Five Connections Worth Knowing About. You might remember Derby College as the place where you studied for A-levels, picked up a trade, or figured out what came next. But alongside all that teaching and learning, there’s another side to the College that often flies under the radar – a steady, behind-the-scenes role supporting businesses [Read more…]
Why Showing Up Consistently Beats Showing Off. Ask any manager what they actually value most in their team and the answer is almost never “the most exciting person in the room.” It’s usually the one who does what they say they’ll do, when they said they’d do it. Reliability is the quiet career skill [Read more…]
Think negotiation only happens when there’s a salary on the table? Last month, we looked at the art of asking for what you’re worth in a pay conversation. But consider this: you’re already negotiating – every single day – and you probably don’t even realise it. That conversation where you convinced your manager to push [Read more…]
In previous bulletins, we’ve looked at how to deliver difficult feedback without damaging relationships and how to handle criticism when it comes your way. But for many people, the bigger problem is something different altogether: not getting any meaningful feedback at all. If your annual review is the only time anyone tells you how you’re [Read more…]
How to Disagree at Work (Without Making Enemies) Nobody enjoys conflict. But there’s an important difference between conflict and disagreement – and learning to handle the second one well could be one of the most valuable skills you develop. Whether you’re in a team meeting, a project group, a study seminar, or a one-to-one with [Read more…]
Think about the last time you struggled with something at work. Did you ask for help, or did you spend hours trying to figure it out alone? Most of us default to the second option. We’ve been taught – sometimes explicitly, often implicitly – that asking for help signals incompetence. Capable people, we believe, work [Read more…]
The start of a new year is a popular time to reassess your career, so if you’re considering a fresh start, you’re joining millions of others doing the same. But if you haven’t been through the job search process for a few years, it’s worth knowing that the hiring landscape has shifted significantly. Some changes [Read more…]
Whether they’re taking time for family responsibilities or combining work and study, more and more people are working part-time: research shows that in the third quarter of 2025, 8.6m workers have part-time hours, and the figures continue to rise. Choosing to work in this way provides some major benefits, primarily flexibility, which helps balance personal and professional commitments. [Read more…]
Online video interviews have become a standard part of the hiring process. Whether you’re applying for a fully remote position or a hybrid role, mastering this format is becoming essential. However, whilst they’re convenient, video interviews can present some unique challenges in effectively communicating your personality and qualifications. We checked out some expert tips [Read more…]
Being creative has been proven to benefit your health and happiness in a number of ways – and you don’t have to be an amazing artist or creative genius to reap the rewards. Here we explore exactly how, by engaging in creative activities, can improve your wellbeing and some of the creative short courses you [Read more…]