The Best Way to Utilize a Recruitment Agency

The Best Way to Utilize a Recruitment Agency If you have never considered using a recruitment agency to help you find a job or even change careers then maybe you should. In March 2019 the unemployment rate in the UK hit a 44-year low. In an interview with The Guardian, John Philpott, the director of the Jobs Economist consultancy, noted: “Nobody seems to have told the labor market about the mood of Brexit-related economic uncertainty which has gripped the UK since last autumn.” Miners strikes, recessions, and political pandemonium, which included the worst parliamentary defeat in history, all compounded the unlikelihood of a four-decade-long economic depression turning itself around â€" but it did. Between December 2018 and January 2019, a further 222,000 heads entered the UK workforce, contributing to a record high employment total of 32.7 million. The same report drew upon commentary from a senior economic analyst at the Resolution Foundation Stephen Clarke, who insinuated: “the encouraging growth is benefiting women and those traditionally left out of the labor market.” The statistics are certainly there to back up the philosophy in regard to the gender gap. Take Scotland for exampleâ€" the tartan nation saw a 1.7 percent rise of women in employment from 2008 to 2018, rising from 68.4 percent to 70.3 percent. As of December 2018, the UK employment rate was the highest it has been since records began back in 1971, with 9.0 million women working full-time and 6.3 working part-time. That said, despite all the obvious positives in regard to employment, with fewer vacant roles comes increased competition. As of 2017, the UK boasted 14 million graduates in the labor market â€" more than a fifth of the UK population â€" with three-quarters of all graduates now achieving a 2:1 classification or above. For the twenty-something slice of the population who have finally said farewell to education, finding a job can be a rather tedious task and an often-fruitless endeavor. While the digital age has certainly made the job search easier, some online application processes can be difficult to navigate. With thousands of avenues to help refine your exact job search including job title, company, and location, one can become entangled fairly rapidly â€" enter the extensive aid of a recruitment firm. There’s no such thing as a little white lie We are all guilty of covering up or slightly exaggerating when it comes to our employer, however, when a recruitment agency asks questions regarding capabilities, happiness, needs, and wants, take the chance to be completely honest. Realistically, if you don’t want to work in certain area, tell the recruiter â€" they aren’t going to judge your preferences. Similarly, if there is a company you have set your sights on, speak up â€" this is your future, so it is important to be assertive. A study by iNews discovered that 55.6 percent of Brits are dissatisfied with their job. Contacts Upon entering the world of work, we are all taught the value of making relevant industry contacts, and some people even rely on these connections to help them to secure their next position â€" and making yourself familiar with a company can prove advantageous. Approximately 118 candidates apply for any given job in the UK, with 20 percent or less of these individuals advancing to the interview stage. If you apply for a role without any prior contact with the firm, your CV and cover letter will arrive with those other 117 applications and face a rigorous application process. Recruiters will often already have built a steady relationship with the line manager within the firm which you are applying to, therefore they will be able to communicate directly, promoting both you and your attributes. Likewise, Collingwood notes how 80 percent of all jobs are never actually advertised, however, if you had an ‘inside man or woman’, they would have an ear to the ground in regard to upcoming v acant positions. Responsive When applying for jobs, one of the most frustrating aspects is a lack of communication. One of many harsh realities when hunting for a new career is the fact you will often post applications and never hear from the company again. The role of a recruiter, however, is to get you a job, therefore they are likely to be far more responsive and determined when it comes to interacting with employers. On the other hand, you should also try to maintain regular contact from your end, as you’ll need to provide the recruiter with plenty of relevant information when required. Answer phone calls, reply to emails, and complete paperwork before the recommended deadline â€" this will show to both the recruiter and employer that you are keen. Trust You may feel that the recruiter doesn’t have your best professional interests at heart, however, they have a task to complete as well. Matching the right candidate to the right role is their overarching goal, so allow them to take the lead, unless, obviously, you feel genuinely unhappy about the vacancies that they are leading you towards. Whether you are a recent graduate, or in the middle of changing career, the above guide denotes some of the primary reasons why opting for a recruitment agency will help find the recipe for success. Courtesy of Zenith People Recruitment.

5 In-Person Networking Tips for Job Seekers

5 In-Person Networking Tips for Job Seekers Maybe you were laid off last fall and are still looking for a new job. Or, perhaps you have set a goal for the new year of finding a better career opportunity. Either way, you can’t expect the next great career move to fall into your hands while you are aimlessly reviewing online job boards. In fact, most people still find a new job by word-of-mouth and via people they know. Before you click on that next link, check out these in-person networking tips: Consider joining a professional association. In almost any field of work, there is a professional association associated with it. In general terms, the association promotes certifications (if any) for the industry, annual meetings, and events for members. If you are passionate about your industry and know that you want to be in this career field for the foreseeable future, a professional association is a fantastic way to get-to-know other prominent individuals both locally and beyond. Visit a local chamber of commerce or networking group. Almost every cityâ€"no matter the sizeâ€"has a chamber of commerce, economic development organization, and other networking groups. Joining one of these groups gives you an opportunity to discover referral partners. These are people that aren’t necessarily in the same industry as you but may know people in your industry. In addition, they tend to be well-connected in the community and know job opportunities ahead of the general public. https://www.pexels.com/search/conference/ Schedule a coffee or lunch date once per week. Everyone has to eat and generally takes a break during week days. When you are actively looking for new work, consider reaching out to past team members, industry colleagues, or community connections and invite that person to coffee or lunch. By doing this once per week, you will start seeing the benefits of getting to know people better and more in-depth than just in a quick chat at an event. Be strategic about who you ask and how you fill your schedule. Ask those people that you know are discreet (if you are being discreet in your job search) or inquire with the people that you know are well-versed in employment in your field (if you are an active job seeker). Always remain professional. When you are looking for a job, first impressions are absolutely everything. As simple as it sounds, it is vital that you represent yourself professionally at events, dress appropriately for your industry, and offer valuable input during conversations. Think about why an employer would hire you and be certain that your connections know this after meeting you. Be proactive and build your network before you need it. If your company closes, you are laid off, or a big market hit has taken your industry by surprise, it will be vital that you find a new job as quickly as possible. In this situation, it is ideal to have your established network cultivated before you need it. Obviously, this isn’t something that happens overnight and takes time. The point is to not get comfortable with any particular industry or position.   Be ready with a stable of connections if and when you need them. Bonus Tip Have you ever head the saying, ‘Don’t burn your bridges?” When you are job searching, this is completely true. Do not bad-mouth former employers, try to maintain amicable relationships with past co-workers, and be positive during networking events. Most importantly, eliminate the sole focus on online job searching and learn how to be present for those vital in-person connections, too. This guest post was authored by  Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish, owner of Feather Communications, has been working with job seekers since 2008 to develop forward-thinking, eye-catching, and dynamic resumes for todays marketplace. She is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and has written thousands of resume for clients in a variety of fields. Dr. Rothbauer-Wanish has a BBA in Management, an MBA, and a PhD in Organization and Management. . Image credit.

Future-Proofing Your Office

Future-Proofing Your Office The working practices of 2019 are a world away from those of 20 or even 10 years ago. For the most part, it is down to the incredible advances in technology, from cloud based apps to online teamworking and collaboration software. But also, there are social factors at play. For years, we have been striving towards that holy grail, the work / life balance and for many of us it has been a case of it being easy to describe, but another matter to implement. Yet the millennials and Gen-Zers who are now dominating the workplace have very clear ideas on how to achieve it. Of course, these changes do affect the way we work, and flexible hours, remote working and the gig economy are all signs of this in action. But they also have an impact on the environment in which that work takes place. The office design itself needs to adapt to changing times, when remote working and collaboration are the watchwords. Is your office fit to meet the challenges of 2020 and beyond? Location In the 1990s, working in the city was a sign that you had “made it” and to attract the top talent, businesses needed to invest in an office that was either within or close to the square mile. Anything less, and a company was almost seen as “second tier.” Today, this is simply no longer the case. The new generation of workers value convenience and the idea of commuting has no attraction. Getting out of the city and into the suburbs is a fundamental way of not just future proofing your office but also making some significant cost savings. This website gives you an idea of what is available out in the leafy suburbs. Layout If your office contains rows of desks with PCs or workstations on them, it could be time to ask yourself if you are stuck in the 20th century. Do those workers who spend all day sitting in front of a screen even need to be in the office at all? Most could as easily work from home, at least some of the time, and when they are in the office, a simple cluster of hot desks for whoever needs them should be more than sufficient. The real purpose of an office in 2019 is to provide a place for colleagues and teams to interact and collaborate. Does your office provide for this? Meeting rooms are great, and they definitely have their place. But also focus on providing more casual space where team members can sit in comfort and discuss projects over a relaxed cup of coffee. Technology Getting the tech right might seem like the main aspect of future proofing an office, but as you can see, it is only one piece of the puzzle. Most businesses use a whole range of different software and technology, ranging from operations to business support to collaborative tools. It can sometimes look like a hotchpotch, which is inevitable given that businesses have gradually digitised different functions at different times. Ripping out all of these siloed software structures and installing an enterprise-wide system seems like an ideal solution at first glance. However, the business interruption and cost mean that it is not always a practical course of action. The more important thing to focus on is ensuring that when you acquire new business tools, you ensure they are flexible and adaptable, so they can work alongside legacy platforms. Also, if you have not already done so, opt for cloud hosting wherever possible to take the strain off your internal infrastructure and simplify maintenance and updates.

Five things I Learned About Life From Horses

Five things I Learned About Life From Horses Were you a horse-mad girl? Did you beg your parents for riding lessons, collect model horses, put pictures on your walls? I did all of that, and I rode from age 5 all the way through college. I even became a veterinarian so I could spend more time with them. There’s nothing quite like a horse. Studies1 have examined the magical, mysterious relationship between adolescent girls, and horses. Spending time with horses can teach responsibility and coping skills, and improve self-confidence and self-esteem. According to PATH International (the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship),  working with horses can teach trust, respect, honesty and communication. I don’t know if that’s true, but I know that I loved spending time with horses. And now I realize that those wonderful creatures taught me important lessons about life and work. Stuff happens, over and over again: Horses make manure. Every day. And every day you have to clean it up. Whether you hate the job or not, it’s important and must be done. Cleaning the barn, I learned not to be frustrated by a boring task. Instead, do it efficiently and move on. Do things that feel good: Have you ever watched a horse roll in the dirt? They have a wonderful time! A good roll scratches all the itchy places, and it’s so much fun! Sure, they get a little dirty, but a good shake takes care of the worst of it. So, when you can, do something that feels good! Many scary monsters aren’t scary up close: I once rode a horse that spooked at everything: puddles of water, blankets on the fence, parked cars…he once spooked at himself in the mirror of the indoor barn! I had to be ready for anything, and ready to let him stop, look at the monster, snort and dance around. Sometimes we had to try 3 or 4 times before he believed that it wasn’t going to eat him. He taught me to anticipate problems, and to be patient and creative in dealing with them. Fall off? Get up and try again!  How many times did I fall off a horse? Who knows? I fell into mud, dirt and water, because my horse spooked, or because I wasn’t ready for the jump. I had lots of bruises and sore muscles, even a mild concussion or two. None of it stopped me from riding. I got back on the horse and jumped that fence, or rode past the scary flag. I learned not to give up; keep trying and you can overcome most challenges. Help each other: The horse-crazy girls I knew worked together at the barn to help pay for our lessons, and competed against each other at shows. When I groomed for Karen, I did my best to make her and her horse look perfect for their classes. When Karen groomed for me, she did the same. And when we competed against each other, we were proud of each other’s successes. I learned to compete fairly, to honestly congratulate others for their success, and to be inspired to try harder the next time. Working hard feels good: After a long day of riding at a show, barn work, and putting the horses to bed before going home, I was bone tired. I fell asleep over dinner, or skipped it in favor of a shower and bed. Despite the fatigue, it felt great. I learned to like the feeling that came from giving my all, regardless of how it turned out. And I learned not to beat myself up for mistakes. These are lessons I use at work every day. Parts of my job are boring. I make mistakes, or have scary projects. I need other people’s help to do my work well. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t; and sometimes I just need a fun break. I don’t ride as much as I used to anymore; it’s not easy where I live. The last time I rode, I fell as I was dismounting! (The horse was REALLY tall…). So I laughed, and I stood up, and I’ll ride again as soon as I can. There are too many life lessons at the barn, and too much fun, for me to stop! 1 Toukonen, M. C. (2011).  The relationship between adolescent girls and horses: Implications for equine-assisted therapies  (Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University). Images via pixabay.

What will be Your Focus Word for the New Year - Career Pivot

What will be Your Focus Word for the New Year - Career Pivot Focus Word for the New Year I want to introduce you to a new concept, at least it is new to me. It is about picking a focus word that will be a guiding light throughout the next year. For the last few years, I have taken the last 2 weeks of the year to reflect, review and prepare for the new year. This year I am listening to Mel Robbin’s bookThe 5 Second Rule: Transform your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage. I discovered Mel Robbin quite by accident on Lewis Howes’ School of Greatness podcast. It just popped up in my LinkedIn feed. I listened to the podcast episode and I suggest you do too, and I then ordered her book on Audible.com. What I am picking up from the book is to use her 5 Second Rule to take action and to get focused. I am also a big fan of Roger Whitney’s Retirement Answerman Podcast. Roger was one of the first guests on the Repurpose Your Career podcastback in 2017 in the episode How to Maximize Life With Roger Whitney. Roger and his sidekick Nicole each year pick a word. Let me quote what Roger wrote in his most recent episode: Reflections on our word of the year If you have been a long-time listener, you know that Nichole and I chose a word at the beginning of each year to be our guiding light throughout the year. That word becomes the focus of our energy, and we try to keep it at the forefront of our minds. Now that 2019 is coming to a close we’re taking a moment to reflect on how we did with our words. The word I chose for this year was Embrace. I chose this word so that I could embrace the moment of life that I am in right now. Nichole chose Flow since she wanted to learn how to go with the flow. Did you choose a word this year? Let us know how you did with it, we’d love to hear! Therefore, I am going to pick a focus word to be a guiding light for 2020 and get focused. Implementing the 5 Second Rule I have just started to implement the 5 Second Rule. I think the best way to describe the rule is to quote what Mel wrote on her Amazon sales page for the book: How to enrich your life and destroy doubt in five seconds. Throughout your life, you’ve had parents, coaches, teachers, friends, and mentors who have pushed you to be better than your excuses and bigger than your fears. What if the secret to having the confidence and courage to enrich your life and work is simply knowing how to push yourself? Using the science of habits, riveting stories, and surprising facts from some of the most famous moments in history, art, and business, Mel Robbins will explain the power of a “push moment”. Then, she’ll give you one simple tool you can use to become your greatest self. Listen to the most recent episode It takes just five seconds to use this tool, and every time you do you’ll be in great company. More than eight million people have watched Mel’s TEDx Talk, and executives inside of the world’s largest brands are using the tool to increase productivity, collaboration, and engagement. InThe 5 Second Rule, you’ll discover it takes just five seconds to: Become confident Break the habit of procrastination and self-doubt Beat fear and uncertainty Stop worrying and feel happier Share your ideas with courage The 5 Second Ruleis a simple, one-size-fits-all solution for the one problem we all face â€" we hold ourselves back. The secret isn’t knowing what to do â€" it’s knowing how to make yourself do it. My Interpretation of the 5 Second Rule The concept is when we decide to do something it is based on whether wefeel like doing it.The classic example is getting up in the morning. We would not have snooze buttons on our alarm clocks and smartphones if we wanted to get up in the morning. It only takes 5 seconds to talk ourselves out of doing something that we know we should do. The idea as soon as you have the idea to take action count down backward and DO IT. The act of counting down backward short circuits the brain to get you to take action. Yes, I know this sounds simple but I am implementing and it works. I have been using this technique during the last few weeks to do the following: Audit the complete Career Pivot website with over 600 pieces of content Select over 25 pieces of content to be updated in 2020 Plan out 4 months of podcast episodes Interview 4 experts for the podcast and schedule several more Evaluate the direction of the Career Pivot website and online community My recommendation for you is to listen to the podcast episode and then pick up her book. My Focus Word for 2020 â€" Reinvigorate 2018 and 2019 were consumed with our move to Mexico, getting the Career Pivot Community defined, and get the 3rd edition of Repurpose Your Career published. This was way too much. Oh yeah, the website was attacked. Therefore, I cut back on the publication schedule for the Career Pivot blog and hit the pause button on the podcast for December and January. How to Reinvigorate? I am using the 5 Second Rule to get focused. I am doing the following: Eliminating distractions by removing Social Media apps from my iPhone Developing a morning routine that eliminates distractions and gets me to focus Prioritize each day as to what needs to be accomplished today Take time to restore and rejuvenate each day I have a huge problem with distractions. I have a very short attention span and I need to eliminate distractions in order to get things done in a timely fashion. What to Look for in 2020? There are now over 150 episodes of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Once a month I will replay the best of the best episodes and I have already selected the first 3 episodes. I will resume publishing updated content every Wednesday morning. This will be updating blog posts written 4-5 years ago and bringing them up to date. I am using my focus word to rejuvenate old content. The Career Pivot Community will launch in the coming months. You can get on the waiting list to join prelaunch cohorts. Can You Help Me Get Focused? If you would be so kind please take the 2020 Readers Survey and help me focus the website. Help me implement my focus word by taking the survey and feel free to reach out to me to schedule a short call or just leave me a message. Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

4 tips to put Sales 101 into your resume - Hire Imaging

4 tips to put Sales 101 into your resume - Hire Imaging This post speaks to the basics of Sales and Marketing 101, and why these basics are crucial pieces of your resume. Yes, the subject’s been covered by others many times before. It will be covered again, I have no doubt. So why now? Why by me? Because every week I talk to people who tell me they don’t know the concept or get the tie-in. If they do, further conversation often reveals they’re not applying it. And that’s pure sabotage to their career marketing efforts. So here we go. 1.           Know the product Always remember, the product is you. The first sales lesson is to really understand your product (you) and communicate it clearly. Just what is this product called you? Are you an aerospace engineer? A high school teacher? A financial executive? A graphic designer? A technical writer? Whatever function you are targetingâ€"whether it is what you’ve been doing for your employer(s), what you hope to do as a new grad, or what you hope to do in a career change transition, make sure it’s clear from the get-go. This means right off the bat in your resume. Employers and their hiring folks will not take time to figure it out. Why should they? They are concerned that you might fit their hiring needs. They are not interested in  reaching out to make sure you’re understood. That’s la-la land. I’m not a fan of the old objective. I prefer to give my clients a headline title. It shows focus with credibility. It subtly shouts “I am this person!” 2.           Position the product Have a clear picture of how you want to be perceived. Then position yourself with that picture in mind. This is often very strategic. Sometimes less is more. For example, my client James is a vice president of software development. In our resume consultation, he vehemently wanted to load the resume with his technical skills. He had enough to cover one-third of a page. While impressive in some respects, to include all these skills would not have worked in James’ favor. He would have been perceived as a hands-on “techie” rather than an executive charged with financial oversight, team development and leadership, strategic planning and global relationship management. We conveyed his vast technical abilities in a two-line synopsis. Knowing how to write code simply wasn’t part of his job target. And it would have stolen valuable real estate space from content that was targeted and needed to be covered. 3.           Stress benefits One of the oldest sales and marketing adages is “Sell benefits, not features.” This is as true in marketing yourself as it is in selling shampoo. “Contains PEG-60 Almond Glycerides conditioning product (a feature) does not sell as well as “Contains a secret, safe and natural   ingredient that will make your hair shine with health! Employers are tuned in to the WIFM station â€" “Whats In-It For Me? Go back to Marketing and Sales 101. To that employer, your MBA is a feature. The fact that you brought a project in $6M under budget, consistently delivering 12%+ savings through Eagle-eye monitoring, is a benefit that employer will appreciate and value. 4.           Back it up If you claim early in your resume that you’re known for “catapulting over aggressive sales goals in the field and behind the scenes,” you should support this statement with specific examples. The following speaks volumes: Landed lion’s share of ABC Corporation’s largest accountsâ€"74% of annual revenues. Increased sales pipeline 36% through new sales training program and tracking system. Boosted revenues 24% in a struggling economy with a new client-centric sales strategy. The resume, cover letter and other career marketing documents are to typically get you to the next-step interview. Use these four sales and marketing basics to grab attention, convey relevant value, make that reader care! It’s about them at this point. But the product being marketed? That’s all about you!

Tips For Writing A College Resume

Tips For Writing A College ResumeUCD officials are using more standardized format for submitting their applications to the college in the hopes of increasing the chances of getting better job opportunities. The only problem is that some of the applicants may not be aware of what these standardized application forms actually look like and may struggle with the job application process.UCD employs several different options for its students to submit their documents and transcripts. The most popular method is through email, but many people prefer to use their own document when possible. Even though many people struggle with how to write a resume for college, there are some guidelines that all UCD graduates should follow in order to have a successful process when it comes to resume writing.Resume writing for college should start with a purpose. When you are trying to figure out what your purpose is in submitting your resume, take some time to think about what the college or company that y ou're applying to is looking for. Then, go over the job description and determine what is required of you. Your purpose for writing the resume is to get hired and to become a part of the organization or company.Once you have decided what your purpose is in writing your resume, it's time to put some thought into the content. Take some time to consider the company or college that you're applying to, so you can put together a solid resume. With a little extra effort, you can also put together a resume that will appeal to an employer. Be sure to focus on your strengths and highlight your work ethic and the skills that you possess.Don't worry about writing too much because a good amount of basic information can be included. These include contact information such as your mailing address, your e-mail address, and a toll-free number. Also make sure to include your educational institution and the date that you graduated from that school. If you have graduated yet, be sure to state this as we ll.While college graduates should be able to find something they are qualified for, most employers are looking for specific job duties and skills. You can use the college field trips and internship section of your resume to highlight your work experience. If you were a part of a group project while you were in school, include this in your resume.When you are trying to determine how to write a resume for college, keep in mind that just because a college has a specific format does not mean that they need you to conform to it. There are many different options that are available for those that need a professional resume. There are many different websites available that offer different resume writing packages.The best thing that you can do is research resume writing and make sure that you understand how to use different options for making a resume that is well designed and appealing to the employer. It doesn't matter if you're applying to be a librarian, a teacher, or a lab technician - knowing how to write a resume for college will help you be successful.