Recession, a blessing in disguise?

A contingency plan…why would we possibly need a contingency plan???

I can honestly say that the recession of the early 1990’s had no effect on my life what so ever. My father a policeman and my mother a housewife with 4 children to support, always managed, and still do live within their means. Don’t get me wrong, as children we never went without and enjoyed holidays abroad every year, we would jump into the caravan, drive through France and spend 4 weeks on the coast in Spain.

I’m the eldest of four children and I have two sisters and one brother, my sisters both live in Perth, Australia and my brother in South London, my parents retired to Spain some years ago.

I’ve always been very independent and at the age of fifteen I secured a Saturday job at with a company called Bejams or now known as Iceland Frozen Foods.

I left school in 1990 to go to work at the age of 17 and I worked for Harrods, I worked long hours and weekends too and after a year I decided that I had better things to do at weekends and wanted a 9-5 job instead!

So…back in those days I hand wrote 100 letters, sent my CV to the City Banks and started my banking career with National Australia Bank and got a taste for City Life…

I bought a brand new car at the age of 18 and my first house by the time I was 20. Everything was great and a decade later I found myself self employed and running a successful City Recruitment Business with my husband and his business partner. Life couldn’t be better.

In early 2008, the builders had moved in and had started knocking through the back of our house as planned, the kids were in full time day nursery and business was great, why would we need a contingency plan?

And then it happened, overnight, totally unexpected Lehman Brother’s collapsed and the UK followed the US into a Global Recession. Business started to dry up very fast and so did the bank account, where was our contingency plan...that’s right, we didn’t have one!

So now, I’m 35 with 2 young children to support and a modest mortgage and lifestyle to maintain.

My world was starting to crack around me. Having no income for the first time in 20 years meant that I had to make some serious changes to my life.

I sat and hoped for months and do you know what happened? That’s right nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

My confidence had been knocked sideways, my self esteem was lower than low, so what did I do?

Firstly, I had to get back my CONFIDENCE and SELF BELIEF. I had to get back on the road to success. So I wrote down my goals and started to devise a plan

Secondly, I had to identify what it was that I LOVE about my job.

Thirdly, I had to stop making excuses, doing nothing and instead change my mindset and take ACTION.

It’s been hard, probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to deal with both physically and mentally.

We are all faced with challenges at some stage in our lives and with no work for over a year, 2009 for me was definitely a life changing experience although it took me almost a year to realize!

The recession has highlighted to me what’s important in my life, where I should focus my time and energies.

And although it’s been challenging at times the time I have spent with my children has been amazing, I’ve learnt so much about myself and wouldn’t change any part of the past couple of years.

Out of the recession I created my new business Chilli Pepper, mentoring individual’s through the job seeking process when looking to move internally with their existing employer or externally with a new employer.

I’ve embraced the change and feel a whole lot better for it!

As once said by Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand in times of challenge and controversy.”

For me the recession was a blessing in disguise!

Nikki Hutchison, founder of Chilli Pepper Global http://www.chillipepperglobal.com/ advising you on every aspect of the job seeking process guiding you step by step whether you are looking to move internally or externally.

Will it always be a Man’s World?

“Some of us are becoming the men we wanted to marry!”

A couple of weeks ago I was very fortunate to be able to attend the 30th Anniversary of Women in Banking and Finance (WIBF) http://www.wibf.org.uk/ held at the House of Lords in Westminster. I listened with great interest to guest speaker and Patron, Baroness Fritichie who talked about a number of changes which have greatly improved the rights and status for women in the 21st century.

Did you know?

• It was in 1973 that women were admitted onto the floors of the London Stock Exchange for the first time.
• From 1975 it was made illegal to sack women for becoming pregnant.
• Barbara Castle as Secretary of State for Employment introduced the Equal Pay bill which was enacted in 1975 together with the Sex Discrimination Act. This Act made it illegal to discriminate against women in employment, education and training.
• In 1979 Margaret Thatcher became the first female Prime Minister.

The banking industry was soon to become one of the largest employers of women but still the number of women in senior managerial positions was less than 1%.

This figure has risen over the years and according to a recent article in the FT.com at 13.6% the UK has the sixth highest proportion of women at board level in Europe, however this figure accounts for just one woman on the board in 84% of British companies and only 17.5% have more than three so will this figure improve over the coming years?

The European Commission has warned this year that if companies did not move voluntarily to ensure gender balance on executive boards, it might force them to do so. Read the complete article http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5bbf3712-f0ec-11df-bf4b-00144feab49a.html#ixzz15Od8p6ws

Whilst it would seem that women have come a long way in a ‘Man’s World’ they still have a distance to go until they achieve equality.

Baroness Fritichie ended her speech with the following poem which she wrote about 15 years ago when she reflected on the life that she had intended to live!

Someday My Prince Will Come

Someday my prince will come they said when I was small.
Brave and true, kind and strong, handsome, dark and tall.
I’m only a woman doing my best, waiting for my turn.
Supporting, listening, smiling, nodding, and knowing I have much to learn.
Only men could do the tough stuff, telling others what to do.
I just ran the home, the kids, my job, filled the larder, cleaned the loo.
Along the way I met some stars, pretenders who didn’t tarry.
And then one day I realised I’d become the man I wanted to marry!
By Rennie Fritichie 1996

Nikki Hutchison, founder of Chilli Pepper Global http://www.chillipepperglobal.com/ advising you on every aspect of the job seeking process guiding you step by step whether you are looking to move internally or externally.

Can ENTHUSIASM really give you that edge over your competitors?

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."

What is enthusiasm? Enthusiasm is contagious. Getting excited. Being passionate. It’s one of those things that you know when you see it and other people know when you have it.

I have genuine enthusiasm and how do I know? Because I've been told over and over again and luckily for me this is something that comes natural, I'm an optimist and my glass is always half full and I'm also very passionate and get very excited about the people I choose to work with.

Over the years I've held and attended hundreds of meetings with my clients to include both employees and employers and I can't remember a single time when I've successfully assisted someone who lacked entusiasm either for the job they were hiring for or the job that they were interviewing. I can't help but to get excited for my clients and I firmly believe that YES, enthusiasm really can give you the edge over your competitors whether you are the potential employee or employer.

Enthusiasm + Passion = Rapport = Successful Professional Relationships

During an interview enthusiasm comes through in the way that you talk, your facial expressions, the way you dress and your posture.

Would you feel confident in the interviewer if they talked quietly, didn’t look you in the eye, had a weak handshake, didn't smile, slouched, and dressed like a slob?

Take a look at the following 5 techniques that will keep you focused and ensure that you come across oozing with the enthusiasm of a strong candidate whether you are looking to move internally with your existing employer or external with a new company:

1. Enthusiasm when you speak

By increasing the volume, the pitch, and the speed when you talk it will also improve your enthusiasm on the inside. Before an interview think of something you are enthusiastic about and keep this thought in your mind whenever you feel your enthusiasm is lacking.

2. Enthusiasm can become a habit

Ensure that you practice good interview habits to covey your enthusiasm to the interviewer by standing up straight, smiling, giving a firm handshake, and eye contact REMEMBER you have to believe in what you want to be enthusiastic about. If you don't believe in something, and you try to be enthused, you will come across to others as being phony. If you believe, your enthusiasm will be genuine.

3. Retaining enthusiasm in your job search

The longer you spend looking for work, the harder it can become to retain your enthusiasm for your job search. Whilst you can´t help feeling defeated at times after submitting dozens of applications and attending numerous interviews you need to find ways to motivate yourself, you have to find your inner passion again and again.

If you’ve been looking for work for a while then find an interest that you are passionate about. Even if your interest is not relevant to the job you are looking for then by spending time in the interests that you love will help give you the energy you need for your interviews

4. Retaining enthusiasm during the interview

If you no longer feel enthused with your answers or questions then the interviewer will also become bored senseless too! In each interview you need to find something to be enthusiastic about. It could be changing your answer or asking a different question. You need to show the interviewer how you will solve their problem by hiring you and above all you have to be enthusiastic about it!

5. Maintaining your enthusiasm

Before attending an interview read something that inspires you or watch a movie that gets your enthusiasm going.

Write out your goals and dreams. I have created a `Dream Chart´ with my 6 year old daughter, we’ve created a chart with pictures of things we want now and in the future. By visualising our goals and dreams each day we feel enthusiastic to take the appropriate action.

There are plenty of ways you can motivate your enthusiasm and they don’t always have to be difficult they can be simple too!

“Enthusiasm makes ordinary people extraordinary."

Nikki Hutchison, founder of Chilli Pepper Global http://www.chillipepperglobal.com/ advising you on every aspect of the job seeking process guiding you step by step whether you are looking to move internally or externally.

R is for...Rapport

“People buy people before they buy products and services”

As Sun Tzu once said, “What you believe about yourself, the world will believe about you" So, before you sell yourself in an interview you first have to sell yourself on yourself because if you don’t like you then who will?

As an employer and a recruiter I’ve been guilty of hiring and assisting those people that I initially build a good rapport with rather than those who were just technically qualified for the role. It generally takes me seconds and no more than a couple of minutes to form my opinion of someone, this may be hasty of me however I generally have faith in my initial judgment.

Ask yourself “What do people really think about me when they meet me for the first time?” Why not ask your partner, friends and especially those friends that you’ve recently acquainted or colleagues that you work with. However, be careful not to criticise their point of view on you when asking for their truthful opinion!

When attending interviews it’s important that you build a good rapport and that you make a positive first impression as you won’t get that chance again. Take a look at the following 7 points that will ensure that you make a lasting impression and help you to build a good rapport with a potential employer:

1) Eye Contact - First impressions count so smile genuinely and maintain eye contact when saying “hello” to everyone you meet including the receptionist on arrival, the security guard on the door and your interviewer and his/her PA. Build an instant rapport.

2) Shake Hands - When shaking hands avoid a limp handshake but on the reverse do not grip too hard. Practice with a friend until you feel confident that your handshake will make a good first impression

3) Dress – It’s important for you to dress appropriately for an interview. How we look is the first thing that people notice about us and looking professional and ready to start work will clearly give an edge over someone else who hasn’t made the effort. I would always encourage for you to attend both internal and external interviews in smart business dress even if you know that the company has a policy of ‘dress down’

4) Be Polite – Mind your “Ps and Qs” in other words "mind your manners", "mind your language", "be on your best behaviour" remember to say “Please” and “Thank-you” to everyone that you meet.

5) Use People’s Names – How many times have you met someone for the first time and after speaking to that person for just a few minutes you have completely forgotten their name? How often has someone you have just met spoken to you and called you by your name, how good did this make you feel? If you are someone who forgets name’s after being introduced and don’t worry as you are not alone, I too have had difficulties remembering and to overcome this frustration of mine I always ensure that when speaking to a new person that I mention their name 3 times in conversation. It takes practice so try it where ever possible.

6) Offer Compliments - If you feel it appropriate and you genuinely like the products, services or ethics of the company you are interviewing then don’t hold back or be afraid to offer a compliment as it will help you to build good rapport.

7) Authenticity and Consistency - What are your passions, desires and dreams? In order to build a good rapport you have to be real, genuine and not false. Don’t try and portray yourself as someone who you think your interviewer might want you to be. Whilst you still have to remain professional during an interview if you can’t be yourself then the company or department isn’t for you. Imagine starting a new job and having to be someone else all day. Have you ever met a colleague out of work and thought to yourself “He or She is a completely different person!”

"The only thing people judge about you is how an engagement with you makes them feel." By Seth Godin http://www.sethgodin.com/

Nikki Hutchison, founder of Chilli Pepper Global http://www.chillipepperglobal.com/ advising you on every aspect of the job seeking process guiding you step by step whether you are looking to move internally or externally.