Author: pauldrury

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…

You do not think that your successes were down to you. Your internal narrative tells you that you may never be that lucky again. You over-prepare for presentations and meetings in fear of being exposed for your lack of knowledge. You think that everyone around you is more qualified and secretly sense that they know…

No job search should be conducted alone. Yet, that is often the case. Somehow many job seekers feel that there is a such a stigma attached to looking for a new job that they would prefer to take on much of the heavy lifting themselves. They might mention to their partners and families, but they…

You don’t want to be searching for the right words during an interview. No matter how amazing you are at your job, it isn’t a good look. Yet, surprising numbers of job seekers find themselves caught out by having to talk about what they do. They go to work, do their job, but they rarely…

I believe that in certain stressful situations, our language reverts to a set of stock phrases that have carried us through life. If these patterns of our language tend towards pessimism and self-deprecation, it can cause issues. Particularly during a job search. During an interview, we know that we should choose our words carefully, but…

When I was a child, I was sledging down a steep hill on a crisp winter weekend. The snow was falling, and the flakes were getting in my eyes, so I didn’t see my dog standing right in my path until the last minute. I swerved, barely avoiding him, but careered into a huge bramble…

When you are looking at making a change in life, you owe it to yourself to give it everything that you have got. Certain motivational speakers suggest that you “be the change.” I guess this means that when you focus your mind on the person you would like to become, the process of becoming that…

Dust is a microscopic collection of fine decayed matter that has lost its purpose. Aged particles of hair and skin, fibres from textiles and pollen from plants, microscopic pollutants and deposits from far-away lands. Dust is the stuff that is surplus to requirements, that collects mournfully in forgotten corners to reminisce. Dust was something useful…

The pressure to speak during an interview can be overwhelming. When you are talking, you feel as if you are in control of the narrative, thereby reducing any potential uncertainty. You sense that 60 minutes is not enough time to do justice to your career story, so you try to maximise the (uni-directional) flow of…

My dad taught me Physics when I was at school. Although science wasn’t really my thing, I tried my best, and it was the lessons about energy that fascinated me most. “Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can only be changed from one form to another” Albert Einstein. The law of conservation of energy…

The weak sometimes win and the strong never learn. There is something incredibly powerful in adopting an attitude of humility at certain times in life. When you cannot know for sure that you are “the best,” it is arguably psychologically more beneficial to assume the mantle of the plucky challenger. In a job search, there…

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…

When you are looking for a job, many of the events that happen around you have the potential to add to the pressure on your shoulders. Your wife might (well-meaningly) ask about your plans for the day whilst you are having breakfast together. You could be hoping to receive an interview request that you fear…

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…

“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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Every interaction with your future employer could make a difference. Even if they are not a real person. As a slightly old-fashioned chap, the thought of having a proper conversation with a machine is still a little unnerving. I am fine to ask Alexa the odd question, and my kids certainly have a decent amount…

When you are trying to work out whether something is worth doing, a little computer inside your brain clicks into action. What are the odds of a certain action leading to the desired outcome? What has worked so far? How do you need to refine your approach? You work out the probability and try to…