tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550738591406976092024-03-07T21:38:50.953-08:00CVs, recruitment and some bits inbetweenAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06844998597714871903noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-555073859140697609.post-32786454738335265782017-03-08T20:19:00.001-08:002017-03-08T20:19:57.802-08:00Managing change<p dir="ltr">Managing change <br>
Coming back to work post mat leave, no matter how long you took off is hard to navigate for many reasons. Whether you’re looking forward to it or not, leaving your baby and getting back into the working world is tough, couple that with a workplace that may well have changed significantly since you were there and you could be dreading that first day. <br>
After up to a year off, in today’s fast pace world you could conceivably encounter some or all of these changes; </p>
<p dir="ltr">Restructure of entire business/management structure/team. <br>
Office move <br>
Computer upgrades/new systems <br>
New staff <br>
New elements to your job <br>
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It could be an interesting time for you so make sure you do what you can to help your company help you. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Be Prepared <br>
Don’t ignore the fact that you’re going back, stay in touch with your managers and keep updated about what’s going on. You may have to do the chasing but some managers will let you know what’s happening as it happens, it’s all very well hearing gossip from colleagues you’re in touch with but if you want the facts then speak to the people who will know. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Know the score <br>
It’s often the case that women returning from mat leave are left to it on the assumption that it’ll all come flooding back, this is simply not the case in most instances as often systems and processes have changed, make sure you know who to speak to, to answer any questions about new systems or things you’re no longer sure of, how to work the new timesheet system or who’s now responsible for payslips in finance for example, it may sound obvious but it’s easily forgotten and you don’t want to be faffing around still trying to figure out the new invoicing system in a few weeks time. </p>
<p dir="ltr">First month approach <br>
Expect your first month to be a bit crazy, don’t put too many restrictions on yourself and don’t expect to be back in the swing of it on the first day, for one you won’t be expected to but for another how can you when you need to get used to your job again, even if nothing’s changed if you’re anything like me you’ll have forgotten how to type!! </p>
<p dir="ltr">Embrace it <br>
If your role has changed or your team has changed and you’re feeling a bit out of sorts, try to put a positive spin on things, change can be a great thing, even if you’re not a fan, it could mean new opportunities for you, it could mean new brilliant people to work with, it could be many more good things as opposed to bad, the more negative your view, the worse you’ll feel and as I’ve mentioned, going back to work will be hard enough without any extra worries. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Knowing about change, getting support to work through it and understand it’s effect on you will help you to accept and embrace it. It might be hard at first but approaching change in a positive light will help you feel better about this new chapter in your life & hopefully very soon you’ll have forgotten what you were worried about. <br>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06844998597714871903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-555073859140697609.post-38398039920898752572016-08-03T13:14:00.001-07:002016-09-19T02:32:08.975-07:00Red and yellow and pink and green........<p dir="ltr">I've never understood it, unless you're a designer/architect type, why would you use colour on your CV? Controversial opinion warning but....... are you a school child? Are you apply for a job that has asked you to use colours? No? STOP IT THEN! </p>
<p dir="ltr">I think the main issue with colours in a CV for me is that it's juvenile.  As I said, unless you're a designer type or architect and you're demonstrating your skill in your CV , which by the way is perfectly acceptable and can look very skillful when done well, you don't need colours. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Here are some great examples of design CVs, so clever.</p>
<p dir="ltr">http://theultralinx.com/2012/07/creative-graphic-design-resume-cv/</p>
<p dir="ltr">People seem to use them to highlight information but it's really not needed, here's a list of alternatives; </p>
<p dir="ltr">Use skilled presentation and your words to highlight important information.<br>
Keep headings consistent, using the same fonts and font sizes.<br>
Keep your paragraphs short.<br>
Use bullets but only when you need to.</p>
<p dir="ltr">These tips will help you present yourself to an employer in a clear concise manner and make your document easier to read and therefore more likely to be placed in the YES pile. </p>
<p dir="ltr">So I've got that off my chest now, I'm feeling lighter! </p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06844998597714871903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-555073859140697609.post-10994653304310122192016-07-20T13:10:00.001-07:002016-07-20T13:17:48.432-07:00Check, check, checkedy, check, check! <p dir="ltr">Yes I made up the word 'checkedy' but so what, you should see some of the howlers I've encountered in my time. One of the best would be an applicant applying to a mechanical engineering role who misspelled mechanical! </p>
<p dir="ltr">You really can never check your document too many times, well you can actually, if you do it too many times you'll probably overlook some errors so it's best to get at least one other person, better two, to have a look over it as well. They don't have to understand it, just look for grammatical and spelling errors, you've no idea how off putting it is to a recruiter when a candidate clearly hasn't been bothered to take the time to make sure all is right, it's likely to mean your document ends up in the B file (bin) so don't take the chance and checkedy check check!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Have a look at these links for some facepalm worthy mistakes.</p>
<p dir="ltr">http://www.totaljobs.com/careers-advice/cvs-and-applications/funny-cv-mistakes-bloopers</p>
<p dir="ltr">http://www.responsewebrecruitment.co.uk/blog/100-funniest-things-weve-read-in-a-cv/</p>
<p dir="ltr">This is my favorite, an infographic from @socialtalent</p>
<p dir="ltr">http://www.socialtalent.co/blog/funny-cv-mistakes</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06844998597714871903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-555073859140697609.post-81649064977667473112016-07-13T03:23:00.001-07:002016-07-13T05:27:32.531-07:00It's all in the presentation<p dir="ltr">Have you got a CV, do you underline your titles, do you use different fonts, have you used italics, what about font sizes, have you varied them, do you use boarders, how about random bullet lists, are you using colours..........?</p>
<p dir="ltr">WELL STOP!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Presentation is very important when writing a CV and here's the one reason why;</p>
<p dir="ltr">IT'S THE FIRST THING AN EMPLOYER SEES</p>
<p dir="ltr">Before they've even read one word on your CV, if you've got different fonts, boarders, italics and (heaven forbid) colours all over the place, you're not making a very good first impression. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Its always best to keep it simple so here are my top tips; </p>
<p dir="ltr">1- Choose a font and stick with it. You can change a font size or bold it out for titles, you don't ever need more than one font. </p>
<p dir="ltr">2- Choose a style and stick with it. By this I mean decide how you want to present the whole CV and use that throughout, for example, if you want to bold and underline all your titles you need to do that for every single one not just the main titles. </p>
<p dir="ltr">3- Ditch the boarders. I've always been baffled as to why people do this, you don't need to put your CV in boxed sections, it doesn't look neater, it looks juvenille. </p>
<p dir="ltr">4- Ditch the colours. See above but instead of juvenille, think infantile!!</p>
<p dir="ltr">5- If using bullets in your role descriptions then use bullets for all roles not just one or two, where you don't have enough info to include a bullet list that's fine but if that's the style you want to use, use it throughout. </p>
<p dir="ltr">6- Make sure spacing is consistent. Paragraphs spacing should always be the same throughout the document. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I could go on but that's all for now, if you're stuck, get in touch for a free consultation to see how we could help. </p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06844998597714871903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-555073859140697609.post-25809499179306374902016-04-28T09:37:00.001-07:002016-04-28T13:37:53.671-07:008 seconds!Had a very interesting meeting today about the future of CV Uk Writer Ltd, gave me lots to think about, one of the bigger talking points was the 8 second rule. <div>When a hiring manager looks at your Cv, they will take about 8 seconds to make up their minds as to whether you are in or out based on what they read (or scan in reality). </div><div>Think about it, you may be looking to prove yourself in your first job or you may have 30 years experience, regardless, 8 seconds isn't great if you're trying to get your foot in the door, I mean what can you legitimately do well in 8 seconds......</div><div>Down a small glass of water</div><div>Scratch your itchy nose</div><div>Put on a pair of socks</div><div>Turn your car on and put your seatbelt on</div><div>Sing the opening line of your favourite song</div><div><br></div><div>You can see that 8 seconds isn't a long time to change the world, I'm being glib but my point is that not much can be done in 8 seconds that is significant so when someone is reading your cv for the first time, if all you've got is 8 seconds, you'd better make sure it's the very best it can be! </div><div>So how can you do that? Obviously you could leave it to the experts (us) but some tweaks you can make; </div><div>*Make sure your formatting is clear and regular</div><div>*Keep to one font, no italics</div><div>*Keep your education short and bulleted (you don't need to list all of your cse's from 1972) </div><div>*Keep your personal statement clear, concise and no more than 4 lines MAX</div><div>*Make your latest job title clear</div><div>*Get your current job highlights at the top of the list, make sure you put your greatest responsibilities and achievements right at the top of your current job history, that's the one hiring mangers will be interested in so make sure you're blowing your own trumpet.</div><div><br></div><div>Personal statements can be tricky to write (it's a whole other post) but drafting a few versions can help you pin point what you want to say, steer clear of repetition and of using too many adjectives. </div><div><br></div><div>8 seconds is not long, don't be fooled into thinking the job you're applying to doesn't fall into this bracket, the likelihood is that it will, competition is still high as I'm always saying so make your 8 seconds count and ensure your CV headlines pop!</div><div><br></div><div>Further reading:</div><div><br></div><div>Citing original study: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/recipe-perfect-resume-revealed/story?id=23782664</div><div><br></div><div>Updated article;</div><div>http://www.careerealism.com/resume-glance-pass/</div><div><br></div><div>Older article which talks about a 6 second rule!! http://lifehacker.com/5901056/recruiters-only-look-at-your-resume-for-an-average-of-six-seconds-and-this-is-what-they-see</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06844998597714871903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-555073859140697609.post-83553339440870924242016-03-08T12:19:00.001-08:002016-03-09T11:59:41.096-08:00International Women's Day 2016<div>So <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">international women's day is over for another year, did you mark it in any way? Did your place of work? I have to say it's only in recent years have I actually known it existed, with no place of business I've ever worked marking it bar one, once! It was in fact started way back in the days of suffrage. It's made headlines in more recent years though and this year was no exception.</span></div><div>The theme this year was for planet 50:50 by 2030, a focus on gender parity. If you want to read more then do look at the official page http://www.internationalwomensday.com</div><div><br></div><div>I wanted to touch on IWD in this blog as the theme is equality, in all areas of life and as I'm a CV writer I will focus on careers.</div><div><br></div><div>Having worked in STEM industries my entire career, I have often observed how wide the gender gap is in terms of skill set, engineers are in the majority, men, scientists are in the majority, men, HR, mostly women. So what can be done about that? There's a point to tackling the issue with our peers, to bring sexism and inequality to the fore but international women's day should be used to target our smallest people, not to highlight the difficulties they may face as men and women but to reiterate the point that you can be anything you want to be, science, engineering, even space doesn't have to be for a majority sex. </div><div>And this message should be a theme throughout their school lives, not just a one off. Certainly when I was at school there wasn't much work done on that as a subject, I remember a brief chat with a career guidance counsellor but nothing to light my technical fire, nothing that would make me want to find out more about building a bridge or finding a cure for cancer.</div><div>Nothing is wrong with any career but we have to ask ourselves why is society perpetuating the cliche that boys build stuff and girls nurture when both can do....both. More needs to be done to encourage boys and girls into different fields of work and to show that both are equally capable. The male dinosaurs that I've worked with in my time are slowly retiring, those that refuse to hold meetings with women in HR (yes really), those that ask questions about babies, childcare and marriage in interviews (yes really) and more open minded people are coming to the fore, actually holding discussions about encouraging women to retrain and how they can attract women to work in their business. But again, it needs to start earlier, you're not going to magically increase the number of female civil engineers in the marketplace but given time and effort, the girls taking their GCSEs now could well be designing bridges in 10 years time. </div><div><br></div><div>http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/international-womens-day-2016-what-when-is-it-why-was-it-set-up-a6917341.html</div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06844998597714871903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-555073859140697609.post-90498307848619207022016-02-01T03:52:00.000-08:002016-02-01T03:52:05.267-08:00Back to basicsIt's been quite a while since my last blog update so I thought I'd get back to basics.<br />
If you've ever worked in recruitment then you'll know that one of the prime times for job searches is the new year (that and the first two weeks of school summer holidays believe it or not), so with that being said, it is a good time to throw some job search tips out there in case you're reading this and you're looking or just thinking about it.<br />
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Research - Where will you look, what sites are most relevant, what companies do you want to work for, if you don't have specifics what type of companies will you look at (considering ethics for example). You may not be that fussed but it pays to know where you will be spending your time looking for a job because.....<br />
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Organise - If you know where you're looking you'll be able to organise your time and your approach to your particular job search, for example, how long will you spend posting your CV on job boards or applying to roles on a particular board. Do you have the relevant industry publications to hand if that's your approach or what companies are you going to contact direct on what day. Being organised will mean you stay........<br />
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Focus - Its very very easy to lose focus when doing anything really and job searching is no different, you might get bored, disheartened, depressed even but making a plan about your approach as above will help halt those feelings. Unless you're lucky or particularly in demand you'll probably need to revise your plan of action, do more research and re-organise your time but that's OK and will help you to stay focused on your ultimate goal which I would assume would be - a new fabulous job!<br />
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Finally it is so important that you get your CV together. Obvious I know but people don't give it enough time, it needs effort and attention, what are you trying to say, what do you want to say, what do you want people to think about you? It can all be conveyed through your CV so you need to invest in it. Think of it as a submission to an exam, you want to get it as right as possible and unless you really don't care (in which case why are you reading this), you want to get the highest score as you possibly can and beat your peers.<br />
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Job searching isn't anyone's favorite task but if you follow the simple steps above then it can be a little less painful, you can always come talk to us to see how we can help as well of course!<br />
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Happy hunting folks, I'll not leave it so long next time!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06844998597714871903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-555073859140697609.post-25481904470205984112015-08-28T01:46:00.000-07:002016-04-28T09:28:08.528-07:00Lose weight - Fast!Okay I've not gone crazy and nor am I about to start writing about weight loss. I'm talking about slimming down that CV.<br>
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A general rule of thumb says that your CV should be no longer than 2 pages long, this means you need to summarise your experience as best you can but remain interesting and appealing. No mean feat for most but if you've a whole heap of experience then it can be a really tricky task (NB sometimes its ok to push to 3 pages particularly in certain industries where your experience will be technically/scientifically specialist).<br>
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So how do you go about reducing all of that information that you're CONVINCED is so important<br>
and every employer MUST know? Hint; they don't.<br>
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Layout - make sure the layout of your CV is conducive to keeping it short. If you're short of space then don't have your address listed, have it on one line across the top, the same goes for your education, don't list it vertically, do it horizontally.<br>
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Necessary? - Is everything you're including in your education necessary? You really don't need to include all of your GCSEs or O'Levels, you can summarise your A Levels unless they are specific to your role (which if you've a lot of experience they won't be any more). Just remember that an employer wants to look at your experience and your skill, not necessarily your education before you were 18.<br>
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Training - Unless it is really relevant to the role you're applying to, you don't need to include every training course you've ever been on. A prospective employer is unlikely to be interested in your 2011 Fire Marshall training course or your 2008 Word refresher, make sure the courses you're listing are specific to the role. Degree courses are always good to include even if the role is in a different field, you're likely to get questioned if that's the case but it will show you have commitment and dedication to study.<br>
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Job specifics - Here's where it gets tricky. You want to make sure you're including everything that's relevant but you don't want to waffle on for multiple paragraphs. So how do you go about it? It's pretty simple really but a LOT of people can't be bothered because it takes effort.<br>
<br><b>You need to tailor your CV to the role you're applying to.</b><br>
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Make sure you read the job advert and apply it to your CV, don't make it too obvious of course but it doesn't take a genius to read a job ad and find out what they're looking for. Make sure you include any relevant experience, specific matches are good, for example if they're looking for someone with team leadership experience and you have it, put it in (You'd be shocked how many people miss off the most obvious of things), if you don't have that specific experience then see if you have anything that vaguely matches up, if you don't have anything that does then don't waffle on about something that is completely irrelevant, you can try and make up with your lack of experience in one area by shining in another.<br>
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Remove any information that doesn't align with what they're after but if you have something outstanding to include then do put it in.<br>
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If you feel you just have too much marvellous experience and simply CAN'T slim it down (trust me, you can) then you can start a list, again, horizontal rather than vertical, and you should focus on responsibilities rather than achievements.......<br>
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Responsibilities and Achievements - This is a rather old school approach to a CV but if you're struggling for space it can save you, by splitting your experience this way, you can really see the wood for the trees - as can an employer - you will be able to identify the two areas and also identify what information is most relevant to the job you're applying to. You can also create lists this way as described above.<br>
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This is a simplified approach of course but it can get you on the right track to removing irrelevant information and making your CV match as closely to the job as possible whilst also showcasing the talented individual you are!<br>
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<i>Come and talk to us if you need further guidance. We can help you find the right balance www.cvukwriter.com </i><br>
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<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06844998597714871903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-555073859140697609.post-78355122568125654592015-08-04T07:13:00.002-07:002015-08-04T07:13:57.335-07:00Staying positive I've seen quite a few articles of late about staying positive in your job search it sort of follows on from my last blog post of remaining positive when you've been made redundant. This post will focus more on some other aspects of remaining stoic and constant when you're job hunting, especially if you're currently unemployed.<br />
These pointers count whether your a graduate who has recently left uni or someone who has been working for many years.<br />
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1 - Don't be complacent in your efforts. It really does help to set daily goals, to be proactive and to maintain a positive outlook. Don't just sit and wait for something, if you put the effort in, it will happen, it might not happen as quickly as you want it to but it will happen. The following pointers reiterate this but if you want the best out of something you have to put your best in, it's that simple really. Don't expect miracles to happen, work hard, play hard, learn to dance in the rain and other motivational musings!!<br />
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2 - Don't machine gun applications, its obvious and it looks unprofessional. What do I mean by this? When you're searching for a job, say you're on Reed.co.uk and you see a role that looks like it matches some of your skills but not all, so you think - sod it, I'll give it a go - that's fine and sometimes if enough skills align then it could be a good thing, but if you're just hammering out CVs to anything and everything it will be obvious, you probably won't be doing a cover note, you probably won't be tailoring your CV, you probably won't be checking your accuracy in terms of skill match and you probably won't be reading the job specs thoroughly. It will be 100% obvious because of these points that you are just throwing your CV out there and that is highly off putting to a hiring manager or recruiter. Why should they take the time with you if you can't take the time with them?<br />
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3 - Remain accurate - follows on from above really. If you're sending out a lot of applications and you're doing it right, make sure your contact is the right one for the right job, your cover note is addressed to the right company, and the job title is the right one. If a candidate can't take the time to check these minor details I can tell you now as a recruiter, it is SO off-putting and is again likely to lead to you ending up in the no pile.<br />
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4 - Don't lie!<br />
I was talking to a colleague today about a couple of candidates who had lied to get a foot in the door. Both had got to offer stage before they came clean and now both offers weren't going ahead and the candidate's reputation was in tatters.<br />
Even after all these years in recruitment I'm still baffled as to why people lie when applying to a job. These particular people had lied about their degrees. Each had said they were qualified in an area that they weren't, we understood their desperation to get a permanent job as they'd both been out of work for sometime but we would now never touch them with a barge pole - its that simple, how could we possibly trust them in our business when they've lied before they've even got here?<br />
Lying about anything on your CV is just a straight no. Embellish, maybe, if you can pull the skill off you have embellished but outright lie? No way.<br />
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The following links are the recent articles I've seen. Come and have a browse on our Facebook page www.facebook,com/cvukwriterltd<br />
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http://www.careerealism.com/happy-job-seekers-habits/<br />
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http://www.brazencareerist.com/blog/2015/08/04/feeling-down-5-ways-to-stay-healthy-while-looking-for-a-new-job/<br />
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Not quite job related but still relevant - http://tinybuddha.com/blog/how-to-keep-your-spirits-up-even-if-youre-bombarded-with-negativity-all-day/Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06844998597714871903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-555073859140697609.post-32940979953486227022015-05-28T12:33:00.003-07:002015-05-28T12:33:55.186-07:00RedundancyWhat a boring title! Sadly, for those going through it, it's not a boring situation.<br />
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If you worked through 2008/2009, it's likely you knew 1 if not more people, who were made redundant or were placed at risk of redundancy, it was a very scary time and I was one of those placed at risk, I retained my role but seeing so many colleagues and friends have to leave the jobs they'd worked so hard in through no fault of their own was heartbreaking at times, and i'm not exaggerating. <br />
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Redundancy happens all the time, its a way for companies to keep costs down, loose excess headcount and slimline a burgeoning business in tough times. Its never pleasant but it happens and it may happen to you, I just wanted to write a post on it to highlight a few things to keep in mind if you're put in this position and how to remain positive and proactive.<br />
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1 - Every cloud<br />
I don't mean that to sound flippant but it may be that this is the best thing that has ever happened to you. If you're fairly new to the business, well, who wants to stay in a business that is making people redundant, its not the greatest of signs so perhaps its best to get out early. If you've been there forever then all the more reason to celebrate, perhaps you were stuck in a rut, afraid to get out, happy in your comfort zone, well now you HAVE to move, you have to do something and this could be the push you needed to find something bigger and better. It won't always be that obvious when you're worrying about your bills but do keep it in mind, it will help you through the tough times.<br />
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2 - Dust off that Cv<br />
It may be that you've been using the same CV for a while, or not, either way this is a good opportunity to really take a long hard look at how you're selling yourself, after-all your position is a bit different now so you need to really understand how you can present yourself in the best way possible and get in front of that new hiring manager. Are you clear, concise and able to demonstrate your expertise, whatever that may be? Of course cvukwriter can help you with this if you're not sure....!<br />
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3 - Don't dwell<br />
There's no two ways about it, even if you were quite hoping for redundancy for whatever reason, its still not a great place to be and for 99% of the population, if you're going to leave a business you'd rather do it on your own volition. But don't dwell on this, try and keep your head up, dwelling on the negative will only stall your efforts to a more positive future. Motivated people will do more and be more, unmotivated people who dwell on the bad times will more likely be the people sitting watching Eastenders of an evening rather than tweaking their CV for that role they just spied on Indeed. Easier said than done buy it's often a case of mind over matter<br />
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4 - You're better than you think<br />
So you've been made redundant, try not to take it personally (yeah right). That made sound like a daft statement but it's the case, self confidence can go a long way (although when it tips over into arrogance then no one can save you!), just because you've been made redundant doesn't mean your skills won't be valued elsewhere, doesn't mean you won't thrive elsewhere and it sure doesn't mean that someone else won't hire you. They will, you just have to keep the faith and as per post 3, don't dwell on the negative.<br />
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For further reading these articles might be of interest:<br />
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Aimed at the over 40s but valid points that can apply to many people regardless of age; http://www.theguardian.com/careers/careers-blog/finding-work-redundancy-40s-tips-for-success<br />
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Good tips that hopefully your employer would have covered anyway; http://approachthemarket.co.uk/10-tips-to-help-you-cope-with-redundancy/<br />
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The serious side of redundancy, know where you stand, another useful article from the Guardian; http://www.theguardian.com/money/2009/jan/20/how-to-cope-with-redundancyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06844998597714871903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-555073859140697609.post-78565684730892465142015-01-20T08:09:00.004-08:002015-01-20T08:09:54.995-08:00(Not so) Great Expectations<div class="MsoNormal">
As you leave university you will have spent the last 3 or 4
years working hard, playing hard and hopefully enjoying your time before you
have to start making some choices about your next steps which for most
graduates will be, what job do you want? <o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s important that when you’re stepping out post university
that your expectations match the outside world and most of the time, these
expectations revolve about money and time. <br />
If I had a pound for the amount of times I’ve spoken to a graduate and they ask
“What is the salary” or “do you offer flexitime” I would be a rich person right
now, they’re not taboo questions to ask but there is a time and place and
within the first 10 minutes of an initial phone call with a potential employer
is not the time nor the place. Which brings me back to the point of this blog,
what are your expectations? It’s a really important question to ask as it could
demonstrate that your “wants” are totally out of whack with the market you’re
applying in or the employment market in general. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s not uncommon these days for businesses to
offer flexible working, this could mean working from home, staggering your
hours or working from a different office but that is not to say that as a fresh
graduate with no experience you won’t be expected to come in, on time, to one
location, every day for some time to come. You have a lot to learn and you can’t
do that if you’re not with your team, it’s not only about learning a skill or demonstrating
yours, it’s about learning to be with people in a professional environment,
answering the phone, being in meetings, conduct with clients or senior members
of staff, very important skills to learn and you can’t do that at home on your
sofa and expecting to be able to flit here and there as and when you want is
very off putting. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Money is the other embarrassing point and there are far too
many grads who think they should be in line for £35K for just graduating. Don’t
get me wrong, there are certain jobs that will pay that such as Oil and Gas
engineering but most won’t and coming in all heavy handed with expectations of “at
least £30000 starting salary” (immediate reject) is so off putting and
recruiters will often have to have a very uncomfortable conversation about what
you’re thinking!! This usually results in the candidate swallowing their pride
or flouncing off somewhere else only to be told the same thing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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These two examples just demonstrate some extremes of
behaviour and to ensure you’re on the money when you apply to roles, do your
research, what is the market ACTUALLY paying, what benefits are most common in
your field? You can play hardball but know your limits and you’ll not only come
across as interesting but also astute and someone that an employer may want on their
team, unlike someone who’s expectations are so above what they should be, you’re
dismissed before you’ve even started the process.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s worth me ending by saying that graduates in the main
are keen, enthusiastic and present themselves well as they know it’s a busy
market out there but there are the odd 3 or 4 that let everyone down and give
them all a bad rep. There’s certainly more that can be done at universities to
change that but that’s for another post (and it’s certainly not a criticism).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Any comments about this article? Is it too harsh? Do you
think graduates have a right to be pushy? Do let me know<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06844998597714871903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-555073859140697609.post-61246593540658853412015-01-04T13:10:00.000-08:002015-01-06T02:54:55.754-08:00UK job market at the start of 2015Welcome to 2015! I hope you have enjoyed the seasonal slowdown and have spent the first few days of the year not sticking to your resolutions!<br />
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My blogs will be slightly more focused from here on in and I'm starting with a brief (very brief) picture of the UK job market as we head into the year.<br />
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It's been clear for a while that what once were green shoots in the employment market are now grassy meadows, we are back in a candidate driven market with many industries enjoying a more buoyant time with the ability to hire new staff in significant numbers.<br />
Without a doubt, many recruiters and indeed managers still feel the reverberations of the recession and the impact it had on employment, it's taken a long time to get to this point but we're heading into 2015 with more positive expectations for the year ahead.<br />
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But why focus on the positive?!! We're always so good at finding the negative spin aren't we (our media are at least) so this is mine - research currently suggests that unfilled posts in the UK are costing the economy <b>£18 BN </b>a year. Eighteen billion - that's huge!!<br />
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Empty seats are not great and every recruiter's aim is to get the right bum on the right seat, no bum means a cost to the company but also to the wider economy due to time lost, money lost, inability to fulfill contracts on time etc etc - this paragraph came out wrong but you know what I mean.<br />
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I'll link to the article below but the issue effects nearly every industry, social, healthcare (obvs), finance, retail, professional services and more.<br />
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Its an issue that is already being talked about in the longer term with an ageing population, a lack of qualified candidates and the problems we will face in the future but that is not for now......as I would be here for ages and you would have left in a flurry of boredom.<br />
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So what does this all mean? To be honest, I'm not sure, every day you read something different about our economy and the employment market, what you read and what it means in a general sense will depend on the writer. One thing is for sure, we have jobs once again, there are jobs out there, they don't suit everyone I know but as I said, those green shoots have defiantly shot and it would seem that in some industries they're impossible to keep up with.<br />
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So what does this mean to you as a job seeker? Well I would firstly say that you shouldn't expect your job search to be easy, there is still a huge amount of competition out there, particularly at Graduate level but if you're committed and intelligent, if you know your market and can demonstrate that in your application through study and/or experience then you are off on the right foot, of course if you're not sure where to start then get in touch with us.<br />
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So 2015 - who knows what will happen as we move through the weeks and months, one thing is for sure, no one can predict it, no matter how many facts and figures they give you.<br />
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Article: http://www.onrec.com/news/news-archive/unfilled-vacancies-costing-the-uk-economy-%C2%A318bn-a-year<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06844998597714871903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-555073859140697609.post-83433208088422256562014-10-31T04:07:00.001-07:002014-10-31T04:13:43.030-07:00Graduate Applications - perspectives of a reviewer <div class="MsoNormal">
It’s been a while since I've “blogged”, I’m not very good at
it you see so I decided to step back from it until I had something to say that
was interesting not just blabbering on (like now!!). So here I am. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As part of my current role, I manage the graduate
recruitment process for an area of our business which invariably means having
to review 100’s of applications. After doing this every year for many years, I
know what we’re looking for as a business and can pretty quickly make a
decision on what is a good candidate and what is not, that is not to say I am blasé
about reviewing CVs, oh no, I am quite the opposite, there is always that fear
in the back of my mind that we might lose out on that one shining star if I don’t
review every single person and review them properly, so I do, even if it takes
me 4 hours to get through 300 applications. Or maybe that’s quite quick; I've
nothing to measure it against except me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Anyway, I digress. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I thought that following this review, I would post some
tips, partly borne out of frustration but mostly in the hope that this will one
day reach the eyes of graduates who need some guidance in how to get a job. <o:p></o:p></div>
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1 – CARE <o:p></o:p></div>
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Quite simply, when you apply you need to show you actually
care about the application you’re putting forward. Don’t leave it incomplete,
re-read it, make sure it’s relevant to the role you’re submitting it against. It’s
so easy to tell when a candidate just can’t be bothered to make any effort and
you will get rejected quicker than you can say “I’m off to the pub”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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2 – MAKE IT RELEVANT <o:p></o:p></div>
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Leading on from caring, if you do care, you need to make
sure you make the effort and make your application relevant to the role you’re
applying to, yes it takes time, yes its laborious, pouring through each
application and tailoring your CV to that specific role, but isn’t that the
point? Nothing comes for free these days and if you want the job, you need to
show you WANT the job and have put time and energy in making your application
most relevant to the requirements. <o:p></o:p></div>
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3 – DON’T WAFFLE <o:p></o:p></div>
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This is so irritating to a recruiter. Whilst recruiters and
hiring managers like to see you have a life outside your studies, meaning you’re
a well-balanced individual, can get on with others and are an interesting person,
it’s not relevant to waffle on about your love of scuba diving or the fact that
you’ve run 20 10Ks in a year, commendable yes but wittering on for 6 precious
lines tends to indicate your passion lies elsewhere and not perhaps in the area
you’re applying to. Make sure the focus of your application is on the skills
that match the role, your new team can find out how awesome you are once you
get the job. <o:p></o:p></div>
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4 – STOP WITH THE DETAIL <o:p></o:p></div>
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We don’t need to know how committed you were to your job in
Morrisons while you were at uni, we know what working in a pub entails, you don’t
need to bullet point your areas of responsibility while serving at Pizza
Express. Include the fact that you have had part time jobs, that’s fine, but
you really don’t need to include ANY detail about the role, unless it is
entirely relevant, an example could be if you’re applying to a role in Human
Resources and state that you worked part-time in Next while studying and was
promoted to work in the back office in HR. <o:p></o:p></div>
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5 – THE QUALIFICATION QUESTION <o:p></o:p></div>
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It is of course important to include pre-degree
qualifications, it is less important to list every subject and every
grade/award, it is even less important to do this via a bulleted list, they
take up valuable space and it’s not needed. Simply stating “10 GCSE grade A-C”
will do. A levels are perhaps more relevant (dependant on the grad role) but
again, you don’t need to list them vertically, you can summarise as per the
GCSE example but if you really want to include them then do this vertically “A
levels – X (B), Y (B-) and Z (A)”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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6 – SIZE MATTERS <o:p></o:p></div>
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As a raw graduate, you have no business having a CV longer
than 2 pages, personally I think 1 page is more akin to a true resume (a
summary document) but 2 is just perfect. It gives you enough space to include
the right amount of information and explanations without going into too much
detail. You don’t need to fill 2 pages (so don’t be tempted to waffle just to
get to the end of the 2<sup>nd</sup> page), but this is a good rule of thumb
throughout your career to stick to. If your Cv goes over 2 pages you need to
review and see what you can reduce or cut out, you don’t need to include
references so take them off, you don’t need to bullet you’re A levels, you can lose
that paragraph space. <o:p></o:p></div>
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7 – CHECK x INFINITY <o:p></o:p></div>
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Submitting an application with grammatical or spelling
errors is just the absolute pits. It makes recruiters shake their heads and
managers furrow their brows. Just check, check, check it, Word can only do so much, get your
housemate to check it, get your mum to check it, get anyone ELSE to check it
for you as that 2<sup>nd</sup> pair of eyes because when you submit your
application to a “Graduate Retail <b><i>Mangment</i></b>” position, I can tell you
now, there is a 98% chance it’s heading straight into the bin. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So there you go, there are loads of other tips I could post
but I don’t want to waffle on! Happy CV reviewing! <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06844998597714871903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-555073859140697609.post-6466259215924039602014-10-10T04:24:00.001-07:002014-10-10T04:24:18.095-07:00A rumination on the state of the employment marketVenting an opinion on twitter can be difficult, especially when you have one that is way over 142 characters!<br />
This post is a bit off piste but I've been focused up to now, on posting about CV and interview tips, tips on social media that are relevant to me as a start-up business but relevant to candidates in their job searches as well.<br />
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The last couple of days I wanted to focus on the state of the UK job market, after all, all this talk about increased vacancies and unemployment dropping is great but what does it mean to the candidate on the ground? </div>
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The answer - it depends.<br />
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As previous posts have stated I'm still currently a direct recruiter, working in an industry that took a huge blow thanks to the financial crisis, for 4 years we saw ups, downs, a takeover, redundancies and eventual ongoing recovery but we weren't the only ones and got off lightly in comparison to our competitors. So whilst the stories particularly in the last 6 mths of growth, recovery and obviously the official diagnosis that we were out of the recession are marvellous news for all, it does not mean that everything is rosy once more.<br />
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The north south divide is still apparent, not only in jobs but also in areas such as housing and high street growth, although it would seem that latest job growth is higher in the north than London;<br />
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http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/north-englands-permanent-job-placements-boom-while-london-suffers-1468971<br />
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But what about the candidate? What do they think and feel?<br />
For graduates this is great news, following massive culls in grad hires across most if not all market sectors, youth unemployment was a very big problem in the UK and still is, although it is dropping, now we are seeing graduate hiring figures not seen for 3 or more years which is fantastic, career fairs are packed with employers and candidates and the need to sell your company is back on the agenda, we are no longer in a client's market, we have to get the good people interested but candidates are still up against it, with thousands of applications to "graduate schemes" (this is no exaggeration, ours has been running for 2 weeks and we're already creeping up to 1000 applicants).<br />
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Experienced hire though is another ball game altogether and herein lies my point. For the grown ups of the world, we lived, struggled and for some of us worried, through the recession, i know plenty of people who lost their jobs, couldn't find one and applied to 100's of roles in the desperate bid to get their mortgage paid. Good, bad and indifferent employees were made redundant and for those left behind, it has left a certain sense of fear, that may sound melodramatic but when you have a family to support and bills to pay, you don't want to be in that situation, ever, so its better the devil you know, particularly for people who have stayed at their jobs.<br />
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So whilst there is definite growth, are all industries seeing a certain sense of unwillingness to move? We are, candidates are still uncomfortable giving up their benefits and leaving a place often they have worked in for 5plus years. Getting the best of the best to join your company has always been a challenge, in most industries but now when you're trying to convince someone its the right choice you have a harder, longer battle. Lots of people won't move, deciding they're not comfortable with it. This is reiterated in the article I posted yesterday regarding work life balance, candidates who have an established w/l b don't want to lose it, that coupled with this fear of the unknown could mean that more people are staying put, regardless of the acknowledgement by many industries that w/lb is one of the most important aspects of a working environment with increases in good benefits and flexi working arrangements.<br />
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http://www.onrec.com/news/news-archive/worklife-balance-now-more-sought-after-than-earning-big-money-driving-a-fancy-car-#.VDZsM-mcZnA.twitter<br />
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Candidates of a certain level of experience just aren't convinced anymore, I'm generalising of course but I think there is a long way to go to see confidence return overall, this particular post could go in all sorts of directions, political skepticism, media furore, benefit schemes, comfort zones, graduate prospects but for me it's quite simple; whilst the dark days of the recession have been forgotten by some, for many, many people, there is a still a sense of caution and as recruiters that adds to our challenge, but then it wouldn't be recruitment without the challenge would it!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06844998597714871903noreply@blogger.com0