Square Pegs and Round Holes

Career Change, Career Goals & Planning, Leadership No Comments

 

What would happen if we placed a racehorse in a field and asked it to simply graze all day? No running, no galloping – just sleeping, grazing and relaxing.

And what if we placed a cow on a racetrack and forced it to race with a jockey on it’s back?

I’ll tell what would happen:

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Pull The Trigger and Do It Now

Career Change, Job Searching, Leadership, Networking No Comments

 Seen a job advertised which you like the sound of?

 - Get your application in now, not later

 Have an idea for a new business away from the day job?

- Get it off the ground on a small scale quickly

 Been passed a new lead or contact?

- Follow up and make the call immediately without delay 

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Steve Jobs and the Greek Tragedy

Career Goals & Planning No Comments

Last week saw the Greek crisis take yet more twists and turns as European leaders continued to work on protecting the Euro from Greece defaulting and creating a 2008 style banking crisis in Europe and beyond.

In the UK, unemployment will this week hit a 17 year high as the economy continues to struggle whilst US banks such as Goldman Sachs began getting ready to announce a new wave of job cuts.

Meanwhile, Apple, the second largest company in the world (as measured by market capitalisation) announced it’s latest product – the new iPhone 4S.

And, as usual, there has been a stampede of pre-orders as their business goes from strength to strength.

So what’s going on?



Career Management TV – What, Why, How?

Career Change, Career Goals & Planning, Job Searching, Networking No Comments

 

This week we finally launch my brand new internet based TV show – “Career Management TV” (the first episode of CMTV airs tomorrow).

I’m excited (and also a little bit scared!). Which is always a sign that you’re doing something important.

Below is a quick “What? Why? How?’ along with some lessons and questions which may apply to you.

WHAT IS CMTV?

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Clouds Before The Economic Storm

Career Change, Job Searching, Redundancy No Comments

Here in London, the sun is shining today. In fact it looks like we’re going to have quite the Indian summer this coming week. 20+ degrees centigrade in London is good at anytime – let alone in late September.

But looking beyond the sunshine, there are definitely some economic clouds looming in the not-so-distant future. The dramatic falls in the stock market last week, the various calls this week by certain politicians and economists for a solution to the Euro crisis, the ongoing problems in the US and European jobs market and the slow down in Asia is concerning.

If we learned anything from the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 it’s the fact that the world economy and we are all interrelated. What happens in Greece and the Eurozone does effect us in the UK. Decisions made (or not made) regarding US debt levels does impact Europe and beyond. The degree of the slow down in Asia does impact on growth and job opportunities in the US, Europe and beyond.

Whether we officially go into a “double-dip” recession or not is neither hear nor there. It’s all about what impact any potential down turn has on you. And in particular how you react.

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Time To Be Selfish

Career Goals & Planning, Networking No Comments

Last week I hit the grand age of 41.

And in the process completed my 12 month charity challenge and reached the target of £16,000 to educate 10 girls in India for the next 10 years as part of Room To Read’s Girls Education Programme - a challenge I’d set myself to coincide with my 40th birthday last September.

Thank you to everyone who’s helped, supported and donated – it’s a year I’ll look back at with pride and fond memories.

In recent days I’ve had several friends say ‘Hey Sital, so what’s your next challenge? Who are you fundraising for this year..?”

After much thinking, here’s the answer……(drum roll please). Click here to read the rest…



Graduates: Cake, Passion and Money

Career Goals & Planning, Graduates, Job Searching No Comments

I’m fed up with the media talking down the prospects for graduates. Yes it’s tough out there for today’s graduates looking for work. Having graduated during the the recession of the early 1990s, I understand first hand what it’s like looking for jobs during a recession.

But in many ways, today’s graduates are also the luckiest generation of graduates there has ever been (really).

They have the tools, technology and knowledge to turn ideas into opportunities and income with virtually zero expenditure. What’s more, they potentially have a global market place to leverage their product or idea. All that’s required is the seed of an idea, passion, hard work and the willingness to just have a go.

So over the coming months I’m going to feature graduates who have ignored all the noise about the economy. Individuals who have got off their butt and just had a go at a business idea or made slightly different career choices. Hopefully it will inspire others to follow suit.

The first interview is with Poonam Kataria. She has no website, uses a Gmail email account and uses Facebook to promote her cake-making business whilst using her mum’s kitchen to do all her baking.

Who says you need lots of cash to get started..?

An Interview with Poonam Kataria of “Spoony Cakes”

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3 Peaks And 3 Lessons About Failure

Job Searching, Redundancy No Comments

“Focus on the journey, not the destination.  Joy is found not in finishing an activity, but in doing it.”

- Greg Anderson

I began writing this article whilst on a short flight from Glasgow to London on Sunday evening as we return from undertaking the 3 Peaks mountain challenge – climbing the 3 highest mountains in Wales, England and Scotland in a 24 hour challenge.

I thought I’d be writing today to share lessons I’d learned whilst reaching the 3 peaks and how those same lessons may apply to your career, your business or the way you lead your teams.

Sadly I wasn’t able to complete the challenge –  I had a recurrence of an old calf injury and had to pull out after the first mountain.

And so instead, the lessons below are based on what I learned from NOT achieving my big goal:

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It’s September……Just Get Started

Career Change, Career Goals & Planning, Job Searching No Comments

“Don’t wait, the time will never be just right”
- Napoleon Hill

It’s September, the summer’s over, the days are getting shorter and soon enough the weather will begin to change too.

And soon enough you’ll forget that big goal or great idea you came up with over the summer holidays.

You know…..your plan to change jobs, shift careers or starting a side business to run from home. Or maybe you decided on moving abroad or taking a sabbatical. Or possibly writing a book / starting a new blog?

Whatever the idea, the key is to get started quickly using these 5 tips:

 

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Time = Wealth

Work Life Balance No Comments
“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me…Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful…that’s what matters to me.”

- Steve Jobs

Share prices are collapsing. The value of pensions and savings plans is falling. Property prices are stagnant. Meanwhile the price of fuel, energy and food continues to soar.

You could say that most people’s wealth is being eroded at a dramatic speed.

But it all depends on how you define wealth. True wealth isn’t what’s on your bank statement or your investment portfolio.

True wealth is all about ‘TIME.’<



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