Developing Future Leaders
In 2018 we sat down to explore what more our team could do to support the young people of Gloucestershire and the local community. We have been involved in many of the more traditional initiatives to help young people into work over the years. This year we wanted to find a way that we could best help the next generation to make their mark within in their organisations, build their own careers and at the same time make a positive contribution to their community.
David reminded us that he had given his son a watch for his 21st birthday engraved with the words “It is leadership, not time, that changes things”. It was then that we knew our initiative would focus on developing leadership skills.
“You manage things; you lead people”- Grace Hopper
The best organisations we work with in the UK and Internationally, tend to be those that can attract the best talent. Our experience is that the best people are attracted to those employers with a reputation for looking after their people and that is why leadership is so very important.
Well led businesses attract great people who develop great products and deliver a great customer experience. In turn that provides a great return to shareholders and other stakeholders whilst making a great contribution to society. What’s not to like?
Developing future leaders
Most global brands and large corporate organisations recognised the need to develop future leaders a long time ago and they have leadership development programmes in place. Indeed, David has designed and run several across a number of sectors.
We decided that we would bring to smaller organisations, most likely with no formal leadership development programme in place, some of the key element of a future leaders programme usually only available to larger businesses.
The programme will develop future leaders by providing six free places to young people (18-24) with an intensive and high impact series of monthly masterclasses. The focus will be on developing personal leaderships skills, building confidence, inspiring teams and will include an introduction to developing business strategy. We’ll be sure to report back on progress during the programme.
Leadership is about people and it is about change. The next generation of leaders will need to focus on change that is sustainable whilst devising new ways to live and work that fit with the needs and interest of not only themselves but of their employers, their families, their communities and an ever more intricately interconnected world.
We look forward to playing our part in helping them.
If you would like to know more or register an interest on behalf of yourself or a member of your team, email tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk or contact us.
By Tricia Hay and David Tovey
Should you tailor your cv?
The short answer is yes, you should tailor your CV. As a recruiter I see a wide variety of formats, styles and approaches to CV’s but the ones that really stand out are the ones that ‘check the boxes’ of my client’s requirements. With that being said, it is important to still be honest! Ensure you highlight relevant skills and experience, but if you say you have experience using a certain type of software or system because you think it will help you secure the job you are looking for, you will soon come unstuck when you are expected to complete tasks you simply cannot do.
So, what is the right approach? My advice is to think about the job you want to secure and then think about what skills you needed in your past roles that are applicable. Don’t just list your ‘key responsibilities’ as they would appear on your contract – think about what skills you use that are transferable to your dream job. For example, if you worked in retail and want to get into a customer service role then instead of putting ‘dealing with customers’ you could highlight ‘providing excellent levels of customer service’ and instead of ‘restocking items’ you could phrase it as ‘monitoring stock and ensuring relevant records are accurately maintained’.
Remember, your CV is your golden ticket to your future and if you want to take the next step in your career, or change paths completely, it is vital that you communicate to a potential employer why they should be giving you this opportunity over everyone else. Tailoring your CV can not only help demonstrate that you have transferable skills that can benefit their business, but also that you have the work ethic to really put effort into securing that job you’re dreaming of.
If you need some help in your job-search please register or contact us for an informal chat.
Nathan Hughes, Talent Spotter