Helen wears a selection of hats relevant to the Glow Up Community – recruiter, executive developer, coach, psychology assessment specialist, and she also has broad business expertise to boot! An all-rounder, with a wealth of experience across industry and the Not For Profit sector, Helen loves to help individuals and organisations set themselves up for future success.
Welcome Helen, lovely to have you in our community.
Helen, what is your top tip to lead to successfully getting a job?
Dedicating the right amount of time to job searching.
Name one thing you would do if you were looking for a job today:
Network.
How long is “too long” to be searching for a job without successfully getting a job?
Depends on the job and level – but I think 6-8 months.
My advice to a job seeker who feels stuck or like their job search is taking too long:
Ask yourself, are you being too narrow in your search? Open your mind to broader possibilities.
My advice to applicants who want to stand out:
Be clear about your point of difference.
The most common mistake I see people make when searching for a job:
Not being clear about the transferable skills they bring and then not asking for help.
The most common career mistake I see people make:
Think about careers as being upwards only, sometimes a parallel move or backward step to broaden your experience will be more worthwhile in the long term.
Miss out on learning and development experiences because they are too busy doing – it’s important to prioritise your development
What’s the most common thing you see hold people back from getting the job they really want?
Defining the job they want too narrowly. Be flexible in your thinking!
What does it really mean when you get a “thanks but no thanks” reply to a job application?
It can mean a lot of things – if you can seek feedback.
What is something someone searching for a job can do today to improve their chances of landing a job?
Network, Network, Network!
What’s your favourite piece of advice or “words of wisdom” to give the people you coach?
When I sense barriers, I like to ask what’s the worst thing that could happen – you begin to understand what may be holding you back. Be curious in all you do! Ask questions / listen and suspend judgement.
Now let’s discover a bit more about Helen herself…
Helen, what gets you fired up in the morning?
Walking the dog – gives me time to enjoy the outdoors and think. Also, Gratitude exercises – be thankful.
How do you maintain your motivation?
Think about the bigger picture, the end goal.
What do you do when you just don’t feel like it?
Take small steps – one step at a time, reward myself for sticking with it.
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
Network, Network, Network – Share your knowledge and learnings with others, it pays back bigtime!
What’s the worst?
I cannot think of any bad advice I’ve been given.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt in your career/working life?
Take time to develop yourself – I missed opportunities for development early in my career because I was too busy doing my work. Know your value and don’t undersell yourself.
If you could go back and tell your teenage self one thing related to jobs/career, what would be?
Think broadly, be brave and try new things, you need to feel uncomfortable to grow.
Connect with Helen here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenmattick/
