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Being invited to a job interview is a big deal for most people because it holds the promise of something we aspire to, but also requires that, in a short timescale and in unfamiliar circumstances, we present ourselves in the best possible light in order to convince our interviewers that we are the person they are looking for. For many, anxiety about the potential for under-performing turns into a self-fulfilling prophecy because anxiety gets in the way of doing our best. So, how can we minimise the anxiety? While each job interview will have unique interpersonal dynamics and demands, there are nevertheless some general points which it can be helpful to consider. In this guide we offer 20 key points…

As a student, I did everything right to land a job in financial services. High GPA...check. Leadership roles on campus...check. Polished resume...check. Networking pitch...check. Mastery of interviewing techniques...check. Jobs came easily through referrals by professors, peers, and career services. I was hitting all the markers of success. Yet, by my mid-twenties I felt unfulfilled in my career and like a stranger to myself. While I was progressing quickly, speed became irrelevant once it dawned on me that I was going the wrong way. What made it even more scary was my confusion about what to do next. The best resume writing tips and interviewing tactics weren’t useful because I had overlooked two of the most crucial components of career planning — self-awareness and…

Marc Jones, an employment law specialist and a partner at at full service law firm Turbervilles Solicitors, shares his expert advice on the thorny and often overlooked issue of discrimination. Over the past 40 years, a number of laws have been passed – including the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, the Race Relations Act 1996, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and more recently the Equality Act 2010 –  to create a more tolerant and politically correct society in this country. Yet how much ‘PC’ behaviour is actually reflected at work? How many of us are aware that office banter or a joke we make could be regarded offensive, or even worse, unlawful? Recent research from Turbervilles Solicitors, conducted amongst more than 1000 employees across Britain,…

Sarah Hendrickx and Matthew Tinsley discuss the potential links between autism and alcohol addiction, and the need for improved autism awareness amongst alcohol support services. Throughout my time of working in the autism field, the subject of alcoholism in relation to autism continues to pop up on a fairly frequent basis. It was this that led me to suggest to my autistic friend and recovering alcoholic Matt Tinsley, that we write a book on the subject back in 2008 (Asperger syndrome and Alcohol, Hendrickx & Tinsley, JKP). At the time, I contacted every expert in the autism field that I could think of (Tony Attwood, Uta Frith to name just a couple) to ask if they thought Matt and I were…

Black and minority ethnic (BME) medical graduates are less likely to succeed than their white counterparts, according to research by the General Medical Council (GMC). Analysing exams and recruitment data, the GMC found graduates from ethnic minorities performed less well in exams, with those who gained their primary qualification outside Europe even less likely to do well. They also face barriers progressing in their careers, the research found. The average medical exam pass rate is 71 per cent across the UK, but falls to 63.2 among ethnic minorities. The figures were caused by "unconscious bias" in assessments, recruitment and day-to-day working, including those stemming from language barriers, the GMC said. Click here to read more