While you can’t change your age, how you portray yourself when you are over fifty makes all the difference to your career opportunities

When it comes to job hunting for the over-50’s, career specialists are overwhelmingly optimistic about the odds – if people are willing to put in the work and, in some cases, to change their mindset.

Leading career coach Peter Cobbe offers a number of practical suggestions.

"Out-of-work professionals who are 50 or older may have to work harder and smarter, but they can find comparable or even more senior-level new employment," he says.

"Regardless of age, there's an undeniable need for job seekers to seem vital. While you can't change your age, you can portray yourself as current, both in how you think and what you say. For instance, read and reference the latest business thinking, be conversant in new technologies, talk about pastimes and outside interests. Develop a lifetime learning mind-set. People who show passion about business and life project a vibrant image."

Older professionals, says Cobbe, need to "unbundle" their skills to emphasise those that are of use to potential employers.

"Somebody who has worked in a single function or industry for a long time may have a narrow idea of what he or she is capable of. If they were to look at all the skills and experiences accumulated throughout their career, however, they might find that they're applicable to many different situations. And in fact they may find they have an advantage over others with less experience."

"Job seekers over 50 should avoid discussing their last job, assignment or work history unless asked in detail. Rather than looking back, demonstrate that you know the market, challenges and competitors of the company you are interviewing with", he says. "Instead of saying, ‘while at company X I did...." reframe it as, "have you considered this possible solution?’"

Titles can also complicate the job search, adds Cobbe. "People over 50 are sometimes held back in their job searches because they reach for titles. Today, titles aren't as important as possessing the ability to influence people in the work environment...and to be able to do it up, down and across functional levels within an organisation."

Cobbe advises older applicants to demonstrate flexibility and resilience in their job to counter the stereotype of older workers as people stuck in their ways.

"Workers over fifty need to project energy, agility and a sense of urgency," he says.

Using networks and contacts to get in front of recruiters is an approach every career coach would recommend. In the case of older people, says Cobbe, it is even more critical.

"Older professionals must pursue the ‘hidden’ job market aggressively, even as they compete for announced positions. Job hunting nowadays is all about need creation. Things are always changing in companies, even after the budget is done. Don't ask whether a company needs someone or something. Instead, portray your uniqueness...the value-added piece."

According to Career Coach Sue Duncan, older applicants have to demonstrate their continued relevance. "It’s all about currency; demonstrating current skills and experience, flexibility, being open to change and active self development."

Mature professionals, she says, "must be focused and targeted in their search on sectors and companies that value expertise and experience – value-add and uniqueness is key."

She also stresses the importance of research. "Research the company well; what are their particular issues or high priorities at the moment? Then you can show you have invested time in preparation and offer solutions in the interview."

Personal presentation becomes ever more important if you are in the over-fifty category, says career coach and image consultant Gill Hicks.

"When it comes to the interview, ensure that all the non-verbal communication conveys energy and enthusiasm - voice, body language and appearance. A slightly 'tired’ suit or monotone voice can say it all to the interviewer," she says.

It is definitely not all doom and gloom for older applicants, according to Julia Little, a career coach who has worked with clients who have been successful in finding jobs despite the recession.

"The clients that I work with have gone on to getting jobs in much the same way as they always have," she says. "They're maybe a bit more flexible and need to be a bit more pro-active, but their experiences certainly don't tend to reflect the common perception.

"I'm also finding that most clients, irrespective of their backgrounds, are really surprised when they first take a look at the advertised market in their field to see that there are a considerable number of jobs for which they could apply. As for the over 50s, I have heard that the biggest change in labour market trends recently has been the number of over 50s (and men over 50 in particular) who are being taken on by companies!"

By encouraging employers to see them in the light of their skills and expertise as well as the commitment and passion they bring to a job, older professionals stand a good chance of finding a job.

So, if you are over 50, don’t despair – career coaches agree that success is often the result of effort, persistence, a positive mindset and having an open attitude to exploring new opportunities and approaches to using your skills.

UC San Diego Survey reveals that global volunteers in the US may have the workplace edge

What can give a person an edge for landing a new job or being offered a promotion? How they spent their last break could give them the edge, according to a 2011 survey by the University of California San Diego Extension's Center for Global Volunteer Service.

The survey reveals that two out of three Americans with hiring authority (67 percent) agreed that if a job candidate had foreign volunteer experience it would contribute positively to their evaluation.

An ongoing trend is the increased number of people becoming "service volunteers" by spending their discretionary time in meaningful ways that make contributions to others. However, survey respondents who had personally participated in a global volunteer project indicated the experience was also valuable in developing abilities back at work.

While both the general public and those returning rated global volunteer service high (more than 80 percent) for developing compassion and a willingness to give to others, participants who returned from service experiences rated workplace skill development much higher than did the public in their general perceptions.

UC San Diego Extension regularly gathers workplace intelligence to shape its continuing education course offerings and programs. In March 2011, a total of 1010 adults from across America were surveyed on global volunteer service and the workplace.

Ratings reflecting exposure and participation in global service are the highest ever recorded in CGVS surveys:

Young people, in particular, are increasingly interested in global volunteer service; 91 percent of college students said they knew someone personally who had been a global service volunteer, while 87 percent of high school students gave the same response, and 61 percent of high school students said they had donated personal time to global causes.

The survey results were released to help promote awareness of National Volunteer Week in April 2011. Established in 1974, National Volunteer Week has grown exponentially in scope each year since, drawing the support and endorsement of all subsequent U.S. presidents, governors, mayors and other respected elected officials.

The UC San Diego Extension Center for Global Volunteer Service™ is a resource for successful involvement in volunteering abroad. Participants in its programs learn and serve with professionals who have first-hand international experience.

The Center enables individuals of all life stages to learn and grow through global volunteer service, always within an overarching attention to personal wellness, safety, security, and sensitivity to the cultures.

For more information, visit Center for Global Volunteer Service.

Peter Cobbe offers some tips on how to build a career that encompasses taking on many different types of work

'Determine to live life with flair and laughter' - Maya Angelou

Today, multiple factors encourage the development of portfolio lives. For example, the increasing cost and complexity of travel, the growing technological ease of mobile working, the drive by organisations to reduce overheads and use a flexible workforce, the desire for autonomy and a new lifestyle balance by many people.

A portfolio career is not a simple option or the same as managing three jobs and wishing you had one. Some portfolio careers are mixtures of freelance and voluntary commitments; others are grounded in conventional roles. A real benefit can be that following such a career enables use of a variety of enjoyable skills, whilst aligning with personal values and motivation.

Portfolio lifestyles, carefully thought through and implemented, can suit any age group and are not just the province of semi-retired people

In this way of working, income is gained from several sources. This approach to working is popular with those who have specific skills that are in demand by different organisations. At different times you might combine self-employment with, for example, short-term contracts or part-time, temporary or project work.

Each job adds skills and experience to your portfolio and this type of work allows flexibility and can also be secure. Also, in working this way, a balance can be struck between paid and unpaid work and an improved lifestyle.

Working with several clients I have noticed that some attributes or qualities help to underpin success in holding down a portfolio career, including:

If you are considering a portfolio approach, an effective initial stage is to reflect carefully and consider the following questions:

'An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory.' - Engels

Having thought through and settled on at least some initial portfolio components, you are ready to:

A portfolio approach implies an ongoing, flexible and exciting journey. The components of your portfolio can change and evolve.

Some components can be removed if they are not meeting your needs or criteria and new components can be added as you learn more and discover new possibilities. In this sense, it is worth reviewing and evaluating progress at key stages to see what needs to change as well as being constantly curious and actively researching new possibilities.

Peter Cobbe is an accredited coach with over 10 years of coaching experience and an associate consultant with Penna (UK) dealing with career, life, executive and business coaching and counselling. A member of the CIPD, International Coaching Federation and Association for Coaching, he works in mentoring and coaching partnerships with executives to help achieve gains of importance to them. Peter publishes a Portfolio Career site: (http://portfoliocareerandlifestyle.coachingcosmos.com/index.html) and offers a holistic and systematic approach to coaching for executive performance (http://petercobbecoaching.coachingcosmos.com/index.html)

Online networking offers many opportunities if you are willing and committed, and should be part of your career change strategy, says Grace Owen

I don’t mean lunches or parties, but social networking. Meeting people face-to-face is essential, but online networking offers many opportunities if you are willing and committed, and it should be part of your career change strategy.

It has a broad reach and you can interact any time and anywhere. Don’t simply jump on the bandwagon though; think it through.

Be aware that everything you say online stays there, albeit in virtual form, forever! If your attempts so far have been haphazard, or there are unsavoury things about you on the web, remember that they can be accessed by anyone with basic technology skills, including savvy recruiters and HR people. Many organisations now use the internet to 'check out' potential employees.

Action:

Find out what kind of social networking profile you have, by Googling your name and carrying out an audit of all your social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter or You Tube. Learn the social basics from a tech-savvy friend or even get some coaching, so that you can build this in to your overall job hunting plan and set some specific targets for the next six months.

I recently read that, ‘when you are job hunting, you are really people hunting’. In other words you are looking for ‘people who know people who know people who know people’ i.e. those who can open doors to potential work opportunities, connect you with someone you’d really like to meet, advise you or even become advocates for you.

Action:

Map out your networks, both personal and professional and connect to them online. Remember ‘netiquette’ applies; you wouldn’t give the hard sell to everyone at an event, so don’t do it online. You need to be willing to support others with help and advice as well as hoping to be introduced to their networks or be told about potential job opportunities.

Don’t be too social!

There are many sites out there. Here are the main ones:

Action:

Identify a couple of social networking sites that are a 'good fit' for you and stick with them, rather than spreading your efforts too thinly. Figure out exactly what you are looking for and then create an authentic profile that presents you and your talents, skills and knowledge in the best possible way.

If you want to work abroad then online networking can connect you to anyone, anywhere. It is essential to be aware of any cultural norms, so that you interact appropriately. We really do live in a global village, so be careful what you say as online news (good or bad) can travel to the other side of the world before you can say ‘Give me a job!’

Action:

If you are seeking an international appointment build relationships with people who are already in the country, rather than at head office, as they may be able to influence the recruitment decisions being made centrally and invite you to apply.

Effective social networking can help build your personal brand, essential when you are job hunting. When you are in a job, you can still use it to connect with different people, find out about events and opportunities and build your own platform. If you decide that social networking isn’t for you, then close the accounts.

Action:

Update your online profiles every three to six months to prevent them becoming out-of-date or to avoid conflicting information. Build in time each week to interact meaningful on the sites you have chosen.

Remember that a combination of online and offline job hunting will bring you success. Visibility means being out and about creating rapport with people face-to-face as well as in front of your computer screen. Done well, it’s a winning formula.

Action:

Share any successes with your network and enjoy theirs. This creates a circle of trust, support, interest and celebration. Treat everyone you meet with respect and above all, enjoy it!

Employers who need to verify the suitability and integrity of a candidate are finding graphology – the study of handwriting – to be the most reliable, says leading graphologist Margaret White.

‘Getting to know you, getting to know all abut you….’ So goes the song – but there is a way of having insight into the character of people, their abilities and potential to grow and develop that is most accurate and objective, and eliminates the façade we all don to cover our emotions and vulnerabilities when we meet people face to face.

The façade, as we all have learned at one time or another, can do more harm than good when meeting someone for the very first time – and does not really demonstrate the real person standing before us. We are all actors at times and learn our lines well – none more so than when in the workplace where our persona is developed to portray us in what we believe is to our advantage, not only to our immediate colleagues, but to everyone around us. However well we act the part, it is rarely the real us. So how do we know who will prove a loyal and dedicated colleague and member of an organisation – seeking only to improve its profitability, not only for themselves, but for everyone they work with and their clients?

The secret is handwriting. ‘But no-one writes today,’ I hear you cry. ‘We all use our computers, texts and mobiles to communicate.’

So how do you understand the messages you send and receive if you did not learn to read and write? To read, you have to recognise letters, understand how they translate into sound, and then know how they are formed and put together to make a word, a line, a sentence – and the only way to do this is to know how to draw them and the sound they make – yourself.

So therefore you know how to read and write – and hopefully you find both a pleasurable experience. Handwriting is, in fact, the most disciplined art any human being is compulsorily taught in early childhood. This enables them to read and communicate freely in any medium provided.

Who knows when the phones and computers will go down and the lights will go out for a lengthy period of time as we overload their systems and deplete our resources (as we will one day); then the only way to communicate at a distance will be by the handwritten word or the hand-drawn picture.

The science of Graphology allows the Graphologist to be able to accurately and objectively understand, in great detail, the character of an individual from their handwriting. It is a proven tool for people to understand themselves and their partners, friends and colleagues better.

The Personality Profile that it enables the Graphologist to prepare is written totally without prejudice, as they have not been influenced by the physical presence of the writer, or their behaviour. It is purely an honest self-portrait produced by the writer’s subconscious mind, and rather like the human body, its looks do not necessarily portray the beauty or ugliness of the writer’s character – the handwriting tells it as it is!

Naturally allowances have to be made for any physical disability or injury – but Nelson’s handwriting did not display a change in character when he had to learn to write with his left hand following the loss of his right arm during a battle. Although the handwriting after the event was not so tidy or elegant to look at, its overall rhythm and form stayed the same – as did his character.

So what can we learn from the handwriting of any one person? Firstly and most importantly, their temperament – whether they are at one with themselves and their relationships with everyone around them, or whether they are unhappy with how their lives are panning out. Secondly, their ability to communicate and listen to others – which again indicates how secure they feel within themselves and how they control their emotions.

Thirdly, their integrity – whether they are both trusting and trustworthy, or if they manipulate people and events to their own advantage. It also identifies where their intellectual abilities and knowledge lie and their ability to grow and develop new skills and relationships, both personal and professional.

If you are an employer seeking an accurate, comprehensive and profitable method of verifying the suitability and integrity of a prospective employee – which is not time consuming and totally objective – then Graphology is the most reliable and least fallible course to take.

Many organisations and people throughout the world have used the services of a Graphologist and found them most beneficial.

It is important when choosing a Graphologist that you ensure that they have a recognised qualification.

There are only two organisations within the UK who have an accredited examination and diploma in this subject, the Academy of Graphology and the British Institute of Graphology (of which the author is a Founding Member).

These two organisations teach Graphology to a high standard and their tutors are all qualified Graphologists who have studied both Graphology and Psychology. These organisations have websites which give details of their members and services.

Graphology has a long and revered pedigree. It is as old as medicine, but naturally when practiced, it is only as the good as the practitioner. Certainly, it has a much longer and respected history of research and development than psychology and psychometric testing which are still, in comparison, in their infancy.

However we have learned from the great philosophers of the past including Goethe and Lavater – and adopted some of the criteria from the Masters of Psychology, including Jung, Freud, Einsynk and many others, and we include some of their philosophies in the syllabus that both the organisations mentioned teach.

Trying to engage your audience or put them to sleep? Facilitator and Coach Lin Sagovsky offers 10 of her popular tongue-in-cheek insights on presentations that let the pictures do the talking.

The days lengthen and green shoots burgeon in the garden. Our balance sheets, however, may still be telling a more wintry story...

If so, perhaps it's time to take a look at the Bigger Picture - from a new angle. Time to frame things differently for the people you meet, the ideas you plan out and proffer...

Starting with a good long look at the way you present those ideas.

So here are some more fantastically handy reminders from Play4Real on how NOT to do it. Many presenters turn PowerPoint into their WeakPoint (not you of course) - so read on: you never know who you might recognise...

A new survey reveals that 30% of people in their 50’s will make a career shift in later life.

A survey by global bank HSBC has revealed 30 per cent of people in their 50s decide to have a change of career later in life. A further 55 per cent of older people in the UK said they do not think they will ever completely stop working.

As life expectancy and pensions age continues to rise - HSBC reveals that nearly one third (30%) of the UK's 21.3 million over 50s have taken the plunge and "career shifted" in their later working years. This figure increases to 41% amongst 60 to 70 years old.

In a survey of over 2,000 of the UK's over 50's, HSBC found that 21% of those who have changed their career did so as a result of being made redundant - affecting more men than women in this generation (27% and 16% respectively). However, others chose to "career shift" for more positive reasons with 15% simply longing for a change of direction and 11% looking for a career that was less pressurised and demanding.

When asked why they would consider changing their job at the age when people might consider slowing down, 29% said for a new challenge and 27% said to pursue a long held ambition or to gain income from a personal skill or hobby.

Of those who have actually made the switch:

- 75% made a complete career change – for example, a teacher retraining to become a florist

- 13% "down shifted" their skills – for example, a solicitor who now only writes wills

- 6% "up shifted" their roles – for example, a police officer who is now a fraud investigator

The remaining 7% used the skills gained in their career up until then to become a consultant or adviser in the same or a complementary field. Self-employment or entrepreneurialism was a popular choice for those choosing to "career shift".

However, to conclude that today's over 50's are embarking on their career of choice to enjoy the final years of employment before retirement would be wrong.

Shockingly, more than half (55%) of today's older generation never anticipate ceasing work completely. This sentiment grows as people age (54% of 50 - 60 year olds and 57% of 61 - 70 year olds) with 60% intending to do so to compensate for the shortfall in their retirement income (55% of 50 - 60 year olds and 67% of 61 - 70 year olds).

While embarking on a new challenge is the key driver for over 50s considering a career change, 26% said that a second career would have to bring them a greater degree of satisfaction. And for 27% this required a less stressful job - a prerequisite that decreases with age (30% for 50-60 year olds and 22% for 61-70 year olds) - and for 24% this meant options for flexible working.

According to David Wells, Head of Pensions, Savings and Investments at HSBC, "The findings from this research show the changing nature of the UK's workforce at first hand as the population ages and also highlights the key drivers influencing today's older population when it comes to decisions of employment

"As the requirement for people to work longer becomes more apparent it appears that the over 50s are embracing this head on and pursuing the careers they have always wanted. Many, it seems, are doing this to fill a shortfall in retirement income, but equally many are looking to embrace new skills and challenges that may now only become possible after careful financial planning during their earlier working life.

"It appears that it is never too late to change, but to ensure that a later career will offer the financial support required, it is important that people seek financial advice early on so they can enjoy their change of career focus for many more years to come."

The You Gov survey was carried out on behalf of HSBC of 2,003 men and women in the UK aged between 50 and 70 in 2010.

In Kenya, internships can give companies and interns a combination of on-the-job training and prolonged assessment centre. However, says Michael Onsando, such work experience is still underused in Kenya, and not necessarily because corporate are not interested in interns.

Every July, Kenya's universities release thousands of graduates into the labour market. Public universities alone are admitting around 10,000 students annually.

This growing number of graduates faces an already flooded and highly competitive job market, even more so given the relatively small size of Kenya's formal economy. And like anywhere else, with little practical experience, most graduates are not entirely ready to take on a full job.

In principle, internships can create that bridge between studies and employment and can give companies and interns a combination of on-the-job training and prolonged assessment centre.

Internship opportunities in Kenya are few and far between: interns require mentoring if they are to produce any results, the number of companies that can absorb interns is limited, and Kenya's notoriously high levels of corruption do not help either: if internships are awarded to nephews and nieces, the application process becomes futile.

And ironically, the perception that this is how the selection of interns is made also threatens to undermine the confidence of students to apply with those corporate that decide on internships on merit, HR managers indicate.

Those who do apply are often hamstrung by weak language and presentation skills, seemingly unaware of the formal requirements that corporates expect: "Applications received are quite often misspelled and wrongly punctuated" said Veronica Waiyaki, Human Capital and Administration Manager of the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), in a concern echoed by the other companies interviewed. This creates doubt whether the applicant is really suitable for a graduate position.

Finally, the links between universities and the corporate sector have also not been fully exploited. Each university has a placement office that collects graduate CVs and is meant to support them in finding work experience opportunities or employment.

But according to Susan Kihato, Manager of Human Resources at insurance firm Aon East Africa, this is hardly ever the case: "You are tossed from one line to the next since no one seems willing to assist you - not just at public universities, but at private universities as well. On some occasions, I have been forced to speak directly to lecturers and deans of several universities."

An internship is intended to be work experience: for the intern to gain a first insight into the demands of professional employment, for the company to assess the candidate's abilities, soft and hard skills. But often interns merely get a stream of menial labour, for example, scanning or making badges.

Interestingly, however, many do not find this problematic. Instead, they argue that "it is worth the letter of recommendation" or "I am making great contacts for the future."

Their emphasis is on working harder in order to get employed. This can be a slippery slope: sometimes, graduates end up in what effectively amounts to a regular position, but are still on an unpaid internship contract.

Even though an internship is by no means a guarantee of a follow-up offer of employment, Kenyan companies have made positive experiences with interns: "At least 20% of our staff here started as interns" said David Sagia, Head of Human Resources in the Vision Institute of Professionals.

"When you get an intern, it is as if you were given a clean slate to write upon and it is up to you to decide what you want to write on that slate," said Veronica Waiyaki.

As Valentine's Day approaches, Tolulope Popoola offers some words of caution when it comes to romance at work.

Relationships in the workplace are becoming more and more common in our modern society. The majority of professionals, once they graduate from formal education, spend the bulk of their time at the office. We build a career with other people for years and maybe even decades.

While working together, we can learn a lot about our co-workers: their ambitions, background, likes and dislikes, etc. With the amount of time people spend working, and the increasing percentage of women in the workforce, it is inevitable that several couples will meet this way. Traditional meeting places such as church, the neighbourhood, family events, parties and leisure activities do not always present the same opportunities for continuous contact, or a similar pool of candidates. In contrast, the office provides a pre-selected pool of people who share at least one important interest.

People who work together also tend to live within a reasonable distance to each other, and share the same office location, so they can see each other on a regular basis. Co-workers in similar jobs may also be approximately the same age, and share similar interests outside of work.

THowever, in spite of the opportunities that office romance offers, there are also several things to be aware of. Romantic involvement between employees can be awkward for both the employees and their employer. If they are handled well between the two parties involved, it can lead to a long-lasting happy relationship. On the other hand, if office relationships are handled badly it can lead to embarrassment for the couple, forcing one or both of them to leave their job. It can also lead to problems within the organization or even a sexual harassment lawsuit which the employer has to deal with.

With this in mind, some companies have tried to legislate against dating among their employees. However, most recognize that sometimes, relationships between two adult people who see each other often are inevitable.

What most companies try to implement are policies that restrict activities that are harmful to the business, such as adulterous affairs and inappropriate sexual behaviour in the workplace during company time and at company locations. Some explicitly state that the management expect all staff members to behave in a professional manner at all times and personal relationships or affairs must be kept separate from the work environment.

If you find yourself attracted to a co-worker, you must be prepared to take appropriate actions to minimise any possible damage to your career should the relationship end badly.

These are a few common sense ideas that will help you to navigate the tricky line between balancing your relationship and your career at the office:

Relationships and romance in the workplace will always be a possibility and will most likely continue to increase as time goes by. If your feelings about a co-worker are so strong that you can't deny them any longer, remember to be very careful and wise. If you are single, be prepared in advance to deal with this possibility if it arises.

Remember there is no perfect world and, as such, we all have to take risks sometimes with our romantic choices. If, however, things work out and the trend in office romance continues to increase, get ready to attend a lot of co-worker weddings!

It's time to make your mark at work and mentoring coach Vera Ng'oma spells out the best way to do it.

In the workplace one sometimes gets the impression of a divide between two types of employees; the 'rocks' who are the stable, hardworking people without whom the foundation cracks. And the 'stars', the icing on the cake who can make the organization look good any day and can take it into the future.

The fact is you need to be both. The mnemonic ROCKSTAR shows you how;

Relevance and reliability: Learn the skills required for your job and the wider organization and find opportunities to serve with any broader skills you might have. Deliver expected performance; as in football show exhibit individual brilliance when needed but team playing is what wins the day.

Optimization and organisation: To become someone going places in your organization, you must do more than your job. You must 'have it together', set the example and come across as a leader, a motivator, a skillful front row operator ready and willing to speak up and able to earn the confidence of your peers and others at all levels.

Contribution and connection: Understand the corporate agenda so that you can contribute to it. Know the measures of success and deliver accordingly. Find a way to align your career objectives to the corporate goals. Know your job purpose so that you can produce your part in the performance chain

Knowledge and Keenness: Knowledge and skill go together so master information needed to build your expertise. Learn how to sell benefits, ideas, to develop rapport and to make intelligent 'business' conversation with others. This will help make a good impression for yourself and your organisation.

Significance and soul: Success doesn't come cheap. Be creative, figure things out, present rich insights and look for chances to share your wisdom. Work to develop your influence and your capacity to be listened to. Be enthusiastic, get to the frontlines and move things forward. Avoid situations and environments where you can become obsolete quickly.

Talent and traction: Talent can be latent, make it shine by finding meaning for it wherever you find yourself. Don't box yourself into your grade or your title, let your talent speak. Surround yourself with action-oriented people to make things happen and to amplify your efforts.

Acumen and Ambition: Acumen helps you create something out of nothing, pull things together to provide greater value, identify and pursue priorities rather than 'going with the flow'. Operate with constructive ambition. Trust your intuition, appreciating that not every choice you make will succeed but that taking action is better than second guessing yourself.

Resonance and resilience: When you exhibit resonance, your impact goes beyond the narrow task at hand. Bring a unique and positive personality to what you do. You know when you at your best so find space to play in order to leave a footprint. And when you falter, rise again and contribute to something greater than yourself.

When it comes to networking, women seem to struggle more than men. Rebecca Hourston offers some valuable tips on how to make networking profitable and fun.

Networking often feels just that – way too much like hard work. Slimy, pushy, insincere, manipulative… many women cringe at the very idea of networking.

So we tend to put it off, naively assuming – unlike male colleagues – that doing a good job is enough to get us noticed (it isn't), or that the task in hand is more urgent than building a great network (it is – but is it more important?) Yet people with strong networks enjoy greater career satisfaction, more promotions, and higher pay (according to a 1990 study by Dreher and Ash).

Taking the 'work' out of networking starts with overhauling how you approach it. You need to redefine it on three levels: how you think about networking, how you leverage your network, and the way you do networking.

1. Redefine how you think about networking.

There is a weird discrepancy between our private and professional lives when it comes to networking. In your social life, things that you would never label 'networking' happen all the time: your neighbour recommends a plumber, your friend throws a birthday party, the mum at the school gates puts you in touch with another frustrated soul whose child, like yours, will eat nothing but jam sandwiches.

In your professional life, networking gets built up as a big deal. Yet just as in your social life, it is, quite simply, about meeting and connecting with people who you didn't already know, thereby finding the people you need and enabling others to find you.

Stephen D'Souza, author of 'Brilliant Networking', says networking is "the art of building reciprocal relationships that help individuals and the community as a whole to achieve their goals".

For Dr Samantha Collins of Aspire, increasing your network is about increasing your sphere of influence and ability to get things done or changed. "I believe in having a network (I like 'peer group' better) over and above where you are at. I'm currently working on having both Michelle Obama and Oprah in my network – wish me luck!" she says.

Samantha has redefined for herself how to go about getting influential people like this in her network. "The key is for me to be 'attractive' enough so they will seek me out and not the other way around. If I try to seek them out, I join a very long queue. For me, that all comes down to having a unique brand that attracts like-minded people who also want to make a difference for women."

But you get to define this activity we call networking. More than the activity of 'doing networking', focus on ending up with a 'success network' – a wealth of great contacts who might come in handy one day. Take the mindset that if you bother to develop a better network, you will always have someone to call when you have a problem, need advice, or are wondering how to solve an issue.

If the word itself is a turn-off, try a simple terminology switch: 'relationship-building', 'growing my contacts', 'meeting new people', or 'staying in touch'.

Successful entrepreneur Julia Langkraehr, who has built multi-million pound businesses and is known by her colleagues as 'The Queen of Networking', thinks of it as 'net-giving'.

"My philosophy is that it's all about giving. If you're seen just as a taker, no-one wants to talk to you. You have to contribute, whether to the conversation, by taking a leadership role or by giving something back without strings to the people in your network. Always help others if you can, without expecting anything in return. It's not just about 'what goes around comes around' – it's also a great way of building goodwill, a good reputation and making you feel great about yourself!"

Julia founded and is currently Board Director for Retail Profile Europe Ltd, a pioneering company that specializes in leasing unique and temporary retail space across Europe and Russia. Widely recognized by her peers as a 'super-connector', she has an expansive and varied network across three continents, is an integral figure in the Entrepreneurs' Organization (a global non-profit network for entrepreneurs who turn over multi-million pound businesses) and a long-standing member of The Super Club, a network of high achieving entrepreneurs which represents some of the UK's most inspirational growing businesses.

Even with such a track record, "I don't like to call it networking," she says. "Really I'm just a good relator and a good conversationalist."

"When I meet someone, I'm always trying to learn from their life experiences. I try to collect in my head all of that person's best attributes by steering the conversation towards their stories. The person feels like I connected to them because I really did."

In other words, unapologetically use your natural feminine strengths of empathy and connection.

At hardcore networking events, Julia can't bear the ego-feed of 'what do you do / what do I do', and advises talking about topics instead. "Have topics that you feel comfortable talking about that you know others will also feel confident and comfortable talking about. Take a topical event like the ash cloud and the stories about who's been delayed soon come out."

"You'll walk away from the event thinking you learnt so much and met some great people with great stories, rather than thinking how well you networked," she continues. "But you will have built better quality relationships that will potentially be more valuable to you down the line as a result."

So, how would you redefine how you think about networking?

2. Redefine how you leverage your network.

The danger for women is that, having focused on building great relationships, it can just stop there. While male colleagues tend not to hold back from drawing on their network and making requests of it, women can shy away from this. Yet people like it when you ask for something back – especially if you've gained credibility and given them something first.

In their 2007 Harvard Business Review article 'How Leaders Create and Use Networks', INSEAD Professor Herminia Ibarra and her colleague Mark Hunter stress the importance of calling on your network and actively using it. "A network lives and thrives only when it is used. A good way to begin is to make a simple request or take the initiative to connect two people who would benefit from meeting each other. Doing something – anything – gets the ball rolling and builds confidence that one does, in fact, have something to contribute."

It is key always to keep in mind the bigger picture of what you want from your networking. What do you want to achieve in your career in the next year and beyond? Who are the people or organisations – the 'ecosystem' – that need to be in your network to support you to achieve it? Where are the gaps in your network and how might you close them?

Ibarra and Hunter identify three types of networks – operational (people who impact how your current work is done), personal (people in your professional associations, alumni groups, clubs and personal-interest communities who can widen your perspective) and strategic (people outside your day to day role who can help you determine future priorities and how your role fits into the bigger picture). They point out that managers who think they are adept at networking are often operating only at an operational or personal level, and conclude that the best leaders need to learn to employ their networks for strategic purposes too.

As part of thinking more strategically about network-building, women would be wise to build greater breadth in their networks.

Joanna Barsh, Susie Cranston and Rebecca Craske's research published in the McKinsey Quarterly 2008 found that "men tend to build broader, shallower networks than women do and…the networks of men give them a wider range of resources for gaining knowledge and professional opportunities. Our experience with hundreds of women at McKinsey offers additional evidence that women's networks tend to be narrower but deeper than men's."

In other words, without losing the advantage of the depth in relationships that you will create as a woman, you also need to ensure you are building a wide enough variety of relevant contacts.

Strategically broadening your internal network is especially important if you work for a large organization, where it's easy to get stuck on building relationships only with those in your direct area of work. Linking up with those beyond your department provides fresh perspective, new ideas, and might even come in handy in future years if you are promoted or transferred to another area of the business.

So, how would you redefine how you leverage your network?

3. Redefine the way you do networking.

There is never enough time, and the lure of completing a tangible, measurable task is always going to battle with the intangible nature of networking, the payback of which may be measurable only weeks, months, or even years down the line – or never.

Diarize time for networking. It might be a weekly half an hour for phone calls to people you've met recently; it might be a fortnightly coffee with someone from a different part of the organization; it might be external events and conferences – whatever it is, its purpose is to expand your contacts and remind yourself of the bigger picture of what you're here to do. Plan networking as a strategic career development activity with time in the working day allocated accordingly – get your manager's buy-in to it as a personal development goal. If the golf and rugby events that male colleagues arrange are not for you, find others who feel the same way and create some alternatives.

Know your industry associations, and take a leadership position within one, whether as a sponsor, speaker, chair or committee member. Julia Langkraehr has found that taking a lead within the Entrepreneurs' Organization has given her great access to an ever-widening network of entrepreneurs, to the point where she has become a renowned 'go-to' person for connecting up entrepreneurs.

Virtual networking has played a significant role in enabling Julia to manage her networks across cultures and time zones. "Online networking is not a nice-to-do anymore; it's really important, particularly if key people for your network happen to be in a different country," she advises. "Wordsmith your LinkedIn profile – it's your electronic business card." People will Google you – make sure you're managing what they see.

As INSEAD's Ibarra and Hunter rightly observe, "building a leadership network is less a matter of skill than of will". You have to get out there and take action. And that action might look different to what you have previously considered to count as networking.

Most of all, be authentic and real in the way you network so that the relationships you build are meaningful and strong. The McKinsey Quarterly networking researchers commented how "over and over, we heard, 'Make it personal,' in the sense that others will get along with you more easily if they see your human side."

Julia Langkraehr sums it up well: "I try to be like I am in both business and personal situations – whether I'm going to a friend's dinner party or an Institute of Directors event, I approach it in the same way".

So, how would you redefine the way you do networking?

Networking takes commitment, communication, time and effort to make it successful. But if you redefine your approach to it, at least it no longer need feel like such hard work.

Ever faced situations you wished you had handled better? Getting ahead in your career depends a lot on skills, knowledge and talent. But your ability to handle difficult situations maturely can build your reputation and help develop enduring professional relationships that serve you well long term.

Here is my list of typical pitfalls and some suggestions on how to handle them.

How you lead: Leadership these days is not just what the boss does. It's for everyone. It's an attitude, a behavior, even a state of mind. Choosing to lead isn't about usurping other people's authority or overstepping the mark. It's taking responsibility for results.

Your effect on people: Know your personal style and its impact. Putting out your best self earns goodwill. Treat people with respect and give them room to be themselves. Choose to trust people; not everything has to have your fingerprints all over it.

How you compete: Learning to compete constructively is a good skill; wanting to win all the time can be counterproductive and lead you into taking credit that is due others. Pursue your ambition sensibly and don't act like you want everyone else to fade away.

Handling disagreement: Let's face it, you're never going to see eye to eye all the time with everyone. How you handle disagreements has an impact on how you are viewed. In disagreement remain calm, professional and solution-oriented. Be assertive but polite and keep your ego out of it.

Receiving feedback: Positive feedback is great. Critical feedback…ouch. Try not to reject negative feedback out of hand. If the delivery is done rudely, respectfully say so. Mine even seemingly negative feedback for lessons to guide your journey of growth.

Handling disappointment: Lost out on that promotion, cheated out of your 15 minutes of fame? Disappointments come and when they do don't throw tantrums or act the victim. Take a long term view and don't let your reaction to single events undermine your future. Commit to excellence and worthy opportunities will come round.

Your attitude to change: Change is tough and inevitable but can stretch us positively. Diminish your unwillingness to change. When you see it coming, prepare to receive it and become a shaper rather than a resistor. You can only influence the game if you play.

Managing a difficult boss: Sometime in your career you'll work with a difficult boss. Be sure you are not seeing them as difficult because they're asking more of you than you are prepared to give. Choose to respect your boss and his authority over you

Now take action! Which immature behaviors and habits are undermining your career?

The ASPIRE Foundation is transforming the world, one woman at a time.

The Aspire Foundation seeks to make a difference to women suffering from injustice in countries within Africa, Asia and the Middle East through mentoring and coaching programmes for women working in charities, social enterprises and community projects in these locations.

Aspire is an internationally-recognized and award-winning leader in coaching, leadership education, events and research related to women as business, diversity and social leaders. The organisation was founded in 2001 by Dr. Samantha Collins, winner of The Women's Social Leadership Award 2010 and voted one of the Top Ten Coaches by The Independent.

ReConnect Africa spoke to Dr. Samantha Collins about the Aspire Foundation's work and how women are coaching other women to create a 'ripple effect of positive change across the world'.

ReConnect Africa (RCA): When was the Aspire Foundation established and what inspired you to set it up?

Dr. Samantha Collins (SC): The Foundation is very new and was established in November 2009, just after the birth of my second child. Watching a programme on CNN about pregnant women in Afghanistan who were struggling to get to the birthing clinic, I felt powerless and wanted to make a difference. I wanted to harness the power of the Aspire women – 50,000 women who want to make a difference. I came up with the idea of business mentoring women in non-profit organisations that benefit women and children in Africa and around the world.

RCA: Why did you choose coaching and mentoring as the process through which to effect change?

SC: I think that it's the key to change, the catalyst to change. Only by empowering people to create their own change does change really happen. Forcing or telling people to do something doesn't make change sustainable. Being a coach and running a coaching business, this is something that I strongly believe.

What differentiates the two processes? A mentor for me is often a more senior trusted advisor who will share their stories, ideas and experience about what has worked for them. This is how our mentoring programme works.

Our professional women (once a month by phone or face to face) mentor through sharing their stories. It's more of a telling approach. Coaching is more about drawing answers from a person without sharing your own story. I may make suggestions but I wouldn't tell or advise as such.

Not for profit organisations are making a direct impact on the lives of women and girls. Our professional coaches offer pro bono coaching to direct beneficiaries on the ground – women who are taking leadership positions in their communities. Access to phones and the internet makes the programme feasible without having to directly travel to those countries.

RCA: How do you identify and select your coaches and mentors and what skills and qualities are you looking for?

SC: The number one quality I'm looking for is passion; caring about the advancement of women, because I can't teach that. At Aspire that is the kind of person we tend to attract anyway. Over and above that, someone very well trained and accredited who has been coaching for at least three years and is good at what they do, in fact fantastic!

In terms of mentors, you have to complete an application in which we ask about previous experience, level of seniority, and the skills you want to offer so that we can make a good match. We then give the mentors the chance to choose a mentee based on an organisation they feel passionate about.

The organisations we support vary from women in prison to amnesty, water aid, international development or something closer to you. We want to try and make a match based on what people care about. We also offer monthly mentoring skills sessions to help mentors develop their skills and grow a sense of community and connect to each other. The mentors are really helping each other and we have some very senior women from top companies and at board level giving up their time. They obviously care enough to want to do it.

RCA: How can professional women in the UK identify and successfully transfer their experience to women working in such economically and culturally diverse locations?

SC: I believe they can do a great job regardless of age, background and cultural difference because one of the wonderful things about coaching is that you come without assumptions, without judgement, without financial or other limiting beliefs. I've found coaches with the same background can be a disaster because of assumptions that become a limiting belief.

I feel that if we get the best coaches we can, they will create the right partnerships and relationships with the coachees. The questions that coaches ask are very powerful, and powerful questions can be very simple and very basic. People ultimately just want to be heard and, as coaches, we are trained to really listen.

RCA: have been the key challenges for the Foundation?

SC: When we launched, I didn't expect such an overwhelming response and we had to cope with that. We have the goal of positively impacting the lives of one million women by 2015 - being a coach, I like a goal! I think getting the word out about the Foundation continues to be a challenge, so getting the word out to women who want to be mentees or mentors is important. There's no money involved and we are not looking for any funding.

RCA: How do you measure your success?

SC: One measure is that we have a goal against which we can measure the number of women we impact. A more important measure is qualitative; stories, video diaries and testimonials will be a big part of this. These are already coming in and we will find better and more effective ways of using them.

When I see 500 plus mentors and can really feel and see change, then that will be the real measurement for me.

First impressions can make or break your chance of getting your perfect job.

Careers and image coach Sallyann Doble offers her top tips for dressing for interviews.

Every day, every person you meet sizes you up within a few seconds. They form an impression about who you are, what you think and how you are likely to act. Once these impressions are formed, they are difficult to change. Once we have formed a belief about something, we are reluctant to see things differently; we want to believe we are right, which leads to a tendency to accept initial impressions without question.

When interviewers form an initial unfavourable impression of a candidate, they ask specific and pointed questions targeted to confirm their initial negative impression; their body language and communication style may also change. Their positive or negative behaviour creates a self-fulfilling prophesy by inducing a favourable or unfavourable performance in response.

So, what can you do?

Do your homework prior to interview. As well as selling your skills and experience, you need to demonstrate that you will fit into the corporate culture. An important way of doing this is to dress the part: 'you look like one of us already'. By wearing similar clothes you show that you have something in common with and a sense of belonging to the group. How do people within the company dress? Can you differentiate the senior people from more junior staff? As a rule of thumb, you should dress as formally as 70-90% of those in your environment.

However, this does not mean a contrived look or trying to be someone you are not. Your choice of outfit should also reflect your body shape, personality and colouring.

Many of the top image wreckers are to be found here. Good grooming means, amongst other things, clean, well pressed clothes, hair that is well cut and in good condition and manicured nails. Research shows that people notice people's hair before anything else. Remember, it is the outfit you never take off! If you haven't changed your hairstyle in over three years, get some advice from a hairdresser in an up to date salon where they will be able to advise you about suitable styles.

Your hands are noticed particularly in meetings and bitten nails and chipped nail varnish are unacceptable.

Everything visible is part of your brand. Many of the standards you have for yourself are expressed through your accessories and the way in which you complete an outfit should portray a message of quality and professionalism. You should therefore invest in a good quality pen - a chewed biro does nothing for your image! And remember diving watches or diamond crusted 'bling' are not appropriate for business.

Keep bags and briefcases down to a minimum as you don't want to arrive at interview looking cluttered. Acquire a good quality briefcase or leather portfolio; for women there are plenty of options for a softer style case with handles which will allow you to combine the contents of your handbag and briefcase.

Nothing will cheapen a garment more than a poor fit. This will ruin a good outfit and totally destroy any chance of making a positive impression. You are also more likely to feel uncomfortable and self conscious.

Men's clothing that is too short in the sleeve, leg, jacket or tie makes a particularly poor impression. Jacket sleeves should finish where your wrist breaks, trousers should rest on top of your shoes covering your socks and the tip of your tie should rest just above your waistband.

For women one of the biggest mistakes is to wear clothing that is too tight and which results in gaping buttons and seams that pull. Skirt length is another issue for women seeking a professional look (whether you wear it just above or just below the knee is a matter of preference). Short skirts detract from your professional image while, at the other extreme, skirts that are too long can make you look dowdy.

Colour is the essence of successful dressing. It affects how we feel and how people respond to us; getting it right gives us confidence and creates a positive first impression.

It is the first thing you see about someone and what will be remembered. There are strong correlations between different colours and how they affect our impressions of such traits as status, friendliness and intelligence.

In business, darker neutral colours give the appearance of authority and suits should be in darker neutral colours. Team them with a lighter coloured shirt or blouse; although you may love bright colours, be aware that in business you may be perceived as being less professional.

Nigerian networking supremo Kamil Olufowobi shares his strategies, tactics and the science to employ as you endeavour to network your way to success.

A clearly defined agenda is an essential factor when you want to network effectively - even for love! You must first identify your own agenda, your goals, your dreams and start networking your way to success, as defined by you.

From my interactions, I have discovered that many people don't realize the same basic rules of networking for success could be applied to finding love! I recommend, as a change, that you start putting the same amount of effort as you do in professional life into your personal life. I guarantee, or your money back, you will witness noticeable changes!

Again, there is nothing wrong with having a clearly defined agenda and letting people know what it is. One of the keys to success is directly tied to your willingness to ask people for help; for instance, 'I'm looking for a job, searching for a wife, interested in a promotion at work, help!'

Whomever you are asking for help is, in fact, your network, your infrastructure of support. And the more you become a person of value to your network; the more people in your network will be willing to support your agenda.

So how do you identify your network? Everyone you know is part of your network, but it is not who you know that is always important. What is really important is what they know about you! It is what people know about you that will enable them to connect you to opportunities and set you up for success.

For a quick check of your network, follow these five steps outlined by George C. Fraser, Black America's #1 Networker:

A member of my network wanted me to explain what I mean when I speak about a success network. Here is the real life conversation between that member and me.

Chichi: Kamil, can you please explain what you mean when you speak about a success network?

Kamil: Your success network is the people you know and people who know you. All of the people who will be willing to assist you because they know you are willing to assist them. Friends and family provide support, stability and emotional balance. Mentors, role models, colleagues and business partners motivate and push you to achieve.

Chichi: How do I know if I'm plugged into a success network?

Kamil: To find out if you are plugged into a success network, list 5 or 10* people in your network, people you spend the most time with and break them into three categories: Business (money in), Social (money out) and Business & Social (money in/out). If more than 50% are in your business & social and social network combined, you are not YET plugged into a success network! *5 (1 person=20%) or 10 (1 person =10%)

This simple exercise seeks to give you an insight into what is going on around you, within you, and between you and other people. Based on such insight, you will have an increased awareness of the people with whom you spend your time. It is for you to make the changes as you see fit for your agenda as you network for success.

Chichi: I did your exercise and wow! Now I see why I'm always broke and unmotivated. How do I meet more people who will fit into my business and business & social network?

Kamil: NiPRO, for example, is a progressive global network of Nigerian professionals. It is a platform for young professionals, executives and entrepreneurs to meet, learn and connect with liked minded people who want to network for success. Join NiPRO today and get plugged into a success network.

As the old saying goes, "when the poor live only with the poor, they have restricted access to opportunities for jobs, education, and role models." They have no "success network" to plug into.

As the Co-founder and CEO of Nigerian Professionals (NiPRO) Global Network, Kamil Olufowobi is fast becoming known as one of Nigeria's youngest global networking gurus. He is living proof that networking for success works when networking becomes a way of life, in elevating yourself and the people around you.

NiPRO today is the #1 global network of Nigerian professionals with over ½ million professionals worldwide and a projected 1 million+ subscribers to the network by 2015. With a mission focused on the professional and personal development of Nigerian professionals, Kamil, via NiPRO aims to elevate professionalism in Nigeria to world class standards. In his role as ED, he works to inform, inspire, empower and celebrate young professionals, executives and entrepreneurs towards the advancement of Nigeria. ko@niproevents.com

Leading trichologist Noon Etienne busts the 5 myths about Black hair loss.

Myth No. 1: 'Hair loss is caused by pulling hair too tightly.'

Noon Etienne: This is a myth with some truth, but bear in mind that there are many types of hair loss. Hair loss is classified under four categories: pattern, patchy, scarring and non-scarring. Pattern hair loss can affect both men and women while diffuse hair loss, on the other hand, is gradual hair thinning all over the head.

Traction Alopecia, another type of hair loss, can be the result of styling options that are too tight, such as braids, weaves, or pony tails. Trichotilomania is another type of loss which is self inflicted and which involves pulling the hair out as a form of comfort. Patchy hair loss includes temporary patchy loss - Alopecia Areata - bald patches caused by stress, illness, or the body attacking itself; traumatic patchy loss caused by heat, chemicals, or physical pulling; and permanent patchy loss after an infection or of auto-immune origin. Some of these scarring conditions leave no hair follicles in place.

Myth No. 2: 'Once hair has been lost, it can never grow back.'

Noon Etienne: This is not wholly true since there are so many types of hair loss. There are non-scarring types of hair loss, such as alopecia areata, which leaves the follicles still in place and the chances of hair re-growing is therefore quite likely. Scarring conditions, such as lupus erythematosus or folliculitis decalvans tend to leave no hair follicles in place, and there is therefore, only a very slim chance of the hair growing back.

Myth No. 3: 'There is nothing you can do to help hair grow back.'

Noon Etienne: There are so many things on offer to help improve the condition of the scalp and to make hair grow back better and healthier. Some treatments, such as Rogaine and Propecia, require a lifetime commitment that cannot be broken, but will give you back full recovery of your hair. Other natural products like herbal essential oils can stimulate the blood flow and with the help and correct guidance of a practitioner, can offer a more holistic approach with no side effects and great results.

Maintaining the hair with deep penetrating treatments and moisturisers and the help of a qualified trichologist can also really help to strengthen and improve the hair on your head. We also must not forget the hair replacement option, where follicles are surgically removed from a growing section of your head and then placed in the balding section. Again a trichologist would help guide you to better understand the options available to you in your search for a full head of hair.

Myth No. 4: 'It's impossible to find professional looking wigs to mask hair loss.'

Noon Etienne: Alternatives for styling your hair when you need to mask hair loss can be professionally created by a wig maker or, depending where the hair loss is situated, you would need the help and advice of a professional.

Simi Weave, for example, is a wig that comes with different parting options and colours/textures that can be clipped on to the natural hair. All you need to do is take a section of your natural hair out in the front to comb over the parting, so the wig looks like your natural hair. Alternatively, a weave cap could be created just for you in the salon, which you could use while undergoing treatment to grow the hair back. Or you could have fun with off-the-peg wigs in the shops - but get it cut by a professional to suit your face!

Myth No. 5: 'My health and diet has no effect on hair loss.'

Noon Etienne: Crash diets, stress and general health can contribute to hair loss! This is because our body depends on proper nutrients for all our organs to function at their optimum level.

Hair gets its nutrients from the blood, so if our blood is lacking iron, for instance, our hair will grow weak and start to fall out. Stress is the culprit for a lot of different illnesses, depleting our bodies of nutrients such as vitamin C. You may say, "Stress is part of life". Sure it is, but it's how we perceive it and handle it that really matters. Adding an exercise routine to your daily life and taking breaks will help you manage stress more effectively. All in all, a healthy balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, protein and carbohydrates will take care of the internal requirements of the body.

Exercise will eliminate and manage stress from being harboured in the body, while drinking your eight glasses of water per day will regulate flow, remove toxins, and hydrate the body. Let's not forget a good restful sleep to recharge our batteries! All this, coupled with professional advice and subsequent treatments, will help improve on any type of hair loss.

Noon 4 Hair is offering a 15% discount to ReConnect Africa readers for a full hair health check. Quote this offer when calling to book. Noon 4 Hair, 48 Porchester Road, London W2 6ET. Tel: + 44 (0)20 7034 0734

What does thinking outside the box really mean and how should we go about doing it? Communications coach Vera Ng'oma offers some helpful tips.

I recently asked a couple of friends the following question: What comes to mind when you hear the expression 'think outside the box'?

I got answers such as 'being creative', 'doing things differently', and even 'challenging the status quo'. This demonstrated what I suspected. That while organisations often tell employees to think outside the box, there is often no clear definition of what this actually means in a particular organisational context.

I believe that the starting point for responding to a call to 'outside the box' thinking is;

The above said; if you must think outside the box, here are some suggestions on how to go about it.

Managing impressions is critical to our chances of succeeding at interview, says leading careers coach Robin Alcock.

It goes without saying that how well you can convey your expertise to the interviewer and how you can show its relevance to him or her, will play a major part in getting hired or not.

But, in this difficult economic climate where the job markets are not working in favour of candidates, it's important to focus also on what some people call "Impression Management". This article looks at what you can do as a job candidate to improve your chances at interview.

What people think you are will influence their decisions about you and how much of what you say they will respect and trust. There is a well-known psychology experiment which shows this. As with all such experiments, a group of volunteers is assembled, paying attention to keeping it as mixed as possible as to gender, age group, economic status and so on. Volunteers are usually paid a modest amount for their trouble. In this experiment they are told "We are doing some research into memory, and soon we will ask you to listen to a 20 minute lecture and will give you some questions to answer afterwards."

The group is taken to the lecture room and they are introduced to the guest speaker, a "professor of criminology at (Whatever) university, who will talk to us about crime and its causes".

They hear the lecture and are given the question sheet. It contains lots of questions asking what facts they remember. Sprinkled among these, are questions about how much they believed the points the speaker was making.

The memory questions and answers are irrelevant. Only belief and trust are being measured, but the volunteers are unaware of that, so as not to distort the outcome.

When the volunteers have gone, the whole process is repeated with new volunteers and this time the speaker is introduced as a "reformed former criminal" talking on the same subject.

Finally the whole process is repeated with a new group of volunteers and this time the speaker is introduced as "a concerned citizen".

When the results are analysed we find the speakers who are introduced as experts are much more strongly believed than the "man or woman in the street".

The interesting part is that in all three lectures, the identical script was read out and by the same speaker. The only difference was how he was introduced.

So, how we are perceived, is often as influential as what we say. How do we influence how we are perceived? Firstly, by what we have already written about ourselves in our CV and letters before we even get there. You may think that because you are being interviewed, your written material must have been fine or you wouldn't be there. Not necessarily true.

Most interviewers have views about which contenders are strong and which are more marginal before they interviews start. Make sure your paperwork tells the best possible story and is convincing about what you can do that is important to their situation and needs. Keep your material focussed on this, even if it means playing down, or leaving out things that are good but not relevant.

Secondly give attention to first impressions. I know, it's a bit of a cliché but there is a marked "primacy effect". We unfortunately are prone to making a very early first impression and using all the subsequent answers to confirm that impression was right!

Another experiment shows this. Student volunteers were given short descriptions of two lecturers they had not met, and asked their opinions of them. The first description was along the lines of "cold person, analytical, intelligent, practical, hard working". The other lecturer was described in exactly the same words, except the first ones were "warm person". The student volunteers assessed the second lecturer ("warm person") much more favourably than the first.

No surprise there. But when the experiment is conducted with the key words placed later in the list, the differences in assessment are much less. The students have been pre-disposed by the first impression (that is, by the first words).

So how you behave when you first meet the interviewer is very important. You need to be "dressed for success", which usually means following the dress code of the job one level above the one you are going for. I have known clients say that they can do their particular job just as well whatever they are wearing. Sometimes this is true. But what is the right impression for interview? I have never known anyone lose points because they were "too well dressed".

Thirdly, although the interview is mainly a serious business meeting, you must work at establishing rapport with those you are talking to. We hire people we like and who we can see ourselves working comfortably with. So smile and be friendly, don't just wear your "business face". Smiling conveys confidence, friendliness, happiness, enthusiasm.

Follow the right social and non-verbal conventions. Our body language and verbal tone convey up to 90% of the message. In other words if there is any ambiguity or if the message is at all unclear, we believe the non-verbal and the tone above the meaning of the words themselves.

We can't change the voice equipment nature gave us, but we can practise our delivery. Try asking a friend to listen to some of your answers and give you honest feedback. Practise answering topics that are bound to come up. (Such as describing your career up to now and what you have achieved in your different roles).Get familiar with the content and then practise the delivery, much like a singer would. If your normal delivery is a bit one-tone and one-speed (like mine!) then learn and practise to make it more animated and to vary the pace.

Finally, rapport is helped by "mirroring" or matching some of the other person's behaviour. But be cautious. We do not mean slavishly copying their words or gestures. That is going to look contrived or even, ridiculous. Mirroring means taking a lead from how they are sitting, talking, moving. For example, if their speech is relaxed and fairly slow paced, keep yours the same way. If they are very concise and hurried, be brief and speak faster.

The rise of Interim Management offers experienced professionals an attractive alternative to working life.

Does the thought of working on new and challenging assignments for nine months and then taking time off for three months appeal to you?

Experienced professionals looking for variety and a better work/life balance are increasingly turning to the interim management market as the next step in their careers.

Interim Managers are senior directors or managers who work for companies or organisations on a fixed fee, short-term basis – usually at least three months - taking on specific roles or working on particular projects. As self-employed professionals, Interims are employed on a freelance basis, with many working through their own limited companies.

According to the Institute of Interim Management, the total market for Interim management services is estimated at approximately £500m pa in the UK and €750m in the rest of Europe, with sustained long-term growth of 15% per annum. However, these statistics could well be below the actual number as, on average, Interim managers find two thirds of their work direct from clients, with only a third of assignments coming through providers and other intermediaries. Many Interims have well developed networks and never need to turn to agencies or providers for new assignments.

Measuring the Interim market, says the Institute, can be tricky. Interims often change between temporary, contract, consultancy and Interim roles to meet the needs of client companies, and even move into permanent employment or retirement. They estimate, however, that there are about 2,000 career Interim managers in the UK, with a further 7,000 to 8,000 'passing through' – in other words, doing Interim work to fill a gap in permanent employment.

Changes in the economy, such as a recession, lead to changes within organisations. Tighter budgets may freeze traditional headcounts but essential projects still need to be undertaken and completed.

Interim Managers are often seen as an ideal solution for companies that need highly skilled professionals for specific periods or to bridge the gap between the departure of a senior manager and putting in place a replacement.

Today, Interim Managers are used across virtually every sector and business function in both the private and public sectors, including Human Resources, Finance, Business Development and IT.

Typical Interim assignments include managing a major change programme - for example following a merger or company restructure - leading projects, implementing staff reductions or cost savings and helping to turn around a business in crisis.

As highly skilled professionals and specialists, Interims can hit the ground running, helping to successfully deliver a project on time and within budget. Interims are frequently needed at short notice and, for companies, the ability to access experienced talent quickly and on a flexible basis makes using Interim Managers an attractive and often cost-effective way of recruiting.

Many Interims enjoy the fact that they can stay above company politics and this also enables them to bring a fresh perspective to a business and to stay focused on what is best for the business. As independent workers, they are less likely to be seen as a threat to permanent staff, which means that they are better placed to contribute honestly to the organisation.

An Interim Manager has to take responsibility for managing their assignment and must track progress and feedback regularly to their client. Using their expertise, they may manage teams and projects and have to get close to the business, while remaining an independent practitioner. At the end of an assignment, the Interim must ensure that their objectives have been met to the client's satisfaction. Finishing a project may also involve handing over or training a successor.

So, how do you know if you are suited to the work style of an Interim Manager?

Interim assignments can be very intensive and, as a result, many Interims choose to work for only part of the year. Assignments can last from three to twelve months, five days a week and Interims need to place their client's needs first during an assignment.

To be immediately effective, you need to be more or less over-qualified for the job, and you must have a strong, proven track record and the competencies needed for the assignment.

According to the Institute of Interim Management, the key qualities of a successful Interim include being credible, diligent, enthusiastic, self-motivated, independent and comfortable with being held accountable for your work.

Interims can take full line or project responsibility from day one and are often part of the management team. As a result, a successful Interim needs to be action oriented and capable of hitting the ground running. Being able to think flexibly and take a hands-on approach is critical as your role is to implement the project and to make it happen.

Clients' needs may not always be straightforward and a good Interim has to be able to deal with ambiguity and influence the business in the right direction by identifying and dealing with the key issues. Strong communication, team and leadership skills are also essential for this type of work.

Being able to stay above the fray of office politics requires experienced managers who are principled and independent and who can remain objective throughout an assignment. Interims should have a high EQ (emotional intelligence quotient) and be adept at dealing with different corporate cultures and working well with people across the spectrum.

Interims frequently have access to confidential and sensitive information and they are expected to remain highly principled and ethical in their dealings with an organisation, its employees.

As a consequence, interims bring tremendous benefits to an organisation and are highly cost-effective when compared with the potential costs of failure for the business.

As with any career area, however, there are risks as well as rewards to be found with an Interim lifestyle.

Interim Managers are paid on the basis of delivering the goals and objectives set for their assignment, and not simply on the basis of attendance. Unlike consultants, rather than taking on a purely advisory role, Interim Managers are managers who have to take responsibility for and manage a business or project in their own right. They can therefore be expected to be held accountable for results.

Interims are not permanent employees, but are professionals in business on their own account, with the risks and rewards that that implies. As a result, although they are generally highly paid, Interims have to take responsibility for their own financial arrangements, including tax, pension, and health insurance and are normally expected to carry professional indemnity insurance.

Networking, while important in any career, is a critical skill for Interims. A wide network of contacts and providers is essential and allows Interims to plan their work schedule according to the pattern of work that suits them. An Interim's reputation can be key to their future success. Working as an Interim Manager means maintaining high professional standards, as your future work is often based upon referrals as well as a successful track record.

Working as an Interim Manager can be challenging and highly pressured, but it also offers a lifestyle that is varied, well-paid and satisfying.

A British Careers Advisor's visit to Cape Town has led to a spirited campaign to bring professional careers advice to a disadvantaged township.

While many of us want to make a difference and to help those in need, very few people actually take on the painstaking and often grinding task of seeing an idea become a reality.

Sue Doyle, a Scottish-based Careers Adviser, is one of those rare individuals who have shown determination against the odds to turn an idea into a project and, in her case, one that will make a lasting impact on the lives and prospects of the residents of Langa in Cape Town, South Africa.

Cape Town is the second most populous city of South Africa, with strong tourist, agricultural and manufacturing industries. It is an affluent, thriving, vibrant city. Yet in Langa, Cape Town's oldest township, unemployment is estimated to be at least 44%.

Through setting up Eyethu Careers Point, a not-for-profit, non-government organisation, Sue and her team of dedicated South African colleagues, aim to provide a service to assist the people of Cape Town's townships to develop their potential through jobs, training or education, so they can take advantage of the opportunities offered in the city and within the new South African economy.

Eyethu Careers Point will help the unemployed citizens of the townships find work, or gain the training or education that will enable them to earn, to become independent, and therefore able to support their own kin. The organisation also plans to assist organisations such as St. Francis Adult Education Centre and Learn to Earn who are helping adults in Langa to improve their skills so that they might go on to better their chances of taking advantage of Cape Town's opportunities.

ReConnect Africa spoke to Sue Doyle and Roy Moatlhodi about their plans for Eyethu Careers Point and the help they need to achieve their vision.

ReConnect Africa (RCA): What inspired you to begin this project?

Sue Doyle (SD): I'm a Careers Adviser who loves my job – well most of it! Specifically, the part of my job that works directly with people, whatever their age and situation. I've had lots of different jobs myself, and, whilst not greatly successful in terms of financial gain or achieving management status, I have had both interesting and amusing experiences. And this has perhaps become my motto – to challenge myself, to have adventures that will widen my knowledge of others as well as myself! In this, I have been lucky and have had some success. A Careers Point for Langa is my latest adventure.

Why this project? During a voluntary stint in Langa a few years ago, I was really shocked at the lack of careers guidance and assistance given to school leavers. I also became aware that assistance with, for instance, applying for a college or university, depended on whether the teacher responsible for Life Orientation (of which careers education is a part) considered them as sufficiently morally upright. One teacher eventually explained this by saying that she was tired and depressed by AIDS and so much death around her.

There was also a lack of assistance for those young people who wanted a traineeship/apprenticeship rather than an academic training. I realised that I had no right to judge, but I also recognised the damaging effects of the lack of a professional careers adviser who could provide objective and unprejudiced guidance.

Shortly after my return from my first voluntary stint in Langa, I had an operation on my foot which meant that I was unable to go to work, and I spent the time researching the whole question of careers guidance in South Africa, finding useful information in the World Bank's Human Development Sector Report in 2003 "A Framework for the Design of Career Information and Counselling Services in Developing Countries – A Country Report on South Africa" by LLE Kay and DH Fretwell, and "A Review of Labour Markets in South Africa: Career Guidance and Employment Services" written in Oct 2005 by Dr. R du Toit, Senior Research Specialist of the Employment and Economic Research Programme, HSRC.

I returned to do more practical research in 2007, and with the help of my friend Su Gangat, we confirmed that not only was there a lack of such support for school leavers but also for the huge number of unemployed in the townships.

For family reasons, I was unable to return until April 2009, when I was pointed in the direction of Roy Moatlhodi, as someone who was strongly motivated in his desire to help his people to rise out of their poverty. When I think of it, looking back, I was truly fortunate in finding someone so upright as well as being driven! Perhaps that was inevitable, because it was my friend and landlady Sisthandi who pointed out that her son was the ideal person to help and eventually lead the project.

RCA: What do you think your experience and Roy's brings to this project?

SD: I came to Careers Guidance late in life, when I had gained a great deal of tough life experience. I am a strong believer in social justice for all, so I found the poverty and lack of hope in the township truly shocking and difficult to understand. So perhaps the first contribution that Roy gave to me was to help me to understand more fully. I had created a website by then (later edited by a young Scottish colleague to be more tactful and less angry).

For 3 weeks during 2009 we went round everywhere together trying to find out where we could get help and how to set up our organisation. It was a tough and frustrating experience, perhaps exacerbated by the very fact that I was a white 64 year old lady and he is a 40 something young black guy! We got some strange receptions, which could have been embarrassing, and we used to get angry afterwards until we could see the funny side!

He had experience as an entrepreneur so knew what we had to do to set up an organisation. He is also farsighted and it was his idea to change the name of the organisation from Langa Careers Point to Eyethu (meaning 'our' in Xhosa) Careers Point so that we could spread to other townships when we could.

I returned to Scotland leaving Roy feeling frustrated in that we hadn't got as far as we wished. This period was actually frustrating for both of us and at times our relationship was sorely strained. During this interim period my colleagues and I held a pub quiz which raised a sum of money which proved useful when I returned to Langa in mid October 2009. After "a frank discussion" with Roy which clarified our thoughts about where we both stood and where we wanted to go, we were stronger, perhaps because we were now really coming from the same viewpoint.

We spent a great deal of time applying for government grants, which hopefully should prove fruitful in the next few months. We also knew that we needed to get more local support. The first one to bring on board was Roy's sister, Neo, who had taken me to a prison to meet some young men who she had taught when she was a primary teacher. I thought (perhaps because of my experience in a secure school in Scotland where I go once a week) that one of our target groups should be ex-offenders, so Neo was an obvious choice for this portfolio.

Then there is Belinda Dilima, a young enthusiastic entrepreneur who was immediately onside. She had already run a group for youngsters in the township on Saturday afternoons and who connected us to Dr. Mzwandile Plaatjie, an Educational Psychologist who was seeking to start up his own operation.

So an arrangement has been reached whereby the non-profit making organisation, ECP, has - or will have, when in operation, an income generating organisation alongside. Recently we have had the luck to make contact with Mandisa Makolomakwe, a Johannesburg businesswoman originally from Cape Town, who believes strongly in our cause.

Eyuthu Careers Point is certified in South Africa as a non-Government Organisation and we now have a Board that is responsible for the project as well as an Accountant and a lawyer.

RCA: Roy, what was your background before joining forces with Sue on this project?

Roy Moatlhodi: I was born and bred in Langa, completed my primary school in Cape Town and went to further my secondary school studies in Francistown, Botswana, ultimate finishing my high school in Cape Town. I then went to the University of Cape Town, where I enrolled for Social Sciences and majored in Political Science and Sociology. I furthered my tertiary education by enrolling for a postgraduate diploma in Marketing and Advertising.

I started my employment career at Ogilvy & Mather advertising agency, as a freelance consumer behaviour researcher. In 1998 I was recruited by the department of Trade & Industry in Pretoria, where I worked as a Communications officer. Afterwards I was headhunted to work for a USAID primary health care project in the Eastern Cape for a period of three years. At the end of the contract I went back to Johannesburg, where I joined my wife and kids.

After a contract role assisting the Minister of Minerals and Energy with the drafting of the mining charter, in 2004 I decided to venture into entrepreneurship. I am currently the Programme Manager for the Eyethu Careers Point.

RCA: Sue, how can people in the UK or elsewhere help to support this project?

SD: We need laptops and PCs in our Careers Points to help our clients to gain the information they need. I have found a charity which refurbishes computers but the hardware still need to be bought and transported.

Our Careers Points need total refits - I have only seen the one in Langa and know that it will take money and hard work to make it not only habitable for staff and clients, particularly in the coming winter, but secure, so that the equipment will be safe.

Our staff members need training, let alone salaries that befit people who are working so hard to find employment for Cape Town's townships' many unemployed. I am hoping that my experienced colleagues from Skills Development Scotland might volunteer to come out to help with training, and that eventually negotiations between Scottish and South African universities might enable the development of postgraduate courses to provide the training for Careers Advisers to serve South Africa's townships in the future.

My co-workers are still persevering without appropriate incomes! It is great that Roy now has on-the-spot support from Belinda, who is equally motivated to help her people. For me, I am hoping that I will be able to return sometime soon to Langa when funding permits.

Think you can't make the career choice that you want? Yes, you can, says leading career coach Richard Yates.

So often some people think of the reasons why they can't do something, whereas a change of thinking might unlock a new path, an alternative thought process which reinforces the reasons they can do something. It's the challenge for those of us who work with others to assist in finding the key that unlocks that process.

A friend suggested that Sally came to see me as she was due to come to the end of her current contract in the Metropolitan Police and had admitted to being rather unsure of what she, unmarried and 29, wanted to do next. She sat down for our session, actually quite confident and self-assured. So I asked her what she wanted to talk about, did she know what she wanted to do next.

"Probably, Advertising" she replied, although I detected a slight suggestion of doubt in her voice. "Ok" I said, "So why have you come to see me?" "Well, you know, simply confirmation that this is the right thing to do."

So then we started the tale, from the beginning; how she had actually wanted to become an internet webpage designer, seemed to have a gift for it, but her father had other ideas, wanting to see his daughter 'do something with your life' – suggesting of course that webpage design wasn't quite the right thing! Funny, and sometimes tragic, how parental pressure can seriously affect the decisions you make in your late teens, often only realising later in life with more maturity and experience that you should, perhaps, have stuck to your guns.

Sally asked her father whether he would loan her some money to pay for the web design course that would give her the skills she needed. He says: "Of course! But I have an inkling you could carve out a great career in the Metropolitan Police;" following his own illustrious one. "Would you please me and just see whether you could pass the selection tests? If you decide it's not for you, then I'll give you the cash you need."

Well, she did well, and he didn't honour his side of the bargain; with no funding, she stayed, resentful and untrusting. And so by now we had we got to 'today' ... and 'advertising'.

As we talked about relationships and her experiences, she began to trust her own thoughts and ideas, secure in the unthreatening confidential coaching environment. Suddenly, and I can remember this moment as if it was yesterday, she leans forward and says: "Do you know what I really really want to do?" "It's not in advertising then?" "No!" "Go on!" I say; and out it came, ideas unfettered by parental judgement and personal insecurities, a stream of excitement and enthusiasm. She outlined her ideas, her timescales and her business model.

Eventually, breathless, she asked: "What do you think? Can I do it?"

"If you think this idea has merit, it's worth pursuing. Only then will you know whether you can do it or not"

"Great" she said, and got up and left!

I sat there in the aftermath, reinforced in my personal belief that if you really want to do something, the best thing is to do it. In my hand I had held her metaphorical brake!

New to training or need some advice on improving your training skills? Vincent Owen outlines his 5 top tips for delivering high impact and effective training.

There are three elements you need to prepare. You need to prepare yourself to deliver the content. If you've developed it yourself, you will obviously be familiar with the content but if not, it is critical that you become as familiar with it as possible before you start to deliver, especially for the first time. But remember, every time you run the programme it's best to go through this preparation stage, even if the programme is to be run many times.

The next thing to prepare is your materials for use during the programme. As with the content it's up to you to develop these and you need to make sure you have the right paperwork in the right place at the right time.

The last element of preparation is ensuring the environment is right for you and right for the participants as well. You will need to liaise with the people at the training venue to make sure you have flipcharts, projectors etc., and that the room layout is right. When I'm running an event, I always aim to get to the venue well before to set up the room well in advance and to check the equipment in good time.

Use a variety of teaching methods. As we all know, different people learn differently. Some by listening to others...some by watching other people do things...by reading a book...watching a DVD or whatever.

If you ask most people 'What's 6 times 9?' they will almost certainly answer 54. But most people will have forgotten how they know that. By including different kinds of learning activities within your programme you will almost certainly develop a far more effective piece of training. So, whilst you will need to do a fair bit of talking at the start of the programme, the sooner you can introduce some group or syndicate activities, the better.

Introduce some scenarios to not only get the participants to try their hand in a safe environment but also to get other participants involved as observers to help their colleagues. In essence, the more of different kinds of activities that you can put into the programme, the most effective the learning is likely to be.

I think it is always important as well to have an activity of some sort in the session immediately after the lunch break if you can. Whatever you do, you must ring the changes to try to keep all involved.

Some golden rules for using PowerPoint slides:

• Don't use slides as a substitute for what you're going to say and don't just read out the words on the slides.
• Don't put too much information on one slide.
• Don't use too many fancy transitions from one slide to the next as they can annoy people
• If you have a number of points to make on one slide, reveal them one by one rather than show them all at once. After all you want your audience to be with you, not ahead of you.
• Only use sound effects if they really add value.
• Make sure that the font and background colours you use give a high degree of contrast to make sure people can read them and, of course, it's also important to use a large enough point size.
• Try not to stand between the projector and the screen. Participants want to see your slides, not your shadow.

Flipcharts are a very useful, and a somewhat underused trainer's tool. There are a few points to remember when using flipcharts, however:

Remember you are there as a facilitator. The dictionary definition of the word 'facilitate' means 'to make easy or to help forward'. And I think that's exactly what we should be doing in the training environment, trying to make learning easier for the participants or help them forward with their development.

Different people learn differently. Some by listening to others... some by watching other people do things.

In addition to your role as facilitator, you're also the designer of the programme content and, as such, I think you have a number of responsibilities or roles. Your role is both interesting and quite difficult to achieve successfully. As facilitator, you need to:

Some trainers use a review questionnaire at the end of their programmes and these certainly have their use, but they cover a number of items which relate to the venue, the room facilities and the like. I always feel that the comments unless they are particularly negative about the programme content and the performance of the facilitator are not always particularly useful.

Why do I say this? Largely because we ask people to complete them right at the end of the programme when they may well be a little tired and they almost certainly will not have had time to reflect sufficiently on what took place during the programme. In my view asking people to complete these forms a week after the programme finishes would probably be a lot more use, but that can be difficult to manage.

So, whilst the participants' feedback sheet has a value, I think the best person to review the programme is you, as facilitator, but this needs to be done very critically and as objectively as you can.

What we should be doing in the training environment.... (is)....trying to make learning easier for the participants or help them forward with their development.

The sort of questions you should be asking yourself at the end of the training includes:

Vincent Owen is a Senior Consultant for Interims for Development a Human Resources and Training consultancy for Africa. Vince has developed and run a range of Human Resources and Management Training programmes across Africa.

With the right agenda, attitude and planning, attending meetings can make sense. But then, of course, there’s the other way.

Business coach Lin Sagovsky offers more of her popular tongue-in-cheek advice on meetings.

Networking guru Kamil Olufowobi shares strategies and tactics to network your way to finding a job!

It was back in 1986 that the late Gwen Guthrie's hit single, "Ain't Nothin' Goin' on but the Rent" popularized the phrase "You got to have a J O B if you wanna be with me!" Fast forward to 2009, you'll find that both men and women are ever more conscious about having a partner or significant other who has a J O B! Do you have a J O B?! Or do you already have one and are looking for another?

Your ability to find a job is directly related to how informed your network is about your education and expertise. Caution; if you didn't start networking long before you started looking for a job, you are in for a rocky road.

Networking is a long-term process; without an established network, you will have to reach out to four or five times as many people to even begin to get some leads, so patience.

Here are a few important things to think through when networking for a job:

- What are my skills and strengths? (Education and work experience included)

- What industry(s) is my focus? Where are my skills needed? (Identify your desired industry/field/company)

- Where, geographically, do I want to work? (Would I be willing to relocate?)

- What position level am I qualified for? (Entry level, mid-level or top level) Caution; to ensure you don't abuse your network, don't shoot for positions that you know you are under or over qualified for!

- How much do I have to earn to meet my responsibilities? (Be realistic, don’t just accept any offer in desperation; think it through.)

Once you have carefully answered these questions, then you can begin to formulate your networking strategy.

Formulating your Networking Strategy

First, using the above questions, formulate a cover letter and resume. Be sure to get someone else to review it! Your ability to compose an effective cover letter and resume will be one of the most powerful and revealing aspects of your communications skills.

The job may not require any writing or presentation skills, but you will be judged by your ability to communicate effectively. You are a brand, so sell yourself. But please don't over sell! Abstractions such as "Ambition mixed with a striving for excellence is my strongest asset or MBA in view!" OKAY, sure, but can you do financial reporting, use Microsoft Excel or oversee a staff of twenty people?

Create your own networking card, think of yourself as a sales person in the business of marketing yourself to get a job. On the card list your name, address, email, mobile number, college, degree and your most marketable skills, keep it short and simple. Although the networking card is no replacement for a well prepared resume, it is convenient and fast. It demonstrates thoughtfulness, uniqueness and professionalism. You will be surprised how responsive people can be when they are approached in a professional manner.

Second, make a list of everyone you know or that knows someone in your desired industry/field/company, start making contact to inquiry about job opportunities, career fairs and professional events. Ask your peers and colleagues. Read newspapers and join online forums dedicated to your field of interest. Basically, get out there! It is a job to find a job! Take it seriously.

For people that you haven't spoken to in a while, be sensible enough not to ask them on first contact that you are desperate for work. Instead, reach out to them on a personal level before you ask. Use any recent information you have about them to start the conversation. For example, "Uncle so & so, how is the baby? I trust you and Aunty are enjoying the joys of parenthood. Congrats again!" Or, on the first of the month, call or SMS to wish them Happy New Month, ending it with "If our paths cross, it will be joyful and fruitful AMEN.” Then follow up appropriately - try not to be too obvious!

Take Charge!

Finally, with any luck you will secure an interview. Be yourself, dress for success and ask questions! Send a thank you note to the interviewer; avoid using "hoping to hear from you soon." Instead, propose a specific next step by offering a next move such as: I'm free for a follow up interview M-TH 9am – 3pm. I'll call your office on Tuesday to find out if you would like to see me during these times." Take charge! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Remember, your ability to find a job, is directly related to how informed your network is about you at all times, both before and after your job search! Far too many people neglect informing their network once they have accomplished the mission of finding a job. There is no such thing as job security anymore, so you cannot afford to pull the plug on your network. Keep your network plugged in, stay in touch!

A networking case study comes from Ada, a member of the NiPro network and a NYSC corps member who is seeking a job. She is uncertain whether she will be retained at her company once her service year is over.

Here is the real life conversation between myself and Ada that inspired this topic.

Ada: Kamil, I'm scheduled to leave my place of primary assignment by mid-September and I'm yet to receive an offer of employment. What should I do?

Kamil: I trust you must have been a person of value in your time there? Go ahead, have the courage, to ask your supervisors about your future with the company or any company he/she might have contacts.

Ada: I have a feeling they will not be retaining anyone because it is cheaper for them to just bring in a new batch.

Kamil: In that case, if there are no prospects now doesn't mean there wouldn't be in the future. Again, plan to stay in touch! Ask for a recommendation. And, I suggest you get out there and start networking!

As the Co-founder and CEO of Nigerian Professionals (NiPRO) Global Network, Kamil Olufowobi is fast becoming known as one of Nigeria’s youngest global networking gurus. He is living proof that networking for success works when networking becomes a way of life, in elevating yourself and the people around you. NiPRO today is the #1 global network of Nigerian professionals with over ½ million professionals worldwide and a projected 1 million+ subscribers to the network by 2015. With a mission focused on the professional and personal development of Nigerian professionals, Kamil, via NiPRO aims to elevate professionalism in Nigeria to world class standards. In his role as ED, he works to inform, inspire, empower and celebrate young professionals, executives and entrepreneurs towards the advancement of Nigeria. ko@niproevents.com

If your job has been made redundant, leading coach Richard Yates offers some advice on how adopting the right attitude can help you deal with this challenge.

At an eighteenth birthday party before Christmas, I was talking to someone who had retired at the age of 53; he put forward the view that the world of work and opportunity for 'the young’ today was so uncertain, so difficult that he 'despaired for them'.

He was clearly comfortable with his vision and banged on, and on. I interrupted, gently, to suggest that maybe he had a view of the world through his own eyes, fashioned by the values and beliefs of his generation, by his own experience of his working life, and that the 'young' of today had very different views. Surely the opportunities today that are open to those who want to take them are wonderful?

To him, the challenge was to join a company that could offer career progression through a hierarchical structure, reward, job security and the company pension, pewter tankard or gold watch and society's gratitude at the end; his parents wanted this and, therefore, so did he.

Today we live in an increasingly international community that can offer a whole range of acceptable options that were not available when my companion was young. This world is a very different world, a world that those in middle age can find bewildering and frightening; it depends on your viewpoint, but I get incensed by the very negative attitude of some, such as my companion, and the effect that is communicated to the young.

What has this got to do with those who read this column, those who have just been made redundant? It is about attitudes.

Despite the growing understanding in the community that redundancy is something that has become an acceptable fact of life; to the individual redundancy, or the threat of it, still represents a fearful experience.

Earlier this year, one of my clients, an intelligent mature individual, would not show his face outside his house during working hours, even to walk the dog, because "people will know I am redundant". It is a fear, a fear of the unknown, a fear of having to prove one's abilities and one's worth, a fear of having to sell oneself.

The British tradition is to understate everything, certainly not to follow our American cousins who are often perceived as pushy, even rude, by the way they confidently say how good they are. Another client can still remember his father, on receiving the news his son had won a choral scholarship to Cambridge, saying, "Don't let it go to your head my son" - and since then his son has never said how good he was at using his skills.

Numerous authors have quoted the story of the frog which, gradually warmed in a beaker of water, died as the water boiled; if it had been put straight into hot water, it would have jumped out.

Gradual change will eventually kill; for us humans it is not a physical death, but a mental one - we become 'brain dead'. Employers expect people to be alive, or at least appear alive, to be passionate about what they do and what they are good at; yet how often are individuals advised that the word 'passion' is not very English - "You can't say that"!!

To change we need to be open-minded, to be passionate about what we do; to be able to expand the horizon beyond that which we perceive as possible, for "a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight".

A former client in his early fifties wrote: "The past six months have not been an easy ride, but it has been interesting, educational and quite revealing about me as a person....It won't be forgotten, neither will I be so unprepared in the future should a similar 'career change opportunity' occur again".

It appears to me that far too many people express negative feelings about life; in some way we are conditioned to by simply listening to the news!! People talk in terms of problems, not issues and solutions, use 'can't' and 'won't' more often than 'can ' and 'will'.

I used to think that the opposite of negative was, simply, positive but now accept that those who think in this way resist and get bored by people who constantly say "think positively". I now understand that a realisation of how destructive negative thoughts can be is in itself beneficial.

To quote Patanjali in Yoga Sutras:

"Negative feelings...are damaging to life, whether we act upon them ourselves, or cause or condone them in others. They are born of greed, anger or delusion, and may be slight, moderate, or intense. Their fruit is endless ignorance and suffering. To remember this is to cultivate the opposite".

We all have choices in life and the choices faced by those made redundant need to be carefully examined, with the stretching of horizons and the adoption of the right attitude. Then you can go and market yourself with enthusiasm and passion, focused on where you will gain satisfaction, share values and where you can best contribute your skills and experience.

In answer to the question "What do you want to do?" do not answer what someone did recently, "I thought I would be suited for a general management position".

"What sector; industrial or service?" I asked.

"Any".....Kiss of death.....

Clearly they had not focused on what might excite them, where their interests lay and where they could create the enthusiasm. It's actually common sense, but when you have been made redundant it often needs career counselling to bring these thoughts to the surface.

I remember a scene in a film. An old lady sat under the shade of a tree, chatting to her grand-daughter.

"I have always thought of myself as seventeen until the other morning, when I looked in the bathroom mirror, and saw the wizened, wrinkled face of an 86 year old. Where did my life go, I asked myself?"

She turned to the girl; "Seize the moment, my child".

The opportunities created by being forced to adopt the right attitude are as endless for the middle aged redundant individual as they are for the youth of today.

Thinking about changing your hair colour? Leading Trichologist, Noon Etienne, tackles some of the myths around colouring Afro hair.

Myth No.1: 'The hair colouring products sold in the supermarket/drug store/chemist are the same as the products used in the salons.'

Noon Etienne: This is not so! The hair colours used in the salon are the professional type where professional strengths are used to achieve the various types of results required, be it semi-permanent colours, permanent colours, streaks, and bleaching. These colours have various strength of activation or need the stylist to mix peroxide with the colours for the desired results.

Myth No. 2: The product from the drug store is described as a 'rinse' but you need to mix two products together before applying.

Noon Etienne: The process of mixing two products together will indicate that this is not a rinse. This is actually a semi permanent colour; it has a very small percentage of peroxide that opens the cuticle so the colour particles can lodge themselves in the top few layers of the hair.

Myth No. 3: 'I use a natural product on my hair that you just mix with water and then apply.'

Noon Etienne: These products are usually in a powder form; whether it is henna or a Chinese product called begin. Even though these are 'natural' products and in some ways have some good properties, they do eventually cause too much dryness to the hair, which can lead to breakage.

Myth No. 4: 'I coloured my hair dark brown and I can put another colour on it to make it a light brown'

Colour does not lift colour! The colouring process involved depositing colour inside the hair. Now, to get a lighter colour from your darker colour, you would have to get professional help. This would entail having to lift the darker colour off the hair before they could apply the light brown tone you want.

Myth No. 5: 'A home highlight kit is just as good as going to the salon.'

Noon Etienne: Use a home highlight kit and your hair is likely to come out looking and feeling like straw! Highlighting is a process that should not be done at home at all - you should seek professional advice. A lot of commercials make you think that you too can have a beautiful hair colour that leaves your hair in better condition than before. That only works if the hair is already in good condition before you put on the colour!

Human Resources professionals may have to implement redundancies but they are also just as likely to lose their jobs.

In arguably the toughest market for 20 years, Owen Morgan offers advice for HR professionals searching for their next job.

DO start making lists What skills do you possess? What are your interests? What work have you particularly enjoyed over the past few years? Why? Taking an objective look at your experience will help to shape your thoughts. Most people don’t give enough thought to their careers and limit themselves by considering only roles that are very similar to their previous one. Professionals who are self-aware about their skills are able to move across a range of different roles throughout their careers.

DO draw up several CVs tailored to the different kinds of roles you're considering. Always start them with a strong statement about who you are, what you've done and what value you can add. This is easiest when you're going for jobs that are similar to your previous one, but it will need more careful thought if you're applying for something different. For example, if you're a resourcing specialist applying for a generalist role, your opening statement might say: "Skilled HR professional with experience of process management, performance evaluation and communication with a wide range of stakeholders." You've avoided overtly labelling yourself as a resourcing specialist in your first sentence, thereby encouraging the recruiter to read further.

DO consider a skills-based CV if you want to make a big change of direction. Break things down: what projects have you been involved in; what people management skills do you have; what financial experience? The "Star" acronym – situation, task, action, result – is useful to bear in mind when you're doing this.

DO network This is probably the most undervalued and underused method of securing a job. Don’t forget all the contacts you have made – the friends whom you haven't seen for a while. A quick chat over a coffee can often lead to opportunities that you probably wouldn’t have uncovered but for your network. Networking is not a talent that all of us possess, so getting some guidance here will help you to improve your skills in the long run.

DO make a plan Stick to a daily routine of research, networking, writing applications and following up leads on the telephone. Set yourself targets and review your progress regularly. Give yourself a few months to find your ideal job and, if that doesn’t work, think more laterally.

DO stay fit Keeping physically active, even it's simply going out for a brisk walk every day, will help you to maintain a sense of well-being. It will keep your mind clear and give you time to reflect on the past and plan for the future.

DO seek financial advice Having been awarded a lump-sum redundancy payment, many people consider paying off a chunk of their mortgage. But don't be hasty. There may be more effective ways to manage your money.

DON'T enforce a rigid austerity plan on your family This will make the impact of losing your job harder for everyone to handle. By all means be sensible with money and budget accordingly, but don't ban all treats.

DO try to stay positive Many thousands of people lose their jobs each year and most go on to forge interesting and rewarding careers. Even in a recession, there are good jobs to be had.

10 Ways to Bludgeon People into Agreeing with You (sometimes known as 'Negotiation')

Trainer Lin Sagovsky offers some tongue-in-cheek advice on the 10 best ways to sabotage a successful negotiation.

Trainer Veronica Broome suggests seven steps that organisations can take, even during an economic downturn, to keep good clients and attract new ones.

In a recession, businesses selling training and coaching services to other businesses face huge challenges to get customers to continue investing in staff as a way of increasing business success.

An economic downturn does present opportunities for some businesses as they expand their products and services to a wider range of customers. Businesses are faced with the uphill task of retaining customers and attracting new ones cannot rely on a bruised and demoralised sales and marketing teams.

What they need are simple and effective actions to create an innovative and energised working environment. This article summarises seven steps organisations can take to strengthen relationships with current customers even as they attract new ones.

An economic downturn does present opportunities for some businesses as they expand their products and services.

Whether you call it recession, economic downturn or financial crisis, there is no doubt that events over recent months have caused major concern and severe upheaval for many in business. For some, however, it has been an opportunity to expand their products and services to a wider range of customers. In contrast, many business owners and managers have faced the huge challenge of how to keep current customers, rather that increasing the search for new ones.

Training and coaching services are often the first budget items to be withdrawn as organisations are reluctant to spend when their assessment on the return on investment is not easy to calculate. Sales trainers, however, are often busy during this time as organisations focus on how their sales and marketing teams can hit even higher targets.

After that initial blitz, the situation returns to what it was pre-sales training and, even worse, a weary sales force with staff more concerned about who will be the first ones to be asked to leave. There is an alternative. Organisations can choose to strengthen relationships with current customers even as they attract new ones.

Here are seven steps you can take to ensure you retain existing customers, even as you attract news ones:

Difficult economic climate calls for creative solutions and innovative approaches and repositioning of businesses. Businesses offering creative and flexible solutions and responding quickly to opportunities will survive and prosper in the current financial crisis.