One of the questions I am most frequently asked when I’m speaking to students, is “How do I stand out from all the other students? We’re all applying for the same jobs, and we all have the same qualifications“. It is a fair question to ask – with supply exceeding demand employers tend to be picky. Very picky.
What practical steps can a student take? Actually, it is surprisingly easy. Continue reading
Well I was certainly aware that it had been a while since I last posted, but almost three years? How did that happen?
There has always been some movement in my list of blog topics. I add notes for new posts; I cross off some when I’m done with them. The list had been getting longer without anything being marked as “posted”, so yes, I knew I wasn’t active. But looking back and reading my last few posts doesn’t feel like yesterday. It feels a long way back in time. It really does.
My priorities changed. Not much, but enough to need a subtle change to my routine. And with that went my blog time. For a while I was acutely aware of that, daily. But gradually the frustration eased until I was no longer aware.
Adjusting a routine is a little like removing a cupful of water from a bucket. The remaining water immediately takes its place, and after the disturbance has subsided and the ripples have faded, there are no obvious signs to remind you of what was once there.
Maintaining a blog was something I enjoyed, and I know I’ve missed it. I plan to readjust my priorities to allow me to start working through the list of unwritten posts. And I’m hoping that the enjoyment of sharing that will return. The discipline of writing helps me organise my thoughts into a format which is suitable for sharing with others. Let’s see if I can get back on the horse.
Feel free to comment on this post. I’d be interested to hear your views.
You’ve found your dream job, the one you’ve always wanted – it is just perfect. Are you sure about that, or are you overlooking some important detail? How do you respond when a few potential problems emerge?
I’ve written about this before, but as I look back on 2015 and ahead to 2016 it feels appropriate to write about it again – if for no other reason than to remind myself.
As we celebrate the New Year, some of us will commit to doing things differently in the coming 12 months. Many will plan to exercise more, to eat more healthily, or to drink less alcohol. The more disciplined we are, the longer our commitment will last but it’s easy to become swept away by euphoria and to over-commit; or worse, to lose sight of what is really important.
Image credit: http://www.endingthegrind.com/ Continue reading
First light didn’t bring the weather I had been hoping for – it was overcast and wet. I had prayed for glorious sunshine for the day of his funeral, but perhaps overcast and wet were better suited to the misery I felt.
[Photo credit: www.wallallies.com] Continue reading
At the local fruit & vegetable market last week, a woman reached forward and gently squeezed an avocado to assess its ripeness. Moments earlier I had done the exact same thing and decided it was too soft. I didn’t see the expression on her face, but possibly sensing her disapproval the market stall owner said “what the hell is it with you ****ing people? Last week everyone said they were too hard, so we got softer ones; this week everyone says they’re too soft. You’re never bleedin ‘appy, are you? Customers, honestly…” It was an unexpected barrage, and whilst not overtly aggressive, it appeared full of anger. Nothing further was said, and we all continued our shopping. Silently.
It’s easy to judge people. It’s easy to put people into pigeonholes. I could easily label the market seller as angry, unprofessional and probably in the wrong job. But what’s the point of judging if it’s based on guesswork? The easy route of making assumptions and not asking questions is guesswork. Sometimes you might be lucky and guess correctly. But the rest of the time you’ll be wrong.
The Apple Watch will start shipping in the next few weeks and as is becoming customary, we’ll probably see people queuing around the block determined to be among the first owners. Apple won’t be the first to enter this market, but they will surely further raise the profile of wearables and encourage technology development in areas which we can’t yet imagine.
At the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet conference in February, Sir Tim Cook recently said “a lot of doctors believe sitting is the new cancer“, explaining that if you’ve been sitting for almost an hour the Apple Watch reminds you to get up.
Is this a brilliant use of technology or an indication of how lazy we’ve become? Is it just the latest step towards a world in which we don’t need to think for ourselves?
[Photo credit: www.NationalGeographic.com]
I have often been asked what makes a great placement, and although I’ve not published this before, the list below is a combination of the best practice I have witnessed and recommendations I propose.
Continue reading
Employers – Are you thinking about starting a placement scheme? Great! Are you worrying about the long-term commitment? Don’t!
Organisations considering running a program of undergraduate placements sometimes worry that it will be a long-term commitment. Such fear can completely destroy any prospect of creating a placement scheme. It’s good to remember that these things don’t have to last forever.
[Image courtesy of forbes.com] Continue reading
As I wrote last year, mentors do an important job. Many organisations have excellent schemes for apprentices or graduate trainees and they deliver tremendous results. They have carefully planned development programmes, run by the best people. And they make adjustments when things change, as they surely do, over the years.
But some organisations don’t enjoy the same success despite their best intentions. It isn’t always immediately obvious why they under-deliver. The long timescales inherent in personal and professional development programmes don’t help. But one of the reasons is that the wrong people are involved.
Helping others isn’t for everyone. Some don’t enjoy it; they don’t see the value; or they don’t have the patience. Whatever the reason, some just aren’t cut out for it.
Whether it’s a funny video clip of a man chasing a dog in a park, or an inspired Christmas ad campaign which leaves us in tears, we are all now comfortable with the concept of “liking” something, Tweeting about it or blogging about it. But it hasn’t always been like that, and until only recently, sharing our opinions of such things wasn’t at all easy.
The stone in the picture sits in a wall adjacent to the war memorial at one end of our village. I really like it – I find it thought-provoking. Hundreds of children pass it every day on their way to and from school. I wonder how many have noticed it, or taken a few short seconds to read it. Even today, as we celebrate the 70th anniversary of D-Day, I wonder how many will slow down to read it as they pass. Apart from the annual occasions when we congregate to remember those who died, it tends not to get much attention – we’re all too busy going somewhere. And that’s the problem – it can only be seen at one precise location; it needs to be visited. It doesn’t come to us. Continue reading
earlyinitiative 