Advice and Opinion - September 2026
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Posted on Monday, September 7, 2026 by Lucy Wade — No comments
Starting a new job can create pressure to prove yourself immediately. But the first three months are less about knowing everything and more about understanding expectations, building relationships and learning how the organisation really works. The first few weeks in a new job can feel strangely uncomfortable. You have successfully completed the application and interview process. The employer has ...
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Posted on Sunday, September 6, 2026 by Lucy Thomas — No comments
Returning to employment after months or years away can feel daunting, but you do not need to rebuild your entire career in one step. A successful return often begins with understanding what you can already offer and taking one practical step at a time. The longer somebody spends outside employment, the harder returning can begin to feel. Confidence can fall. Technology changes. Job descriptions ...
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Posted on Saturday, September 5, 2026 by Lucy Thomas — No comments
Getting offered your first professional job can feel like the end of a long process. After applications, assessments and interviews, it is tempting to focus on just one thing: someone has finally said yes. But an offer also gives you a decision to make. Is this simply a job, or is it somewhere you can actually develop? There is nothing wrong with taking work because you need income and ...
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Posted on Friday, September 4, 2026 by Liz Andrews — No comments
“Must be resilient.” It is a phrase that appears regularly in job adverts. At first glance, it sounds entirely reasonable. Most jobs involve setbacks, pressure or unexpected problems at some point. Employers understandably want people who can respond constructively when things do not go according to plan. But resilience can mean very different things in different workplaces. Candidates should not ...
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Posted on Thursday, September 3, 2026 by Carol Edwards — No comments
Hybrid working has become one of the most common phrases in job advertisements. It can also be one of the least precise. One organisation might allow employees to decide where they work most of the week. Another may describe a role as hybrid while requiring people to attend the office three or four days every week. Neither arrangement is necessarily wrong. The problem comes when the employer and ...
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Posted on Wednesday, September 2, 2026 by Lucy Thomas — No comments
Few careers follow a perfectly straight line. People lose jobs. They care for children or relatives. They return to education, relocate, travel, experience redundancy, change direction or simply spend longer than expected finding their next role. Yet many candidates still approach a gap on their CV as though it is something they need to confess. Usually, it is not. An employer may reasonably want ...
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Posted on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 by Lucy Thomas — No comments
Being invited to an interview should be good news. But for some candidates, excitement is quickly followed by another question: do I need to tell the employer that I require an adjustment? Perhaps the interview is in a building you need to know is accessible. Maybe you need extra time for a written assessment, a quieter room, a different format for information or adjustments to the way an online ...