| The Career Farm

Our guest this month is Aliya Ali-Afzal. Ali-Afzal is a career coach and is also author of the recent book, Would I Lie to You?.

In this episode Ali-Afzal describes how she went from having no background in writing to obtaining a book deal from a leading publisher, whilst maintaining her career and raising three children.

What you will learn in this interview:

- Developing your career while being a working mother

- Acquiring a literary agent and landing a book deal

- Ali-Afzal's writing process

Our guest this month is Paul Hargreaves. Paul is the founder and chief executive of Cotswold Fayre Ltd., which is a specialist and fine food wholesaler supplying nearly 2000 retail outlets in the UK. He is also the author of 'Forces for Good' and the recent book, 'The Fourth Bottom Line'.

In this episode Paul explains how he grew Cotswold Fayre from the cellar of his home to a leading UK food wholesaler. We'll also discuss why Paul made Cotswold Fayre a B Corp and the benefits of running a B Corp.

We are delighted to give you our new Hiring Trends Report so you can see what sectors are hiring.

Download it here: https://thecareerfarm.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2021/06/Hiring-Trends-Report_June-2021.pdf

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Our guest is Janie van Hool. Van Hool is a RADA trained actress and corporate communications specialist. She works with companies and leaders to improve their communication skills. She's the author of the new book, The Listening Shift: Transform your organization by listening to your people and helping your people listen to you.

What you will learn in this interview

* How preparing like a performer will improve your interviews

* How to use silence to your advantage

* How to be listened to at a meetin

In this episode, Jane analyses Bill Gates' new book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster.

Jane talks about what opportunities there might be in the future of work, not only in terms of innovative businesses, but also in terms of the type of work that might be available in the future.

She then discusses the emerging markets addressing climate change, including international agricultural research and global green technology. Finally, she highlights one innovative company working to make a difference.

Dr. Candice Seti joins Jane in a discussion on self-sabotage, whilst taking interactive questions from the audience watching along via […]

Dr. Candice Seti joins Jane in a discussion on self-sabotage, whilst taking interactive questions from the audience watching along via […]

Clinical psychologist Dr Candice Seti joins Jane to discuss self-sabotage, with questions taken from the audience watching via live stream.

In her specialist field helping people with weight loss and weight management, Dr Seti became aware of the overarching theme of self sabotage, which she defines as "standing in your own way".

She cites imposter syndrome as one of the many causes of self sabotage, and how important it can be to admit to what we don't know, rather than try and bluster our way through unfamiliar territory.

Jane and Dr Seti discuss their own self sabotaging voices, giving them names and finding ways to externalise them to make it easier to combat. They also talk about ways to combat procrastination, using Dr Seti's writing process as an example.

In this episode, Jane talks to tax specialist Josephine Bush about her corporate transition into the world of ESG.

Josephine started life as a solicitor, focusing on accounting early into her career and navigating the change to a more client-focused role. After finding a niche delivering tax services for renewables businesses, working within Ernst & Young, Josephine was able to carve out this niche at a time when fewer people were thinking about renewable energy.

As she began to work within the sector, her passion for environmentalism and her sense of purpose grew. Since then she has pursued a certificate in ESG investing through the CFA Institute, and enrolled in a sustainable finance course with the Cambridge Institute of Sustainable Leadership,

Josephine believes that no business or individual is immune to the effects of climate change, but sees a wealth of opportunity for people who want to apply themselves to roles within environmental, social, and corporate governance.

Jane is joined by Territory Manager at Shell, Thomas Hughes, to discuss finding work based on your passion, and making the most out of an MBA.

Thomas' first job at the age of 16 was washing pots for a banquet hall. He originally applied to study archeology, but instead chose to study international relations at Sheffield University. He was then offered a US internship to work at a lobbying company, then returned to his original occupation in hospitality.

Feeling it was time to change tack, Thomas then applied for an MBA, which encouraged and empowered him to look for work based on the impact he wanted to make in the world, rather than the industry he wanted to work within. This led him to an interview with Shell, where Thomas' passion for environmental issues saw him through the initial video interview, to the face-to-face interview, to eventually working as Territory Manager for the company.

Thomas provides his advice for students taking an MBA, and to anyone newly entering the world of work.

Going forwards, Thomas is committed to helping Shell continue its mission towards sustainable energy and electric vehicles.