Experience and wisdom – a subtle difference

It’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between experience and wisdom. People can have the same experiences but not learn from them – whilst others develop wisdom and insight as a result of their experiences. Everyone has experience, but wisdom comes from such aspects as self-reflection, admitting and owning mistakes, and learning from them. You should then be able to apply the lessons learned in a positive way.

Using your knowledge wisely

I often think to myself that I’ve got more wisdom to give now, for many different reasons. Being older, certainly, is a factor. Wisdom is often associated with age, but it’s not a prerequisite. I’ve lived through a lot and have seen many changes. The older you get, the more likely you are to be able to be a good judge of people or to read situations – you’d like to think. Having worked in many different situations with many different people, you find yourself understanding and taking on information and experiences from all quarters. Once acquired, knowledge can also be applied incorrectly. There is a maxim: “Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, but wisdom is knowing that you don’t put tomato in a fruit salad”.

New insights

Wisdom isn’t necessarily just about qualifications – although letters and accreditations after your name are a good sign of experience gained throughout a career. There are many ways that you can gain knowledge through training and education, and continuous learning which is relevant will always add value. Many of my clients come from diverse backgrounds and learning about them and their sectors continually gives me a fresh insight every day. Each sector is subtly different, and each offers new insights.

 Specialist knowledge

Outside of knowledge and wisdom, specialisms are what make us all different – the broader range of experience we have, the stronger our offering and skillset becomes. Also, some of my less positive life experiences have made me stronger too. These can come from both your work and personal sides of your life. For example, job loss was certainly a positive for me, in being able to give a depth of empathy to clients who were dealing with outplacement, because now I understand it more. Having the experience of outplacement taught me the wisdom to deal with others experiencing it too.

Dress code – it’s all about standards!

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There’s an old adage often thrown around in business, especially when interviewing or starting a new job: ‘Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.’ The way we are first perceived by peers and employers often comes down to the way we are dressed.

Of course, it’s important to dress well for an interview, even if held online, so a smart blouse or dress or shirt and tie can never go amiss when you wish to make that all important good first impression.

However, workwear has generally become more casual across the board, and it used to be that companies would have ‘dress down Fridays’, but now that kind of informal wear seems to be the everyday choice for many offices. This can cause confusion and uncertainty for people as to how to dress when starting a new job.

You don’t want to be overdressed – ie. in a suit or smart dress when everyone else is wearing t-shirts and jeans – on your first day, as it shows that you don’t understand the business. Equally, being underdressed – ie. in a t-shirt and jeans when everyone wears skirts, dresses and heels, or suits, shirts and ties – can come across to others that you’re lacking enthusiasm and motivation.

Both situations are less than ideal when you want to make a good first and lasting impression in your new role.

Dress for success

Carefully consider how you dress, not just on your first day, but every day. Dressing well and suitably for your place of work can send powerful messages about how you respect and value your job and the business. You are also more likely to be considered for increased responsibility and for promotions, showing that if you take your appearance seriously, you will be taken seriously at work too.

Not only is it important to be dressed well to impress others with influence at work, there have been studies conducted into the psychology of clothes, which have found that the way we dress can also impact our mental and physical performance at work.

There is also a greater acceptance of the fluidity of choice of clothes by an individual, to dress more femininely or masculinely depending on how they identify, and although it’s not necessarily true that ‘clothes maketh the person’, I always find that the more confident you feel in what you’re wearing, the more confident you will be in yourself.

So how you dress really does matter, both to be, and to be perceived, as someone with credibility and therefore someone who matters.

What to wear

Of course, how you might be expected to dress can also depend on your role and industry, and the difference between formal or informal wear might just be part of the territory. Suits and ties are still very much hand-in-hand with the legal and banking industry, whereas for the more creative industries, like web development and game design, jeans and trainers are more the norm.

If you’re looking to climb the career ladder, it’ll do no harm to pay attention to what senior-role people of the business are wearing, and aspire to their level.

However, don’t wear yourself over what to wear. If in doubt, you can never go wrong with smart casual.

Will you ever get another job?

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We’ve all felt a bit like this at one time or another – you have been sending out CVs and job applications, but to no avail. Sometimes you’re not even sure that your prospective employers have even seen or read your application, as it’s usually submitted electronically these days and simply vanishes off into the ether. As a result, some of my clients – and I completely understand this – feel that they’re never going to get another job.

A guiding hand

But although job hunting can seem to be a slog sometimes and there are no rewards, there will always be hope at the end of the tunnel. So, my answer to anyone who is getting downhearted is simple: “If one of their friends lost their job, would they agree with the same sentiment?” And the answer is always a resounding ‘no’.

No matter how long you are left waiting, it’s absurd to think you are going to be unemployed for the rest of your life. However, it can be hard to listen and apply our own advice that we would freely give others to our own situations. In this way, as Consultants, we’re here to ensure that we become that voice and supporter of your situation. We can offer guidance, but also support to keep morale up during times when you may be doubting yourself.

A measured approach

A measured approach is always best when searching for a job. Set realistic objectives and also define timescales and effort to be expended too. Time spent on applications should not become all-consuming. Time is valuable and can be better spent on other areas of career development.

You might need to ask yourself whether you are being realistic in the roles you are applying for and if this is the reason you are not finding a new role as quickly as you’d like. Or, are the roles you are applying for very popular ones that are attracting too many applicants? Many people want to pursue the dream of working from home full-time now, while others seek a hybrid model. Some jobs simply won’t offer a ‘work from home’ option – if the role is carried out at a public-facing premises, for example, such as health or care scenarios. Decide the work-life balance you’d like to strike and ensure the roles you’re looking at truly reflect that.

Time is the essence

Time not expended on over-tuning applications and overthinking career choices can be better spent on honing your CV profile, practicing your interview technique – or even expanding your horizons and knowledge with new training or learning. The job market is a highly-competitive area and it’s important to stand out from the crowd. You know you are the ideal candidate for the role, but does your CV spell this out? It’s often worth tailoring your CV to each individual role. Sometimes, that little bit of extra effort will make all the difference in the long run – and make sure that you don’t get into a lengthy cycle of anxiousness and self-doubt on your journey to your next role.

 

New Year, New CV!

At the beginning of a new year, we often think about new starts and new ambitions. I always advise my clients to ensure that their CVs are kept up-to-date all year around, but a new year gives new impetus and a chance to draw a line under the past. It’s important to get the tone right in your profile. You need to look closely at how you word your CV, the language you use and if that language is a true reflection of yourself and your values.

True reflections

I’m working with a client at the moment who had already prepared a CV with another Consultant. My client voiced the concern to me that she was not entirely happy about some of the language used – e.g. words such as ‘robust’. As she’d been advised by a professional to put them in, she had taken the advice, but was uncomfortable. Was she tough but fair and robust? She didn’t think so.

This is often the case, as advice often steers decisions. If someone who is a professional provides guidance and assistance, then a client tends to follow it. This shouldn’t always be the case, however. A client should never feel uncomfortable about any word in their CV. I always reiterate to my clients that it’s their CV, not mine, and they should feel confident with it. It’s something that has to represent them to potential employers. If the true you isn’t reflected in the text of the CV, then it will be difficult to prove your worth when they employ you and discover there’s a disparity between page and person. This is why you should never let other people put their words into your mouth, because it won’t be a fair representation of you and might even get you the wrong type of role.

Your personal brand

It’s also a two-way challenge. What I may suggest can be challenged by the client, to make sure we get everything across, but in the right context. In this way, the CV will be illustrative of the person, their experience, their qualifications and their aptitude for the role. If the role requires a ‘tough but fair’ person, with a ‘robust’ character, then make sure you have these qualities – or perhaps that particular role isn’t for you. It’s always a challenge to make a really strong CV, one that will convince prospective employers of their candidate’s strengths and breadth of knowledge. You can always learn new skills and evolve in ways that may need demonstrating in your CV, which is why updating is so important.

The new year is such a good time to dust down that CV. Just ensure that it’s a proper reflection of your personal brand.