Blue Sky Career Consulting

😳 Redundancy - it's a scary word but it doesn't define you, it doesn't define your career, and it doesn't define your future. The likelihood is that at some point in your career, you will face redundancy. So if this is happening to you right now, or you suspect may be approaching, here are some steps to take to ensure redundancy is just a smooth-sailing role change. 1️⃣ "It's me, it's not you" - said the employer! Firstly remember that it is the role that is made redundant, not the individual. Redundancy should never come as part of a performance issue, personality clash or workplace conflict. If you suspect this is the case for you, there might be other legal or HR avenues you should be investigating. 2️⃣ Check your finances and timeline When is your last day? Is there a redundancy payout? How long can you realistically be out of work? Can you take a break before starting the job search? Do you need to cut back on spending in the short term? Knowledge is power when it comes to finance. Work out your situation so you know your timelines. 3️⃣ Get clear on what's next Is this an opportunity for a change? Do you want to do the same type of work just with a new company? Or are there new ventures afoot for you? It's worth pausing to assess how much you were enjoying your previous role, and can you use this redundancy to improve your career in any way. Once we know where we are headed, it's much easier to get there. 4️⃣ Get proactive and start looking I recommend to my clients that on average 3 hours a day is a good amount of time to be spent on job searching. It's the balance between getting things done (without it becoming overwhelming and depressing) while also taking time off to recharge and enjoy your break. Pick the time of that works for you, and stick to it. 5️⃣ Ask for help when needed There are a lot of tasks to be done, often in a short period of time - resumes to update, cover letters to write, LinkedIn to be scoured, networking, recruiter calls, interviews to attend. The list goes on. Gaining support from a qualified career practitioner will enhance your job search effectiveness and provide you the guidance, knowledge and moral support to land a new role faster. If I can be of support to you, please reach out. I'd love to hear from you. #redundancy #career #outplacement

Influencers in your workplace. Who are they and why are they important? They're not always the most senior people, but they're the ones who: 👉 Speak up and share insights in meetings 👉 Build connections across all levels 👉 Have a strong reputation (for the right reasons) 👉 Share knowledge and help others succeed 👉 Navigate office politics with integrity And why is this important? Because their positive words about you can fast-track opportunities, open doors, and boost your reputation better than years of keeping your head down and working hard. Here's your challenge: Identify one positive influencer at work this week whose values align with yours, and start to build a connection with them. Start small - say hi in the lift, ask for advice on a project, or find common ground over coffee. Building relationships with these workplace influencers can open doors you didn't know existed! If you need help with your career, drop me an InMail. For more details about Influencers at Work, sign up to my weekly newsletter on my website - Blue Sky Career Consulting. #influencers #career #promotion #jobsearch

Fair Game, A Bit Cheeky, or Just Downright Unprofessional? I’ve come across this situation more times than I can remember as an Interview Coach, and I’m not a fan. The situation I'm talking about is when (often large) organisations ask job candidates to prepare presentations solving their actual current business challenges. These aren't hypothetical scenarios - they're real problems the company is actively trying to solve. The candidates are essentially being asked to create full strategic proposals as part of their interview process. The rational side of me says the company is just ensuring the candidate has a thorough understanding of the industry landscape, and how well they can strategise and solve complex problems. The sceptical side of me sees this as companies exploiting candidates for free consulting work, gathering ideas and plans from qualified candidates. What's worse, they're often gaining insider knowledge from competitors, since candidates feel pressured to share their expertise to stand out in the interview process. I've even witnessed companies take this to the extreme - conduct second and third round interviews, gather follow-up information and mine candidates for insights, only to eventually pull the job role altogether. Have you experienced this as a candidate? Are you an HR Manager who uses this tactic? Interested in your opinion - is this fair game in today's highly competitive market, or are companies crossing an ethical line? #interview #presentation #career

Do you remember your ATAR? More importantly, when was the last time someone asked you about it? Tomorrow, thousands of NSW students will receive their ATAR results - some will be thrilled, others may be disappointed. 👍 👎 🙃 It's hard at 18, with 13 years of schooling behind you not to feel like this number defines you, and your future, in some way. When I think back on my high schooling, I do remember my grades (they were not good!) but what I really remember is my brilliant friends, teachers that were awesome, skipping school (and getting caught!), school trips, playing hockey, school dances (sneaking in alcohol) - all the fun stuff that really makes up the school experience. 🤩 In all my years as a Career Coach, the most successful professionals I work with rarely mention their ATAR. Instead, they talk about their journey - the pivots, the unexpected opportunities, the ups and downs, and the skills, relationships and experiences they built along the way. What I've learned is that your ATAR is often just the beginning of discovering who you are and what you really want to do. It's amazing how many different paths can lead to a fulfilling career. To all students receiving results tomorrow: this is one data point in your career story, not the whole book. And your parents are super proud of you regardless of your score. So, if you're a student figuring out your next steps, or a parent looking to support your child through this time - reach out. We offer one-to-one specialised Student Career Coaching that gets great results. #ATAR #highschool #career

A client I know well was recently shouted at and belittled in a meeting. This wasn't a junior staff member who had done something wrong - my client is a senior level manager who was yelled at in front of a room full of people by her Chief Executive! And even if she was a junior staff member who had screwed up, surely we're past the days of being chewed out, loudly, in front of others? #notthe1980s I talked to my client about the Transactional Analysis theory, developed by Eric Berne. The incident perfectly illustrated what psychologists call "Parent-Child" transactions in the workplace, based on this Transactional Analysis theory. In healthy professional relationships, we should aim for "Adult-Adult" interactions, where both parties communicate with respect, rationality, and emotional maturity. Instead, when this CE resorted to shouting and public humiliation, he was operating from what's known as the "Critical Parent" ego state - controlling, judgmental, and authoritarian. This automatically forces the recipient into a "Child" ego state, regardless of their seniority or expertise. The impact? Well she certainly won't like, respect, or trust him again but it's also about the ongoing damage. This kind of behaviour: - Destroys psychological safety in the workplace - Undermines the leadership credibility (of both parties) - Creates a culture of fear that can stifle productivity, innovation and creativity In fact, her immediate reaction was to look for a new job. True leadership strength isn't about wielding power through fear - it's about creating an environment where "Adult-Adult" transactions are the norm - respectful, solution-focused, and professionally mature. Have you ever been shouted at by a boss? #LeadershipDevelopment #Career #TransactionalAnalysis

I lost two potential clients recently. I couldn’t fit them in straight away and offered them January dates. I told them my fees, and neither blinked. Now, there may have been a zillion reasons why they didn’t move ahead but the reason they each gave is that they want a couple of months break before looking for another executive role. They don’t want to create a great profile and learn how to proactively grow their network and move their connections toward coffee catch-ups because – get this – they aren’t ready to start a new role yet!   They want a break first.   They believe that looking for a role = getting a new role.   I didn’t say anything to them 🫢🤐   But I need to correct this wrongheaded thinking. I was going to create a video. Then I remembered—I have a really old video about this. See below ⬇️⬇️ It’s very cringe isn't it? Big 1980s hair (although it was the 2010s), weird makeup. The email at the end is wrong, it's been 📩 hello@karentisdell.com for ages ...And the logo stamp says I write resumes. Which I don’t anymore. But hey, the message is good.   I'd also like to think it's compelling because it’s OLD. I talk in the video about having as many as 4 interviews. That was a very new thing at the time of recording this video 🙃   The message? Don’t think that looking for a new job = getting a new job. Like lots of things in life, you need to start moving forward before you are ready. If you need a break, fair enough. Negotiate that when you accept a new role.   Truthbomb 💣 We are never as in control of our circumstances as we think we are. Success = controlling the controllables. Doing what we can to build the right network. Doing what we can to influence how visible and memorable we are to the right people. Delaying won’t make anything easier. #CringeVideoWarning from Karen Tisdell Opinionated #LinkedInProfileWriter and #TruthTeller For board members and senior executives.

🌟 Exciting News: Blue Sky Career Consulting Expands to Singapore! 🇸🇬 That's right, we've gone international! I'm thrilled to announce our expansion into the Singapore market, bringing our proven career development services to Singaporean professionals. Leading our Singapore practice is Ken Tan, a Certified Career Services Practitioner (CCSP) with over 15 years of international experience across Asia, Australia and Europe. His expertise includes: ⭐ Career counselling and transition support ⭐ Employee wellbeing ⭐ Professional development workshops ⭐ Career development for employees ⭐ Executive career coaching If you are Singapore based, or considering a move to Singapore, Blue Sky Career Consulting can absolutely help with your career. For a copy of our brochure, or to find out more, drop me an InMail. #singapore #careers #careerdevelopment

👻 Have you been GHOSTED after an interview? Don't let it haunt your job search! 😱 Here's your survival guide: 🎃 Prevention Tips: - Ask the HR person / Recruiter what the interview timeline and process will be - Clarify the next steps and timeline at the end of the interview - Send a thoughtful thank-you email within 24 hours ⚡ If You're Being Ghosted: - Wait 48 hours after the discussed timeline - Send a polite follow-up email showing continued interest - Connect with the interviewer on LinkedIn (if you haven't already) - After another week, send one final professional message - Move on and start focusing on other opportunities 🧙♀️ Remember: - Sometimes it's not you - hiring freezes and internal changes happen - Always keep your job search momentum going until you accept an offer - Maintain your professionalism (even when they aren't) - Consider the interview as practice for the next If you need help with your upcoming interview, reach out 👻 #CareerAdvice #JobSearch #InterviewTips #Halloween2024 #JobSeeker

Does a 4-day working week actually work? Well, it has in Iceland! An initial trial ran from 2015 to 2019 where a percentage of government workers switched from a 5-day working week to a 4-day working week, but stayed on the same pay. And the results - productivity either stayed the same or grew. Since then, approx 50% of workplaces have switched to this model, and the economy has actually grown. In other words, they're more productive even though they're actually doing less hours. I can only presume that they are probably a lot happier too with this improved work/life balance. A number of other trials are now being run across the world, including in Spain and by Unilever in New Zealand. What are your thoughts? Should we trial the 4 day work week here in Australia? #career #worklifebalance #4dayworkweek