I posted this last year but had a few queries so am posting it again this year. From 1st of May to 1st July you can change your CAO college choices on your application that you submitted earlier in 2008. Even if you do not intend to change your college choices you still need to review your application for any errors. Here’s some tips on managing this process First You should have or will shortly receive your “statement of application record”. It is vital you check all the information on... Read Full Story

Last week I traveled to the magnificent Kangaroo Valley to visit a B&B called Barrangary Accommodation and B&B. It’s the brainstorm of Bary, Gay and son Andrew Faulks. Kangaroo Valley is 2 hours south of Sydney on the Princes HWY, or 2 hours from Campbelltown down the Hume and into the Southern Highlands. Barry and his business partner Glen Roulstone are award winning builders in Nowra and just happen to be my builders for my child care centre in Nowra and has a very good reputation... Read Full Story

Interesting report published by  Martin O Grady who has been following college grades awarded closely. His latest report shows  if you attend a nursing degree in Waterford, you have a 98% change of achieving a 1st or 2:1 degree. However in Letterkenny only 20% of students do so. So are the Waterford people so much brighter than Donegal people? I’m not answering  on the grounds my Donegal friends won’t talk to me any more! Seriously though, there is a real issue here. Martin has previously... Read Full Story

Well the last few weeks I have been running around every where from the beautiful Nelson Bay to Nowra where I am building a 46 place child care centre to be named Arwon’s Little Angels. It’s our original old homes (2 houses, side by side) my brother and sister and I were born in and an inspiration from my little Grandson who one day declared because I was so good to kids and animals I should turn my old homes into a child care place. It was at that very moment I decided to take his advice and... Read Full Story

A really bad day at the office with Daniel Powter (video track) Click here to go to external link Travel lodge hotel are using  speed dating interviews in England.  Yes 3 minutes to make a good impression in your interview! That explains why some of their hotels are so bad! (The link is on the CIPD website, but you need a subscription) Regular readers will know I’ve warned you about putting your full details on job sites several times. (click here and here for previous posts) Irish Jobs... Read Full Story

I managed to watch the “What am I worth” programme last night with Lisa Holt. Some great advice on CV presentation and marketing yourself and it’s worth watching for that alone. (You can watch on the Internet up to end of April 08 approximately, but  it is  geo blocked. Click here to go to TV programme) You can see the difference though, between a recruitment agency approach and a career coach approach. (Lisa is Managing Director  of Careers Register , a recruitment agency) A recruitment... Read Full Story

A friend sent me this.  I’ve seen many variations on this joke, but I still enjoyed it. Direct quote follows  A man in a hot air balloon, realising he was lost, reduced altitude and spotted a woman below.   He descended further and shouted to the lady ‘Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don’t know where I am.’   The woman below replied, ‘You’re in a hot air balloon, hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You’re between 40 and 41... Read Full Story

6 weeks ago my Uncle died after a long illness. We had plenty of contact with the Health services and some time in the future, when I’m a little less raw, I may use these experiences to show what works and does not work in successful career development. Last week, another Uncle died very suddenly whilst away enjoying himself. At the same time, word came through that the Dad of good friends of ours had gone missing whilst out hill walking. Two, very long days later he was found dead. It... Read Full Story

Does being overweight affect your chances of advancement in working life? Unfortunately all the research indicates, yes. It does affect your career prospects and not in a good way. For example Pingitore et al (1991) reports overweight people (20% above average weight) are more likely to be seen as lazy, slow and absent more often. There is an even stronger bias against overweight women. Very unfair and untrue, but these perceptions count against you in interviews. To add insult to... Read Full Story

It’s library week, this week. We give out a lot about public services, but if the libraries in South County Dublin are anything to go by, then one public service is excellent. If you have not been in a library for a while, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Displays of books on topics from healthy living to crime thrillers are updated regularly. Most newly published books are “on show” in a separate section. Comfortable chairs and settee’s to sit in as you make your choice. I find I rarely... Read Full Story