Don’t forget the ‘why’ in your story
Q: I’m going for a senior level position in a new organisation, which has caused me to reflect on my career achievements. I’ve steadily climbed up the ladder over the last 20 years through various jobs and promotions. Granted, I worked quite hard, but there was definitely a huge amount of luck to it all. […]
Collaboration means more than just working together
Q: I have an interview coming up – a competency-based one – for a management job in a bank. One of the qualities emphasised on the job spec is ‘ability to work collaboratively’. I work as part of a close-knit team in my current bank, but is collaboration the same as team work? As this […]
A pinch of perspective will help with career lows
I recently spoke to a candidate who had an issue she described as being ‘like a pebble grating beneath a door’, writes Liam Horan, Career Coach, Sli Nua Careers. The candidate in question had tried to bring about change in the section she managed, and it didn’t go as favourably as she would have liked. […]
Complacent candidates risk missing the boat
Q: I’m going for my boss’s job. It’s okay, it’s not a coup d’etat. She’s going peacefully – off into the comforting hands of retirement, three mornings a week on the golf course and a few summer weeks in Alicante. The best of luck to her. I’ve worked closely with her for six years and […]
Criticising will rub salt into the wounds
Q: They know, and I know, and they know that I know, that the last person in the job was, to put it mildly, a disaster. He came in from outside promising the sun, moon and stars, and delivered nothing. He only lasted 18 months in the job. Did he fall or was he pushed? […]
Confident, or tone-deaf?
Q: I’m a confident person, and I want that to come across on my CV. I’ve put down phrases like ‘phenomenal sales ability’ and ‘top-class management skills’. I gave my CV to a friend who said that I was laying it on way too thick and should tone it down a notch or three. Is […]
You’re the presentation – not the slideshow
Q: I’ve an interview for manager of a business incubation centre. They want me to present for ten minutes on ‘What I will achieve in the first year’ – but, and here’s the rub, they have stipulated that I can’t use PowerPoint or Prezi. Zero technology. How should I approach this? (EH, email). A: With […]
Backward step can drive you on
Q: I’m going for a job which will see me go backwards to hopefully go forwards. I’m afraid in the interview they will be wondering why I will take a cut in pay, and a reduction in responsibilities. How do I handle this? I’m a software engineer but I need to expand into a different […]
Irish teachers think seriously about their responsibilities
By Sinisa Bjedov, Erasmus Entrepreneurship Programme participant, 2018 During my third week in Ireland, I continued to collect assorted phrases from teachers’ CVs. In this way, I learn about the teaching profession in Ireland and English language related with teaching. It was an interesting experience for me in many ways. I learn which skills and […]
5 tips to master the job hunt
Q: I’m job hunting for the first time in 22 years. When I poked my head out to take a look, I realised the world is a different place now. Can you give me five quick tips? I work in sales. (AC, email). A: You can sing that, AC. I will keep it simple for […]