What is a ‘Personal Profile’? A Personal Profile (or ‘Career Profile’) is an introductory paragraph at the beginning of your CV containing a short summary of your background and career plans. The Profile is the written equivalent of an ‘elevator pitch’ designed to capture the employer’s interest quickly so that…>
Professional Careers
Going on Secondment – Pros and Cons
What is secondment? Many people do not realise that it is possible to explore different career possibilities by temporarily changing roles within the same organisation. This is often known as ‘going on secondment’ and is especially prevalent in the commercial sector where companies are adept at making the best use…>
Top Tips for a Career Change
When you’re stuck in a rut and dreading each day of work, a change of career seems to be the answer. The grass looks greener and the sky bluer. But is it? These ten crucial questions, answered honestly, will help you to think it through, evaluate your position and view the prospect with a steady gaze.
Top Questions To Ask Your Mentor
Why have a mentor? Wherever you are on your career journey, from starting a PhD to your first permanent academic post or to taking those initial tentative steps as a manager, other people have been there before and are often willing to share their valuable advice and insight. They understand…>
Taking a Career Break
Have you ever dreamt of taking a career break? Stepping off the treadmill of working life for a while? Of doing something completely different? We’ve all heard of sabbaticals for academics, but what about the rest of us? A planned career break could allow you to: Try out a potential…>
How To Be a Good Manager
When you first get to be a manager it can be daunting. You move from being one of the team to the leader and suddenly the buck stops with you. Numerous books have been written and courses presented on how to do it well but most managers eventually develop their…>
How to Create a Professional Development Plan
What is a Professional Development Plan? Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the learning and development you undertake in order to carry out a current role or move into a new one. Many organisations have well-established CPD activities, but it’s still good to be proactive in order to: develop your current…>
Top Ten Tips for Applying at Local Council
These ‘Top ten Tips’ were written by Claire Barrie, an HR Professional working for a Local Council. Helping to explain how to apply, interview and hopefully get the job, plus the differences to other sectors. 1. Read the particulars carefully Read the particulars carefully, it explains how to complete the…>
How to Get Your Next Promotion
The Right Promotion Most of us are told from an early age that moving up the proverbial career ladder is a virtuous thing to do. We go through school and university dreaming up different possibilities for work. We get into our first job and hop onto a range of others….>
Seven Top Tips for Resilience
When faced with adversity, how do you cope? Do you adapt, spring back to action or feel stuck? Resilience means ‘bouncing back’ from a difficult experience, as defined by the American Psychological Society. In this article, I have selected for you seven resilience boosting tips. These have been tried and…>