The internet is filled with personality tests, but is there any benefit in taking one to help in the search for your next job? And if there is, which ones should you do?
Continue reading “Three reasons to take a personality test to help you get a new job”
As a professional career coach I see – and write – many CV s and you won’t be surprised to read that the standard of them is hugely variable. But one of the most common mistakes – and one that can be the most damaging – is people who only list their responsibilities, rather than their achievements.
With LinkedIn user numbers close to reaching 500 million worldwide, it always surprises me that people think if they are active on the platform their boss will think they are looking for a new job.
If that’s your assumption, here are my top five tips for using LinkedIn regularly without your boss being suspicious (whether you’re looking for a new job or not!).
Continue reading “Stop the job-hunting rumours: use LinkedIn all year round”
A recent BBC News report highlighted the issue of potential discrimination in the recruitment process based on names, and the potential use of ‘blind recruitment’.
This is the not the first time the issue has raised its head, with David Cameron promising in 2015 that a raft of civil service organisations would use “name blind” applications for recruitment from this year.
It’s an interesting issue, which prompts discussions about unconscious bias – the theory that we are unknowingly biased against certain factors shaped by our social and cultural upbringing.
And the BBC experiment which saw Adam get three times more interviews that Mohammed with an identical CV, although conducted only with small numbers, supports the conclusions of a larger amount of academic research pointing to unconscious bias in recruitment. Continue reading “What Blind Recruitment means for you”
Years ago if you wanted a job you could be sure you would have to go to the offices of the company you applied to, have a formal interview probably with the person you’d be working for and then perhaps wait a week or two to hear anything back.
These days, candidates need to be prepared for a broad spectrum of interview types and techniques which extend far beyond this traditional view.
Here’s my guide to the interview types you need to be prepared for when job-hunting. Continue reading “Don’t get caught out by the interview spectrum”
Fear of interviews is common, especially when you’re facing your first ever interview, your first after a knock like redundancy, or if it’s for a job or promotion you really want.
However, you can help reduce that fear, stand out from the crowd and increase your chance of success by practising these ten tips. Continue reading “The 10 secrets of interview success”
Competition is tough for jobs as more and more hopefuls apply for every vacancy. How do you make your CV stand out from 100 others? It’s a tough challenge, but here are my guidelines for structuring your CV for success. Continue reading “Writing a winning CV”
When it comes to progressing your career, finding the job you want online and clicking the ‘submit your CV’ link is the easy part. However, once this is done, or even before it’s done, smart candidates spend some time researching their prospective employer. Should their application get to the next stage, they are ready. This preparation time will pay off. Putting you in a stronger position to ask specific questions during the interview and selection process.
Here are a few tips to help you have the crucial facts to hand. Continue reading “Five tips for researching your prospective employer”
Even getting shortlisted for a job is like climbing a mountain in the current job market so it’s best to be sure your CV doesn’t get discounted for common mistakes. Here are some errors to avoid, drawn from my experience of both writing CVs and recruiting for positions across a wide range of sectors and levels of roles. Continue reading “Common mistakes people make on CVs”
Every candidate knows that preparing for interviews is critical to give yourself the best chance of getting the job. I can give you lots of advice about how best to do that based on your skills, experience and the job you’ve applied for, but what if the person who’s interviewing you decides to throw in a curved-ball question?
Continue reading “Five bonkers interview questions that should never be asked again”
