A recent conversation with a colleague inspired me to write this piece. It was about a scheduled Skype interview with someone who decided it was appropriate to conduct it at a bustling café. The proverbial nail in the coffin was when they lit up a cigarette! In my previous blog, I noted that first impressions…

I was on a client visit the other day. During the conversation with the client, we talked about Madison and how we pride ourselves on delivering excellent service. The client made a very good point when he said that everyone expects excellent service now as the norm; having service that’s just ‘good’ will get you…

You’re five years old, your backpack is on, and your lunch is packed. You walk in with your parent and stand in front of the door. Congratulations, you have made it to the first day of primary school. The opportunities are endless; you can be anything you want to be when you “grow up”, life is simple, you’re…

I’ve been in Auckland for a year now and I feel it’s time to pass on my pearls of wisdom to other working travellers alike. Here are seven of my top tips: Don’t live in the CBD (I hadn’t used this acronym since year 9 geography but that’s what the central part of the city is referred to…

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with one of Wellington’s Executive Support superstars and get to know what she loves, what makes her tick and how she has carved out an amazing career. Charlie Dickson, Office Manager at New Zealand Consulting Engineers Limited, has a fantastic reputation in the Wellington market. I must…

I find myself answering the questions “how long have you been in New Zealand?”, “what brought you to New Zealand?”, and “oh, this must be home for good then?” many times in one week. These questions ultimately lead to “what do you do here?”, “how did you get into recruitment?”, and “did you do that…

A topic that is often discussed is leadership. Loads of people claim that they have exceptional leadership qualities, yet when you talk to their peers or employees, this is not the case. If there is good leadership in the business, then the business will do well. And that is quite often correct. But how do…

It’s not news that political commentators and politicians themselves tend to have a habit of placing a negative spin on things; simply put, and sad as it is, good news doesn’t sell as well as doom and gloom! But lately, the pessimism surrounding our economy has increased to the point whereby it looks as though…

Changing career paths, returning to the workforce, or staying in the same position but moving industries can be a nervous and exciting time. One of the most important questions I ask during an interview is ‘what motivates you in a role’? Candidates will either rattle off different points, or sit there with a blank expression…