VA Success Group – Business & Careers

September 26, 2024 George Post in Career Development

How To Keep Top Career Development In The System

Even in the most highly esteemed legal profession, there needs to be an element of vigorous career development. At some point in any legal beagle's career, an organised development strategy needs to be introduced. Maybe a slight change of direction or a chance to practice in a different discipline. Maybe someone needs the chance to take on greater challenges, or change in career direction, or even just earn more money. First things first, the basics include evauating where you are now and what you have achieved in your career todate. Have you achieved some or all of your original post training objectives for the first five, seven or ten years? Have you set clear objectives for the next five, seven or ten years? The next stage is to set goals and a timeframe to acvhieve them. Unless you have this clear path upwards, there is very little point in just languishing and keep hoping something else will happen. It very rarely does without a huge input from your end. Looking at a current list of criteria for recruitment purposes makes you concentrate on whether any of your goals are achievable that way. Take a barrister for example, they may after several years at the bar decide to take their career in a different direction and become a member of the judiciary - there are many steps to be taken for that to be realised and the law society handbook on career development has all the guidelines on achieving this. And many other topics.

August 30, 2024 George Post in Career Development

Considering Career Development & Skills Platform for Productive Workplace

These days companies are in a bigger fight for survival in the international sphere of dog eat dog when it comes to securing that mega deal and getting that prized client on board. Stakes are generally a great deal higher now with massively increased costs to industry for utilties, staff costs, running and maintaining a sales force and fleet of vehicles. Keeping the factory floor employees are not overlooked either. To keep the workforce happy, contented and able to focus and produce more than pre covid rates, it is very much worth looking at schemes aimed at delivering smarter workplace learning schemes. These apply intelligence on who the learner is, what they already know and more importantly, what they need to learn to be successful. A learning pool organisation for example can deal with over a 1000 customers, be located online and be able to support a choice of language skills to overcome an employee performance challenge for all cases. Often employees need prompting in compliance matters and just need an update in training and this can be achieved with adaptive real-time courses and the delivery of personalised learning can be achieved with the right platform. Helping every achieve career development should be uppermost in the employers aims - a happy and contented workforce will almost always be a far more responsive and productive workforce.

July 23, 2024 George Post in Career Development

Starting A Career Strongly Enough To Needing Development

For there to be any form of career development, there has to be a strong element of career in the first place. When a student finishes their early stage of upper school, be that in the private or state sector, by years 11 & 12 they are being badgered to start thinking about career options. The schools want their students to select the right academic or vocational courses for their final examinations and any route through to university. There are careers tutors designated to guide and encourage the choice of subjects without forcing issues. This can be very challenging when a young person has absolutely no idea what they want to do when they eventually leave the school system. This is where the career stutor can help, by asking them to really think hard about role models in their family or life; is there anyone, apart from endless celebrities, who stands out as a sterling example of a happily employed and engaged adult - what job does this person do and is that something that could be of interest to the student going forward. Knowing in advance that they might fancy becoming a nurse, midwife, engineer, sales engineer . . . . it helps to formulate an education plan which translates to getting on the right course and in the direction they need to be to get that career. Once the career is underway, then steps can be put in place to keep developing that career - via agencies and companies who are trained and operate for that purpose.

June 3, 2024 Neil Post in Business

Why You Should Consider Replacement Ceiling Tiles: A Fresh Look Up Above!

When you enter a room, do you ever stop and look up? Most people don’t often pay attention to what’s overhead unless something seems off. Ceiling tiles can be a subtle, yet significant aspect of a room's decor and functionality. If your tiles are stained, damaged, or simply outdated, replacing them can transform your space more than you might imagine. In this blog post, we'll explore the myriad benefits of replacement ceiling and offer some tips on how to choose the perfect tiles for your needs. Out with the Old, In with the New Ceiling tiles are more than just a roof over your head; they contribute to a room’s acoustic, thermal insulation, and overall aesthetic. However, over time, they can become stained, water-damaged, or start to disintegrate, especially in environments like kitchens or bathrooms where moisture and fumes are prevalent. Not only can this look unsightly, but it might also pose health hazards, particularly if mold starts to grow or asbestos tiles are present in older buildings. Replacing old tiles can significantly improve the look of a space. With a vast range of materials, styles, and colors available today, a ceiling makeover can refresh an outdated room and enhance its character. Boost Your Room’s Functionality Improved Acoustics One of the practical benefits of new ceiling tiles is the enhancement of a room's acoustics. This is particularly important in offices or educational environments where sound clarity is essential. Modern ceiling tiles, like 600x600 ceiling tiles, can absorb and block sound, reducing echo and keeping external noise at bay, thereby improving the overall auditory experience of the space. Energy Efficiency Another considerable advantage of updating your ceiling tiles is the potential improvement in energy efficiency. New tiles often come with better insulation properties which can help maintain the room's temperature, leading to reduced energy costs. This is especially significant in older buildings where energy can easily be lost through outdated roofing. Choosing the Right Ceiling Tiles Consider Your Space The first step to choosing the right ceiling tiles is to consider the specific needs of your space. For high moisture areas like bathrooms or kitchens, you’ll want to opt for tiles that are resistant to mold and humidity. In contrast, for spaces needing soundproofing, tiles with high acoustic ratings will be essential. Material Matters Tiles come in a variety of materials including mineral fiber, fiberglass, metal, and even PVC. Each material offers different benefits in terms of look, performance, and durability. For instance, metal tiles might be perfect for a contemporary look and are highly durable, while mineral fiber tiles are excellent for sound absorption. Style and Color The visible design is also crucial. Tiles can be found in a range of colors and textures that can either complement or completely change the look of your room. Whether you prefer a modern, sleek look with metal tiles or a warm, traditional feel with wood fiber tiles, there’s something available to match every aesthetic preference. Installation Tips Installing new ceiling tiles can…

May 18, 2024 George Post in Career Development

Personal Improvement Plan For Recording Career Development Goals

One thing about being a 'junior' civil servant at a later stage in life, as opposed to being a younger college leaver, is that our career has been blossoming for some years and it is usually a case of being in the right place at the right time that has got us that raise or promotion. However this is not necessarily the case when you become a public servant. All ministeries and departments have a hierarchical management. You generally get the foot soldiers who stay at the basic grade for their working life, quite unable to move out of that lowly sphere because of a lack of openings to move up into, allied with the lack of 'get up and go' to push through the ceiling. Once the first promotion or mini raise has been achieved, it becomes a personal goal to see how far it is possible to climb within the very rigid development regime. However there has been a sea change in the system over the last twenty years so that now all grades have to keep up their own records on career development. It was a very hot topic over my last years of service. Every year we had the dreaded personal improvement plan that had to be addressed to give an idea of where we thought we were at in year one and where we wanted to e by year 5 and how we planned to achieve that. Thought provoking and sometimes challenging but stopped most folk getting too stuck in the ruck.

April 21, 2024 George Post in Career Development

How Does One Start On The Path To Full Career Development

There are various ways of getting to the top in any industrial or commercial post but the career development process can be quite baffling, complex and at times, totally overwhelming. This is whether you are just a beginner on that first step or at the point of wanting to stretch your horizons and make a change. To simplify the process there are generally five steps to achieve top career development and these can be started in the very first phase of the working life. They begin with self assessment, moving on through identify and research options with goal setting; action planning utilising evaluation and prioritise; implementation and refinemement which can mean take action and try your options. There has to be some reflection and re-evaluation along the way. There should of course be a sixth - for if any of the previous five have proven to work and thus been successful, no. six would be step up to that top job. The start of this long road inevitably requires planning and research - to discover if where we think we want to be in five years, ten years, fifteen etc is still on track and achieveable. In todays job market, career development is one of the first items the interview panel will be considering. One's poor effort or entire lack of it will indicate no push through or determination to succeed. A red flag one might say.