I have been conducting a European wide search, a region in the throes of an economic depression.  In the middle of a global pandemic unemployment levels are at an all time high, so I anticipated being overwhelmed by significant numbers of on-target job seekers, with difficult selection decisions to make. I was wrong. Despite there being millions of career coaches…

Last week I received nine and a half versions of a 60 second video CV. Why the half? One just simply failed to launch after about 30 seconds. They were set in bathrooms, bedrooms, in cars, on sofas and on bicycle trails. One looked and sounded like a ransom demand. Another like an emergency services…

A hot topic in the career sector is whether job seekers should declare on LinkedIn via a hashtag system or a green circle offered by LinkedIn, that they are #ONO (Open for New Opportunities) or saying they are “Open to Work.”  A significant number of people suggest this is a “sign of desperation” and are…

I started a decluttering exercise in my own life way back in 2005 when I embarked upon a downsizing process. I carried out the final effort last summer when I came across the KonMari method. Like any philosophy it is simple in concept and can be applied not only to domestic organisation, but also other…

The Peter Drucker phrase “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it” has been around in management training manuals for decades. With some dissenting views, it is widely accepted if not as a business truism, certainly as a useful guideline and management tool. In career management what is also gaining credibility is the line “If you can’t…

There is always much conflicting advice from career experts on what to include on CVs. One of the areas  that has an opinion divide of Grand Canyon proportions, is whether to mention your personal interests and hobbies on your resume and if they can actually make a difference to the selection process. Hannah Morgan, Career Sherpa says “No one really cares that you…

I have seen two instances today alone where individuals were thrown off-balance because they did not have an instantly available current CV which was easily accessible and up to date . One case didn’t matter – the other did. Whether in a candidate driven market or one where jobs are in short supply, opportunities are disappearing at record speed,  so being prepared…

One of the consistent comments and causes of distress and frustration for all job seekers, is falling into the candidate  CV black hole of no communication. This might be with executive search and recruitment consultants or corporate hiring managers. Automated responses generated by an impersonal CRM system come a close second for most, but in some cases despite their impersonality…

Career coaches and search consultants spend inordinate amounts of time encouraging job seekers to dazzle and to stand out in the candidate crowd. However there is one area when it’s OK to be the diamond in the rough, unexciting and utilitarian, and when dull is completely OK if not advantageous. That is in the context of resume formatting. I mention this in…

According to research carried out by international organisations such as Manpower and Deloitte, there are many indications that after a period of cautiousness brought about by stringent economic times, a high percentage of employees will now be open to new job opportunities. The numbers range from 66% – 84%, but whichever one you take, they…