I’m on on of my rants again I’m afraid.

OK so the euro zone is in chaos, the economy isn’t great and it looks as though we will have a few tough years before things get better.  But do you know what?  That’s life. In the good times, every person, every company and every country spent too much. Fact. So now we all have to take a bit of a hit and pay it back.

And while we’re about it I have to say that not every market is [...]]]>  

I’m on on of my rants again I’m afraid.

OK so the euro zone is in chaos, the economy isn’t great and it looks as though we will have a few tough years before things get better.  But do you know what?  That’s life. In the good times, every person, every company and every country spent too much. Fact. So now we all have to take a bit of a hit and pay it back.

And while we’re about it I have to say that not every market is in the doldrums.  There are pockets of really positive activity out there. Several of our clients are trying to seed some good news into the media  - and do you know what – by and large  they aren’t interested. Why? Because they just want to dish out their daily diet of doom , gloom and more gloom, Well I’m  fed up of it.

And if you take us as an example – we have grown every year since 2007.  It’s not been easy,  In fact it’s been bloody hard work but we are growing, we are making money and we are taking people on.

So please – let’s just get on with it  - and bloody cheer up. Have a Fab Christmas – and a PROSPEROUS New Year

The English team have performed at their best during the competition when a mixture of ‘old boys’ and new talent have been working hand in hand.  This got me thinking about how businesses use age diversity in the workplace.

Organisations in the UK are increasingly looking to blend youth with experience in order to safely negotiate the current turbulent [...]]]> If you hadn’t already heard, the Rugby World Cup is in full swing and so far the England boys are doing quite well.

The English team have performed at their best during the competition when a mixture of ‘old boys’ and new talent have been working hand in hand.  This got me thinking about how businesses use age diversity in the workplace.

Organisations in the UK are increasingly looking to blend youth with experience in order to safely negotiate the current turbulent economic condition. Embracing diversity in the workplace is therefore a must.

However old perceptions and generalisations remain common. Some employers believe that young people lack maturity and wisdom, and older people are perceived to be not up to the job. Of course there are also positive stereotypes. Younger workers may be seen as more energetic, adaptable, and open to new ideas. Older employees are often seen as more conscientious, self-assured, experienced and dependable.

In order to be successful, organisations need to play on the strengths of all ages. Like the English Rugby team, they are taking advantage of the knowledge and experience of the ‘old boys’ such as Johnny Wilkinson (who is on his 4^th world cup), Steve Thompson and team manager Martin Johnson, while using the passion and enthusiasm of younger players such as Joe Simpson and Manu Tuilagi (who is only 20years old) to drive the team to victory.

As people live longer, engage in lifelong learning and pursue intellectual and skill growth throughout life, diversity in the workplace will become more common.

One more thing – COME ON ENGLAND!

Now, we don’t need to tell you that it’s inadvisable to badmouth your employer on social networks. It’s about as subtle as writing “I hate my job” on your forehead and even if it doesn’t get you in trouble, it certainly won’t single you out as an ideal candidate for promotion.

Under normal circumstances I would argue [...]]]> This week, David Rowat was fired from his job at Argos for taking to Facebook to have a moan about a bad day at work.

Now, we don’t need to tell you that it’s inadvisable to badmouth your employer on social networks. It’s about as subtle as writing “I hate my job” on your forehead and even if it doesn’t get you in trouble, it certainly won’t single you out as an ideal candidate for promotion.

Under normal circumstances I would argue that, assuming a company has a proper social media policy in place, bringing your employers into disrepute in any way is enough to warrant at least a warning, at worst a dismissal.

However, as more context began to emerge I found myself, oddly, disagreeing with myself. While I still think Mr. Rowat was beyond foolish for posting anything negative about work on Facebook, let’s examine what he actually said. Having come back from holiday to find that work had not been done to a high standard, he grumbled:

“”Had a great day back at work after my hols who am I kidding!! Back to the shambles that is work.”

For a start, Mr. Rowat didn’t mention the company by name. To add to this, at the time of writing a quick search shows he has fewer than 100 Facebook friends – and he posted this to his private wall. While his comments may have been inappropriate, did they really constitute the “gross misconduct” for which he was sacked?

The plot thickens. As it transpires, David Rowat has cancer of the lymph nodes. He had worked at Argos for thirteen years, and even met his wife (who is also in ill health) there.  Facts that the media was all too quick to pick up on.

The story soon became a tabloid’s dream. An extremely unwell man, fired for having an ill-advised yet probably harmless moan on Facebook about a bad day at work, a story of company loyalty being paid back with callousness – you couldn’t make it up.

I’m not an expert in employment law – and I understand that social media needs to be used carefully and that companies need to stick to their policies in order for them to be effective.

But overall, what has caused the company more damage? The poorly thought out ramblings of someone fed up with a bad day at work? Or the business that fired a loyal employee with cancer and a family to support? You decide.

It goes without saying that everyone can become very busy at times. It’s not always possible to return emails or phone calls straight away, I’m sure we’ve all been guilty of neglecting the odd response, but it makes a world of difference to your professional reputation if [...]]]> I have a personal rule. No matter what my role in any organisation, I always make sure that I do one thing exceptionally well: I always do my best to get back to people.

It goes without saying that everyone can become very busy at times. It’s not always possible to return emails or phone calls straight away, I’m sure we’ve all been guilty of neglecting the odd response, but it makes a world of difference to your professional reputation if you do reply swiftly.

Here’s an example: if I email a supplier asking about their services, and I’m met with a wall of silence, I certainly won’t chase them up on the request. I’ll ask around some more and find someone else in the same space who seems more responsive and on the ball. If it’s a choice between a supplier whose website and services look great, but who never answered my enquiry and one who might not market themselves well but is quick to respond and helpful, it’s a no brainer. I’ll go with the person who values my business enough to pick up the phone or write an email.

Replying to an email or a phone call quickly connotes professionalism far more than any expensive website or marketing strategy. These simple acts of good communication give you a chance to demonstrate your ability to build a good relationship and to show off your expertise.

It’s even more important to continue to respond quickly to your clients and associates throughout the working relationship. Word of mouth is a powerful thing and you will quickly become known as someone who’s reliable and knows what they’re doing.

Even if you don’t have an immediate answer to a question, acknowledging that it was asked is more important than spending a long time sourcing an answer only to reply a week later. Notify the sender that you’ve received their email and are looking into their query – and establish a reasonable time frame for when you might get back to them. This may not be the immediate answer they need, but it gives them confidence in your ability to help them.

With more channels of communication than I can count on two hands, it isn’t difficult to quickly get back to somebody, even if just to say you’re very busy and will respond at a later date. If you’re easy to get hold of and to deal with, people will want to work with you again. And all it takes is an email!

However, as someone who has been involved in recruiting for our own organisation over the past few weeks, I have been quite literally gobsmacked at the poor level of effort, courtesy and basic communication skills displayed by applicants.  We hear lots of stuff about how we need to really engage [...]]]> I have read many articles and blog postings about the candidate experience – hell I even wrote one myself bemoaning the bad service candidates get in terms of engagement and feedback.

However, as someone who has been involved in recruiting for our own organisation over the past few weeks, I have been quite literally gobsmacked at the poor level of effort, courtesy and basic communication skills displayed by applicants.  We hear lots of stuff about how we need to really engage with Generation Y – but have we gone too far? Do Generation Y now  feel that they have to make no real effort?  And is that one of the reasons that graduate unemployment is currently so high? Are we creating a whole generation of people who think that they can just sit back and wait for the ever so eager employer to find them within their ‘talent communities’?

A few examples:

• The applicant that I interviewed– a good degree, good A level grades and relevant work placement experience. When asked what had appealed to her about the role, she answered: “Dunno really – I just thought I could do it!”
• The applicant who, during a telephone screening interview, asked our Account Manager:  ”How old are you? Yousound really young!”
• The graduate  applicants ( and I’m not talking about just a few) whose covering letters and CVs are so full of spelling mistakes it makes me want to throw my hands up in despair at the current state of our education system. One was actively seeking a “roll in pubic relations.”
• The applicant who e-mailed me to say that he thought his experience would be of interest to me and directed me to site where I could find out more about him. I didn’t bother – because he couldn’t be bothered to sell himself.

Am I just a grumpy old woman?  Is there something I’m missing? Is it too much to expect applicants to make some effort to engage with ME?  What do others think?

The discussion got me thinking about fears in general. Fear can be a great motivator, if you know how to identify and overcome it. But what if you don’t know what your career fears are? We all have them – but can we all spot them?

There are a few different [...]]]> At a recent presentation training course, run by the brilliant David Josephs, we briefly discussed our fears about presenting. After all, if we’re so nervous, we must be afraid of something!

The discussion got me thinking about fears in general. Fear can be a great motivator, if you know how to identify and overcome it. But what if you don’t know what your career fears are? We all have them – but can we all spot them?

There are a few different general fears that I’ve noticed come up time and again for many professionals. They’re usually driven by similar things. I’ll cover a few of them now, but if I’ve missed anything out, feel free to comment.

1. Fear of not being good enough professionally. Many people will be familiar with that feeling of dread when we’re asked to write that difficult article, take on the difficult project or make that vital presentation. A fear of work being sub-standard is prevalent amongst many professionals.
2. A fear of not fitting in. In an age where cultural fit is a crucial element of the recruitment process, it can be pretty daunting entering a new workplace. Your success is not just dependent on how well you do your work, it’s also important to be able to interact well with your colleagues. For someone with social anxieties this can cause major stress.
3. A fear of speaking up! Whether presenting, disagreeing or just putting forward that idea that’s been going round in your head the whole meeting, the prospect of opening your mouth fills you with terror. What if you’re wrong?
4. A fear of success. Now that one sounds made up, right? Wrong. Some people subconsciously sabotage themselves for fear of becoming too successful. Won’t others be jealous? Will there be a bigger workload? Can I cope with the pressure? Believe it or not, success can be just as scary as failure.

So how do you conquer those fears? It’s easier when you identify the root of the problem, which is, universally, a feeling of inadequacy. I don’t deserve the promotion, my ideas aren’t worth people’s time. However, if you’re employed in this market, the likelihood is that your employers think highly of you. In most fields, there are still more candidates than there are jobs and employers have the pick of the bunch. Would they have hired somebody they thought would fail?

Your fear doesn’t only hold you back, it can deprive the company of that breakthrough idea you were too scared to voice, that piece of work you threw in the bin that could have been excellent, getting to know a great human being and robbing the business of a top manager.

Once you get to know your fear, it can be your greatest motivator. All you have to do is look it in the eye and let it dare you to go even further. So what’s your career fear?

The search is on…

A fantastic new opportunity has opened up at BlueSky PR for a great writer, account handler or media relations bod to take on a new challenge!

Who are we?

We’re a niche PR agency with clients in both the recruitment and business education sectors. On the recruitment side, we handle a variety of multi-sector recruiters at all levels and, on the business education side, we cater to the press needs of some truly prestigious, global schools.

We’re a small but [...]]]>

The search is on…

A fantastic new opportunity has opened up at BlueSky PR for a great writer, account handler or media relations bod to take on a new challenge!

Who are we?

We’re a niche PR agency with clients in both the recruitment and business education sectors. On the recruitment side, we handle a variety of multi-sector recruiters at all levels and, on the business education side, we cater to the press needs of some truly prestigious, global schools.

We’re a small but busy team, with a good balance between heads-down work and focus and having a laugh. We’re friendly and fair and like to think we play on people’s strengths to really make the best of their skills, rather than pushing them into a job spec.

Is BlueSky right for you?

We’re after somebody with writing, account handling and media relations skills – ideally with all three, but any combination of the above would complement our existing skill set. The successful candidate will be working across our portfolio of recruitment clients, so some experience in the recruitment sector would be preferable.

Your potential is more important than your background – it doesn’t matter whether you’re a junior account handler, an account manager, a marketer, a talented writer or an ex-recruiter with a passion for media relations – this could be your chance to make your move into PR.

The details

We’re based just outside of Harpenden, within easy driving distance of North London. Interested? To find out more about BlueSky PR and the opportunities we have available, contact adrian@bluesky-pr.net

Reading through Andy Headworth’s mostly fabulous 2010 PDF, ’50 Top Tips for Jobseekers’ this lunch time, I came across one tip in particular that, I’ll admit, made my stomach lurch. “Employers want fun employees,” it read, “they don’t want overly sarcastic, rude or too opinionated employees!!”

Now, the rude part I understand, but I’m in PR, which means I do a lot of writing. Where would my writing be if I wasn’t sarcastic or opinionated? Indeed, like my hero, Charlie Brooker, [...]]]>  

Reading through Andy Headworth’s mostly fabulous 2010 PDF, ’50 Top Tips for Jobseekers’ this lunch time, I came across one tip in particular that, I’ll admit, made my stomach lurch. “Employers want fun employees,” it read, “they don’t want overly sarcastic, rude or too opinionated employees!!”

Now, the rude part I understand, but I’m in PR, which means I do a lot of writing. Where would my writing be if I wasn’t sarcastic or opinionated? Indeed, like my hero, Charlie Brooker, I’ve always tried to inject a little healthy cynicism into my writing and naturally, as somebody who writes about pretty much everything, I also have strong opinions about… well, pretty much everything!

I have, on occasion, caught friends, family and colleagues rolling their eyes when I go into another rant about the latest news or what I deem to be another of society’s failings and perhaps my personality type isn’t for everyone.

However, it’s a necessary part of who I am and one that’s essential to me being able to perform my job well. It doesn’t outweigh my other qualities of having a strong work ethic, a sense of loyalty to the company I work for or an eagerness to learn and grow.

 Charlie Brooker is one of the most popular personalities on TV. He’s also a sarcastic git. As is Paul Merton, Ian Hislop, David Mitchell… I could go on. In fact, many popular TV presenters have gained their status because of their sarcastic and opinionated nature. Although the British public love them on TV, would they become “too much” in an office?

 To say that employers “don’t want” opinionated, sarcastic staff is to stifle a potentially valuable voice in their organisation. To have opinions is to have passion, to start debates is to generate ideas, to be cynical about society is to be able to understand it from many angles – are these not qualities that should be valued?

Of course, there has to be a middle ground. It’s counterproductive to hire somebody who’s rude to their team, sarcastic about other people’s ideas and opinionated to the point of stubbornness. There’s definitely a difference between opinionated and argumentative.

Having said that, like any personality type, sarcastic loud-mouths such as myself learn by experience in an office. I often check myself when I think I’ve gone on too much and always do my best to make sure I’m listening as much as I’m talking, to be open to the ideas of others and to try to keep it on the non-offensive side of things. I may not always succeed, but I know that with the negatives come great benefits to my inherent nature and that, as my career continues, so will I learn to hone the great results and filter out the side effects!

I guess my overriding point is that a great manager does not exclude people based on personality type. As long as somebody is hardworking, honest, great at what they do, open to change and criticism and kind to those around them, they can be the life and soul of the party, the retiring wallflower or even (shock, horror) the sarky one with a lot to say.

With experience and a good mentor, anyone can overcome the obstacles their personality presents and turn those negatives into the things that really make their career.

Ok – I know a lot of people will be throwing their hands up in horror but are we trying to put too many people through university?

I recently attended my son’s GCSE options evening and learned about the new English Baccalaureate.  Students who receive an A* to C grade in English, Maths, at least two sciences, a foreign language and either history or geography will automatically be awarded the English Bacc. And why? Well no matter what the official line is, [...]]]>

Ok – I know a lot of people will be throwing their hands up in horror but are we trying to put too many people through university?

I recently attended my son’s GCSE options evening and learned about the new English Baccalaureate.  Students who receive an A* to C grade in English, Maths, at least two sciences, a foreign language and either history or geography will automatically be awarded the English Bacc. And why? Well no matter what the official line is, it will be another way for universities to filter through too many applications. And the reason that universities get too many applications is that the Government has this ridiculous notion that we need to send at least 50% of our young people to university. This apparently is so we can compete with China ( whose young people are doing degrees in maths/science/engineering).  The HRD in a recent post talked about today’s youth being a beaten generation. I agree wholeheartedly with him when he says that everyone should have the right to a decent education – but it should be the right education – and university may not be the right route.

I am old enough ( unfortunately) to remember the old secondary modern system where those who were not academically slanted went on to undertake a highly valuable vocational education. As a country we have this obsession with sending a higher and higher proportion of our young people to university. And so we end up with high graduate unemployment, a two tier system where some degrees are valued by employers as more ‘worthy’ and no plumbers!!

My brother was not gifted academically as he will be the first to admit – luckily for him there was still a scheme called apprenticeships – he left school at 16 went on to qualify as an electrician and now runs his own business, providing employment to others, and therefore contributing to the economy! So basically he does exactly the same as I do.  I went to university – because that was the right route for me -we both got to the same destination – we just took a different route.

Education needs some joined up thinking