When writing your profile on your CV (which is a good idea) think about what skill set or attributes you have that would interest your potential new employer. Some people believe when writing their profile they should talk about how much they enjoyed their 2 years travelling around the world and how much they learned, the people they met or some potential applicants explain what it is they are looking for from their next employer i.e. I want you to employ, train and pay me. Whilst these are well meaning introductions they are not necessarily going to encourage a meeting or even a response. The employer is thinking “what do you have that I can develop, or what value will you add?” There’s no doubt that companies are nowhere with out their staff and everyone wants to work with the best people and get the returns they deserve – training, security, good salary, benefits, career path etc. So stop using empty words “extensive experience, dynamic individual, exceptional communications skills, stop describing your travels in unnecessary detail or indeed stating that your degree was the best thing you ever did (10 years ago) and start selling your self. Yes I am using that dirty word “selling”. Keep your profile simple and pick out your actual skill set and describe that briefly. For example: “Strong Credit Controller working for a multi-national organisation for almost 5 years. Experienced in Letters of Credit, credit insurance, analysis of accounts and client meetings. Capable of providing resolutions when necessary but mainly capable of keeping the debtors close to terms agreed. Litigation exposure. Target driven”.
Good luck.
Janet Moran, Priority Placements
Friday, February 17, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
The Importance of a Cover letter on application
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
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
Friday, January 13, 2012
MInd The Gap
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
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
Monday, December 7, 2009
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.
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.
Friday, May 8, 2009
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?
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?
Friday, May 1, 2009
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
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
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.
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