While its specialist engineering division has been working to promote the benefits of permanent work to a hardened contract workforce during the recession, the IT specialists have had to adapt to a switch in the opposite direction.
With a former preference for permanent employees, IT continues to see a growing preference for temporary workers, who can be appointed or released with ease according to project demands. More >
budget restrictions,
career opportunities,
contract,
contract extensions,
contractor,
engineering,
finding work,
flexible,
global,
IT,
job vacancies,
jobseekers,
patient,
perm,
permanent,
proactive,
project demands,
realistic,
recession,
recruitment agencies,
skills,
temporary,
workforce
An important part of the job search – and one that’s so often overlooked by jobseekers these days – is the cover letter. Formerly the accompaniment to a carefully crafted, printed and posted CV or resume, the modern day cover letter tends to exist as the body of an email nowadays, so it’s this that recipients will view as your CV’s introduction.
With the internet changing the way we apply for job vacancies, it’s easy to understand why jobseekers issuing their CV or resume online can fall into the “it’s only an email” trap. Yet it’s precisely this kind of trap that makes the filtering process a lot more straightforward for the recipient of your CV who, when making a snap decision about whether open your attachment, can use the tiniest of typos as a reason not to bother! More >
attachment,
chartered,
cover letter,
CV,
e-cover letter,
email,
grammar,
interview,
Job search,
job spec,
job specification,
jobseekers,
online,
positive,
professional,
punctuation,
recruiter,
resume,
spelling
The world of the jobseeker has changed tremendously over the last ten years. It’s not that old job search methods have disappeared, just that the internet has brought about a whole new range of options when it comes to distributing your CV and promoting your achievements to potential employers; enabling you to expand your reach with ease.
As well as circling the ads in local or national newspapers and then making contact with desirable companies – of course, emailing your CV or resume these days, as opposed to printing and posting it – you’ll also create a social networking profile on sites like LinkedIn and Facebook – and tell your online connections about the projects you’re working on and the work you do. More >
CV,
CV distribution,
employers,
face-to-face,
Facebook,
gumtree,
hiring managers,
HR departments,
Job search,
job search loop,
job search strategy,
jobseekers,
jobsite,
just engineers,
linkedin,
monster,
oil and gas jobsearch,
phone calls,
railway people,
recruiters,
recruitment agencies,
resume,
self promotion,
skills,
social networking
Recent research (by totaljobs.com) highlighting unrealistic expectations and lack of preparation for the job market suggests that graduates are leaving university somewhat deluded about their immediate prospects!
Salary negotiation can often be a tricky one and it’s even more difficult for recent graduates. Of course it is! The global economy is in crisis! Unemployment is a worry for jobseekers with years of experience, some of which have been out of work for months or sometimes years at a time, despite having good skills and qualifications. More >
budget restrictions,
career ladder,
deluded,
engineering,
expectations,
experience,
global economy,
graduate,
job market,
jobseekers,
negotiating,
qualifications,
salary negotiation,
skill set,
skills,
starting salaries,
technical,
unemployment,
university
Social networking has grown at a phenomenal rate over recent times as we’ve entered a new era of internet use, termed as Web 2.0, that enables users to generate online content and encourages two-way communication. This internet revolution has seen Facebook, MySpace and YouTube become household names and has given jobseekers and professional networkers a new way to manage their business network.
Career-minded business professionals are using social media to seek new business opportunities and make contact with potential clients and partners, using a similar principle (two-way communication) but with a very different set of objectives. More >
business card,
Business networking,
coffee,
colleague,
contacts,
Ecademy,
face-to-face,
Facebook,
firm handshake,
hidden jobs market,
in-person,
jobseekers,
linkedin,
MySpace,
networking events,
networking strategies,
offering information,
professional networking,
sharing expertise,
Social media,
social networking,
two-way communication,
Viadeo,
Web 2.0,
YouTube
For those who’ve suffered as a result of the recession – taking redundancy, accepting a reduction in hours or overtime, or agreeing to a pay cut or salary freeze – thinking long-term about career progression can seem almost laughable, as fewer work opportunities create an all-round sense of gratitude by those lucky enough to hang onto their jobs and a sense of urgency among those looking for work.
While it’s completely understandable that jobseekers responsible for various financial commitments (mortgages, bills and looking after a family, etc) are less concerned about whether a position meets overall career aspirations and more about whether it brings in enough money to put food on the table, it can mean that long-term career planning takes a backseat during an economic downturn. More >
career aspirations,
career development,
career goal,
Career planning,
career progression,
challenging economic times,
commitment,
contract,
economic downturn,
engineering,
flexible,
focus,
goal setting,
jobseekers,
long-term,
ongoing evaluation,
pay cut,
permanent,
plan,
recession,
reduction in hours,
reduction in overtime,
redundancy,
salary freeze,
self-assessment,
steps,
targets,
timeframes,
workforce
The job search process can be a stressful and prolonged one; full of twists and turns, hope and enthusiasm, disappointment and frustration. Crafting the perfect cover letter and CV, searching for suitable vacancies, filling in application forms and attending job interviews all take up a lot of time and effort.
It’s therefore not surprising that when an application has progressed through to interview stage (perhaps to even two or three interviews) before a jobseeker discovers that they have been unsuccessful; it can be incredibly difficult to accept that the job search process must start again. More >
application,
body language,
constructive criticism,
cover letter,
CV,
future opportunities,
improve,
Interview feedback,
job,
job interviews,
Job search,
jobseekers,
positive,
post-interview,
proactive,
prolonged,
searching,
stressful,
tone of voice,
vacancies,
work
A word of advice to jobseekers: don’t allow interviewers to lull you into a false sense of security with their “casual” job interview façade. They’re doing that for a reason; if you’re comfortable in their presence, you’ll be less guarded and will talk more – not always a good thing if you’re responding to “What’s your greatest weakness,” or something similar!
With more and more companies adopting a casual outlook to the workplace – smart-casual dress codes, informal drinks after work and chill out rooms – it’s easy to forget that a job interview should always be treated with the greatest professionalism. More >
advice,
attire,
attitude,
body language,
business,
clearly,
clenched fists,
consider,
dress codes,
enthusiasm,
firm,
folded arms,
follow up,
formal,
handshake,
interview etiquette,
job,
jobseekers,
listen,
mumble,
pause,
polished shoes,
professionalism,
respect,
smile,
speak slowly,
suit,
thank you letter,
tie
It’s understandable that, with no-one scrutinising your outfit, grasping your hand firmly for that all-important handshake or analysing your body language, a telephone interview is a much more desirable prospect than a face-to-face encounter. You’d be forgiven for thinking the process is a less daunting affair.
However, with no subtle cues – smiling, mirroring your interviewer’s body language or an immaculate appearance, it can be much more difficult to convince whoever’s asking the questions that you’re enthusiastic about the position. Mastering the art of telephone interviews begins with understanding the reasons that companies use them as part of the selection process.
Here are five common reasons that telephone interviews will take place: More >
appearance,
applicants,
call,
candidates,
conversation,
cost-cutting,
cost-effectiveness,
Employment,
filtering,
geographical barriers,
global,
international,
jobs,
jobseekers,
logistical,
market,
phone,
reasons,
recruitment,
relocation,
ring,
rotational,
selection,
Telephone interviews,
telephone manner,
understanding,
vacancies
The global recession has presented a wealth of new challenges for jobseekers. Widespread redundancies across numerous sectors have meant that more and more people out of work, and therefore more and more people competing for the best roles.
What this also means is that companies are inundated with applications from highly-qualified, suitably skilled and experienced industry professionals, and with this comes a new dilemma for hiring managers: “How do I select the best candidate for the role when there are so many similarly-qualified hopefuls?!”
More >
candidate,
co-operating,
communication,
companies,
competition,
conflict,
delegate,
experience,
featured,
hiring managers,
interacting,
interpersonal,
jobseekers,
lead,
leadership,
listener,
motivate,
objectives,
qualified,
recession,
redundancies,
skills,
Soft skills,
speaker,
team working,
time management,
work,
workload,
writer