Priority Placements

The Importance of a Cover letter on application

2012-01-20T03:41:00.000-08:00

The Importance of a Cover letter on application

The best way to get the attention and interest of a Recruiter is to write a brief relevant cover note when sending in your CV for a particular job. The note should highlight the relevant qualities and skills you have for the role. A couple of sentences are sufficient. Do not copy and paste from a previous cover note as mistakes will follow i.e. wrong name of company, irrelevant experience highlighted which totally undermines what you really have achieved and may even prevent the recruiter from reading your CV immediately. It also puts a question mark on whether you are really interested in that role. No matter how many positions you apply for make sure you send in a strong relevant application each time. It gives a sense of credibility and genuine interest. Check your spelling and punctuation. Remember read the job description before making your application! If you are sending your CV speculatively again it is very important to send a note with it so the recruiter has some idea what you might be interested in and of course will then contact you otherwise your CV could disappear down the email list as they may not have the time to follow up. Good luck.

Janet Moran, Priority Placements Financial & Office Support Recruitment Specialists

MInd The Gap

2012-01-13T05:36:00.000-08:00

Mind The Gap

Gaps in CV's are quite commonplace. The question is "should you or shouldnt you fill them in?" There are reasons you should and reasons you shouldn't. Straight forward short gaps between jobs such as seeking work, travelling, maternity, family carer are generally acceptable. However unexplained longer term gaps can make it easy for a potential employer to dismiss your application so even if you are walking dogs, brushing up on your photography skills or trying some new entreprenueurial venture in order to secure yourself work we advise you put it on your CV. It makes for interesting reading and hopefully conversation. It shows that you have been trying to keep occupied whilst sourcing a position in your current expertise. Your CV is your sales statement, make it interesting and leave no room for doubt!

Priority Placements, Financial & Office Support Recruitment Specialists

2009-12-07T02:05:00.001-08:00

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.

2009-05-08T04:04:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-05-01T06:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-11T05:19:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-02-05T04:06:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-30T02:17:00.000-08:00

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?

2009-01-15T06:23:00.000-08:00

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.

It's Good to Talk

2008-09-15T23:42:00.000-07:00

Verbal Communication, Written Communication or No Communication?

Talking on the telephone is not everyone’s cup of tea. Some people go out of their way to avoid being on the phone and I am not talking about mobiles. Most age groups are very comfortable with their mobile and we can all hear them talking cheerfully and loudly stately “I’m on the train” or just simply talking loudly into their mobile regardless of whether they need to or not. Yet when it comes to the work environment we all see to have lost our sense of natural communication via the phone. Is it because the phone is a lot larger than a mobile? Does it size make us feel we can not bear lifting the handle like we are suddenly suffering from some kind of phobia?

Or is it is simply because it is so much handier to let the phone slide towards voicemail and hide behind email responses if of course we do get around to responding. It is understandable not to want or to have to respond to an unwarranted email or call but if you have engaged a professional (a recruitment consultant for example or an expert to provide advice) then you should not spend the next while avoiding them. Take a deep breath and respond. It’s not that hard just answer the phone and simply give an honest and candid response. It takes seconds and the person at the other end will be satisfied to a certain degree. If you seriously believe that ignoring calls and emails from people who genuinely take their jobs seriously but unfortunately depend on communication as a big part of their job then you have most probably should not be in the job you are in or maybe that particular part of the job should be someone else’s. The penalty is they will keep ringing or emailing and no one wants that.

The biggest stress factor for recruiters is getting hold of candidates that have registered looking for work or some clients who have requested us to locate candidates on their behalf. An enormous amount of time is wasted just because some one can’t be “bothered” (I use this term loosely but to some consultants it exactly how it is) to respond. Is it a power trip, are they simply too busy or maybe they seriously believe the consultant doesn’t warrant a response even though that consultant may have spent hours working on a position for them and is simply looking for feedback on their work or in some cases to give feedback. I am just referring to a good consultant here. The one that if the contact took the time to get to know they might actually save themselves a lot of time and heartache.

No communication is usually the cause of most problems and it’s no different when it comes to recruitment no matter which side of the table you are sitting at. It’s amazing how relieved/motivated some one can be once a verbal conversation has occurred. So come on let’s start communicating with each other. As BT say “It’s good to talk”.

Reasons for Leaving your Job

2008-08-13T03:30:00.000-07:00

Some times as a recruiter when asking a potential candidate what is their reason for leaving their current job they cry back to you and say “but I haven’t left yet”. This naturally is a concern for the recruiter as they want the potential candidate to be clear about why they are thinking of leaving and this reason or reasons should be well thought out. No one wants a candidate who is unsure. Indeed if you are not sure why you are leaving then why are you leaving? Worse case scenario is you could find yourself in a similar position and unhappier.

There are many different reasons why people choose to leave their current employer and even though you might think that the obvious reason is money this is actually far down the list of reasons. Location is by far the biggest reason as most of us want to avoid the congestion of traffic and the long travel home. Other reasons will involve the “glass ceiling” situation where there is no more room to develop further; recently qualified and want to make that career advancement at that point in time; starting to take further studies and want the experience to complement them. When studying for professional accountancy examinations again be clear about which course and why you are taking it. A client recently commented that he wanted a candidate who studied CIMA because he believed that the CIMA candidate knew exactly why he was studying CIMA and what career path he intended to follow.

If the reason for leaving is genuinely negative the candidate should rethink the situation here and how he should explain it without making it a big issue. Make sure good references are available to the next employer as no one wants to take on “baggage”. It's important to leave on a good note regardless.

If the reason for leaving is the next step then make sure you as the candidate have thought through all the reasons why you have the capability and skill set to this promotion. You may also need to explain why your current company is not in a position to offer this promotion to you.

Finally never walk out on a job just because you have had enough. It doesn’t bode well for your next opportunity.

Prepared to be interviewed in a downturn market

2008-07-04T00:53:00.000-07:00

July 2008

Prepare to be interviewed in a downturn market

There’s a lot of doom and gloom in the media. Politicians are sending out conflicting messages as to weather Ireland is in a recession or not. Bottom line is though employers are reviewing costs, salaries are frozen or cut (Lisney’s cut their salaries by 10%), if an employee leaves they are not necessarily being replaced. In some sectors like legal, conveyance lawyers are being let go but it’s not all bad news there are employers looking to recruit new staff due to expansion (yes some companies are expanding) and/or replacing staff that have moved on.

What potential candidates need to think about is exactly what is it they really want when they are looking for a new position. They should also prepare themselves well for the actual interview. The market has turned and it is now the employers market in a lot of cases. Candidates want a good environment, challenging role, great benefits, training, good salary with regular reviews, communication, recognition & progression. The Employer wants an experienced and responsible candidate, someone who adds value, excellent attitude, enthusiastic, and committed, stable, reliable and uses initiative.

Candidates will find there is a lot more competition for roles and employers will be a lot more choosey as to who they will take on. For the candidate preparation is the key. Here is a short list of the basics you should have thought about in advance of the interview:

- Research the company. The internet is the obvious starting point but if you are going through an agency your consultant will have a lot more “inside” and relevant information so listen closely. Be warned knowledge about the company is important and it often a question that is asked by the potential employer.
- Dress well. Wear a suit. Employers have rejected candidates who do not make the appropriate effort here.
- Be on time. Work out your journey. If you are very early go somewhere and have a coffee and only arrive no later than 10 minutes before hand.
- Have a list of questions that you want to ask. Do not say “I think you have covered everything”.
- Think about what questions you might be asked.
- Know your strengths, weaknesses and achievements.

Remember the employer wants someone he can rely on and if you really want the job you have got to demonstrate and convince home that he can.

See www.priorityplacements.ie for more information on interview preparation.

Job Hunter or Career Seeker?

2008-06-11T05:31:00.000-07:00

June 2008

Job Hunter or Career Seeker

Which are you? I think most of us have realised that the “job for life” has gone or at least slowly slipping away. How great does the idea seem now when women who worked in the civil service had to give up their job as soon as they married. To an extent it was ok then as men were given good benefits and generally a nice pension to live off on retirement. Not the case these days as both men and women work hard to earn a good standard of living and in some situations not a sign of a pension. Property is the new pension.

So getting back to the question, job hunter or career seeker? What’s the difference? The difference is the job hunter simply wants a job to pay the bills and have his/her “beer” money at the end of the week. The career seeker genuinely wants to progress. They usually try to improve their education in order to enhance their prospects and look for jobs that offer progression and training. Unfortunately sometimes the job hunter thinks he is the career person, convinces himself and everyone around him that this is where he wants to be. He comes on board and is enthusiastic in the first month or two whilst getting to grips with the new job and getting on side with his fellow workers but then he realises that it is starting to get a bit harder. He actually has to work for his wage. His experience is not as strong as he stated in his interview. His bosses have expectations of him. It all is getting a bit too difficult so to deal with the problem he has found himself in, so he deals with it by creating a negative atmosphere around him, gets some similar minded individuals on board with him. Sick leave occurs or days of unexplained absences. Then he resigns. The longevity of this person is anywhere between 6 months to 16 months. It is highly likely that this pattern will continue for some years.

What the job hunter should realise is that it is ok not to want the “big career”. There is a good choice of jobs in the market. Consider doing temporary or fixed term contracts instead of making a commitment to a permanent role. Not everybody knows what they want to do when they leave full time education. If you want a career make sure you have set objectives in place. Make sure you are in a position to make a commitment to achieving that goal. It’s an important decision so take a bit of time to think about what you want and what is available. Get advice. Your career is not achieved in a 14 month stint. Lawyers, Accountants, Doctors for example spend years studying and working in training roles before they qualify. It takes time and determination. Unless we win the lotto or come into money most of us will be working for at least 40 years. Don’t waste time in a role that might jeopardise the chance of a better position through poor performance and attitude.

Most employers want their staff to stay for a good number of years where they can progress them – each gaining what they need to make either their career successful or the company doing well. Take time to think about your next job. Be honest about your circumstances and capabilities. You never know you might actually find what you are looking for!

Interviewing – the other side of the

2008-05-02T08:43:00.001-07:00

Nowadays there are plenty of tips and articles offering some very useful guidelines to conducting the best interview. Usually these well worn titbits are extremely handy particularly for those who have not been on interview for some time; have been on a number of interviews with no success; or simply are new to the process and want to do their best. From the candidate perspective this is all good. And what about the client? Of course he/she will be delighted that the candidate is so well prepared as there is nothing as time wasting when a candidate cannot even describe his/her own current job, let alone know what he/she is actually being interviewed for (yes I know the agency can be blamed here but lets remember who is sitting in the room and looking for a job).

Now let us consider how the candidate might feel if he/she finds himself stuck in an interview and the client is not prepared. Well there’s a thought! It’s not something you would expect, would you? But it happens. What most people seem to forget is that interviewing is a two way process. Each person puts in 100%. A 100% focus on both sides will make for a good decision. Taking on new staff as you may already be aware is a big investment cost for every company. It is often commented that hiring is harder and more costly than firing. The in depth interviews, the testing and referencing doesn’t always make for the best hire. Some companies, like Google for example are well known for the high number of interviews – anything up to 8 interviews before they offer the position. Other companies find it best to test the ability of the candidate by providing 2 hour long psychometric testing. Each method can work well for differing companies and environments. The key is to find a method and make it work to the advantage of both parties.

From the client company perspective they need to make clear their interview process in advance. The interviewing Manager should be experienced (or know how to structure and control the interview); - they should be able to promote their organisation in the best possible light as there is a lot of competition for skilled candidates, regardless how well known the company is; - be able to explain the job and what is required; - be on time for the interview - their questioning of the candidate should be considered, relevant and planned in advance. Questions like “tell me about yourself” and “what are your weaknesses” don’t necessarily get the best out of the candidates;- The Manager should make notes during and after the interview and be in a position to provide feedback to the candidate; - And finally, the client company should come back to the candidate or the agency within an agreed timeframe.

People are our best assets (future employee, potential supplier, or customer) and from the moment they step in to our company they should be treated with respect regardless of whether they will be offered the opportunity to work there or not. This of course works both ways.