The Right Way to Follow Up After a Job Interview

So you’ve finished the job interview for your dream job (or—at least—a great job) and as far as you’re concerned, you nailed the job interview! It’s only a matter of time before they call you with an offer, right? But after a couple of weeks pass, without a peep, you start to get that sinking feeling …  perhaps the job interview wasn’t the slam-dunk you had hoped for. At this point, you may feel that the best decision is to cut your losses and move on. But before you put that job interview in the past, be sure to follow-up with the employer.

The job interview is only the beginning of the conversation. While you certainly don’t want to come off as annoying, you want to stay on the employer’s radar.

Here is the right way to  job interview, without being a nuisance 一 in 3 stages:

After your job interview, the first follow should be a thank you note一preferably a handwritten note, but an email on time is better than nothing. You should always send a note to every person you interviewed with; no later than 24 hours after the interview. Keep these things in mind in your note:

Write a Thank You Note

• Be brief, friendly, and conversational. You’ve already had the job interview, so let your gratitude and personality show a little bit.
• Restate your interest in the job and any relevant details on why you’re qualified.
• Thank the potential employer for their time as job interviews can require employers to set aside a lot of time, often forcing them to push off work.
• The thank you note is also a great opportunity to add any significant information you may have forgotten to say in the interview.

Check-In

Sending a thank you note after an interview is the easy part of following up. Making contact again after a few weeks of silence can feel more difficult. You might worry that checking in will make you seem annoying, or worse, desperate. But not to worry! This follow-up is normal and professional part of the process. If you approach your follow-up carefully, you can come off as a diligent and interested.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when you follow up:

• Don’t jump to the conclusion that you didn’t get the job. Sometimes these things can take a while to settle, especially if the decision makers have a lot on their plate.
• Wait for the established timeframe and deadlines to pass. If you ended your job interview by asking about the next steps of the hiring process and when you should expect to hear back, then stick to that timeline. If that date has passed, then feel free to send a follow-up note by email to the employer.
• When sending a note after the discussed timeframe has passed, here is sample language of a post-interview check-in note:

“Hi Jane, I hope all’s well! You mentioned that you would be finalizing your decision for the IT position by this week. I’m eager to hear when you have an update. Please let me know if there’s anything I can provide to assist you in your decision-making process.”

Stay in Touch

Even if you don’t get the job, it might be useful to have this employer in your network. This can take some finesse. Rather than seeing your relationship with the employer as a failed job interview and lost opportunity, treat them as a valuable new colleague and contact.

• Build a relationship. This means keeping the conversation going by periodically sending articles or information that might be relevant to them, congratulating them on recent accomplishments, and thanking them for their replies.
• Do the research, and if appropriate, add the recruiter or employees you spoke with on LinkedIn.
• Also be sure to follow up and update your LinkedIn interests and be sure to follow their company page on Linkedin.

But remember, don’t overdo it! Be cognizant of whether you’re being helpful or a nuisance and always be genuine.

The key is to remain is to be professional, proactive and useful, not pushy or over-eager.

Reference: https://www.ziprecruiter.com/blog/the-right-way-to-follow-up-after-a-job-interview/

 

Is a Two-Page Cv Ever OK?

You’ve been there. You’re up late one-night trolling job boards and in between the travel and shoe ads the perfect job opportunity appears. You hear the heavenly hosts cheering you on as you rush to update your resume.

But before you add your latest and greatest skills and accomplishments, your brain interrupts with the job seeker debate: Should your resume be one page or two?

The answer, dear job seeker, is—it’s all subjective. Google this topic and you’ll get 100 different sources with 400 different pieces of advice. The truth is, we’ve been conditioned by the old-school tradition of the one-page CV, but the current digital age (where CVs aren't always submitted on paper anyway!) has blazed a trail of new options.

That said, there are a few good rules of thumb to consider when deciding if a +1 should accompany your CV.

When Quantity Equals Quality
As you evolve in your career, you'll find that things that were once relevant on your resume aren't anymore. For example, if you've been in your career a few years or are changing careers, there's no need to list every duty for every position. Learn to recognise when compromising the quantity of your experiences will impact the quality of your employment story. If you have enough relevant experience, training, and credentials pertaining to the position to showcase on more than one page of your CV, then go for it.

Note: the keyword is relevant. This doesn’t mean you detail all your accomplishments since your high school being captain of your high school rugby team. It also doesn’t mean listing every college course you've taken and certification you've earned. If I’m going to read a resume that’s more than one page, it better tell a good story about what you bring to the table. Listing every task you did as a manager doesn't make you a good manager. But if you state that you increased productivity by 25% or highlight process changes for multiple teams at several companies—you're justifying that space.

If you can succinctly quantify your accomplishments to explain how you made a role, job, project, or assignment better and you need more than one page to demonstrate it effectively, that’s time (and space) well spent.

When Space Is No Longer an Option
Your content is impeccable. You’ve edited, downsized fonts, tweaked margins, and mangled text boxes to abide by the one-page golden rule. But unfortunately, space is no longer on your side.

As much as you have tried, sometimes you have to surrender and place your information on additional pages. This process is a double-edged sword in the sense that two little, and two much can kill your chances. The key is to only place content which is applicable to the audience who is reading it, trying to place yourself in their shoes, and take an educated guess as what they are looking for.

You know your industry and understand what may appeal to the reader. Try strike a balance but do not sell yourself short – that additional page might just get you that interview request…

 

Subject: 6 Tips For Hiring The Right Employee

Hiring the right employees can make or break your business. Employee recruitment is about managing stress, as you will constantly be judged on your selection, and you obviously cannot please everybody in your organization.

However, there are certain rules that you can use to hire the right employee for your business every time:

1.    Look for Someone With a Commitment to Their Career

A person committed to his or her career is the candidate you want to hire. You don't want to hire an employee who switches careers or jobs frequently, just to get a higher salary. If a candidate is not loyal to any company, hiring this person could definitely be a problem for your business.

Always check the candidate's previous job duration and if he or she is switching jobs constantly, this is definitely not the right person for the job.

2.    Test for Excellent Learning and Analytical Skills

Try to use different methodologies to assess the learning and analytical skills of your candidates. Testing candidates might be tricky, but don’t evaluate candidates merely on the basis of their resume and their confidence because a resume can contain lies.

A candidate with confidence is great, but what you really want is a candidate that has the right skills and educational requirements. Satish Bakhda from Rikvin.com believes that a candidate with confidence is great, but what you really want is a candidate that has the right skills and educational requirements.

3.    Check Compatibility

You want to find an employee that will fit in with your company's culture. Check whether the candidate has social skills to get along with others, especially with current employees and managers. Ask how he or she is managing current business clients to judge compatibility skills.

Remember, willingness is one of the primary things a candidate must possess to work with you. And if a person cannot get along with his or her current clients or previous bosses, it's not such a great idea to hire that candidate.

4.    Keep Improving Your Hiring Process

Whether you are hiring employees for a big organization or looking for some potential candidates to build your start-up, the hiring process is the first and foremost factor you need to focus on. Make sure you are following these steps in your hiring process:

Instead of asking magic bullet questions or irrelevant questions, you always need to focus on getting to know the capabilities, knowledge, skills, confidence, attitude, and potential of the candidate.
When you advertise job vacancies for your company, make sure that all the job requirements such as responsibilities, required education, experience, knowledge, and skills are clearly mentioned. It will help you in evaluating candidates and attracting applicants that fulfill all of your responsibilities and requirements.
It's also a good idea to involve other people in the evaluation process, since more opinions can lead to finding the right hire.

5.    Don’t Forget to Hire Interns

People may disagree, but this is one of the best ways to hire the right employee for your business. You know all of their strengths, weaknesses, skills, knowledge, attitudes, behavior, confidence levels, and even practical evidence of work. What else do you need to know?

You've already done the hard work in picking an intern, so why not hire from this potential pool when looking to fill permanent positions?

6.    Get Social With the Candidates

Asking personal questions won't get you anywhere, and could be awkward and uncomfortable for both parties. Rather, you or your human resources team should be analyzing the candidates’ presence on social media. This can be a great strategy, especially if you want to hire employees for tech businesses.

 

Subject: 7 Things You Should Never Include on Your CV

Job seekers tend to focus on what to include on their resume, but it is equally important to know what NOT to include on your resume.

What information to include is in your hands, but remember that even small mistakes can backfire and reflect badly on you and in turn hurt your chances of getting shortlisted.
Here are a list of things that you should NOT include on your CV.

1) Personal Information; What to include and what to exclude.
The basics of personal information that you have to include are Name, Address, Email, and Mobile. This information is necessary for a person to contact you. Make sure that all contact details are current and in working condition.

• Address

Your address has to be a place where you can be reached.

Avoid giving an address of some remote location even if it is your permanent address. If you have no permanent address or you are changing locations frequently, do not list it. You can give an email ID instead.

• Email IDs

Your email ID must be in working condition and you should frequently check it.

You can include up to 2 email id's on your CV. Just ensure you do not include your current company ID on your CV.

Do not include email IDs that are descriptive - like sexysanjoo, chooserekha , Manjeetforsuccess - Please choose a mature email ID for your job hunt- the best ones are simple with just combinations around your name.

• Links

You should include links and details of your Linkedin profile, Skype and website, and to your portfolio.

What not to include are links that make a person move out of your CV and into your company or college website or to other places on the internet.

• Photographs

Your photograph needs to show you with a frontal view, in formal attire and a smile. There should be a clear background behind you. Prepare 2 versions of your CV –with and without a photograph.

Avoid sending your CV with a photograph, unless it has been asked for. Someone may reject you for no reasonable fault but just because of how you look.  Also remember, photographs are graphic files and are heavy to email, which can lead to technical difficulties in opening your CV or email.

2) Do NOT include statements of self-praise and emphasis:
Many job seekers tend to put in declaratory statements in their “Objective”.
Here are some examples:

Objective: “Talented, multifunctional visionary seeks …”
- “Looking for middle or senior position with an organization where I can contribute…”
- “Award winning national sales manager looking for a challenging work environment... “

No company or recruiter is interested in what you want and what you are trying to say so vehemently. They are interested in only what they want.

Cut it out- Create a short summary instead- just 2 to 4 points maximum telling them what your expertise is, so that your value to them is clear from the start.

3) Do NOT include explanations for job changes in your CV.
Many job seekers find it necessary to explain why they left a company in the past.
For example-"Left company because - I  had a baby, had an accident, left to avoid relocation, got retrenched, company closed down, left because of no growth prospects, daddy got posted abroad" – The reasons are varied.

This is highly avoidable because the explanations you give can have different interpretations for different hiring managers. Let’s take the example given above to get an idea on how others may view it.

Example: She had a baby last year so she has to cope with a 1 year old kid’s problems- She would be taking leave whenever the kid falls sick. Oh he had an accident? Maybe he is a rash driver or is he hiding a disability related issue? She left because daddy got posted out? So next time daddy get another posting she will quit. Got retrenched, company closed down, left because of no growth prospects ? Hey this may be a person with a problem – probably someone who gets shunted our easily - Maybe because he is dispensable?

Do not give reasons for leaving a company on your CV. The reasons can be misinterpreted. You can give an explanation for a job change when you are called in for an interview instead.

4) Do NOT include your salary details.
Job seekers tend to mention their current salary details or give their CTC (cost to company ) figures in their CV. They mention it either with their current job, or give salary figures for all the jobs that they have worked in.

Including salary details on your CV is a fundamental blunder. This is because companies have different structures for salary preparation. And if you don’t fit into their structure you may get rejected. They may also reject you because you are over their budget.

By including it, you are creating a reason for rejection without getting a fair chance to be called for an interview where you get a chance to negotiate or compromise.

Never include your salary details on your CV. Give yourself the chance to discuss and negotiate your salary requirement during the interview.

5) Do NOT include references, unless specifically asked.
There was a time when references were a necessary part of a CV. Job seekers used to go through a lot of trouble getting references from impressive contacts.

Today , there is no need to give references on your CV. If you are a job seeker, employers know that you can produce references. So you do not have to say – “References on request”.

In today’s environment a reference check happens to be the employer’s privilege. Every company has their own requirement- It could be talking to your client, your boss, other ex- employers, your colleagues. So if you are selected for a position, they will probably ask you for a specific kind of reference.

Avoid putting references on your CV when there is no need for it. It makes your CV unnecessarily long. You can produce them when specifically asked to do so.

6) Do NOT include family details.
Job seekers  tend to include information about their marital status, kids, employment details of spouse/ father ,religion.

This kind information  creates impressions about you that you have no control over.  Suppose a company is not keen to hire a person who is married, why take the chance of getting rejected without a fair chance? Personal data is not compulsory to show. People are keen to know what you can contribute to their organization. So stick to showing your expertise rather than your personal life.

And never mention your religion on your CV. This is often a ground for prejudice and getting rejected.

Avoid  giving personal information on your CV.

7) Do NOT include a conclusion statement at the end of the CV.
Remove the oath bearing statement at the end of your CV that says- I declare that all information is true and updated to the best of my ability - along with a date and signature. It is understood that you shouldn't lie. Also, it is a CV not an affidavit.

There is no need for it at all. It is redundant and it just occupies space.

Click here for the reference

 

Subject: 7 Things That Will Destroy Your Career

There are so many things that can kill the careers of good, hard-working people. Honest mistakes often carry hard-hitting consequences.

Most people  kill their careers in subtle, decidedly undramatic ways. And it’s a shame because it happens all the time.

A recent survey by VitalSmarts found that 83% of people had seen someone make a blunder that had catastrophic results for their career, reputation, or business, and 69% admitted that they themselves had done something that had damaged their careers:

• 31% said it cost them a promotion, a raise, or even a job

• 27% said it damaged a working relationship

• 11% said it destroyed their reputation

These numbers show how damaging you can be to your own career if you’re not careful. There doesn’t have to be a single, sickening moment when you realize that you just shoved your foot firmly in your mouth, either. Little things can add up over time and undermine your career just as much as (or more than) one huge lapse in judgment. The good news is that if you stay aware of them, these are all things that you can control before they creep up on you and kill your career.

1. Playing politics. Working hard to build strong work relationships is very different from instigating conflict, choosing sides, undermining colleagues, spreading rumours, and all of the other things that fall under the umbrella of “playing politics.” Again, it comes down to authenticity. If you find yourself sneaking around or if you’re embarrassed if some of your behind-the-scenes manipulations come to light, that’s politics. Stick to strategies you’d be proud to discuss in front of your colleagues.

2. Over-promising and under-delivering. It’s tempting to promise the moon to your colleagues and your clients, especially when you’re honest and hardworking and believe that you can do it. The problem is that there’s no point in creating additional pressure that can make you look bad. If you promise to do something ridiculously fast and you miss the deadline by a little bit, you’ll likely think that you did a good job because you still delivered quickly. But the moment you promise something to someone, they expect nothing less. You end up looking terrible when you fall short, which is a shame, because you could have done the same quality work in the same amount of time with great results if you’d just set up realistic expectations from the beginning. This is one of those situations where perception matters more than reality. Don’t deliberately undershoot your goals; just be realistic about the results you can deliver so that you’re certain to create expectations that you will blow out of the water.

3. Complacency. How long has it been since you proactively learned a new skill, reached out to your networking contacts, or even polished up your resume? If you can’t remember, you might have become a bit complacent, and complacency is a real career killer. It’s what happens when you’re just along for the ride and assume that nothing will ever change. But we’ve seen enough disruption—technological and otherwise—over the last few years to realize that change is inevitable. If you’re always too busy to learn something new or to expand your network, you’ve got your priorities mixed up. However, if you make continuous growth and development a priority, you’ll be ready for whatever comes your way.

4. Fear of change. Fear of change is complacency’s evil twin. It actively works to keep things the same. I’m sure you’ve seen this one first hand at work when someone uttered the dreaded words, “But we’ve always done it this way.” Things are changing too fast these days to latch on so tightly to the status quo, and the costs of doing so can be huge. In one survey, 91% of respondents said that the most successful employees are the ones who can adapt to the changing workplace. Change is a constant part of our lives, both personally and professionally. It doesn’t matter whether you think things should change or whether you prefer the old ways—change just is. You don’t have to learn to love it, but you do have to learn to stop resisting it and to start adapting to it.

5. Having an inflatable ego. Did you ever work with someone who had a string of successes and started thinking that they were the be-all and end-all of superstardom? Success is great. It definitely boosts your career, and it feels really, really good. The problems start once you let it go to your head. You start thinking that success is going to last forever and that you’re entitled to it. Never, ever be content with resting on your laurels. Once you start thinking that you’re the cat’s meow, you’re setting yourself up for very painful failure.

6. Low emotional intelligence (EQ). Everyone knows that you can get fired for being unable or unwilling to play nicely with others, but what trips up a lot of people is having a poorly developed poker face. If everyone can tell when you’re bored or irritated or that you think something a colleague says is stupid, this lack of emotional intelligence will catch up with you. Emotional outbursts, belittling others, shutting co-workers down when they speak, low self-awareness, and just generally being difficult are other ways that a lack of emotional intelligence will do great harm to your career.

7. Sucking up to your boss. Some people suck up to their boss and call it managing up, but that isn’t the case at all. Sucking up has nothing to do with a real relationship built on respect; it is sneaky and underhanded. Suck-ups try to get ahead by stroking the boss’s ego instead of earning his or her favour. That doesn’t go over well with colleagues who are trying to make it on merit. Yes, you want to bolster your relationship with your boss, but not by undermining your colleagues. That’s the key distinction here. For a boss-employee relationship to work, it has to be based on authenticity. There’s no substitute for merit.

A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that they can only damage their careers by making one huge misstep, but the reality is that it’s usually not that dramatic.

Reference: http://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2016/12/06/7-things-that-will-destroy-your-career/#7ed2d5251380

 

Subject: 7 Office Taboos That Are Now Totally Acceptable

Maybe it's the fact that we're all sharing a whole lot more of ourselves on social media. Maybe it's that the country as a whole is becoming more progressive. Whatever the cause, there's no question that workplace etiquette is more relaxed today than it's been in any of our lifetimes.

1. Talking about our kids. It used to be that anyone who mentioned their kids or how much they enjoyed spending time with them was considered "unambitious" or "soft." Women had to be especially wary of excess "baby talk." Now we give office baby showers and trade stories and photos of each other's little ones. Some industries are better than others at balancing work and family demands; but when it comes to workplace culture, we're moving in the right direction.

2. Crying at work. It's never good to cry at work, because nothing at work should make you feel so bad that you have to cry. But the reality is that frustrations can boil up, and sometimes it makes you want to run to the bathroom and bawl your eyes out. Doing so used to brand you a complete wuss. Nowadays, we're a little more understanding of the fact that sometimes our emotions the better of us. As a leader, it's never a good idea to do cry in public, but admitting that you're only human is both refreshing and honest.

3. Having side jobs. Now more than ever, it's totally acceptable for a devoted employee to let her boss know that she's writing a book...or, hey, even starting an educational media company! So long as it doesn't conflict with your current job, bosses know that employees want to be able to spread their wings and try different things. Some companies will even pay for you to get an extra degree or to take time off to work at something else. Why? Because they've caught on to the fact that happy, fulfilled people make amazing employees.

4. Working from home. It used to be that if you wanted to work from home, you'd be frowned upon. The conventional wisdom was that you'd be a much less productive worker and have a harder time advancing. The stigma of "telecommuting" is wearing off. Many more employees are given the privilege of working from home so long as they continue to perform at a high level. Nothing can replace being in the office, but sometimes a mix of onsite and remote work can be just as effective.

5. Office romances. Affairs in the office are never a good idea—but that doesn't mean two people can't fall in love at work. Outside of home, work is where you spend a majority of your time; so you may very well cross paths with a potential soulmate in the office. The best thing to do is to handle it openly with your boss once the relationship seems to be blossoming. Most managers will be understanding and tolerant. What they won't tolerate is an affair that turns into a War of the Roses after you break up.

6. Showing your personality. Let's think back to the 1980s, when work clothes meant dark suits, white shirts and more dark suits. Not so anymore. It's completely acceptable to wear bold colours, unusual shapes, and patterns that reflect your distinct style. Maybe it's the "selfie" culture, or maybe we just all collectively have better taste; but the meaning of "business attire" has changed radically in the last few decades.

7. Leaving early. Telling your boss you have to leave early to attend your kid's baseball game is a lot more acceptable these days than it was in the past. Since the advent of technology that enables us to work well after business hours, managers have come to understand that leaving early isn't going to compromise employees' performance. Yes, clocking out at 4 P.M. may mean that you have to stay up a little later finishing that presentation—but at least you've fulfilled your obligations to both sides.

Reference: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-office-taboos-now-totally-acceptable-betty-liu?trk=hp-feed-article-title-hpm

 

Subject: 9 mistakes you might be making in the first 10 minutes of the workday

The first few minutes of your workday are critical to your productivity for the next eight hours.

If you show up late to the office or get sucked into an overflowing inbox, you could easily get thrown off and have a hard time focusing for the rest of the day.

We did some research and rounded up nine common traps that can ensnare you within the first 10 minutes of your workday. Read on to find out how to avoid those pitfalls and set yourself up for success.

1. Getting in late

You could be sabotaging your workday before it even begins. A recent study, cited on the Huffington Post, found that bosses tend to see employees who come in later as less conscientious and give them lower performance ratings -- even if those employees leave later, too. It's not fair, but it's the current reality. So try getting to the office as early as possible.

2. Not greeting your co-workers

You can set a pleasant tone for yourself and others around you by taking a few minutes to catch up with your colleagues. If you're a leader and you don't say 'hi' to your team, your seeming lack of people skills could undercut your technical competence.

3. Drinking coffee

If you're not the kind of person who downs a cup right when you wake up, you probably grab it as soon as you get into the office. But research suggests that the best time to drink coffee is after 9:30 a.m. That's because the stress hormone cortisol, which regulates energy, generally peaks between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. When you drink coffee during that time, the body starts producing less cortisol, and depends more on caffeine. Once your cortisol levels start declining after 9:30 a.m., you might really need that caffeine boost.

4. Answering every email in your inbox

Once you settle into your chair, it's tempting to dive directly into the slew of messages that arrived overnight. The first 10 minutes of the workday should be spent quickly scanning and prioritising emails. That way you can see if there's anything urgent and create a plan for answering the rest later. Checking email can become one of those tasks that make it feel like you are accomplishing things, wherein the danger is you are not attending to priority-action items, and you're letting others set your agenda.

5. Launching into your work without a tentative schedule in mind

Before you buckle down, Taylor suggests making sure you have an idea of where the day is headed. That includes writing down your top priorities and must-dos for the day and reviewing your calendar. Check to see what events you may have planned and whether you need to prepare for any calls or conferences. Otherwise, you could be caught off guard when you get a 10-minute reminder for a team meeting and you're smack in the middle of writing a project proposal.

6. Doing the easiest tasks first

Research suggests that your energy and willpower tend to flag as the day goes on. That's why it's crucial to get the important stuff out of the way as soon as possible. Some people call this strategy 'eating the frog,' based on a quotation from Mark Twain: 'Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.'

7. Multitasking

Because you have so much energy in the morning, you might feel like you can do a million different things at once. But research suggests that multitasking can hurt your performance on the primary task, and that it's better to do one thing at a time. If you start your workday by juggling multiple priorities, you could set yourself back for the rest of the day. Instead, set a positive tone by focusing on a single task for the first 10 minutes.

8. Dwelling on negative thoughts

Maybe you nearly got knocked over by a pushy passenger on your commute. Or perhaps you had a fight with your partner the night before. Don't let those experiences distract you from the tasks that need to get done today. You should compartmentalise by putting those negative thoughts in a separate 'box' as you start your week. If necessary, you can revisit them later.

9. Having a meeting

Morning meetings could be a waste of your cognitive resources. Early mornings should be reserved for tasks that require considerable focus and concentration, like writing. If you have any say in when you have meetings with your boss and co-workers, make sure they're scheduled for low-energy times like the mid-afternoon - unless you know they require a ton of mental energy.

Reference: http://www.businessinsider.com.au/9-mistakes-you-might-be-making-in-the-first-10-minutes-of-the-workday-2016-10#/#-9

Subject: Going on a Job Interview? These 5 Signs Could Mean You’re Getting Hired

The job interview went well — or at least you think it did. You were cool and confident, answering questions with ease and projecting a friendly, professional demeanour. At this point, you're pretty much guaranteed to get hired, right?

Not so fast . You might think the job interview went well, or you might think it was a bust, but unless you're paying attention to how your interviewer behaved, you could be making all the wrong assumptions about your chances. Employers often give subtle clues as to how they feel about you during an interview. Sometimes, those indicators — such as an ultra-short interview or lack of follow-up questions — are a sign you're not making the grade. Others, like positive body language and relaxed chitchat, suggest you're making a positive impression.

Being able to read an interviewer can give you a lot of insight into your ultimate chances of getting a job, but it's not fool proof. As with most other things in life, there are no guarantees when it comes to job searching. You could have wowed the interviewer, but budget cuts or other issues might cause a company to put a hold on hiring, or a more impressive candidate could have walked in the door right after you.

For those reasons, job searchers should temper their expectations, even when they receive positive feedback from interviewers, according to HR expert Alison Green.

"Even if the interviewer says, 'You're just what we're looking for,' or, 'We're so excited to have found you,' or, 'I can't wait to have you start,'" you may not get the offer, she wrote on the blog Ask a Manager. "[T]hings change — better candidates appear, budgets get frozen, an internal candidate emerges, the position is restructured and you're not longer the right fit for it, a different decision-maker likes someone else better, one of your references is wonky and makes them gun-shy, or all kinds of other possibilities."

Nonetheless, some things employers say during job interviews can generally be taken as positive signs. If these five things happen, there's a reasonable chance you're going to get hired, or at least move on to the next step in the screening process.

1. You're Asked for References

At most companies, checking references is the final step in the hiring process. They've already decided they want to hire you, but they want to do their due diligence before making it official. If your interviewer ends your conversation with a request for references, it's a good sign. But know that some employers might ask for references as a matter of course, so being invited to hand over email addresses for your former bosses isn't a guarantee an offer is forthcoming.

"Generally a request for references is a good sign," Lars Schmidt, founder of Amplify Talent, told HR Bartender. "Most organizations only ask if you've passed the initial interview vetting, and they view your candidacy positively. It's not a guarantee of offer, but it's an indication they're feeling favourable enough about your potential to get more insight."

2. You're Asked to Stay Longer

When a 30-minute interview stretches to an hour, things are looking up for your job prospects. A longer interview can signal the employer is interested in getting to know you and learning more about your experience. On the other hand, a very short interview is often a red flag.

"Nine times out of ten, if the interview time was a lot less than the actual time allocated — you haven't got the job," according to a post recruiter Rebekah Shields wrote on LinkedIn. "They have made their mind up quickly and do not want to go into any more depth into the job or with you."

3. You're Introduced to the Team

When a one-on-one interview turns into a meet-and-greet with the rest of the office, you may already have a foot in the door. At this point, you've probably proved you have what it takes to do the job. Now, your interviewer wants to introduce you to potential co-workers so you can both make sure the position is a good culture and personality fit. But pay attention to the nature of the tour you're given. A general spin around the office is more likely to be standard interviewing procedure, while introductions to key players may be a sign you're seen as something special.

"When hiring managers are keenly interested in you, they oftentimes want to get the opinions of others," Lynn Taylor, a workplace expert and author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant," told Business Insider. "That may include their peers, their bosses, and your peers."

4. You're Asked About Other Possibilities

If a company is really interested in hiring you, they want to make sure they're not going to lose you to another employer. When your interviewer asks about whether you're interviewing other places, what your timeline is for making a decision about your next career move or if you have an offer on the table, they're trying to figure out how quickly they need to act before you get away.

"They're getting an idea of how active you are in the interview process," Devony Coley, senior consultant for recruiting firm WinterWyman, told Fast Company. "Are you starting your search? Testing the waters? Or do you have other solid opportunities? This question helps them know if they need to step up their hiring pace so they don't lose you."

5. The Timeline Is Specific

When an interviewer says "we still have a few more candidates to interview" or "we'll be in touch soon," it's hard to know for certain where you stand. The employer is being vague or noncommittal, either for reasons of politeness or because they'd prefer to keep their options open. When someone gives you a firm date for when they hope to make a hiring decision, like "we'll get back to you on Thursday," that can be seen as a good sign.

"If an interviewer is interested in a candidate, they may even ask when you'd like to or need to have their decision by," Bryan Brulotte, president of MaxSys Consulting & Staffing, wrote on LinkedIn. "They won't let you leave without knowing what your timeline looks like."

Reference: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/going-job-interview-5-signs-100000958.html

Subject: Make Strategic Thinking Part of Your Job

It’s a common complaint among top executives: “I’m spending all my time managing trivial and tactical problems, and I don’t have time to get to the big-picture stuff.” And yet when we ask my executive clients, “If I cleared your calendar for an entire day to free you up to be ‘more strategic,’ what would you actually do?” most have no idea. We often get a shrug and a blank stare in response. Some people assume that thinking strategically is a function of thinking up “big thoughts” or reading scholarly research on business trends. Others assume that watching TED talks or lectures by futurists will help them think more strategically.

How can we implement strategic thinking if we’re not even sure what it looks like?

In a 10-year longitudinal study of over 2,700 newly appointed executives, 67% of them said they struggled with letting go of work from previous roles. More than half (58%) said they were expected to know details about work and projects they believed were beneath their level, and more than half also felt they were involved in decisions that those below them should be making. This suggests that the problem of too little strategic leadership may be as much a function of doing as of thinking.

Rich Horwath, CEO of the Strategic Thinking Institute, found in his research that 44% of managers spent most of their time firefighting in cultures that rewarded reactivity and discouraged thoughtfulness. Nearly all leaders (96%) claimed they lacked time for strategic thinking, again, because they were too busy putting out fires. Both issues appear to be symptoms masking a fundamental issue. In our experience helping executives succeed at the top of companies, the best content for great strategic thinking comes right from one’s own job.

Here are three practical ways we’ve helped executives shift their roles to assume the appropriate strategic focus required by their jobs.

Identify the strategic requirements of your job.
One chief operating officer we worked with was appointed to her newly created role with the expressed purpose of integrating two supply chain organizations resulting from an acquisition. Having risen through the supply chain ranks, she spent most of her time reacting to operational missteps and customer complaints. Her adept problem-solving skill had trained the organisation to look to her for quick decisions to resolve issues. We asked her, “What’s the most important thing your CEO and board want you to accomplish in this role?” She answered readily, “To take out duplicate costs from redundant work and to get the organization on one technology platform to manage our supply chain.” Her succinct clarity surprised even her, though she quickly realised how little she was engaged in activities that would reach that outcome. We broke the mandate into four focus areas for her organisation, realigned her team to include leaders from both organisations, and ensured all meetings and decisions she was involved in directly connected to her mandate.

Unfortunately, for many executives, the connection between their role and the strategic contribution they should make is not so obvious. As quoted in Horwath’s study, Harvard Business School professor David Collis says, “It’s a dirty little secret: Most executives cannot articulate the objective, scope, and advantage of their business in a simple statement. If they can’t, neither can anyone else.” He also cites Roger Martin’s research, which found that 43% of managers cannot state their own strategy. Executives with less clarity must work harder to etch out the line of sight between their role and its impact on the organisation’s direction. In some cases, shedding the collection of bad habits that have consumed how they embody their role will be their greatest challenge to embodying strategic thinking.

Uncover patterns to focus resource investments.
Once a clear line of sight is drawn to a leader’s strategic contribution, resources must be aligned to focus on that contribution. For many new executives, the large pile of resources they now get to direct has far greater consequence than anything they’ve allocated before. Aligning budgets and bodies around a unified direction is much harder when there’s more of them, especially when reactionary decision making has become the norm. Too often, immediate crises cause executives to whiplash people and money.

This is a common symptom of missing insights. Without a sound fact and insight base on which to prioritise resources, squeaky wheels get all the grease. Great strategic executives know how to use data to generate new insights about how they and their industries make money. Examining patterns of performance over time — financial, operational, customer, and competitive data — will reveal critical foresight about future opportunities and risks.

For some, the word insight may conjure up notions of breakthrough ideas or “aha moments.” But studying basic patterns within available data gives simple insights that pinpoint what truly sets a company apart. In the case of the supply chain executive above, rather than a blanket cost reduction, she uncovered patterns within her data that identified and protected the most competitive work of her organisation: getting products to customers on time and accurately. She isolated those activities from work that added little value or was redundant, which is where she focused her cost-cutting efforts. She was able to dramatically reduce costs while improving the customer’s experience.

Such focus helps leaders allocate money and people with confidence. They know they are working on the right things without reacting to impulsive ideas or distracting minutia.

Invite dissent to build others’ commitment.
Strategic insight is as much a social capability as it is an intellectual one. No executive’s strategic brilliance will ever be acted upon alone. An executive needs those she leads to translate strategic insights into choices that drive results. For people to commit to carrying out an executive’s strategic thinking, they have to both understand and believe in it.

That’s far more difficult than it sounds. One study found that only 14% of people understood their company’s strategy and only 24% felt the strategy was linked to their individual accountabilities. Most executives mistakenly assume that repeated explanations through dense PowerPoint presentations are what increases understanding and ownership of strategy.

To the contrary, people’s depth of commitment increases when they, not their leader, are talking. One executive we worked with habitually took his strategic insights to his team and intentionally asks for duelling fact bases to both support and refute his thinking. As the debate unfolds, flawed assumptions are surfaced and replaced with shared understanding, ideas are refined, and ownership for success spreads.

Sound strategic thinking doesn’t have to remain an abstract mystery only a few are able to realize. Despite the common complaint, it’s not the result of making time for it. Executives must extract themselves from day-to-day problems and do the work that aligns their job with the company’s strategy. They need to be armed with insights that predict where best to focus resources. And they need to build a coalition of support by inviting those who must execute to disagree with and improve their strategic thinking. Taking these three practical steps will raise the altitude of executives to the appropriate strategic work of the future, freeing those they lead to direct the operational activities of today.

Reference:https://hbr.org/2016/10/make-strategic-thinking-part-of-your-job?_lrsc=44f745ec-4b47-466c-ac05-54a0c5dedaf5&_lrsc=6f37e749-5306-4c9f-811d-624546ac1d82&utm_source=social&utm_medium=leap&utm_campaign=linkedin&src=li-leap

Subject: 7 Bad Moves You Can't Afford to Make at Your Next Job Interview

These are the top seven reasons that we see most often for why our clients reject candidates.

1. They talk too much about compensation
   Generally, we will raise the issue of compensation once at the beginning of the interview and if you are within the range for the role we can move on and talk about other things. Once salary has been discussed, try not to keep going back to the topic, as a candidate who is primarily motivated by money rarely gets past the first interview.
   
   
2. The person uses a bad introduction
   Most people form their opinion of you in the first 30 seconds, so if your introduction is not great, it impacts the rest of the interview.
   
   
3. The LinkedIn profile does not match the CV
   As a LinkedIn profile is public, candidates are less likely to fill it full of half-truths or outright lies. It is very common for us to find roles on LinkedIn that are missing on the CV, massive differences in start/finish dates, and huge differences in title.
   
   
4. The person seems to lack energy or motivation
   We don't expect candidates to blast into the interview like a 100-meter sprinter, but if they come across as low energy we find it very hard to get past that. When digging into details of how people work, it is often clear they are happy to coast along and are not a great fit for a company that likes their staff to be very self-motivated and driven.
   
   
5. There are strange things in the background during video interviews
   We won't list some of the horrendous things we have seen in the background of candidate video interviews. You really don't want a boardroom of people seeing half the stuff you have lying about your house. Be sure to check behind you and make sure there is nothing there you do not want the interviewer to see. Also make sure you have privacy so nobody wanders into view.
   
   
6. There are weird things on their social profiles
   We always do a bit of Googling before we interview a candidate. In most cases what turns up is pretty standard, but there are times when we find things that are going to impact a candidate's chances of securing the role. Assume anything you post online is public and you won't have this issue.
   
   
7. The candidate is not 100% sure what role he or she wants
   Many candidates start hunting for a job before having a clear view of what role they want. When interviewing, we probe on this point and if we feel the candidate is interviewing across a broad range of incompatible roles then we usually decline. Normally, these candidates will get to the offer stage then withdraw, or accept and then switch jobs very quickly when they realise they made a bad career move.

Don't try to drastically change who you are to slip through interviews. Often what one person considers a red flag, others will see as a positive. In general, though, anything you do that consistently comes across as dishonest, abrupt, rude, lazy, or uncomfortable you should work on, as they rarely have a positive impact on your interview.

Reference: http://www.inc.com/quora/7-bad-moves-you-cant-afford-to-make-at-your-next-job-interview.html

Subject: 3 Real Questions Hiring Managers Actually Ask During Reference Checks

Every part of the interview process can feel tenuous. For example: Here are a few thoughts some of us have had in the past, which we are willing to bet have crossed your mind at some point, too.

If I wear the wrong outfit to the first interview, I’ll get made fun of relentlessly. If I  say something stupid during my final interview, the jig will be up—and nobody will ever hire me. And if my  references don’t come through with glowing reviews, all the hard work I’ve done to get to this stage will be wasted.

When we became recruiters, we learned that most of these thoughts are ridiculous, especially the one about reference checks. To help ease any anxiety you might be feeling about what people are telling your potential new boss, here are a few things asked during these calls. (Spoiler: most of these are set up to make you look great)

1. How Do You Know This Person?

No, seriously. As basic as this question sounds, it is the first thing we  ask when we get on the phone during a reference check. We honestly want to start every conversation by learning more about how he or she knew the person, whether or not they’ve worked together recently and ultimately why the candidate selected this person as one of his or her references. That’s it.

It’s  simple but surprisingly catches  people off-guard fairly often. “That can’t be all you want to talk about right now,” people often say . “There isn’t a whole lot to say about that time we met in our office  kitchen.” But the truth is—that’s  all we want to know, at least at the beginning of the conversation.

2. What Was The Experience of Working with the Candidate Like?

See? We told you these were usually set up for you to look really, really good. And unless you’re picking references that legitimately hate you, the odds are that each person will have a few bullet points prepared to discuss.

When we recruit, there are two things we want to get out of each call. We want to confirm the impressions we have of top candidates with people who had worked with them. And we want to verify that these people aren’t psychopaths. That’s it! So we ask this question to learn a few anecdotes about what each contender was like in an actual work setting.

Usually, the reference gushes about how they’ve missed working with you and that ‘we’d be idiots to not to extend an offer’. And unless we have some serious outstanding concerns, the answer to this question is usually enough to make us comfortable about moving forward.

3. What Has the Candidate Been Searching for in Previous Jobs?

For the record: If the reference was a current colleague, we don’t  ask this question. But also, most of the candidates we interview decline to list their present teammates.

So, we take  the opportunity to find out more about what each candidate hoped to do in their previous jobs but, for whatever reason, never got the chance to. We can always tell when a candidate gave their reference a script that was carefully curated to make them look like a ‘can’t-miss hire’. Whenever we have a hunch this is what we are dealing with, we  throw a slight curveball into our line of questioning, which often makes references stop and say, “Oh, I really wish I had thought about that.”

But in some cases, references talk candidly about career paths the candidate hoped to find themselves on at some point. And in a lot of cases, those goals line up with the position we are calling about—which helps us confirm that our contender isn’t just applying for every available job on the internet.

It’s worth re-emphasising that getting to the stage where a recruiter asks for references is a good sign. In our experience, employers only ask candidates to do this when they’re more or less convinced they’d like to hire them. And unless you’re picking references  who are excited to tell your potential boss that you were a criminal at some point, this is a stage that should not freak you out.

Of course, you might not feel solid about anything until you receive an offer, but if someone asks you to send over references, you don’t have nearly as much to worry about as you might be thinking.

Reference: http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2016/09/21/3-real-questions-hiring-managers-actually-ask-during-reference-checks/2/#61fcba676372

Subject: Millennials In The Workplace

Millennials are quickly becoming the most influential population in our market today as they are graduating from college and reaching their peak employment years. These Millennials are entering the workforce and they are bringing with them a new perception of what office life should be like and how relationships between employers and employees should be structured. In order to create the most Millennial friendly workplace, there are a few things you should know about the generation that will represent nearly 75 percent of the work force by 2030.

1. They want to grow, even if that means growing out of your company.

Can you guess the average tenure of Millennial employees? Two years. In the span of a professional career, two years seems to hardly make dent. In comparison, the average tenure for Gen X employees is five years and seven years for Baby Boomers. One of the primary reasons Millennials are more likely to change jobs is because they are not willing to stick around if they do not believe they are receiving any personal benefit or growth.

Millennials embrace a strong entrepreneurial mindset and they are often on the lookout for opportunities that can continue to move them up the ladder, even if that means up and out of their current position. As digital natives, Millennials have grown up in an era where the number of resources they have is almost infinite making them more efficient problem solvers and critical thinkers.

In order to keep up with this fast moving generation, don’t slow them down. If you notice your Millennial employees looking for more advanced opportunities give them more challenging work or encourage them to keep moving. Sound crazy? It’s not. If a Millennial employee feels like their bosses are invested in their personal growth they will be more likely to develop a stronger relationship not just with the company but with the people in it.

2. They want a coach, not a boss.

Piggy backing off of the previous insight, Millennial employees expect greater accessibility to the leadership in their offices and are looking for more mentorship rather than just direction. Research shows that the number one reason Millennials are likely to leave their current job is because of their boss. Creating an environment where Millennial employees feel supported and valued by the leadership will lead to increased productivity and valuable relationships.

That means that employee/employer relationships must extend beyond just the formal annual work review. According to a recent survey conducted by TriNet, a company dedicated to providing HR solutions, 69 percent of Millennials see their company’s review process as flawed. A major reason for this is because of the lack of feedback throughout the year. The survey also found that three out four Millennials feel in dark about their performance and nearly 90 percent would feel more confident if they had ongoing check-ins with their bosses.

“The more frequent the check-ins are, the better,” said Rob Hernandez, Perform Product Manager at Trinet. “The biggest issue with the annual review process is the formality. There is often more emphasis on reflection rather than opportunities for improvement in the future.”

3. They don’t want to waste time on the little things.

According to another survey from TriNet, business expense reporting procedures by some companies have caused negative impact on Millennials. This includes their personal finances and ability to take advantage of professional opportunities – leading some Millennials to look for other jobs. Three out of five respondents to the survey reported that they have had problems paying a personal bill because they were waiting for an expense reimbursement from their employer and Millennials are 21 percent more likely than Gen Xers or Baby Boomers to have difficulty paying a personal bill because they were waiting to be reimbursed for business expenses.

More than half of employees who responded to the survey also said they have given up the opportunity to attend a conference, training or other professional opportunities because their employer’s reimbursement policy made it too difficult. We already know that professional development is vital to Millennial employment satisfaction. While many employers are willing to invest in expensive growth opportunities, their outdated reimbursement processes could be turning this important benefit from tempting to tedious.

It is surprising that any employer should lose Millennial employees due to archaic expense reporting policies when there are inexpensive, reliable and efficient expense reporting tools readily available. The most successful brands with high Millennial retention are adopting a cloud-based app, with a mobile component, that allows them to fully automate the expense-reporting process… from anywhere. Expense-reporting technology cuts down tremendously on administrative time, reimbursement time, human errors and potentially the loss of valuable Millennial employees.

4. They want balance and democracy.

It is no secret that Millennials have inspired a new wave of consumer democracy in our market today. Just take a look at some of the fastest growing brands. Uber, GoPro, Airbnb, and more have all built their companies on the idea of consumer equality in regards to accessibility and shared consciousness. For Millennials, there is no reason why these same principles cannot be transitioned into the workplace.

Millennials have very much re-imagined the 40-hour work week with many employers working to provide more benefits and waste less time commuting –a win for both the enlightened company, as well as the employee. According to Pew Research Centre, “if they were able to make their current job more flexible, 64 percent of Millennials want to occasionally work from home and 66 percent would like to shift their hours.”

This is not a result of Millennial laziness. In fact, it is the exact opposite. Millennials base their performance on output rather than time spent on a project. By focusing on number of hours rather than quality of work, employers are setting a standard that can neither be beaten nor lost. Millennial employees are happy to work long hours on the projects that require additional time however, they do not want to sit around the office until 5pm if their work was completed two hours earlier.

While keeping these four things is mind is imperative as you start to increase the number of Millennials in your office, the most important thing to remember is that Millennials no longer work for you; they work with you.

As the most collaborative and inclusive generation to date, these young adults expect their place of work to embrace the same idealism and values they hold so dear. Creating an environment that aligns with the participation economy will be your biggest opportunity to create a company where Millennials not only want to work, but seek out as a top professional career.

Reference: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffromm/2015/11/06/millennials-in-the-workplace-they-dont-need-trophies-but-they-want-reinforcement/#1091e67c5127

Subject: 10 CV mistakes and how to avoid them

Often, your CV is your one shot of impressing a recruiter and securing you an interview for a job you really want. So it’s important that you get it absolutely right.

Unfortunately though, talk to any of us at Accotech and we’ll tell you how many potentially good candidates fall at the first job hunting hurdle by making silly but fatal mistakes on their CV.

To help ensure you don’t make any little – but costly – errors, we look at 10 of the biggest CV mistakes, and explain how you can avoid them.

 

 

1) Including irrelevant personal information

On average, recruiters spend just 6 seconds looking at CVs, so you don’t want to clog yours up with irrelevant information that’s not going to help your application – and may cause them to miss the really juicy contents. So, unless it’s directly relevant to the position you’re applying for, leave out details like your religion, political preferences, height, weight and the story about the time you met Daniel Craig.

2) Hiding important information

Just as you need to declutter your CV by leaving out anything irrelevant, it’s vital to highlight the key points that may help swing an interview for a particular job. So think about the design of your CV and ways you can bring important details to the fore, for example by putting key achievements in bullet points or bolding your previous job titles.

3) Being too vague

Using phrases like ‘several’, ‘a few’ and ‘numerous’ can come across as too vague on a CV. So if you spent three years working on a project, say so. Or if you exceeded a sales target, include how much it was by. And if you say you delivered more than a client was expecting, briefly explain how. If you’re too vague it can seem like at best you’re exaggerating, at worst making something up completely.

4) Mysterious gaps in employment

If for any reason you’ve taken a break for employment – whether it’s for travel, study, volunteering, redundancy or simply to care for your child – explain it. If you don’t, recruiter may jump to their own, less flattering conclusions and pass your CV over without a second thought.

5) Lying or manipulation of the truth

While your CV should absolutely be the best, shiny version of you and your experiences, making up qualifications, experiences or achievements will invalidate any of your real, hard won successes. Recruiters are on the lookout for anything that seems out of place, including salaries and job titles (and are often expert at spotting them), so be honest and ensure that you give your real attributes a fair chance of getting you the job you want.

6) Throwing in the kitchen sink

Your CV should be as short as it possibly can, while delivering the information a recruiter is looking for. Recruiters are very busy people, and they don’t have time to wade through pages of long winded explanations of how you learned the value of work on a paper round. So stick to two pages at a maximum, and take your work experience back as far as is relevant. Likewise your qualifications – unless it’s relevant, resist the temptation to list every GCSE subject or course taken over the past 20 years.

7) Unnecessarily elaborate design

These days, the chances are your CV is going to be judged on a screen. So don’t take the opportunity to play with fancy fonts and colours – stick to typefaces that are screen friendly (like Ariel, Times New Roman or Verdana) and use a font size of 10 or 12 for body copy, and slightly larger for subheads. If you’re sending it as an attachment, use Word. And avoid backgrounds and ornate borders. Let your experiences and achievements be the star.

8) A meaningless introduction

If you include an introduction in your CV, make sure it’s to the point, and accurately sums up the key qualities the recruiter is looking for. Avoid meaningless phrases like ‘Dynamic, results-oriented, driven, personable team player’ and instead clearly outline your key qualification for the role. For example, ‘Part time sales manager with 16 years’ experience in the commercial sector’. If a recruiter looks at one thing on your CV, it could well be your introduction so ensure it tells them as much as possible.

9) Including references

You’ve little enough space on your CV to ensure you are able to portray yourself as the full package, so don’t waste any with lengthy references. Most recruiters don’t expect them, and a simple note saying ‘References available on request’ is enough. If a job advert specifically requests references, you can include them on a separate sheet.

10) Poor spelling and grammar

You’ve heard the rhyme about the nail that lost the war? In a similar vein, one silly spelling mistake can kill an otherwise perfect CV. So before you send your CV out, use spell check and then proofread it thoroughly. If you’re not 100% confident in your grammar, ask a friend to check it over for you.

Reference: http://www.talentedladiesclub.com/all-help/10-common-cv-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them/

Subject: The 21 Most Creative Job Titles

In today’s era of ruthless competition and continuous innovation, people don’t want stodgy, confining job titles. Rather than calling employees by a traditional moniker, many leading companies opt to use more playful titles for their employees. This energises team members. Because we’re in a creative economy, your people are your differentiation – if you want them to think outside the box, why should they have an “in the box” title?

Think through your meetings with employees who deserve some added recognition. A potential perk for these team members could be a change in title to something with a bit more personality. Even better? Be like Method (the cool cleaning products company), and let the person choose her own title.

Additionally, this change in titling will communicate your brand from a recruitment standpoint. You have painstakingly crafted your brand’s messaging to be consistent across all of your handouts, website, products, customer service strategies, and processes. Why not get HR on board? Have a little fun, and maybe – just maybe – your employees will, too.

Here are a few of our favourite creative titles, along with what the “traditional” version would be.

• VP of Misc. Stuff – does a little of everything – Quicken Loans
• Genius – service technician – Apple (retail stores)
• Director of First Impressions – receptionist – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Sous chef – Product development technician – Method
• The Resinator – leads packaging team – Method
• Arts and Crafts Designer – creates engaging marketing campaigns, artistic product packaging, and colourful designs – Method
• Director, Ethical Hacking - helps financial institutions identify the vulnerabilities of their Web applications and networks – Predictive Systems, Inc.
• Master of Disaster - helps federal, state, and local authorities access the information they need to recover quickly from calamities – MapInfo Corp.
• Project Meanie – her job is to keep her coworkers on schedule – InsightShare LLC
• Crayon Evangelist - oversees all of the company’s graphic-design needs – InteQ Corp.
• Catalyst – executive assistant/office manager – Detroit Venture Partners
• Director of First Impressions – receptionist – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Creator of opportunities – SVP of business development – Allen & Gerritsen
• Ambassador of buzz – corporate communications associate – Grasshopper
• Digital prophet – attempts to predict trends – AOL
• Chief curator – chooses which items to be featured on homepage – eBay
• Head of global trends and futuring – progressive strategist – Ford Motor Co
• Chief Cheerleader – CEO who supports the whole team’s efforts – Mid America Motorworks
• Chief Amazement Officer – founder – Shephard Presentations
• President and TeaEO – play on words here for the CEO – Honest Tea
• Chief Troublemaker – CEO – Matrix Group

What titles have you seen that intrigued you? The memorable monikers drive imagination and help the brands shine in a highly competitive marketplace.   It’s time to say goodbye to the Vice President of Compliance and welcome in the Chief Getting Stuff Done Officer.

Reference: http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshlinkner/2014/12/04/the-21-most-creative-job-titles/#7f29169b646b

Subject: Do You Have The DNA Of A Successful Entrepreneur?

With start-ups playing a larger role in the economy than ever before, it can be easy to lose sight of a simple fact: becoming a successful entrepreneur is both extremely difficult and rare. The chance of an entrepreneur’s first or second start up ending in success is about 20%. After the first two attempts, the odds get slightly better, but are still pretty terrifying with a 30% chance of success.

So what’s the trick to beating the odds? Even if you’ve got the best product or service out there, it still comes down to possessing the right traits and skillsets as an entrepreneur.

There are several common traits that are serious factors in the success of entrepreneurs.

Here are three questions to ask yourself to make sure you have the DNA successful entrepreneurs need to succeed:

1. Are you good with duct tape?
Have you ever split a roll of duct tape down the middle to get two rolls out of one? According to a Harvard Business Journal article, resourcefulness is one of the most important aspects of being a successful entrepreneur. The ability to solve big problems with a small team and minimal tools at your disposal will not only position your business for success, but it will train you and your team to always approach problems creatively and make innovative thinking the norm in your workplace. Even when you have more finances and resources to work with, being good with duct tape will have benefits that reach far beyond taking care of the business’ day-to-day challenges; it will cultivate resourcefulness team-wide.

2. Do you have insatiable curiosity?
According to a 2015 PwC survey, over a thousand CEOs listed curiosity and open-mindedness as two of the most important leadership traits. Do you lie awake at night thinking of how you can improve systems in your company? Does a new skillset that a recent hire has brought to the table get your blood pumping? If so, you can be confident that your mind is in the right place. Always looking for better and more effective ways of conducting business is the only way to stay ahead of the game and stay the course when things get tough. When Michael Dell, CEO of Dell, was asked to name the one attribute CEOs need most to succeed in the times ahead, he said, “I would place my bet on curiosity.”

3. Do you like stepping on rakes and getting hit in the face?
Because it will happen a lot. The statistics show that all entrepreneurs have “stepped on a rake and gotten hit in the face” at least once. It is encouraging to see how many people try again and again to do something they love, knowing that things might not work out. That’s the plight of the entrepreneur: try something new, get hit in the face, and repeat. But it’s that willingness to try and fail that ultimately leads to success. You learn something a little different with each rake to the face. Better strategies. Better systems. Who to hire. Who not to hire. Persevering through the failures and being the wiser for each of them is often the only way to make it to your end goal. As Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter, puts it, “Timing, perseverance, and ten years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success.” There are no guarantees in the world of start-ups. But if you possess these traits, your chances of success go way up.

Reference: http://www.forbes.com/sites/williamvanderbloemen/2016/07/31/do-you-have-the-dna-of-a-successful-entrepreneur/2/#7bec52e81487

Subject: 5 Easy Steps to Find Your Flow Every Single Day

Developing the ability to enter a state of flow is life-changing. When you enter into full contact with the present moment and lose track of the world around you, time flies, productivity skyrockets, and you experience a deep sense of fulfilment.

Positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote, spoke, and intensively studied the state of flow:

"The best moments usually occur when a person's body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile. Optimal experience is thus something we make happen”.

Csikszentmihalyi believes that happiness and peak performance come from within. His research led him to conclude that humans have the unique ability to create environments that facilitate the development of a state of flow.

According to Csikszentmihalyi's research, here are seven statements that summarize what it feels like to be in a state of flow:

• You're completely immersed in what you're doing, such that you're focused and concentrated on the task at hand.
• There's a sense of ecstasy pervading your experience that feels outside of everyday reality.
• You have the felt-experience of inner clarity originating in your knowledge of what must be done and the integration of immediate feedback from the environment.
• Because you have the necessary skill set, you recognize that you're able to accomplish the task hand.
• No energy is directed towards distractions, fears of failure, or other concerns because you've transcended your ego and are only concerned with the here-and-now.
• Due to your immersion in the present moment, your sense of time falls from your awareness.
• You experience flow as its own reward, indicating that the process is the destination. 
• Imagine if you were able to cultivate flow on a daily basis. If you were a basketball player, you'd be Michael Jordan. You wouldn't over-think the buzzer-beating jump shot to win the game, you'd simply be so consumed by the moment that you'd transcend fear and be one with the basketball as it flows through the net.

Here's five ways to find your flow every single day:

1. Select a task.
If you want to enter flow, you need to select a task that's challenging enough to create a state of arousal. If you can't select a task that's stimulating and engaging, then you need to create more difficult goals within that task to create an optimal level of difficulty that can draw you towards a state of flow.

2. Develop proficient skills.
After you've selected the task, you need to develop the skills required to meet the demands of the task. If the task is difficult and challenging, developing your skills to meet the demands of the situation will help you find flow--after all, if you don't have the skills the task will be too difficult.

If you're on the other end of the spectrum and have all of the skills necessary, then you need to re-frame your goals and find ways to make the task more meaningful.

3. Set clear goals.
Part of finding flow is being clear on what you want to achieve. Specify markers that will let you know if you're in the process of achieving your goals and signs that indicate when you've successfully met your goals. These indicators will help give you feedback during your task.

For tasks that aren't sufficiently challenging, adding the goal of being fully present is a difficult and worthwhile goal that may help facilitate a movement towards flow.

4. Eliminate distractions and frame your experience.
Put down your iPhone, turn off the television, close out of your group office chat, and glance at the clock. You're going to need a minimum of 15 minutes to enter a state of flow, so make sure you have sufficient time allocated to the task at hand.

Show your goals and the state of consciousness you wish to enter some respect by creating an optimally encouraging and safe environment.

5. Immerse yourself in the present moment.
Start bringing your awareness to the now. Connect to your breath and what it feels like to be in your body. With deliberate movements, go about your activity while allowing the mind to remain focused on sensations and actions rather than being distracted by thoughts.

As thoughts and feelings enter your mind, allow them to pass by like clouds against a blue sky. Remember, finding your flow means staying grounded as the sky and letting everything else melt away. You are not your thoughts, you are not your fears, you are the witness-awareness of motion.

Become one with your task, and enter the zone of peak performance, happiness, and fulfilment. Learn to pay attention to what's happening in the present moment and start enjoying your immediate experience.

The more you practice the five steps above, the more proficient you'll become at finding your flow.

Reference: http://www.inc.com/matthew-jones/5-easy-steps-to-find-your-flow-every-single-day.html

Subject: How to make sure your social media accounts don’t cost you a job

We've already seen parents invade Facebook — now employers are getting in on the act.

A 2016 CareerBuilder survey found that 60% of employers research job candidates on social media. That's eight percentage points up from last year, and a staggering 49 percentage points up from when the annual social media recruitment survey first began in 2006.

Bosses in certain industries are more likely to check a candidate's profile. IT, for instance, leads the pack with 76% of employers screening job seekers on social media, trailed by sales (65%), financial services (61%), and healthcare and retail (tied at 59%).

The survey, which was conducted by Harris Poll between February 10 and March 17 among 2,186 hiring managers and 3,031 full time workers, discovered that six in ten employers say they approach candidates' profiles "looking for information that supports their qualifications for the job." Most are searching for a professional online persona, so ensure your LinkedIn's up to date.

While CareerBuilder asserts that "most hiring managers aren't intentionally looking for negatives," 49% of hiring managers who research candidates on social media say they've not hired a candidate based on social media presence. Plus, 21% of managers admit to actively looking for reasons not to hire you.

Want to make sure your fire tweets and sweet posts aren't jeopardizing your job search? Here are some precautions to take (most of it's just common sense):

• Make sure your profiles are free of provocative, inappropriate content (a big turn off for 46% of employers)
• Put away the keg and the drug paraphernalia (43% of hiring managers didn't want to see evidence of candidates drinking or using drugs)
• Don't be a bigot (about a third of bosses don't want to hire someone who spews discriminatory speech online)
• Don't bad-mouth your old boss (31% of respondents marked that as a red flag)
• Watch your writing (29% of employers watch for poor communication skills on social media)
• Before you panic and lock down all your social media settings, keep this in mind: over two in five employers say they're less likely to interview people that they're unable to research online. Plus, over a third of employers who've encountered candidates with private accounts have attempted to friend said candidates. Candidate-employer friend acceptance rates declined to 68% in 2016 — down 12 percentage points from last year. Plus, the news isn't all bad. In fact, slightly over a third of employers who screen job seekers using social media say they've discovered content that increased their interest in a candidate. If you're hoping to boost your chances of getting hired, make sure:
• your profiles support your job qualifications and convey a professional image (44% of employers liked to see that);
• you strive to project a personality that'll mesh well with the company (43% of hiring managers wanted to see this);
• you demonstrate a wide range of interests (one in four bosses looked for that);
• and you showcase your awesome communication skills (36% of hiring managers wanted to see strong writing abilities).

CareerBuilder chief human resources officer Rosemary Haefner says that it's important for job seekers to remember their social media presence is available for public viewing.

"This doesn't necessarily mean a potential employee should be worried, but they should definitely be cautious and aware of their own internet reputation before applying to any jobs," Haefner said. "A job seeker should ensure that all work experience, skills and portfolios are consistent across every social network — as employers easily identify inconsistencies and could question your qualifications."

Reference: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-make-sure-your-social-media-accounts-dont-cost-you-a-job

Subject: 10 Best Job Interview Tips for Job-Seekers

When you have successfully mastered cover letters, CVs, and job applications and are receiving requests for interviews, it’s time to understand how to succeed in the job interview so that you are ever closer to your goal of obtaining one or more job offers. This article focuses on the 10 most important — the 10 best — job-interviewing tips for job-seekers.

1. Conduct Research on the Employer, Hiring Manager, Job Opportunity.
Success in a job interview starts with a solid foundation of knowledge on the job-seeker’s part. You should understand the employer, the requirements of the job, and the background of the person (or people) interviewing you. The more research you conduct, the more you’ll understand the employer, and the better you’ll be able to answer interview questions (as well as ask insightful questions — see #8). Information sources include the organisation’s Website and other published materials, search engines, research tools, and your network of contacts.

2. Review Common Interview Questions and Prepare Responses.
Another key to interview success is preparing responses to expected interview questions. First, inquire as to the type of interview to expect (which you can do by asking your contact person at the organization). Your goal is composing detailed yet concise responses, focusing on specific examples and accomplishments. A good tool for remembering your responses is to put them into story form that you can tell in the interview. No need to memorize responses (in fact, it’s best not to), but at least develop talking points.

3. Dress for Success.
Plan out a wardrobe that fits the organization and its culture, striving for the most professional appearance you can accomplish. Remember that it’s always better to be overdressed than under — and to wear clothing that fits and is clean and pressed. Keep accessories and jewellery to a minimum. Try not to smoke or eat right before the interview — and if possible, brush your teeth or use mouthwash.

4. Arrive on Time for the Interview — and Prepared for Success.
There is no excuse for ever arriving late for an interview — other than some sort of disaster. Strive to arrive about 15 minutes before your scheduled interview to complete additional paperwork and allow yourself time to get settled. Arriving a bit early is also a chance to observe the dynamics of the workplace. The day before the interview, pack up extra copies of your resume or CV and reference list. If you have a portfolio or samples of your work, bring those along too. Finally, remember to pack several pens and a pad of paper to jot notes. Finally, as you get to the offices, shut off your cell phone. (And if you were chewing gum, get rid of it.)

5. Make Good First Impressions — to Everyone You Encounter.
A cardinal rule of interviewing: Be polite and offer warm greetings to everyone you meet — from parking attendant or receptionist to the hiring manager. Employers often are curious how job applicants treat staff members — and your job offer could easily be derailed if you’re rude or arrogant to any of the staff. When it’s time for the interview, keep in mind that first impressions — the ones interviewers make in the first few seconds of greeting you — can make or break an interview. Make a strong first impression by dressing well (see #3), arriving early (see #4), and when greeting your interviewer, stand, smile, make eye contact, and offer a firm (neither limp and nor bone-crushing) handshake. Remember that having a positive attitude and expressing enthusiasm for the job and employer are vital in the initial stages of the interview; studies show that hiring managers make critical decisions about job applicants in the first 20 minutes of the interview.

6. Be Authentic, Upbeat, Focused, Confident, Candid, and Concise.
Once the interview starts, the key to success is the quality and delivery of your responses. Your goal should always be authenticity, responding truthfully to interview questions. At the same time, your goal is to get to the next step, so you’ll want to provide focused responses that showcase your skills, experience, and fit — with the job and the employer. Provide solid examples of solutions and accomplishments — but keep your responses short and to the point. By preparing responses to common interview questions (see #2), you’ll ideally avoid long, rambling responses that bore interviewers. Always attempt to keep your interview responses short and to the point. Finally, no matter how much an interviewer might bait you, never badmouth a previous employer, boss, or co-worker. The interview is about you — and making your case that you are the ideal candidate for the job.

7. Remember Body Language, Avoiding Bad Habits.
While the content of your interview responses is paramount, poor body language can be a distraction at best — or a reason not to hire you at worst. Effective forms of body language: smiling, eye contact, solid posture, active listening, nodding. Detrimental forms of body language: slouching, looking off in the distance, playing with pen, fidgeting in chair, brushing back hair, touching face, chewing gum, mumbling.

8. Ask Insightful Questions.
Studies continually show that employers make a judgment about an applicant’s interest in the job by whether or not the interviewee asks questions. Thus, even if the hiring manager was thorough in his or her discussions about the job opening and what is expected, you must ask a few questions. The smart job-seeker prepares questions to ask days before the interview, adding any additional queries that might arise from the interview.

9. Sell Yourself Throughout and then Close the Deal.
An adage in interviewing says the most qualified applicant is not always the one who is hired — which means the hired candidate is often the job-seeker who does the best job in responding to interview questions and showcasing his or her fit with the job, department, and organization. Some liken the job interview to a sales call. You are the salesperson — and the product you are selling to the employer is your ability to fill the organization’s needs, solve its problems, propel its success. Finally, as the interview winds down, ask about the next steps in the process and the timetable the employer expects to use to make a decision about the position. If you are applying for a sales job — or a position requiring equivalent aggressiveness — consider asking for the job at the end of the interview.

10. Thank Interviewer(s) in Person, by Email, and Postal Mail.
As you have already seen from previous tips, common courtesy and politeness go far in interviewing; thus, the importance of thanking each person who interviews you should come as no surprise. Start the process while at the interview, thanking each person who interviewed you. Writing thank-you emails and notes shortly after the interview will not get you the job offer, but doing so will certainly give you an edge over any of the other finalists who did not bother to send thank-you’s.

Final Thoughts on Job Interview Success
Succeeding in job interviews takes research, practice, and persistence. The more effort you put into your interview preparation, the more success you’ll see in obtaining job offers — especially if you remember and follow these 10 job interviewing tips.

Reference: https://www.livecareer.com/quintessential/job-interview-tips

Subject: How do you know if Someone Is Ready to Be a Manager?

When you’re hiring a new manager, the stakes are high. You need someone who can effectively lead people, manage a budget, liaise with upper management and, usually, do it all from day one.

But what if a potential hire doesn’t yet have a track record in doing all of the above? Would you hire or promote a star player into a management role if they’ve never actually managed anyone?

To gain some perspective on how to handle this kind of challenge, I reached out to some management experts for their point of view on the skills and personalities to look for.

An important thing to look for in this situation is an awareness of the nature of management. Moving into a management role requires divesting oneself of some individual contributor duties and taking on new duties as a team leader.

If the new manager doesn’t fully understand that, they might hold things up by:

• Doing tasks that should be delegated to team members
• Taking back the tasks that they have delegated because they believe they can do them better
• Under communicating with direct reports, making them unsure of their duties
• Micromanaging in a way that doesn’t allow team members to expand their own capabilities

A good way to gauge whether a candidate understands the manager role is to ask what they think management is about, and what specifically they would strive to do in managing a particular team.

It can be helpful to ask what other management experience they have had outside of work: leading an athletic team, a school literary magazine, a squad of volunteers, a large number of younger siblings? They may have gained a very useful view of effective management in any of these former roles.

For some real-world perspective on becoming a first-time manager, Dr. Jim Mitchell, a computer scientist who made the leap into management from an engineering position, eventually retiring as Vice President at Oracle Laboratories said that people-skills, including empathy and self-knowledge, were the most important characteristics he needed to possess when he transitioned to a management role. Self-awareness, gained from life circumstances or professional experience, is therefore what he subsequently looks for in a potential new manager. The individual must understand that his knowledge of the work his team does (one of the basic qualifications that can help him be promoted to manager) can actually lead to inappropriate, ineffective micromanagement of the people who would now work for him.

For a management perspective, Martin Brauns, retired chair and CEO of Interwoven Inc. agrees that emotional intelligence is what he looks for in a new management hire. He also says that the hiring of managers should observe what he calls ‘horizon’, the individual’s ability to look beyond the current task and the immediate situation to the additional considerations that a manager should demonstrate: a vision for the future and the ramifications of that vision as well as an understanding of how to implement big-picture thinking.

It’s also important for both the candidate and the team to understand the critical elements of management in this particular organisation. What is the organisational culture, what kind of professionals work here and what are the constraints or resources in this kind of work? This sort of information may be better understood by an internal candidate, of course, but an avid, promising outside candidate will have researched these elements of the job, or will at least know the right questions to ask in the interview process.

If you’re considering promoting a member of your organisation, you can ask them or their co-workers for examples of the above-mentioned management characteristics and skills. Ask questions such as:

• When have you had to increase your self-awareness in order to move something forward?
• What do you view as the challenges of managing this team, at this time?
• Have you managed a group outside of work that helped you learn something about management?
• Who among your co-workers has already seen your ability to manage a group and a project?
• How would you prepare to move from your current role on the team into the role of team manager?
• How have you developed your people skills?
• How would you balance your attention to the big-picture goals and your team’s everyday implementation of them?
• By considering these issues and by listening, observing, questioning, and discussing the potential of this candidate with others, you may conclude that they could be a talented and effective manager. And if that’s the case, you want your decision to hire or promote them to be a successful one.

That’s why you need to discuss the resources you can supply to assure that the new manager will flourish. You can tell them that you or someone else will be available for mentoring, that there will be regular check-in meetings, that they should remember you want them to succeed, and that it’s quite alright to acknowledge the ups and downs of becoming a good manager. After all, every manager had to take the first leap into managing people — and someone had to take a leap of faith in them.

Reference: https://hbr.org/2016/06/how-to-know-if-someone-is-ready-to-be-a-manager

Subject: Are You A Boss Or A Leader? There’s A Big Difference!

Did you know there is a big difference when it comes to being a leader vs. a boss? You may have been promoted to a managerial position and are a “boss” now, but this doesn’t automatically make you a leader.

As a manager, you oversee a team of employees, daily tasks and activities, and ensuring the operation is running smoothly. You’re in the hot seat to resolve everyday issues, hold employees accountable, and make sure the job is getting done.

The problem is… most managers are ineffective leaders, which results in unhappy employees and frequent turnover. The #1 reason people leave their jobs is because of a bad boss.

So what is the difference between a boss and a leader? Here are a few examples:

1. Inspiration
A boss is all about power and control, demanding orders, and has an “I’m always right “ attitude. A leader is inspires the team to grow, learn, and succeed. A leader will recognize employee’s strengths and utilize them, while also helping to build up their weaknesses. He provides an environment for the employees to think for themselves and solve problems independently. Instead of being defensive, a leader is playing offense—helping his team become more productive and making situations better instead of placing blame when things go wrong.

2. Teaching
A leader is always looking for a way to improve the team. If an employee is facing a roadblock and goes to the manager for a solution, a leader will help the employee troubleshoot the issue and demonstrate she has confidence in him, instead of just telling him exactly how to solve the problem. This teaching quality will give confidence to the employee that they can move forward, add value, and problem-solve on their own. Employees typically go to their manager with issues because they are uncertain about how their approach, not because they feel incompetent. Instead of instant direction, ask the employee if they have any ideas… sometimes they just need a bit of encouragement.

3. Empower
A boss micromanages and watches every move an employee makes. There isn’t trust in the team to do their job efficiently, and a boss will analyse every mistake and criticize. A true leader has confidence in his team, encourages them to have ideas and workflows of their own, and provides constructive feedback. The leader knows when he’s needed to solve an issue or make a decision, but he also knows when to step back. Food for thought: Are you always looking over your employee’s shoulder? Or do you trust them to get the job done and make yourself available for any questions that may arise?

As a good boss—a leader—you have to know when to let go and let your employees handle their own roles and responsibilities. Believe in them. Support them. Build them up and encourage. As a leader, it is your responsibility to help your team succeed. If you’re not helping them develop, grow, and reach their goals… you’re not doing your job.

Do you know your leadership strengths??

Reference: http://www.linkedin.com/pulse/you-boss-leader-theres-big-difference-alan-o-rourke?trk=v-feed&trk=v-feed

Subject: 10 Tips on writing a successful CV

1) Get the basics right
There is no right or wrong way to write a CV but there are some common sections you should cover. These include: personal and contact information; education and qualifications; work history and/or experience; relevant skills to the job in question; own interests, achievements or hobbies; and some references.

2) Presentation is key
A successful CV is always carefully and clearly presented, and printed on clean, crisp white paper. The layout should always be clean and well-structured and CVs should never be crumpled or folded, so use an A4 envelope to post your applications. Always remember the CV hotspot – the upper middle area of the first page is where the recruiter's eye will naturally fall, so make sure you include your most important information there.

3) Stick to no more than two pages of A4
A good CV is clear, concise and makes every point necessary without waffling. You don't need pages and pages of paper – you just keep things short and sweet. A CV is a reassurance to a potential employer, it's a chance to tick the right boxes. And if everything is satisfied, there's a better chance of a job interview. Also, employers receive dozens of CVs all the time so it's unlikely they'll read each one cover to cover. Most will make a judgment about a CV within sections, so stick to a maximum of two pages of A4 paper.

4) Understand the job description
The clues are in the job application, so read the details from start to finish. Take notes and create bullet points, highlighting everything you can satisfy and all the bits you can't. With the areas where you're lacking, fill in the blanks by adapting the skills you do have. For example, if the job in question requires someone with sales experience, there's nothing stopping you from using any retail work you've undertaken – even if it was something to help pay the bills through university. It will demonstrate the skills you do have and show how they're transferable.

5) Tailor the CV to the role
When you've established what the job entails and how you can match each requirement, create a CV specifically for that role. Remember, there is no such thing as a generic CV. Every CV you send to a potential employee should be tailored to that role so don't be lazy and hope that a general CV will work because it won't. Create a unique CV for every job you apply for. You don't have to re-write the whole thing, just adapt the details so they're relevant.

6) Making the most of skills
Under the skills section of your CV don't forget to mention key skills that can help you to stand out from the crowd. These could include: communication skills; computer skills; team working; problem solving or even speaking a foreign language. Skills can come out of the most unlikely places, so really think about what you've done to grow your own skills, even if you take examples from being in a local sports team or joining a voluntary group – it's all relevant.

7) Making the most of interests
Under interests, highlight the things that show off skills you've gained and employers look for. Describe any examples of positions of responsibility, working in a team or anything that shows you can use your own initiative. For example, if you ran your university's newspaper or if you started a weekend league football team that became a success. Include anything that shows how diverse, interested and skilled you are. Don't include passive interests like watching TV, solitary hobbies that can be perceived as you lacking in people skills. Make yourself sound really interesting.

8) Making the most of experience
Use assertive and positive language under the work history and experience sections, such as "developed", "organised" or "achieved". Try to relate the skills you have learned to the job role you're applying for. For example: "The work experience involved working in a team," or "This position involved planning, organisation and leadership as I was responsible for a team of people". Really get to grips with the valuable skills and experience you have gained from past work positions, even if it was just working in a restaurant – every little helps.

9) Including references
References should be from someone who has employed you in the past and can vouch for your skills and experience. If you've never worked before you're OK to use a teacher or tutor as a referee. Try to include two if you can.

10) Keep your CV updated
It's crucial to review your CV on a regular basis and add any new skills or experience that's missing. For example, if you've just done some volunteering or worked on a new project, make sure they're on there – potential employers are always impressed with candidates who go the extra mile to boost their own skills and experience.

Reference: http://www.theguardian.com/culture-professionals-network/culture-professionals-blog/2012/mar/15/cv-tips-first-arts-job

Subject: Top 10 Traits to Look for in the Perfect Recruitment Agency

Have you ever interacted with recruiters at various agencies and understood why their process benefits your business needs?

Do you know their goals for your open roles?

Have you seen an outline of goals from your agency so they can hit your targeted hiring dates?

Do you trust them to the point of not worrying about their quality of candidates?

If you can’t say “yes” to all of these questions then you really need to think about whether they are the right agency for your company. To have the right partnership in place, you need to know that they will be looking out for you, not forcing their people through the process that are not the right fit. This is a guide to help you see what you should be looking for in an agency as a partner to your business needs:

1. Knows your company:

Good: Knows the industry and size of your company and will target the right candidate – to make sure they will be the right fit they’ll vet the candidate appropriately.
Bad: Hasn’t taken the time to meet with managers or get to know you or the company; they are too focused on getting the next candidate or client to partner with.

2. Understands your business needs:

Good: Understands where your business needs lay and is a true partner with what you are trying to accomplish.
Bad: Doesn’t take the time to know what your business goals are and worries more about what they will receive in revenue than finding the right candidate.

3. Always trying to get better:

Good: Takes time to meet with you to go over your needs and seeks feedback after interviews to ensure they are targeting the right pool of candidates.
Bad: Puts the same type of candidate in front of you after you have said no and doesn’t understand why you continue to say no plus continuously has excuses on why things are not a success.

4. They listen:

Good: Takes time to hear what you want and need, doesn’t put pressure on you to make rash decisions but sets up timetables to get adequate feedback.
Bad: Asks the same questions and will find short cuts on getting you the right candidate because they are pushing too many candidates to you that do not fit your needs.

5. They’re a subject matter expert in their field:

Good: Can speak about what you need by knowing the industry you are in and can break down a position to find you the right candidate.
Bad: Works across all skill sets and doesn’t really understand what they are recruiting on which in return will give you the wrong types of candidates.

6. You can rely solely on them:

Good: They will deliver the candidates in the timeframe they committed to and they know what you need as a business.
Bad: They will waver in their commitments, they have erratic success with you and they rarely keep you up to date with their progress and results.

7. They will follow the process that was promised to you:

Good: They will stick to their vetting process and will not skip steps which would lower the bar on the quality of candidate for you.
Bad: They don’t meet with their candidates, they do not perform reference checks and they just send you a high volume amount of candidates so you can do the screening instead of them.

8. They separate themselves by supplying a higher caliber of candidates:

Good: Always exceed your expectations on the candidates they supply.
Bad: They are delivering the same candidates that have applied on their own or they supply candidates that you have already seen through recycling of candidates or through other agencies.

9. They’re an ethical company:

Good: The candidate that is supplied has the exact same experience as the resume advertises and they educate the candidate about your company to make sure they are walking into a role they really are excited about.
Bad: They will misrepresent candidates by adding experience that is not accurate and they will coach the candidate to say things that are not accurate to their experience.

10. Persistence:

Good: Is in contact with you the right amount of time but not disrespectful and annoying.
Bad: Is too aggressive at the point of calling your managers 7 to 9 times a day to try to get more business or feedback.

That’s right - at Accotech we only provide you with the good!

Reference: http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/find-right-agency/