work, the second person who enjoys things happening on a certain day and time or the final person who clearly has a job they love?

Be Kind & You Will Be Great At Networking.

Miss Pickering, who is a local florist, based in Stamford, was featured on the front of Life Magazine in the Sunday Telegraph this weekend. Her Blog was recommended to me by a delegate on a workshop, her writing style is very good, I am a regular reader. I also enjoy the Blog her hound writes too!



She is a fantastic example of someone who clearly knows what brand messages she wants to convey, and is living proof of the power of networking. The fact she was featured in a leading Sunday newspaper on a bank holiday weekend when more people on average than normal will buy a paper is phenomenal. Yet her appearance was all down to someone she knew ringing her to ask for some advice.



Gardening is often used as a metaphor for networking. At this time of year all gardeners have an abundance of seeds, plants and produce and most will happily give these away to fellow gardeners. So networking is really about being kind, it means giving advice and helping people in small ways. Do this regularly and you will be amazed what can happen to you, as I am sure Miss Pickering is!

Is Negative The New Positive Way Of Thinking?

For years business gurus and motivational speakers have been lecturing the world that we should all think positive. Many key people have built huge mega earning careers on the foundation stones of positive visualisation, SMART objectives and personal mantras for optimal success in the business world.



So it would seem that positive is all we need to achieve anything in our hearts desire!


Dan Pink in the Sunday Telegraph this week, (professed shock horror), that we should all think a bit of negativity into our lives to get a balance on the positive. It’s quite a revolutionary concept that certainly caught my attention and caused me to reflect on it for several days.


His article is basically saying that instead of thinking about what we want to do we should instead spent time thinking about what we don’t want to do. He goes on to suggest that approximately every six months we should review and update our don’t want to list.



So my question is - what don’t you want to do?



When I asked myself the same question I really struggled, after a few days sitting at traffic lights and pondering, this is all I came up with:-



I don’t want to:-



waste my time

focus on the small stuff in my life



...after these two I’ve stalled! I can’t think of anything else that I don’t want to do. I suspect it is because I’ve spent so long thinking about what I do want to do, my brain refuses to generate can’t when it is so hard wired to programme can!



PS I only bought the Sunday Telegraph for the feature on my local florist Miss Pickering who was featured in Life Magazine section…but more of that tomorrow.

The questions I answered last week

What do you think of my presentation style?




What should I put on my CV regarding the gap due to ill health?



How can I prepare for an interview?



What can I expect from a second interview?



What’s wrong with my CV?



What should I do if I want to apply for a job that is at a lower level?



Can you give me some feedback on the presentation I have prepared?



What first impression do you think I am generating?



Should I apply for this?



What’s the most important thing about a first impression?



They’ve offered me the job, how can I ask for more money?



What messages do you think I am transmitting?


These are just a few of the questions I was asked over the period of the last week when I was in London, Huntingdon, Manchester and Peterborough. The consistent question from my dogs each evening when I got home was – have your brought us yummy biscuits from the hotel and conference centre!?

Can you do everything....I don't think so!

I run a small business, and by choice I like to keep it small. As anyone will tell you who works for themselves one of the biggest challenges is having to do everything…from the invoicing to the marketing.




Everyone has things they enjoy doing more than others, and very often it is the things we enjoy doing that we are good at.



I have recently sought some marketing advice for the first time in ages. It has given me that independent feedback that you just can’t achieve by yourself.



Looking for another job is exactly the same, thinking you can do it all on your own is naïve. Consistently I get feedback from clients that what they really value is having that independent sounding board and reality check that no one else is able to give them.

Change Of Tax Rules On Compromise Agreements

Did you know that from 6th April 2011 new regulations come into force regading tax payable on compromise agreements?

It will no longer be okay for a former employer to deduct basic rate from any sum over £30,000.  If the ex employee is a higher rate tax payer, then the higher rate of tax of 40% or 50% must be deducted at source by the employer.

Interview looming? Here are my tips and hints.

On the radio, me being interviewed by Vivienne Lee on Peterborough FM

I was invited to go on the radio last week, this was something I haven’t ever done so the whole experience was totally new. I had to prepare in advance and on the day needed to understand what I needed to do, (so for example a full hand coming towards me by the interviewer means wind it up, we need to move on)!




So whilst this wasn’t an interview for a job there were a lot of similarities in terms of the preparation before, during the interview itself and afterwards. Here are my thoughts on the similarities between the two and some tips on what to do if you have an interview looming:-



Preparation



I had a list of topic areas that would be discussed and you will have a job advert, plus (hopefully) a job description to base your preparation on. I put myself in the listener’s shoes and tried to think about what they would most want to hear about. You can do the same based on the job advert and job description. Ask yourself what will the interviewer really want to hear about?



The Interview Itself



Arrive early; I got there about half an hour before hand. I met a lot of people for the first time, had to smile a lot, shake a lot of hands and also make small talk whilst I waited to be interviewed. The same will be true for you; don’t ever underestimate how much input others, not just the people interviewing you will have in giving feedback on your suitability for the role.



Keep your voice, upbeat and positive. Flex it to maintain interest and also use it to demonstrate your key points or messages. Stay on track and answer the questions.



Afterwards



Jot down as much as you can remember about the interview, learn from it. If you have to go back for another interview, (which is likely in today’s job search market), what will you do differently next time? Reflecting back I waffled on too much and could have stayed on track a bit more which would have meant more questions could have been answered.



And finally,



If you want to hear some more tips and hints about careers, job searching click here to listen to my radio interview



http://www.podcast.canstream.co.uk/pacouk/index.php?id=626

Glad That We Did

This is a picture taken in France, we nearly didn't go, but it's one of my I'm so glad we did!

I’m running a pre retirement workshop next week in Cambridge. This has kindly been given to me to help with my preparation and research. It was written by someone attending a retirement course. When they broke for coffee – one man stayed behind and started writing on his note-pad, this is what he wrote:-




“In 1990 a couple borrowed almost as much as the price of their house to buy a motor-caravan.



They did this on the strict understanding that should they face financial hard times then the van would go in order to make the money situation good again.



Over the next 13 years they travelled all around Middle Europe and made many friends around the country.



In 2002 they bought a cottage in Normandy which they started to renovate.



In all of this their attitude was that they could look back and say they were glad they did these things, and not that they wished they had done them.



In September she died suddenly at 48 years of age.



He remains so happy that ‘they did’”

Latest Research On Self Employment...what a load of poppycock!

I’ve just read this article, it has caused me to suck my cheeks in, scratch my chin and declare hog wash out loud! It states that “Rising coverage of entrepreneurs in the media is helping to persuade more people to consider a career as their own boss”.



See below for the full thing



http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=418572&SubjectId=2





What a narrow, unbalanced perspective this report takes. I don’t necessarily disagree that some TV programmes have made lots of people think about self employment.



However, I would argue, but don’t have the statistical reporting to back it up, that shifts and changes in the way we live our lives today and the way work is now structured have led far more people down the path of self employment than any form of media ever could.



If I take a look at my friends, contacts, and clients and reflect on their reasons for self employment a much broader and more realistic picture emerges.



• Self employment up until quite recently, (even 5 years ago) was seen as quite a high risk strategy in comparison to a permanent job. Yet the world of having a permanent job today means working long hours with little security as to your long term employability. In fact many people now perceive that having their own business gives them far more security than a proper job.



• Women who want to return to work after having children are finding self employment offers them far more flexibility than returning to their old jobs.



• Organisations don’t want to commit to long term permanent employment contracts. In times of uncertainty, shorter, fixed term contracts are more favourable. For insurance and tax purposes very often people have to be employed on a self employed basis rather than via an employment contract.



• There is a growing population of people who when made redundant after long service don’t have the financial incentive to need to work, for them running their own business offers more rewards.



These are a few of my experiences having working with lots of people who are contemplating, or have already started their own business. Phew, after my little tirade I’m now off to watch Dragons Den!

Travel...Mind Broadening & Fresh Perspectives

I feel as if I have had a whirlwind tour of the UK in the last few weeks, I seem to have been travelling the length and breadth of the country with a final culmination of a visit to Belfast at the end of last week.




What an amazing place that is, the architecture, the people, and the location itself. Although I extended my stay it would have been nice to have had even more time to look round, especially as it was Belfast Fashion Week while I was there!



I love working, and the nature of the work I do means I meet so many different interesting people. I’ve worked with a Property Lawyer, Yoga Teacher, Care Worker, Accountant, Project Manager, Tax Expert, Charity Worker, Relationship Manager, Scientist, and Image Consultants to name just a few!



So I’ve had a fantastic time, yet it was an absolute sheer delight to get back home and just potter around. Whilst I was glad of the break away I find that coming back, even after a few days allows you to view things in different light. Even the house looked different.



My thoughts were echoed by a client I spoke to this morning, she had been debating on breaking her job search up by taking four days away. She was unsure if it was the right thing to do especially as she had several interviews pending. When we spoke today she confirmed it was the best thing she could have done and how the absence away and the distance from reality had really helped her reflect and gain a perspective she doesn’t think she would have got had she stayed here.



So where to next I wonder?

Tick tock...how to win the race against time if you are searching for a job.

Searching for a new job can feel a bit like a race. Often a race against time.

Time for all of us is probably one of our most precious resources. It is the one thing that is equal to all human beings. Irrespective of our colour, religion, politics or how much money we have in the bank, we all have exactly the same amount at our disposal each day.



When looking for another job, how you chose to spend your time, and on what, are absolutely crucial to your success in securing the next role.



Lots of clients say to me “I just don’t know how I used to have a full time job and fit everything else in”. “The days and weeks just seem to be slipping by”.



So, what can you do to manage your time more effectively, to win the race? To get the best results? Here are a few of my thoughts and suggestions:-



• Identify when you are at your best, when is your “best” time of day? This is when your concentration levels are at their highest. For the larks, it will be early, first thing, for others it may well be in the evening. Do the things that require some brain focus at these times.



• Schedule it. Block out the time in a diary or even on the kitchen calendar when you will be working on your job search. It’s also worth sharing your schedule with your friends and family so you get fewer interruptions. Job searching is a full time job, and you will find you need to put as many hours in as a full time job.



• Take a break. Athletes can’t perform 100%, for 100% of the time, they need warm up time, peak performance time and also rest and relax time. As a job hunter you need a similar pattern. Make sure you are regularly recharging your batteries and taking a break, even it that is just a brisk walk round the block.



• Get some variety. Break up your day with different tasks. If you are used to working as part of a team, being at home can be lonely. See who you can meet up with to network, or how you can get out of the house. Or even have a chat with on the phone.



• Keep a reflective diary. Jot down what you have achieved. Okay the ultimate goal is to land a job, spend time at the end of each week to think about what you have accomplished and what you have learnt, and how you are feeling. This will help you feel as if you are moving in the right direction and towards that big goal.



• Have a to do list. Jot down what you are going to do each day, each week and each month. Tick tasks off as you go along.



• Analyse the tasks you are completing – look back at how you have spent your day, ask yourself what have I actually done? How have I spent my time? It’s easy to get sidetracked. One client recently did this, and whilst he thought he was spending at least 4 hours job searching, he had in fact spent two hours researching the form on the horses!



I hope you find these suggestions useful, if you are job searching and have some tips on how you are managing your time I’d love to hear them.

It's Valentines Day, So What's Your Passion?

Passion is a very evocative word, visually I imagine it to be red in colour, taste like good quality chocolate and feel very powerful.

The dictionary states it to mean deep love or desire. Some of us are lucky enough to find a job or a whole career that we are truly in love with.

I’ve met lots of people for which this is true…the lady who had a deep love of fabrics and who just loved making things on her sewing machines.

Another, who after a life in Finance had discovered their love of photography.

To be truthful some I remember had stranger passions than most, for example the man who was in love with rats and wanted to run a pest control business.

However, for an awful lot of people their true love is never found and their career passions lay lost deep in side. They never ever see the light of day or a declaration heard.

For others passions are put to one side and reserved for spare windows of time when all other activity is finished. These are rare weekends or snatched evenings of illicit wonder.

So how come some of us find a career we love, and yet others don’t?

I believe for a lot of us career passion is lost in the wonder years…these are the years just before and just after we leave full time education. Very often the loss is caused by a savage but innocent silent kill…by a passing comment from a parent or teacher.

For example, the fabric lady in fact became a nurse, even though she knew after her first term of studying she hated it and loathed the whole environment, but she kept at it because she felt she had to.

She had to keep at it because her enthusiasm had been killed some thirty years earlier, by a passing comment from a careers teacher that sewing was not a proper job.

Yet today a proper job is no more, a proper job is what my father had, for over 50 years he worked for the same organisation and I believe by luck his job was incredibly suited to his skills.

Today in the world of work we can to a certain extent make jobs, bit by bit piecing the elements of things that we enjoy the most, often this happens by taking on projects or covering for colleagues. So slowly we can tap into our passions and our love to give us enthusiasm at work.

Sadly I believe most organisations don't understant passion, they just don’t comprehend. Managers don’t understand that if they can find out exactly what their team member really enjoys doing life for both of them can be simpler.

I suspect this happens because a lot of organisations today are just such huge lumbering giants, making so much noise they can’t hear what’s going on in the offices, the corridors and the shop floor. So totally blind to the natural abilities, talents and natural love, emotion and passion that reside there.

So what’s your career passion?

Is it alive?

Or is it buried so deep you just can’t remember? Or can you remember, but had it crushed a long while ago?

Can you survive financially if you are made redundant?

“Don't tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I'll tell you what they are.” James Frick



Often one of the first thoughts that enters our head when we are told our job may be at risk of redundancy is how am I going to manage financially?

A lot of people lose a lot of sleep worrying about their financial situation…how will the mortgage be paid, bread put on the table and the kids clothed.

Lots of my clients voice these thought to me, yet when I enquire if they have done any sums or calculations around their finances, about 99% of people give me a reply of “no”.

So if you think you may be made redundant in 2011, taking a couple of hours to work this out can save you a lot of heartache and worry.

The first step is to sit down when you know you won’t be disturbed and go through and list out all your outgoings, these will be regular bills, payments, things that go out of your bank account each and every month.

Next look at what goes out less frequently, this might be school trips, car tax etc.

Once you have a good idea of what is leaving, move on to what is coming in. This calculator will help you estimate what you might be entitled to should you be made redundant.

Redundancy Pay Calculator:-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/interactive/2009/mar/30/redundancy-payment-calculator

Then move onto you savings and any other income you have and calculate these.

Actually seeing the figures in black and white means you know in reality what you are dealing with, and so you can start to plan accordingly.

Lots of my clients have told me that when they were made redundant they really reviewed their list of outgoings, many say how amazed they are at how much they have managed to save, from using shopping vouchers, to negotiating a better contract rate on their Sky TV. All of which mean their redundancy payment money lasts longer.

If you are really serious about cutting your outgoings, Martin Lewis has an excellent website giving your vast amounts of information on doing just that.

www.moneysavingexpert.com

Whether you think you may be made redundant or not, getting a pension forecast, might help with your long term financial planning. It’s easy to do and more information can be found here on the DWP website.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Pensionsandretirementplanning/StatePension/StatePensionforecast/DG_10014008


Happy calculating!

Your nearest and dearest....are they best qualified to help in your search for a new job?

My friend Lisa lives in Australia, she emailed me last week to let me know that she is in a play, and has the lead role…she is playing Mildred, of George and Mildred from the TV series. Whilst she is delighted that she has landed this, she is also a little perturbed that her fellow actors think she is old enough to play the part!

If you are a child of the 60’s, as I am (and Lisa), you will remember the show. Mildred was the dominant partner in the marriage…and despite their ups and downs and comedy roundabouts, as a couple they were together.

In life we hit ups and downs and none more of a down than a partner losing a job. When my husband was made redundant after 30 years as an engineer, it was far more of a blow to me than it ever was to him. At the time I tried to advise and counsel him what to do, (after all I was qualified to do this, wasn’t I), yet he flatly refused to listen to my thoughts, ideas, networking activity leads for him and went his own merry way!

In the last few months I have met 2 clients whose job search activity has not been helped by their partners. You see, they and I, are just too close to be impartial to the thoughts, suggestions and ideas that they willingly offer. I’m sure their partners (and my) intentions were 100% well meant and appropriate, (or so we thought).

So if you are job searching and have a partner who is leading and pointing the way to you, what can you do? My suggestion is to find either a career coach or someone who has worked with you closely in the past, most importantly someone who you trust, and who will give you a balanced perspective and feedback on what to do next and how to deal with job loss.

Schedule some time to meet up with them, talk, let them listen and most importantly ask them for some feedback on where you are at the moment.

Then sit back, reflect and listen carefully to your inner voice, what is it saying? What is it telling you right now? Then tap into what your partner, career coach or friend are saying. If you step out of yourself and look at the situation objectively, what advice would you give yourself?

Good luck with your next steps into the future!

This job has got my name on it...

If you are currently looking for your next job it doesn’t take me to tell you that it is a roller coaster of up’s, down’s and hairpin bends…a bit like being on one of the huge rides at Alton Towers really.

When you are on that roller coaster, your stomach otherwise known as your gut, goes up and down, round and round, it also gives you messages that you can just feel, almost touch, and smell that next job. You may be surfing on the net, or an agency contacts you with the details of a job and before you can say, “get me off this rollercoaster, I’m going to be sick”, something deep down inside of you knows that this job has your name on it.

Currently recruitment processes are long and often time consuming, with an average of two possibly three interviews before you hear the outcome. Because every cell in your body is telling you this is it, you focus not just 100% effort and attention on this job, you focus 200%, and as a result, you just have no time, or energy, or inclination, to focus on anything else in your search.

It’s a symptom I have seen quite a lot, and I have suffered from it myself. Years ago I saw an advert for a job, as I read further and further my heart quickened pace until it was running at full pelt towards the final of the London Marathon. So I have named this condition “Blind Alley”, as more times than not this is where it takes you…being blind. You are blind to anything else that comes up, pops up, or crosses your path, because in your heart of hearts you believe that this is it, this is the one, and this is the chosen path of where you are going and where you belong in your next role.

Last month I worked with a client who had this same feeling about a role, thankfully his gut proved to be accurate, and he escaped Blind Alley, but for every client who lands success, there are at least 10 more who don’t get that job offer.

A client I met last week, when we looked back on his last four months of job search, was quick to point out and very self aware to recognise that he had lost over 8 weeks in his search plans, to a role that fizzled out to nothing, but at the time, he truly believed, (and I think the recruiters did too as they kept giving him more than positive feedback at each stage of the process) that it was his, it was in the bag.

So even more the crushing blow or downfall when the news comes through that on this occasion you have not been successful. You are an incredibly close number two…you are just piped at the post by someone who has 0.01% more of a match to what they are looking for than you do. Or there has been a reorganisation of the department, a budget cut and this role is no longer there.

So, what can you do? We all need positives, especially when we are job searching. Whilst most of my work is spent supporting clients to switch from negative to positive, to move from past to present, and forward into the future. I urge you if you think this job is in the bag, has your name on it, DO NOT stop all of your other activity. If it does come to fruition, great, in fact alleluia, but just in case, resist the huge temptation to pin all your hopes on one job. Instead keep working your job search in some way each and every week day.

Wishing you every success in your search for your next job.

“So….have you any questions for us”? Asked the interviewer.

What questions can you, and should you ask when at an interview?


“Don’t clamour for an interview. Instead search for the INNER VIEW”
Sri Sathya Sai Baba (Indian Spiritual Leader, b 1926)



I was delighted to perform a hat trick at the Back to Business Club in Peterborough last week. They invited me back for a third time to present a seminar to local executives currently looking for their next job, the topic was interview techniques.

One of the areas I was asked for my opinion on was what questions should you ask at the close of the interview…when the interviewer smiles, leans forward and asks, “so, is there anything you would like to ask us?”

Whilst this is still clearly part of the interview process and therefore an opportunity to try and impress the interviewer with your skills, talents, motivation and personality, it’s often tricky to think what to ask.

Here are my thoughts and general comments that I shared with the group last week on how to handle this part of the selection process:-

Tactic: Think about your questions in advance, write them down and take them with you.

Reasons – make life easy for yourself, (as you can’t possibly remember them all). Also, if you get a good interviewer they should have answered pretty much everything that you wanted to know, however, you want to demonstrate that you have been proactive and thought about this, so you can run through you list and say thank you for answering them.

Tactic: Do your research into the organisation, obviously the internet makes this easy, but don’t forget using your network of people, LinkedIn etc to really get to the bottom of who they are, what their current challenges are in the market, what strengths they have, and where they are going in the future.

Reason – people often don’t close the interview well as they ask questions that they really should have know the answers to, if they had bothered to do the research, and taken the time in advance to find out.

Tactic - Draft questions for the interviewer that will help you decide if you are going to take the job if you are offered it.

Reason – in my opinion this is by far the main reason for asking any questions of the interviewer. You have a really big decision to make here, is this job right for you, will you be happy etc, etc. You can never ever be 100% confident that you are making the right decision. However, by asking some probing, honest questions it can help you decide, rather than holding them and regretting, when after a month in the role, you really come to conclusion that you hate it, and would have been better off unemployed or still in your last role.

Wishing you good luck with your interview and questions at the end!

Do you believe in new year resolutions?

Making resolutions is a cleansing ritual of self assessment and repentance that demands personal honesty and, ultimately, reinforces humility. Breaking them is part of the cycle. Eric Zorn.



Today is the 5th of January and if you open a newspaper, magazine, or look at a blog the chances are that you will read about the new year and how we should make resolutions.

My personal opinion is that resolutions are a load of hog wash, a waste of time, and a self fulfilling prophecy of doom. Once upon a time I used to regularly set them, in fact I used to ponder for most of December as to what they might be, and on some years when I was feeling very motivated I even wrote them down at the beginning of my diary. I then used to feel the guilt start to rise and creep up like rising damp over me by about the 4th week in January when I hadn’t achieved them or completed anything that might mute towards getting to them.

So for me personally, I don’t do it. Whilst I know a lot of people who love setting them, and if that works for them that is great.

An idea that I have pinched from a good friend of mine is to write a list of intentions, using the simple word of “intentions” means that I’m not bound come hell or high water to make them happen. I also have my intentions as an ongoing list that I add to when I feel like it. What also works for me is to have a reflection page in my diary, so each month instead of looking ahead and forward planning, I spend some time looking back, and jot down what have I achieved, what worked and what didn’t work.

My friend has also highlighted to me that some balance is also important in the list, so not just work related things and not necessarily things that are going to cost lots of money, simple things that you would really like to do. Some of the things on my intentions list at the moment is a visit to the gardens at Burghley House, learn how to turn under water at the end of the pool properly, go to Rigby and Pellar, and there are many more. My friend has 315 things on her list, she is 50 and has calculated that the average female age of death is 83, which means she needs to get her skates on if she is going to get to them all and that’s before she adds any more!

If you liked the quote at the top of the blog here are more.

http://quotations.about.com/od/specialdays/a/newyear3.htm

Wishing you a very happy and healthy new year, and may all your resolutions or intentions come true!