Author: pauldrury

It is hard to think differently when you are surrounded by the same people and the same stuff. While a familiar environment might play a soothing role amidst the stresses and strains of life, when you reach a crossroads in life such as a new job search, this familiarity can stifle any thoughts of significant…

I assume that you are most likely long past the spotty teenager stage, but the fact remains that a huge percentage of “adults” are also easily seduced by the addiction of gaming. The thing is that gaming tends to get the endorphins flowing. I must admit that I play the odd game of Fortnite with…

My head is feeling a little fuzzy right now – to the point that I am typing on my keyboard and it feels like an out-of-body experience. It is starting to throb, and the couple of pills that I have just taken probably won’t kick in for another hour or so. Yet, here I am,…

At the age of 40, I consider myself to be eight years into my “career.” Eight years ago, I started earning money with my writing. I have been working since I was 22, but my first decade of employment was spent working out who I am and what is important to me. I believe that…

Being likeable during an interview is a good starting point. However, unless you can convince your interviewers that you are likeable in your daily interactions with your colleagues, doubts may linger. The stories that you choose to tell during your interview are critical for demonstrating all sorts of competencies, but you should not forget to…

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” George Bernard Shaw That is a pretty empowering thought when you stand at the start line of a job search. When you really think about the implications, suddenly the way ahead seems that little bit less daunting. The idea of finding your path implies that…

Every now and again, you get deliciously lost in your imagination. Sometimes the thoughts are so delicious that they almost seem real. Living in a fantasy world for any length of time is not to be recommended, but sometimes you just can’t help yourself. You. And your boss….. I’ll leave the rest to you. Except,…

A Douglas Adams quote sticks with me every time that a deadline nears: “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make when they go by.” For anyone involved in creative or entrepreneurial pursuits, this is a familiar thought. If the idea or project isn’t yet ready, it simply hasn’t had enough time to…

I stood by the side of a netball court yesterday evening and watched my daughter’s U12 netball team win 99-5. Lizzie scored 90 goals. Boom #daddypride. As the still-warm sun gently disappeared below the horizon, everything seemed well with the world. I slept like a baby last night. I then woke up early this morning…

People say that creativity thrives when boundaries are blurred and thought processes are disrupted. As a writer, I know that my best ideas come when I am not trying to think about them. When my mind starts off elsewhere, it has every chance of bringing me to that place of “yes, that’s it, I’ve got…

We’ve all looked at the sun for a little too long and been left with a blurry image for a while after we have looked away. I’m not sure about the science, but it is somehow so bright that our eyes can’t focus on anything else. The sun is our closest star. For me, it…

These #10wordsaboutme define me. Wordsmith. Restless. Doodle. Rebel. Solitude. Attitude. Social. Hawk. Waves. Daddy. Wordsmith For me, there is a definitive difference between the written and the spoken word. When I speak, I sometimes find it hard to engage my brain before I open my mouth, and I could definitely be a little more considered…

There is a whole lot of drama in the world at the moment. Susie lost her unborn baby unexpectedly. Nick’s mum passed away after a long struggle with cancer. Julie quit her job and told her abusive boss to go ***k himself (that felt good). Chris found out that his wife was having an affair…

There is a first time for everything. There will be a second time for most things. How much more interesting would life be if we were all a little braver? If we had more experiences to learn from? If every knock-back made us even more determined to better ourselves? Better to “walk the walk” and…

The phrase “you can do anything you set your mind to” often comes with a whole heap of conditions that have to be met before it becomes your truth. You can do anything you set your mind to, if…. …. you have the mental strength to see it through. …. you have the required skills at your disposal. …. you…

Or, of course, a mother…. There are very few situations in life where you only have one chance. If you fail your driving test, you try again. If you get fired, the next job always offers potential salvation. Even marriage is sadly not so sacred these days, for some unhappy souls a “new model” is…

During our childhoods, we grow up thinking that our family and friends will have the biggest influence on our lives. From an emotional support point of view, that may be the case. However, for the truly momentous moments, where your life can change direction in an instant, the difference between scaling the heights and falling…

I don’t know about you, but I am definitely one to hold a grudge. Past injustices still seem so raw when I think back on them, possibly because so much emotional energy was spent getting over them at the time, and although I realise that it is not healthy to dwell on them, my blood…

Tell me a story, paint me a picture and sing me a song….. The best interviews are multi-coloured voyages of discovery through your past, present and future. They appeal to the basic emotions of your interviewer – not by machine-gunning them into submission with endless facts and analysis, but by playing to their emotions, involving…

Your employer is paying you to do your current job because you are good at it. Over the period of your employment, you have built relationships, hit deadlines, smashed budgets, completed projects, shared ideas and added value. You feel secure in the knowledge that you are a worthwhile asset to your colleagues and bosses. It…

I was in way over my head…. My inner voice was saying: “What the hell are you doing? You don’t belong here!” I was part of the initial project team for a Retail start-up in Russia for the European retail giant Kingfisher. I had worked as a junior buyer for their UK company B&Q, and since…

Yes, I am one of those parents I am afraid. I didn’t quite make Kent county rugby, so I am inwardly delighted that my 12-year-old daughter Lizzie (pictured) is trialling for Cambridgeshire county netball in early June. I love encouraging my two kids to push their boundaries in all sorts of areas, but there are…

The best interviews are an exploration of who you are. Proficient interviewers read between the lines of your application, teasing out relevant strengths, but also seeking to expose potential weaknesses. If the picture that they piece together is sufficiently rounded, their final decision will be that bit more certain. They will know how to utilise…

Simple answer: No Why? Because (sadly) people will likely discriminate against you. Maybe the title could read differently? Should You BE ENCOURAGED TO Discuss Your Mental Health Challenges at Interview? Yes. Absolutely. 100%. We all have mental health challenges at various points in our lives. We might or might not acknowledge them, we might or…

Effective communication is a tricky skill to master at the best of times. When you are under the pressure of an interview, it can often be the case that you open your mouth before you engage your brain. You want to show the interviewers that you can answer their questions, but, in your haste, the…

Apologies in advance if you haven’t watched the most recent Game of Thrones episode (S8 Ep3), but I won’t delve into the backstory of a certain (epic) character to explain this blog. Arya. In the library. With the Wights. How many of you have faced a terrifyingly life-defining moment and felt paralysed with fear like…

After all those hours of preparation, interviews and shredded nerves, that magical job offer finally lands in your inbox.   But something inside you doesn’t feel quite right. As you read the text and scan through the detail, shouldn’t you be feeling happier? Any job hunt can confuse emotions and blur priorities, but I would…

(This is a blog about interims, but it could be about anyone who has come to a hiatus in their career. Sometimes you just have to wait for the right role to come along.) Every contractor will know that feeling of leaving a role and not having a new role to go to. The nature…

Have you ever been walking on your own in a wood in the late evening, a murky darkness creeping closer, the path ahead becoming less clear with every minute? Your pulse starts to quicken ever so slightly, and you consciously walk that little bit faster. Your hairs stand up on the back of your neck,…

I have always found a certain peace in throwing something. At school it was a rugby ball or a javelin, at university it was darts or a frisbee, and as a young adult it was skimming stones and scrunched up paper at work. And who doesn’t love the gentle arc of a well-made paper plane?…