Blog

Might seem a strange question… a business owner creates their own job don't they? Why would they need a resume? Where a jobseeker needs a resume to give to potential employers, a business owner needs a current resume to give to potential clients. Many small business owners are the primary operators within the business, so their resume becomes a vital tool. It will showcase their relevant skills, experience, and capacity to meet the project brief. Potential business partners want to know that you are the right person for their role. Starting Out As New Business Owners Earlier this year I prepared a resume and some application letters for a person who had received a redundancy payout. They were applying for work in their field of expertise. By chance, I had to ring them about another matter a couple of months later. They told me that after...

Last time we started exploring what drives people to change jobs, and identified that one of the main reasons is lack of job satisfaction. With recent research claiming that up to 1 in 5 people work in jobs that they are poorly suited to, it is understandable why people change jobs as often as they do. Unlike previous generations, staying with one employer for an entire career is virtually unheard of. Having the ability to do a job doesn’t automatically mean it will bring you fulfillment when you have to do it day after day. So if job satisfaction is one of the key reasons we stay in a job, why is it that working in a job we love helps us to thrive, both personally and professionally? Making a contribution to something bigger, even if only in a small way inevitably brings a higher level of satisfaction because together we can achieve more...

Last time we looked at some recent research that claimed one in five people work in jobs that they are poorly suited to. Despite having the skills and knowledge to do the job, the fact remains that people can find themselves working in positions that they have no passion for, but endure because they feel they have no other options. But why would anyone do that? The obvious answer is that there are bills to be paid and a lifestyle to be maintained, and any job at one level, is better than no job at all, even if it brings no challenge or personal satisfaction. Certainly there is a time and place for unfulfilling jobs. They can be a means to an end – short term pain as it were, while working toward a longer term gain. In previous generations, workers stayed with the one employer for their whole career, but this is now rare. Today’s employees...

I get to see lots of resumes. Generally I can describe them as either good, bad or ugly…. I work with people from all walks of life, working in public and private sector jobs at all levels, from senior executive to entry level positions. They come to us for help for various reasons. After reading some of the resumes people send me, I am not surprised that they aren’t producing the desired results. So what is the true value of your resume? What difference does it seriously make?   The Good: My recommendation to anyone is to organise their resume well before they need it.  Seeking advice and support, and then taking as long as you need to research, and put together a high quality document that will not only truly showcase your skills and experience, but also help you to understand yourself better, know what your strengths and weaknesses...

In years gone by, choosing a career was a decision that was made once when you finished school, and you stayed in that career until you retired. Younger generations often followed parents into the same areas of endeavour. Things are very different now. Changing career mid-stream is not uncommon, and can happen more than once in a person’s working life. So if you’re just starting out, or just looking for a change, how do you go about choosing a new career? The obvious place to start is with something you either have an interest in, or enjoy doing. It could be anything from real estate, to medicine, fashion, sports, or IT – the list is almost endless. Next you need to think about what you’re good at, and try to find one or more skills and interests that could be combined together into one activity. I remember clearly a conversation I had...

When talking to clients about how best to prepare for a job interview, inevitably the question arises as to what you should wear. While we instinctively know this is important, have you ever seriously considered why? What difference does it make anyway? Maybe it has something to do with actions speaking louder than words…. Only using written or spoken words to communicate any message usually provides less than half the story. Paradoxically, our non-verbal communication speaks the loudest, and contributes the most. In any given situation, many will lack confidence in their ability to speak, while others are more than confident. For some, words don’t come easily, while there are those for whom words come easily and cheaply. Being able to say the right thing is one thing, but do our actions back up our words? A number of years ago I heard...

How long has it been since you had to deal with disappointment? Unfortunately it is a part of life, and some seem to have more than their fair share to deal with. It can come in many forms, in any area of our life, including our education, employment, business, relationships, or on the stage or sporting field. I remember back to when my son was playing junior rugby league. There were some teams in his division who were beaten week in and week out, and not just by a few points. They were rarely competitive, and were outplayed almost every game. To be very blunt, they got flogged.... week after week! Yet I always admired them, and the coach who kept them inspired. These boys knew about disappointment, because week after week they were reminded that the other teams played better than them. I reckon it takes real guts to keep turning up, knowing...