Despite the mountain of controversy and publicity around Sheryl Sandberg’s book “Lean In”, I’ll admit that I enjoyed reading it. I liked the author’s accessible style and the generosity with which she shared personal stories and experiences. Many of those stories revealed a different, more human and less perfect, face of Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer. … Read More
talent management
Are you prepared to bend geography?
A CEO who runs her company from Paris during weekdays but spends weekends at her home in the Alps. A journalist based in Paris who commutes to London every two weeks. A media trainer and consultant shuttling between Amsterdam and South Asia who’s chosen Chamonix, France, as his home base. A French project manager targeting … Read More
Personal Value Proposition and why it matters
Your Personal Value Proposition – or PVP – is at the heart of your career strategy. It is the foundation for everything in a job search and career progression – getting promoted, targeting potential employers, attracting the assistance of others, and explaining why you are the one to choose. It shows right employers why they … Read More
Are you an inspiring leader?
I don’t know how factually correct the CEO of the American tire maker Titan International (Maurice Taylor) was when he launched a brutal attack last week on productivity in France, telling the government that some French workers put in only “three hours” a day. The issue he raised, though, is a crucial one, and is … Read More
Startups in France: solopreneurs or entrepreneurs?
Continuing the topic of starting and running own business in France… Last night I was invited to a networking event of French entrepreneurs at one of the local town halls of Paris. Dozens and dozens of dynamic businessmen and businesswomen came to mingle and exchange ideas . Most of them had recently started their own projects … Read More
Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty
At networking events in Paris I keep meeting people who were recently made redundant and are now looking for a new job. I often hear them asking people they have just met “If you hear of an opportunity or a company that needs my services, please let me know”. This is what I call ’emergency … Read More
What does it take to launch and run a successful business in France?
One answer could be “an MBA from Harvard Business School”. On a more serious note, the four extraordinary women entrepreneurs I met last week share not just the business degree from a top US school. They are driven by a personal mission, determination, an acute sense for business success, love of challenge and adventure. Those … Read More
Is 2013 the year you will change jobs?
What are your career goals for 2013? Having a career goal is like possessing a compass in the dark on an endless ocean; you use that compass to guide your progress in the proper direction (Victor Ghebre). Is your top career goal a better work/life balance that gives you more time with your kids and … Read More
Does your CV pass the 30-second test?
Do you know that employers and recruiters spend less than 30 seconds to scan your resume and determine whether you have what it takes to move to the next hiring stage? You may be a great candidate but your resume may not reflect that. So how do you grab their attention in 30 seconds? Take … Read More
Career Transition Success: from investment banking to bartending
Kai Nakamura followed the classic path of most academically gifted French kids – he did his baccalaureate in exact sciences. Seeing that the math and finance came easier to him, he went on to do a masters’ degree in finance. His first job was with a prestigious French investment bank in the City of London. “It … Read More