Simon Gray's Blog, page 9

Comfort zone – prison or promised land?

As human beings we all have a comfort zone. This is the people we know, the places we go and the things we’re used to doing. By definition it’s the place we feel most comfortable, where we feel safe and where it can be all too tempting to get stuck.

I’ve long believed that personal growth, development and advancement usually occur after a period of discomfort. To acquire new skills or experience we have to be prepared to go where we’ve not been before. We have to step out of our comfort zone...

Three magic ingredients – entrepreneurship, resilience and communication!

Last week, at the invitation of Futures Advice, Skills and Employment, I had the privilege to open Arnold Hill Academy’s employability day. My brief was to provide an inspiring and motivational talk to encourage just over 200 pupils to make the most of the opportunity ahead of them. Not an easy task to keep such a large group of 14 year-old pupils engaged and entertained for 30 minutes – so what to talk about?

I decided to focus on three key areas that are at the heart of the Career Codex met...

What does it really take to find success in the executive job market?

As a former professional recruiter and founding director of Career Codex, one of the first questions I’m asked by potential clients is: ‘Can you help with my CV please?’ The answer of course is ‘yes’, but it’s not really the right question to be asking. Your CV, while an important document is no ‘magic pill’. To find and secure the position you really want and not just the one you see advertised takes so much more.

Success in the job market is about both the willingness and ability to stand o...

Is a career change really possible?

One of the questions I’m asked most often is: ‘Simon, is it possible to change career?’ Usually someone who hates their job asks this question and digging deeper I often find that the reason for this is that they never chose their job in the first place. They did what most of us (including me in the past) have done at some point in our lives – they fell into it!

If you didn’t choose the job you’re in, then should it really come as any surprise if you don’t enjoy it? Not choosing means not tak...

‘The Apprentice’ – good for your career, bad for business?

As‘Apprentice’fever grips the nationwhat lessons can we learn about careers and business?

Before delving into this topic, it’s worth remembering that The Apprentice is first and foremost a TV reality show – and that means it’s primary role is entertainment ahead of education!

On a positive note though, I personally think that the show has raised the profile of entrepreneurship as a career opportunity to a younger generation, and that can only be a good thing. Looking back on my own experience...

Executive job search – are you at a digital disadvantage?

Early yesterday morning I heard a shocking statistic while listening to BBC Radio 4 on my drive to the office. According to a recent report from Go.On UK, 1 in 4 people in the UK don’t have the digital skills to prosper in the digital era and what’s more to get a job!

As someone who has embraced the Internet and all of the opportunities it presents I find this staggering and also very worrying. A digital exclusion heat map has been produced that is being backed by the BBC’s Make It Digital pr...

Revolutionising careers and employability training – we’re almost there!

This week I’m back in Stroud with the team from MMO UK and Learning Nexus, filming the final instalment of the Career Codex careers and employability course.

Following the publication of my first book, Super Secrets of the Successful Jobseeker I’ve been determined to bring the experience gained from over ten years in the recruitment industry to life through video. Aimed at 17 – 25 year olds this will be the most comprehensive employability course on the market to help young people leaving sch...

Persistence pays – lucky number 37!

Persistence pays off– the trick is to keep taking action until you get the result you want. Unfortunately, many people give up way before, and then make excuses to justify their decision.

As Billy Ocean once said – ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going!’ Now, of course there’s two ways to interpret this – theyrun a mile or get stuck in!

A venture into Wikipedia tells me that ‘the tough’ means people who are strong and enduring and ‘get going’ means become fully engaged. I’ve also le...

Three mistakes executives should never make!

At the end of last week I launched my new book, Super Secrets of Successful Executive Job Search: Everything you need to know to find and secure theexecutive position you deserve.

Having left the recruitment industry at the end of October 2013, I’ve spent the last two years working with senior executives on a private 1-1 basis to help them clearly define the executive opportunity they want, then shown them how tofind and secure this opportunity ahead of their competition.Working on a 1-1 basi...

One life – forget “I coulda’ been a contender!”

Working with jobseekers at all levels and from all industry sectors I’ve recognised that procrastination and perfection are two traits that regularly hold people back from the career change they desire.

Often these traits or characteristics exist in their subconscious mind and are linked to historic and disempowering beliefs.

It’s only through coaching and the process of becoming self-aware that these characteristics can be brought into the conscious mind, where they can be challenged and cha...