career coaching Tag

Choosing a career coach can be frustrating Choosing a career coach can be a minefield leaving you feeling frustrated and with more questions than answers. We’ve put together a guide to help you understand career coaching and how to choose the right coach for you. Get clear on your needs It’s vital you have a good understanding of what you are looking for in a career coach. Do you want to change careers and need someone to help you identify and explore options? Are you having difficulty finding a new job and need some guidance in the best job search strategies and methods for your situation? Do you need practical help with your CV, cover letters and interview coaching? Think about all the help and support you’d like and make a list of what you’re looking for. This will help you discuss your needs and expectations with prospective coaches. If you are just starting...

12 February, 2019 /

Write a winning cover letter There's no doubt a well written cover letter can boost your chances of being invited to an interview. In contrast to your CV, your cover letter enables you to explain why you are a good fit for a position and your reasons for wanting to work for an organisation. If you’ve never written a cover letter or it’s been a while,the following guide will take you step by step through the process of writing a winning cover letter. First things first Your first task is to understand what the employer is looking for. Identify the key criteria which you’ll find in the job ad and in the job description. List all the skills, experience and qualities they have mentioned so that you can be sure to include these in your cover letter wherever possible.   Writing your cover letter Your information:  Your name, address, email address and telephone numbers. You...

12 December, 2018 /

[caption id="attachment_18626" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="What impact will Brexit have on the UK job market?"] [/caption] Many are wondering what the impact of Brexit will be on the UK job market. Here's what we understand: EU citizens in UK The Office of National Statistics has revealed that the number of EU citizens migrating to the UK for work has fallen to its lowest level in four years. Equally, record numbers of EU citizens are leaving or plan to leave the UK ahead the Brexit date of 29 March 2019. This has led to disruption in the labour market with employers struggling to retain and replace ‘Brexiting’ staff. The industries which appear to have been most affected are engineering, IT, hospitality and the health & social care sectors. Skills shortages While the Brexit camp may argue this presents a great opportunity for UK citizens to step into these roles, the reality is a little different. The...

20 November, 2018 /

[caption id="attachment_18425" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Hiding won't help!"][/caption] The biggest fear interviewees have not having the ‘right’ answers. The best way to overcome this is to consider the kinds of questions your interviewers are likely to ask and to think about how you will respond. Let’s look at some typical interview questions that leave interviewers shifting uncomfortably in their seats and how best to answer them. What do you know about us and what we do? Many hiring managers cite this as one of the most critical questions asked when interviewing candidates. One manging director went so far as to say that if a candidate was unable to answer this question appropriately it was a deal breaker. No matter how well they performed throughout the rest of the interview, they would not be hired. What is the right approach to responding to this question? Firstly, you will need to have done your homework by spending...

11 September, 2018 /

[caption id="attachment_18423" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Make those changes!"] [/caption] Transform your headline If you’re still allowing LinkedIn to auto-populate your Headline with your current job title you’re missing out. The most dynamic and impactful profiles use their Headline statement to communicate a powerful branding statement. With a 120-character limit you’ll need to choose your words wisely being sure to include a mix of relevant key words, impactful (and truthful!) adjectives and as much detail as you and about your niche if you have one. Customise your URL When you signed up for an account with LinkedIn you will have been allocated a generic URL containing your name followed by a series of numbers. You can boost your brand and search ranking results in LinkedIn by customising your URL. Keep in mind that you will need to have a minimum of five and a maximum of 20 characters. Learn more about the reasons why this is...

28 August, 2018 /

[caption id="attachment_18417" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Making LinkedIn your own is easy"] [/caption] When you first set up your LinkedIn account, you are allocated a randomly selected URL consisting of your name followed by a bunch of numbers. This not only makes your URL long, it is difficult to share with others and looks unprofessional. Since most employers will review your LinkedIn profile as part of the hiring process, it’s vital you do everything you can to ensure your profile shines. Customising your LinkedIn profile URL is a simple and quick way to shows: You’re a professional Have good attention to detail You care about making a good impression Another reason why you should customise your LinkedIn profile is that it makes you easier to find which is particularly important if you have a common name. Customising your LinkedIn URL can make the difference between coming up in the first page of search results for your name rather...

16 August, 2018 /

[caption id="attachment_16693" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Have you got what it takes?"] [/caption] Practical tips and resources to help you ace psychometric tests Many of us experience fear and anxiety when faced with the prospect of sitting a psychometric or aptitude test. Employers sometimes use psychometric, aptitude and personality tests as part of their selection process during the process of identifying the best talent to bring on board. Psychometric or aptitude tests are made up of numerical, verbal and spatial reasoning tests that measure your cognitive abilities. As part of a selection process you might also be subjected to personality assessment which assesses your personality based on the ‘Big 5 model of personality’ which measures traits such as: openness, agreeableness, extrovertism, neuroticism and conscientiousness. Personality assessments can be challenging as the ‘right’ answers can be subjective and vary depending on what qualities or traits an employer is seeking. The best way to prepare for testing is...

25 July, 2018 /

[caption id="attachment_18441" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Freelance and remote working is on the rise"] [/caption] The number of people working freelance in the UK is growing rapidly. According to a report by the IPSE (The Association for Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed), the number of freelancers in the UK rose by 43% between 2008 and 2016. There are now at least 2 million freelance workers, representing 42% of the 4.8m self-employed population, 6% of the UK workforce and contributing £119 billion to the UK economy. While all major industry groups are represented in the figures, the largest freelance occupational groups are: Artistic, literary and media occupations Managers and proprietors in other services Teaching and education professions IT and telecommunications professions   An estimated 429,000 (21%) UK freelancers reside in London, a rise of 59% since 2008. The significant role of freelancers in the capital is not surprising given that London’s economy is largely based on service industries, which include many...

15 July, 2018 /

[caption id="attachment_18448" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Time to switch up your job search strategy?"] [/caption] In Rita Mae Brown’s 1983 novel, Sudden Death, the character Jane Fulton says: ‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results’. This rings true in almost every walk of life. History is littered with politicians, film stars and sportsmen who’ve reinvented themselves to get to the top—and you can do exactly the same thing with your job hunt. Knowing how to write a cover letter and a CV is all well and good, but you need to change tactics to really beat the competition. On that note, here's five ways to switch up your job search. Use Boolean searches One way to diversify your job search is by using Boolean searches when browsing via search engines and job boards. A Boolean search narrows down your search results so you can find exactly what you’re looking for. Therefore,...

25 June, 2018 /

[caption id="attachment_18493" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Be happy at work"] [/caption] Do more of what you love Re-crafting your work to do more of what you love can be simpler than you might think. Start by identifying what it is you enjoy most about your job. Even if you think there’s nothing you enjoy about your work think carefully and list those work tasks you enjoy the most. Now list the things you dislike about your job. Looking at this list, is there anything you can do differently? Can you do these tasks less frequently, more effectively or is it possible you can avoid these altogether by delegating or making changes to your role? Reconnect What attracted you to the job in the beginning? See if you can reconnect with what made the job attractive in the first place. If the reason was purely financial then honour that, think about all the benefits having this job...

25 April, 2018 /
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