Archive for the ‘Articles’ Category

You’ve been made redundant, lost your job so what do you do next?

Being made redundant can create a mixture of feelings. First of all there’s the shock. In fact after the shock there will be a raft of emotions from denial, anger, depression and bargaining before reaching acceptance of your situation.  During this time you could be encouraged to share your emotions with your family, friends and colleagues.

One of your priorities during this time is to take stock – take stock of your finances and to take stock of yourself.

Being made redundant can be an opportunity.

Take this time to focus on what you really want to do next.  Is getting a job doing what you have always done what you really want to do? Or, could you do something similar that you might enjoy more?

Transferable skills for the redundant

Identifying your abilities, skills and attributes along with your career interests will help you decide on whether to remain in the same type of role or whether it is indeed transferable and you could find your dream role in something completely different.

Self-report questionnaires, inventories and worksheets are great simple and easy tools to help you identify your strengths and characteristics. These exercises, once collated, can give a redundant person back their self-esteem  to ensure that they are well prepared for the road ahead, and that their inner resources are well documented.

Once made redundant, you can use your days effectively by building a powerful CV, setting a strategy for your job search and focusing clearly on where you want your next job to be.

If you would like sample worksheets, personal inventories and self-report questionnaires send us an email.

Lynn Tulip is a career management and HR professional running her own HR consultancy.  Find her on online or follow her @LynnTulip @A4P_HR

Twitter has many uses and one is an essential tool and resource for job searching

How to use Twitter in the job search?

1. Create a professional twitter background page, with a sensible avatar and personal summary.
2. Your personal summary should include KEYWORDS that are relevant to your job search and your situation.
3. Include a link to an online website where your CV can be viewed [suggest LinkedIn] or perhaps a networking site where you have your own space, your website or even Facebook
4. Use your twitter feed to present yourself as an expert, share your job search and ask questions.
5. Build relationships with people you know, your network and recruiters. Use them wisely and offer support and ideas as well.
6. Follow #Tweetmyjobs  and  look on their website as they offer a free service for job hunters.
7. Use http://tweettabs.com/  or http://www.twellow.com/ to search for hr professionals and recruiters – use keywords such as executive search, sourcing,  talent management etc to search within your industry and within your location.  You can then search different profiles and follow them if they are right for you.
8. Sign up for RRS feeds from Jobsites and http://www.twithire.com/
9. Get listed in http://justtweetit.com/ . You can expand your choices and network so you are linking with others who have shared interests.
10. Don’t ignore the benefits of  searching using the hashtag # and abbreviations like NAJ or HAJ; also words like job, hiring, employment.
11. Give out positive messages on twitter: “Looking for an opportunity” reads better than “wondering whether to have another glass of … ”
12. Be honest, open and act with integrity at all times. Employers do not want surprises.
13. Follow @Microjobs – a profile set up to link recruiters and job seekers.  Depending on your sector and location you might find it a useful connection.  NB: they do not follow you back.

There will be a number of twitter accounts that are dedicated to job listings in different sectors, locations, and more. If you specify your own criteria you can get mobile alerts to your phone / e-mail and be amongst the first to get notifications.

I can’t repeat enough times that it is seriously hard work job hunting, so investing time and strategy in twitter needs a fool proof plan. Use it in combination with other social media and networking, build strong connections and it could prove to be a successful addition and help you find opportunities, get you interviews and land you a job.

Holland Occupational Themes or Career Interests Questionnaire

It’s a well researched fact that if your career interests match your work or job interests then you are statistically more likely to be satisfied and successful whilst working.  Using the Career Interests tool is an easy and quick way to identify where you sit on the Holland Occupational Theme for Career Interests.

Based on the theory of John Holland, Ph.D., people with the same or similar interests are often found in the same work environments. To discover the work environments suited to your career interests, abilities, and personality, consider the following categories/themes.

Holland’s Career Interests Definitions

REALISTIC people are characterised by competitive/assertive behavior and by interest in activities that require motor coordination, skill, and physical strength. People oriented toward this role prefer situations involving “action solutions” rather than tasks involving verbal or interpersonal skills. They like to take a concrete approach to problem-solving rather than relying on abstract theory. They tend to be interested in scientific or mechanical rather than cultural and aesthetic areas.

INVESTIGATIVE people prefer to think rather than to act, to organize and understand rather than to persuade. They are not apt to be very “people oriented.”

ARTISTIC people value self-expression and relationships with others through artistic expression. They dislike structure, prefer tasks involving personal or physical skills, and are more prone to expression of emotion than others. They are similar to investigative people, but are more interested in the cultural-aesthetic than the scientific. SOCIAL people seem to satisfy their needs in teaching or helping situations. In contrast to investigative and realistic people, social types are drawn more to seek close interpersonal relationships and are less apt to engage in intellectual or extensive physical activity.

SOCIAL people have high interest in other people and are sensitive to the needs of others. They perceive themselves as liking to help others, understanding others, and having teaching abilities. Social people value social activities, social problems, and interpersonal relationships. They use their verbal and social skills to change other people’s behavior. They are generally cheerful, scholarly, and verbally oriented.

ENTERPRISING people are verbally skilled and use this skill in persuasion rather than support of others. They also value prestige and status and are more apt to pursue it than conventional people.

CONVENTIONAL people don’t mind rules and regulations and emphasize self-control. They prefer structure and order to ambiguity in work and interpersonal situations. They place value on prestige or status.

Understanding Holland’s theory about Career Interests will help you make good choices – decisions about which occupations, careers, or training programs best fit you.

Holland’s theory can be summarized in six statements:

1. In our culture, most people are one of six personality types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional.

2. People of the same personality type working together in a job create a work environment that fits their type. For example, when Artistic persons are together on a job, they create a work environment that rewards creative thinking and behavior — an Artistic environment.

3. There are six basic types of work environments: Realistic,Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventionalnal.

4. People search for environments where they can use their skills and abilities and express their values and attitudes. For example, Investigative types search for Investigative environments; Artistic types look for Artistic environments, and so forth.

5. People who choose to work in an environment similar to their personality type are more likely to be successful and satisfied.

For example, Artistic persons are more likely to be successful and satisfied if they choose a job that has an Artistic environment, like choosing to be a dance teacher in a dancing school — an environment “dominated” by Artistic type people where creative abilities and expression are highly valued.

6. How you act and feel at work depends to a large extent on your workplace (or school) environment. If you are working with people who have a personality type like yours, you will be able to do many of the things they can do, and you will feel most comfortable with them.

What are your Career Interests?

If you’d like to complete a complementary Careers Interests Questionnaire contact us.

How to succeed at Interviews is one of the first things I’m asked.

Your CV / Resume is the tool that gets you the Interview but once you have the invitation to Interview – what next?

58 [yes, FIFTY EIGHT] Top Tips for Interviews

1. Fear of interviewing? Practice makes perfect. You’ll get better over time. And it is possible to practice for Interviews.

2. Interviews are a dialogue between two people. What you give is what you get. So be proactive. Ask questions and initiate discussion.

3. Confirm your interview time, date, and location one day in advance. Use this as a way to connect with your contact who could provide additional last-minute information.

4. NEVER be late for interviews.

5. If you are going to be late, call and reschedule instead. You’ll make a much better impression being on time.

6. Bring extra copies of your C.V. with you. Never assume the interviewer can find your C.V.

7. Arrive 15 minutes early and retire to the restroom. Check your appearance in the mirror. Hair in place? Make-up intact? Tights crisis? Women should pack an extra pair, just in case.

8. Introduce yourself to the secretary and be seated. (Secretaries are often hidden power bases, so engage them in conversation.)

9. Take off your coat and hang it up before the interview. In trainers? Change into good shoes before you enter the building.

10. Look busy. Take out reading material on the company or peruse company literature available in the reception area while you wait. Don’t fidget.

11. Some companies require all applicants to fill out an application, regardless of position. Fill it out completely, even if you have a C.V.

12. Stand up to greet the interviewer and extend your hand. Give a firm handshake, but don’t crush. And don’t pump you arm up and down.

13. Once in the interviewer’s office, wait to be seated. You don’t want to sit in the interviewer’s favourite chair.

14. Even if offered, don’t smoke, chew gum, eat, or drink coffee during the interview. And don’t eat garlic or drink alcohol before the interview.

15. Be observant. Are there pictures on the desk? Who’s in the pictures? Trophies, awards? For what? Art? What kind? Be aware for small talk later on.

16. In interviews, be careful not to dwell on your personal life. If asked, be brief but polite. Remember, the interview is about what you can do on the job, not at home.

17. Don’t name-drop, especially with a recruiter. If you know someone important, say so. But make sure there really is a connection. Recruiters have heard it all.

18. Never argue. If the interviewer says something you disagree with, let it go. This isn’t a debate. It’s an interview.

19. Answer only the questions asked. Be direct. Don’t ramble. And never volunteer information.

20. Be brief. The more you try to embellish your answers, the more likely you are to say something that disqualifies you.

21. The earlier it is in the interview, the shorter your answers need to be. The interviewer has limited time and a list of questions to ask you.

22. Never take anyone with you to interviews. Go alone.

23. Don’t assume the interviewer is knowledgeable about your industry, field, or speciality. Don’t use jargon, company lingo, industry buzz words.

24. Be a good listener. Listen actively by nodding your head in agreement acknowledgement. Lean forward to let the interviewer know you’re interested.

25. Maintain good eye contact. Eyes averted spell lack of self-confidence, nervousness, insecurity.

26. Watch your body language. Don’t fidget, cross your arms, slouch. Remember, everything you say and do broadcasts who you are.

27. Be enthusiastic, upbeat. Show your excitement for the job and company. Bring out your evidence file and share your company research with the interviewer.

28. Never ask about salary or benefits in the first interview. Save those issues for the negotiation session. You want the company to fall in love with you first.

29. Whoever mentions money first loses. If asked your salary requirements, respond with ‘What is the range for this position?’ If pressed, give a broad range, but never a specific amount.

30. Interviews are a dialogue between two people. Don’t let the interviewer ramble or get side-tracked. Put your two cents in.

31. Control the interview by asking questions. People feel compelled to answer.

32. Be able to explain in two to three sentences what your job duties were. Keep it simple and basic.

33. Be able to explain in two to three sentences why you’re looking for a job. Laid off? Downsized? Resigned? Why?

34. Never assume the interviewer knows what’s been going on at your company. Explain why you left, but be brief.

35. Interview rule number 1: Never say anything negative about your company, your boss, your job, your colleagues, yourself.

36. Research pays off. Not knowing anything about the company interviewing you will hurt your chances of being hired.

37. Personality and intelligence can compensate for lack of specific job experience. Radiate self-confidence, enthusiasm, congeniality.

38. An interview is a sales pitch. Be prepared to sell your features and benefits. Why should they hire you? Make yourself irresistible.

39. Never show confidential documents or memos from your previous employer(s). No one wants to hire someone who steals company property.

40. Stumped for an answer to a tough question? Take time to collect your thoughts before you speak. Guard against babbling.

41. Don’t be afraid to say ‘I don’t know.’ Then add, ‘Would you rephrase the question?’ Honesty wins points.

42. An interviewer cares about three things: Can you do the job (experience, education)? Will you do the job (hours, money, location)? and Will you fit in the company (personality)?

43. Remember people’s names. Use last names unless the interviewer indicates you by your first name.

44. Past performance is the best indication of future performance. If you performed miracles for your last employer, you can do it again. So capitalise on your successes.

45. Don’t interrupt. Some interviewers talk more than they listen. That’s OK. Be a good listener.

46. Ask for business cards of everyone you talk to in the interview process. This is critical for following-up thank-you letters, future networking calls, general job search record keeping.

47. Interviewing rule of thumb: It takes 10 to 15 networking contacts to generate one interview and 5 to 10 interviews to generate one offer.

48. Rejection is tough, but don’t take it personally. Detach. It’s just business. After each rejection, evaluate why. Then figure out what you can do in the future to avoid the same thing happening again.

49. Never leave an interview without thanking the interviewer and going for the trial close. Ask, ‘What’s the next step? Where do we go from here?’

50. Anyone’s worst nightmare – a group interview. Relax. Don’t panic. Direct your answers to the person asking the most questions but maintain eye contact with everyone.

51. A lunch interview? Order something easy to eat. Always graciously decline alcoholic beverages, even if the interviewer indulges. And mind your manners.

52. If the interviewer keeps you waiting for more than 30 minutes, reschedule. you’ll both feel better meeting under different circumstances.

53. Fear of shrinking? Don’t make an issue out of taking psychological tests. They’re no big deal, and many companies use them, both pre- and post-employment.

54. Don’t be intimidated by interviewers, especially personnel types. They want you to be the right candidate. It makes their job easier.

55. Assess how you did after the interview. Did you babble, evade questions, fidget, reveal too much? Learn from your mistakes, but don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re learning how to interview.

56. Write thank-you notes immediately. Be brief, but gracious. This is a courtesy note only. Resist going in for the kill with a final sales pitch.

57. Don’t use ‘Thank-you’ stationery or stationery with business letterheads. And never send humorous cards.

58. The next time you make a job move for money, take this test: divide the difference between you old salary and your new salary by 12; take about 35 to 40 percent off for taxes and deductions. That’s how much more you’re going to take home each month. Then ask: is making the move worth it?

have you got a tip to share?  Let us know.

Keywords are not just for websites, they are essential for job hunters and their CV / Resume too.

Your CV / Resume needs to include Keywords that are relevant to the role you want and the experience you have.

CV / Resume Keywords are essential for job hunters

Uploading your CV / Resume so recruiters can find you is one of the key actions for job hunters, but making sure it is found  by recruiters is another important tactic.

For job seekers, the “Keywords” that matter are the words and phrases a recruiter uses while searching, like the words you type into Google when you are searching for something.

So what Keywords should you be using?

A simple question, however the answer has to be “use Keywords that apply to you and your experience”

Some top tips for getting the right Keywords on your CV / Resume:

• Use nouns with their descriptive adjectives – don’t sidestep or omit the action words and power language however you now need to focus on the job title and roles that the recruiter will be searching on.
• Pick up job descriptions of job roles that you want and identify the Keywords of  nouns and noun phrases that are relevant and make sure that you are able to include them in your own CV / Resume
• Brainstorm Keywords for your CV / Resume by developing a long list of possible Keywords.

Ideas for Keywords  include:

1. your next job title, standard job titles and non-standard job titles
2. names of job specific, industry specific and profession specific tools that you can use because of your education and experience
3. software & hardware resources and unique techniques that you are qualified to use
4. use professional and technical acronyms
5. include your qualifications, education establishments and certifications
6. name drop about conferences and publications where you have demonstrated your expertise

As far as a job application goes, submitting a good one can be a real conundrum.

Of course, you are keen to find new or alternative employment and you are gathering as much information as you can about yourself, where you want to work, what you want to do and what skills and expertise you have.

You will double your success rate for interviews if you have a targetted job application

It might be that you have rewritten your CV/resume or completed a job application form but if you have not MATCHED the CV/resume or job application form to the vacant role you are applying for, you have set yourself up for failure.

Every job application needs to be unique

How do you match the job application you ask?  There are always clues:

1. The company’s published material – their values, their products or services and their markets
2. The advert – what does it actually ask for in the advert?
3. Research the role, the website and the area and check your alignment with them ALL

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

I’ve got a guest blog on JobMob that looks at tricky interview questions – click to read it.

Why are you interviewed? What is the interview process all about?

Basically the purpose of a job interview is to find out whether or not you [the candidate] have the qualities, experience and knowledge to carry out the job you have applied for.

It gives the potential employer sometime to discover whether or not you will [a] fit in and [b] are suitable for the job.

What you must not forget is that it is a TWO WAY process. And yes, this is YOUR opportunity too.

The Interviewer wants to determine
• Can the candidate do the job?
• Will the candidate fit in?
• Is this the best candidate for the position?

The Candidate needs to determine:
• Do I want this job?
• Can I do this job?
• Does this job offer me the opportunities I want for advancement experience?

You may well have gone through a telephone interview before meeting face to face.  That’s the first stage.

You will be asked questions that are relevant to the role you are applying for, and you need to be prepared to answer them with ease and fluency; giving substantial examples of when, how and what you can do/did.

The reasons for questions is obvious – the interviewer needs the following evidence:

General Traits:

• Mental ability:  your ability to learn and process information
• Personality: how you perform and behave
• Interest, goals, and values: what motivates you and how you would fit in to the company

Job-relevant knowledge Factors:

• Previous Work Experience:
• Prior Education:
• Former Training:

Core Job Elements:

• Declarared knowledge: your learned knowledge
• Procedural skills and abilities: your ability to complete the tasks required to do the job
• Motivation: your willingness to exert the effort required to do the job

Preparation is the key. The interviewer needs to know you can think on your feet, reply without hesitation, give strong substantive answers to possible challenging questions. Whilst they don’t want to compromise you, they interviewers need to put you under pressure to see how you perform.  Your answers are important.

I’ve written a guest blog about  10 Tricky Job Interview Questions and How to Answer Them which could give you some ideas about the possible pitfalls of questions that might be out of the ordinary.  Please CHECK it out .

Please Stumble this and comment below.

It was interesting  to see reporter Graham Satchell on BBC Breakfast this morning going to a mock job interview with Matthew Riley, Daisy Group PLC.

It highlighted a few points which I’ve been reiterating over the last few months.

Image via Wikipedia

PREPARE – INVESTIGATE  – RESEARCH

Prepare questions to ask the panel – they do not want to listen to questions about holiday entitlement, leave honouring or sick pay benefits. Strategic questions relating to their organisation, the role you have applied for and your challenges are likely to be more impressive.

• What would you expect me to achieve in my first 90 days?

Investigate and ensure your facts up to date. If you don’t know the answer to the question, be honest. No hesitation and definitely no white lies. The panel want to hear clear, confident responses. And an honest answer of ‘I don’t know the answer’ followed by your question back to the panel to engage in a conversation and to keep the flow going is far more effective than a pregnant pause and a indecisive mumble of a made up answer.

• Asked about annual turnover figures, to which you don’t know the answer how about: “I’m sorry I don’t know the answer to that.  What increase in turnover was there last year?  Was it related to market forces?”

Research – using Wikipedia as a reference point is not necessarily valid. Far better to talk to real people, read company literature or refer to their website.

• Focus on statistics, turnover, percentages, sales figures, market share

Don’t sabotage yourself at the interview.

Give yourself the best opportunity to succeed.

Give me some feedback, what other preparations have you found useful?

Related articles

• Daisy Group Plc CEO Berates Government Over Support For SMEs And Entrepreneurs (prweb.com)
• How prepration for interview (wiki.answers.com)
• VIDEO: Tough interviews: Are you up to the job ? (bbc.co.uk)

I am inspired by how many youngsters are working the streets, going in to shops and local businesses and enquiring about work. In such a tough market and these guys are already helping themselves by presenting in person. However, I notice that the CV/resumés that they are offering are rather tombstone like. As a speculative approach each document needs to be unique and jump to the top of the pile.

So, a few suggestions for first-timers:

• Give potential employers some credit – the document you present to them is your CV/resumé– you do not need to headline it with ‘curriculum vitae’
• Use your white space and set the information out clearly. Be consistent, list dates on the right hand side of the page.
• Use a contemporary font [verdana for example] and make good use of bold, underlining and capitals.
• Make the document look professional, check for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors and ensure that there are NONE.
• Do not make up anything – it is essential to tell the truth.
• Position yourself in the first couple of sentences under your contact details. Write a short profile. Look on the internet for examples or ask us for help. Make yourself special.
• Extract your skills. Employers want to see what you have to offer. Your education is important but essentially, they want to employ people with good social skills, customer service awareness and even financial abilities. Think of examples when you have proven that you have these qualities and highlight them in a section.
• Include voluntary work or experience, social activities or sports that demonstrate leaderships and team work.
• Use bullet points to bring these to the attention of the reader.
• Avoid using a table format for the CV/resumé, it makes it harder to upload to the internet should you want to submit the document to job sites.

ASSESSMENT4POTENTIAL, specialise in working with students and supporting them into work.

Related post:

Networking is a key part of job searching. Once you’ve built your network, it’s imperative to follow up and pursue networking opportunities, which include:

• temporary or part-time work to enhance your marketability and industry knowledge and to meet people in your target sector;

• voluntary work to build experience and show your commitment – be clear about what you are offering to do and for how long;

• industry intern-ships, keeping in touch with colleagues you met on your placement;

• professional associations, which may run networking events or useful training and conferences where you can forge new links;

• careers events at university or elsewhere, speaking with representatives from many organisations in one place;

• online professional networking websites – LinkedIn is a popular example that allows you to build an online profile, widen your network and join groups within your industry;
• following up, on not only applications you have sent, but also with people you meet at events, etc.