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.

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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.

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Last Friday it was evident that millions around the world found happiness in the events that unfolded in London.  The following day the newspapers were full of pictures of smiling, happy people and the feel good factor continued throughout that weekend.  The wedding of two people dispelled, at least temporarily, the gloom of everyday life in these austere times.

This raises the question of exactly what makes us happy.

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It is widely accepted that no-one is born lacking in confidence; it is something we develop through our interactions with people, particularly one’s parents.

The foundations of confidence may have been laid down in childhood; however, there is no reason why someone who wants to and is motivated by the need to change cannot (re)build their self-confidence.

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One of the most awkward question’s in any interview is nearly always “What are your salary requirements?” as, if you say to little you could miss out on a higher paid job; say too much and you might price yourself out of contention.

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Having worked with hundreds of clients over the years it is interesting that whether the individual comes from a production line or boardroom background that the issues they raise are all very similar.  Whilst the ‘presenting’ issue maybe concerning the need to write an effect CV or to brush up on little used interviewing techniques the ‘real’ issue is quite often ……’Fear’ (of the unknown).

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