Whether you like it or not – you, me and everyone else is in the “sales” business.

Unless you can sell yourself, sell your team and sell your business – you’re likely to be in trouble in the modern economy and work place.

Yet most people find the very thought of “selling” awkward and uncomfortable.

But it need not be.

When you take an ethical approach to sales you’re not actually “selling” – but in fact “helping” and providing value.

Use the 5 questions below to engage in conversation, understand the needs of the person in front of you – and then offer to help them:

“5 Magic Questions” 

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23rd January 2012 signifies the beginning of the Chinese New Year.

On my recent trip to Hong Kong and Singapore I learned about the Chinese New Year tradition of giving red envelopes filled with money on new years day as a way of wishing good fortune to friends, family and employees on news years day.

Something, in fact, that’s very similar to the tradition of giving money on new years day in the Indian culture too! Once again proving to me that we’re all far more similar than we are different.

So although I’m not Chinese, to coincide with the start of the Chinese New Year this week, I’m sharing my very own ‘virtual red envelope” filled with cash – £28 to be precise (approximately $50)

Specifically it’s an ‘envelope’ for job seekers in the form of £28 off the Zen Guide To Job Searching (£28 = approx. $45).

So Why £28?

In Chinese culture, the number 8 is very lucky and signifies “prosperity” whilst the number 28 signifies “double prosperity”

So I’d like to offer you double prosperity this coming year by offering £28 off the Zen Guide To Job Searching!

Click here to find out more!

Want To Read More Articles Like This?

If you haven’t done so already, you may want to subscribe to my twice monthly newsletter “ Straight Talk “ which provides straight talking advice on how to accelerate your career in less time and with less stress.

As a bonus, you’ll also be able to download my special report “ The Top 10 Career Mistakes To Avoid ”

To download your free report and subscribe follow this link now.

“How To Find New Career Opportunities In 2012

(Despite All The Doom and Gloom)”

2-Part Live Video Cast Via The Web

Part 1: Saturday 21st January (3pm UK time, 10am EST)

Part 2: Sunday 29th January (3pm UK time, 10am EST)

A quick reminder that Part-1 of my 2 part video cast commences this weekend. 

Don’t worry if you can’t make the live dates / times – everyone that registers will receive a recording of video cast.

To register your place click here now

During this special 2-part live video cast you’ll discover:

• The 5 key mistakes I see most job seekers making right now (and how you can avoid them)
• The most common reasons why career changers struggle to shift into new roles and sectors
• The ONE thing you need to fix right now if you want to secure that new opportunity in 2012 (it’s not what you think)
• The 4 key stages all career changers need to go through to succeed
• The 10 steps to securing your next job (this is a proven system that works every single time)
• How to network effortlessly (even if you hate networking)
• The Do’s and Don’ts of social media for any job seeker
• Your questions answered live on the broadcast

For further details and to register your place, follow this link and register  

Sital

P.S. Once again, don’t worry if you can’t make it to the live video cast – register your place and we’ll send you a recording after the events. Click here to reserve your spot

One of the first lessons I was taught when I began learning comedy improvisation 5 years ago was the principle of “being average and having lots of goes.”

Because it’s your willingness to be average, have lots of goes and make mistakes that ultimately helps you succeed on stage.

Not only does this principle apply when performing on stage without a script. It also applies to many aspects of our life and work too.

For example, just think about the 5 phases you go through when learning to cook a meal:  

1. You have a go (you cook something)
2. You fail (burn it or make a tasteless dish)
3. You learn from the failure (identify why you burnt it or why it was inedible)
4. You implement the learning (adjust your cooking approach)
5. You have more goes until you improve and master the art of cooking

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QUESTION

“Sital, what’s the best way to secure part-time work for back to work mums? There seems to be nothing around and I keep getting rejected. What do you suggest?” 

MY ANSWER

Before I answer the question, let me make you aware of some quick points worth bearing in mind about finding part-time work.

Some quick points about part-time employment

• Part-Time vacancies are often not advertised

A large proportion of part-time roles are not advertised – they’re simply filled by contacts and referrals. In some segments of the market,  75% of part-time roles are filled via employee referrals

• Part-Time vacancies are often created for a particular person

A significant number of part-time roles are created after an employer or business leaders comes across someone. E.g. The business have a need, but not a vacancy. We then come across an old contact or referral with the skills and experience we need – so we create a part-time role for them.

• You need to be work harder to find part-time employment

If you’re after part time work, you need be more proactive than most job seekers.

Whilst there are some exceptions in certain industries (e.g. retail, catering and hospitality sectors), on the whole, there is a huge demand for part-time work but simply not the supply of opportunities. So you’ll have to work harder and be much smarter in your approach than others (i.e. spending a couple of hours a day applying for jobs online is not enough).

The 7 Strategies

So bearing these points in mind – here are some suggestions for mums looking for part time work:

Click here to read the rest…

CMTV LIVE

“How To Find New Career Opportunities In 2012

(Despite All The Doom and Gloom)”

2-Part Live Video Cast Via The Web

Part 1: Saturday 21^th January 2012

3pm UK, 10am EST

Part 2: Sunday 29^st January 2012

3pm UK, 10am EST

• Are you struggling to secure interviews and job offers?
• Are you trying to change careers but finding it a struggle to make progress?
• Is all the negativity about the economy and job market concerning you?
• Would you like some practical advice on how to overcome the challenges brought on by the economy? 

It’s the start of a new year. Most years, this usually means a time for making a fresh start and considering new career opportunities.

But it’s 2012 – and everyone seems to be saying “there are no jobs out there” (which is complete nonsense) or that “it’s impossible to shift careers in this market” (Challenging? Yes. Impossible? No)

The reality is that the rules of the job search game have changed. How we find career opportunities and seek out new jobs has changed forever – and in a today’s job market you need to take a completely different approach from the past. If you do what you’ve done in the past,  you’ll simply end up simply moaning about “the market” like so many people today.

So as we begin 2012, I thought it timely to run a complimentary video cast to share the strategies and key steps my clients have used successfully in recent months to find new jobs – despite the economy:

During this special 2-part live video cast you can expect:

• The 5 key mistakes I see most job seekers making right now (and how you can avoid them)
• The most common reasons why career changers struggle to shift into new roles and sectors
• The ONE key thing you need to fix right now if you want to secure that new opportunity in 2012 (it’s not what you think)
• The 4 key stages all career changers need to go through to succeed
• The 10 steps to securing your next job (this is a proven system that works every single time)
• How to network effortlessly (even if you hate networking)
• The Do’s and Don’ts of social media for any job seeker
• Your questions answered live on the broadcast

“What is a Video Cast?”

It’s essentially a live presentation, which takes place on your computer delivered via the “Live Stream” platform.

So rather than travelling to hear me speak – l travel to your desk, home office, lounge or wherever you may be!

What’s more, you can ask questions live on the instant messaging stream and have them answered during the session.

“How do I log in and watch?”

Once you register, we will be sending you all the details. Scroll down for details of how to register.

“I’m not very ‘techy’ – so if it’s complicated, it’s not for me”

It is very simple and you don’t have to be very technical to watch and take part.

If you know how to use the Internet then you’ll be able to take part.

Once registered, we’ll send you a simple set of step-by-step instructions to log in. So there should be no reason for you to worry about the technical aspects at all!

“Sounds great, but I can’t make the date/time!”

No problem – provided you have registered, we’ll send you a link to the recording of the video cast after the event so that you can watch it at your convenience.

Date and Time

Part 1: Saturday 21^th January 2012

3pm UK, 10am EST

Part 2: Sunday 29^st January 2012

3pm UK, 10am EST

Both sessions will be 45 minutes long

Simply use the form below to register

Want To Read More Articles Like This?

If you haven’t done so already, you may want to subscribe to my twice monthly newsletter “ Straight Talk “ which provides straight talking advice on how to accelerate your career in less time and with less stress.

As a bonus, you’ll also be able to download my special report “ The Top 10 Career Mistakes To Avoid ”

To download your free report and subscribe follow this link now.

There is a constant barrage of negativity everywhere you turn these days. Negative news stories, negative forecasts and dire Armageddon-type predictions regarding the economies of  Europe and the western world.

Whilst many of the concerns related to the economic times may be valid – overdosing on such negativity does you no good whatsoever.

You see, when you’re constantly focused on “how bad things are” – it creates fear, paralysis and inaction.

But in a tough market you should be doing the complete opposite.

To cope with challenging times you need to be more proactive, more courageous, and more creative. Something you can’t do if you’re anxious and fearful because of all the ‘bad news.’

Here are some quick suggestions for overcoming negativity and helping you ride out the economic turbulence:

1. Don’t stress about stuff you can’t control:

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FAST TRACK YOUR CAREER IN 2012:

A step-by-step plan for
landing your next job.

Date: Friday December 2, 2011

Duration: One hour session in total. With a 45-minute presentation by the speaker followed by a 15-minute Q&A session

About the Webinar

• Are you currently out of work and struggling to find your next job?
• Are you considering a career change in 2012?
• Would you like some practical help in fast tracking your job search in 2012?

As we approach the end of 2011 many people are looking at changing jobs in the year ahead. But it’s unlikely to be a straight-forward job search campaign for many job seekers. With a fragile global economy, the job market will remain challenging in 2012. Based on a recent poll among job seekers, it’s clear that many people are finding it tough.

Click here to read the rest…

According to yesterday’s latest UK unemployment figures, one million 16-24 year olds are now out of work - the highest figure for 25 years.

Youth unemployment here in the UK now stands at 22%. A shocking and worrying statistic.

Having graduated during the recession of the early 1990s and struggled to find my first job  – I can empathise with young people who are struggling in today’s job market.

The one major development since that last recession is the Internet. Many young people today rely on the internet for just about everything – especially job searching.

But in a tight job market – the Internet can, in fact, get in the way of job searching.

So if you’re aged between 16-25 year olds looking for work (or know someone that is) – here are 5 “Old School” job search tactics which are much more effective just relying in the web:

Click here to read the rest…

 In November 1993 my first boss in my first job as a management trainee with the retailer Marks  & Spencer told me:

 ”Sital, the next 6 weeks will dictate your success next year. The respect and credibility you earn  (or don’t earn) with the teams you’re leading will have a profound effect on your success next  year.

He was right.

Aside from the fact that, as a retailer, this was the busiest time of year – the goodwill I built by  attending every social event, wearing silly santa hats when asked to and putting my hand in my  own pocket to buy drinks and small presents for my team helped me strengthen my relationships  with the people I was leading.

 In November 2000  I was working as a recruiter in London’s financial district when my boss told me:

Click here to read the rest…