Bravo Careers blog

Career Development

Are you making the right choices for your long-term career growth?

Are you making the right choices for your long-term career growth?Did you know that 74% of Australians currently want to…

Career Development

From setback to success - Nine stories to inspire your career

Feeling stuck in your career? You're not alone.  Our 20-plus years of helping people become unstuck has given us many inspiring stories – most of which we can’t share out of respect for our Bravo client’s privacy!. However, there are many public stories we can share. 

Meet 9 individuals who turned frustrations and in some cases abject failure into monetary success. 

Career Development

How to reinvent your career in a constantly changing world

The world is changing at a pace faster than we could have imagined. Technology, globalisation, and evolving market demands drive this rapid transformation, leaving many professionals uncertain about their career paths. The good news? This dynamic environment also offers boundless opportunities to reimagine and reinvent your career.

Leadership

Navigating cultural differences in global workplaces

Developing cultural competence is lifelong, with rewards that go beyond some tasty shared dishes one week of the year...

Are you culturally competent?
Cultural competence is an ongoing skill to develop. Cultural missteps in Australia's multicultural workplaces can easily occur when well-meaning gestures are interpreted differently across cultural boundaries.

What is cultural competence?

At Bravo, we believe it is the ability to understand, appreciate, and interact with people from different cultures or belief systems from one's own and to do so with empathy and kindness rather than impatience or intolerance.

Career Development

The impact of Gen AI on Aussie jobs by 2030

We were interested to read a new report by McKinsey, Generative AI and the future of work in Australia, which aims to reflect what Australia’s mix of occupations could look like, including potential shifts in skills demand and how workers may need to reskill to stay productively employed and transition to new roles. The report is startling in that the predictions are being made for 2030, just six years away. However also time enough to commence upskilling and or the transitioning that appear to be mandatory.

Career Development

Gen Z only need apply

Are you Gen Z or perhaps a parent of this generation? You are special according to a recent McKinsey report and special career choices await you.

Who are GenZ? 

Generation Z comprises people born between 1996 and 2010. This  generation’s identity has been shaped by the digital age, climate anxiety,  a shifting financial landscape, and COVID-19. Currently the second-youngest generation, with millennials before and Generation Alpha after they have never known a world without the internet.

Leadership

Do you really know what it means to be a good leader?

Once upon a time landing a job as a CEO or senior management role meant you needed industry expertise and financial savvy. And while that is still important, what companies are really seeking in this modern age are leaders with strong social skills. That’s what the authors of a 2023 HBR article¹ discovered after analysing nearly 5,000 job descriptions for C-suite roles. Their explanation for this trend? Business operations are becoming more complex and tech-centered; workforce diversity is growing; and firms face greater public scrutiny than ever before. Those conditions call for leaders who are adept communicators, relationship builders, and people-oriented problem solvers.

Career Development

Why Learning to Navigate Your Career Will Make You a Better Parent and Friend

Career navigation is often viewed as a personal endeavour, a journey we undertake to achieve our professional aspirations. However, the ripple effects of making good career choices extend far beyond our work lives. By understanding how to grow your career with self-regard and self-compassion, you enhance your professional trajectory and also become a better parent and friend.  We believe mastering your career navigation will positively influence your all personal relationships.

Career Coaching

Navigating the self-promotion paradox

In the challenging area of job seeking, many of us struggle to balance the need to showcase our achievements with the fear of sounding arrogant. It's a tightrope walk, where we must communicate our skills and successes effectively, without tipping into the realm of boastfulness. In this blog we share a range of strategies,  backed by recent research and expert insights for self-promotion success, to help you shine in interviews without the risk of appearing conceited.

Career Coaching

Landing the job when you don't have all the skills

In a world where job descriptions read like a wishlist crafted for a multi-skilled candidate, it's easy to feel discouraged when you don't tick every box. But what if we told you that not meeting all the qualifications could work in your favour? 

Leadership

Leadership and Career Navigation - a harmonious partnership

In this post I thought I would share with you eleven specific life skills that have helped me and I believe can significantly increase one’s ability to lead effectively and steer their career path with greater confidence. You may be a professional looking for skills to help you navigate your career path, an aspiring leader or even an established leader looking to refine your approach – for all of these situations looking at the role of SQ and EQ is an absolute career imperative. 

Career Development

How is AI impacting your profession?

Many people are concerned about the not-so-positive impacts of AI on their day to day work and potentially their actual careers as a whole. Learning new skills and being across the potential of AI requires an upskilling and growth mindset not everyone is ready for. Yet we find ourselves at the frontier of an AI revolution that promises to redefine the very essence of our work and we have the choice to decide if this will be a positive redefinition or not.  

Career Development

A beginner's guide to AI - How AI is changing the career landscape

In order to thrive in the job market today, individuals must have a basic understanding of AI and its capabilities. This knowledge can open up new opportunities for career growth and increase employability in a rapidly evolving workforce.

Career Development

Mastering the mosaic - Portfolio Careers Part 5 of 5

A portfolio career more than any other will require you to develop your organising superpowers.You are balancing multipl…

Career Development

Portfolio Careers Part 4 - Eight thoughts to ponder when considering your portfolio career

Death, taxes and change it has been said, are the only constants in life. 

If you want a portfolio career you need to be prepared for change. Possibly big changes.

Here are eight strategies to help you when  contemplating career change. 

Career Coaching

3 Steps to finding what lights a fire inside you - Portfolio Careers Part 3

Perhaps you are thinking some more income could be handy, or perhaps you need more variety, stimulation or challenge in your work.  Or maybe you are wanting to bring more of yourself into your work,  venture into helping others with community-oriented work, or working at things that fulfill you more creatively mentally or spiritually. Maybe it is all of the above. 

Career Development

Portfolio Careers Part 2 - Designing and Crafting Your Portfolio Career

Before starting, I would like to acknowledge those who added their insights and comments for our last blog. We are not t…

Career Coaching

Unlocking your potential with portfolio careers

This new way of working is changing the traditional idea of a career as a linear progression within a single field or company. Instead, many individuals I work with are now happily and actively seeking out multiple income streams and exploring diverse interests and skills throughout their professional lives.

Career Development

Don’t take this personally but… Why We Take Things Personally and how to prevent it damaging our career

Taking things too personally in your career can have detrimental effects on both your personal well-being and professional success. It can lead to self-doubt, low self-esteem, and a constant fear of not being good enough. This mindset can also cause us to be defensive and reactive, hindering our ability to receive feedback and learn from it.

Career Development

Considering the public service? Some things to know first

Are you interested in a life of public service, working for the government?The public service sector in Australia plays …

Career Coaching

Recognising and Steering Clear of Toxic Workplaces

Have you ever had a gut feeling that something wasn’t quite right about a company's environment right from the interview but brushed it aside? It’s a well-researched fact that a toxic work culture can wreak havoc on your health. 

A toxic environment is characterised by negativity, dysfunction, and a lack of trust. This can manifest in a number of ways, including bullying, exclusion or isolation, unrealistic work demands, harassment, and discrimination.

Career Development

The tension between seeking to understand and being understood

In time where attention spans are short (current studies say since 2004 to now has seen a drop from 180 secs to 47* ), and everyone vies to be heard, the art of understanding before being understood seems almost countercultural - however we have a societal imperative to embrace this way of being.

Career Development

The moral imperative to own your own career

We must be true to ourselves by crafting a career path that is authentically aligned with our values and aspirations. It is this precise realisation that underpins my fervent belief in the essentiality of owning one's professional journey. 

Leadership

4 traits of a Mindful Leader– and why you need to be one

Want to lower your stress levels help yourself and your team be more productive resilient and operate with more ease and confidence?  

Research shows that leaders who practice mindfulness are more effective at managing stress and making decisions under pressure.

They also have better relationships with their team members and are more attuned to the needs of their employees.

Career Development

5 common misconceptions about mindfulness and how it can help you be more productive

Mindfulness has moved from a hippy notion of the 60’s to a recommended business tool for stress reduction, focus, reduced anxiety, and better workplace performance. Along with yoga and intermittent fasting, everything old is new again as we take wisdom from ancient cultures and apply them to our modern lifestyles to help deal with that incessant need to be more productive, energetic, healthy, and successful. 

Career Development

Three strategies for career resilience - The best Christmas gift you can give yourself

So what is career resilience? Amid changing industry trends and an increasingly competitive job market, it means staying relevant and a desirable employee, even as job roles and requirements evolve. This adaptability can be especially valuable during economic downturns, where job security may be uncertain.

Career Transition

Working Greener- Do you want to be part of the solution?

Is your concern about climate change driving you to be part of the solution? It's no secret that employment in the green economy is on the rise. As more consumers and businesses prioritise sustainable practices, the demand for skilled workers in renewable energy, eco-friendly products, and other green industries is set to soar. The question is, how can you best create a career working in the green economy? 

Career Coaching

Feeling stuck in your career? Career Construction Theory may be the answer.

Career Construction Theory  sees previous job choices, and possible future roles, as expressions of the often private meaning and essence of who we are as people.  Once this essence is uncovered, and sometimes expressed as 'purpose and meaning', it provides a powerful guide to further steps in career construction, and ultimately creating a career that deeply matters to the client and the community in which they live and work.

Career Development

8 new features of LinkedIN you need to know about

LinkedIn is constantly evolving. Stay up to date with the latest innovations on the platform to elevate your career prospects. 

Director Coaching

Is trust to be trusted?

Trust, within the context of a board, can be defined as the assured reliance or confidence in the character, ability, credibility, and truthfulness of other board members. It is a vital component that underpins the effective functioning of the board. Without trust, conversations can become circumspect, members may withhold valuable insights, and the board's ability to make robust, strategic decisions can be compromised.

Director Coaching

Noses in and fingers out

Several experts in the field of corporate governance have weighed in on the challenges faced by non-executive directors (NEDs). Renowned corporate governance scholar, Professor Bob Tricker, asserts that "The non-executive director's role is one of stewardship rather than management, which requires a delicate balance between being too involved and being too detached"

Director Coaching

Can you navigate conflict in the boardroom?

Unresolved conflicts can profoundly impact an organisation's success; they create an environment of distrust and stagnation, disrupt smooth decision-making processes, and divert attention from strategic priorities to internal disputes. NEDs can play a role in managing these situations with these strategies, based on Microsoft and Ford. 

Career Development

9 reasons not to use AI to write your cover letter and 6 reasons why you should...

Many of our clients are beginning to use AI for their job applications which can be a great use of this technology - however just remember these few pros & cons...

Director Coaching

Top 10 questions to ask before becoming a NED (Part 2)

Last week we shared five of the 10 top questions you should ask before becoming a Non-executive Director. Here are the other five we ran out of time for…

Director Coaching

Top 10 questions to ask before becoming a NED (Part 1)

Embarking on the journey to becoming a Non-Executive Director (NED) can be an exciting career move, yet it should be app…

Director Coaching

An argument for considering alternatives to federated board structures.

The traditional federated board structure is considered by many to be increasingly outdated. The changing world may require greater adaptability and flexibility than can be achieved within a federated structure.  In terms of responding quickly to change and delivering services across multiple jurisdictions other structures may be more appropriate. This thinking has led many organisations to look for alternative governance systems that better serve members and the communities they serve.

Director Coaching

Six ways to maximise your impact as a non-executive director

To truly maximise your impact, you  must continuously hone your skills and be alert to the ever-changing corporate and regulatory environment. Here are six ways in which you can amplify your   influence and make a lasting difference in the organisations you serve. 

Director Coaching

Setting up your federated board for success

Federated boards are useful but they can also be awkward beasts. This post looks at strategies to leverage the best and minimise the worst aspects of federated boards. 

Career Coaching

An insider's guide to working with a career coach

With the right questions and guidance, a career coach can help you uncover your true career path and give you the direction you need to find the job of your dreams.

Director Coaching

Fragmented boards: Using disagreement as a catalyst for great conversations

Directors should be compelled to offer constructive criticism that leads to healthy debate, forming decisions that are in line with the company's overall vision and ethics. By being open and considered, directors reach an understanding of how to make better decisions. But how do we engage in such healthy debate rather than fostering resentment, withdrawal or capitulation?

Career Coaching

5 challenging interview questions for mature job seekers– how to shine

Are you a mature job seeker looking to stand out in the interview process? With competition continuing to heat up and em…

Leadership

Is your chair really working for the board?

Good board leaders are essential to ensure that the voice of the board is heard in management, communication is constructive within the boardroom and inappropriate behaviour is identified and curbed. Creating criteria for identifying candidates for board leadership is advisable when recruiting an ideal chairperson for your board.

Director Coaching

5 tips for managing your board

When a group forms for any reason, people are going at different speeds and directions. As chair, it is not your job to be the expert in the material or to figure out how everyone should contribute. Your job is to establish a trusting environment so each person can do that for themselves.

Career Development

Why a living career plan works

A career plan can work for anyone, regardless of how many years you’ve been working in your field or how near or f…

Disability

How and when you should bring up your disability or reasonable adjustment requests

If you’re wondering whether you should disclose your disability during a recruitment process, or when the right ti…

Disability

Navigating accessibility in the workplace in a post-COVID world

Over the last couple of years, the way we work has changed. More jobs are available to people living in regional or rura…

Disability

How to be an inclusive workplace for people with disabilities - and how this is a win for all

Creating an inclusive workplace is a great way to make your employees feel comfortable, attract great talent, and reap t…

Disability

The benefits of hiring people with disability - hiring for a win/win/win

According to Job Access, there are a number of data-based reasons why you should consider hiring people with disability.…

Career Transition

Mapping out your job search strategy!

8 tips to support the development of your job search strategy 

Career Development

4 tips for career resilience

My friend was up for a promotion at work  –  a rather long  process that spanned the entire time of…

Leadership

Gender Equity – why we need to think differently about it

…It’s been done over and over again, and I’m getting tired of trundling out the so called “business case” for equity, but in a snapshot here it is again: 

Director Coaching

Managing the social system of a board

“It is clear from the study that board rooms are becoming suffocating places to work. Directors are being crushed …

Leadership

Leaders: Fit your own oxygen mask first

Any of us who have travelled by air (though probably not recently!) will have heard the instruction that goes something …

Career Development

Global mobility after the pandemic

Best described as a “seismic” shift, the impact of the pandemic on organisations  across the globe has …

Career Development

Six reasons to start networking right now - Networking Hacks Part 1

Many of our clients cringe just a little inside when we mention the term "networking" as a necessity for caree…

Leadership

Coaching for leadership

Recent Gallup research suggests that the corporate world is appallingly bad at capitalising on the strengths of its peop…

Director Coaching

Do not proceed beyond this point

Let’s think a moment about what is required of a good company director in terms of mindset, effort, skill and risk…

Career Coaching

Are you coachable?

Just as being change-ready is the first step in any change management process, being open to personal development is a p…

Career Development

Networking hacks part 2- Contacting your network

In our first blog on this topic we talked about the benefits of networking and how to make your contact list. In this bl…

Career Development

Networking hacks part 3 -The networking meeting

So you have put in the time to make contact with people in your network (see Networking Hacks Part 1) and arranged a tim…