Career Mentors

According to research undertaken by www.irishjobs.ie there has been an 11% increase in the number of positions advertised online in May, June and July

Areas that experiences a rise include

• Secretarial and Administration +47%
• IT / Telecoms +11%
• Insurance and Banking +11%
• Sales +8%
• Marketing +8%

There was a 11% decrease in retails jobs and an increase of people on the live register……….it’s more competitive for these new jobs!

Share the Career Mentors Facebook Page with your friends

For career and outplacement support, contact Mairead Griffin , Career Mentors, 01-2160880 or Email: mairead@careermentors.ie

 - Find out who the best agencies are for your discipline in Dublin as opposed to just targetting the larger higher profile agencies

- Register with the top 3-4 maximum preferably. In today’s market jobseekers are sending their CVs to up to 15 agencies. Whilst it’s important to keep your options open, it’s equally as important to forge relationships with the recruiters. Your CV landing on a HR managers desk 3-4 times is likely to have a negative impact on your application

-If possible, try and find out the specific names of recruiters that friends or colleagues have used in the past. IDeally you should be targetting experienced individual recruiters. If you check their profiles on linkedin, you see the depth of their experience. Tell the recruiter that they were recommended by “X” – it may make them feel more obliged to help! Getting a recruiter who understands you area is key. Recruitment employee turnover tends to be quite high, so in some organisations the majority of recruiters can have less than 1-2 years experience

 - Always call in advance if you see a job that you are interested in. Clarify that the role is still open. When recruiters advertise roles, they generally put them up on the sites as soon as the job comes in, and then start working through their database. A lot of consultants can submit shortlists from their databases and don’t end up considering people who apply. A good recruiter will only submit 5-6 CVs to a client maximum

- Request a meeting with the consultant. If they say no, push back on them and say that you would really like to registrar. If they have met you in person, it is far more likely that they will remember you

- When you meet your consultant should be able to provide you with more factual information than what is outlined on the written job spec. Ask them specific questions eg structure of the team, reporting structure, a background to the business.  If they do not know this information, I would question just how strong a relationship they have with the client. Are they going to be able to influence your application or have they rang the client after noticing the job online. 

 - Clarify when next contact is going to be made and ask them if it is okay for you to call them every so often to touch base. Tell them you would like to remain in regular contact and ask them if they agree that this would be a good thing? Im sure they will agree to everything, so it is something you can bring up again if they do not do it!

- It is up to you to chase up recruiters. They are being pulled in every direction at the moment and cant really win! They are managing an increased volume of applications, making hundreds of cold calls and more to get jobs on their books.

- If an agency say that you are not suitable for a job, the best thing is to just accept it and move on. You should always try and get feedback if you can, but it is in their interest to get good quality across to their clients, so bear this in mind if you are not shortlisted

Be honest with your recruiter regarding interviews that maybe progressing elsewhere or if you have concerns relating to salary, hours, reporting structures etc. They can help!

Never tell a recruiter what other companies you are interviewing with.

Do not deal with agencies who have not requested your permission to send your CV to a client. It is not fair on the agencies who follow the correct process and earn their commission. Your CV landing on the same HR managers desk by numerous agencies does not reflect well on you. The last thing HR Professionals want to do is get involved in a squabble between agencies.

Some recruiter will tell you the things you want to hear. I would have more respect for the recruiters who are honest and direct than ones who give general  feedback such as “ you don’t have enough general experience” . You should be getting something more precise which you can learn and move forward from

Mairead Griffin, Career Mentors, http://www.careermentors.ie, 01-2160880

SUGGEST THE CAREER MENTORS PAGE  http://www,facebook.com/careermentors to YOUR FRIENDS

1. Add your personal details as a header to free up more space to sell your responsibilties and achievements

2. Your personal statement should be no more than 60-80 words. It needs to be unique to you and your experience. Always tailor it to the role you are going for and do not use a list of stock phrases eg “ looking for a new challenge”.  Include something impactful that will differentiate you from others at your level e.g a salesperson – exceeded target by 130%

3. If you are a Senior level  jobseeker leave your education at the end of your CV

4. If you have completed a thesis / dissertation, add the title of the thesis. It maybe really relevant to the organisations current challenges

5. Always include your grade (2:1 etc) and if you won any awards in college

6. Work Experience. Always remember it’s your 2 most recent jobs that are likely to get you your next job, so provide the most amount of detail on these roles

7. Put yourself in the position of the person reading your CV. Always include a background to your organisation ( not a web address ), size, nature of the business, products, turnover, who you reported into and how many your managed. This sets the scene for the person reviewing the CV . You should be able to include everything above in roughly 3 lines.

8. Divide each position you’ve held into responsibilities and achievements. Always provide what you did and not what your organisation did. Always make yourself unique – what did you do that is above and beyond every other person / jobseeker working in your field. At a Senior level your CV should only be achievement based.

9. Remember that many in-house and agency recruiters search their extensive databases using the  “word search” technique, similar to how we search on google.  If the keywords aren’t on the CV, it will not be found! Some recruitment systems do not recognise tables and boxes which will destroy your CV format. Recruiters do not have the time to fix your CV!

10. Include at least 7-8 bullet points outlining your responsibilities and at least 3 achievements or projects that you worked on

11. Always outline the “results” of your actions. Quantify how your actions were of benefit to the businss eg. Introduced a which resulted in a 10% cost saving for the business

12. Do not go into too much detail on roles you were involved in 10 years ago

13. Ideally keep your CV to 2 pages or 3 pages maximum

14 Interests and hobbies – always remember the role that you are applying to. Keep your interests brief . How relevent are the transferable skills gained through your interests and hobbies. For example, if you play chess, the skills acquired would suit the role of trader

15 Referees – always make them “available on request”. It’s really important that your referee has the heads up in advance of anyone calling them for a reference.

Mairead Griffin, Career Coach @ http://www.careerementors.ie 

Suggest http://www.facebook.com/careermentors.ie to your friends!

 One of the most powerful tools for job searching in todays job market is LinkedIn. It is a cost effective sourcing tool for employersas many revise their routes to hire given the current climate.

LinkedIn is the leading social networking site for professionals. There is so much you can do on LinkedIn, and while it is not the only effective tool available to you in your career search, it really deserves some of your time, attention and investment. To make people more accessible you may want to consider investing €50 per month for an upgraded account. This will give you more ways to reach or be reached by the right people on Linkedin

FIVE WAYS TO USE http://www.linkedin.com FOR JOB SEARCHING
1. Profile
Whether you have just created your profile or already have one, make sure to follow the suggested steps to complete your profile up to the 100% level.  Make sure to fill in as much professional, academic and skill-based information – make it similar to your CV! This will optimize your profile in LinkedIn as recruiters do word searches similar to Google

Completing your profile 100% will require getting 3 recommendations. Ask for brief recommendations from as many managers, peers, subordinates etc as possible. Offer to write one for them in return.Update your status weekly to post your availability and career goals

2. Groups
Click on Groups link and search for LinkedIn groups related to your company, or career-related interests and request to join. Remember who you are targeting EG A systems administator maybe targetting recruiters & IT Managers, so join Groups where you can gain access to those individuals. While quantity is not as important as quality, groups with more members allow for more potential contacts ( 2nd degree of seperation )

Check to see what the group discussion and board guidelines are, and if permitted, create a post introducing yourself & your career ojectives.  Network with group members by offering insights and answers to questions in the discussion board and posting questions or discussion topics yourself.

3. People
With an increasing network of connections and fellow group members, search for current employees of your preferred companies and if possible, message them. Be discrete in your introduction and request to connect. Make you introduction a warm one and refer to your mutal contact.

Continue reading 5 ways to use www.linkedin.com for job searching

 The National Recruitment Federation is a voluntary organisation set up to establish and maintain standards and codes of practice

Truth, Integrity, Respect

 for the recruitment industry in Ireland. Representing over 100 approx recruitment agencies throughout the country, the NRF seeks to provide it’s members, who have opted for self regulation, with the best possible service in terms of support, communication, advice sharing and problem solving and in doing so to promote professional competence within the industry.

The NRF Code of Conduct ( perm roles )is as follows:

1. GENERAL

Member companies and employees engaged by them shall comply with the Code of Conduct of the Federation and by the rules and regulations outlined below

 2. LICENSING

 It is a condition of Membership that the individual, agency or company is properly licensed to operate as an employment agency within the terms of the Employment Agency Act 1971 and any amendments thereto.

3. APPLICANT HANDLING/CONFIDENTIALITY

 - Applicants must be treated in a courteous and dignified manner at all times. Their right to privacy must be respected including their right to be interviewed in a private area in accordance with health & Safety regulation. Regard must be had to the Employment Equality Acts 1977 and 1998.

 - All applicants must be interviewed by the agency prior to being put forward to the client for interview. c.

- Applicants must be given full details of any job for which the agency intends to recommend them and permission sought from the applicant. An applicant’s permission must be sought and obtained before his or her details are revealed to an employer. The agency should also determine whether or not the applicant has been approached by another agency about the same job.

Continue reading National Recruitment Federation Code Of Conduct

If you’re a jobseeker targetting organisations directly, the companies below would be a good place to start!!

PPD Pharmaceutical -250
Warner Chilcott – 200
Milano – 24
Generali – 1000
Alcatel Lucent – 70
Dun & Broadstreet – 100
3 – 90
Havok – 26
HP – 60
Canada Life – 100
Boots – 100
Ebay – 150
IBM -200
HKPB – 200
Linkedin – 200

Continue reading List of companies that announced new jobs between Jan-March 2010

FÁS/ESRI Occupational Employment Forcast 2015 (March 02, 2010)

Changes are likely in the sectoral and skills mix of employment, While employment in most occupations is expected to recover from the lows reached in 2010, the speed and the extent of recovery is likely to vary by occupation, with some occupations emerging with relatively strong employment growth and others failing to reach pre-recession levels by 2015.

The occupations expected to exceed pre-recession peak levels are concentrated at the higher end of the skill scale. They include professionals and associate professionals (technicians) in the areas of science, engineering, business services and IT. Occupations which, while growing after 2010, are not anticipated to recover to 2008 peak levels, include skilled building workers, production operatives, unskilled manual workers, sales assistants and clerks.

Combined managers/proprietors, professionals and associate professionals are expected to account for 38% of the total employment in 2015 compared to 34% in 2008 (and 31% in 1996). When these groups are combined with clerical workers, the forecasts suggest that, in 2015, 50% of workers will be in ‘white collar’
employment (up from 44% in 1996).

Continue reading Plan ahead – where will the jobs be in 2015??

There are plenty of CV templates available online but it’s the CV content that will get you to interview stage.  Before you put pen to paper, take the time to reflect on your experience, skills, achievements and examples of when you have delivered on the responsibilities outlined in the job you are applying for.

Some key areas I would consider are;

-  What has been the nature of the businesses you have worked in? How many employees in the organisation, what dept was you based in, where did you sit on the team, who did you report to. Covering these areas in the initial 2-3 lines sets the scene for the reader and puts your role in context.

- Do you still have your original job description? This can help when constructing your CV

- Take a look at similar job specs on the main recruitment websites. Use these to help you construct your CV. What are employers looking for and how can you tailor your content to make it as enticing as possible to potential employers

- Do you still have your performance reviews? These reviews will help you recall your achievements

- What are your main responsibilities and what are your secondary responsibilties. Aim to get at least 10 bullet points of max 2 lines each. If you’re still in employment, take note of what you actually do on a day to day basis.

- What are the keywords you need on your CV to ensure it appears on recruitment consultancy databases.e.g a recruiter maybe looking for a sales executive in carlow. The keywords they will input into their system is likely to be “sales executive carlow”. They could also search against ‘ sales representative, salesperson, sales agent’ and carlow, laois, offaly. If recruitment databases are not maintained properly by recruiters which can be the case, this is one of the most common ways for them to search. Therefore if you are looking to relocate, where are you going to get the county on your CV e.g this could be your secondary school

- What have been your key achievements – both recent and past

- How would you describe yourself in 3 words. Use this for your personal statement

Read More………………………

Continue reading Planning your CV content

In the current economic climate,  individuals from all backgrounds should be thinking strategically about their careers. Up-skilling or retraining is key for future career success. Whether you are in employment, actively seeking new employment or looking for  a change of career direction, further education & development something that will impress any current or potential employer

Why up-skill?

• Up-skilling or re-skilling will enhance your CV and make you a lot more marketable
• It sends out the right message to current or prospective employers that you are someone who is taking control of your career
• It shows employers that you have the drive and determination to achieve your career goals.
• It makes you more valuable to your current employers, and in the event of downsizing it is less likely you will be considered.
• Keeps you up to date with developments in your field and demonstrates to employers that you are committed to Continuing Professional Development

Why retrain?

• Nowadays it is much easier for you to retrain using online learning or distance learning courses.
• Those who think strategically and consider the developing industries. If you are an individual who is considering a total change of direction, now is your opportunity to do so
• The Government and IDA are focused on creating high value skilled jobs. By thinking long term when selecting what course to pursue, you are equipping yourself with the tools to be successful in the future.
• In the current economic climate people are taking the opportunity to return to college and retrain. It’s important not to be left behind

What role do employers have in up-skilling?

• Employers have a key role to play when it comes to supporting those who want to pursue further education or develop new skills.
• Retraining of staff should not be considered as a cost, but more as an investment. It increases the long term business success and it keeps organisations in touch with recent developments.
• In times of economic gloom up-skilling keeps staff motivated and can improve morale and retention.
• Top talent in any organisation needs to feel stretched, so it’s vital that employers invest in their future.

Nowadays, people are living longer. Two thirds of the country will still be in full time employment by 2020. Now is the time to react to this fact. China and India are producing more and more highly skilled labour and this is putting us in Ireland at risk.

Ireland needs to remain competitive and everyone has to take ownership. Up-skilling is the responsibility of the Government, Universities, individuals and the business world

Mairead Griffin, Career Coach & Outplacement Specialist http://www.careermentors.ie

CAREER COACHING – CAREER DIRECTION – CV SERVICE – INTERVIEW SKILLS – JOBSEARCHING – SOCIAL MEDIA – OUTPLACEMENT