Blogs

​Conscious that I have an innate tendency to talk at a million miles an hour and with the added pressure of public speaking, I wanted to share some of the ideas and thoughts that came out of Tuesday’s Career Mapping conversation with the Institute of Fundraising in Manchester. It’s probably quite on topic, as public speaking is one of the areas I’m working on personally at t...

​The best questions to ask at the end of an Interview. The questions you ask in an interview are very telling. Here are some top tips from our consultant, Ben Garner…In order to make an informed decision about whether this is the right move for you there are a range of questions you can ask. You will have your own expectations on what you're looking for; be it career progres...

​Employment testing is not unique to the charity sector. However, there are several reasons why it makes sense to use these tools when looking for new recruits in this sector.Psychometric testing has been around since 1905. Today’s evidence shows this type of testing is increasing among employers. One body of research indicated an 18% rise over a two-year period. Yet employm...

​Cover Letters - Prescriptive or not? - Top Evaluation TipsClients often tell us they struggle to evaluate and appraise Cover Letters effectively but nonetheless they are a common tool used in selecting new recruits. Tips on how to get the most out of this stage of recruitment.Evaluating a Covering LetterPeople write their CVs in all sorts of weird and wonderful formats, len...

Writing a cover letter can be a chore, especially when applying for a number of roles. As consultants, we know they can be difficult and often go back to candidates to help them amend ones they’ve submitted.Knowing what to include and what to leave out can drive one to distraction. So here are a few things you need to know to make sure that your cover letter stands out:Your ...

​Sometimes we find ourselves in the right place, but doing the wrong role. As part of Pizza for Losers, Pete explained how he turned failure into success.I started out working for Charity People as the Business Development Officer for the temp Consultant in the Office Support Department. I threw myself into this role, ultimately trying to get as many new clients on as possib...

"Fear of failure was stopping my personal development." Read how Ellen took the plunge.​Fear of failure. I can safely say I have that in abundance; a definite born worrier. I've always been quite risk averse, but until it came to writing this blog I hadn't fully identified that it might actually be bordering on self-sabotage.I have always been pretty steadfast in my professi...

As part of the lead up to Pizza for Losers, Stuart tells how he used a bitter disappointment to drive him forward.I have played Rugby all of my life. I have had my share of highs and lows along the way. In my latter years of school and club level rugby I played with a great team. Our successes meant that we made the finals of a national tournament. It was to be played at Twi...

Our amazing and successful consultant, Anna Ludeman, is everything that you could hope for in a team member. Here she sounds the call for greater flexibility in charities.On my mission to find more opportunities for part time workers, there is a phrase that I hear time and time again -'We will only consider someone part time if they are an exceptional candidate'.I have nodde...

"Everyone feels out of their depth sometimes" - find out how Alice learnt from failure. Part of the lead up to #PizzaForLosersAnyone who knows me well knows that I am someone who is prone to worry. I think that that I would also be described as naturally conscientious, organised, and capable. Which I know isn't entirely true, at least not the "naturally" part.Most of the big...

​Nick leads our team of fundraising recruitment experts, as well as taking on senior executive search projects. Inspired by Pizza for Losers, this is how Nick learnt from a past failure.Like many colleagues past and present, I had entered the recruitment world straight out of university, in truth not knowing what I wanted to do, but driven to somehow start making some of my ...

​"Getting to know someone during the interview process helps us find the right people." - read how Maggie's recruit their team.Carys Winship joined Maggie's 11 years ago as a community fundraiser. Carys is now staff and resources manager for Maggie's, overseeing all 140 staff across the UK from her base in Glasgow.We have heard some glowing reports about the culture at Maggi...

​What is the best route to CEO in the charity world? Our associate Director, Nick Billingham, offers his advice.One of the things I love about my role is the opportunity to meet informally with Directors from different specialities in the sector and discuss their career plans. When I'm not interviewing potential candidates for specific roles, I will always meet professionals...