Author Archives: Dorothy Dalton

A case for career coaches

Why career coaches add value

I’ve seen much debate over the last months about the value of career coaches. Truthfully I’m not usually this backward in coming forward, but I’ve now decided after much thought, to actually enter the fray. I prevaricated simply because as I am one – it seemed rather self serving and I would have preferred to have made a case for accountants or lawyers than for specialists in my own field.

But as someone who has sought professional input for all sorts of areas of my life, I’ve always been pretty open to outside support for issues and situations that I either felt I wasn’t handling well on my own, or more typically was making a complete mess of! So over the years I have collected a whole pile of business cards from counsellors , educational psychologists, special needs teachers, speech therapists, tennis coaches, music teachers, golf pros, graphic designers, decorators, landscape gardeners, doctors of every discipline under the sun. And so the list goes on.

The most valuable lessons I have learned via these activities are:

• it is OK to ask for help

• an open mind is key

• friends, colleagues and family mean well, but they are not neutrally honest. Do friends ever tell you your bum looks big? No. Exactly.

• professional help is a framework only and not something to be followed blindly without your own judgement .

• specialists generally can teach something

• I am not best informed in most areas

• I trust myself to process information and take decisions

The pace of change

My son has learning difficulties, and struggled throughout his whole school life with some parts of the traditional education process. I didn’t try and deal with it myself simply because I didn’t really know what to do. I researched, read, talked to people and consulted specialists. Between us we coached him in building up life long coping strategies. He proudly graduated from university this year. Could family, friends and peers have filled that gap? No – because they didn’t know what to do either. Even mainstream teachers were out of their depth. The developments made dealing with learning difficulties changed at such a rapid pace during his school life that it needed specialist input to guide us and support him in a way that even I as his Mum couldn’t do properly. In fact some of the things that I instinctively thought were right as a parent, were not great ideas at all and could possibly have hindered him.

This is true of the recruitment and job search market – the pace of change is phenomenal.

Take action early

Another very general observation is that indviduals seem to feel about their jobs and careers the way they feel about relationships and raising children. We think we know best and everything will turn out fine on its own unaided. But it doesn’t usually– that’s why people only seek coaches or counsellors when they are desperate: on the brink of divorce, their kids are in trouble , or they are unemployed. Why is that?

Most quoted barriers!

A financial issue: For some this is clearly true and is always a tricky one to handle as a coach. But Brian Tracy suggests ‘ Invest three percent of your income in yourself (self-development) in order to guarantee your future” Even for financially secure executives that is not happening. With no job being permanent, investing in career planning should become an ongoing strategy from the outset of a career. So build up some reserve to cover this outgoing if you can. Career maintenance should be continuous– like maintaining a house and health. Perhaps even now, if at all possible some economies might be made in other areas and offset against future investment. Most coaches are sympathetic and may offer introductory sessions, payments plans and so on.

For others – not always so sure that it is financial. It’s about financial priorities.I know many managers who if their tee shot hooked into the rough ten times in a row, they would be signed up with the golf pro quicker than you could say Tiger Woods or ProAm. But 10 CVs disappearing into cyber space they somehow see as being different.

Hard to identify a good coach : Many of us own homes, cars or TVs and have participated in choosing service providers in all areas of our lives. Why all of a sudden this disempowerment? We have to trust our instincts and if we don’t get it right first time, change to another. We don’t buy the first car we see. We check out the dealer, take it for a ride, look under the hood and so on! Selecting a coach is no different . You can verify coaching qualifications, affiliations, ask for “chemistry” session and referrals.

OK… suggest you don’t look under the hood though! Could be a problem.

Coaches take advantage of our situation: once again I hear the disempowerment line. The only person who allows someone to take advangatage of us – is ourselves. Besides it’s the same as saying mechanics take advantage of people with broken down cars. The provision of this service has always been on offer – the need is just greater at certain times. So do you push your car yourself from the roadside miles from your home or phone a breakdown service? Right. Didn’t think so. Of course you make the call.

Coaches can’t guarantee a job : No they can’t. No one can. What they can give you are life long tools and strategies that build up core competencies in dealing with change on your own. They are a neutral sounding board for any ideas, now matter how off beat. They’ll support you as you align your professional and personal goals and give you open and construtive feedback in identifying your transferrable skills, understanding your success stories and marketing your message.

What I would like to see most of all is a cultural shift to normalising career support in the way that relationship support and life coaching is gaining acceptance even in Europe. Schools and colleges offer this service but then it stops. We spend over one third of our day working! I am always amazed why so many people can be so unstructured and almost cavalier about such a significant activity that takes up so much time and mportantly energy, but can cause so much stress and heartache when things go wrong.

One lesson we all must have learned over the past months is that nothing is permenant and we should start to plan for our futures when we can. That has to be now surely.

Job Search: The blame game?

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This continues my series on the key players in the job / candidate seeking process and the subsequent job search blame game. Under fire from job seekers, HR professionals and recruitment and search specialists respond.

Earlier this summer I posted a blog “Some Recruitment myths de-bunked ” listing the frustrations job seekers experience in the recruitment process and tried to debunk some of their expectations. The job search blame game was rampant.

Bottom line: recruiters and executive search consultants do not work for the job seeker. They work for their client. Nevertheless, the overall view was that the interface with recruitment specialists was as demoralising as being out of work. To get some balance, I also posted a discussion on LinkedIn asking about the image of recruiters inviting comment from the professionals in the field . I was overwhelmed by the response and it has taken until now to collate the comments. Many posted comments and an equally large number wanted to talk off the record. Sorry, I haven’t had a chance to contact everyone, but I hope to do so in time.

Bad practices

Lewis Turner, poacher turned gamekeeper, moved from Recruitment into Corporate HR two years ago as Technical Recruitment Manager at DisplayLink, can understand the job seekers frustration “ I really was not prepared for the onslaught of bad practice I was to experience as a customer, much to the amusement of my new colleagues in HR”. Read Lewis Turner’s article where he documents his whole experience. Two years later his view is more balanced “Those that had shocked me with some dubious behaviour are no longer suppliers . “ He is now working with a group of quality hand picked organisations and has basically fired the under performers .

Variable quality

This was exactly the comment made by Anders Borg, ex-Chairman of AESC with regard to the quality of executive search companies. He strongly recommends checking any company’s affiliation to the AESC “The AESC membership is a guarantee of quality and if I were a candidate, I would only consider such firms” He adds “The AESC also has a number of boutique firms as members, who do excellent work” and advises candidates to consider contacting them .

If you have a strong CV, are easily marketable and the consultant has an assignment or anticipates one, you are likely to be able to cultivate a good relationship with him or her. If you don’t, your CV will simply go onto the data base and strong keyword usage will be required to make sure your resume comes to the top for any future searches within that organisation.

Following up

Kathy Stevens Senior Recruiter “ … I try to do my best to follow-up with people in a timely fashion. I think what most candidates (especially anyone outside of HR) do not realize, is just how many applicants recruiters and/or HR professionals have to deal with at any one time. Especially in this economy, we are flooded by large numbers of applicants applying to positions. When organizations are running leaner than ever, we all have a lot on our plate”.

Sector verticals

Search companies also tend to be set up on a sector vertical basis. The upside of that structure is that the consultant will have deep knowledge of the sector and an excellent contact book. The downside is that candidates get frustrated because they feel pigeonholed, as scant attention is paid to transferable skills if they want to move in another direction.

Laurent Brouat, Career Consultant, in his blog “Recruiters are not Creative but hardworking ” calls this “ the copy/paste” selection… Same industry, same level, same company. They only recruit me-too or clones because it is the simplest way to please the client”

However once again Tom C, Senior Consultant in a major executive search company in New York suggests: ” A good consultant with a strong relationship with the client will advocate for a candidate he or she believes in and even groom them for presentation. It is up to the job seeker to provide a strong resume”.

Broader scope

There are also generalist organisations, and as Anders Borg suggests it’s sometimes better to consider going via this type if you want a broader scope. Even within these organisations there will be a disparity in the quality of consultants those that are more experienced than others. Shop around until you find one that you can connect with. Lewis Turner’s experience is “Agencies definitely have their place; but is still the individual recruiter that makes the difference”

Recruiter pressures

Recruitment companies representing the middle and lower end of the market, quite often they work on a contingency basis, this means no placement = no fee. Consultants might also be working to targets and are paid on commission, so may have little time for time-consuming admin or professional courtesies.

They have their own pressures to find the right candidates with limited resources, quite often in competition with other contingency companies. This is the reason why job seekers don’t get the attention they’d hoped for and complain of feeling left out of the communication loop and demoralised. As consultants get paid when they successfully place a candidate, they do tend only to cultivate people they are confident about placing.

Laurent adds “ Recruiters are hardworking: they are caught between the clone pressure of the client (“send me only the same people I know”) and the stress pressure of the candidate (“find me a job or your are not really good”) so they have to put in a lot of hours to be able to match the clients requirements”

Executive ” look-see”

Job seekers complain that executive “searches” are a misnomer and should be re-titled executive “look see” into the data base. (I could have done that job is the plea! Why wasn’t I called? )

Hayley M, Senior Executive Search Associate in the UK offers a defence “ Clients are constantly driving prices down and asking us to work to tighter deadlines than ever before. That almost automatically means a data base or network search. They are also risk averse especially in this economic climate and need candidates who can hit the ground running. We are just giving them who they want, on time. Time to hire is their key metric. From the client perspective this is excellent service.”

HR pressures

So is it the client then that is causing the problems then?

Dirk B, HR Director Benelux makes the following comment “ …in the last 12 months, my department has been cut by 50%. I outsource sparingly and cost is a real issue. I am now even doing some of the recruitment myself. Line managers want candidates who can be immediately effective, as they too have had their headcount slashed. It doesn’t leave much room for creativity. I always respond to candidates who meet the requirements of any ads I post, but not unsolicited CVs. I just don’t have time. We get thousands for every opening currently and most of them are not on target ”

Charlotte M , HR Manager California gave this input: “ We can’t cope with the volume of candidates who are blindly sending their resumes, regardless of whether they meet the requirements of the job. We even joked about returning to handwritten, hard copy resumes to get past the click and apply mentality”

Coach pressures

Job seekers also complain about Career Transition Coaches “ preying on our distress” is one comment I read.

James B, Career Coach (Philadelphia) counters ” Business gurus say that 3% of annual income should be set aside for personal development. Although most people spend more time in work than almost any activity in their lives, many are not prepared to invest in themselves or their futures, even those who are highly paid!” .

Communication gap

It seems to me that this massive communication gap is leading to some sort of blame game and I’m trying to look for a conclusion. Recriminations bounce back and fore. I would like to think that shoddy practises are dictated by responses to economic imperatives and it is the stress that everyone is currently under – but I’m not convinced that the economic climate is the real culprit. These underlying tensions have been there for years.

Managing expectations

There will, of course, never be any substitute for highly qualified search professionals, working in tandem with equally qualified HR specialists who have strategic voices within their organisations. Additionally a strong process requires line managers who understand well the long-term benefits of effective talent management programmes and are demonstrably committed to that ethos. Candidates also need to be prepared to invest in their own futures and be active about their personal development . Today, nothing is permanent and they must take responsibility for their long-term careers. If any of these factors are out of sync, then I suspect that both a communication and expectation gap will continue to be inevitable.

What do you think?

Updated 2021

If you need support bringing in top talent – get in touch NOW!

Executive search and recruitment: Who to trust…!

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How do you know who to trust in an executive search process?

Many job seekers are often perplexed about how to handle unexpected calls from executive search or recruitment consultants. This is understandable, because even in digital world, the process essentially involves releasing personal information over the phone to total strangers which is somehow more intimate! So how do you respond to those cryptic messages and conversations and know who to trust. They could indeed lead to a golden opportunity for the dream job, but could equally turn out to be pernicious scams.

Why so cryptic? Discretion is in everyone’s interest. It is important to understand that very often the consultant’s hands are tied by their client who want any executive searches or recruitment drives kept under the radar for operational and strategic business reasons. Many companies don’t want their competitors to know what their plans are. Also as a potential candidate you may not want the process broadcast either. One high flying C level executive was approached by an executive search company to join a competitor. Somewhere during the process, (at the client end, not the search company I should add) confidentiality was breached and the exec was subsequently let go by his employer.

So how do you know who to trust? What is the best way to deal with consultants who might contact you? If you follow the basic guidelines you will be able to establish pretty easily who can best represent you and the sort of red flags you should be looking out for.

1. Establish the identity of the caller: Get all the contact information immediately. Ask for the name of the consultant and the company they represent. Verify spellings, web site details and phone numbers. If possible ask about the specific opening they are calling about, the job title or level, the client company and any other details. Do not be overly concerned if the consultant will only give a thumb nail sketch – it is quite normal to be very discreet at this stage. A good, experienced consultant should be able to outline a position succinctly in a matter of minutes. I would suggest that there is very little to be lost at this point other than some time to at least hearing more about the opportunity if you are open for a career move.

2. Schedule a call at a later date: preferably from, and to, a land line. Most ethical and professional recruiters are happy to oblige. If they are not prepared to do this, the chances are that they are working to meet daily targets. I would advise you to consider that thought seriously before continuing.

3. Environment: Arrange to speak in a quiet environment away from disturbances and interruptions. This could be that dream job we spoke about! Cars or kids combined with mobile phones are both high risk!

4. Research the caller: Check out the recruiters profile on LinkedIn or the company web site. Check if the company is a member of a professional body. If the consultant lacks experience in search (e.g. if he/she were selling real estate or shoes 3 months previously) and doesn’t have the necessary professional qualifications – be cautious. As someone who contacts candidates regularly I am happy to let anyone know how to check my credentials. My LinkedIn profile reference is included in my email address. All my qualifications and experience are listed in full on LinkedIn, together with professional recommendations. My email address also includes blog details which has an informative bio at the side. All this indicates to candidates that I am exactly who I say I am, so I never have credibility issues and am actually never even asked.

5. Research the opportunity: so you can present yourself in the best possible light and prepare appropriate questions. This call is part of the selection process and should be treated seriously. First impressions do count.

6. Verify the relationship with the client company: This is another way of asking if the consultant actually has the recruiting assignment. Some unethical recruiters go on fishing expeditions to harvest CVs to sell on later.

7. Is the arrangement for the search exclusive? This will let you know if they are a retained search company or if they are competing with other companies to present their candidates.

8. Query your suitability: Ask the consultant why he/she believes you might be suitable for the position. This opens a discussion that indicates if the consultant understands the job profile. It also tells you what you need to know so that you can orientate your CV if you decide to proceed.

9. Ask about the time frame and the process: If they are evasive – that is a red flag. This can present issues for consultants, but an ethical consultant should be able to outline the process with a broad brush time frame. Thorough searches generally take between 3 and 6 months.

10. Ask for a profile. Preferred suppliers usually have an outline of one as a basic minimum, or can make a profile available after the initial contact. Clients don’t want organisational details flying around cyber space until there is confirmed genuine interest. If there is any continued evasiveness, even at the client level about the job content, reporting arrangements, how performance will be measured – be very cautious

Take a look at these trusted executive search and research solutions!

What to look out for….

1. CV Harvesters : if a recruiter can’t specify a specific search or a company – be cautious. Sometimes, as I explained, the company name is confidential, which to be fair happens frequently. However, a consultant can say for example “ US, multi-national, Fortune 500, B2B electronics , based in xx” etc.)

2. Protect your contact information if you have any doubts: CV harvesters can pass on your resume to aggregators. These CVs are then used to cull contact information which is subsequently sold to the highest bidders. Don’t include your home address and do use a public email such as gmail.

3. Vague or unresponsive to your direct questions: usually indicates a lack of knowledge = competence and perhaps even integrity. See above

4. The Trojan horse: Occasionally recruiters contact companies with known preferred suppliers, but where they are aware of an open vacancy. The consultant will go through the motions of presenting you as a candidate, even though candidates from the preferred supplier will get priority consideration. There is a risk that your application will be associated with a disreputable recruiter, which may jeopardise future and genuine applications.

5. Sales Targets: Some recruiting companies have a resume quota for their recruiters. They have to make x calls per day and receive x CVs per day. This encourages new recruiters to get resumes with any story possible. The chances of your resume being used for anything positive are very slim.

6. Arbitrary circulation of your CV: Resumes are randomly sent to prospective employers, with the recruiter’s contact information, not yours. Most companies do not follow-up on unsolicited resumes submitted by unknown recruiters. At best it will disappear at worst it will be associated with a poor recruiter.

7. Beware of job boards: Some unethical companies submit CVs to job boards. There your name and contact information are deleted and substituted with the recruiter’s details. Companies interested in your credentials, then have to go through the recruiter and split fees. One photovoltaic expert looking for a candidate for her own department, found what could only have been her own doctored CV on a job board!

Most search companies especially at the higher end of the market have strong reputations and would not want to damage those with unprofessional conduct. They are bound by codes of ethics from their professional bodies. These are just words of caution to protect against the odd ” cowboys” that occasionally creep into any sector!

Good luck!

Some recruitment myths debunked 2020

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I have approached this topic twice before in 2009 and again in 2013 to manage expectations between job seekers and recruiters. There is a massive chasm in expectations and the source of miscommunication and frustration. I am revisiting the topic in 2020 because the issue is as entrenched as ever. The result is a ping pong between both sides which is not constructive and helps no one in the process.

2020 updates

Today, we are in a global recession or even depression as a result of the COVID19 crisis. Not only are there fewer job opportunities, but many individuals are coming away feeling disillusioned, depressed, inadequate and somehow short-changed after their dealings with recruiters.

In the last months I have talked to many job seekers who complain about poor experiences with recruitment and search companies, and a number have asked for support to explain how to negotiate what at times can actually be a more disheartening process than being out of work. You should also note that the global pandemic is coming after a period of high employment in a candidate driven market, when they too did not behave well and “ghosting” entered into our vocabulary.

At the root of all of these issues seems to be mismatched expectations by potential candidates of the people, the process and the organisations involved in job search. It might be helpful to map out what you can realistically expect from any recruitment or search organisation. What can you do differently to avoid disappointment?

The recruiting process in a business context

Talent Management / Human Capital / HR, whatever you want to call it, can be very much the poor relation in many organisations ( why is a whole other topic). Sometimes the function is not even represented at executive board level. This can weaken the strategic voice within a company.
During any downturn, as a service function, HR professionals quite often see their teams cut and many are simply overworked, under supported and beleaguered. They are caught between demanding executive committees and angry, confused employees. We don’t know how that will go yet in 2020 with HR tipped to be the post COVID19 leaders.
Any pressure HR professionals are under to reduce their hiring costs, are then passed onto search and recruitment organisations. Sometimes companies will give the same assignment to multiple recruitment companies who will compete against each other to place candidates. The unsuccessful organisations will have invested resources in good faith in this process and will not receive a fee.
At the same time recruiting companies themselves have been hit by the downturn and have laid off large numbers of staff , so many are also operating on reduced budgets and manpower. Tech recruiters and even LinkedIn have been hard hit by the pandemic and are laying people off. Some organisations work on contingency (no placement = no fee) and it is not economically viable to invest time in candidates who are not on target. Additionally they are dealing with huge numbers of unsolicited CVs during this recession with lower staffing levels.
When there is a drive to reduce costs in whatever sector you are in – this can impact the quality of the final product and service.

Who do recruiters work for? Not you!

This is the first job search myth that needs to be dispelled. The recruiter works for the hiring company not you. Hoisting that one simple fact on board will help enormously in managing your expectations of the outcome of any contact.

There are a number of ways career opportunities come to the market but whether the company is a retained executive search company or a recruitment company working on contingency, in all cases the client is the hiring organisation – not you.

How do I find a high calibre recruiter?

There are large numbers of highly qualified, skilled and committed search professionals throughout the world. But clearly, as in any profession there are cowboys and there will always be degrees of excellence, or lack of it with the people you encounter.

In many countries there are no professional barriers to entry which allows anyone with limited or no relevant academic qualifications or even functional experience to set themselves up in this arena and claim to be a recruitment professional. If your consultant was airline crew or selling real estate 3 months earlier – be cautious. It is perfectly OK to check them out as individuals before finally committing and to shop around until you find someone with the type of experience you are looking for. LinkedIn or the company web site would be a good place to start any verification process.

Career coaches advise candidates to develop strategic relationships with recruiters. Note the word strategic. This doesn’t mean sending off your CV to every recruiter on LinkedIn. See below.

Why won’t recruiters give me career advice?

While many recruitment consultants are also certified coaches (as I am) most are not although the number that are (or claim to be) is increasing. They are not your personal coach and their role is not to motivate you or help you map out your career path. Many will be helpful, but others may have little understanding that even throw away phrases can have a very negative impact on anxious job seekers.

There is no ill will usually involved in this, they simply don’t know any better and have their own stresses to deal with. They also simply don’t have time.

Why do I get no response to my job applications?

The worst experience job seekers claim they have, is no response at all. Uploading your CV and it disappearing into the ether of cyber space and having no idea what, or if anything at all will happen to it is very disheartening. You should understand well that indeed nothing is happening to it. If you CV is not targeted for a particular opening and the way the ATS are set up your CV may get cut. This could be around willingness to relocate, language or visa requirements. Some recruiters say they read every CV – but I am not convinced every single one does. Otherwise every candidate would have a response and we know that is not the case.

Why do recruiters never give feedback?

Many recruiters are working on contingency – sometimes multiple companies working on the same assignment competing against each other. If they don‘t place a candidate they don’t get paid. Consultants are working to targets and focus on candidates they can be sure of placing.

Many will take the time to develop candidate contacts, but others do not have time or resources for professional courtesies and admin, and leave those to be processed via their ATS, so their dealings can be transactional. ATS are only as effective as the humans who design them and set them up and the parameters they put on them.

It is up to you if you decide to work with such organisations – but at least you know now in advance that this is what is going on.

Generally it is better to have a few solid trusted contacts than sending out your resume to every search company on the internet. Focus your time and energy on raising your general visibility and connectivity and making your job search strategic. LinkedIn is a great platform for this.

Basically most people involved in a search don’t have time to give feedback to candidates except for the final shortlist. Some adverts even say if you haven’t had a response within 6 weeks, this means that your candidacy has not been processed. That truthfully is ridiculous because an automated system can take care of that.

If you are ghosted after the short list phase – I agree, it’s pretty shabby and you have every right to be fed up.

What can you do?

Don’t let your desire to spread your job search net as wide as possible cloud your judgement about which recruiter to use. Cherry pick. Job search strategies are just that – strategic !When you contact search or recruitment companies . Focus on transferable skills and spell out how they would be of value in different environments, focus on transferable or soft skills, leadership qualities and change management experience which are often the key factors in this context, especially today.

Research the company beforehand. Check if it is a member of the AESC or perhaps a similar regional or local professional body. Very often the names of practise heads are published on the web site. Assess the experience levels of the consultants who are usually listed.
Check if there is an open assignment section and see if anything is appropriate to your skill set.
Sign up for alerts on LinkedIn, Google and their web site.
Don’t “spray and pray.” Take a targeted approach and focus on the roles in line with your goals and a reasonable proportion of your skills. You don’t get a point because you can write your name at the top. 10% of the candidates for the last search I did were totally irrelevant to the requirements of the job.
Follow the instructions. If the ad asks for a cover letter, supply one. Just because you saw someone on LinkedIn suggest they are obsolete, they are still relevant for this particular organisation. Add it as a continuous document with your CV, unless specified otherwise because they can get separated. Check there are no special instructions before hitting send. Some companies are now asking for responses to special questions or even a brief video.
Upload your CV via their web site or by email using strong vocabulary, mirroring techniques (as appropriate) and keywords to make sure your CV comes within the parameters of the advert. If you can’t identify the key words, you possibly shouldn’t be applying for the job. If your CV is regularly disappearing into the job search ether – you need to do something different and change your key words or personal branding presentation or check your formatting.
Don’t by-pass HR. I know this is sometimes recommended by career coaches, but usually the CV gets pushed back to the Talent Acquisition department and/or the search firm. Instead, try and build up some networking capital by setting up informational interviews with people within the organisation who may advocate for you. You will still potentially come onto the hiring manager’s radar that way. Except in start ups, most employment contracts and hiring processes are raised and run by HR.
Understand that consultants are unlikely to contact you unless they have a specific opening. It’s a fine line to tread between being tenacious and a nuisance, requiring empathy and marketing skills when you contact these organisations.
Absolutely do not pay any fees – If a recruiter asks for a fee just to receive your CV , they are not a recruiter. By definition, no recruiter should ever charge the candidate. If they have a search, the company pays. Just let that go. That process should not be confused with an outplacement or career coaching where a tangible service is provided and YOU become the client. Very often the company that has made you redundant will pay that fee and you should look into that too.

What to do when you find a recruitment or company to trust :

Develop a relationship with the recruiter: People work with those that they like and trust. There is a caveat. Recruiters will do this if they have an opening in line with your qualifications and experience. In an economic downturn they simply may not have the time to deal with all job seekers who contact them.
Be correct, courteous and efficient in all your dealings – remember first impressions count
Add value : Source colleagues, friends or even competitors who might be suitable if you are not. Recruiters appreciate and will remember that courtesy.
Develop a reputation as an industry or sector source or technical specialist. If you gain a reputation in this area then the chances are that the recruiter will come back to you.

If you need help getting a job and creating a job search strategy – get in touch NOW

Unpaid Internships: Opportunity or Exploitation?

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Graduates without jobs look for unpaid internships

Job opportunities for many graduates can be erratic. Even then, employers very often insist on several years’ experience even at entry level. Many under-graduates look for internships to gain that vital experience. Very often the only options are unpaid intenships.

That’s right they work for nothing.

I have mixed thoughts about this. On the one hand I can see how any opportunity is better than none. It is also a difficult time when highly experienced older people are being laid off, or being asked to reduce their hours and salaries or to take unpaid extended holidays. The skill sets of these young people are currently not great. But they do represent future investment, not just for companies, but for whole economies.

Who can benefit?

What bothers me is who is actually able to take advantage of these unpaid intern schemes? It seems that only graduates in financially advantageous situations can profit from this development. This will be those who are able to support themselves for 6 months with no income at all. With student debt rising (in the UK the average is reported to be £50,000 or more) already loans are going to take up to 25-30 years to pay back.

While internships are highly valued in the job market, research also shows that 43% of internships at for-profit companies are unpaid. This means that more affluent parents are stepping in to financially support their graduate offspring in their efforts to gain any type of work experience. Other families are reaching deep into their pockets to pull out money they can’t really afford, thus jeopardising their own financial futures.

As a result, gradautes from well off backgrounds can put themselves forward for these roles. . For any candidate from a marginalized demographic, this means that the generational wealth gap only gets wider. Unpiad internships is a practice which is deeply non-inclusive and assciaced with privilege.

Free labour?

I recently coached a young adult, the son of a service employee, a talented quadri- lingual business graduate, who interviewed in a London based, international holding company for an intern position. The young man’s salary demand was a subsistence allowance, which would barely cover his living costs. However, the employer made it clear that the expectation was that the position would be unpaid. The graduate clearly tried to negotiate some sort of basic compensation, but was unwilling to risk bad relations and any future employment opportunities by pushing too hard. But he simply couldn’t afford to take the job.

I would have thought, and hoped, that showing you can negotiate for yourself, is an indication that you can indeed negotiate for the company. Unwilling to get deeper into debt and his family unable to help to support a period in a high cost city like London, he was obliged to walk away. I researched the company and I promise you, they are far from being in the red.

How far do they self advoate?

The dilemma that these kids experience is how hard do they self advocate? How far do they go and how much debt do they get into, just to have something on their CV? Having run graduate recruitment and entry level schemes in my career, I know that this level require training and supervision to be fully and correctly utilised to gain any valid experience. Without that, unless they are very lucky, they will end up doing routine, low level clerical jobs.

The other issue is that in Europe female graduates are less likely to find work than their male counterparts.

Corporate gain

To me that is pure exploitation of the market for corporate gain. There have always been certain sectors where interns are expected to work just to have the experience: fashion and film are just two that spring to mind. But there was usually some sort of opportunity in the distance. With full economic recovery projected as being in 2014, how long will the class of 2009 have to wait?

It also means that less well off graduates, despite having equal qualifications will struggle to compete with graduates from more affluent families.

If you need help with your job search get in touch NOW.

Note: Updated in 2023

Facts Talk!

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Last week I posted a blog about dealing with negative thinking. Surprisingly, two words prompted more response and questions than any other part of that piece. Facts talk. What did I mean? My response was met with disbelief! Facts get us out of our comfort zones.

FEAR

A commonly used acronym for FEAR is: False Expectations Appearing Real. I first saw that phrase in the early 90s, but ironically, I have actually seen it twice in the last week alone in blogs written by Lolly Daskal and Conrad Palmer. It’s worth repeating.

When we feel any sort of pressure or stress, we all have a tendency to lose sight of things as they really are. This is no “holier than thou ” stuff, so don’t think I’ve got it all sorted . You are reading someone who has begged for air-rescue from a bunny ski slope! Essentially we become fearful (full of fear).

Back in the cave

When we all lived in caves that sensation very conveniently kicked in to make us more alert for any potential “attacks”. To protect ourselves against lions, tigers and bears our bodies are hard- wired to educate us to anticipate risk ( things that may or may not happen). So adrenalin kicks in and we shift into fight or flight mode, activated by the best kind of stress – motivation, energy, whatever you want to call it, the upward part of the curve.

Now this good feeling switches to anxiety, when at a basic level we “fear” that we don’t have the resources ( physical or psychological) to cope with perceived threats to our security and well being. We believe rightly or wrongly, that ultimately we might fail. Good stress therefore becomes bad stress (de-motivation). When lions, tigers and bears are involved, one could reasonably be forgiven for preparing for a gory death, a horrific maiming, or perhaps a long hard run for it.

Avoidance tactics

Clearly now in our more evolved state, that is less likely to happen. However, our primal response facilities are still in place. Nobody told our DNA that. These fears are activated by more subtle circumstances: the unknown, rejection, or people discovering who we are, with all our weaknesses and flaws and that we will be deemed unworthy.

For most of us, being full of fear is not the greatest sensation ( racing pulse, churning stomach, sweating, high pitched voice) The best way to avoid feeling out of breath, nauseous, sweaty and sounding squeaky, is simply to avoid fear inducing situations. Makes sense right? This means that we withdraw into a nice safe place when we feel fearful. Or we don’t act at all. This means we stay in our nice safe place to prevent feeling fearful. In my case the hotel lounge!

What makes you anxious?

We all have different things that make us anxious ( our weaknesses, actual or perceived ), so it is impossible to make sweeping statements in any generic fashion. But happily that too enables us to escape discovery. Someone might skydive with impunity, but worry about writing a mission statement. An engineer might deal with complex technical problems, but feel nervous about interviews. A graphic designer might make brilliant lay outs, but have no idea how to write a CV. Who would have thought? Exactly! No one. We’re free and clear plus totally undiscovered. But wait…

Guilt

At the same basic level we know that we should be out doing the things that make us breathless, sick and sticky, ( aka guilt). We have bills to pay, expectations to meet and our partners or friends are asking probing questions, so we have strategies in place to convince ourselves and “others” to create smoke screens. A computer is great for “busy-ness” and not doing anything. We tell ourselves that it is simply events or circumstances that are conspiring against us. Today, more than ever we are able to pass on our individual responsibility ( blame) to something amorphous and unaccountable. The recession.

But sometimes “others” don’t buy into what we’re saying , because they have “other” fears and somewhat inconsiderately, they feel perfectly comfortable with the job search process. Then we start making excuses. I could fill a whole page with the reasons I have invented not to ski so I wouldn’t look “less than” or disappoint people who were important to me. Some of them were very creative. So in the words of Peter Williams ” Unworthiness is the foundation of the comfort zone” .

Facts provide messages

Finally we’re here. This is where facts talk. Facts are a big step. They get fear and guilt out into the open. You can then see that although everything is not perfect (nothing is ever perfect) , but they can be perfectly manageable. Facts provide messages. Messages lead to thought. Written thoughts leads to actions. Actions lead to solutions.

When looking for a job everyone should keep a job search log/progress sheet whatever you want to call it. Doesn’t matter. You can make one yourself or use an online tool such as Jibberjobber (http://www.jibberjobber.com/) Keep an accurate record of all the positions applied for and each stage of the process with dates: position, company, contact, date CV sent, method ( direct, on-line), response( telephone interview, direct interview etc) feedback. Most people, when asked, have no idea how many jobs they’ve applied for.

Most people claim that they spend 6-10 hours a day looking for jobs. I can usually tell by the results, how engaged they are. It’s quite often less than 6 -10 hours. If they need to network and only have 10 LinkedIn connections – I know they’re not putting in the hard yards and so do they. More guilt. Having all that information laid out in factual form enables you to easily track all the detail relating to your job search and time management. Even not having feedback sends you a useable message.

Facts and job search – be brutal

So, if you are sending off CVs (more than 10- 15 depending on level, function, geographic location) with no response at all, what is that telling you? You need to play around with the CV, change something and monitor that result. Change it again if that doesn’t work. If you get no further than a telephone screening – could it be that your telephone interview techniques needs some work? Same if you fall at the interview stage. If you can’t find any jobs to apply for ( and there are still some jobs, they are just not advertised as openly) then perhaps you need to expand your network or online presence.

But unless you can see it written down you will convince yourself that you are active on the job market, when really, although you’re in front of your computer, perhaps spending more time reading something of personal interest (sports results, celeb gossip, international affairs) than researching openings. So track your time too – keep a time management log. Be brutally honest. Are you really engaged as much as you say, or just fooling around on Facebook or Twitter? Facts talk.

If you are struggling with any parts of the process over an extended period, please look at seeking support from friends, family, your network or a professional. You are your best asset – it’s an investment in your future. If you don’t act, you won’t fail, but you won’t succeed either.

Remember .. as Audrey Hepburn suggested, the letters in impossible also write I’m possible!

Need support – get in touch NOW!

Mind Management: Beat Negative Thinking

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Every day I coach incredibly talented, successful people with amazing skill sets, backgrounds and experience. But whether they are entry level, mid career or CEOs with long track records, many struggle to market themselves in the right way. One thing most have in common is without exception, they self -sabotage and block their own progress, not so much with what they do directly – but what they think. These thoughts not only control the outcome of any actions, but equally significantly, can also be at the root of inaction, lack of engagement and follow through. This is particularly hard to track if we develop strategies for seeming to be active (” busy-ness”) when indeed the opposite is going on. There is a lot of truth in the old adage “mind over matter”. Or mind matters!

Mind fabrication
I’m not talking about people losing sleep over being losers or useless. That would be too obvious. These thoughts are much more passive, pernicious,subtle and insidious, so ultimately more damaging. They are small disruptive internal messages that insinuate our sub-conscious thinking and keep re-playing in our heads until we believe them and ultimately act on them. We don’t know why, or sometimes that these notions are even there. My son has a great phrase “drowning in my own thoughts” to describe those negative messages, which pop up when we least want them. Worse still, they provide an invisible, sub- conscious structure for our decision making processes but just as importantly for our lack of decision making.

I had a Skype call with a guy based in London this week who wanted some job search support. No problem. During the conversation he mentioned several times ” being out of work for 2 years” and a need to explain a ” 2 year gap on my CV”. I scanned his CV. I checked and double checked. Nothing. Eventually I asked him when this 2 year gap had started. He replied December 2008. Okay.. we’re now July 2009 – how was that 2 years? That thought was a complete mind fabrication !

Self sabotaging
At some level he had persuaded himself that his mid career decision to take a 12 month MBA course was ” opting out” and therefore a period of unemployment, so he would need to defend his position with recruiters and interviewers. I have no idea where this pressure came from, that is complex and we only talked for 45 minutes. I just saw the outcome. Another approach could be that he had taken a brave risk, left a great job in a top company to strategically develop his career. It required leaving his own country and moving to a foreign one, adapting to a different culture and learning another language. His graduation coincided with the height of the credit crunch. That was the fault of a group of out of control bankers and a global trend in mindless consumerism. Nothing to do with him. Not only should recruiters not see this career enhancement step as a negative, but they should recognise it for what it is – a great series of achievements. (GC I hope you’re reading this!)

Re-frame with questions
So if you feel that anyone doesn’t understand you, start asking them some relevant questions to check they have insight into your situation. In this case they might be monolingual or mono cultural and lived in the same town all their lives. If they can’t see what you’re about – perhaps you need to change the type of recruiter you’re choosing to work with. Negative thinking is at the root of most self sabotaging coping strategies: procrastination and perfectionism to name just two. We all do it because we fear what other people will think of us and ultimately we fear failure. In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent”. No one is unique, everyone goes through this at different times over different issues and even outwardly successful senior people have doubts at times.

Write things down
So how can you tackle that? Simple. Write the thought down. When written down a thought becomes clearer. Let’s pick one and track the subsequent underlying thinking that might be churning beneath the surface and needs to be teased out. This is a very typical negative thought process that I work through with many people on a weekly basis.

Track the message !
ORIGINAL THOUGHT ” Hmmm… I should apply for that job” write that down and then track in writing, your subconscious ,internal negative dialogue which might be something along these lines:

**But.. wait… if I send in my CV, they might call me .. **and I won’t know what to say … **then I’ll make a complete idiot of myself on the phone and maybe in the interview… **then they’ll know how useless I am..** then I won’t get the job .. .**then they might tell everyone….**then everyone will know I’m stupid and laugh at me.. **then I’ll let my whole family down… ** then I won’t get any job anywhere, ever… **then I’ll never work again… then I’ll have no money so I’ll be bankrupt … **then I’ll lose my house .. *then my wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/husband/kids/goldfish will all leave me forever.. **then I’ll be on benefits/welfare or living in a box … **then everyone in the world will hate me…then Hmmm … OK…. I just need to go to the supermarket/pub/shower …I’ll send the CV off after dinner.

Sound vaguely familiar? So how do you deal with this?

Look at the facts
Ok, now write down some opposing thoughts. Look at the facts. Realistically just by sending off your CV, what are the chances of you living in a box, with everyone thinking you’re a fool and everyone completely hating you? Right.. Absolutely ZERO. You indeed be might be mismatched for the opening or your CV is not strong enough, but that is quite different. Why? All those things can be changed. There is quite often underlying wisdom in humour and as the joke goes everyone doesn’t know you. Keep a job search log so you can’t convince yourself into thinking that you’re active when you’re not. Facts talk.

Reality check
The reality will be that the most damaging outcome is nothing. Your CV will not be selected by the ATS and you will sink into job search oblivion. Nothing is not good. So any action or activity from that process, even the messages you don’t want to hear, are learning experiences and not negative ones.

What have you learned from doing nothing? That you you need to act now, otherwise the whole process repeats itself .

How’s your cyber footprint?

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What impact does our cyber foot print have and how much should we be mindful of it?

A Twitter connection asked me the other day, somewhat to my surprise , if I had an alias for my “fun and social side”. I have to say an eyebrow was raised! The thought of myself skulking around cyber space with a nom de plume or an alter ego, stretched the imagination. However the question was actually entirely serious and raised a very valid point that I had been discussuing during the week with fellow professionals and coachees. What impact does our cyber foot print have and how much should we be mindful of it?

Raised visibility
As a transition coach I talk to individuals constantly about raising visibility and the job search process changing from looking for a job, to becoming a need to be found. So they are coached through a process to raise their SEO and their Google ranking, to connect on Linkedin and to be active on other social media. Some I encourage to have a blog and a web site, all to enable job search specialists to easily locate them. All the time, this supposes that they are being tracked for their excellent professional backgrounds and first class, on- target experience, rather than photos of them stealing signs during their college days, or messages about whooping it up at some party. So my visibility suggestions are also accompanied by equal doses of cautionary tales to be careful about what is posted by and about them, not just in their own posts, but via other people’s.

Mike Dalton, Partner Co-Founder Youbug , with deep experience in the internet security sector says this: ” People need to be aware of just who can see what when they join social networking sites. Recent changes in Facebook’s privacy settings defaulted to everyone being able to see everything you post. So check the privacy settings of any social media you use and make sure that only those you want to see your posts can see them. … take care about what you post…. too much detail could put you at risk of identity theft, if not directly from the information on the web, then through social engineering. Before posting anything ask yourself “will I ever regret posting this?”

This is only part of my current concern
Shankar Srinivasan a Recruitment Technologist in his blog of July 1st ( Glimpse into the Future of Recruitment Technology) brings to our attention the future of recruitment ,with all the new technological developments in the pipeline. One of these is candidate profiling from social media content. Eventually he anticipates that profiles of candidates can be drawn up from input to sites such as Facebook,Linkedin, Twitter and so on. So all sorts of conclusions can be drawn from even the most harmless, innocent and banal details which send out messages to others about our personalities, our values and our skill sets: in photos, web sites, texts, messages and tweets. I suspect this might also ultimately have an interesting impact on psychometric testing.

Multiple accounts
I actually don’t have an alias! I believe that people do business with and recruit people they like and trust and you can’t give an all round impression of yourself if you only display one side of your character and keep the other half hidden. But then I don’t have a terribly wild or mysterious life either and as many of you already know, the organisation of it all would simply confound me! I think I would also find having two different personas quite hard work. So no, I don’t have a professional and a social account. But I do understand why some people do this, even though I believe that software spiders will eventually be able to penetrate even private social accounts to glean any information they’re looking for. So in time it won’t make any difference if they are separate or combined .

Manage your message
But I am also mindful that I am constantly leaving cyber messages on a daily basis, not just about my professional life, but also about my personality, my skill set and deficiencies (some of them very obvious) hobbies, interests, family, values, opinions etc. Each time we send a message, post a blog, write something on someones wall, tweet, answer a discussion,join a professional network, we are telling the world something about ourselves. How we engage, react, the vocabulary we use, the topics we that we pursue,all tell a story about who we are.

We can’t control how people react to us, but we can manage the message. By that I don’t mean being fake. For me it just means treating cyber space as you would any other networking or social arena. Social norms still prevail. Why should things be any different because you’re on line? The only thing now is that everything is in writing and can be traced. Nothing will disappear the day after. It can come back to haunt you and it might well. They say that 47% of candidates are rejected based on on – line content, although that figure is not very meaningful. The same people may have been ruled out in a networking event.

Guidelines
So what are basic rules or guidelines? Same as in actual life I think. Don’t be rude, bitchy, abusive, crude or aggressive. Don’t swear. Anything private and intimate – should be just that… private. Don’t over share! Just as it’s inadvisable to drink and dial – don’t tweet when tight. Don’t bad mouth your boss, company or co-workers! They will find out . Keep language constructive and it might even be be wise if inflammatory topics are kept for email or phone contact. Would you try and flog someone a timeshare or marketing programme the minute you were introduced at a party? No. So why do it on-line? In all, it’s just commonsense. Mike also warns that he knows people who can find any information on the web, even items which have been deleted ” …. information posted on the web stays there for ever! You may well delete a dubious photograph or an unfortunate remark, but it is still out there, and it can be found.”

Sensible engagement
So bearing all this in mind, I actually think that people, whether fellow professionals or recruiters, do want to see the lighter sides of their professional on – line connections in the right and appropriate context of course. Just as you would off line. Otherwise the process becomes only about information exchange, rather than authentic engagement. I still think that despite all the technology that surrounds us, that’s what we all want. To engage.

Choose your words wisely!

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Inspired by Wally Bock

Divided by a common language

Chatting on Twitter the other night, Wally mentioned in passing that he was a vet. Wow I thought. He’s an international leadership guru , writer, poet AND a vet. That’s pretty amazing. I went into recruiter mode. Thoughts about wide ranging skill sets , the long years he must have spent in college and training, plus potential career paths all raced through my mind. Then I realised (just as quickly) that we were probably having a cultural mis-communication moment. In UK English “vet” is a commonly used abbreviation for veterinary surgeon, but in the US it tends to replace the phrase “war veteran”.

Word choice

It then occurred to me if two Anglophones can mis-communicate so successfully and we use vocabulary and word choice as a professional tool all the time, what are the implications for those that don’t? I’m not talking about advertising spin either, but just presenting our message in a succinct and positive fashion, that everyone can understand and easily digest.

The importance of word choice in communicating a message in job search strategies is a vital part of my coaching programme. It’s key in CV writing and drafting internet profiles not only to be identified by Applicant Tracking Systems, but to identify your personal brand, which is the essence of your message. Strong language is absolutely essential in developing a correctly pitched elevator speech used in direct networking and interviews. They all require precise vocabulary, but presented in different styles and formats. Living in an international environment where English is the global business lingua franca, I also see people both communicating and confusing in their second, third or even fourth languages every day.

Think!

I coached someone recently who used this phrase “Used to work in a multicultural environment : continuous contacts internally with US and European colleagues. Daily contacts with customers in Europe, Middle East and Africa mainly”

What he had actually done was this: successfully identified market development opportunities in key emerging markets,( some very challenging countries which I can’t specify for confidentiality reasons) created multi- cultural and cross discipline teams (requiring the management of significant cultural differences and business practises) to spearhead the launch of the product portfolio. The result was x increase( large number) to his company’s bottom line. Was that obvious? Not at all. Same role, but which one is going to attract attention?

I have observed over time that there are generally two parts to this communication process: communication with yourself (internal message) and then communication with others (external message). Sometimes it is only about the use of effective “brand” language ( vocabulary), but quite often it’s more than that.

So what needs to be done?

Internal communication: this is about self awareness and self insight. You need to identify and understand your own challenges and achievements – I know I keep bashing on about this – but it is key. If you don’t know what you’re good at – how can you expect anyone else to know? You are your own best asset. Recruiters don’t have time to look for sub – text and to analyse the possible implications of what you’ve been doing in your career. We need to be told in very precise terms. Self insight also facilitates the interview process so you present yourself strongly verbally as well – this is your own brand development . It avoids the awkward pauses, repetition and embarrassing moments in interviews. But it is equally vital that you own your personal message. How do you define yourself? As the person in “daily contact” or the person who ” spearheads”?

External communication: Choosing powerful vocabulary and phrases to get your message across in the best possible way in all media is really important. This is not boasting (that’s about personality and delivery) or falsifying( that’s about lying). It’s your brand marketing. Would we buy Coke if it was advertised as a “brown fizzy drink” Probably not. Suggesting “refreshing” and “thirst quenching” or whatever else they say, produces a different and successful picture. Same about you! Use words such as: identifed, created, instigated, enhanced, extended, exceeded, generated, conceived, won, strengthened, secured, restructured, transformed to list just a few. Lose weaker words such as: facilitates, co-ordinated, set up, played a key role, contact etc. Let the facts speak for themselves and back up your achievements with incontestable examples or numbers.

If you are not a wordsmith, or English isn’t your first language, enlist support to help craft the most convincing CV possible to send a message you believe in. Why run the risk of being rejected because of some weak words?

You don’t want to be a “brown fizzy drink”!

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of wisdom” Aristotle

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Knowing yourself is also a key career management skill

Multi – tasking is our norm. Many of us are so caught up in corporate “busy-ness” that we operate on automatic pilot, lose focus and stop paying attention, not just to our surroundings, but to ourselves. We do as many things as we can at one time in and actually take pride in it. Even boast about it! Constant contact is often not only expected, but demanded by bosses, peers and our families. For the few remaining hours before we finally sleep, we field never ending demands generated by our partners, kids, parents, hobbies, friends, homes and any other relationships in our “free “time. This leaves little time for inner work and knowing yourself.

Factor in COVID brain fog then our attention spans are even more limited today in a pandemic situation.

Self help

At the same time there has been a marked cultural and economic shift to self-help. Many activities which were previously managed by a service provider we now do ourselves. Our personal hard drives are overloaded with processes we didn’t need to know before: shopping, banking, checking-in, ticketing and reservations, all the COVID paperwork are all done on line.

So our “busy-ness” has increased even further, but it has also led to a loss of basic daily interaction that makes us stop, think and engage with other human beings. A smile, a touch, an idle chat. Twitter is the new water-cooler time. You Tube and Tik Tok the new entertainment sources.

Now, if we don’t pay much attention to ourselves, we pay even less to other people.

Missing focus

Scientists believe that as little as 1% of our brain is actively engaged in the activity we are presently “focused “on! I use the word “focus” lightly! This is not even when we are stressed when problems become our central focus when our capacity to pay attention is reduced further.

According to Pareto, 80% of our activity generates only 20% of the results. Have you ever opened the refrigerator door and forgotten what you were looking for? No? Lucky you! You can see, with the complexity of modern living, how easy it is for “life” to take on a momentum all of its own, and how effortless it is, to drift. To re-act, not act.

Stress

David E. Meyer, Professor of Psychology, in the Cognition and Perception Program, at University of Michigan, writes extensively on multi-tasking. He believes that excessive multi-tasking “can lead to chronic stress, with potential damage to the cardiovascular, immune, and nervous systems”. He maintains that flitting from task to task interferes with demanding and complex mental activities such as reading, having conversations and planning.

This all contributes to an increase in the incidence of error. Tasks then take as much as 100% longer than they should to complete. When we under perform and expectations (perceived and actual) are not met, stress levels increase yet again.

Find your own key

Clients in transition often expect me to write their CVs for them because they believe that I will do a better job than they would. Superficially, that might possibly be true. I could certainly write a successful looking document, but it would lack depth and as a career search tool its value would be for a limited period only. As I strongly believe “Find the key to yourself and every door in the world is open to you”, I have to refuse.

Do you know ” you“?

Some career coaches maintain that no one knows you like you do! I’m actually not so sure. My observation is that quite often people are so wrapped up in “busy-ness” that they don’t take/make the time to get to know themselves. So I always think it’s a good idea to at least check where they are on the “know thyself” spectrum. I ask clients to set aside some time, to do one small thing differently, anything that prompts them simply to think, to engage in what they are doing and to be in the moment they are actually doing it in. I encourage them to slow down and to get to know themselves, just thinking.

When I outline this idea many clients look at me askance, as if I’m asking them to sit cross legged in a corner, wearing orange robes, chanting and using “F” words ( no not that one – the other ones …Feelings.) ” What’s this got to do with my job and you writing my CV?” these hard headed executives ask. My personal belief is that it’s all key.

Mono – task

As coaches we all recommend different strategies to create some moments of focused thought – mono-tasking. To purists it’s not even mono-tasking – but I live in the grey world of approximation! Just eating, just jogging, just driving, just looking at a view, with no other distractions – only thoughts. Most people find it harder than they imagine.

We spend about 76000 hours in our lives working, so it’s important to get it as right as we can.

So what do I suggest clients should be thinking about?

What am I passionate about?
What do I believe in? ( values)
What are my life goals ( general)
What are my professional goals (specific)
What have my challenges in life been?
How did I deal with them? (Actions)
What did I achieve? (Results)
What skills did I call upon?

Check out these career management programmes for individuals.

Alignment

We then need to check that all these thoughts are aligned, so our chosen professional path is what we want to be doing, or somewhere close. I am passionate about tennis, but given my skill level, and any potential to improve being close to zero, clearly I can’t make a career out of it! So compromise and prioritising is required and some will be deal breakers and others won’t.

When we have completed this process and start to get to know ourselves, we can begin to take control and articulate our own message successfully and independently, in all circumstances. We might need some help – but no one can do it all for us. To make this happen, we need to be prepared to stop and just think.

For many of us, making even the smallest change can offer many new and exciting options.

If you need support to manage your career – get in touch NOW!

Written in 2009 – updated 2021.