Teryl @ Work

Career path and succession planning are part of a good HR strategy.   They should be part of your personal strategy, too. But when an opportunity for promotion is sitting in front of you, and you are granted an interview, how should you prepare for it? Ask HR: Who are the interviewers? How long will the interview be? Are there any questions that you can prepare for in advance? If the present incumbent is in the interview, you need to be sensitive to his/her feelings when you are asked about how you would manage the position.   It is really important to be well prepared when you are an existing employee, as there is an expectation that you have ideas around the role. Before the Interview Prepare a business plan If the person in the position is willing to help, do ask for input and advice If you are already in the department, use your knowledge of what is working and what isn't to build a SWOT Analysis Outline your strategy to grow the department Research t...

We are getting lots of conflicting stories about the interpreter for the deaf at Mandela's Memorial Service.  He has, apparently, worked for government before, but deaf people, including a parliamentarian, were sending messages that he was making no sense.   Today, somebody phoned 702 and suggested that her organisation would offer to give him formal training.   Definitely in the spirit of Ubuntu. This all made me think about the concept of "Fake it till you make it".   Back in the day, I met a guy who had come over from England, was living in a communal house with 4 or 5 others, 3 of whom were draughtsmen.   He was struggling to find a job, so his housemates gave him some basic tips about being a draughtsman, (and a few fake references, I think) and off he went and got a job as a draughtsman.  He was fired after a week! Nothing daunted, he started afresh and got another position, where he lasted about two weeks, and so it went on.   After 6 or so ...