job seeker

Move Up With Confidence

/ nancyrubin

Are you about ready to quit? Perhaps your job is really beginning to grind you down.  Maybe your rights are being eroded and you’ve had to call on the services of a wage and overtime claim lawyer or maybe you’ve just outgrown your current role and there’s no scope for moving upwards.

Whatever the reason, you might just be ready to make a change. We know this is easier said than done, especially when it feels that there just aren’t the jobs out there but if you need to start thinking about jumping ship, then we can help you get that resume in great shape and help you get interview ready.

Get the basics down

If you’re preparing your resume then the first thing you need to do is gather all your basic information together. If you’re organized, you’ll have filed all your educational and training certificates all in one place and know the months and years that you started and left your previous jobs. If you’re not quite this organized then start getting everything together so you don’t have to spend time searching for dates and bits of paper when you’re in the flow of creating your perfect resume

Now you’re ready to start.

Times change and so do resume styles, often within the industry you’re in. It doesn’t have to look space age but it should look modern so ditch your paper version and check out some online templates to download and start filling in.

Resume

Start with the summary of who you are and the skills you bring, remember to be precise and give real examples. For instance, don’t say you’re a great communicator tell your future employer that you are great at liaising with clients and solving their problems. You need to show in this short paragraph what added value you bring to a company.

You’ll then need to list all your hard and soft skills. Again try and be specific and give real data. If you write that you’re a great salesperson, can you put a figure on that from your last quarter? Impress with numbers. You can do the same with soft skills, which are fast becoming seen as equally as important as the tangible skills you bring to a position.

Interview

When you’re interview ready you’re going to need to spend some time reading through the person specification again and finding examples for every skill they call upon to talk about. Be specific and clear, don’t rush through your answers, take your time and engage with your body language as well as with your words.

You don’t have to spend any more time in a job you hate when your next role could be right around the corner. Don’t rush into creating your resume. Do your research and find a template that sells you and everything you have achieved to date. Then say goodbye to bad bosses and low pay and hello to a future with all the prospects and rewards that you deserve.

Simple Ways To Impress Your Job Candidates

/ nancyrubin

Here’s the thing about the hiring process. While job candidates will be doing all they can to impress you – writing a well-constructed resume, dressing smartly at a job interview, bribing you with a basket of fruit (possibly) – you also have to do all you can to impress them.It’s a two-way process, and because there is a shortage of skilled-labor, you need to be at the top of your game if you want to snap up the best of the best before your competition gets hold of them.

So, where do you start?

It begins before the recruitment process. Before a person applies for a job with you, they might weigh up the pros and cons of working for you. They might check out your website, for example, and they might consider your competitors as a comparison. Therefore, do all you can to attract the attention of possible candidates, such as posting images of your happy workforce online, and sharing positive comments from your employees on your website, social media channels, and employee review sites. The work you do at the beginning will increase your chances of attracting the best employees to your business. Then, when the recruitment process does begin, you will need to consider the following.

It continues with your preparation. After shortlisting potential candidates from the mass of applications you may have received, you then need to start preparing for interview day. When you’re inviting somebody to attend an  interview, consider the following advice on recruitment emails, as you want your initial communication to look and sound professional, and consider ringing the applicant beforehand, to give an initial greeting and thank you for applying. Include any important details within your communications, such as a hint about what to wear, and directions on how to find you. Then start to prepare your interview questions, ensuring that they are both relevant to the job and not something that might put off your candidates. Which leads us onto the next step.

You then need to be prepared on interview day. You wouldn’t like it if an interviewee stumbled into the interview room late, ill-prepared for the questions you asked, and dressed as if they had just left home in a hurry. First impressions are everything, and the same applies to you.Wear suitable attire for the interview, be that formal or smart-casual, dependent on whatever you expect the candidate to wear. Do your research by reading through the candidate’s resume thoroughly. And have everything you need at hand, such as the relevant paperwork, so you aren’t fumbling around when the candidate walks in. Then prepare yourself mentally, so as the candidate meets you, he/she will know that they are in safe hands, and not with somebody who is as anxious as they are and all in a fluster.

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On meeting the candidate.  Be polite and welcoming. Offer a firm (but not vice-like) handshake and invite them to sit down. Offer them a glass of water,as this may help to calm their nerves, and use these other tips to relax your candidate. The more relaxed and comfortable they are, the better you will feel too. Be sure to smile, offer a little bit of small talk, perhaps related to something you have picked up from their resume (as this will show you have at least spent time reading through it), and then start the interview process.Remember that they might still be nervous, despite your best efforts to relax them, so reassure them when you need too, and be patient when listening to their questions. Good body language helps too, as you do need to show the applicant that you are fully present when talking to them. Then, when it comes time to answer your candidate’s questions, be prepared to answer honestly. You expect it from them, so offer the same.Assuming they have done their homework, they might ask about your company’s finances or targets for the coming year, so don’t lie in an effort to please them, but rather be truthful so as to engage their trust.

Think about the final stages. After the interview has completed, offer to show the candidate around. Let them know more about the workplace, and familiarize them with what might be expected of them. Encourage conversation with your other employees; as if they are happy working for you,they might inspire your candidate to choose your company for their employment.When it comes time to leave, offer a thank you and a smile, and then let them know as soon as possible about your decision. Hopefully, if they are suitably impressed with you and your business, they might gladly accept the job if you offer it. But if they don’t accept the job, be polite and maybe ask them why.The feedback will be useful, and your politeness will ensure they don’t badmouth you to another candidate.

So, if you are in the process of hiring somebody soon, consider our advice. The more you can do to impress them throughout the recruitment process, the better your chances of snagging the top candidates from the pile.

 Let us know what you think, and share any ideas you may have with us!

A Question Of Trust: Putting Our Faith In Remote Workers

/ nancyrubin

When we’re trying to conserve our business’ productivity, its integrity, not to mention its finances, the modern approach that so many companies look to is the remote working setup. Naturally, it’s a big draw, not just because it’s a way to cut those financial corners, but it’s a way we can hire so many people, and actually, make the most of the limited finances we have. But, with remote working comes a lot of questions, not just in terms of the technicalities, but also, when you’re hiring remote workers or freelancers, this question of trust can arise. Are remote workers to be trusted? And how can we get around this issue?

The Handling Of Sensitive Data

The one basic way we can get around this is to have contracts. Even a freelancer contract carries a legal cache, and it’s the best way for us to cover our bases. Unfortunately, the difficulty of ensuring remote workers and freelancers handle data effectively is all about consistent communication. While there are some technological ways for you to keep on top of this, hiring a virtual server hosting company to do the monitoring, or hiring a dedicated team to monitor the computer components will ensure that you are keeping some sort of watchful eye on your remote employees.

Improving Your Communication With Them

As we can struggle with the idea of control when we have remote workers or freelancers, it’s important to differentiate between the two terms. Remote workers can be hired on a permanent contract, but freelancers are not. So, if you are concerned that the two aren’t mutually exclusive, you have to think about what you want from your employees. In addition to this, if you want freelancers to feel part of the team, you have to make them feel just that. The big anxiety that we can have when it comes to trusting remote workers is that they can leave us in the lurch when there is a deadline looming, and while we don’t want to be let down, if we don’t give them any sort of incentive to keep working for us, such as by minimal communication, then part of us shouldn’t be surprised when they do inevitably jump ship. Improving your communication isn’t about messaging them every 20 minutes or so, it’s giving them that room to breathe but showing them that you have faith in their abilities to complete the task. This is a hard thing for us to come to terms with, especially when we’re trying to keep numerous plates spinning, as well as get to know the new members of the team.

Don’t forget, it’s important that remote workers feel part of the team, even though they are working from home. Remote workers, from a stereotypical perspective, can take liberties, and not do what is asked of them, but if we are to trust remote workers, then we have to have some semblance of honesty in how we communicate. We can trust remote workers, and we should, but maybe it’s more about the fact that we have to come to terms with changing our own managerial styles.

Working Overseas Can Improve New Graduates’ Career Prospects

/ nancyrubin

Once you graduate, you’ll need to gather precious experience in order to get a good job. This gives you the opportunity to try doing different things and see for yourself which type of work you’ll enjoy doing the most. Another thing you can use this period for is travel. Visiting foreign countries and spending some time working there can be very beneficial for building your career in the future. And if you’re in search of more reasons for living and working overseas after graduation, here are some of the them.

Widening your horizons

While you were a student, you managed to get a broader view of life by reading books, watching films and documentaries, as well as through occasional trips. Once you decide to work overseas, it’s like becoming one of the characters from those stories and films, and this is one of the benefits of changing your surroundings. By getting first hand experience with a completely new place and culture, you’ll be able to see and learn things that you never could from books and TV. Coming into contact with new people, ones whose everyday lives differ greatly from yours will enrich you intellectually and spiritually, as will trying new food, listening to new music and simple making new friends. Embrace this as a huge plus for building any career in the future, since you’ll be more prepared for dealing with people from all over the world.

Learning a new language

Any new skill you acquire can help you progress in life and business, and this is especially true for learning languages. The difficulties of sitting in classes and having to do your homework in order to learn the basics of a language are replaced by throwing you straight into the fire and making you communicate with people, which is definitely the best way to actually be good at speaking a language. Adding another language to your CV might just get you in front of other candidates when you decide to apply for that job you really want.

Gaining experience

There is a huge difference between being taught about something at university and being able to do it in practice. Finding a job overseas can help you a lot in this area. For example, studying English language and literature can be amazing, but even if you’re a native speaker, once you actually have to start teaching groups of children or adults, you might feel nervous and unprepared. This is why you should be additionally trained in one of the incredible Monkey Tree TEFL courses. Institutions like this one offer you the opportunity to further develop your professional skills, learn from people with classroom experience and gain confidence necessary for actually stepping in front of a class. This is an effective way to advance in your career, no matter what part of the world you choose to work in afterwards.

Becoming better at adjusting

Any employer will be more than happy to hire somebody who is able to adjust to new people and circumstances quickly. Just like anything else, the ability to adjust is something you can upgrade by practicing. And what better way to achieve this than by moving and having to adapt to new living conditions in a strange place, where you don’t really know anybody. The way you handle new situations and how fast you do it can be a significant factor when building a career in any business, so make this one of your strengths by getting a job abroad.

Broadening your contact network

You met a lot of people while you were studying and you made some very useful and interesting contacts. However, by moving to another country you can widen your circle of acquaintances and potential business associates. Not only can the professional connections you make abroad vouch for you when you decide to try for a new job, but they can let you know when there’s an opening in the companies you’d like to work in as well. This can prove to be a huge advantage over other candidates applying for the same position as you. And since many of these people will, just like you, be from various countries, they can actually open doors for you all over the world, so that you aren’t limited to your country only. Finally, when you get to meet experts in your own field, there’s always a good chance for you to learn something new or discover some innovative ways of using the knowledge you already have, which can be a valuable asset.

If you’re ready for a change and trying out something younever have before, the period after your graduation is the perfect time forthat. So, pack your stuff, grab your passport and go for it!

Tracey Clayton is a working mom of three girls, passionate about traveling, marketing and everything tech related. Her motto is: “Live the life you love; love the life you live.”

Should You Ever Change Yourself To Get The Job You Really Want?

/ nancyrubin

Nowadays, the ever-changing workplace is making it more difficult to find a career that we truly love. It seems that once we’ve got our heart set on something, the goalposts move. This can be very frustrating, and so, it begs the question, do we have something wrong with ourselves, or if it’s actually the job role? When we are looking for the job that we really want in life, we feel like we have to bend over backwards to get it, but in making the necessary changes, should you ever actually alter yourself intrinsically to suit the job that you really want?

Think About Who You Really Are First

You need to figure out who you are before embarking on any career trajectory. We can spend a lot of time thinking that we need to alter our personality to suit a role, but is this really the correct approach? It’s far better for you, especially in the job interview stage, to let your natural personality shine through. The big problem is, if you end up being rejected for this job, you can take it personally, and think that the next time you need to change something about yourself. But it’s far better for you to invest in yourself rather than to make yourself fit a specific box-ticking exercise.

When You Have A Questionable Background

Sometimes we can feel like the perfect fit for the role, but there are issues on paper. Sometimes this can be a very concerning problem, especially if you have prior convictions. But it can be possible to go to an expungement attorney to have the criminal charge “erased” depending on what the charge is. When you have a questionable background, but you have made the journey beyond that point and have learnt your lesson in life, the employer will see this. Everybody deserves a second chance when they are truly sorry for what they have done. And if you feel that there is something on your record holding you back, it’s far better for you to be honest about it if you can’t get it stricken from your record.

What Happens If You Don’t Get On With The Role?

And sometimes we work so hard in getting the necessary qualifications, going through a draining interview process, and we finally get the job, but something isn’t sitting quite right. You could feel like it’s a waste of years if you get to this point, but rather than feel depressed at the thought, consider it to be a life lesson. A lot of people feel that they have to fit a certain role in order to be accepted for a specific job, and this can restrict us in a personal and emotional sense. As we go through life and try to find the roles we were meant to fulfill we can lose a sense of who we are. And when it comes to finding the perfect job, it’s more about trusting your instincts and what you really want out of life, not what you think is the most lucrative prospect.

 

 

7 Helpful Hacks to Get the Best Out Of Your Super Staff

/ nancyrubin

When you started up your business, you never thought it would grow to the size it is today. You started off scribbling ideas on the corner of a notepad whilst in corporate meetings at your old 9-5 job. You knew this life just wasn’t for you and you longed for an escape from the rat race. Your initial business idea stemmed from your lifelong passions and since then it has grown into a somewhat successful company that you are extremely proud of. Although you have conquered a lot in the last few years, you are always looking for ways to build up your company. Hiring employees to help with your workload is the top of your priority list at the moment, but you have no experience in managing and recruiting a team of people. Bringing new people into your company is a scary step for any entrepreneur to take, but it will all be worth it in the long run. You need to focus on what is best for your company when hiring staff; once you know a person is going to fit in, you can then shift your focus onto them and nurture them as they progress through the ranks. You were once a new starter at a company, so you know how daunting this can be. Be kind, considerate and fair at all time and you will soon have a new team of super staff to be proud of.

  1. Innovative Interview Techniques

If you have never interviewed anybody before the thought of this might terrify you. However, you will have been through interview processes before in your previous jobs, so you will have more knowledge than you think. Write down the key traits you’re looking for from each candidate and don’t forget to research great exit interview questions. You will only be able to gain valuable information, by asking good questions. Use open questions to gain a deep insight into your prospective employees, so that you know you’re hiring the right person for the job.

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  1. Explain the Job Description Clearly

When you put out the advertisement for the job, make sure you are laying out the job description clearly and concisely. People can often be misled by job descriptions and this will ultimately end up wasting your time. You should clearly state the qualifications, background and experience you are looking for, as well as the salary details and start date. If you miss out this important information from the job description you might just be leading somebody on. You want people to know exactly what they are signing up for, so clearly list their roles and responsibilities before you offer them the job.

  1. Listen to their Problems

When somebody first starts working for you, they might not feel completely comfortable coming to you with their issues. Make it clear from the get go that you offer an open door policy in your workplace and you are available to talk at any time. You never know what people might be going through at home, so make time for them and help them out as best as you can.

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  1. Allow them to Progress

Every worker wants to know that their career will progress over time. Clearly outline the opportunities for promotion and progression to everybody who joins your company. They want to know there is something to work towards and it will keep them motivated every time they step into the office. Allow certain employees to shadow their superiors and offer insights into what their other colleagues do on a daily basis. Growing their knowledge and enhancing their skills will benefit you, them and your company as a whole.

  1. Trust Them

Nobody wants to be micromanaged at work; it is extremely demotivating and demoralizing. Make sure you establish a level of trust amongst your staff so that they feel free to carry out their duties effectively and without being judged. Schedule regular catch ups with each of your members of staff, so that you can monitor their progress regularly and talk about where improvements could be made. Equally, make sure you give them credit when they deserve it and offer incentives for those who are excelling.

  1. Spend Time Getting to Know Everyone

Your employees want to feel important and valued in your company, so don’t just see them as another body to carry out an important task. Get to know them on a human level and it will work in your favor. You will be able to learn their hobbies, likes and dislikes; this will actually help you to schedule them on shifts, organize business trips and other work related activities. You might find that someone is really interested in travelling, so they would be the ideal person to send on a business trip overseas. Getting to know people and how they operate will work wonders for your business as a whole.

  1. Socialize with your Employees

The time you spend with your staff doesn’t need to be limited to the office. Organize social events and seasonal activities so that everyone gets the chance to blow off some steam after a big deadline. Offer to take everybody out for a coffee at lunchtime, or throw a surprise birthday party on somebody’s special day. Socializing with your colleagues and going that extra mile is really important, as it helps you to build friendships and solid professional relationships outside of the workplace.

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Every entrepreneur has to take huge leaps at some point in their career and now it is your turn. Allow your company to grow and flourish, by hiring people that are going to be excellent representatives of your business. As long as you trust each individual and you treat them with respect you will be able to have excellent working relationships with them all. Over time you will become confident in your interview skills and managerial know how; your employees will grow to respect you and you will be setting yourself up for huge success in the future.

Is It Time to Cut Ties with an Employee?

/ nancyrubin

Running your company means you have a lot of responsibilities on your shoulder. With that in mind, one of the biggest calls you have to make at times is now the right time to cut ties with an employee?

Whether performance, issues with co-workers or money, letting someone go can be difficult.

So, will you cut ties with them?

Thinking If Now is the Time

As you ponder the idea of letting someone go, it is good to consider the following:

  1. Performance – Even if an employee has a quirk or two, you more than likely rate them on their job performance. Has their performance been detrimental to the company and clients as of late? If so, did you try and talk with them about improving on the job? In the event you did give them chances to improve and they did not, you more than likely will move ahead with a release.
  2. Personality – You can have the most talented worker, but what if he or she doesn’t get along well with others? That is a dilemma many bosses face over time. You might have to dismiss someone because they are causing too much friction in the office place. In looking at their personality, did you know a lot about them before hiring them? Although many do background searches, they do not always get all the details on someone. It could also be a case where an employee changed during their time with you.
  3. Repercussions – Although you do what is best for business, do you worry one may cause problems if you let them go? In doing an online people search, you can more times than not keep tabs on someone. This could be important if a former employee is trying to undermine your company. You may have lost track of where he or she moved to after you dismissed them. That online search may yield clues on where they are now and how to contact them if you need to. If a former worker is making trouble for you, you will have to decide if legal action may be necessary.
  4. Future – Last, what is good for your office and of course your business will be what is most important to you. That said parting ways with an employee is oftentimes never easy. Like you, they need to earn a living to get by. Before you cut ties with someone, think about the real reason why you are doing so.

Hiring the Best from Day One

Although your goal should always be to hire the best people, you know that this does not always happen.

Did you rush to hire someone only to fill a seat in the office? Many use a public records search to find out where people are and what they’ve been up to. Should you have done more background investigating on someone you hired?

When you craft a job hiring advertisement, take the time to get it right.

Be sure to spell out not only the qualifications you want, but also the type of personality you want in the office.

Hiring workers is not as easy a task as some might make it out to be.

That said getting it right the first time around will save you money and frustration.

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.