Well I think, it's an emotional time for a person resigning, and it's an emotional time for the organisation, so you've got to be sensitive, I think. It's the first thing you've got to be when you're resigning. You've got to really talk about the organisation, the benefits the organisation's given you because obviously resigning hopefully to go to something better. So you talk about all the benefits, and all the ups and good times you had with the organisation and we all know that you never always have only good times, sometimes you have bad times, sometimes you have good times at work and at home. But you always leave an organisation with a positive output, you make sure that all the work that you've been doing is finished in an exemplary way (I can't even say it), an exemplary way, and that when people talk about you when you're gone, it's all positive. So, you don't leave anything undone, you don't leave any bad feelings. You cover off all the relationships that you had in an organisation, and you communicate very clearly with everyone and you thank them for their support. So I'm always about thinking that one day I may want to come back and work in that organisation again. And if I do, I want them to have a positive view about me. I talk about where I'm going and what I'm going to do if I'm able to do that, if it's not confidential, and I talk about what this organisation's given me and how it's enabled me to move on to something new and exciting, and different. Not necessarily better, just new and exciting, and different. And I always think about the other person's view because if I'm being retrenched, I know what it feels like as an individual to be let down, if you like. Because when someone resigns, the organisation certainly feels that they've been let down a little bit, particularly if it's someone that they really, really, really value. Because it's probably going to take them 6 weeks ... up to 6 months to replace you. So you have to be sensitive about the timing as well.

I think workplace safety's certainly been improving over the years. I mean if you look at what the practices used to be 20 years ago. But the one thing that's gone absolutely crazy in all of our surveys and all of the emails we get here is that stress is a major issue. It's gone ballistic, some people have said. So I'd like to... I love open plan, because it allows me to walk around and I can see the change in people's faces. So if you're lucky enough to have that sort of environment, a manger can be looking for the people who are stressed. Some people take on projects, some people say, at work, "Yes, I can do it, yes I can do it". They just take on so much that it weighs them down. And the irony is they're working long hours, they've got too much to do, then they're not managing their time effectively. So I think when you feel like you're stressed, you've actually got to stop. You've got to do the opposite of what the stress is trying to tell you to do. You've got to stop, draw a line in the sand, sit down and analyse what you've got to do. The first thing you do is to write down a list of what the priorities are, because the irony about urgent things are, what was urgent today ceases to be urgent tomorrow and certainly the day after, no one is even thinking about it. So you've got to re-organise things often. Stress is usually a part of poor organization and certainly poor time management and probably a bit of a behavioral issue where you, as an employee, are taking on more than you should, and you're not sharing the load. So sit down, think about why you're in this situation, write out a bit of a situational analysis, i.e. a to do list about what I've got to do, and then certainly start to talk to people about 'I'm going to be able to deliver on these three things, I'm going to fail on these, and I'm certainly going to get nowhere near these.' And you've got to talk to your supervisor, your manager or your peers about getting some help on the areas that you're not delivering. So, in short, just be well-organised and recognise it. That's a really big thing because we get into the vicious circle where we don't recognise and we just go ... down. So, when you're looking haggard in the mirror, draw a line in the sand.

Lots of people probably feel they can't stand their boss. I think the obvious answer is, get out of there. I mean you can't go to work and feel like you can't stand your boss. But I think [you should] sit down and write down all the reasons why you feel you can't stand your boss, and if your boss is the ultimate manager in that business, then you got a problem. If your boss is one of many managers and you might be able to be moved then I think you need to be objective about why you're having issues with that person and look at them unemotionally. Try and ask some peers about what they think about how... Try and look at yourself, first of all, and wonder why you have this animosity between you and your boss, what can you do about it. And if you look at all those things and you really feel there's nothing you else can do in that relationship, then I think you've seriously got to think about talking to someone more senior, talking to the Human Resources people about the issues you've got with that person, and asking them for guidance. And maybe you get moved to another area or another section in the business, maybe that person's got issues with you, that you might have done something that they've sort of harboured, that's coming across as really negative vibes towards you, so may be both of you need to be counselled. But I think sitting there doing nothing is no good, just saying "I'm leaving" is no good. Because why should you leave a company because you hate your boss? Ok? So, have a look at it, trying to get the objectivity into it rather than the emotional feelings we all get when we got that sort of a clash of personality, and bring in where you can Human Resources people or more senior management to try and talk to that person because usually when you get to the point where you hate your boss, there's not a lot of chance of you and them working that out yourself, you need someone else to help you.

Well, networking inside an organisation to better your career is a critical thing, and I don't mean sucking up to the boss. I mean understanding how an organisation works. And the first thing you've got to do to be good network within your organisation is to be interested in that company. Be interested in the products that the company produces, understand where it fits in the business cycle. So understand and take an interest in where you work, that's the very first thing. The second thing you need to do is you need to be really interested in people. I see a lot of people walk into their business every day and say "Hi!" to the person on the front desk, "How're you going?" and just keep walking. They actually are not interested in that person, it's just a reflex action. They could stop for 15 seconds and say "Hi Mary!", "Hi Bill!", "How was your weekend?" or "What did you get up to?", "How're things going?", "Everything going alright?" and just that little moment where you take time to look into that person's eye and say "I'm interested in you as an individual" is what networking is all about. And networking, people get distracted sometimes, they think networking's about "up" networking. Networking is networking all over the organisation, to the "little" people and to the "big" people. Everybody's equally important. And so, being interested in the business, being interested in the people in the business, shows that you're passionate about your workplace. And you can do extra things, you can think about people, you can bring in articles, you can know that someone likes mint in their tea. So one day you can bring mint out of your garden, or your parents' garden, and bring that in and give it to them. Just those little extra things that nobody else does. It's sure not sucking up to me, the boss, that makes me feel someone's a great networker. It's someone who is interested in everybody in the organisation and what we do. Things you should never do in a job interview Classics, which are a lot to do with nerves, but: Forgetting the consultants name Forgetting the name of the company they're applying for Forgetting to bring their resume Making things up about themselves [Making things up] about how much experience they've got Forgetting the address, and being late So, you think of any excuse you can think of, we've heard them all. When you're in an interview situation, an organisation, an employer or recruiter should understand - it's one of the most stressful things a person can do. Changing jobs is one of the most stressful things, next to buying a home, buying a car, having a child, getting married, getting divorced, having some sort of emotional trauma. Right up there with all of those things is an interview and trying to get a new role. So, anyone doing the interviewing has to have some compassion and understanding. But you see just incredible things. I've seen candidates so tired, falling asleep, forgetting the question. Talking for too long. You get asked a question, they answer it, then they answer it again, then they answer it again and answer it again. They think, by talking, over and over and over, that will convince the interviewer that they're the right candidate. You need to think. I always say to people - The motto, particularly for all of us to remember, is that we have two ears, two eyes and one mouth and a nose and we need to use our senses, our sensory perception skills, in that order. So, listen a lot, look a lot and speak only as needed. And I think that's the motto for a really good interview.