This quote from Irish rugby legend, Paul O'Connell, has certainly resonated with the Enterprise Sales community. Many found it a hopeful message; some have commented it is a stellar mindset, and a few felt it helped them get ‘out of their own way’. What requires no talent:• Being fully present during each conversation• Being open to learning• Making accurate career decisions Too often, people make poor career decisions based on a salary hike, or the headline brand name of a company. In the worst of cases, a mistaken belief is to stay with a company because the longevity looks better on their CV. We are directed by our beliefs and ‘recruitment myths’, rather than evidence from trusted confidants. One of the prevailing recruitment myths is that the best way to start a job search is by posting your CV on job boards and with recruitment companies. Having been a head-hunter and career coach over the last three decades, it is self-evident that this is suboptimal. I would advise limiting time spent on the live job market to 20% or less. The optimal focus is to use your precious energy accessing the hidden job market, where you are most likely to find more fulfilling and aligned opportunities. I have built a programme to accurately accelerate achieving your next role. ‘Accelerated Career Results” is a proven methodology that has significantly enhanced every career of the select attendees. There are 10 modules, and CV writing is module 6. Evidence has demonstrated that there are five key steps to the job opportunity creation process before writing your CV. Another crippling recruitment myth regarding earnings, is ‘that you are paid what you are worth’. Having negotiated thousands of job offers, I have to disagree. You don’t get paid what you are worth, you get paid what you negotiate. Far too many people receive salary offers and their annual review passively, rather than creating a proactive plan. ‘View yourself as a premium employee’ is our signature programme to bring confidence to your difficult salary negotiation conversations.One of the most thought-provoking and well-researched authors of our time is Matthew Syed. In his brilliant book Bounce, he offers an insight:“One of the most remarkable findings of modern psychology is the extraordinary capacity of human beings to mould the evidence to fit their beliefs rather than the other way around; it is our capacity to believe in spite of the evidence…”So, what can you do to mitigate the risk of making a poor career decision?Pre-pandemic, I advised all of my clients to spend at least half a day with their new organisation, before formally accepting any job offer. Whilst it in not common practice, you want to see the ‘warts and all’ of the business. You are likely to spend over 240 days a year working, and this less than 1% time investment is worth it, to help you make the right decision. This approach is beneficial for both potential employees and employers. Most career mistakes occur when there are value and cultural misalignments between employee and employer. The overwhelming influence on the culture you experience at work is your line manager and their line manager’s behaviour towards you. It is not the legal contract of employment that is the ‘difference that makes the difference’ – it is the psychological contract. If this choice is not aligned for you, then better options lie elsewhere; keep going until you find a closer match.It is prudent to test how these leaders react under pressure...

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