Tag Archives: networking

I’m a big fan of mentoring for individuals to help them with their career development. Mentors tend to be someone you can talk to about your plans, set goals with, and get ideas and encouragement from on how to achieve those goals. Often mentors come from within your organisation (if you are employed) and they’re usually more senior than you, although occasionally people may seek out a mentor from outside their organisation (maybe from a sector they are keen to move into). Mentors can be motivating, supportive, help clarify ideas, and give you a different (and helpful!) perspective on the issues you may be facing in your job or in progressing your career.

But I recently came across a really interesting blog post from a few years ago that I wanted to share with you. It suggests enlisting the help of a ‘sponsor’ to support your career development, someone who will actively promote your career development within an organisation. I’ve copied a quote from the post below.

But what’s the difference between a mentor and a sponsor? Heather Foust-Cummings, a vice president with Catalyst Research Center for Equity in Business Leadership, explained it this way: “A mentor will talk with you, but a sponsor will talk about you.”

The blog talks about what you can do to enlist the support of a sponsor and why it’s a good thing to do. I’d recommend it as a really interesting read if you want to progress your career with your current employer.

The People Who Can Open More Career Doors Than You Ever Thought Possible

Going Global – researching employers outside the UK

November 17, 2016

smaguire

One of my colleagues recently gave a short demo on a resource we’ve had at the Careers Service for a while. It’s called Going Global and it provides a way of finding out about living and working in different parts of the world. I was amazed at all the different things you can use the resource for so I thought I’d mention some of them here.

It has career and employment information for over 30 countries.
Has detailed information on the USA where it covers 50 cities.
Use the employer directory to search for employers in a specific industry sector in a particular country
Find out which websites are good for finding advertised jobs, again in a particular country
Good section on working in non-profit and voluntary organisations in different countries
Gives details of professional bodies or business organisations which can be a useful source of information and provide networking opportunities
Advice on what’s expected in a CV or resume for that country

There’s lots more of interest on there but I’d suggest you explore if you are interested in working outside the UK, or indeed if you’re already located outside the UK. If you want to get the best out of Going Global I suggest you watch the training video which you can access from the left hand menu when you’re in the resource.

And how do you access Going Global? You’ll find it under ‘Careers Service Resources‘ on MyEd.

Could a difficult relationship with your boss impact on a future reference?

August 17, 2016

Carol Macdonald

Applications No Comments

When applying for a new role we all hope that we will be given a positive and supportive reference by our current, or previous, line manager. However, even the most conscientious and easy going individual can have an occasional difficult working relationship. So, what do you do if you have not always seen eye to eye with your line manager?

A good first step is to talk to them. Tell them about your plans, your motivation for the roles you are seeking, and ask them what kind of reference they would provide for you. You may find that they are much more supportive than you expect. Asking them for a copy of the reference they will provide may also allay your fears. If they are prepared to focus on your strengths and achievements you will no doubt be reassured.

An alternative approach is simply to ask someone else to write a reference for you. This could be a colleague you have worked with closely either on a day-to-day basis or on a specific project. You may have plenty of people who could do this for you and would be happy to comment on you work ethic, professionalism, knowledge and ability.

Bear in mind that professional references do not have to be written by a direct work colleague. You could approach other industry professionals who know you well, or maybe even contacts from clubs or voluntary bodies in which you participate or volunteer. And, of course, don’t forget that you can also ask your academic supervisor who will have got to know you and watch you develop throughout your degree.

Regardless of who you decide to approach, ensure that they are clear about what you are applying for, why you are interested, and what makes you suitable for this role. You may wish to remind them of some of your most relevant knowledge, experience and skills. It can also be helpful to forward them a copy of your application.

Middle-aged interns

July 5, 2016

Carol Macdonald

Career Management Researching careers No Comments

It’s not unusual to associate internships, or structured work placements, with young undergraduate students. A large percentage of this group do undertake internships and find them to be an excellent way to develop relevant workplace experience, gain contacts in the sector they wish enter and to check out their career ideas. However if you think that internships are only for this group, you are mistaken. Many postgraduate students also take advantage of internships – and age is no barrier.

If you are unsure about whether an internship could be a realistic option, you may gain some encouragement from a BBC article ‘The rise of the middle-aged intern’ by Kate Stanton Business reporter. This provides examples of how middle aged professionals have used internships as a way to remarket themselves and to start a new phase of their working lives.

More information on internships and work experience, and how to find them, can be found on the Careers Service website.

Leadership – what makes a good manager?

February 17, 2016

Carol Macdonald

Events Leadership No Comments

Welcome to Innovative Learning Week – day 3

Does your current role involve managing staff or leading project groups? If not at present, could this be the case in the future?

Leadership ability is an important issue for professionals in all employment sectors and something which many employers place near the top of their ‘wish list’ when recruiting staff.

We all have views on what makes a good leader, but how similar are these views? While some of you may have read extensively around this subject, or have undertaken management training, I suspect that many of you will base judgements on your own personal experience. We can all reflect on how the actions of our line managers and supervisors impact on our motivation, energy and confidence.

So, what in your opinion makes a good manager?

I hope that you will find it helpful to share your views on this on Twitter. But first, here are some thoughts and ideas from the ODL graduates who have been helping us with this week’s event. We asked them the following questions:

What in your opinion makes a good manager?

A good manager gets involved with your work, is able to discuss options and ideas with you, knows your strengths and weaknesses.
A good manager shows consistency in making the right decisions and when he/she goes wrong accepts to be corrected.
Supportive; good listener; fair; decisive.
A manager who gives leg room to staff, allows staff to exploit their abilities and potential.
I guess my PhD supervisors are managers of a sort, and they are both excellent. They are receptive to my ideas but lay out possible directions I can take if I get stuck.
A good manager listens, is understanding, remains calm in a crisis and acts decisively.
A great manager is always in control of the situation. Even in difficult times, he/ she never loses temper and is always able to motivate their employees.

What opportunities have you taken to develop your leadership skills?

Training and openness to new ideas.
Volunteering as well as on the job training.
I’m hopefully about to start a student environmental journal. So that!
Take the chance to lead when you can – group work with colleagues, leading a workshop or session in a conference, etc.
Taken several corporate leadership training opportunities while at work, and embracing working with and listening to role models and mentors.

You can take part in the linked Twitter discussion at: twitter.com/uofedcareers #EdODLcareers

Follow Career Connect to access tomorrow’s Innovative Learning Week blog post.

Pitch perfect – developing a successful elevator pitch

September 2, 2015

Carol Macdonald

Networking No Comments

We all encounter situations when we have only a fleeting opportunity to introduce ourselves to someone we’d like to make contact with and / or impress. My colleague, Susan Bird, offers advice on how to make the most these opportunities:

elevator picture

You’re at a conference or CPD seminar and have just grabbed a sandwich. You’ve just realised that one of the speakers who is influential in your field is also grabbing a sandwich. You have a brief opportunity to introduce yourself in a way that could open up some interesting conversations. So, what do you say?

An elevator pitch is a marketing principle based on the idea of how you would pitch a business, product or service to someone in the time of a quick elevator ride but it can be used equally well to talk succinctly about yourself. It can be used in a variety of professional situations such as conferences, networking events and in interviews.

For many of us, this can feel a bit out of our comfort zone but it’s an important part of professional networking and one that can pay dividends in terms of making an impact and being remembered for all the right reasons.

Being confident about what you say and how you say it is a skill that improves with practice, although some preparation in advance always helps especially as the whole principle hangs on your pitch being 30-60 seconds. So before your next event, start by thinking:

Who could you be talking to and what might be of most interest to them about you?
Why do you want to talk to them? What are you trying to achieve?

Seven steps to a good elevator pitch

Start with your name and course/work you are doing
Come up with two or three key points you might want to get across about yourself, your experience and what you are interested in (…what you are developing as a result of ODL course could make you stand out…)
End with a call to action – are you looking for advice? Scope to collaborate on a project or dissertation? An introduction to others in their sector?
Write everything down
Practice actually saying this – a lot – in a mirror, on your phone or webcam, with friends – before you attend any events until you feel a bit more confident but keep the tone conversational.
Keep it under 60 seconds
Finish with a question to get the conversation going

Find out more about elevator pitches at:

1)http://idealistcareers.org/a-quick-guide-to-writing-your-elevator-pitch-with-examples/

2) http://www.wikihow.com/Develop-Your-Personal-Elevator-Pitch