Chances are if you’ve ever applied for a sales role, or are planning to, you’ll have come across this question. And hated it! “Sell me this pen” is the interview question perhaps most-famous for being featured in the film Wolf of Wall Street. It’s an age-old request, but often comes as a surprise and is [Read more…]
Public speaking is a subject that can strike fear into people’s hearts – so we thought we would ask some members of the alumni group for their own pearls of wisdom on the topic. If you have a fear of speaking in front of people or need help perfecting your elevator pitch you can learn a [Read more…]
Being assertive is not about being overly aggressive and forceful. In fact, it’s almost the opposite. Assertiveness is the ability to get your point across in a clear, confident, diplomatic manner that makes people want to listen to you, rather than forcing them to. “Assertiveness involves advocating for yourself in a way that is [Read more…]
Being prepared for an interview is extremely important. Almost everyone has a different opinion on how to interview well. However, whilst there’s plenty of advice out there, it pays to be discerning as to which bits you follow and which bits you don’t. We scoured the internet for the ‘classic’ interview tips it’s probably best [Read more…]
Plenty of former students of Derby College have shown how to get a qualification and have a career alongside having a family. With the growth in the number of employers offering flexible working patterns, part-time opportunities, plus greater support, it’s possible to balance the needs of a family with your career and learning ambitions. We [Read more…]
Forget having just one career. A portfolio career is where an individual works on several projects for different organisations. It’s similar to traditional freelancing, but portfolio workers often have lots of different strings to their bow, utilising several skills or talents to cherry-pick multiple career ‘strands.’ The Career Shifters website suggests two key reasons why [Read more…]
Not everyone finds it easy to walk into a crowded room and introduce themselves to strangers. Nor does everyone understand how to navigate their way around a business social network without making an etiquette faux pas. If you’re one of these people who finds the whole business of networking a bit overwhelming and more than [Read more…]
The rise of the start-up phenomenon has also seen the rise of buzzwords, abbreviations and lingo that can sometimes be hard to keep up with. Forbes.com argues that “Buzzwords wind up in TED Talks, pitch meetings and every tech journalist’s inbox in-between. “Jargon started out as a shorthand for business — special words or expressions [Read more…]
There are a few good reasons to quit your job, and each requires a different approach. Here’s some advice on resigning respectfully, on amicable terms and with a good reference, no matter which of the following scenarios apply to your situation. Remember, the decision to resign should never be taken lightly. It’s important to take [Read more…]
Overused and unoriginal phrases are a great way to see your CV get tossed aside, no matter how qualified you are for the job. Your recruiter or potential employer sees countless CVs over the course of the hiring process; since the start of the pandemic there has been a huge rise in the number of [Read more…]