Best of the Changeboard blog 15/06/2012

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The year 1994 was a real turning point for Chris Rawlins. A high flying city trader who had led the hedonistic lifestyle; partying, wearing pin stripe suits and red braces, found himself throwing it all in. He no longer enjoyed the thrill of chasing the money. So, he took himself out of his comfort zone and ended up volunteering for Bridge Partnership for six months, which took him down a totally different, unexpected career path that changed his life forever. Natalie Cooper reveals.

“Don’t hang around,” advises Chris. “Consider forward planning your exit; if you need to re-train, go to night school, look at setting up your own business at weekends, and do your market research...Super tankers don’t just change course. They are so big they have to calculate the turn from miles out and implement it gradually. Your career is the same.”

Your feedback:

Marcus Jamieson-Pond: “Interesting article. I left the City last Summer as a result of redundancy. Did I see it coming? Probably. Did I have a strategy in place to transition to something else. Not really. After 25 years in the corporate world I thought the only thing I could do was to get back into a pin-stripe suit – but found every door closed due to being ‘too senior’ or having the ‘wrong experience’.

“After 6 months of feeling that I had reached retirement age in my late forties, I realised that I actually had something else to build on and maybe that could be another route for me – I had set up a network of social innovators/CSR people in October 2009 called Convergence in response to a frustration with some of the other networks that put up barriers to participation. My advice to people is to get another string to your bow if you are going to rough it out in corporate life – you never know when you may need it.”

Sharon Clews: “Great article. Like Chris and Marcus I ‘saw the light’. Mine took a challenge then an illness to shift my focus. I read blogs, Facebook posts and Tweets daily about how busy people are doing things they hate. What a lovely lesson from Chris and Marcus. It is about risk (a love of mine!) and it is about fear. Ask yourself, what is the worst thing that could happen? Obviously it’s death. Failing that, anything else must be better than doing what makes you miserable. Thanks Chris (and Marcus, I have already Googled Convergence!)”

Steve Nicholls: “This story speaks volumes about exploring your options fully, and being adventurous and open minded (and brave!). Anyone in a potential career change situation who is reading this to stop right now! Take a step back, sit down, and take the time to explore ‘you’. Be open minded, and in the mode of ‘constant enquiry’, and your calling will find you.”

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Q: Hello, I work for a small company. We are currently recruiting new talent. I was wondering, what is the appropriate or recommended attire for interviewers? I’ve found countless articles that discuss the interviewee’s dress, but very limited information for employers. Thanks.

Jonathan Wiles, director at Michael Page Human Resources, offers this advice:

“It’s all down to your company’s day-to-day dress code and setting realistic expectations of life in the office for a potential new employee. If you arrive to interview a candidate and you’re wearing a full suit, but you normally wear jeans to work, the type of day-to-day working environment may not be portrayed accurately to someone who is investigating joining your team.

“Think about how you (and your organisation) want to be perceived by someone you’d like to hire, and dress to reflect that when you meet them for an interview. If the environment is heavily client-facing, for example, and your clients expect to see your employees in formal work wear, then arrive at the interview in a suit. But, if jeans and t-shirts are the norm in the office and you want to portray a more casual atmosphere, mirror this in your interview outfit.”

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In this Q&A, Sharon Eden, inner leadership coach and psychotherapist talks about how receiving a whack around the head is a deliberate call to make you wake up so you can (re)discover your purpose, passion and power. She also talks about the personal cost of avoiding or ignoring our warning signs or staying within your own unhealthy comfort zone.

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Women’s secret weapon to success in juggling home & work

With the expectation that today’s female leaders need to be able to show that they can truly ‘do it all’, Nicky Garcea, director at organisational psychology firm Capp, explores the impact of the need to be a ‘juggler’ has on female talent development and well-being, and highlights ways that ‘doing less’, but thinking more strategically about using strengths can be a women’s secret weapon to success...

Your feedback:

Jan Floyd-Douglass: “Really love the article, Nicky, and it totally resonates with the challenges faced in my career and for most of the women I have mentored/am mentoring. Mentoring often seems to need to provide; swift just-in-time advice to a life, work or career challenge; a useful, diverse and wide network that the mentor would be willing to connect the person being mentored with; advocacy or sponsorship (mainly internal mentors) and ‘I’ve been there’ mentoring platform in order for the knowledgeable, experienced female mentor to reassure, build confidence and increase the motivation of the other.”

Rachel McKenzie: “A very interesting read Nicky. I find it fascinating that we still feel the need to be ‘superwoman’. Certainly your comments in relation to understanding your own strength and focusing upon utilising these to perform consistently, resonate. It would appear that those women who have succeeded in achieving career goals and aspirations have learnt to be honest about their skills and qualities, and use these to their advantage. Your article has encouraged me to take the time to appreciate what I do well and I shall be less reluctant to engage the opinion of others to help me uncover my strengths.”

Should an employee go for a promotion if she is pregnant? By Isabella Brusati
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A couple of months ago I was reading a glossy fashion magazine and I was amazed when I came across an article that literally crucified women who do not disclose their pregnancy to their current or future employer when applying for a new role. Just a few months ago, Lord Sugar reported that pregnant women should disclose this ‘particular’ during interviews. It is the old adage: pregnant women are a burden for a company. Is this really the case?

HR or thought leader expert?
Please contact our editor: natalie@changeboard.com

Recruiter or from the ad agency?
Please contact our deputy editor: mary@changeboard.com

We look forward to hearing your thoughts...
Natalie & Mary