We are all well aware of that nervous feeling that can overcome us when we’re standing in that interview room. Anxiety and excitement join together to make for some rather nerve-wracking scenarios – and ultimately, we struggle to collect the confidence to perform at our very best.

Generation Success is dedicated to helping you make the most out of your interviews. Get the skill set you need to beat your nerves and impress any company’s hiring team. 

We’ve compiled some hands-on tips that can help you tackle stress and ace your interviews:

 

• Prepare – Practice Makes Perfect

Practise common interview questions your interviewer might ask, and the potential answers to them. Research online for potential interview questions and then dive into the answers that will really make you stick out from the crowd. 

Instead of memorising thes answers, create a guideline for how you’d like your answer to flow. Remember the keywords you’d like to include and note them down to refer to while you interview.

 

• Plan your journey 

It’s best to be organised and plan your journey in advance so that you don’t panic and stress out on the day of the interview. Work out how long the journey is and if you need to take any public transport and look up your path to find the fastest route to your destination. Consider leaving home ahead of time so that you don’t enter the interview out of breath and in a hurry.

 

• Do your research 

We advise ‌you do your research on the company that you are interviewing for during your preparation, as that could mean the difference in a good interview and a stellar interview. Delve into what the company does, what its purpose, mission and vision are, and why you want to work for this company specifically. Try to understand why they should hire you and what skills you can bring to the company that will benefit them as compared to other candidates. 

The next time you’ve queued up an interview, instead of falling into the rut of nerves and anxiety, follow these tips. They’ll help you feel ready and secure, know where you’re going when you’re asked questions, and alleviate your stress like a pro.

All in all, the key to performing well and leaving an impression on your interviewers is confidence – and we build our confidence through preparation. Spend the morning of your interview pumping yourself up, and remember – if this isn’t the one, loads of awesome opportunities are only a click away.

Get top tips on employability, job opportunities, internships, mentoring, and more sent directly to your inbox by joining Generation Success’s Success Seekers here.

Living for your work is incredible, but can hurt your work-life balance. Ultimately, you could do more harm than good to the big picture of what you love so much. They say that too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing…

 

“Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” is confidently advocated as the professional paragon. With this philosophy, you’re told you’ll never feel overwhelmed, or defeated – you’ll never experience burnout.

 

Or will you?

 

The continuation of this article will dive into making your passion marketable, building a healthy relationship with your career, and recognising when things have gone too far.

 

It isn’t always easy to pinpoint what your passion is in overlap of what you can profit off of in your career.

 

Pursing your passion is vital, and a large portion of that is finding what moves you and embracing it.

 

But this article will also delve into the flip side of this phenomenon. When does living for your work get out of hand?

 

This article discusses how to find your passion and run with it. It also discusses the healthy approach to incorporating your work and life into a satisfying whole.

 

Part I: Understanding Your Marketable Passion

 

The first step is being clear on what gets you going. You might already know this, but if not – don’t sweat it.

 

Think about the direction that’s felt the most natural to you in the past. Start broadly – as broadly as possible. You might be studying something along those lines, and even though you know it’s what you like, you might not feel that it’s what you love. Your career will lead you into the specifics, but you want to create a guideline for the direction.

 

Think about why you chose your field of study. Take the time to analyse what pushed you in that direction, and where you want it to lead you.

 

Simply choosing your degree doesn’t point you in the direction of what you’d like to do with that degree. That’s when your true passions come into play.

 

Find where you’re positioned in your goals. Do you want to work with other people, or on your own? What audiences can you relate to most? What feels the most natural to you?

 

The ultimate goal is to combine your education with what moves you.

 

So – what moves you?

 

How can you combine that with your education?

 

Determining that combination is the next step to finding what you love and making it your career.

 

Find the experts that share your motivators, and model them.

 

And as you progress, you’ll see the doors opening up to that direction – your decisions will naturally be impacted by your awareness of your end goal.

 

Part II: The Balancing Act

 

So, you’ve discovered your real passion, and you’ve found a way to profit off of it. But how do you make sure that that fire never dwindles?

 

It is a common occurrence for those who do what they love to lose the line between their professional and personal lives.

 

Even if this sounds good, it can ultimately result in feeling like the pressure is on to never stop working.

 

Sadly, after a while, that can extinguish your flame.

 

Identifying with your work so closely that it becomes what you live for is incredible – to a degree… But never forget to reap the fruits of your efforts by relaxing and enjoying life outside of your work.

 

Enjoy the sunshine. Revel in your accomplishments. Take a step back, observe the change you’ve made, and remember that it’s enough!

 

Otherwise, you could find yourself in a downward spiral that will stop you in your professional tracks.

 

Part III: How to Recognise that it’s Become too Much

 

Prevention is always better than cure, and understanding and integrating these three warning signs into your personal work culture will ensure you don’t sacrifice your long-term satisfaction for short-term gain

 

1. Keep your “always-on” mindset in check.

 

When you enjoy your work, you can forget to give yourself downtime. It might not feel natural, but you could need to set tangible boundaries for yourself and enforce them. Even if it makes you feel weird, or a little bit guilty.

 

Remember that you’re slowing down now so that you can do more in the long-run.

 

2. Think hard on how “resilient” you need to be in your workplace.

 

Being “resilient” is important and it comes easily when you’re passionate – but resilience and pushing your limits can sometimes intertwine. Pay attention to the line between loving what you’re doing and tolerating it.

 

3. Monitor your own perception of your work.

 

If you find yourself feeling like the progress you’re making isn’t enough – notice it.

 

If you find yourself worried that you aren’t influencing the big picture – notice it.

 

Notice if you start getting lost in negativity that you didn’t feel before, because these thoughts are the clearest warning sign of all.

 

Don’t let those thoughts engulf you, because they put you on a slippery slope to losing your drive. Self-awareness and self-monitoring are the keys to making sure you do what you love, and keep loving it forever.

 

If you’d like more advice on how to pave the path to success, join Generation Success’s Success Seekers programme via our website. Our team is constantly on the look-out for new ways to build your career, your employability, and your confidence to be the most desirable employee on the market.

They say that time is money, but it doesn’t stop there. Instead, one could even say that time exceeds the value of money. 

This thought was originally by American entrepreneur, Jim Rohn. 

But it makes us beg the question – why?

• You can affect the amount of money you earn.

In your prime, you can always earn your money back. You can also play a role in the amount of money you earn. Although there will be times when you earn less, you can count on things always taking a turn, on a change in the winds, and on things getting better. You’ll certainly be able to make it all up.

 

With time, however, you play no part in how much time we have left. It’s a fixed asset that whittles away at a continuous pace. It’s on you to decide how to make the best out of it. 

• You can always make more out of a day off than out of a day’s pay.

 

No matter what your salary is, the memories you make during a day of doing what you love can only be enhanced by your paycheck. Not substituted by it. Without the time for self-improvement, money is futile and stagnant.

• You can play a part in how much your time is worth

As the maker of your own decisions, you’re the only one that can influence the appreciation or depreciation of your time. It’s in your power to determine how you spend your time and impact its value.

• You need time to spend money.

That’s the order – never vice versa. After all, what’s the point of having millions if you’re spending all your time earning those millions instead of enjoying the fruits of your labour?

 

How do you determine the value of your time?

Step one is to pinpoint how much you’d like to make in a year. 

Then divide that number by 12.

Then divide that number by the number of days you want to work in a month. 20 is a basic average for a 5-day work week.

By calculating that, we’ve gotten how much a day of your work is worth. Moving into your hours, though, we will assume you opt to work 8 hours a day. We then divide the previous number by 8.

And there you have it – that’s your goal for how much you’d like to make an hour.

As an aspiring success seeker, leave this number at the front of your mind. This will serve as your reminder when you make time allocation decisions.

 

Consider this empirical value for your goals when considering the people you spend time with, the things you do for yourself, and the places you like to go. Putting these things into context adds a new depth to your decision-making. 

To summarise, ever allow yourself to get lost in the process and forget the big picture. Stay focused, committed, and dedicated, and never lose clarity as to where you’re headed.

An option to consider is visual representations of your goals through vision boards, checklists, or journal entries. Understanding your vision, beliefs, and values crystallises your understanding of your goals. Keeping these pieces of your mission somewhere that you can revert back to every day allows you to affirm them in your head and heart.

 

Ultimately, what really makes a change in achieving goals is dedicating the time to achieving them. It is only when you start valuing your time, blocking out time to achieve those goals and setting up a support system that plays into keeping up with them, that you can take tangible action toward making them a reality.

 

Becoming a Success Seeker is a great investment of your time.

By becoming a Success Seeker with Generation Success, you can appreciate the value of your time, just like with any good investment.

This programme is made to take you down the path to success alongside:

• Your own, individual mentor
• Awesome workshops to improve your skills and employability
• Access to our vast network of professionals

And much more.

We have been perfecting our tools to make you a prime candidate in the selection process for over a decade now. Register here to make the most out of those tools.

 

We can’t wait to meet you.

Just this week, Generation Success’s CEO, James Adeleke, held a social mobility workshop for the forward-thinking AlixPartners team. This corporation has shown time and time again how invested they are in bringing change. The workshop happened on the anniversary of George Floyd’s death, accentuating the importance of the topic, and reminding us of the ways we have to go.

 

AlixPartners paid close attention during the time of George Floyd’s death, recognising and responding to the psychological impact this tragedy had on their team. Their slogan, “When it Matters”, speaks volumes about AlixPartners and their mission. They have a history of saving jobs in organisations going through crises. Beyond this, they also partner with organisations like ours to make for a more equal tomorrow.

 

This article serves as a reminder that your professional support network is always a click away with Generation Success. 

 

During this workshop, James noticed that there are parts of GS’s framework that don’t get enough elaboration. This article will address the core of Generation Success – a piece of research that started it all. 

 

A McKinsey report brought to our attention the 6 types of students that make up the entire student body. 

 

• The High-Achievers
  These guys only make up 10% of the population, but take up 70-80% of internship positions… They come from more affluent backgrounds and get more pronounced career support, and don’t hesitate to make use of every resource presented to them. This category makes the most out of everything they get.

• The Coasters
  This category is about 6% of the population, and although they kill it at school and have fairly strong support systems, they seem to feel lost once they’re out of the education system. This category also usually comes from middle-to-higher-income families that can offer a support network, but they still draw a blank when the time comes to make their own decisions.

• The Meanderers
  This group is about 5%. They don’t have it easy kicking off, but they know how to make the most out of their disadvantages to attain a higher education. These individuals use their resources wisely, but don’t feel the need to overachieve. They’re comfortable being good enough at what they do. 

• The Persisters

The 17%. Out of everyone, this category is the most focused on finding opportunities that can lead them to a job. They are the most likely to know about relative wages and to seek out the job placement rates of education providers. They are also the most likely to obtain work experience. They listen to their teachers and their families, and they invest in their futures. They don’t give up. And yet—they don’t do all that well. 

• The Dreamers
  The dreamers make up 14% of students. Dreamers start from the toughest position, with the highest proportion from below-average-income families. Members of this group dream of success, and are willing to make decisions—on what to study, for example—that increase their employability. Members of this group are also open to vocational training but don’t really have the need to use external services to their benefit.

• The Non-believers
  About 27% of youth won’t pursue a college degree. These are the non-believers. They don’t trust that getting a higher education will really change their professional outcome. They strongly prefer vocational training or direct work experience and tend to be reasonably satisfied with the work they do find. They never seemed to find the urge to apply themselves in school, and are happy where they are without a diploma.

 

Generation Success works to abet every young person get to their destination, but some need our help more than others.

 

That’s why a lot of Generation Success’s programmes focus on creating equality in the professional resources and career support you can access. By creating a level playing field, no one is left behind. This means that, for the most part, our core focus is on dreamers and persisters. The UK has more dreamers and persisters than any other country, speaking to the need to create options, and the bumpy transition between education and employment for so many young people. 

 

Do you feel like you’re getting the support you need from your ecosystem?

 

The truth is, the tests that we have on the way to climbing the corporate ladder can be taught. The psychological assessments, how to pass an interview, how to stand out from the crowd – all of that can be trained. So we make a point of teaching those frameworks.

 

What can’t be trained, though, is your built-in DNA. Your drive, ambition, and resilience. These are the core traits that set you apart.

 

The problem with the way society is currently structured is that those who possess these traits might feel left behind, due to society being built for overachievers, the coasters, and the meanderers.

 

And for some reason, the most socially mobile categories are the ones that everyone assumes will make it out just fine.

 

The type that follows society’s guidelines gets a good education, keeps their head down, learns the industries, applies for jobs, and everyone sees this and feels certain that it will work out.

 

But we cannot be sure of the outcome before real, sustainable social mobility has happened. We consider this the reality when:

 

1. These individuals get the roles they aim for, and 
2. They get supported into the most senior ranks. 

 

Social mobility starting when an individual gets employed is a massive misconception. Social mobility progresses through time, and results in an overall change throughout the generations.

 

It’s not just getting a job. It’s having a helping hand every step of the way.