A collection of blogs from CygnusB

Why CygnusB?

robbiesommerville@me.com (Robbie Sommerville) — Sat, 07 May 2022 11:15:31 GMT

Why the black swans of the 21st century led to us founding CygnusB

What is a Black Swan?

A quick Google search would soon give you the answer:

A black swan is an unpredictable event that is beyond what is normally expected of a situation and has potentially severe consequences. Black swan events are characterised by their extreme rarity, severe impact, and the widespread insistence they were obvious in hindsight.

The 21st century. We've had flurry (or indeed a bevy, bank or wedge) of black swans, including the global financial crisis, the coronavirus pandemic, waves of polarised political ideology - resulting in both Brexit and the election of President Trump; and, a climate emergency. And that's just for starters. So, how do we emerge from the blizzard?

The consultancy bit

It is fair to ask, what has the above got to do with a consultancy seeking to work with brands, both large and small? In short, we recognised that the unexpected, indeed the potential for crisis, has been hitting everyone hard. With that in mind, we wanted to bring our skills to the table, providing interim and fractional access to the communication, marketing and talent knowledge that we've built by working in some of the world's most recognisable FTSE 100, Fortune 500 and ASX 50 brands.

For smaller businesses, our offering provides access to skills and experience that you might not otherwise have. Or, when making tough budget decisions, that you couldn't quite commit to full time. For the corporate side, it's about access to a fresh perspective, that's based on a familiarity with how you work, but with an independence that allows us to be fearless in our feedback and unfettered by both internal politics and what's been done before.

Together, working with our clients, we hope to give support, counsel and direction to brands, leadership teams and employees as they navigate the fall-out from the black swan events. To help build back better. After each black swan event there is a wealth of new opportunity, and we're here to help you capitalise on it.

What's in a name?

We are in the comms space, so in choosing a name we went with something that gave a nod to our reason for being. Cygnus (the latin name for swan), and B, representing black. Because, even out of the most unexpected challenge, new and interesting things can emerge.

Brand, what's the big deal?

robbiesommerville@me.com (Robbie Sommerville) — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 15:03:52 GMT

Emotional engagement

Brand, if done well, will have the power to make you feel good. When connected to a specific product or service it can even make you think and behave differently and, in many cases, drive you to willingly part with your hard-earned income. But, what does brand mean and why does it matter?

What is brand?

Purists will argue that brand isn’t something a person or business can truly own. Instead, brand is how your audience, be that clients, customers or employees, perceives you or your business. And yes, brand does matter as much to us as individuals as it does to small businesses and international corporates. When it comes to making a decision, your brand will determine how confident and willing your client, or customer, is in choosing you, or your business, over a competitor.

When you think about a brand in your mind, the first examples that you’re likely come up with are those to which you have an emotional connection. Perhaps you fondly remember playing with Lego as a child, maybe you’re an avid consumer of all things Apple, you might have a strong preference for either Nike or Adidas, or maybe you associate your supermarket choice with having more meaning than it simply being the best place to get your fruit and vegetables.

At the most basic level, you can probably say, with relative ease, whether you like or dislike a particular brand. And, at the extreme, you might even feel that you love or hate it. Strong feelings indeed. But let me be clear, brand indifference is also a thing. A brand can’t make you care about something you have no interest in. However, even in the most mundane purchases, brand will still leave you with a perception. Heinz baked beans, are they really better?

So what can you do to build a brand that’s at least liked, or better still, loved? Managing a brand requires investment, energy and focus. With commitment and consistency over time you can build, enhance and control the perception of your business. Ultimately, your brand will be strengthened or weakened as a result of your communication, your perceived reputation and the quality of your product.

What you can do

If brand is not something you can fully control, what can you do? Take control of your business strategy and make sure you understand the environment you are operating in. Map your competitors, assess your market and stay attuned to the developments that might disrupt or challenge you. Once you have a view of where you are, you can then focus your energy on enhancing your brand perception while ensuring you mitigate, or better still eliminate, any negative experience that a client or customer might have had. The important lesson is that perception is reality, so despite everything else, your business will flourish or fail on the strength of its brand.

So what governs all of this? Basically, its marketing. It might sound old school, contrived or even fluffy to some, but pretty much every facet of your business is touched by the application of Marketing. From consumer insights to product development, sales performance and complaint handling. Furthermore, if you apply the principles of marketing internally, you’ll also see how it shapes what your employees think and feel about the business, and indeed the people, they work both with and for. It’s important to remember that it is both.

How we can help

In the coming months we will take a look at some of the most frequently used terms that fall within Marketing, considering what they mean and how they’ve evolved over time. We will consider everything from business purpose, leadership and strategy through to the role of specific marketing tactics and channels.

Follow our LinkedIn page and look out for our tips on building your personal or business brand. Need more help? Contact us at info@cygnusb.com

CygnusB has over two decades of experience providing specialist consulting and strategic counsel in brand, communication and executive talent management and coaching.

Facing furlough's end?

robbiesommerville@me.com (Robbie Sommerville) — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 17:07:13 GMT

What you can do to prepare

As the UK approaches the end of furlough later this month, many are facing further uncertainty and ongoing discomfort around what might come next, both professionally and personally.

Even if you weren’t furloughed, the impact of coronavirus on our day to day lives has been significant. Whatever your position, and with further change likely in the months ahead, here are some ideas on what you can do to face the end of furlough with confidence.

Understand the context
While the relentless news and current affairs cycle might be something you want to avoid, its important to know what is happening in the specific sector or industry you work in. Knowledge is power, so try and absorb as much as you can. Learn what’s new and emerging, as well as what might be facing disruption and change. If you know, you can plan.

Know your skills
Map out your knowledge and skills. Highlight the things you are good at; the things people compliment you on; and, the things that you like. Think about these skills as broadly as possible, including how you’ve used them in the past and how they might apply in a different context. You’ll be surprised by the things you can do that have application in a different environment. Your transferable skills might be the path to a new future. If there’s something you haven’t done in a while, that could be revisited, spend some time bringing your skill back up to scratch.

Decide your direction
Think about the end goal. A two, three or five year plan if possible. Even if it feels unrealistic at the moment, having a long-term approach with a target to work towards is a tried and tested method of achieving professional success. To get there, break it down into achievable steps. But remember, even small progress is progress. We often commit to linear growth, going from A to B, or from being a Manager to a Senior Manager, but there is often just as much to gain by a sideways move.

Align your online presence
Consistency is key. From your CV (see our separate blog posts) through to your online profiles. Think about what represents you, what you believe in and what you stand for. Unfollow those things that don’t serve you, without creating an echo chamber of the things you want to hear. It is important to listen to a variety of sources to help you make decisions.

If you have them, make personal profiles private and think about how you want to portray yourself. Digital profiles have been a reality for some time, but at a time when in-person engagement is more difficult, it is likely that your online presence will do a lot of the talking for you. So make it work to your advantage. Be authentic, but not contrived.

Build your energy reserves
2020 has shown itself to be one of the most challenging periods in living memory. It has provided more curveballs than many of us ever expected, and it is important to think about how you can maintain sustainable long-term energy. If you’ve been on furlough then the return to work; the start of a new job search; or a decision to pursue a new direction, might feel daunting. Be kind to yourself and kind to others. You should invest in the things that energise you and keep you grounded. If we've learnt anything this year, it is the lesson that it can all change very quickly, so invest in both the personal and professional sides of your life.

Follow our LinkedIn page and look out for our tips on building your personal employee brand. Need more help? Contact us at info@cygnusb.com

CygnusB has over two decades of experience providing specialist consulting and strategic counsel in brand, communication and executive talent management and coaching.

Help, my CV is out of date...

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 16:58:00 GMT

... what should I do?

How many times have you heard or said this yourself? At least once, right?

It’s understandable, as many people only visit their CV when it’s time to start a job search, while others update it every few months. Either way, it is no surprise that it can feel like a daunting task or even an awkward one. Self promotion is a struggle for some people. Or perhaps you've left it so long that your CV has grown exponentially and looks like a short story. Maybe it just doesn't feel relevant any more. So what do you do?

Sometimes it’s better to start from scratch

When the time comes, you may benefit from working on a blank document and applying a fresh structure. Create your structure using headings with space below for the related content. Then work backwards, in chronological order, starting with your most recent role. If you have key skills from former roles you might want to add a separate section calling out highlights relevant to the vacancy you are considering. If you are starting over, have your old CV to hand as a reference point. You should always look at how you can condense roles from earlier in your career while still highlighting relevant skills.

So how long should my CV be?

There is no right or wrong answer to this, only opinion. If you are newly entering into the workforce then your CV is going to be short, perhaps just a single A4 side. That’s completely acceptable as long as it is relevant and highlights the skills and achievements sought in the job vacancy. But what if you've been employed for 15 years or more? Well one page is going to be a hard task unless you just list companies, dates and roles, but what would be the benefit of that? It’s not going to tell any prospective employer why they should hire you. Conversely, a page for every year worked is going to find your application moving to one place, the rejection pile. So apply the rule of relevance, your first job, while interesting, is unlikely to have much relevance to what you do today.

Your employment history should focus on your current role and roles within a seven to 10 year time span. Past that, apply the rule of edit and remove, it is perfectly acceptable to list older positions without elaborating on day to day tasks. So what is the perfect size?Again it is about what works for you, but a CV that can be contained within two separate sheets of paper makes it a lot easier in an interview scenario and is also more likely to be read from beginning to end.

What about various positions in the same company?

This is the perfect opportunity to showcase personal growth, loyalty and performance. It is unlikely that you would have been promoted or given more responsibilities if you were an under performer, so why would you not call this out? Apply the same rule of positions within the same company working back in chronological order breaking down time in each role, responsibilities and any highlights from each one.

Struggling to elaborate on your experience?

First of all, you want it to be easy to read so avoid lengthy paragraphs, you may want to consider two lines explaining what the company does and then elaborate on your experience. Bullet points are your friend and make it easy for a hiring manager with several hundred applications to see your relevant skills. But what about the content? Well it is a good idea to separately list out your day to day responsibilities followed by a separate list of any additional projects or programmes. You’ll be surprised by how much you actually do. Think about systems you work with, departments or teams you interact with, reports you may be responsible for, or input into, and this will help you to create your long-list. Now edit. You want to establish what is relevant to the job vacancy and start with listing these first on your CV, whilst omitting irrelevant items.

It is always a work in progress

A CV is ever evolving and it is unlikely that a CV you write today will be the CV that gets you hired in two years. For those so inclined it is a great idea to revisit your CV every six months and don’t be afraid to edit. You may be working on new projects or with newer technologies, so feel comfortable to add these to your CV whilst removing items that become less relevant. Finally, assess. Are you hearing from recruiters or hiring managers or are you receiving rejections before even speaking to someone? If it’s the latter then it’s time to edit that CV, invest your time in it, it’s your shop window and the first step to a hiring manager buying what you have to offer.

Follow our LinkedIn page and look out for our tips on building your personal employee brand. Need more help? Contact us at info@cygnusb.com

CygnusB has over two decades of experience providing specialist consulting and strategic counsel in brand, communication and executive talent management and coaching.

Your CV, what to include?

Thu, 08 Oct 2020 12:00:23 GMT

Tips on making your experience stand out

When writing a CV, we all know the core structure: contact details, work experience and education but what about additional information? Let’s take a look at some of the other categories.

Should a photo be included?

This may seem an odd question but your location will determine what the answer is. It is commonplace in Continental Europe to include a passport style photo at the top of your CV whereas in the USA and the UK it is not generally recommended unless it is a specific requirement. Why might you consider removing a photo? Let’s start with unconscious bias. Someone reading your CV could potentially apply a bias to the way they perceive you based on your photo. This could cover anything from race, gender, appearance, pose and so on. A number of recruiters will ask you to remove your photo from applications or if you’re unlucky it might not even get shortlisted.

Cover letters, are they necessary?

Well this depends, some job adverts may require a cover letter whilst others make no mention. If it is part of the application you must include a cover letter. What if you are not asked for a cover letter? Then it is down to your personal preference. A worthwhile question is are you adding any benefit to your application? If you have a strong CV which clearly demonstrates your ability to perform in the role that you are applying for then you should feel confident in leaving this additional page out. If you feel that you need to call out additional experience that relates to the role that would be beneficial then consider including one, or better still tailor your CV to reflect it there instead. One takeaway, if you have a generic cover letter that you never tailor, delete it now.

How about showcasing work?

If you work within the creative space this will be common practice for you, you may have showreels or portfolios. Whilst you may not want to provide a full portfolio of your work before an initial interview you may want to consider a snapshot on Behance or a link to your own website or LinkedIn profile. In fact, do include links to these on a CV as it brings your experience to life. Just keep in mind a link to a personal Instagram page with photos of your weekend antics should be kept separate to your personal employee brand.

Non-professional work?

Should you list memberships, charitable work and other appointments? It comes down to what they are and whether they might be of interest to a potential employer. Being a member of you residents’ association is unlikely to help you land a role, but being a voluntary member for a charity on weekends might absolutely demonstrate your values and commitment. So, keep it relevant.

Remember those CV templates?

As a student you probably completed one, and at the end you were asked to list your interests. Well unless you are applying to be a chef or looking for a career in catering its unlikely cooking or baking really need to be on your CV. That said, interests can be a great way of adding flavour, showcasing not just your work but who you are. If you decide to add this section then it’s worth taking the same approach of keeping it relevant. How can you make this information beneficial to your application?

References?

Finally references, please, please don’t include these on your CV. Think about it as though every time you decided to go to a bar you gave your partners phone number to a bartender, why would you do that? If someone is interested in making you a job offer they can request your references but they should have no need to have them beforehand. It is also worth noting that unscrupulous agency recruiters may contact these references in order to obtain work. Leave these as "Available on request."

Follow our LinkedIn page and look out for our tips on building your personal employee brand. Need more help? Contact us at info@cygnusb.com

CygnusB has over two decades of experience providing specialist consulting and strategic counsel in brand, communication and executive talent management and coaching.

Your personal employee brand

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 12:49:58 GMT

Let's start with the basics... your CV

As the world struggles to adjust to the spread of COVID-19 and its related impacts, many people find themselves in unknown territory. A job that you once felt secure in may no longer feel quite as safe. Our ways of working are evolving and, with that, so too are the roles that businesses need. Whilst uncertainty around redundancies continue it is now more important than ever to understand and build your own personal brand, whether that be your CV, a LinkedIn profile or your skills around networking and interviewing.

It can feel daunting to some, whilst for others, updating their CV or LinkedIn page may be second nature. We will be publishing bite sized tips over the coming weeks and months covering aspects of your personal employee brand to put you in good stead for your job search should the need arise.

Stylisation: First or third person?

When writing your CV you want to ensure that whichever style you choose you are consistent throughout. It might sound simple but often a CV may slip between one or another. Choosing which style is a matter of personal preference but here are some things to consider:

First Person: I am an experienced Sales Director

Third Person - Narrative: Jane is an experienced Sales Director

Third Person - Neutral: An experienced Sales Director

Which do you think sounds right? Well, all of them are correct but think about your audience. Who do you want to appeal to? Many recruiters believe that “I am” is perfectly acceptable for use in CVs at entry level whilst in contrast it can sound too inexperienced for a senior level role. Others feel that the third person sounds pretentious or too impersonal. The neutral third person removes all pronouns such as I, she or he and is becoming a more popular style in CVs today. It is a given that your CV is talking about you, so is there any need for pronoun use? By simply changing the sentence structure to remove pronouns you might also remove potential biases.

Introductions

Why would you not have an introductory paragraph at the start of you CV? This is the perfect place to summarise your key skills or experience into what is essentially your elevator pitch; that less than 5-minute conversation with a key decision maker. Use this as an opportunity to call out your key skills that align to a job advert or a job description and tailor it each time. For example, one role may require knowledge of a specific development environment such as AGILE. Another may ask for specific geographical experience such as knowledge of EMEA markets. Your introduction is the perfect place, at the start of your CV, to call this out. The key thing to remember is to keep it short, think paragraph not War and Peace.

Your Experience

This is where you evidence your experience and skills, think about the job role you are applying for, what are the skills the company is looking for and do you have them? If so, you should be highlighting them here. Now, do you start with education or work experience first? For people who are newly entering the work place or have limited work experience then you are going to be relying on your education, so start with this, highlighting and elaborating on any achievements above and beyond your core coursework. This might include extracurricular memberships or specific projects that are relevant to the role. This will make up the bulk of your CV followed by any part-time work or placements.

In contrast, if you are experienced in your field then you will want to consider starting with your work experience, followed by your education. Why? Well your work experience will be fresh and relevant; you can call out active use of your skills and highlight successes that demonstrate your ability to perform a role. Qualifications will be important to list but how much can you elaborate on having an ACCA, a CIM qualification or even a degree?

Also, think chronological order, you are working backwards. Your focus should be on what you have done most recently. If you have been in a company for less than 5 years you will want to elaborate on your most recent role and perhaps the role prior to that, keeping in mind that the further back you go the less relevant the detail will be. You should also start with a brief description of what that company does, whilst everyone may know Nike you will want them to know whether you worked in their Head Office, a retail store or both. It is also an opportunity to demonstrate what a smaller, less well known, company does to highlight any relevance.

Your experience should call out your relevant duties in any role that you are applying for but importantly you want to show your impact and successes. Can you include details around scope, audience reach, or any measurements such as delivery of key performance indicators (KPIs) or positive financial impacts on the business or division. Remember the aim here is to show why you are going to be the best hire so call out your successes.

Draft and Edit

Writing or editing a CV can feel impossible to some people, where to start, what information to include and how much to write. Start big when writing about your experience and edit, edit, EDIT. Play around with the order and use bullet points; the key is to make it as easy as possible for someone reading your CV to spot relevant experience without having to read through long paragraphs. Remember a recruiter or hiring manager will not be sat in an armchair with a cup of tea, looking to engross themselves in your CV. Restructure, move your points around to focus on importance and relevance. If you are talking about specific experience listed in an role advert then put that near the top of your experience. Finally, and this should go without saying, check you spelling and grammar, there is nothing worse than a CV full of grammatical errors.

Follow our LinkedIn page and look out for our tips on building your personal employee brand. Need more help? Contact us at info@cygnusb.com

CygnusB has over two decades of experience providing specialist consulting and strategic counsel in brand, communication and executive talent management and coaching.