Posted inHow to look for a job Work and career tips and advice

How not to get a job: tired of interview rejections? 10 things you need to know

Looking for a job can be very enjoyable – honestly, if you know what to do and have the right skills to showcase on your CV and at job interviews, it can be a doddle. Ask anyone who isn’t and hasn’t ever struggled to get a job.

20120612-085838.jpgIf that reality doesn’t sound like yours, then here are some things you need to bear in mind when you go for job interviews. These tips might sound simple, but, you’d be surprised how many people make a mistake without thinking much about it during job interviews and then wonder why they don’t get the job time and time again.

How to increase your value in the workplace and get a pay rise or a promotion
Posted inCareers Coach Blog Work and career tips and advice

How to increase your value in the workplace and get a pay rise or a promotion

Although money shouldn’t be the most important factor in the career decisions we make, it often has a big impact on our lives. How much money we earn will dictate where we live, the lifestyle we enjoy, the schools our children attend, the type of holidays we go on (if any) and how and when we will retire.

have a plan - get the promotion you needWhen you work for someone else, you have a limited amount of control over your salary. You negotiate your starting salary and then you are usually given increases at your employer’s discretion following annual reviews and promotions… and during these austere times, some employers have put a pay freeze on, so even that small increment every year has been taken away.

Do you want more control over your salary? It’s. It impossible – credit crunch or not, many people are still earning more money. The trick is to understand your value and learn how to increase the value you provide to your employer.

So, are you ready for that bug pay rise?Here are five ways to start increasing the value you provide at work and ultimately, the salary that you earn:

Posted inHow to look for a job Work and career tips and advice

Don’t let the prospect of attending a job interview terrify you again!

Few jobs are gained without a job interview these days, so if the propsect of a job interview sends you into a bit of a panic, you’ll need to know how to manage that in a positive way to show your potential employer that you are the best person for the job.

20120525-180054.jpg

  • Are you applying for jobs and need some interview practice?
  • Has it been so long since you went for a job interview that you just don’t know what to expect?
  • Have you recently been for a job interview and fumbled so badly that you’ve been left petrified of going for another?
  • Have you already attended loads of interviews and still haven’t landed a job yet?

Sometimes it’s the simple things that need tightening up, but they can still cost you your job. That’s why it’s a good idea to speak to someone and practise your interview skills so you don’t fumble when it matters the most!

Can’t we all just get along? How to avoid conflict in the workplace…
Posted inCareers Coach Blog Work and career tips and advice

Can’t we all just get along? How to avoid conflict in the workplace…

These days many of us are holding on tight to our jobs – even those who want to leave aren’t looking for jobs to move on to because of the economic climate the impact it’s having on the job market.

office fights, office conflictsSo, what you may experience is some angst in the workplace sometimes – people who really don’t want to be there making life a misery for other people because they hate their job.

Whether you like it or not, interpersonal skills play a big role in the office. However, not all of us are aware or have the ability to get along with people at work, and these days it’s essential that you try harder to make things work, or face being miserable for a sizeable portion of your day, and week. Here are some suggestions on how to get along with others:

Posted inA mix Careers Coach Blog Work and career tips and advice

How to make the leap and change your career

Are you finally ready to move on with your life and take the career change plunge? While it may sometimes feel like you are the only one in the world trying to change your career when everyone else seems settled in theirs and loving what they are doing, the average jobseeker actually changes careers seven times during his or her lifetime.

career change for mumsSo what are the options for successfully making the transition to a new career? Here are some mum-friendly career change options to consider:

Posted inA mix Careers Coach Blog How to look for a job Work and career tips and advice

How to act during a job interview

Congratulations – your CV has done the talking for you, and you have been asked to attend a job interview. Now you get your chance to prove that you’re the best person for the job.

how to act during a job interviewThere are many things that you can do that can take some of the pressure off during an interview. The way that you behave is one of the most important. It’s not all in the words that come out of your mouth, but often has a lot to do with your body language.

Interviewers are not just wondering if you are skilled enough for the job, they are often wondering if you would fit in nicely with you the rest of the team. Your personality is a big part of your interview and can make all the difference in you getting the job or not.

Here are some of the things that you should pay attention to during an interview:

Posted inA mix Careers Coach Blog Work and career tips and advice

How to apply for flexible working

Today is National Work from Home Day and if you are still beavering away in the office, have you thought about working from home? Even if you work for an employer, flexible working rights were extended this year, so parents with children up to the age of 16 can now apply to work flexibly. Great news but how exactly do you apply for flexible working in the first place?
Posted inHow to look for a job Work and career tips and advice

Five interview mistakes that will help you NOT get the job!

For many people, going to job interviews is the single-most stressful part of the job search process.

 

At job interviews, any number of things can go wrong (and some without you even knowing!) and a big part of being successful is avoiding simple mistakes.

Here are some of the most common mistakes that are made during job interviews:

Posted inHow to look for a job Work and career tips and advice

Are you too overwhelmed to ask your recruiter questions at job interviews? You’re missing a trick…

Job interviews are an opportunity to find out if you genuinely want to work for an employer – and get a sense of the type of manager you’ll be working for . So, as much as you’ll be answering interview questions, you should also go to the interview armed with questions that you have for your recruiter, too.

difficult interview questions
Don't let interviews cripple you - it's your interview

Try to have three or four questions ready to ask the interviewer that will demonstrate your interest in the company and show that you have given some thought into working for the company.

If you have get your research right and are thorough, a question or two should come to mind. If you have been able to come up with some ideas that relate to the problem, throw them out to see how the employer reacts.

Posted inCareers Coach Blog Work and career tips and advice

“Take your job and shove it!” Is that really the best way to resign?

The answer in short is no! Quitting a job is a choice that successful people often have to make. This article gives some helpful tips on how to leave a job without leaving a bad impression. Don’t burn a bridge when you are building your career.

quit your job, resign from jobWe’ve all dreamt about it at some point in our lives – being able to tell a boss we hate to stick their job where the sun doesn’t shine. If you haven’t felt like that before, or dreamt it, then you are blessed!

But seriously, when it comes to resigning from a job, you have to do it the right way. Many industries are incestuous, and someone always know someone else so the last thing you want to do is commit career suicide with unnecessary rudeness that gives someone enough ammunition to scupper any chance you have of getting another job!

Sometimes it’s an easy choice to leave a company. However, one of the most important choices that you can make in your career is to leave your current employer in the right way. Like any other relationship, there are faults and virtues with every company. At the end of a relationship, people tend to focus on the faults.

Looking for a new job: top mistakes to avoid!
Posted inHow to look for a job Work and career tips and advice

Looking for a new job: top mistakes to avoid!

Have you heard about George Osborne’s budget and the pressure it will have on working families? You only need one working parent in the home who works a decent salary to start feeling the effects of the tax penalties (and he’s even reduced the threshold for the higher rate of tax, so if you were okish before, you may still feel the pinch!).

mistakes to avoid on your CVSo, for many mums, the reality has hit home – it’s time to either start looking for a job, start looks for a job with more hours, or a job that pays a lot more. And that means making sure your CV stands out from the rest.

Yes – it might be tempting to print it on bright red paper or fluorescent paper (remember those days?), but there’s probably a barrage of applicants who are going to do the same, and it looks tacky anyway. Plus, with a lot of empowers recruiting online these days, you might not even have an option to print at all!