So, you’ve decided it’s time to look for the next job, perhaps like many of my current clients you have been overlooked for promotion for too long and you know it’s time to make a change. Perhaps you are in a job that doesn’t fit with family life anymore. Perhaps, like me, you have been out of the corporate world for quite some time now and you are thinking of getting back onto the hamster wheel. Some of you might have itchy feet and getting ready to do a big international move. Maybe you had a baby recently and feel completely disoriented when it comes to work/ life balance and how to handle a return to work. Whatever your circumstances, lower or higher-level positions, freelance, corporate, overseas or at home – no matter what, you are all going to follow roughly the same pattern and have the same concerns.

Usually I am super motivated, I love looking back on last year’s achievements and planning the year to come. After all, it is my job to motivate others with their work/life plans. However, 2022 has been an extraordinary year, for me personally and for the people around me. As the world grapples with the ongoing Covid pandemic, it feels like everyone around me is struggling with their physical and mental health.

If you don’t know what big changes are in the pipeline you could feel very much in limbo, hoping for something which doesn’t seem to be happening, but not knowing what to do next. Well I can empathise with you. It is something I have not managed particularly well myself!

Thinking of making the move overseas? I have extensive personal experience of living and working abroad and I believe it is one of the most enriching educational experiences you can ever undertake. It requires a great deal of confidence, breaking the fear factor barrier and wading through lots of bureaucracy but it’s (almost) always worth it!

Last week on the 3rd of the 3rd after a long 3 years and 3 months, I boarded my first long haul flight in what seemed like an eternity for an avid traveller, en route to Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A city in a country I have never ever set foot in before. Time, once again, for a change of pace.

Right now I am sitting on a terrace in the South of France enjoying the 20-degree February sunshine. My base is my home here and my office is located in a round tower of the house overlooking the Pyrenees. This morning I have been to Dubai to discuss the complexities of tax consultancy and submit paperwork to an executive assistant for one of the biggest Fortune 500 companies in the world

As I close 2021 and write up my new diary for 2022 I can’t help but think about what I can do to kickstart the year in an organised way. Some people believe you shouldn’t put pressure on yourself by creating goals and new year’s resolutions which may or may not be broken immediately. However I am a big fan of drawing a line under the past and planning the way forward – in a sustainable and realistic manner.

When I did my round up last year I started off talking about how much the covid pandemic had affected us personally, from a business perspective, and the effect on those around us. I hardly expected that 2021 we would still be suffering quite so much for the same reason.

As we near the end of 2021 and with less than 8 weeks until Christmas, it is the perfect time to take a look back and redefine your future goals. For me, this is an opportune moment to make significant changes in the way we work before we move into a fresh, new look 2022!

Personally I have spent a long time finding what I wanted to do in life. It’s been a long journey and I have gained invaluable skills and experience. However, I really wish I’d had somebody who could have directed me better when I was younger. So now I want to be able to do for others something that wasn’t available to me - to be able to help people find their career paths and open up their horizons.

It’s all over the news and I’ve seen plenty with my own eyes over the past few weeks and months – the rise of the Job Scam. With the pandemic still rife, job vacancies in the UK at an all time high, and the ‘Great Resignation’ in full swing, it’s no surprise that scammers and fraudsters would take advantage of the moment to get rich quick.

Women over 50 – have they really been cast aside by the labour market?

I’ve gone backwards and forwards about writing this blog, but it’s a topic that continues to be raised by my clients.

Maybe it’s been a while since your last interview or you have never actually had a formal interview. Many clients simply feel more confident going into interview when they have spent a little extra time preparing for it with someone experienced in this process.

If you are serious about succeeding with your Linked In Profile you need to sit down and really concentrate your efforts on your Personal Branding. This is how you promote your sense of ‘self’ – your skills, experience, and characteristics. Think about creating an online reputation for yourself that potential customers and employers will want to buy into.

One cold winter’s evening I was sat in my freezing cold car eating a cheese sandwich for my evening meal, a sandwich I had made at 6am before leaving to go to my first job of the day. Having eaten lunch and dinner on the hop, I then went to work my evening shift and try to get home at 11pm. Enough was enough - but what could I do to make life better?

I have been working with one of my clients for almost a year. She recently identified an advert for her dream job and when I looked at the Job Description I agreed - the position could have been designed with her in mind. She didn’t rest on her laurels though and in fact, I have never seen anyone prepare to apply for a position as well as her.