Time for change

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We all have a work persona, whether we acknowledge it or not. But with WFH so prevalent, it’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between your true self and your ‘work self’. The same is correct when it comes to making decisions about your career path and your future. Are you self-aware enough to identify where your future lies?  Are spending less time in the office, but working as many hours from home? Have you got a work-life balance that suits you? Or would it be beneficial for you to be in the office more?

WFH doesn’t suit everyone. Perhaps a move towards a more office-based culture would be a better fit. This is certainly true in creative industries, where collective thinking and collaboration are vital ingredients. And of course, not everyone has had a say in whether they work from home. If the balance isn’t suiting you, then perhaps it’s time for a change.

A fresh outlook

Don’t wait for a formal review to speak to your manager about your development. These conversations should be woven into formal and informal discussions throughout the year.  Discuss with your manager to ensure they are aware of your feelings and areas you would like to develop or change if possible.

However, if you are reviewing your career due to redundancy, don’t forget to ask your employer to fund outplacement. This will give you access to a professional Career Consultant to discuss and identify your options and how to achieve them. This might be in the same sector you occupy now, or it may be an allied industry – or a new area entirely. A Career Consultant will be able to identify aspects such as transferable skills, that can be deployed in an adjacent sector. They may also be able to steer you towards something you find more fulfilling or into a sector where the demand for new employees and thinking is high.

Taking control

Successful career management means taking control. The old notion of a career being a continued upward progression and of ‘jobs for life’ is one that doesn’t really sit with today’s workplace. People move around, roles and technology evolve, so sometimes you have to retrain just to keep up with modern working methods. Also, with remote working, the world’s literally your oyster when it comes to working locations. A Career Consultant can help you to identify what is most important to you, to prioritise your ambitions and analyse your skills. They can also look at aligning your goals with a work-life balance you would prefer – wherever you choose to work.

Speaking your language

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There is more to being a success at job interviews than simply having a good CV and the right skills. Whether you are attending an in-person interview or a remote one, you want to create the right impression and make sure your interviewer/s are impressed by your presence and personality. You want to be an appealing prospect, when it comes to someone they would want to work and collaborate with. Also important are the many verbal and nonverbal cues that are a result of body language in interviews.

Body language is how you hold yourself, your posture and demeanour, how you are subconsciously communicating with people and your ease with the environment around you. It’s what you say about yourself without speaking, if that makes sense. If you are naturally relaxed, even in stressful situations, you’re halfway there. Eye contact and a natural smile – not a pasted-on grin – are also big positives. But if you’re tapping your fingers, biting you nails or picking your nose, you might as well forget about whatever else you may offer your perspective employer. You are less likely to get the job.

Making a good impression

Here are some of my tips on how to be a natural interviewee. Try and make a good impression from the off. Think about what you’re going to wear beforehand and don’t wear something you’ve never worn before. Make sure you are comfortable – you don’t want to be distracted by a tight waistband or pinching shoes – but also smart. Be confident in your introductions and try to relax and be yourself. First impressions do count, so try to make a good one. 

Be natural

When you’re actually in the interview make eye contact and be responsive – nod that you’ve listened and understood, ask questions if given the opportunity, and make it a two-way conversation as far as the limitations of an interview allows. Be personable and likeable too and try to smile as part of your general demeanour. Sit up and don’t slouch and if possible don’t gesticulate too much. If you are someone who finds yourself waving your hands about when you speak, practice trying to reduce this. It’s okay up to a point, but can become distracting. Think about each question before responding and speak clearly and concisely, so the interviewer can hear your responses. Don’t mumble or speak too quickly, as this will feed into your own nervousness or even panic, if you get out of breath. And make sure you round things off nicely at the end of the interview – reinforce your enthusiasm for the role and your suitability for it.

Practice makes perfect

It’s a bit like public speaking. If you’re not naturally a relaxed person in this situation then the best thing you can do is practice. Get a friend or colleague to rehearse some questions with you and mock-up an interview situation. The more second-nature this becomes, the calmer you’ll be in the real situation. Get used to the sound of your own voice and how you can seem more confident by using a calm approach. Think about all the aspects I’ve outlined above – it will go towards making that next interview a whole lot easier.

 

Finding your balance

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Like so much in life, finding the right balance in work is so important. I was listening to ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ by Nirvana recently, and when Kurt Cobain sings the line, ‘I’m worse at what I do best’, it really struck a chord with me. My interpretation is that those things that we enjoy and do best can become out of balance and take over our lives. This got me thinking and relating it to the workplace. Do you find you are giving too much of yourself to work or spending too much time in the office? It is important that you recognise if you are, as this is no good for family life and it is vital that you maintain a decent work/life balance.

Time management

Your work is important, but so too is your life outside work. By spending too long stuck at your desk or focusing on work means that you might be missing out on important stuff with family or friends, outside of the work environment. Also, long hours don’t necessarily mean high performance. They might actually mean you are not focusing on what is most important. It is worth remembering that the important and urgent tasks need to be done with alacrity, but there are also the important but non-urgent jobs, which can be scheduled in for a convenient time. And don’t forget, there are also the non-urgent, non-important jobs that perhaps don’t actually need to be done at all – or possibly delegated to someone else in the team.

Learning to say no

It is an important skill to learn how to say no. This doesn’t need to be seen as rude or unhelpful. However, if you are too busy – or not the best person for the job – most people would rather you highlighted this, than take on something that someone else would be better doing. By saying no, but offering a better solution, not only are you not taking on unnecessary work, but you are solving a problem too.

Manage expectations

Where you do take on additional work, there is a lot of sense in outlining – realistically – when this can be completed by. By setting out what you can do by when, you are ensuring that you are providing clear information and people know the situation. If you can’t make a deadline without working until midnight, make sure you inform the person that asked you to do the work. This allows the opportunity to redistribute the work if necessary.

With the advent of remote working, it is all too easy for people to be putting in additional hours without the knowledge or support of their team. Even if you are enjoying it, it is important to make sure you have the support you need in place.

 

Who makes it into your Personal Boardroom?

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Everyone likes a good read. It’s even more gratifying if the good read can feed into your career and personal life. I recently read a book that I really enjoyed that is actually about a subject very close to home. The book was titled Who is In Your Personal Boardroom?. It was co-written by Zella King and Amanda Scott. It was recommended to me by a client and is well worth going through, to formally identify those people who can make a difference to you in different segments of your life.

Choosing people, assigning roles and having conversations with purpose

The book’s full title is Who is in your Personal Boardroom?: How to choose people, assign roles and have conversations with purpose. It’s objective is to provide ‘A practical way to build the network you need to succeed.’ As the blurb states: “You’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with. But when did you last think about who exactly that is, and whether you’ve got the right people around you? How do you know how to select, from your network, the right combination of people to help you be truly effective as a leader and in your career? Drawing on their work with executives and on academic research on the networks of high performers, Zella King and Amanda Scott show how to home in on the six to 12 relationships that drive and sustain success.”

Finding your touchstones

I found it to be a great read and it made me think too. The people the authors identify from different points in your life can be those that inspire you, give you courage, or are experts who share their knowledge. They can also be ‘connectors’ who help you make connections. I have used it to identify businesspeople in my life that add value. I have found I have a few ex-clients who fall into some of these categories – they know who they are. The criteria can be extended to your personal life too. Where do you find your energy and touchstones when you need them? The people you rely on, the people you can simply chat to, or share problems with.

You need that level of support throughout your life. Good, supportive friends are not always easily found. Personally, when I have a quandary, I have a family member who I also talk through sensitive issues with. This helps make sure I create a ‘win-win’ situation, or at least not offend anybody. I found the book to be a real gem and would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in creating their own Personal Boardroom. It’s made me look at my networks and relationships from a completely different perspective.

Preparing for your interview – top tips for getting interview ready

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Like all aspects of the working environment over the last couple of years, interviews have changed due to circumstances. Not too long ago, the interview process would be predominantly an in-person affair, if the job was within travelling distance and visiting the premises was permitted. Interview preparation would consist of rehearsing your responses and making sure your appearance and demeanour would elicit the right reaction from your prospective employer.

Changing times

But interviews for jobs further afield – in other countries or sometimes on the other side of the world – have always relied on more remote methods. Due to the pandemic, social distancing and the rise of work from home, there are many more opportunities now for interviews to take place over the phone or onscreen over the internet, via such platforms as Skype or Zoom. It has also become much more commonplace for employees not to meet their work colleagues until much further down the line now, rather than in a training or induction period.

Achievements and ambitions

Whatever the media of communication, your preparation should be largely the same. Anyone preparing for an interview should be confident about who they are. Appearance and first impressions matter, so think about what you are going to wear – and how you will appear onscreen if the interview is remote, or in person, if you are attending a formal interview. If you are having an interview over the phone, it’s very difficult to create a fully-rounded impression of who you are. Sometimes however, phone interviews are ideal for complete impartiality when it comes to hiring new employees – without appearance, age, ethnicity or even name taken into account.

Make sure you are completely up-to-date with your CV and that it’s an accurate reflection of your abilities and career. Also ensure that you can talk knowledgeably and enthusiastically about your achievements and ambitions.  Don’t over-egg the enthusiasm or ambition, but be honest and define where you’d like to see yourself in the future. Think about how you can best phrase your responses.

Be prepared and be confident

Interviewees should have conviction in their abilities and play to their strength, whilst if they have to, also acknowledging their weaknesses. One of the curveballs thrown by interviewers these days is a question like: “Can you identify your weaknesses?”, with the stock, instinctive, usually untruthful reply being: “I don’t have any”. Being able to identify where you may have room for improvement isn’t doing yourself a disservice, but rather demonstrating self-awareness.

Experience and a broad range of interests beyond your chosen field of work are often as important as qualifications and ability. Being able to connect with people on different levels, across different subjects, will demonstrate that you are a great communicator. Talking  knowledgably about a range of subjects and with passion, can show an interviewer there is more you than your CV may indicate. It’s easier said than done, but try not to be too nervous and try to answer any questions as succinctly as possible. If you are uncertain how your responses sound, record your voice and listen to what phrases work best for you.

All this preparation will go towards making sure you give your interviewer a fully-rounded snapshot of your personality and abilities – and your best shot at landing the role.

 

What makes us human?

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AI is becoming more integral to business, but the human approach shouldn’t be forgotten or side-lined. Computers are very good at finding easy ways to do things, making processes simpler and communications quicker. They’re irreplaceable in the modern workplace, but you still need humans for empathy, support and creativity. Here in my latest blog article, I’m going to look at why the human approach is still so important in business.

Futureproof on all fronts

The way AI is taking over many aspects of our lives is happening quietly, almost without us even noticing. This is especially true in business, where we are becoming ever more reliant on technology in our everyday lives. At work, few of us could carry out our jobs without email or an internet connection, while in our personal lives, we’re increasingly reliant on streaming for entertainment and the internet for communication. We often hear about how futureproofing is an important component of any business. We need to make sure we’re not left behind in terms of new thinking, but also that our technology isn’t superseded and becomes outmoded. However, when we talk about futureproofing, it shouldn’t just be about technology.

Ensuring we retain the human touch is an essential part of futureproofing too. We can’t lose sight of what makes successful businesses tick and what makes efficient, productive, creative businesspeople. Human interaction, as we all know, is an essential part of work. It’s important both for efficiency and also has many positive mental health impacts. It’s worth considering how the ‘human touch’ continues to make such a difference to several areas of our lives.

Decision-making and negotiating

One of the biggest advantages humans have over AI is the ability to make informed decisions. By assessing the pros and cons of an argument or problem, we can reach conclusions. Sometimes this can be made by a single person, or it can be a group consensus. But it’s something that must be done by people and the ability to make decisions and to negotiate are talents that successful businesspeople must possess.

Support and empathy

Also important are emotional aspects, such as support and empathy. From ‘reading the room’, to ensuring people who may be encountering mental challenges are adequately supported, these attributes are also something that computers cannot ascertain. It’s often useful to make sure that staff connect ‘in person’, as it’s so much easier to measure someone’s wellbeing by simply looking at them. For example, an email can mask true emotions and feelings, and is often read in the ‘voice’ of the recipient, not necessarily in the tone of the author.

Thinking creatively

Perhaps the biggest and most important aspect of being human is the ability to think creatively. There’s nothing that compares to a group of colleagues in a room, knocking around ideas, compiling a strategy or reaching a conclusion. Imagination is something that cannot be created. These ‘human touches’ are natural traits that can’t be taught and in that way, are entirely crafted by the nature of the individual. We are all different, which as businesspeople makes each of us in our own way unique.

The importance of trust

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Trust is present is all aspects of our lives. From the purchases we make online, to the people we share our workspaces with, to the professionals who care for and educate our children, we put trust in people on a daily basis. As Career Consultants, we are entrusted with peoples’ career choices – and they put trust in us to deliver the best outcomes for them. For example, Career Consultants are given a trusted role when asked to support an employee with outplacement and it’s essential that we render results that will make a difference. So, in my latest blog, I’m considering what ingredients make a good outplacement consultant?

A broad skillset

As a Career Consultant, it’s important to consider what are the attributes that will make a success of the role. What aspects of my personality are strengths in my role and which are less so. When I think about my own experiences of being a Consultant, I think I have a broad skillset that stands me in good stead when it comes to interacting and assessing people. I need the balance of empathy and knowledge, experience and intuition, so that I can find out and ascertain what makes my clients tick.

When I work with people, I always have their best interests at heart. I personally place great emphasis on one-to-one support, either on Teams/Zoom or in-person where possible. To enable our clients to handle change effectively, I must be able to identify their key strengths and values, as well as their core skills and attributes. In this way, I can guide my clients through the outplacement process.

Putting myself in your shoes

I also put a lot of myself into the process, so that aspects such as empathy and knowledge are used by me as well. It’s also important, I think, to have interests outside work – such as reading, sports, travelling or walking – so you can relate to clients on other levels too. I find that being able to talk knowledgeably about a range of subjects will make them relax and aid the process of me ‘getting to know’ them – and the real them, not just the ‘work’ or ‘public’ persona.

My colleagues have different sets of skills to me, which provides an even broader range of options for clients. My colleagues and I will ensure that the type of personality required is matched to their client’s needs. We provide friendly face-to-face consultancy support and my own personality very much goes into my work persona. There’s no mask or facade when talking to clients. Although we also provide email and telephone support, the interpersonal skills important in a one-to-one situation are very much to the fore. In this way, rapport and trust are built in the relationship, and confidence is built.

As Career Consultants, we make a strong commitment to our clients. We put our trust in them too, which will reap rewards in the long run. Ultimately the only person who can find a new role is the client themselves. But it’s my job to guide them in any way I can, by using my experience and rationale, to define their ambitions and identify their career path.

WELCOME TO OUR LATEST VLOG

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Welcome to the latest vlog from Career Evolution!

We are continuing to share weekly advice and updates from the industry on outplacement, career management, and coaching.

In our latest vlog, our director, Sue Thomas, rounds up some of our posts from January/February, after returning from the Caribbean she focusses on our blog ‘What does ‘working from anywhere’ mean to you’. You must ensure you have holiday time as well as working. You can put down the laptop, your business is in good hands. There’s so much more to this platform than job searching.

Watch the video below:

A year to do things differently

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People often make resolutions in the New Year, but in the present economic climate of change and uncertainty, is it really worth making things harder for yourself? After the dramatic workplace shift over the last few years, this year should be all about finding balance and reinstating more time spent – and by that I mean in real life – with people. That’s one resolution we can make that will be beneficial for all.

Social medias

It’s strange that meeting people in person, either socially or professionally, became such a big deal. With all the social distancing, remote working and ‘not mixing’, the accent during the pandemic was on the solitary. But we’re not a solitary species, we’re social animals, and it doesn’t matter if it’s in work or out and about in our leisure time, we all benefit from meeting up with people in person. In this way, we shouldn’t forget the importance of the human touch and interaction.

When it comes to work, our working relationships are often forged by our interactions and personalities. We tend to gravitate to people we like, to personalities which are like ours, and this often brings the best out of both parties. You don’t have to socialise outside of work, but it helps if you mix and collaborate well within the working environment. The phrase ‘team player’ is overused these days, to the point that it’s all but obsolete. To work within a team, you’re expected to be a team player. But it actually means much more than that in person.

Interaction and creativity

If you’re a personable, confident individual, you may find it easy to communicate your ideas and have people understand them. If you’re more socially awkward and unsure of yourself, you can still be just as good at your job, but have more difficulty getting your viewpoint across. The ideal – and this works much better in person than over the internet in an email or via Zoom – is the interaction in-person working gives you. It’s much easier to articulate ideas and discussions in person. Other factors, such as tone of voice and body language come into play, which can help people relate to others much more.

So many companies have adopted a hybrid working model, or even a ‘work from home only’ model, that some of that interaction is being lost along the way. This shouldn’t be the case, especially if you work in an industry where creativity and knowledge-sharing are part of your working day. One client has said to me that this year it is his resolution to meet me in person. This may sound absurd, but given the events and changes of the last two years, is entirely believable too.

We should take these lessons on board and make sure that if possible ’in person’ is the de facto way to meet up and communicate. Let’s make 2023 a year to do things differently.

 

Something for everyone – the skills shortage

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One of the biggest challenges facing HR at the moment is a skills shortage. As we emerge from the pandemic, the shape of work has changed for many companies considerably. HR is having to deal with challenges on several fronts, from managing hybrid working to finding the right candidates to fill the right roles, at a time when many business leaders are bemoaning the vacancies they have unfilled.

Sector-wide problems

There’s a common perception that it’s only certain sectors that are suffering a skills shortage. But many people are telling me that ‘their’ sector is struggling with recruitment. But this isn’t just one sector, it is every sector. Across the board, everyone is having recruitment issues. This is due to a variety of outside influences. There are the changes to available labour in some sectors due to factors implemented by the process of the UK leaving the European Union. There are free movement and employment changes, not to mention Visa regulations, that are impacting some sectors much more than others.

Staff retention

To take an obvious example we all have experience of a sector such as hospitality is struggling from an assault on many fronts. People don’t have the disposable income to spend on luxuries, such has going out. The cost-of-living crisis is driving the price of food and drink upwards, which makes it more expensive to go out too. Fuel rises are affecting taxi drivers, the trains are on strike. It’s a miracle anyone’s out there spending their money on hospitality at all! Recruitment into this sector is also seeing a skills shortage, particularly it seems in terms of qualified chefs, who are able to demand top dollar for their services, due to demand. There also seems to be a shortfall in younger staff willing to take on roles in the lower-paid areas of hospitality and also retaining the relevant staff long-term, who have gained the experience to progress up the ladder into management roles. As a result, the sector is affected disproportionately due to its skills shortage. But it’s not just the usual suspects that are suffering.

Making the connection

When HR managers are looking to fill vacant roles, they need to look at ways they can encourage candidates to think outside of their usual parameters.  They need to identify and encourage the importance of recognising transferable skills – skills that can be used across multiple industries – so you don’t necessarily need to look at someone from exactly the same sector. In this way, there may be allied sectors where the answer to the skills shortage lies. There is a role for everyone out there somewhere. It’s just a case of finding the right one and making the connection.