It won't have escaped your notice that today is International Women's Day. Perhaps, as you made breakfast this morning, the radio was full of declarations of solidarity and high hopes for progress. Perhaps your colleagues are full of renewed vigour and enthusiasm this week about the importance of gender equality in your organisation. Perhaps you took an extra moment today as you waved your daughters off to their swimming lessons to think about how their lives were going to unfold. Whether you're feeling fired up or concerned about the work still to be undertaken, International Women's Day is a time when we all pause, look back over our shoulders at the breakthroughs we've already made, and look forward at the path stretching out towards the horizon.
When applying for jobs your CV (Curriculum Vitae) is often your first impression. A well-structured and polished CV can make the difference between landing an interview and being overlooked. Here’s our guide to help get you started…
LinkedIn holds a multitude of opportunities for all. Apart from the obvious job search, it also enables you to grow a relevant business network where you can also proactively reach out to business contacts to strike up conversations. You can share content for the benefit of your personal brand, and unlock other visibility opportunities such as speaking and collaborations.
By the time you read this, your New Year's resolutions may no longer be foremost in your mind. Perhaps they've quietly fallen by the wayside - or perhaps they imploded in a puff of wheatgrass-smoothie-fuelled smoke at some point last week. You may have spent the first week of January declaring that this year you'd practise the saxophone for three hours every day, only eat hand-stroked vegetables grown in the Outer Hebrides, or never argue with your teenage offspring ever again about the levels of hygiene observed in their bedrooms…
The festive period is often a time of reflection. As December rolls around, we're sometimes haunted by the ghosts of Christmasses past. Of years when the office was festooned with tinsel and the wistful tones of Mariah Carey echoed around the departmental kitchen. This can go either way, of course. You might feel a touch of nostalgia for the years when reindeer sweaters were de rigueur at your Friday morning accounts meeting. You may, on the other hand, shudder at the memory of an office Christmas lunch of lukewarm turkey and soggy sprouts. Either way, this time of year has a habit of focussing the mind on the issue of RTO - the "Return To The Office".
Career returners often fly under the radar. They’re the ninjas of the job market, stealthily filling the skills gaps you didn’t even know you had, silently bringing an abundance of experience to workplaces across the country. Without any fanfare, they provide a wealth of knowledge and invaluable assistance to leadership teams in industries nationwide. And they do it all so unobtrusively that you’ve probably never even thought about them.
You've probably read a huge amount over the years about why flexible working is great for all of us, as individuals. The newspapers talk about it. Social media outlets rave about it. The UK government itself is championing the many benefits of flex for members of the workforce. What's perhaps discussed less often - but is just as important - is why offering flexible job opportunities also makes fantastic business sense for organisations. We'd like to invite you to come with us as we dig a little deeper into the many upsides of flexibility in the workplace...
Ah, September. Month of blustery mornings. Of afternoons where the leaves crunch satisfyingly under your feet. Of endless confusion about the day on which PE kit is required. Don't you just love it?
We can't help but feel a flutter of excitement at this time of year. Possibly it's because of the sudden silence at home, or the reduced demands for snacks and screen time. Maybe you're celebrating the excuse to dig out cosy sweaters and to retreat inside with a book. Or perhaps it's the fact that the air is just that touch fresher, the colours that fraction richer. Everyone I pass is walking with a little bit more purpose in their steps. However old we are, as the new academic year rolls around, I think we all feel a little more driven - that it's time to set ourselves some new goals, and that we finally have the bandwidth and the space to achieve them.
Here at 9-2-3, we often talk about the challenges of balancing childcare with careers. Of how flexible working can help people with disabilities to access the workplace. About how flex can help older employees extend their working lives. But there's another group of employees out there whose place in the world of work is also increasingly under threat…
Greasy poles. They're famously hard to climb. But there's no doubt that the process is made a little easier by having good friends to reach down and lend you a hand, and equally, by having buddies to prop you up from below when you feel yourself losing your grip. In fact, workplace support is a huge factor in career success - mentorship can boost the likelihood of promotion five-fold…
Back when I was young and innocent, there was a woman in my department. We'll call her Emma (on the basis that that will narrow it down to approximately 100,000 women of my generation). Emma was whip-smart, hard-working and generally an all-round great person to have on our team. She often worked late, took on extra responsibilities and looked after the new graduates. Emma was also the first person at my professional services firm to work a four day week; in an office of mostly men, in the 2000s, this was A Big Deal.
