Is this a familiar scenario? You’re working late, and answering emails at night and during weekends. Everyone around you is doing the same. You’re worried that if you stop responding to demands outside of office hours, you’ll be considered a slacker. You think that asking people to respect your boundaries will result in a backlash – lack of promotion, or worse. This is a really common situation in our ‘always on’ work culture, where everyone can contact us through multiple channels, on a device that’s always in our hands. Take a moment to ask yourself: If this continues how likely it is tha ..read more

(Before we get into it, you can join 1,151 subscribers who get candid career advice delivered directly to their inbox by clicking on this link. Not only is it free, but it comes with my Ultimate CV Writing Guide to download.) I’ve been banging on about how amazing LinkedIn is for years now, to anyone who will listen. LinkedIn has changed my life. It sounds dramatic, but it’s true. For the first two years of my coaching business, the majority of my clients found me through my LinkedIn content. As I built up the business, referrals started coming in. And now – BECAUSE I’m so active on LinkedIn ..read more

It’s been a year of firsts My first year in business on my own without the back-up plan of recruitment. Delivered my first group LinkedIn training in person. Created my first group coaching programme for job seekers, and filled it. I took my first coaching qualification (passed, thanks for asking!). All of those were firsts, and it’s been quite stressful. I say yes to commitments like these before I’m ready. Because the alternative is waiting for perfection – which never comes. This is a pattern I can trace back to my first job… I started a job in PR without knowing what PR was. I took a job i ..read more

In the long run, we’re all dead’. Not my words. That’s the first chapter heading in Four Thousand Weeks, by Oliver Burkeman. On average we all only have Four Thousand Weeks. Our time on earth is limited, so how can we do everything we want to do? So far, so depressing right? But the overall theme of this book is that when we come to terms with the fact that life is short, and focus on the things that REALLY matter to us, we set ourselves free. Burkeman says we won’t have time to do all the things we dream of doing. And that wouldn’t bring us satisfaction anyway. If we let go of the fantasy of ..read more

28 days of rejection Rejection has come up in conversation with three clients this week. One is starting her own business, the others are dealing with the brutal job application process. We all have to deal with rejection. It’s one of the most challenging aspects of being self employed and in business alone*. *I REFUSE to use the word ‘solopreneur’. And while I’m here, please don’t  call me a ‘mumpreneur’. I digress. Last month I wasn’t sure if my business would survive. I had a pipeline of ‘ideal clients’ to talk to. I had 25 discovery calls in four weeks. Only one of them chose to ..read more

If I could wave a magic wand and hand you your dream job, what would it be? It’s a tough question isn’t it? You’re so caught up in your current situation that you haven’t given much thought to what lies ahead. But how are you going to get there, if you don’t know where ‘there’ is? One of the reasons people become overwhelmed with their job search, is that they aren’t being specific enough. One minute they’re applying for marketing manager jobs with global companies, the next they’re going for an internal comms role in a charity. A ‘spray and pray’ approach to job applications is going to ..read more

Interviews can be intimidating and nerve-wracking. You’re the centre of attention, being scrutinised by strangers. It can make you feel like a caged animal. It doesn’t have to be that way. Think of it as a two-way business conversation. One that you’re completely prepared for. You can handle that, right? Here’s how to prepare for your interview: Do your research on the company. Look for mentions of the company in the media, on Glass Door, on social media, in the finance pages. Talk to people who used to work there to get further insights. Use LinkedIn’s “past company” search filter to find ex ..read more

Who here writes a gratitude list, or keeps a gratitude journal? Keeping a gratitude journal has so many benefits for your mental and emotional well-being. By writing down the things you’re grateful for, you focus on the positive aspects of your life, which can help you feel more positive and optimistic. It’s also been proven to reduce stress and boost your self-esteem. I write three things I’m grateful for in my journal every morning. This morning I wrote: “I don’t feel like writing a gratitude list today, which is exactly why I must.” So I did. And now I fee ..read more

Nine years ago this week, I set my alarm for the last time and walked away from permanent employment. On my wish list – all the things the business gurus promised: flexibility; no commute; freedom to define my own version of success; no pesky boss checking her watch. The longed-for escape from the rat race to do my own thing. Some people find the idea of self-employment terrifying, especially if it’s the result of losing your job or not being able to get the kind of work you want. In many ways self-employment isn’t what I imagined. Is it right for you? Maybe this brief assessment of the p ..read more

Have you ever found yourself in a toxic workplace? I’m talking about the type of organisations where micro managers, bullies, gossip and internal politics thrive. At the expense of those who don’t behave that way. It’s not easy to get a handle on culture from interviews, especially when so often these days they’re done online. We get so many cues from body language, and it’s much harder to create good chemistry through Zoom. How the recruitment process goes is often a sign of how the company makes other decisions: Are they distracted? Is the interviewer constantly checking their phone? D ..read more