Hi Reader I thought I'd change the tone of my newsletter this week and give you some behind the scenes stuff. f you're in comms, and you haven't been hiding behind a rock, you'll know it's events season. Some lucky folk have been globetrotting, from Cannes Lions to the IABC World Conference in Vancouver. I've been having serious FOMO, seeing so many of my comms chums taking care of their professional development, and hanging out together. Behind the scenes It's been a busy month, which is why...
9 days ago • 2 min read
Vicki MarinkerCandid Career Coach 🎯 Hi Reader What if you're still job searching after six months, or a year?You started with optimism. You updated your CV, turned on open to work, and started applying. It feels like you're doing all the right things. And yet, you haven't landed a job. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. The job market is a basket-case (in case you hadn't noticed). Automation and AI tools, like LinkedIn Recruiter and Workday are misfiring. Brilliant candidates aren’t being seen, and hiring...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Vicki MarinkerCandid Career Coach 🎯 Hi Reader My manager looked at me and said: “Can you smile more? People think you’re aloof.” 😳 I was 20-something, working in PR, trying to make a good impression. And instead of talking about my work, my manager was critiquing my face. I nearly replied “Britain needs Loofs”, but something told me she wouldn’t get the joke. That wasn’t the only gem from that meeting. Apparently, my nose ring had made it onto the board agenda, and needed to be removed. That...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Vicki MarinkerCandid Career Coach 🎯 Hi Reader Years ago, I was asked in an interview “If you were an animal, what animal would you be?” And like many comms professionals who are better at prepping other people’s answers, I blanked. The only thing that came to mind was… a koala. Not exactly the dynamic, results-driven addition most employers are hoping for. Since then, I’ve played this game with myself dozens of times. Should I have said: Tiger? Too intense and dangerous. Dog? Loyal but needy...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Vicki MarinkerCandid Career Coach 🎯 Hi Reader I had a meltdown.Too many tabs open, on my laptop and in my brain. I had too much on my plate, without the time to clear it. I always keep one day a week completely client-free. That day is sacred. It’s when I work ON my business instead of IN it, and catch up on all the life admin.But thanks to back-to-back bank holidays, I felt I had to use that day as overflow for client meetings.And I hit the wall. The irony of talking about burnout and then...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Vicki MarinkerCandid Career Coach 🎯 Hi Reader I've been thinking about your job search journey lately. If you're a communications professional navigating today's bonkers job market, you're probably feeling a rollercoaster of emotions: hopeful one day, frustrated the next. Job hunting can be bloody hard, especially when you're doing it alone. That's why I created Get Hired!, the group coaching programme specifically for mid to senior comms and marketing professionals like you, who need more...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Vicki MarinkerCandid Career Coach 🎯 Hi Reader Your annual review is coming up. Do you dare ask for a promotion? You're staring at an advert for a senior job vacancy, wondering if you've got what it takes. Stop wondering and start asking. Most communication professionals I coach are brilliant at advocating for others, but when it comes to advocating for themselves. Hmm, not so much. Until we start working together, obviously.I have always asked.After university, I was temping at my Dad's...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Vicki MarinkerCandid Career Coach 🎯 Hi Reader What does burnout feel like? Ever had that feeling where your job in comms, once your happy place, now feels like wading through treacle with concrete boots on? What if it's not just a bad week? I was reading some research by burnout experts Maslach and Leiter who put it succinctly. Burnout is when "energy turns into exhaustion, involvement turns into cynicism, and efficacy turns into ineffectiveness." Here's how to spot if you're burning out: You...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Vicki MarinkerCandid Career Coach 🎯 Hi Reader If you’ve ever sat in a meeting, looked around, and thought, “What the hell am I doing here?” – welcome to the club. You’re not broken, you’re human. After 30 years in comms (first in PR, then 23 years as a recruiter, and now as a coach), I’ve noticed something fascinating: The most brilliant communicators are TERRIBLE at recognising their own value. You craft perfect messages for your organisation but freeze when it comes to talking about your...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Vicki MarinkerCandid Career Coach 🎯 Hi Reader Last week, I hosted another Job Search SOS Q&A session with Lucy Cairncross, MD of VMA GROUP. It was an opportunity for exhausted job seekers to ask the questions that are keeping them up at night. Lucy has been a recruiter for many years, experiencing major economic shifts - from the 2008 financial crisis, to the pandemic. She has developed a solid understanding of market resilience. If you didn't have the opportunity to join us, you can listen...
4 months ago • 1 min read