Education

One of the biggest mistakes I see jobseekers make is keeping their search confined to job boards. Some of the issues with job boards do lie with employers and their standard practices. ATS is becoming the norm, which is making hiring and recruiting a low-touch profession and it is wreaking havoc on the candidate experience. It takes longer for candidates to receive a response – if they even receive one at all. Many clients have told me that prior to having their resume optimized it would end up in the black hole- what is commonly referred to as the deep dark hole in which a resume falls once it is determined that it wasn’t a fit for the role.

In today’s digital landscape, all companies need more technologists — and that urgent need for technology talent will only grow. Unsurprisingly, the United States government faces the very same problem: There just aren’t enough tech-minded candidates to go around.

The holidays evoke feelings of joy and excitement, as well as stress and perhaps anxiety toward family gatherings. With today’s politically charged climate, it’s likely there could be some uncomfortable conversations around the dinner table. Instead of succumbing to the family fights, use the opportunity to strengthen your mental fitness.

As the last month of the calendar year finally arrives and we collectively celebrate the end of one year and the start of a new year, Raymond Carver's question is so pertinent. As you look over the year that has been, ask yourself: "Was it the year that should have been?" In other words, when you go back to your wish list of dreams on 1 January of this year, "did you get what you wanted from this life, even so?" It is a wonderful question and turns our focus to purposeful self-reflection and to personal and professional transformation.

One of the questions that I get asked the most is if cover letters are dead. The truth is, no, they are not. As I wrote about last month, ATS is scanning resumes for keywords to filter them more carefully. Due to this, some believe that cover letters slow down the screening process because they force hiring staff to read another document. This isn’t necessarily true, however.

Information governance should be part of the annual training regime at every organization right along with safety and sexual harassment. In many organizations, these types of sessions are required for compliance. For others, it is recommended as a standard business process. Regardless, information governance should be part of the curriculum. If this is not the case in your organization you should be meeting with your training department staff immediately and bring it to their attention.

A lot of discussion happens when the question of Culture comes up. There are a number of reasons for this. Firstly, we all claim to live within a ‘culture’ and that must mean that we, therefore, understand what culture is and how it works. This is similar to the notion that most people have visited a hospital, either to see a loved one or due to personal illness or injury and thus we all know how hospitals work, don’t we? The same is true of schools.

The workplace is constantly evolving, and employees are expected to seamlessly adapt. Although change is inevitable, it is not always welcomed. Changes in the workplace affect more than our work lives. They impact our families, self-care, relationships and much more.

When you started in your management position what was your initial objective? For most of us, we dove into the technical work. We identified the big projects and how we could help keep them on time and within the budget. We focused on the technical challenges and the financial picture.

When you are leading others, have you ever considered who are you as a leader? Your leadership point of view can help you stay aligned with your values and build trust and respect between you and your team members.