I quit! How to write a resignation letter
Posted inCareers Coach Blog Video tutorials

I quit! How to write a resignation letter

Making a decision to leave your job can be the result of many factors. A career change, needing more money or because you couldn’t stand to work under a draconian boss or colleagues from…

Whatever your reason, it pays to resign with dignity and professionalism. After all, you’re having the last laugh now aren’t you? Not to mention the small thing called a reference that you’ll need from your old employer.

Here are some tips to help you resign professionally.

Posted inCareers Coach Blog

How to appear more confident in business and when returning to work

Taking time out to raise a family is great, it for many mums months of years if cantering everything around young children can start to have a knock-on effect on their confidence.

Before your bundle(s) of joy came a long you were the centre of your social universe, but now you feel like you’re a shadow of your former self. If you are embarking in business or going back to work, self-confidence is something you need. If you haven’t got it yet, then fake it till you make it – this video will show you how:

How to remember people’s names
Posted inCareers Coach Blog Video tutorials What's in the news?

How to remember people’s names

Is it Jane? Is it Vanessa? Maybe Jack? Aargh! Remembering names in a work or business environment can be quite a head scratcher. It’s too embarrassing to make a mistake, and you don’t want to offend by getting it wrong.

Watch this video tutorial to help you find ways to remember names and take the stress out of meeting new people.

Posted inA mix Work and career tips and advice

Are you being productive or just busy being busy?

We live in a culture where every talks about being busy, and we’re all guilty of saying it at so e point (or all the time, depending on how honest you want to be!). Rarely do we stop to ask whether we’re working hard on the right things for the right reasons.

Imagine this: you’ve been applying for jobs for weeks, months even, when you are called for an interview. You can barely sleep the night before, and when the time comes, you’re burning with energy. You hop the bus to get there and rush into the building, only to find the lift that will take you to the 12th floor is broken.

But you don’t let that stop you. You rush up the stairs, and by the time you make it to the top, you’re completely out of breath. That’s when you look at the sign hanging above the receptionist and realise that you were in the wrong building!

Tough interview question No. 5: Why did you leave your last job? (video)
Posted inHow to look for a job Video tutorials

Tough interview question No. 5: Why did you leave your last job? (video)

Getting sacked, hating your boss, being pushed out…these are not exactly reasons that will put you in a positive light at a job interview.

Every recruiter will know that you are either unhappy with your present or old job, or you want to climb the career ladder, or even change careers. However, they may ask this question to try to gauge your reasons for doing so, to see if there are any alarm bells.

Today’s video will help you formulate a constructive response to this tough interview question and help you.

Tough interview question No. 4: What are your strengths and weaknesses? (video)
Posted inHow to look for a job Video tutorials

Tough interview question No. 4: What are your strengths and weaknesses? (video)

Today’s video looks at another seemingly simple question that can get many people into a tight spot at job interviews.

If you’re disorganised, you probably don’t want to say that for an office manager or events coordinator role, for example. If you have a bad temper, you won’t get a positive outcome at any job interview if you state that as your weakness.

So just what can you say? Do you make up strengths and weaknesses just to get through the interview?

Watch today’s video for some tips and advice on answering this tough job interview question.

Tough interview question No. 3: Why do you want to work for this company? (video)
Posted inHow to look for a job Video tutorials

Tough interview question No. 3: Why do you want to work for this company? (video)

Because I’m desperate? Because you advertised a job in my local paper? Because I need the money. Are those your immediate responses to a question like this?

Some interview questions can seem ridiculous, and seem like they are there to trip you up. The fact is, every recruiter wants to hear that there job isn’t one of a hundred that you have mindlessly applied for.

So, even if your real reason for applying any of the above responses, you can’t say that to an interviewer if you’re really serious about getting the job. You need to think of something that’s better thought out. Is the company an industry leader, for example?

Watch today’s video for more tips on answering this tough interview question.

Tough interview question No. 2: Tell me about yourself (video)
Posted inHow to look for a job Video tutorials

Tough interview question No. 2: Tell me about yourself (video)

Even the most confident and self-assured person can stumble when asked this question at a job interview. You don’t want to sound fake or full of yourself on the one hand, and on the other you don’t want to be so coy that you come across as boring and uninteresting.

This is one interview question that you should practice at home before a job interview. Find a friend or relative who will give you honest and constructive feedback on your response. That’s on tip – watch today’s video to find out how else you can tackle this interview question.

Tough interview question No. 1: why should we give you the job? (video)
Posted inHow to look for a job Video tutorials

Tough interview question No. 1: why should we give you the job? (video)

There are some interview questions that you just can’t run away from. No matter how senior or junior the role, which industry you’re moving into and whether a recruitment agency is doing the initial interview instead of your employer, the questions will still remain.

Every day this week, we will be tackling one of the following five interview questions with a video tutorial:

  1. Where do you see yourself in five years?
  2. Tell me about yourself
  3. Why do you want to work for this company?
  4. What are your strengths?
  5. Why did you leave your last job?

Today, we look at the first questions: “Where do you see yourself in five years time?”. Watch the video below:

Shoes and interviews: three things that could cost you the job
Posted inGet the Look How to look for a job

Shoes and interviews: three things that could cost you the job

We’ve all heard the saying “first impressions count”, and it’s even more important at job interviews. But is it enough to splurge on a new suit, or dress for an interview and hope the interviewer will bypass your flip flops?

The truth is that, even when the weather is roasting in summer, what you wear on your feet is just as important at the clothes. It’s the attention to detail that the employer will be looking at, as well as how you will represent the company, so if you show poor judgement on your footwear, it may count against you.

Here are some things to consider when planning your footwear for a job interview:

How to say ‘no’ in a dignified, graceful and powerful manner at work
Posted inHow to cope with problems at work What's in the news? Work and career tips and advice

How to say ‘no’ in a dignified, graceful and powerful manner at work

Every workplace has a yes man or woman – is that you? If so, you’ll be dumped on again and again and after a while resentment, stress and demotivation may start to kick in.

While you wrestle with the bitterness and guilt (at the same time), your colleagues are oblivious to the fact, and just keep throwing more requests your way…

It’s time to start saying no – here are some useful tips to do that with grace and remain professional:

How to dress for interviews…and do you really need to wear a suit?
Posted inA mix Get the Look How to look for a job

How to dress for interviews…and do you really need to wear a suit?

Making the best impression at job interviews is not always about what you say. Your clothes, hair and overall look can speak volumes.

If you’ve been out of work for a while, or are branching into a new career or sector, you may wonder what the protocol is style wise…it can get a little confusing to say the least. and the pressure of making the best first impression you can doesn’t help matters, either.

Here are some tips to get the balance right and win over a recruiter:

Three simple tips to create a happy workplace using positive psychology
Posted inWork and career tips and advice

Three simple tips to create a happy workplace using positive psychology

Happy teams are successful teams. And if you want a happy team then you need to make people feel good.

Sarah Lewis is a chartered psychologist and author of ‘Positive Psychology at Work’ (Wiley) and she offers three positive psychology tips to make your team feel great and be more productive:

How to win the job war against young, cheaper graduates
Posted inA mix How to look for a job

How to win the job war against young, cheaper graduates

When you’ve spent time out of work making the decision to return to work can be a daunting prospect. You may have tackled the demands of being a parent, a 24-hour job – but the office is a different game.

You may be worried that there are younger, cheaper,  ‘more employable’ competitors out there fighting for the same jobs. Someone who’s fresh out of university and up to date on the industry news and trends is unbeatable, right? That’s not technically true.

How to explain gaps in employment during a job interview
Posted inHow to look for a job

How to explain gaps in employment during a job interview

Job interviews are an opportunity for you to prove that you’re the best person for the job – and it’s also an opportunity for recruiters to check anything that doesn’t add up. And for many mums, this may be a gap in your employment history.

Many people get anxious when a job interviewer starts checking the dates on your CV and asking questions about any gaps in employment. For mums, this is almost inevitable because so many choose to take time out to raise young children before returning to work later.

Health and safety advice for work at home mums
Posted inA mix Work and career tips and advice

Health and safety advice for work at home mums

Working from home is a great option for many mums. It tends to be a lot more flexible than a typical nine-to-five job and allows parents to spend more time with their little ones.

If you do want to go it alone, however, it’s important to create an adequate workspace and make health and safety a top priority. You might not have an office manager to whip you into shape, but there are plenty of things you can do to stay safe – and even improve your wellbeing.

Posted inWork and career tips and advice

How to effectively manage a member of staff who works from home without being resentful

Despite recent changes at Yahoo! By the hands of CEO Marissa Mayer requiring remote workers to come in house or leave, and further comments by Vogue Head Alexandra Shulman, flexible working can be successful, and if you’re a manager who is managing someone who doesn’t work in the office all the time, or at all, it isn’t always easy and it requires advance planning.

Here are some tips to make it as successful as possible:

How every working mum can make returning to work after maternity leave as easy and stress-free as possible
Posted inCareers Coach Blog Family life

How every working mum can make returning to work after maternity leave as easy and stress-free as possible

No one said it was going to be easy, but if you want to have your cake and eat it as a working mum, you need to dust yourself off and prepare yourself emotionally, mentally and financially because there may be a few hiccups along the way when you return to work after taking maternity leave.

Being a working mum can be fulfilling and if you can get everything in place before going back to work, it will be a much easier transition that you probably thought.

Here are some tips for a stress and tear free transition (or as close to one as possible!):

Five mistakes even smart working mums make and how to a avoid them
Posted inFamily life What's in the news? Work and career tips and advice

Five mistakes even smart working mums make and how to a avoid them

Every mum tries their best, but sometimes circumstances can seem to take over our lives and then caps sets in.

Here are five red flags to watch out for, and tips to change their impact on your life:

A new manager at work doesn’t have to spell doom – learn how to break them in
Posted inCareers Coach Blog

A new manager at work doesn’t have to spell doom – learn how to break them in

Having a new boss at work can bring a mix of emotions. If you had a good working relationship with their predecessor, you may be a bit anxious about establishing a similar rapport with someone new who does know and understand you. Maybe you had your old boss wrapped around your little finger, and that made coming into a job you didn’t like all that much ever easier and now things are bound the change…

If you couldn’t wait to see the back of an irritating or incompetent line manager, anyone else will do, and you could come across as a bit too eager with a new boss who doesn’t know the history!

Whichever side you sit on, most people feel a little nervous, but if you play your cards right, a new boss can be a very positive thing. Here’s how: