Hi, there lovely readers – a big thank you for following my blog! Oh! And while on the subject of ‘thank you’s’ – let’s talk about how valuable a simple thank-you can be in the world of work (after all, this year’s focus is on lovin’ that career of yours!). To the network friend who interrupted their busy schedule to respond to your question. To your new LinkedIn friend for making the effort to connect with you. To the recruiter who positioned you for an opportunity. To the interviewers who took the time to interview you.

My interviewers?

Yes, your interviewers! Sure you might have shaken hands and thanked the panel on the way out the door, patted yourself on the back for acing the interview and are now settling down to await the verdict – but you’re not done yet!

Would it surprise you to know that most hiring managers pay very close attention to how well (and how rapidly) you write a thank you email after the interview? Yes, that thank you may just synch the deal!

Prove it!

Geraldine had diligently crafted robust, quantified responses to questions she’d likely be asked as she prepared to interview for a Chief Financial Officer role. Our coaching session went well, and as I walked her to the door, she asked, ‘any last-minute tips?‘ ‘Don’t forget that follow up note, let me know how it goes and…good luck!’

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Hi, there lovely readers! I’m right in the middle of planning and supporting the delivery of multiple, simultaneous initiatives including career planning, change management and wellbeing sessions for several multinational clients. This in addition to our usual career transition work. Fun, exhaustive, a lesson in restraint when stress kicks in (thank goodness for a great team, wine and yoga!) and all perfectly aligned with my purpose – to help people find theirs. And an excellent resource for the blog’s 2019 focus – your job.

Having just delivered the first Career Planning session to a group of switched-on HR professionals, I was delighted to hear that several were already working on career goals. One devoting four hours monthly to reviewing how she might further develop her existing strengths, build new ones and onboard her strategy with her leader. She had aligned her capabilities to both the goals of the organisation and her five-year career plan. A session objective role-model.

Statistics say we spend more time planning our holidays than our careers, yet, given we spend 40+ of our 168 hours per week in our jobs, it would pay to take a leaf from my role-model’s book. The first step is to consider the power of your purpose, a key element to enjoying career satisfaction. A few questions to consider:

What’s my purpose?

• Do I wake up most Mondays feeling energised to go to work?
• Do I feel a personal calling for my work?
• Am I clear about how I measure my personal success?
• Do I use my gifts and add real value to people’s lives?
• Do I work with people who honour the values I value?
• Am I experiencing real joy in my work?
• Am I making a living doing enough of what I most love to do?
• Do I feel personally satisfied with what I’ve accomplished?
• Do I go to sleep most nights feeling this day was well-lived?

If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to a majority of these questions, excellent! If, on the other hand, you find yourself sighing, a time to reflect on the following:

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