… and it all starts with self-belief

October 14th 2011

How you think and feel about yourself is central to the enjoyment of your work. There is a fundamental cause-and-effect link between: self-confidence, self-belief and self-worth and the achievement of outstanding career success, fulfilment of true potential, happiness and contentment.

Rationale

• Limitation is self-imposed – usually as a result of early life experiences.
• The more self-limitation is reduced, the more you will achieve.
• The first step is to recognise these limitations (not easy on your own).
• Fear is the major factor, which blocks your path to achievement.
• Learn how to recognise fear – then learn how you can manage it and channel it to open up the path to satisfaction and fulfilment.

Achievers

• There are high-achievers and under-achievers.
• High-achievers do not recognise failure.  They see 'failure' simply as not achieving the desired result and an opportunity to try a different way.
• High-achievers do not 'make mistakes'.  They 'benefit from learning experiences'.

Your mind

Our minds are programmable much like a computer.  Beliefs are part of our mental programming.  You can learn how to change your mental programme and stop being controlled by your negative mental 'mind chatter'.

The more you see yourself as a winner, the more you will achieve – both in your career and your life – where you will experience true fulfilment, happiness and contentment.

A forward-looking approach is everything – never look back, except to benchmark, in order to learn from your experiences.

The UK picture

Reliable estimates indicate that 80% of executives are well below the level of self-belief and self-confidence that allows them to build a successful career and achieve their true potential.

If you are part of, and remain in, that 80%, neither the achievement of your career advancement nor the realisation of your ambitions can ever be met.

Even those who have a higher level of self-belief need help in shifting elements of doubt.  This is always true for ambitious people, who habitually stretch themselves to operate close to their natural capability.

Your Consultant

I recognise it is my top priority to help my clients achieve high levels of self-belief and self-confidence.  This is, above all, the value I can add to your future.

I have been lucky enough to acquire, over many years, the qualities, knowledge and experience to help you make marked progress in this crucial area.

Progress is usually remarkably rapid.  Strikingly positive change can be achieved in a few weeks or sometimes in a few hours!

Such personal growth is a continuous process that needs to be worked on over a period of time until you achieve powerful self-belief.  Then success follows success after success after...

Conclusion

 Success does not create self-belief.  It is the other way round.  Success is born out of self-belief and can then be used to help sustain that self-belief.

My goal is to help you achieve levels of self-belief and confidence, which will give you the success, fulfilment, and happiness that you deserve.

The Job Hunting Challenge of the Recession

September 21st 2011

The Executive Job Market since late 2008 has shrunk dramatically.  There are now far fewer opportunities out there being chased by tens of thousands and it’s tough.  It’s all too easy to get demoralised and despondent.

So what are the implications for the Job Hunter in these troubled times?

• The art of Self Marketing as a skill to be learnt has never been more important.  It is a mind set, a way of thinking, requiring audacity, courage and being different from your competitors.  It is not a time for modesty and self deprecation.
•  Knowing how to promote, sell and market yourself is now more vital than ever.  Presentation on paper and face-to-face is king.
• You need a powerful CV and an influential set of marketing letters to get you through the door. 
• You need to develop Know How and attitude to promote yourself persuasively when you are in front of employers.
• You need to be extremely proactive in the hidden job market where the bulk of opportunities are found.
• Headhunters/Recruiters are in most cases the least effective way to get a job.
  • Above all, you need strong belief in yourself, great resilience and determination, and to push yourself as hard as you ever pushed anything  in your life.

Memories of a Job Hunter during previous recessions

July 25th 20011

My name is Simon Scantlebury and I am a Senior Executive Career Coach with Appleby Associates.

As you will see, I can write on the above with significant personal experience, having been unemployed during two previous recessions.

1974

The country was on a 3-day week due to power shortages caused by a miners’ strike and by a global oil crisis.

I had managed to resign after 14 years with BAT (the last 12 in Africa) to arrive back in the UK to be greeted by a National State of Emergency!  I remember my first interview in Central London was conducted by candlelight!

None the less, I generated 5 job offers in 4 months, had at least 20 interviews and, with one exception, all job offers were in industries in which I had no experience, food, chemicals, plastics moulding and fridge manufacturing!  In addition, I had been outside the UK for 12 years.

1992

Three million unemployed and again with my impeccable sense of timing, I left my last corporate employer, Bacardi-Martini, into an apparent waste land for jobs.  Not so.

Again, I generated at least 6 interviews/meetings until I decided to target the Career Management Industry.

I approached 12 companies with offices in Hampshire (I refuse to work in London) and had meetings with 8, with 4 leading to the possible outcome of a job in an industry in which I had no experience.  I took one and dropped the other 3.

Conclusion

Simple – with the right attitude and mind set and the right self marketing tools, the jobs are out there – you just got to go and find them!

Attitude, Potential and Your Future

June 15th 2011

You have unlimited potential!  The only limit to your potential is self imposed and imaginary, based on false beliefs about yourself.  These beliefs, and remember a belief is merely information accepted as true, determine your attitude and

Attitude Determines Destiny

In all things our attitude will determine what we do and how we do it.

Performance Potential – What you can learn to do is virtually limitless.  However many people cut themselves off from their potential by accepting that they are not good enough - therefore they can't so - they don't.

Performance Capability – What you can do is limited to what you have learned to do.  The more you learn the greater the field of opportunity that opens up for you.  Many people are trapped by their own sense of incompetence.  Break free of your self imposed limitations, learn as much as you can about as much as you can.

Actual Performance – What you will do, and how you do it is dependant on your emotional state, your attitude, at the time.  How you feel about, yourself, what you are doing, who you are doing it for, who you are doing it with, where you are doing it, when you are doing it and most importantly why you are doing it, will determine your performance.  While you cannot always choose your work or your circumstances, you can and you should consciously choose your attitude and response to the situation.

People DO have all the internal resources that they need.  They just do not access these resources because they do not believe that they have them or they do not believe that they are deserving or good enough.

To access your resources start using ‘possibility’ thinking rather than ‘impossibility’ thinking.  Start seeing yourself as a worthwhile person capable of making a positive difference and a meaningful contribution.  Realise that if one person can do it you can learn to do it.

The bottom line is that it all depends on your attitude towards yourself - and this is something that, with our help, you can learn to change, shape and control.

Public Sector Redundancy - What you need to know

by Marcus  Alexander (Managing Director, Appleby Associates)

31st May 2011

With the cuts in the public sector starting to bite, many employed within this sector are for the first time having to confront the possibility or reality of redundancy.

This article from last weeks Guardian, lays down the first steps in confronting what for many will be a confusing and stressful time.

Appleby's career consultants are highly experienced in helping senior public sector employees plan their next career move and reach their career goals.

The full article can be read here.

CNN  - Time to move your career moves to perfection

4th February 2011

Appleby MD Marcus Alexander talks to CNN's Mathew Knight about the impact timing can have when planning your career change.