“Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.”

                                                                                                                               John Lennon

Read the rest of this entry »

My apologies to anyone expecting to read a blog on cars – sorry!  The title is a play (pun intended) on a Clint Eastwood film.  Having got that out of the way, let’s talk CVs.

Read the rest of this entry »

Whether running a multi-national venture capital organization; setting up a new business or even considering a career change it is imperative that you are familiar with the market; that you know what resources are available to you and that you have a plan.  In other words ‘Know your Market’; ‘Know your Resources’ and ‘Know your Plan’.

Richard Branson’s Virgin Group empire was founded on the music industry.  Beginning 40 years ago with the opening of a chain of record stores the Virgin brand expanded to include such interests as a record label, various airlines, a train franchise, mobile telephony, drinks, space tourism, media (cable, TV and broadband), comics/books, fuels, health, financial services and recently added retail banking to the empire.  As a consequence Virgin is now one of the most recognisable brands in the world.

Read the rest of this entry »

Job searching in the current economic climate can be fraught with frustrations.  Here are some tips to ensure that your job search doesn’t drive you mad:

 Keep up to date with who is recruiting

It is important in any industry/sector to make sure that you see as many job advertisements that are relevant to your interest as possible.  A role that you are ideally suited to may only come up occasionally so you don’t want to miss it.  This will mean keep an eye on places where these jobs will be advertised e.g., newspapers and websites.  Ask family and friends to also keep a look out.

Read the rest of this entry »

Do you make New Year resolutions and then fail to keep them?  Do you diet constantly in the hope that it will eventually work?

As with long-term unemployment the biggest challenge for the person affected is quite often one of motivation.  They may say that they are worried about a lack of skills, experience, education, being too young or too old, when one of the core issues is really about their drive and determination to succeed.

Read the rest of this entry »

Anyone who has experienced unemployment either through redundancy or through a self imposed break will be aware that it can be difficult getting back into the world of work.  In the current economic climate it can be sometime before being able to secure that next position.  This time of year can also be difficult for the dedicated job seeker, with the employment market effectively winding down for the festive break.

Read the rest of this entry »

I wonder how many people, if requested, could list the personal values by which they live their lives.

Read the rest of this entry »

Losing your job can be a traumatic event even when you saw it coming so here are a few tips to help you turn things around.

Read the rest of this entry »

Have you ever been in a situation where words, phrases or statements, like those below, have been uttered?

“I can see that you are upset.”

“Don’t do that again!”

“How many times have I told you …..”

“You are right; thank you.”

“Why me?  It’s always me; it’s not fair!”

“Brilliant; just what I wanted.”

The reality is that we all have at some time been in such circumstances.  Everyday we come into contact with people who think differently; have differing moods and different agendas.  Some may even act, or react, in a way that makes you feel as though you are being threatened.  Dealing with such a situation requires both a cool head and excellent communication skills.

Read the rest of this entry »

In recent weeks there have been a lot of column inches given over in the press and media to high profile individuals and organizations falling from grace.  Concerns have been raised about possible errors of judgement in recruiting certain people; why certain decisions were taken and acted upon.

What struck me however is that despite all the technological and intellectual advances in the past 25 years it seems that in areas like recruitment, understanding and identifying personal characteristics is still very much an inexact science.

Read the rest of this entry »