Monthly articles on career success, leadership and productivity

Six tactics for passing a promotion interview Even the most confident candidates balk at the thought of promotion panels.  They are  particularly intimidating if you already report to panel members.  How do you put on a convincing performance for people who already...

You may not have a formal appraisal at work any more, but there’s nothing to stop you from doing your own. Every business has a strategic plan, so it makes sense that we have one for our own careers too. We may be back to business as usual after the holidays, but...

Do you ever get that niggling feeling that you should have achieved more? Or that what you have achieved isn't quite good enough? The web is groaning with content about career success.  Failure is now seen not just as OK, but to be welcomed as a necessary precursor to...

I've interviewed thousands of people over the years as a Career Coach, Recruiter, Selection Panelist and Trustee.  They have usually researched thoroughly and have a structured answer to everything - what experience do they have of influencing an organisation, what...

The CBI predicts that 50% of UK businesses intend to hire this year, also reporting that firms could struggle to fill these vacancies because of skills shortages.  My head-hunting contacts are under pressure to meet this demand for talent.  Add to that the strength of...

You may feel like you deserve to be promoted next year, but how do you demonstrate that you are really worthy of promotion, perhaps ahead of your peers? You may have the numbers to back up your claim – quantifiable performance measures that show consistent delivery –...

Three reasons why your star performers will leave you. Returning to work after the holidays is bad enough without having to worry about who might ask you for a ‘quiet word’ in order to hand in their notice. I don’t want to cause any paranoia, but if that resonates...

Over-controlling managers may produce great short-term results by constantly getting involved in decision making that is way below their job title. However, this is to the ultimate detriment of their own professional development as well as that of their team’s. No one...

Career changers and job seekers are swamped with information and advice on the ‘right’ way to go about finding a new role. Much of this is anecdotal, or based on out-of-date research more relevant to graduate entry jobs. It’s a bit of a minefield and somehow...

Research shows that traditional biographical interviews have low effectiveness in predicting a candidate's performance. An interview by an untrained interviewer may be no more effective a selection tool than a handwriting assessment. Consequently, many organisations...