Everyone has had one of those days. The phone is ringing off the hook, your in-tray is starting to resemble a small mountain, your diary is full and before you know it, it’s 4pm. Where did the day go?! While every now and then those days are unavoidable, you can take control and keep them to a minimum with effective planning and organisation techniques. Becoming a ‘prioritisation pro’ or an ‘organisation master’ will help you to tackle a busy schedule and maximise your efficiency at work. The benefits of good planning and organisation techniques speak for themselves. Quite simply put…
Author: CareerExperts
When you’re fresh out of university you may not be equipped with vast work experience, but you can still be extremely valuable to employers. What you lack in experience, you can make up for in desirable employability skills! Having been to university, it’s highly likely that you will already have these key skills, but it’s important that you can back them up with evidence and show them off to employers. Watch the video below to discover the 6 key skills employers want to see from graduates. These are the skills that you need to highlight in your CV and make…
If your reasons for resigning are quite negative, it can be tempting to give your boss and the rest of the company a piece of your mind as your last hurrah. However, in the modern, connected world, resigning via a marching band might not be the best option. The chances are that you’ll cross paths with your old boss or colleagues again. Many areas of business are smaller than you think, and in a world where you’re only a few connections away from a bad recommendation on LinkedIn, it’s rarely worth risking bad blood. At the very least, remember that…
Dating a colleague can turn out great, or it can get super-awkward. Many people meet their future partners at work which is hardly surprising if you’re working with a like-minded person who shares a common interest. In most instances, there’s nothing wrong with dating a colleague but it can be a complex situation and, therefore, it’s important that you deal with it in the right way. Here’s a list of dos and don’ts to help you out when dating at work: Do Weigh up the pros and cons. Consider how a relationship could affect both of your positions. Ask yourself…
When you’re dedicated to finding a new role and applying for lots of jobs, it can be tempting to take the “scatter gun” approach by firing the exact same CV off to lots of different vacancies. Even though many of the roles you are applying for will be similar, no two jobs are exactly the same so you should adapt your CV accordingly to reflect the requirements of each job. CV tailoring doesn’t have to mean a complete re-write of your CV and can actually be done fairly quickly once you’re familiar with the process. Tailoring your CV is about…
If you’ve been job-hunting at any point within the last couple of years, you will have noticed a surge in the number of vacancies for ‘Recruitment Consultants’, ‘Headhunters’ or ‘Talent Acquisition Consultants’ filling up job boards. Recruitment, thanks to a select few cut-throat agencies, has gained a bit of a bad reputation as of late and simply seeing the word ‘Recruitment’ in a role title or description can put job hunters off. Is this justified? In short, no. Due to common misconceptions about the industry, many people are hesitant to apply for Recruitment roles, without really understanding what they entail.…
As a new graduate, having happily waved goodbye to essays, dissertations and textbooks, the last thing you’ll want to do is sit down and spend time working on a CV. True, it isn’t the most fun activity on the planet but, if you put in the time and effort, you will reap the benefits in the long run. This means that you should think carefully about every section of your CV and don’t underestimate the power of each one. This is particularly relevant when it comes to your ‘Hobbies and Interests’ or ‘Personal Achievements’ section, which is often considered unimportant.…
Let’s get serious: a job interview can change your life! If you perform well and impress, you’re likely to be looking at a job offer, and how many hours of your week will you be spending at that new job? Well, a lot! If you’ve been invited to an interview then you have already done something right, but now is really your time to shine. How are you going to show that you are better than all those other applicants? How are you going to make the interviewer remember you? We can help you with that, just watch our video…
When searching for a new job you often hear about the perils of social media. Check your privacy settings, beware of drunk photos and don’t swear, or post any strong opinions, or anything that could be deemed inappropriate. But when it comes to job searching, social media isn’t all bad! There are now a number of ways that you can be using social media to find a job. Employers and recruiters aren’t just on social media to snoop on the profiles of their applicants, they’re now using it to both source and engage with potential hires. For job seekers then,…
We would like to be able to give you a fool-proof, magical formula that could turn you into an ultimate leader. Unfortunately, that does not exist. You probably know many different leaders with their own distinct personalities and leadership styles. What works for one leader is not necessarily effective for another. There are so many varying circumstances within different businesses and different teams of people, that great leadership techniques are hard to pinpoint. However, after analysing close to 4,000 executives, Harvard researchers concluded that there are six distinct leadership styles used by managers. These generally come from differences in emotional…
Becoming a master of morning motivation will enable you to start each day in the right way. There’ll be no more rolling out of the wrong side of the bed if you follow these tips! Self-motivation is vital when it comes to working productively and achieving great results. Great leaders know how to motivate their teams, but to get to the top, they first had to discover how to motivate themselves. We’re all motivated by different things. In fact, we have a self-motivation quiz specifically designed to uncover what your top motivators are. There are, however, a few techniques that…
Managing your emotions is as much about what you won’t do as it is about what you will do. TalentSmart has tested more than a million people, so Dr. Travis Bradberry went back to the data to uncover the kinds of things that emotionally intelligent people are careful to avoid in order to keep themselves calm, content, and in control. They consciously avoid these behaviours because they are tempting and easy to fall into if one isn’t careful. While the list that follows isn’t exhaustive, it presents nine key things that you can avoid in order to increase your emotional…
“We’d like to offer you the job.” The sentence may be short but the implications are life-changing. If there is ever an occasion to give yourself a pat on the back, this is it – exciting news! “Do you have any questions at this point?” You’ve just received a job offer, they want you on their team, you’re feeling super positive and confident right now, so surely you can ask them anything you want, right? No, no and no again! You don’t want to do anything that might cloud your new employer’s view of you, or even change their mind,…
With busy working lives and a wealth of devices at our disposal, disconnecting from the office and winding down is not always easy. It’s tempting to answer one email, work on a report for a few minutes or make just a few calls when you’re supposed to have finished for the day. Even with the purest of intentions, one email, a few minutes or a couple of calls can soon turn into hours of work – before you know it, you’re asking yourself where the evening went. It’s entirely commendable to strive to be successful and to be committed to…
If you want to make a change or reach new goals in your career, then don’t let another year slip by without doing so. 2016 could be the time for you to pursue new opportunities. The power is in your hands, so make this year the one where you find your ideal job, take the next step up the career ladder, or make a move from the role you just aren’t enjoying. Here’s what to do:
Love it or hate it, social media has undoubtedly become a huge part of modern day life. However, the power of these online forums isn’t limited to liking, tweeting and sharing, they are also revolutionising professional networking. The main player in the field of business-focused social media is LinkedIn. Described as “the world’s largest professional network with more than 400 million members in 200 countries and territories around the globe”, LinkedIn is great for: Creating a network of professional contacts Highlighting your expertise, experience and skills Staying in touch with business contacts Presenting a professional image Job hunting Allowing potential…
As the end of each year approaches and a new one arrives, you usually find yourself indulging in a bit of reflection as well as wondering what this year will bring. It is the perfect time to ask yourself: What changes do I want to make to my life? Could it be time for a new year and a new job? This year could be the one where you find your perfect job, take the next step up your career ladder, or make the decision to move away from your current job that you just aren’t enjoying. If your career…
Some bosses are harder to forget than others. While bosses can be unforgettable because they make life miserable, the most memorable bosses stick with us because they change us for the better. When I ask audiences to describe the best and worst boss they ever worked for, people inevitably ignore innate characteristics (intelligence, extraversion, attractiveness, and so on) and instead focus on qualities that are completely under the boss’s control, such as passion, insight, and honesty. These words describe bosses who are high in emotional intelligence. And they aren’t just great to work for—TalentSmart research data from more than a…
As the 7th episode premiers in cinemas this week, we take a look at what valuable career lessons we can take from the Star Wars story so far. 1. When getting started, you need a great mentor Having a great mentor can make a big impact on the future of your career. They will be able to pass on their skills, knowledge and expertise, equipping you with the tools to make your career a success. You’ll be able to progress and develop much quicker with an expert mentor who has time to work with you. A dedicated mentor will be…
Are you job hunting this Christmas? It might be the first time you have ever started the job-search process, or perhaps you have done it more times than you care to remember. Whatever category you fit into you are probably a little apprehensive about having your achievements scrutinised by potential employers. This feeling of apprehension and listlessness can often stop you from gaining the most from your search. The start of the job-hunting process will lead most of us to grin and bear an unsuitable job, that is until the situation gets progressively worse and we have to accept that…