Applying for a Job



Never has it been easier and harder to apply for positions. The internet is the main sourcing tool used by hopeful applicants. In the current climate there are more CV’s applying for fewer positions although in some instances there are less qualified candidates applying for roles therefore these roles can be much harder to fill as candidates are less likely to leave their safe current environment. It can be frustrating for applicants as they rarely get feedback on their CV. They don’t know if it has been received and if it has what interest if any the potential employer will have. Most candidates do not receive any response to their application. It would seem that if a candidate sends their CV directly to a client company advertisement then unless they are suitable the client company is unlikely to acknowledge or respond. (This information/research is cleaned from candidates interviewed at Priority Placements). If the CV is sent to an agency the CV is more likely to be reviewed for a number of positions and in most instances will be acknowledged. Agencies can provide you with feedback on your CV as well.

For your CV to stand out you must have a short cover letter and your CV must be clear and easy to read. Make sure you have explained in some detail your responsibilities in your most recent jobs. If there are gaps i.e. unexplained time differences between each job, please give some explanation. Most recruitment websites offer CV templates which should be used as they generally are the best suggested lay out. You can also have your CV written by professionals. Which ever option you decide to use it is important to remember that your CV is your own personal sales document. Employers are buying your experience and expertise and it is in your interest and theirs that you express yourself clearly as this is the first step to a potential interview.

It is also key when applying for a position that you indicate why you are applying for it and point out which skill sets you have that are most applicable. If you applying from outside Ireland, make it clear you have work permission and why you want to relocate.

DIY Recruitment – Is it really a good idea?

The results from consistent and persistent “cold calling”, meetings, and business development is that there are a good number of jobs available in the market. We also know that a percentage of these jobs are being managed by client companies directly. In most cases we ask the potential client and ourselves “is this wise?” The reason we ask this is that they tell us they are receiving hundreds of applications. Some of these clients will see a couple of our candidates as a comparison. Most will struggle along with the hordes of CV’s, phone and email queries. Recently we hear from a survey conducted by the ESRI – see http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/... 246058800html that job applicants with typical Irish names are twice as likely to be called for interview as those with minority names. This is not surprising as it would appear that companies are short cutting on screening the CV’s and opting for the familiar when really they should be finding the ideal candidates.

We know from feedback in the marketplace from candidates that most do not receive a reply to their application, nor can they get through to anyone if they try to ring and see if it has been received, and rarely do they receive an email response. Whilst waiting for a response the candidates impression of that company has dropped considerably and so if the company finally does call them in for interview the question is “will they be available?”. If they are lucky enough to be called and are available for interview there is often limited communication regarding preparation for that meeting i.e. how many involved in the interview, testing procedures, interview process etc. In some cases they have been told there will be a second interview only for the candidate not to hear from them again. Not good practice.


In steps the good agency / consultancy; they help with the job specification making sure there is sufficient understanding and indeed broadening of the role so suitably qualified candidates can be identified for interview; an agency will have their current database to look to as well advertising available to the client. Consultants will screen a high number of potential candidates checking location, salary expectations, skill set, systems experience etc; A short list is produced and recommendations are made. Interviews are set up and managed by the consultant. Consultants prepare the candidates for the interview again making sure of their suitability – that there is no deal-breaker about to happen (they forget to mention the 6 weeks honey moon break they have planned 2 months after the start date). If there is testing – the candidate is made aware and can prepare in advance. References and academic checks can be done. The consultant will help with the negotiation of the offer and make sure contracts are sent out to the lucky candidate. End to end recruitment is not easy but using a competent recruitment agent can definitely make the path a hell of a lot smoother and potentially less costly than you might think. Remember there is no charge until the candidate starts the position and worse case scenario should the candidate fall out of the role for some reason other than redundancy most agencies offer a rebate scheme or replacement. Now isn’t that worth thinking about?

How can you Improve the Effectiveness of Resourcing the Right Candidate?

There has been a shift in the market recently, from that of a Candidate driven Recruitment Market to that of a Company driven Recruitment Market.
What does this mean for your company and how are you and your HR Department going to get the best out of this?

Traditionally, Companies have contacted recruitment agencies for a number of Key reasons:
Lack of suitable candidates available on the market for Senior Positions
In a busy HR Environment there is not enough time to screen the many applicants that you may receive for junior positions
Rapid Expansion of Companies meant more induction courses, more training, more assessments and more HR tasks in general means less time to search for difficult to find candidates
High Turnover of staff due to competition between rival companies for the best and most experienced staff

Currently Companies are looking at using agencies for other reasons:
When recruiting directly, many companies are finding that for every role advertised there are upward of 100 applicants, mostly without the relevant experience, which is time consuming to filter though
There is still a lack of Senior Quality Candidates available on the market, as there is a fear of changing jobs for those who are not being made redundant, and therefore head hunting is still required
With Hiring Freezes in place in many companies, and with reduced headcount, companies need to get the very best of the available candidates to ensure new hires are capable of handling more than the ‘job spec’.


How you can take advantage?
What some Companies are finding is that in order to reduce their costs and still get the quality of service that they need, Professional Agencies are reducing their fees in exchange for exclusivity on the role and possibly a Retained Assignment fee. Everybody wins here – The Company have a dedicated Senior Consultant working on the role where the Recruiter can afford to spend 100% of their time on this position as the risk of their competition has been eliminated. In a situation where Contingency Recruitment Fees are in place this is a key point.
The Company can also have a structured timeframe for interviews and a deadline for an offer and start date, which can be managed by the single agency. There is only one point of contact, one agency, and not several consultants all looking for feedback on their candidates.
Paying a retainer up front provides reassurance to the Company that the Agency is working their role and that they have to deliver.
It doesn’t cost anything for Companies to give Agencies temporary exclusivity and it frees up considerable time for the HR Department. The Recruiter has to deliver the “High in Demand” Candidate through Headhunting, Network Mapping and overall contacts and market knowledge in a quick turnaround time during this temporary exclusive period, or risk loosing it and have the role become contingency based between competing agencies.

Costings and Savings:
1) With direct applicants, there is no rebate period or free replacement should the candidate not work out. If the Candidate doesn’t work out then it is back to square one regarding interviewing and searching for candidates. If you use an Agency (if the agency is doing the correct job and adhering to their Standards) you can be happy in the knowledge that they will be relevant to the position and that the candidate is of a certain calibre, professionalism and is committed to the position and future of their career. There is no back up plan with using Job Hire websites - you have paid for the advertisement and the CVs you receive is all that you can use, and if a candidate does not work out you have to buy new advertising space

2) Rates seem to have become more competitive but regardless of the charge, the amount of work that goes into the process is still the same and again the standards, ethics and workload (Pre-interview screening, CV formatting, cover letters, Reference checking, Visa working rights, Pre-interview Training etc) have to be adhered to. Perhaps something that is rarely considered by companies is that this is on a contingency basis, so even after this amount of work is done there is no guarantee that we will be paid for this service in the end (Internal interviews, Candidate has found another job, position has been but on hold, Recruitment Freeze) You would not get this service from a Job website where you have to pay up front before you even see a CV and then have to process all the work thereafter. With a recruitment agency, you will get a reduced rate and a higher level of service and a better chance of getting the perfect candidate.


Which Agency should you choose?
There are good agencies and bad “cowboy” Agencies. Agencies are not all the same!! Do not choose an agency based on the rate alone. If you have doubts, ask to see testimonials from clients. Understand what recruitment services are on offer. Take the time out to meet with the Agency face to face, that will help understand the benefits of utilising their services and also you can directly explain how you want the recruitment process to happen. The meeting will allow the Agency to better understand your company, your teams, your wants and needs – as well as how your current service can be improved.


Written by Sinead O’Sullivan

Getting the best out of your Recruitment Agent - 10 top tips!

A recruitment agency can be a great facilitator between the client and the applicant. In the “boom” times candidates that were seeking jobs were more or less guaranteed a number of opportunities and perhaps it didn’t matter too much when it came to interview techniques. There was a certain confidence and well paid jobs were on offer. As we are all aware this has changed massively and as recruiters we continue to offer the advice regarding interview techniques and suitable jobs and this time we believe the candidate has a vested interested in absorbing the information and using it to help them succeed in getting that all important offer.

But first things first, how does one go about looking for that elusive position? You can apply directly to companies or putting your CV on the internet but you are opening your options by choosing to register with 1 or 2 relevant agencies. As mentioned the professional agencies can provide you with relevant information about companies, career advice. assist in preparing for the interview and negotiate the right package.

1. Research your agency, i.e. decide which one/ones will be able to help you. There is little point in sending your details to all and sundry.
2. Do not just send your CV to all the consultants in that agency. Apply for a job that is applicable and ring the consultant directly. Some agencies will not put you through to a consultant as they insist on seeing the CV first. You can of course just send in the CV but don’t hold your breath on that return call. Consultants will generally only ring you back if you have suitable experience for the role as per the criteria on the advert or if they know that they will have something suitable coming through.
3. Make sure your CV is comprehensive and easily readable. Some agencies have a template on their website that can help write the “perfect CV”. Again your consultant can assist with this.
4.Send a cover note/letter. Provide some sort of explanation with your CV as to what type of role you are seeking and if you are flexible in doing temporary or contract work.
5.Answer your phone.
6.Keeping in touch. For some strange reason candidates seem to think that consultants will keep them updated on a regular basis as to what is happening with their CV. Not so. Consultants simply do not have the time. Their main concern is to promote you the candidate to the relevant client and to keep on top of that. Emailing your consultant is a great way to find out what is going on and they will have no problem in sending an update if they have it.
7.Believe your consultant – most clients are generally slow to get back on CV’s, interview feedback and outcome. If the consultant had information he would provide it. The general rule is if they are not coming back then the chances are slim of getting any information.
8.Keep a spreadsheet as to where your CV has been sent as clients do not appreciate it if they receive your CV more than once.
9.Initial interview with your consultant. This is usually face to face, sometimes if you are located too far away to attend an interview you will have a telephone interview – all the same questions but just simply on the telephone. Remember to be on time and have whatever documentation to hand if asked e.g. ID, Visa, Green card, Academic transcript, registration number, driving licence, referee details etc. Also the consultant may want to test your abilities. If you are attending an interview in your lunch break find out in advance how long you will be at the agency office otherwise you might get frustrated if you are late returning to work.
10.Preparation for the Client Interview. This is where the consultant can add value. They can give you a good insight as to how the process will work and provide you with typical interview questions. They can work with you to help you “verbalise” your experiences and promote yourself in the best light. You can be really good at your job but it’s funny how we can all fall apart when it comes to being interviewed. A good consultant can help you overcome your fears and give you confidence and belief in your abilities.

Income levies, tax credits, and public holidays

Written By David Nixon – Accounts & Payroll Administrator, Priority Placements

I moved from England and started working in Ireland for the first time last year. I started by temping for Priority Placements and I had to deal with the issue of tax credits. Now I actually work for priority placements and I have helped people apply for tax credits and more recently I have had to try and explain the income levy. Hopefully the following will be beneficial to you:

Tax Credits and emergency tax.

A common problem people tend to have when starting a new job is that they are being emergency taxed. Most people bring there P45 from there old job and expect that to stop them from being emergency taxed. However this doesn’t always prove to be the case and you end up being emergency taxed; the best way to prevent this is to apply for your tax credits from the revenue office as soon as possible. Once you start working for a new company ask your employer for their tax registration number and call the revenue office with this number and your PPS number. They should then be able to help you and should be able to send you your new tax credit certificate. Once you receive it if you drop a copy off to your new employer you should be taken off of emergency tax.

Income Levy.

Also on the 1st January 2009 the government introduced a 1% income levy. The levy is payable on gross income before any relief for any capital allowances, losses or pension contribution. This levy is payable on salaries earning up to €100,000.00 p.a. if you earn over €100,101.00 p.a. then you will have to pay a 2% levy and if you earn over €250,120 p.a. you will have to pay a 3% income levy.

However the following exemptions do apply:

· Where an individual's income for a year does not exceed €18,304 p.a.
· for over 65’s where their annual income does not exceed €20,000 p.a. for a single individual or €40,000 p.a. for a married couple
· If you hold a Full Medical card
· Social Welfare payments are also excluded from the income levy

And finally something everyone wants to know, how many public holidays are there and when are they. There are nine public holidays in Ireland and they are:

Thursday, 1st January
Tuesday, 17th March
Monday, 13th April
Monday, 4th May
Monday, 1st June
Monday, 3rd August
Monday, 26th October
Friday, 25th December
Saturday, 26th December

For more information regarding tax credits and the income levy is available at http://www.revenue.ie/en/index.html

Top Three Tips To Maximise a Temporary Worker in an Economic Recession
Written By Aaron Wills – Senior Recruiter at Parker Bridge Auckland, New Zealand (an affiliate of Priority Placements). Aaron has over five & half years’ recruitment experience. He joined Priority Placements (originally named Parker Bridge Ireland) in Dublin and experienced in the same year the Dot Com bubble bursting, September 11 and the impact of a foot & mouth scare on the Irish Economy. Aaron is currently working in Parker Bridge Auckland. Below are some key tips he has learnt and would like to share with Line Managers for your consideration when you are recruiting financial/administrative/IT staff for long and short term temporary assignments:


With the market as it is we are focused on getting back to basics to make the recruitment process easy for you. Here are a few tips to help you get what you need from a temporary worker.

Tip 1: Identify the problem you are trying to solve. Get specific and clarify what you want your temporary worker to do. One way we can achieve this is by having a discovery meeting where we discuss the role and gain as much information as possible. For example, assessing what the temp will be doing on a typical day.

This can benefit you as it enables us to get the correct match. Identifying whether parts of the role can be downgraded or if in fact the role actually requires a more senior person with the right experience may enable you to save time and money.

Tip 2: Identify the hardest part of the role. This helps us focus on finding a candidate who has the skills to deal with this issue, which saves you training time and therefore money. Candidates are able to use skills learnt in other temp roles to become effective in your role faster.

For example, often clients what candidates with the ability to talk to non-accounting managers (sales, warehouse or engineering managers) to get information to meet accounting deadlines in a friendly and proactive way.

Tip 3: Looking at projects & system improvements. Improving a workflow process for paying an invoice or improving your financial accounting system, can add real time savings and benefits to a finance function. Looking at duplication in your current process will give you an idea of where you can make these savings.

Three ways to get the most from a temporary worker are:
· to use them as the change agent, that being they can be the outside person who can ask the ‘why is it done this way’ type of questions
· to bring in specialist skills
· to back full a role and reward a staff member by having them do the project role

Bonus Idea: Try a working interview. These work by us arranging with you for the person to work for you for a day as a working interview. This saves you having to go through the interview process and enables you to see how they can do the role. Using our temporary employment arrangements eliminates most of the risk of taking on the wrong person.

Interview Testing - do you really have the skill set?

Probably one of the worst and best things I ever did was start a career in recruitment in the recession of the early 90’s when I went to London. The 80’s boom ended and consultants were leaving the industry in droves. They had made their money in the “easy” market and found it too hard so moved on. It was very tough then and it is tough now. What I learned from that experience has stood me in good stead over the years. As there were so few jobs you had to fight hard to get the offer. When you started your job you had to make it work and you worked hard to achieve the right results. Leaving was not an option. The great thing was you appreciated the outcomes and never took them for granted.

I would consider myself to be a loyal individual and indeed have been amazed at how candidates have been happy to move jobs at such a high frequency in the last number of years in a good market. There was more choice I guess and the idea of a higher salary is always an incentive. Candidates were confident and believed they were capable of doing the job. But in moving so quickly from 1 job to another they are diluting their skill set and employers have found that now when they are recruiting their preference is to take the time out and question and potentially test individuals applying for the job. Employers are now already asking why candidates have moved from one job to the next. They want stability and they want candidates who really do understand the basics of their skills. Clients are providing testing almost from the outset. If you know your line of expertise then this should not pose a problem because the testing tends to be quite general. If you are attending an interview through an agency your consultant can advise you on what preparation you need to do in advance. If you are attending an interview directly then it is recommended that you research for similar style testing. Check in advance what kind of test it will be. The internet or a library is a good place to start and then practice. Most of us are naturally nervous when it comes to any kind of testing regardless of how well we know our area of expertise so my advice is to research and practice. So when you go in to do the test at least you feel you have made some effort to prepare and hopefully that will calm the nerves.

Some clients not only test at the outset prior to interview or any offer but also 3 months in to the job itself. If this test/assessment is not passed then the position will be terminated. So when you decide to apply for a position make sure you are confident that you can demonstrate in an interview situation by providing examples or communicating clearly that you can do the job efficiently and effectively. Whilst we all desire a challenge lets make sure we are not taking on more than we bargained for.