Grow Your Own Career | The Career Farm

Our guest this month is Vince Pizzoni, professor of engineering, executive search consultant, and career coach amongst many other things. Starting his career in chemical and environmental engineering, Vince has a portfolio career in international business, academia, executive search and career coaching and business mentoring. With his experience in a range of roles, Vince shares his insights into how you can target your approach to break into the growing energy sector and how to develop a broad portfolio career. What you will learn: Opportunities in the energy sectorHow to develop a portfolio careerHow to grow your network and maintain professional connections Subscribe: Apple Spotify

Our guest this month is Jeremy Schifeling, Director of Consumer and Product Marketing at Khan Academy. Jeremy is also the author of the Amazon bestseller Linked: Conquer LinkedIn. Get Your Dream Job. Own Your Future. Jeremy's career has taken him from education to the tech industry, leading him to work at LinkedIn. With this insider knowledge, Jeremy lets you in on the secrets to getting the best out of LinkedIn. What you will learn: *How to stand out from the crowd on LinkedIn *How to be the number 1 candidate for a job *How to network and connect effectively Resources: Bestselling career book - Linked: Conquer LinkedIn. Get Your Dream Job. Own Your Future. Previous podcast episode - Breaking into Tech with Jeremy Schifeling Subscribe: Apple Spotify

Our guest this month is Sarah Pierman. Sarah is a non-executive director and CEO of Dynamic Boards. Sarah began her journey in the non-executive director world at 29 and noticed the challenges to get access to board vacancies. With Dynamic Boards, Sarah now helps connect people to board opportunities. What you will learn: * The importance of all types of diversity on a board * The responsibilities of a non-executive director * What it takes to become a non-executive director * Sarah's essential interview tips Quote: "Something that you might massively take for granted is the way you learned how to work, the way you've learned how to position what your business does to your customers - and that could be hugely valuable to a board" - Sarah Pierman Resources: What is a non-executive director? Jargon Busting Non-executive director pay What to write in your CV / cover letter Rebels by Matthew Syed Boards by Patrick Dunne Questions to Ask by Charlotte Valeur Any questions? Email sarah [@] dynamicboards.co.uk Subscribe: Apple Spotify Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram- @thecareerfarm

Our guest this month is Joseph Liu. Joseph is a public speaker, career consultant, and host of the Career Relaunch® podcast. Joseph helps professionals define and market their personal brands more effectively when making a career transition. Previously he worked for more than 10 years in brand management in the US and UK. What you will learn: *The biggest mistakes candidates make when branding themselves *How to grow your visibility *How to make the most of LinkedIn *The 3 keys to re-branding yourself when transitioning careers Quote: "When you're trying to repair a brand or relaunch a brand it's very difficult to do that overnight. The first principle to keep in mind is that building a personal brand actually requires quite a bit of consistency and effort over time." - Joseph Liu Resources: What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How successful people become even more successful by Marshall Goldsmith Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos and Luck - Why Some Thrive Despite Them All by Jim Collins The Competitive Edge podcast with Guy Ferdman Career Relaunch® podcast His website Subscribe: Apple Spotify Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram- @thecareerfarm

Our guest this month is Lucia Knight. Lucia is the founder of Midlife Unstuck and describes herself as a mid-life career satisfaction designer. She's also the author of X Change: How to torch your work treadmill. Previously she was a headhunter at Page Executive where she focused on board level positions. What you will learn: *How to get the best out of working with search firms *The biggest mistakes candidates make *How to prepare for an interview- The Inverted Pyramid model *How to find your superpowers *The secrets to a successful career change Quote: "The best advice I can give is deliberately play. Deliberately play an experiment with your career every day. And I don't mean throw it, I mean tiny little experiments... Our careers can be dynamic if we choose to experiment and play." - Lucia Knight Resources: Her book: X Change: How to torch your work treadmill A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel H. Pink Connect with Lucia on Linkedin Her blog on career design - at any age. Work with Lucia Subscribe: Apple Spotify Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram- @thecareerfarm

Our guest this month is David Morris. David is Head of Technology and Media Careers at London Business School. For the last 17 years he's been connecting students to the technology and digital world at both startups and multinationals. He has a really strong network in the London tech scene via VCs, incubators, accelerators, and also the wider technology scene. What you will learn: *The value in working at a startup *The steps for interviewing at a startup or tech company *How to research for an interview *Which companies are right for you *How to stand out Quote: "A lot of people get put off working in tech because they believe that to work in tech you need to be a technical wiz …. but actually, the tech industry is open to career switchers. It's open for people who have those transferable skills and knowledge from other sectors." - David Morris Resources: Otta.com – jobs platform for startups and scaleups Sifted - the latest news from across the startups / VC space in UK and Europe UKTN- latest news from UK startup and tech scene Reports: Atomico’s State of European Tech Report 2021 Tech Nation 2021 Report Framework: https://www.london.edu/think/heres-how-to-source-your-dream-tech-job Entering StartUpLand: An Essential Guide to Finding the Right Job by Jeffrey Bussgang Subscribe: Apple Spotify Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram- @thecareerfarm

Our guest this month is Francesca Lahiguera. Francesca is an Engagement Manager at Lancor, which is a global retained executive search firm. She's been in the search field for more than 20 years and currently specializes in board-level search mandates, including CEOs, CFOs, board directors and private equity operating partners. In this episode, we really dive into how the search world operates and how we can best position ourselves. You will learn: *How to work with recruiters *How to stand out as a recent MBA *How to be proactive about your career *Cover Letter dos and don'ts Quote: "Recent MBAs, for sure should be thinking about the quality of the company, the quality of the culture, the quality of the people. For a recent MBA that is going to be so incredibly critical to them." - Francesca Lahiguera Subscribe: Apple Spotify Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram- @thecareerfarm

Our guest this month is Frederic Kalinke. Frederic runs Exactimo, a company that delivers digital boot camps to business school students across the world. Previously Frederic worked at Google on their marketing and sales graduate program, where he managed millions in advertising budgets. You will learn: * Google's application process * Google's 4 pillars for every job candidate * The skills that make you stand out at Google * How to get an internal referral at Google * How to create 'reviews' and not resumes Quote: "Applying to Google directly is like going through the front door and there might be loads of those bouncers, whereas getting a referral is like going through the side door." - Frederic Kalinke Links: Closing Balances: Business Obituaries from the 'Daily Telegraph' by Martin Vander Weyer The Everything Store by Brad Stone Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini How to Win friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie 'Business Breakdowns' podcast 'Business Wars' podcast Subscribe: Apple Spotify Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram- @thecareerfarm

For the final episode of 2021, Jane Barrett is joined by Tom Lawrance. Tom is currently Head of Careers in Global Industries for University of Oxford's Saïd Business School. Prior to that, he was at Amazon for 11 years, where he ran the team responsible for hiring MBAs into Amazon's consumer and finance leadership programs across Europe. In this episode Tom will take you through every step of Amazon's recruitment process. What you will learn: - The application process at Amazon - How to align yourself to Amazon's leadership principles - How to prepare for Amazon's interviews - The steps for getting an internal referral - A desirable skill for all Amazon jobs Quote: "There's so many people, so many roles you can't really stand out.... it's more about aligning yourself really well to the role." - Tom Lawrance Links: Amazon Jobs Amazon's Leadership Principles The 2-Hour Job Search: Using Technology to Get the Right Job Faster by Steve Dalton Subscribe: Apple Spotify Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram- @thecareerfarm

Our guest this month is Mike Mascarenhas. Mascarenhas is an International Campus Recruiting Lead for Boston Consulting Group (BCG) based in Barcelona. Previously he was a Senior Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers and worked at IESE Business school, which is where he got his MBA. In this episode he takes you behind the scenes and tells you what BCG look for in prospective hires and what their application process looks like. What you will learn: - The application process at BCG - What makes an impressive application - The biggest mistake candidates make in interviews - Ways to differentiate yourself - What people get wrong in networking and what you should be doing instead Quote: "I do think that the MBA is a really good launch pad into consulting. I don't have specific statistics for you, but I can say with certainty that it is, as a whole, a little bit easier to enter post-MBA than post-undergraduate, just because of the volume of applicants that we see." - Mike Mascarenhas Subscribe: Apple Spotify Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram- @thecareerfarm

Our guest this month is Aliya Ali-Afzal. Ali-Afzal has been a career coach for more than 15 years and is currently a freelance career coach with The Kellogg-WHU Executive MBA Program. In addition to her coaching, she's also author of the recent book, Would I Lie to You?, and is a creative writing mentor at Jericho Writers. In this episode Ali-Afzal describes how she went from having no background in writing to obtaining a two-book deal from a leading publisher. What's remarkable is she's done this while maintaining her career and while raising three children. What you will learn in this interview: - Developing your career while being a working mother - Acquiring a literary agent and landing a book deal - Aliya's writing process - Issues surrounding redundancy Quote: "I think we know that a huge key to a lot of the things that we do, it's not our ability, it's not even our motivation, sometimes it's like a mental block and you need that coach. I really had to just give myself permission to do something for myself as well, irrespective of whether I would sell it or not, because it was enough that it made me happy and it was something I wanted to do." - Aliya Ali-Afzal Subscribe: Apple Spotify Follow us: LinkedIn Instagram- @thecareerfarm Connect with Aliya: LinkedIn Twitter- @AAAiswriting Instagram- aliyaaliafzalauthor To find out about creative writing mentoring sessions from Aliya https://jerichowriters.com/our-services/121-support/mentoring-service/%E2%80%AFaliya-ali-afzal/

Our guest this month is Paul Hargreaves. Paul is the founder and chief executive of Cotswold Fayre Ltd., which is a specialist and fine food wholesaler supplying nearly 2000 retail outlets in the UK. He is also the author of 'Forces for Good' and the recent book, 'The Fourth Bottom Line'. In this episode Paul explains how he grew Cotswold Fayre from the cellar of his home to a leading UK food wholesaler. We'll also talk about why Paul made Cotswold Fayre a B Corp in 2015 and the benefits of running a B Corp. What you will learn in this interview: - How to start a business that has a social impact - Advice on launching a food brand in 2021 - The advantages of B Corps - Lessons in leadership Quote: "If we need one characteristic in this world for leaders, I think it's compassion." - Paul Hargreaves Subscribe: Apple Spotify Follow us: Instagram- @thecareerfarm Twitter- @thecareerfarm Facebook- @thecareerfarm

We are delighted to give you our new Hiring Trends Report so you can see what sectors are hiring. Download it here Subscribe: Apple Spotify Follow us: Instagram- @thecareerfarm Twitter- @thecareerfarm Facebook- @thecareerfarm

Our guest this month is Janie van Hool. Van Hool is a RADA (The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) trained actress and corporate communications specialist. She's worked with many different companies (Vodafone, Nationwide, Sainsburys, London Business School, Imperial College) and leaders to improve their communication skills. She's also the author of the new book, The Listening Shift: Transform your organization by listening to your people and helping your people listen to you. Her book is a constructive toolkit for raising the game in communication, providing the tools you need to create a listening environment where colleagues are heard and acknowledged, and yet understand clearly how to move forward. What you will learn in this interview: - How preparing like a performer will improve your interviews - A breathing technique to prime you for an interview - How to use silence to your advantage - The best ways to interrupt someone - How to be listened to at a meeting Quote: "I think listening carefully is the thing that gets hijacked when we are under interview pressure.” - Janie van Hool Subscribe: Apple Spotify Follow us: Instagram- @thecareerfarm Twitter- @thecareerfarm Facebook- @thecareerfarm

In this episode, Jane analyses Bill Gates' new book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need. Jane talks about what opportunities there might be in the future of work, not only in terms of innovative businesses, but also in terms of the type of work that might be available in the future. She then discusses the emerging markets addressing climate change, including international agricultural research and global green technology. Finally, she highlights one innovative company working to make a difference. Blog Post: How to Avoid a Climate Disaster? A Career Opportunity in the Face of a Crisis

Clinical psychologist Dr Candice Seti joins Jane to discuss self-sabotage, with questions taken from the audience watching via live stream. In her specialist field helping people with weight loss and weight management, Dr Seti became aware of the overarching theme of self sabotage, which she defines as "standing in your own way". She cites imposter syndrome as one of the many causes of self sabotage, and how important it can be to admit to what we don't know, rather than try and bluster our way through unfamiliar territory. Jane and Dr Seti discuss their own self sabotaging voices, giving them names and finding ways to externalise them to make it easier to combat. They also talk about ways to combat procrastination, using Dr Seti's writing process as an example.

In this episode, Jane talks to tax specialist Josephine Bush about her corporate transition into the world of ESG. Josephine started life as a solicitor, focusing on accounting early into her career and navigating the change to a more client-focused role. After finding a niche delivering tax services for renewables businesses, working within Ernst & Young, Josephine was able to carve out this niche at a time when fewer people were thinking about renewable energy. As she began to work within the sector, her passion for environmentalism and her sense of purpose grew. Since then she has pursued a certificate in ESG investing through the CFA Institute, and enrolled in a sustainable finance course with the Cambridge Institute of Sustainable Leadership, Josephine believes that no business or individual is immune to the effects of climate change, but sees a wealth of opportunity for people who want to apply themselves to roles within environmental, social, and corporate governance.

Jane is joined by Territory Manager at Shell, Thomas Hughes, to discuss finding work based on your passion, and making the most out of an MBA. Thomas' first job at the age of 16 was washing pots for a banquet hall. He originally applied to study archeology, but instead chose to study international relations at Sheffield University. He was then offered a US internship to work at a lobbying company, then returned to his original occupation in hospitality. Feeling it was time to change tack, Thomas then applied for an MBA, which encouraged and empowered him to look for work based on the impact he wanted to make in the world, rather than the industry he wanted to work within. This led him to an interview with Shell, where Thomas' passion for environmental issues saw him through the initial video interview, to the face-to-face interview, to eventually working as Territory Manager for the company. Thomas provides his advice for students taking an MBA, and to anyone newly entering the world of work. Going forwards, Thomas is committed to helping Shell continue its mission towards sustainable energy and electric vehicles.

Jane discusses sustainable seaweed farming with Director of SeaGrown, Wave Crookes. Former navy man and fisherman Wave and his marine-scientist partner Laura were working on a ship Antarctica, they came up with their seaweed farming business, as a way of allowing them to work in marine biology. When Wave originally applied to join the Royal Navy, he was told to finish his studies before re-applying, which he did, and doesn’t regret. After working in the oil and gas industry, Wave wanted to focus his company on “giving something back”. Now SeaGrown is one of only a small number of larger-scale seaweed farms.

Technology is a leading trend in hiring, likely to continue into 2021, so this month, Jane is joined by technologist and former kindergarten teacher, Jeremy Schifeling. Jeremy interned at Apple, gaining the internship by demonstrating how he was able to apply the knowledge and experience he’d gained as a teacher, to a new and different field. He now works as Principal Product Marketing Manager for Khan Academy, and developed Break into Tech, a set of resources that helps people looking to change their careers find new pathways to working with technology.