August 2014

When you receive a job offer don’t celebrate, not yet, it is premature. I know it is the goal, the brass ring and the prize, but actually there are a few steps yet in the process, shortened somewhat, if you don’t have a current job to resign from first. But let’s not get side-tracked because even at this late stage you must remain focused, even more so. This is the critical part and, even here, it can get screwed up if you are not concentrating on the task at hand and that is – what is your decision? There is an old saying among sales persons that suggests, “Time kills all deals.” There is a cycle, an ebb and flow if you will, or a level of interest that progressively builds and gains momentum during the interview process. It is at

Most things in life are not self-destructive or detrimental if applied or acted upon in moderation; of course, too much of anything can be bad for you – this is well-known, common sense. Last week I sought to illustrate the need for projecting self-confidence whilst describing the difference between that and arrogance or hubris. I received an email from a reader who is concerned and seeks to avoid being seen as bragging so I think the subject bears additional explanation and clarification. Readers of my blog live and work in different parts of the world and from different cultures, so no one single formula works for everyone – nor should it. I try to champion the cause of the individual in opposition to the soulless, generic collective, which seeks to reduce and categorize people into boring, ineffectual and un-dynamic sameness. Although

At the heart of what job interviewing is and has always been, is the task of marketing yourself, demonstrating during a process of elimination why you are the person they have been looking for – the right person for the job. So it is necessary, is it not, for you to demonstrate why a hiring manager should hire you – that’s the whole point, isn’t it? If you want to rely on your resume and let it do the talking for you, well, then you’d be like most others sitting around with their fingers crossed, wishin’ and a-hopin’ – yeah well, good luck with that. You have a duty and responsibility to yourself to be your own best spokesperson, marketer and sales person because somebody’s gotta and if not you, then who? The manner by which to best assemble and present

During the past 10 years, but more so since the economic slow-down occurring since 2009, I have been observing the strangest of trends; on one hand, I hear people lamenting their lack of success in finding a good job. Meanwhile, I hear company managers complaining they are having difficulty finding people for key positions. Now at face value, this sounds odd and contradictory. But I’ve identified an underlying issue and cause, when each side tells me how hard they are trying and, indeed, they feel convinced they are expending energy. However, I am not convinced of the veracity of their claims because I see something else, another trend permeating both employment and business sectors. Indeed, the job market in general is more stagnant, no doubt, but there is something else happening that I think is making matters worse than they