Okay so Shakespeare may not be too proud of the play on words for the headline, but I’m sure he’ll approve of my premise – does the name at the top of your CV make a difference to your employment prospects?

Recently I was contacted by a jobseeker whose personal dilemma inspired this post. Bob (not his real name, obviously) had been looking for work for several months and not getting anywhere, despite numerous applications, so he now suspects his foreign-sounding name has something to do with it.

Does the name at the top of your CV make a difference to your job prospects…?

Bob contacted me in despair and asked if it’s okay to use an alias to get through the door.

Instead of the full ethnic-sounding first name and surname he had been using, Bob wanted to replace the first name with his English-sounding middle name, move the first name to the surname position (as it was less ethnic-sounding than the surname) and drop the surname altogether.

Confusing? Okay, let me spell it out a little more.

So imagine Bob’s full name was Agadenu Bob Hevoskamba (note: I’ve just made up this name for the purpose of this article – if you happen to be called Agadenu Bob Hevoskamba, please don’t sue me); instead of going by this name on his CV, Bob wants to change to just Bob Agadenu in the hope that this “less-threatening” combination might open more doors for him.

Is there anything wrong with this? Well, it all depends on which way you look at it – there’s a legal side and then there’s an ethical side. 

The legality and ethics of a CV name change

For jobseekers with non-British names, the temptation to don a false identity on the CV is all too real – especially as previous history indicates a reasonable cause.

Research has shown that people with ethnic-sounding names tend to come off worst when it comes to job applications - one particular 2009 study found:

“…an applicant who appeared to be white would send nine applications before receiving a positive response of either an invitation to an interview or an encouraging telephone call. Minority candidates with the same qualifications and experience had to send 16 applications before receiving a similar response.” 

At the beginning of this year, Virgin Atlantic received unwelcome media attention over a summons to an employment tribunal on the grounds of racial discrimination, after an African jobseeker was turned down and later accepted for the same job under a fake British name.

With unemployment among black and Asian people in the UK more than double the national average, it’s little wonder many jobseekers in this category are starting to suspect foul play.

Going back to the whole legal/ethical issue…a CV is not a legally-binding document in the same way as application forms – it’s more of a marketing tool, a personal advert, so technically you can write whatever name you want on your CV.

But if you do use a false name (or in Bob’s case, a creative re-arrangement of your own name), and you go on and get the job, you’ll have to come clean with the employer before the – legal – contract is produced and at this stage you may lose the job for providing misleading information in the first place (unless the employer is particularly understanding).

Post 9/11, one jobseeker found that his Muslim name was proving a hindrance to his job search….so he changed it

On the ethical side, there are some questions you may want to resolve for yourself before embarking on a cosmetic name change:

• Is it right or fair to mislead your potential employer?
• How true to yourself should you be to land a job?
• Is changing your name denying your true identity…?

Names and perceptions

Whether we like to admit it or not, names are important and they often affect the perceptions we have of people, especially before we meet them.

After the 9/11 atrocities, Tariq Ahmed, a London-based public relations executive, found that his Muslim name was proving a hindrance to his job search so he changed it to the more “user-friendly” Daniel Jacob – first on his CV and then, spurred on by the “amazing” surge of interest from his new identity, legally by Deed Poll.

Tariq’s success as ‘Daniel’ proves that name discrimination is more than a theory, but this isn’t always the case for everyone.

The jobseeker in the Virgin case eventually lost out in the employment tribunal because they discovered it wasn’t actually a straight name substitution, as he had originally made out – his fake persona had been endowed with lots more relevant qualifications and experience than the original CV and therefore that “person” was deemed more suitable for the job.

Eliminate all other possibilities

So if you’re struggling to find a job and you suspect your ethnic-sounding name might be to blame, before you go marching off to the tribunal, ask yourself the following questions to first eliminate all other possibilities:

1) Is my CV strong in both content and presentation?

Busy employers typically spend around 30 seconds looking over a CV before making a decision on whether to shortlist or bin – don’t expect miracles if your CV isn’t up to scratch.

2) Have I included potentially discriminating information on my CV or application?

I once had a CV makeover client who in the ‘interests and activities’ section of their CV stated that they “loved to read the Qu’ran every day” and engage in activities at their local mosque.

There’s nothing wrong with reading the Qu’ran or loving it, but this was a classic case of too much info which could potentially open the client up to unnecessary religious and racial discrimination (check out HR Nasty’s really good blog post on the subject of “Resume Racism, how recruiters really read your resume“).

3) Am I applying for jobs within my existing skills and experience?

In case you haven’t heard, the job market is pretty tough at the moment with more jobseekers than there are jobs, therefore employers have the pick of the field. If you don’t possess the basic skills and experience specified in the job advert, please don’t waste your time applying as you won’t get a look in anyway…honestly, it’s not worth it.

4) Am I taking the time to target my application (and with it CV and cover letter) to just two or three suitable jobs a week?

Contrary to popular belief, it’s far more useful to apply to fewer jobs but spend more quality time on them, than to try and just hit any and everything going. Targeted applications - like targeted CVs - are more likely to be successful, especially when they’re within your skills and experience (as discussed in point number 3).

5) Am I applying for jobs located within reasonable commute from my home address?

Although commuting is the norm these days, if you live too far from where you’re applying to work, you may find yourself disqualified for perceived travel difficulties. One possible way to remedy this would be to address the issue in your (tailored) cover letter – reinforce why you think you’re a good fit for the role and spell out how you plan to overcome the potential travel challenge.

6) Having checked off steps 1-5, have I followed up my applications with a phone call to the employer to ask for feedback?

Feedback is priceless when you can get it. If you don’t receive a rejection letter or email after the decision deadline has passed (if there isn’t one specified, wait around two or three weeks), pick up the phone and call the HR team to ask for some feedback on what you could have done better to get further next time. This may be harder to solicit from bigger organisations with more applications to process, but it’s worth a try anyway – if not for anything else, for your own peace of mind.

If you’re still getting nowhere after taking these steps to eliminate all other possibilities, it may well be time for that name change after all (unless the world becomes the kind of place Martin Luther King dreamt about before then).

And if you do choose that option remember, as the great Shakespeare would affirm, a rose by any other name is still a rose……

Like what you’ve read? Click here to subscribe to Mildred’s updates and get a free audio download of “Land that job with a winning CV”!

Do you suspect your job search has suffered because of your name or racial identity? Let me know your firsthand experience in the comments…

photo credits: eyewashdesign: A. Golden and HaniShamâ„¢ via photopincc

Youth Employment Convention 2013: Young people share their difficult experiences of navigating today’s job market

The last time I wrote specifically about youth unemployment was September last year, after I attended Channel 4′s ‘Class of 2012′ debate.

In between then I’ve been to at least three other events specifically relating to youth unemployment (including taking part in Youth Enterprise Live 2012), and today I’ve just returned from the mother of them all – a two-day “Youth Employment Convention” organised by the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion (CESI).

To say young people and work is a global talking point at the moment would be a major understatement – understandably so, of course, considering that the number of young people unemployed (just short of a million in the UK), has never been so high and, according to research presented at today’s Convention, long-term unemployment among young people is continuing to rise.

Stephen Timms MP, Shadow Minister for Welfare Reform, address the audience on Day 2 of the Convention

#YEC2013 – to borrow the Twitter hashtag – brought together politicians, academics, employers, youth organisations, and young people themselves, to discuss the issue and to explore viable solutions for present and future generations of aspiring workers.

The premise of the two days – as set out by Inclusion Chief Executive, Dave Simmons OBE – were to explore three questions:

1. How do we increase work opportunities for young people?
2. How do we develop the right skills, qualifications and employability in young people that employers need?
3. How do we do better for our most disadvantaged young people (i.e. NEETs)?

Through an impressively packed two-day programme of debates, panel discussions and breakout sessions, many themes emerged, including:

• Scrapping compulsory work experience in schools was a very bad idea;
• Getting a university degree is no longer the only answer – for many young people their future depends on getting into work as early as possible; 
• We’re teaching young people skills that are no longer required in the work place – education needs to keep up with the demands of a rapidly changing workforce;
• There needs to be direct engagement between schools and employers in shaping the curriculum;
• Teachers are great at being teachers, not giving careers advice – it’s unfair to place this additional burden on them (and it’s not fair or beneficial to the young people either);
• Apprenticeships and the newly announced traineeships may be the ultimate solution for youth unemployment…

New ways of working: A panel, including Google and Microsoft representatives, discuss the role of technology where youth employment is concerned

We also heard directly from young people on the challenges they face with unemployment:

• “[When applying for jobs] we’re up against experienced employees who’ve been made redundant…”
• “The worst thing about being unemployed as a young person is getting yourself motivated to get out of bed…”
• “It’s confusing, disheartening and frustrating to be a young person looking for work…”
• “It’s hard not knowing where you’re going wrong – whether it’s your CV or your qualifications…”
• “Getting careers advice at the end of my GCSEs was too late; we need it earlier – and from people who are actually doing the jobs, not teachers…”

Although there is still a lot of work to be done to implement some of the solutions raised during the two days, I left #YEC2013 slightly more hopeful for the future of our young people. With so many people willing to tackle the issue of youth unemployment, it can only be a matter of time before we put an end to the shocking statistics for good.

Click here to download speaker presentations from the day
Click here to view interviews of some of the participants (filmed by FE News)

Like what you’ve read? Click here to subscribe to Mildred’s updates and get a free audio download of “Land that job with a winning CV”!

Do you think we’re getting closer to solving the youth unemployment crisis? What other solutions would you recommend? Let me know in the comments…

No, this isn’t going to be a “religious” post or a Bible lesson, instead I want to share with you ancient principles on how to become an irresistible employee – taken from the oldest and best-selling book in the world.

An “irresistible employee” is practically recession-proof in today’s climate – no matter how hard things get, an employer would sooner lose an entire team of average staff than get rid of an irresistible employee because of how valuable they are to the business.

Joseph was the original irresistible employee and from recently re-reading his story, I observed five characteristics that contributed to this status – characteristics that you too can adopt to make yourself irresistible in your present or future job.

But before I share these characteristics with you, here’s a quick overview of Joseph’s story to give you some context:

As a young Hebrew boy Joseph was a dreamer – he literally dreamt of greatness which made him very unpopular with his ten brothers (that and the fact that he was their father’s favourite). 

Jealousy and hatred led them to sell their youngest brother into slavery (after deciding against killing him – no profit to be made there) and lie to their father that he had been mauled to death by a wild beast.

From this point Joseph worked a number of jobs, starting with being an assistant and later director at Potiphar’s house, the captain of the Egyptian army. Potiphar’s wife takes a fancy to Joseph (who we’re told “was handsome in form and appearance”) and falsely accuses him of rape after his repeated refusals to sleep with her. This lands Joseph in jail and here he is also promoted – from mere prisoner to jail supervisor.

In prison Joseph meets two men who worked for the king, both of them awaiting sentencing for their crimes. Joseph accurately interprets their dreams predicting their fate (one sentenced to death, the other restored to the palace) and the one that didn’t die (obviously) later becomes the connection that lands Joseph a job in the king’s palace as the Head of State – in charge of all but Pharaoh’s throne.

From this position Joseph went on to significantly shape the destiny of his people, the Israelites, and take his place in history as one of the “greats” of the Bible.

Even if making history isn’t your personal goal, you can still obtain job security, stand out from the crowd and create a demand for your services simply by choosing today to become an irresistible employee. Here are five characteristics of Joseph that made him such a great role model in this area:

1) Joseph thrived in adverse circumstances

Imagine being thrown into a pit by your brothers, sold as a slave to foreigners, forced to work for strangers in a place and a culture you’ve never experienced before, and then for good measure thrown into jail for a crime you didn’t commit. This was the circumstances that life threw at Joseph, but instead of crumbling in the face of adversity, he simply got on with it and made the most of whatever work place he found himself in.

The truth is you’re never going to find a perfect work place (and, as my mentor Wayne Malcolm would add: “…if you do find one, leave, because you’ll spoil it!”), so make the decision to do your best in whatever job you’re in – your dedication and faithfulness will not go unnoticed.

2) Joseph had a strong work ethic

Whether it was overseeing all activities in Potiphar’s house, supervising in prison, or acting as the Head of State in Egypt, Joseph demonstrated a strong work ethic that led to him being promoted in each and every role he occupied.

Irresistible employees are not afraid to put in the hard work and will often go above and beyond the call of duty to get the job done – even if it falls outside their immediate remit.

Developing a strong work ethic starts with valuing the job you have and treating it as more than a necessary evil that serves the purpose of paying the bills!

3) Joseph had personal integrity

When his employer’s wife tried to seduce him, Joseph looked past the temptation and ran for his life! His response was based on his personal integrity: “My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”

Personal integrity is to do with how you conduct yourself when no one is looking – it’s how you interact with customers, colleagues, senior managers; it’s the quality of your work; the decisions you make, the actions you take or fail to take; it’s being honest, decent and most of all, trustworthy. Integrity is key to lasting success and progression in your work life.

4) Joseph used his gifts

At the beginning of Joseph’s story, we’re told he had “a coat of many colours” and one interpretation of this symbolism is that he had many gifts (skills). Joseph excelled in his work life because he used his gifts in different environments – he utilised management skills at Potiphar’s house, interpreted dreams in prison and in the palace, and exercised wisdom in governing Egypt.

Are you exceptionally good at organising….project managing…building relationships? For you to become an irresistible employee, it’s important to discover your gifts, your strengths - the unique skills you bring to your work place – and make a point to operate in this capacity as much as possible, regardless of your job title or position. Not only will this make you irresistible, it will also allow you to find fulfillment in every job role you occupy.

5) Joseph was solution-focused

Joseph didn’t just tell Pharaoh, his boss, what was going to go wrong in the seven years of plenty and seven years of famine, he provided a solution on how to make it right – which was how he gained the Head of State position in the first place. Instead of being a ”problem spotter” at work, make it your aim to find solutions to problems and you’ll soon find yourself becoming an irresistible employee.

Ultimately Joseph’s biggest “irresistibility factor” was that he added value wherever he went and made a real difference to the organisation. You too can do the same if you adopt these characteristics and exercise them in your day-to-day work life.

(Special thanks to my husband Malachi Talabi for his help with this post!)

Like what you’ve read? Click here to subscribe to Mildred’s updates and get a free audio download of “Land that job with a winning CV”!

which of these characteristics will make the biggest difference in your work life? Let me know in the comments…

photo credit: Victor1558 via photopin cc

In preparation for the discussion – titled, ‘Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office‘ – I was sent Lois P. Frankel’s book of the same name (the basis of the discussion) with the instructions to read it and follow the directives it contained.

[NOTE: scroll down to the end to listen to the full panel discussion featuring myself, banking executive Cathy Turner; corporate broker and feminist activist Hannah Philp, and the chair - businesswoman and networking entrepreneur Julia Hobsbawm. (60mins approx)]

Nice Girls (as the subtitle indicates) sets out to address and correct the mistakes women subconsciously make that sabotage our careers – 101 mistakes in total, according to the New York Times bestselling business author and executive coach, Frankel.

Having spent the first quarter of my life pursuing a “passion-filled” career, the idea of having a slightly easier ride (in my books) in a corner office is incredibly appealing, so I was very much looking forward to reading the book and finding out where I’d fallen foul on the journey.

Frankel lists seven core areas of mistakes:

1. How you play the game
2. How you act
3. How you think
4. How you brand and market yourself
5. How you sound
6. How you look
7. How you respond

The 101 sabotaging behaviours, which us women apparently learn as girls and carry with us into adulthood, are sectioned accordingly within these sub-headings.

So, where do you fall short…?

Frankel’s first piece of advice in the opening pages is, “Don’t begin reading this book until you’ve learnt how to use it to your advantage”; and so you’re directed to first do a self-assessment which is designed to reveal where you fall short – i.e. your major career-sabotaging areas.

Get that hand out of your hair: According to Lois Frankel, grooming in public is a career-sabotaging mistake for women…

I scored lowest on How you brand and market yourself, which was quite surprising to me considering the number of years I’ve spent building my brand in careers (unintentionally for the most part).

I argued with Lois on this point until I went on to read – and recognise – some of the mistakes she describes in this section which I too have made at work (though not so much in business). Mistakes such as failing to define your brand (#45), minimising your work or position (#46), or giving away your ideas (#52).

Luckily there are remedies at hand too: make a list of three to five things that bring you the most satisfaction at work……..hone your elevator pitch to include your achievements……..don’t let people get away with trying to pass off something you previously suggested as their new idea…….

Rethinking bad behaviours…

The main idea of the book is to get women to rethink how we behave at work so we’re not passed over for promotions or other benefits afforded to men. Having said that, a lot of the so-called bad behaviours Lois mentions are things most people, not just women, take for granted – things like working hard, letting people waste your time, and ignoring the importance of network relationships.

But there are also many women-specific baddies (mainly in the How You Look section) such as wearing inappropriate makeup, wearing the wrong hairstyle, or accessorising too much. Even seemingly innocent actions like tilting your head, grooming in public, or sitting on your foot (I’m guessing this doesn’t apply to ballet dancers) are discouraged due to their girl-like qualities.

Overall Nice Girls is a well-meaning book but like Marmite, you’re either going to love it and wish somebody had been kind enough to tell you these things at 21 years old just as you started your career, or you’re going to hate it for seemingly suggesting that the only way for women to progress upwardly at work is to lose their female uniqueness and take on male characteristics instead.

I’m in the first camp – hate Marmite, love Nice Girls.

Listen to the full panel discussion here…

Have you read Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner office? I’d love to hear your own thoughts on  whether you feel it’s helped or hindered your career…

Like what you’ve read? Click here to subscribe to Mildred’s updates and get a free audio download of “Land that job with a winning CV”!

photo credit: xlordashx via photopin cc

Preparing in advance for those tough interview questions can help you position yourself in the best possible light…

So you’ve done the hard work of polishing your CV, crafting that cover letter and filling out application forms that seem to go on forever. Now you’ve been called in for an interview and what you say in the 30, 40 or maybe 60 minutes in front of your potential employer could win or lose the job for you.

In this week’s guest post, Erica Moss shares three of the toughest interview questions you might face and how you should go about answering them…

[Guest post by Erica Moss]

We’ve all been there: You’re in the middle of a job interview, things are going swimmingly, and you’re feeling great about your prospects. Then, all of a sudden, it’s in your lap — the type of tough interview question that stops you in your tracks and forces you to articulate your greatest weakness, your biggest regret and the like.

These types of questions are not-so-subtle attempts to help illustrate to your interviewer how adept you are at confronting challenge, how self-aware you are, and how well you’re able to problem-solve.

As someone who’s found herself in the hot seat on more than one occasion, there are a handful of questions I’ve found myself answering that, when answered strategically, can help you position yourself in the best possible light and land the dream job.

Tough interview question 1: “What is your greatest weakness?”

There are two mistakes job seekers make when answering this question – they’re either too honest (“I’m habitually late”), or they use a template response like “I work too hard.” The former will be an instant turnoff to any potential employer, and they’ll see right through the latter and will be likely to be annoyed that that’s the best answer you could come up with.

Acknowledge your public speaking weakness and commit to improvement to wow your interviewer…

The best type of response to this question is an honest one in which you can articulate a skill you’d like to improve on that will eventually benefit your potential employer. A few examples:

• “I get a little flustered when speaking in front of a group so I’d love to dive into that a bit more here to improve my presentation skills.”

• “A lack of consistent opportunities over the past year has made my writing skills a bit rusty, but I’m taking a Skillshare class right now and have begun writing whenever possible to elevate my chops.”

Tough interview question 2: “Tell me about a time you faced conflict in the workplace…”

The interviewer isn’t asking you this so that you can confide in him or her about an office quarrel you had that resulted in name calling, animosity and maybe a trip to human resources!

What they really want to know is how graceful you are under pressure, and how you conduct yourself under less-than-ideal circumstances. Did you exacerbate the situation? Did you ignore it, only to let it fester into something more toxic down the road? A few examples:

• “At my previous job, I had great working relationships with my co-workers. However, at one point, I had to address one person who some considered an office bully. After sitting down with her over coffee, she sincerely apologised and thanked me for pointing out the behavior that some of our colleagues perceived as confrontational. The office atmosphere greatly improved as a result.”

• “I’ve never had a boss that I didn’t learn from, especially those that challenged me in ways I wasn’t expecting. While sometimes I found myself frustrated by disorganisation or a lack of communication, it taught me which management styles I work best with and ways in which I can best pivot my own processes to work well with all types of peers.”

Tough interview question 3: “Tell me about a time you failed at something on the job…”

Failure is the last thing you want to talk about when you’re trying to land a new job, but none of us are perfect and mistakes are bound to happen.

Not good with deadlines? Turn this into a positive answer to a tough interview question

Your response says a lot about who you are as a person and employee — did you curl up in the foetal position, or did you assume responsibility and take steps to ensure it wouldn’t be a repeat offense?

Be smart about the anecdote you choose, and focus most on how you remedied the situation and learned from it. A few examples:

• “I remember a time when I was up against a deadline on a big project, and I missed it by a couple of hours because I failed to prioritise my time and factor in certain variables. It taught me a valuable lesson about time management and organisation, and I haven’t had an issue since.”

• “There was a project I was working on in which I failed to point out a certain detail that appeared to be a red flag because I didn’t want to delay us further. It turns out it really was an issue and had to be addressed after the fact. I learned how important it is to speak up when something looks amiss and I’ve been much more vocal ever since.”

Interviewing is a tough game, no matter which way you slice it, but the stakes are higher when it’s a question that requires self-reflection and admitting some type of flaw.

By thinking about how you’d answer the questions above, you’ll be better equipped to shine in your next interview. The key is to always be honest, and effectively articulate how you overcame professional hurdles to become a more well-rounded employee.

About the author: Erica Moss is the Community Manager for Georgetown University’s online women’s health nurse practitioner programme. She enjoys blogging, TV, pop culture and tweeting @ericajmoss.

What’s the toughest interview question you’ve ever faced? Let me know in the comments…

Like what you’ve read? Click here to subscribe to Mildred’s updates & get a free 45-minute audio download of “Land that job with a winning CV”!

photo credits: mfrissen, miguelavg & ScoRDS via photopin cc

I’d certainly be tempted, that’s for sure! Simply because I’ve learnt so much about the working world over the last few years that would have done me a WHOLE world of good had I known them at 21!

But since I can’t go back in time, the next best thing is to pass on some of those lessons to the next generation……so if you’re 21, coming up to 21, have a child who’s 21, or simply wish you were 21 again(!), this podcast is for you!

In this second episode of Mildred Talabi on Careers, I share 21 things I’ve learnt in the latter part of my life which I believe will be helpful for you to know if you’re 21 and starting out in your career. 

Here’s the short version of the 21 things (in no particular order):

1. Learn beyond university
2. Invest in your passion
3. Learn to speak in public
4. Plan your career
5. Earn as much as you can
6. Build quality relationships
7. Visit outside your comfort zone
8. Figure you out
9. Find faith
10. Shake off negativity
11. Seize the day
12. Travel, work, or live abroad
13. Get that driving licence
14. Don’t choose a boy/girlfriend over your career
15. Don’t stay in a job too long
16. Progress your career
17. Be excellent
18. Be nice
19. Be an entrepreneur
20. Embrace technology
21. Be the best

Click below to listen (34m08s)…

Has this been helpful to you? Let me know in the comments!

If you have a question or dilemma about any part of the job search process that you would like me to cover in a future episode of Mildred Talabi on Careers, let me know by email and I’ll do my best to accommodate.

Like what you’ve heard? Click here to subscribe to Mildred’s updates and get a free audio download of “Land that job with a winning CV”!

Well, thanks to the National Careers Service, you can now sound all clever and knowledgeable by quoting from this great infographic outlining the history of the CV.

But with all your quoting, don’t forget to actually put in the effort to create a show-stopping CV for yourself!

Like what you’ve read? Click here to subscribe to Mildred’s updates & get a free 45-minute audio download of “Land that job with a winning CV”!

The issue of working from home is a hot topic at the moment and it all kicked off with the leaked memo from Yahoo CEO, Marissa Mayer, ordering all home-working employees back to base for easier “communication and collaboration”.

Since then opinions have been firmly wedged on one side of the fence or another and surprisingly, I find myself agreeing with Mayer.

Flexible working is something that has always appealed to me – ever since my first real job at the age of 17, I’ve never had a working week of nine-to-five / 5 days a week. I’ve done 12-6, 9-4…..three days, four days, sometimes even seven days(!)…..but never a standard nine-to-five, and today I’m in the somewhat happy position of working for myself full time and also working for an employer full time.

I think there are definite benefits to working from home and if the discussions were centered around how much you can get done, then yes, there have been times I’ve sat at home on my computer for three hours straight and got far more done than I would have in eight hours at the office.

At the office you’re subject to interruptions, distractions, and most of all in my case, a working environment you can’t fully control (for one, the heating is never turned up high enough for my ‘paper-thin’ skin).

Home isn’t totally free of distractions or interruptions either (think house chores, phone ringing, postman, easier access to tea and coffee…) but on the whole it can be a far more productive environment for work.

More than just productivity

But then, surely productivity isn’t the only thing work is about, is it?

Just yesterday my Director called me into the office and asked for an update on the work I’ve been doing with our NEET young people. I tell him they’re making great progress - in fact, I say, three of them in particular are undergoing a great transformation and I’m incredibly impressed by how they’ve taken on every new challenge I’ve thrown their way.

He asked me why I think this is and I say, “It’s probably because they’re growing up and becoming adults and  learning to value opportunities now like never before.”

He said that’s probably part of it, but from his many decades of youth work experience, the real reason is relationship – “because you’ve built a relationship with them, they trust you and are therefore open to working with you in ways they never would have otherwise.”

I thought about this and realised he was right. Relationships count for a lot in life and that also includes in the work place – whether it’s making business transactions or simply getting the job done with your colleagues.

The problem with working from home is that it’s not conducive to building strong work relationships between colleagues, which is all part of work itself.

If work was only about getting the job done then pretty much every office-based company in the world would operate with freelancers or work from home staffers. I do this with my CV makeover business because it works for this model of business and right now suits my lifestyle this way. However, my plan is to have an office space one day where all my staff can be together in one happy space of easy communication and collaboration with healthy dose of productivity sprinkled in the mix.

Relationships lead to better collaborations and make for happier workers; happier workers make for happier customers, which in turn makes for happier profit margins – so it’s pretty much win-win all round.

So from an employer’s point of view, I agree with Mayer’s office working policy. But as an employee, there are circumstances where it’s just not possible or practical, or indeed desirable, to work in the office, and on days like these staff should be allowed the right to request – and be granted – the option of working from home.

But apparently there’s a whole lot more to the HR role than that! In this week’s guest post, Danielle McDonald, an experienced HR consultant, shares exactly what role HR play in you getting – or in some cases not getting – the job of your dreams….and more importantly, what you can do about it…

[GUEST POST by Danielle McDonald]

From my experience, when it comes to hiring people HR are just as keen as line managers to meet with and hire great talent for the company they work for. Where your CV goes when you apply for a job depends on the size of the company.

• Micro: 0-9* employees – your CV will probably be reviewed by the owner.
• Small: 10-49* employees – your CV will either be reviewed by the owner or outsourced to recruitment/HR.
• Medium: 50-249* employees – your CV will be reviewed by HR or the recruitment/talent team which forms part of the HR Department.

As there are 29,750* medium-sized companies in the UK (*figures obtained from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills – October 2012), for the purpose of this blog post, let’s focus on this group.

When applying for a job the goal is for your CV to get through to the relevant line manager, but before your CV is passed on, it will be given the once-over by HR first – we can call this the shortlisting stage.

To help you get past HR, here are five top tips to bear in mind:

1) Ensure your work experience and skills are relevant to the job you’re applying for

This may sound basic but you’d be surprised by how many people fall short when it comes to this. Trying your luck and thinking “what have I got to lose?” is one thing, however wasting your time and that of the person reviewing your CV is another matter.

If you feel you can do the job but you’re concerned about whether or not you have the right experience, give HR a call! There is nothing wrong with obtaining an insight into the role before applying – in fact, it’s a clever move as you’re more than likely to stay in the person’s mind because when they receive your application, it will jog their memory. Remember to make a note that you spoke with [name] when applying.

2 Research the culture of the company you are applying to

Company culture is incredibly important. Do a bit of research; get to understand what the company is about beforehand. What is their working environment like? How do they engage with their people? Be creative and innovative with your approach – tap into your network and utilise LinkedIn to support you.

Make sure the company culture of your chosen work place is suited to your personality…

Be different; give thought to how you can stand out from the crowd. It’s more than just sending in your CV. How can you make your covering letter and intro email pop and gain the reader’s attention through understanding their culture?

3) Apply by email correctly

It’s the basic things that count which I’ve seen missed hundreds of times. When applying by email, the subject of the email should be clear and relevant. If the employer has requested a covering letter and CV, keep the content of the email short and sweet. If no covering letter is required your email content needs to POP!

You would be surprised by how many people just attach a CV and press send with no subject and no email content! If an applicant doesn’t make the effort, they do themselves no favours – make your first impression a great one.

4) Try not to apply for every job listed

Sending in the same CV for every position on a company’s website doesn’t mean you have more of a chance of being invited to an interview. It may give the impression you’re not sure what you want to do or commit to. See another job with the same company after applying for one?

Give it a week or two (depending on the closing date) or be honest and make contact via phone/email explaining you previously applied for a job however, you have seen [name of role] which is more suited to your skills and experience.

5) Ask and you may receive…

Finally and slightly off track – I’m a firm believer in ‘if you don’t ask, you will never know’. If there is a company you want to work for and they have no vacancies, don’t let that hold you back – send in your expression of interest and desire to work with them to HR.

Depending on the size of the company, consider volunteering your time as a means to get your foot in the door. When a suitable position comes up you’ll be equipped with knowledge of how the company operates and their vision and goals, which makes you an ideal candidate.

No brainer? Yes! But that’s only my opinion…

About the author: Danielle McDonald is a HR professional who runs HR Consultancy Vibrant People and social enterprise, Colour Your Success. You can connect with Danielle via LinkedIn or on Twitter.

Do you have any of your own success stories of getting a job via the HR route? Let me know in the comments…

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photo credits: Cathy G & Infusionsoft via photopin cc

Richard Branson – a great role model for bosses

Having a job isn’t just about paying the bills (though that helps of course); the right job is also supposed to contribute to your personal development, whether that’s by building your skills, confidence or knowledge in your chosen field.

One crucial key to this is having the right boss – a good boss can make your work life pleasurable; a bad one can have the exact opposite effect. It’s easy to criticise bosses, but the truth is it’s not easy being a manager and often it’s a thankless job. So still keeping with the Valentine spirit of spreading the love, today I want to do an ode (of sorts) to great bosses, in particular three that have had the most impact not just on my career, but also on who I am today.

These bosses demonstrated these three characteristics of a great boss:

Characteristic #1: A great boss…recognises your potential 

At the tender age of 21, fresh out of university and with dreams of becoming the next Rupert Murdoch, I landed my first real job in the media as the Editorial Assistant at a small urban film magazine called bfm, based in East London. The magazine was owned by the revolutionary filmmaker Menelik Shabazz, but my direct line manager was a lady called Priscilla Igwe.

Priscilla was focused, driven and most of all passionate about her work and the mini empire that had been handed to her to oversee.

She was also very good at recognising potential because within three months of me being with the organisation, I was promoted to the role of Assistant Editor – long before I ever knew I was ready or capable of taking on such a mammoth responsibility.

The role was extensive: it involved planning and commissioning the content of each quarterly edition; liaising with freelance and in-house writers, designers and printers; selling advertising space to companies; organising the marketing, promotion and distribution; attending important meetings, representing the magazine at tradeshows and events, but probably most scary of all back then, recruiting and managing staff, freelancers and volunteers – most of whom were a lot older than me!

It was a fast-paced world with only the options of sinking or swimming, and thanks to Priscilla’s guidance, I learnt to swim very quickly. Although I’ve always had lofty ambitions (I subscribe to the “dream big” philosophy), I knew then and I know now that I would not have been in that role had it not been for Priscilla’s potential-recognising ability.

As a result, I progressed enormously in my media career and the recruitment experience also led me into the world of CV writing and careers which I major in today.

Characteristic #2: A great boss…pulls you out of your comfort zone

My next memorable boss came along a few years later. It was early 2008, I was emerging out of a mini “quarter-life crisis” and had decided that working for myself was the best way to go (forget Rupert Murdoch, Richard Branson was now my new role model!).

To support my entrepreneurial dreams I needed some kind of steady income on the side, and this came in the form of a part-time role as a Communications Assistant (later “Officer”) with Origin Housing, the second largest housing provider in the borough of Camden.

Peter Taylor was my manager – tall, slim and middle-aged with a mild resemblance to a character out of Pride and Prejudice, and a calm temperament to match.

He had just the right managing style for my free-spirited introvert personality (according to Susan Cain, introverts generally hate micro-management – we prefer to be given instructions and left alone to get on with it) and really understood how to get the best out of me so we worked well together.

But the really key thing Peter did for me in my three and half years at Origin was to pull me out of my comfort zone, starting with my huge barrier of speaking in public. I came into work one morning and Peter said, ”Mildred, I think you should do the communications talk at the staff induction day this week.” ”Communications talk? Me??? No way!”

I was terrified of public speaking – just the suggestion alone had me breaking out in cold sweat. It didn’t matter that it was just 15 or so people; it didn’t matter that I only needed to speak for 10 minutes, and it certainly didn’t matter that I would be given a template to follow – this wasn’t just coming out of my comfort zone, it was straight up walking to the edge of the cliff and falling over!!!

Despite my reservations I somehow ended up doing the talk that first time…..and then the second time, third, fourth…..until it became a regular fixture in my job description. It didn’t stop there – I started running training sessions for staff and managers on how to use the new intranet system and website I had helped to implement, and soon my confidence in public speaking spilt over to outside Origin.

I started running CV seminars and workshops, and later on career talks and keynotes, at universities and employment events, and in September 2011 I joined Toastmasters to continue the speaking development and haven’t looked back since. I “found” my voice at Origin and I have Peter to thank for pulling me out of my comfort zone.

Characteristic #3: A great boss…plays to your strengths

The third and final good boss is also my current. In April 2012 I made the decision to go back to work and I found my perfect fit at Salmon Youth Centre.

I initially joined Salmon to manage the internal and external communications, but on realising my strengths in the area of careers, my boss Sam Adofo (also Salmon Director), amended my role to “Communications and  NEET Coordinator”, adding on the responsibility of getting young people not in education, employment or enterprise back into work.

The result? A perfect use of my skills and strengths, and a great blend between what I do in and out of Salmon.

Although I no longer want the Murdoch media empire, I do still have plans of taking over the world with a massive corporation ……when that day comes, I can only hope to be as great a boss to many as I’ve had the privilege of benefiting from. 

Have you had any great bosses in the past? What is it that made them so great? Let me know in the comments…

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photo credit: D@LY3D via photopin cc