Handling unexpected unemployment
Graduation, company downscale, seeking out new opportunities. Whatever the circumstance, unexpected unemployment is an unfortunate turn of events that most people don't handle very well. Having graduated four years ago, [...]
Making the best use of your summer
Summer holidays are synonymous with a great many things; beaches, lazy mornings, family trips, and epic parties. But for those entering their final year or planning to attend university, there [...]
The importance of summer jobs
Summer jobs have become a right of passage. They are one of the first steps to independence for most youth. They provide an opportunity to learn the value of money, [...]
Learning a new language at any age
It’s said so often that it’s become a running joke. “I took two/three/four years of Spanish/German/French in school, but all I remember is (insert awkward and useless phrase here).” Learning [...]
Notes for success
Inventors, scientists, writers, singers, and songwriters all agree; your brain is bad at remembering things. Great ideas often come to us when we least expect it. That is to say; [...]
Habits of a successful employee
Every industry attracts a particular type of individual, and every job description calls for a specific set of skills. But some habits help to distinguish those who succeed from those [...]
The course, the prestige, the location
These are the deciding factors when deciding to apply to university. Once you have all of your options, how do you decide which will be your firm and insurance choice? [...]
Getting into the habit of reading
There is more treasure in books than all pirate's loot on Treasure Island. -Walt Disney- Continuing education is a must for everybody, regardless of your ambitions. The people who get [...]
Handling the negotiation process
Applications, aptitude tests, interviews – a typical pathway before you are fortunate enough to be offered your dream role. As you sort out paperwork, you get asked “what is your [...]
Goal setting at work
In the world of work, an evaluation provides the perfect opportunity to discuss what is working and what can be improved. One of the key elements of an appraisal is [...]
How to be consistent
February is upon us, and it’s safe to say that most of us who began the new year with a list of goals and new habits that we wanted to [...]
Handling harassment: effects of excessive stress
Workplace stress is a real issue that we all face. Work and study related stress can result from many things, a grueling schedule to unresolved personal conflicts. How you handle [...]
A legal love letter
Just over fourteen years ago I was called to the Bar of England & Wales. For the majority of the career that has followed, I have specialised in child care [...]
From the field to the office – the benefits of sports
When I began university, I chose to become more active and signed up for Martial Arts after watching an excellent demo. At first, it was a valid excuse to get [...]
Harrassment; Managing retaliation following a complaint
About half of all workplace harassment cases filed are for retaliatory behaviour. What often keeps victims of harassment and bullying from filing formal complaints in the first place is not [...]
What is the UK sleep walking into?
Why is a college education so expensive in the United States? Long gone are the days when you could relatively easily work part-time during the school term, save money from [...]
Harassment: What is it and how to handle it (Part 1)
The hashtag #metoo has done an amazing job at sparking the discussion about harassment. However, there has been little discussion about what you should do if you find yourself subjected [...]
Transitioning into the workplace
After a few months into your dream job it is almost inevitable that you will start to question your career choice. The realities of the workplace will begin to settle [...]
No regrets. Really?
We all wish we could go back in time and redo moments in our history. The moments that matter can be as trivial as getting up a few minutes late [...]
Job or Career Part 3 – Let’s hear it for performing arts
Continuing our series of interviews, I had the pleasure of talking with an ex-dancer, Drue Green. Her journey to professionalism started in the UK in the late 1960s and took [...]
Reading might be the answer!
Often people who achieve great success in life display a dizzying array of traits that most of us do not innately have. Focus, drive, ingenuity, discipline and an uncanny intuition [...]
Job or Career – Creatives (Part – 2)
Anybody who has ever expressed an interest in becoming an “artist” has probably dealt with a slew of well-meaning people trying to dash their hopes and kill their dreams; quietly. [...]
The Wonder woman effect
The new Wonder Woman movie, with its images of sword-wielding is reported to be progressive yet crowd pleasing, faithful to the tenets of the genre yet wise to its own [...]
Are you an overachiever?
For thousands of students across the country, A Level results day will be the first step on the path to independence. Some of you are the 'top dogs,' achieving the [...]
Do you have a Desmond or a Geoff?
The propaganda is that graduating from university is the first step to making the world your own; the world is your oyster. However, this idea can become stressful when you [...]
Time to adult up
In recent years a new verb has become part of our popular lexicon. Adult. As in, how to adult. As millennials graduate and move away from the world of academia, [...]
Job or Careers Part 1
Journey’s end. I have finished my degree or postgraduate qualification. No more studying for me. A huge sigh of relief. Now I need a job, or am I after a [...]
The dilemma, post-graduate vs graduate jobs
Deciding what to do after you have handed in your final assignment is never easy. Choosing between one or another graduate scheme, comparing the pros and cons, is difficult at [...]
Life long learning
One of the key characteristics of people who master a craft, who are frequently promoted and/or have longevity in their careers is their commitment to learning. Most graduates leave the [...]
Learning disability or difficulty, the reality – Part (3)
If you missed Parts 1 and 2 of our series you can read them here: Part 1 Part 2 How would you cope if bright lights and loud noises were [...]
Learning disability or difficulty, the reality – Part (2)
For students, university can be a turbulent and challenging time; but it is exactly these experiences that form character and strengthen individuals. The struggles are not uniform, however, and some [...]
I am an entrepreneur, I can go it alone!
Being your own boss sounds like an awesome adventure. You have the flexibility and creativity to do what you want. You can progress as far and as fast as your [...]
Graduate Finance – the stark reality
As you prepare for your final set of university assignments, the next stage of adulthood becomes a lot more uncertain. For some, it is chasing that dream career and relocating [...]
Learning disability or difficulty, the reality – Part (1)
It is estimated that about 2% of the UK population have a learning disability. In 2013–14, the number of children and youth ages 3–21 receiving special education services was 6.5 [...]
Stress, what stress? Do your worst!
We have all seen athletes choke, not perform when they really need to. After months of practice and years of hard work, their skills and experience fail them when they [...]
Making the best use of time
Time. We all want more of it but sadly it's a request that can never be granted. It doesn't matter whether you are taking your first year exams or handing [...]
Social Media: Watch what you say!
In 2015, news circulated of a woman who lost her job because she listed on Facebook the different ways she thought her boss was an idiot. Although comical at [...]
Social Media Branding
Everybody knows that potential employers are going to Google you. Pictures of you, drunk during the holidays and dancing on tables are not ideal for social sharing. And yet, every [...]
Social Media Trends: Winners and Losers
Once upon a time marketing gurus spent time trying to predict which new social media apps would be the next big thing. In recent years, with few exceptions, there [...]
Psychometrics, does it present young Emiratis with yet another obstacle?
Not so long ago, Google made headlines for its’ outrageous hiring practices. Every method and manner of “testing” was used to try and develop a predictive algorithm for new hires. [...]
Plan Early and Avoid Stress
Careers have always been presented as things that people just have. They happen after you get the appropriate qualifications and training and gain employment with a company looking for [...]
Why do employers attend career fairs? What are employers trying to achieve?
A new year, a new round of career fairs. Whether you are a school leaver, seeking to gain an apprenticeship, aiming to go to university, seeking an internship, or [...]
The power of networking
For some the path to that perfect career is straightforward. For most the path is not so simple. Unless you undertake a vocational degree such as medicine, dentistry or [...]
Graduate career development makes for a good fit from the start
With a university degree having evolved from a rare commodity to a qualification boasted by one in three today, job competition for graduates is fiercer than ever – which [...]
Relating Extra-Curricular Activities to the Skills Employers want
You are about to leave school, college or university and are applying for apprenticeships or graduate jobs. Thankfully, you continued playing the piano or football with your local team; [...]
Making the best choice of university
For the majority of students, picking the best university to meet their personal preferences of course and future career can be a daunting task. With the number of career [...]
Getting the Most Out of a Careers Fair
Career fairs can feel more like Carnaby Street market than an opportunity to introduce yourself to prospective employers. The truth is that whether or not they have vacancies many [...]
New Year Resolutions for School Leavers
As we move into the new year there is a tendency for people to make grandiose resolutions. “New year, new me” has become little more than a comical meme [...]
What can you do today to help your teenager’s career planning in 2017?
Career planning for teenager’s can be scary. There are many resources both within schools and on the internet designed specifically to help students think about life after school. However, [...]
Apprenticeship: does it make you more employable?
As structure of industries shift and change we see an increasing number of people who become disenfranchised. Even those who manage to gain steady, full time employment are on [...]
So, what actually is an apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is one of the oldest and most widely spread forms of learning. Every culture and civilisation has a rich tradition of young people, leaving childhood formally to [...]
My Career wish list for my child
My Christmas experiences have only ever been wonderful and it continues to be my wish that this rings true for every and anybody who celebrates Christmas. When my daughter [...]
Apprenticeships verses Graduate, who commands the greater earning power?
“I work all night, I work all day, to pay the bills I have to pay. Ain't it sad. And still there never seems to be a single [...]
So, what are your post 16 options?
When it comes to post 16 options, many school leavers struggle to try to decide what to do next. There is a lot of positive propaganda surrounding the many [...]
Parents, should your child enter an apprenticeship or university?
Advising a teenager is never easy, even more so when the teenager is your son or daughter. As a parent, I ask myself, am I telling them the right [...]
The mysteries of psychometric assessment revealed
After all of the hard work and rigor of getting your degree, Masters or PhD, there is a special kind of irony in facing even more testing in order [...]
Are Russell Group Universities worth it?
Their opening argument is very impressive. In short, we the 24 elite research-intensive, world-class universities are all unique institutions that share three distinguishing characteristics; a commitment to maintaining the [...]
What is more important? The course or the location
On the face of things the question of choosing a course above the university might appear to be another chicken and egg dilemma; which came first or which is [...]
Oxbridge, is it worth applying?
The education at Oxford, Cambridge and other elite universities in the UK is by in large both inspiring and of the highest quality. It’s personal, rigorous and honest. The [...]
Attitude is everything!
The right attitude can determine the difference between a lifetime of failures and one’s eventual success.
Does motivation make you a STAR candidate?
If you ask any teacher if they would rather have a bright student or a motivated one, they will choose a motivated student every time.
The inevitable rise in career coaching for graduates
In 2013, the education watchdog OFSTED came out with a scathing report that said, in part, that three-quarters of UK schools were not giving adequate career services.
Graduates! Not quite the career you thought!
My discussions with graduates who have been working for a year or so supports the thrust of today’s article by Andrew Klos.
Millennials – your turn!
Millennials, those born between 1980 and 1999 are estimated to comprise 75% of the workforce by 2025.
What does your brand say about you?
Personal branding is the practice of people marketing themselves as a brand.
Black Graduates: beating the odds
When my son was about 13 and representing his school in squash against a rival school he reminded me of the importance of focussing on the solution and not the problem.
NOOOOO!!
“Schools, where pupils fail to get good GCSE grades in English and Maths, should pay a levy to fund pupils who re-take their exams in further education colleges”, says a think tank.
The numbers tell the story
When asked by year 12 students, sixth formers for those like myself who still think in terms of old money, what they should study at university I reply with a set of questions. Specifically, why do you want to go?
Physician, heal thyself
The Learn or Earn strategy to combat youth unemployment is the Governments latest attempt at promoting a “no excuses” culture for unemployed young people.
Students, well done, but take advice, please!
First, congratulations to all who have successfully won a place at university. Without a doubt, a UK university degree continues to hold its value worldwide. The headlines for this year’s [...]
Jobless total rises: Mission Impossible for Graduates?
Not quite, let’s not panic yet! Today’s headline figure of a 25,000 increase in unemployment between April and June combined with the ONS (Office of National Statistics, November 2013) reporting [...]