With so many recruitment channels available, promoting a job vacancy has never been easier. Recruiters can post jobs in all manner of places, from traditional outlets like newspapers and jobsearch websites, right through to social networks like LinkedIn, facebook, Twitter and even Instagram.   Many of these options are even free or low-cost, thereby giving the recruiter an opportunity to post jobs across a whole host of channels.

These can include some great strategies, from utilising free job sites like Indeed, to posting on discussion sites such as Reddit or Quora. LinkedIn will almost certainly be a main arm of your social recruitment strategy, and you can optimise this approach by posting in relevant groups and sponsoring your posts for priority roles. Today, there are countless ways to advertise your vacancies.

And therein lies the danger.

With so many options available, some recruiters are falling into the tempting trap of plastering job ads indiscriminately on all channels, and forgetting that a good posting strategy is not just about promoting a job: it’s about doing in the right way and to the right people.

This practice of ‘post it everywhere and see what comes up’ is becoming more common- in fact, if you search ‘how to post my vacancy for free’, you’ll see people arguing that if it’s free, you may as well use every channel you can. Yet who has that much time- not only to post across the different mediums, but also to track and filter out all the responses?   This approach also attracts many highly unsuitable candidates because they weren’t targeted well in the first place.

Let’s take an example. Recently, we wrote an article about Instagram’s growing influence in the recruitment market. But we were also very careful to point out that Instagram only usually works with a younger, social media savvy audience- and that using fun, informal Instagram to promote your recruitment brand could actually harm your reputation in a more formal, senior job market.

A targeted recruitment strategy is required, where the jobs get in front of the right people, rather than a scattergun approach across every form of media imaginable. After all, you wouldn’t post a high-level CEO vacancy in a celebrity-focused tabloid, would you? Yet when we post a job on an unsuitable website page or social media format, we are a little bit guilty of doing the equivalent. At worst, it damages our brand, at best, it just wastes our time. And if it’s a paid ad, it wastes money too.

There’s another pitfall of posting simultaneously across a lot of channels. Successful recruitment requires that we build relationships with the candidates- and there’s a real danger that when you use multiple recruitment channels to post jobs that you won’t build a strong relationship with your target market. Furthermore, if your audience only hears from you on social media when you have a job to post, it’s unlikely they will build any real loyalty to you as a recruiter.

Social media is a powerful recruitment tool, but only if you use it right. Free things sometimes come at a cost, and there is some truth to the old adage that ‘you only get what you pay for’. Even if what you’re ‘paying for’ in this case   is just your time in creating   a real conversation and online presence on social media so that when it comes time to post a job, the audience is a) the right audience and b) ready to listen.

So before you waste a lot of time posting jobs on every channel you can think of, give real though to who you hope to attract, and whether you need to be a bit more strategic about where you choose to post. Consider what’s worked for you in the past, and whether it’s time to use some of the new channels in a targeted way. You’ll probably save a lot of time, and even protect your brand in the process. Good recruitment is a game of strategy, not luck.

Until next time,

Cheryl

Some recruiters work on a ‘law of averages’ approach: that is, they figure that if they put as many candidates forward for a job as possible, then one is ‘bound to stick’.

However this kind of scatter-gun approach to recruiting doesn’t work in a meaningful way, particularly in the current jobseeker’s market when candidates can easily turn down roles that they don’t feel are right for them. Even worse, this unsophisticated approach to recruitment can damage your reputation in the eyes of both the candidate and the client.

How so?

Candidates who aren’t carefully matched with suitable vacancies will just end up saying no. If you then put that candidate forward for other roles that they feel they aren’t well-suited to, the candidate increasingly loses faith in your ability or even concern to find them a job they will be happy in. In a market where talent is at a premium, that candidate will have no problem at all finding another recruiter to place them: one that they believe cares about them more.

In addition, the more of your candidates that refuse the client’s offer, the more unhappy the client becomes- and then begins to question your ability to both understand what they, the client wants, and also your ability to source willing candidates.

So now you have both candidates and clients turning away from you, doubting your ability to do your job or work in their interests. This is far from ideal.

It’s understandable that you just want to make commissions- it’s a tough world out there! But never allow your desire for commissions to outweigh your good judgement about whether a candidate will fit a role well- or you will only find yourself with fewer commissions in the long-term.

So what are the most common reasons candidates say no to the client’s offer?

1. Because you convinced them to accept an interview, despite their concerns that the role wasn’t right for them. This approach will make your acceptance rates plummet.

2. The company culture wasn’t right for them. Company culture is becoming one of the greatest influences in the decision-making process for candidates (particularly Millennials), so ignore this at your peril.

3. The client didn’t make the candidate feel at ease in the interview process, or treated them rudely or with a lack of consideration. Poor response times with decisions or rescheduled /cancelled interviews can send a message that the candidate won’t be treated well at the company. As a recruiter, a poor interview process can be tough to combat, but it could be discussed with the client.

4. The client doesn’t have a good reputation in the industry, or an external person (friend or past employee) advised the candidate against taking the job. As a recruiter, you can only ask the candidate to try to judge the role on its merits rather than rumours, and perhaps find some satisfied employees for them to talk to.

5. Their salary expectations weren’t met. Again, it’s your job as a recruiter to discuss minimum expectations with the candidate, and maximum compensation with the client. If the two aren’t in the same ballpark, do not put that candidate forward. You might think it’s a perfect match, but it’s almost certain that the candidate will feel offended that you’re undervaluing them, and the clients will be offended that you’re sending along ‘time-wasters’.

6. The client is offering under-market salary or benefits. If this is the case, you will need to discuss it with the client. If you don’t point out the discrepancy between industry average compensation and their salary package, then you’ll find it extremely difficult to field candidates, and they will almost certainly be disappointed in the ones that you put forward. If the client is unable or unwilling to raise the salary, advise alternatives, such as an attractive benefits package or flexible working hours in order to make up for the salary shortfall.

7. The job description wasn’t specific enough, so the job turned out to be something other than the candidate expected. This shouldn’t really happen, but it does all too frequently. As a recruiter, you need to find out as much as is humanly possible about the role. If the job spec is vague, speak to the client to find out the missing details.

Top recruiters have an acceptance rate of 95%. Yes, you read that right. If you want to be a top biller in 2016 then you should only send through the very cream of the crop to the client: candidates that understand the job spec, feel the culture will be a good fit, know their salary expectations will be met, and are already keen as mustard to get the job.

Until next time,

Cheryl

The recruitment industry is in good health, with a growing economy, strong candidate mobility, and a healthy increase in jobs. With another half million jobs predicted to boost the UK job market this year, recruiters stand to enjoy a positive 2016.

But the way we recruit is changing. Technology is changing, expectations of candidates are changing, and the experiences of clients are changing too as the war for talent continues unabated.

As a recruiter, it’s vital to understand the market in order to identify new trends and adapt our recruitment strategies to stay ahead of the game. So we’ve put together some of the analysis and predictions in the HR market for 2016.

Some of the trends recruiters need to be aware of in 2016

1. CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, predicts that another half a million jobs will be added to the workforce in 2016. If this eventuates, UK unemployment will be at its lowest rate since 2005.

2. There will be a continued increase in contract work and flexible work.

3. The increase in jobs will increase competition for talent, thereby pushing down acceptance rates.

4. Employees are increasingly driven by benefits, flexible working conditions and culture over salary.

5. Wage increases are pegged by the CIPD to remain quite low, at around 2%, although the government predicts wage increases of 3.5% in 2016. Because inflation is tipped to remain very low at 1%, employees will still feel the benefit of a 2% increase. Those in the market for top talent can expect to offer significantly more to lure top-tier candidates.

6. While the skills crunch will continue to affect certain industries negatively, such as construction, the CIPD does not predict harmful skill shortages across most other industries in 2016 due to high levels of net migration.

7. The CIPD is predicting that poor productivity growth will remain the biggest risk to the UK’s long-term economic prospects, so productivity will continue to be a major recruitment buzzword in 2016.

8. Employer branding will remain a major factor in attracting top talent. Companies without a strong public brand should invest time and money into growing this important aspect of their recruitment strategy.

9. Candidates increasingly demand that recruitment sites are easy to navigate, responsive and allow job applications to be submitted remotely.

10. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are increasingly used by recruiters to advertise job vacancies and vet candidates, and the extent to which they rely on these methods is predicted to rise further in 2016.

11. Company social media use is also continuing to rise rapidly, which will affect how companies recruit, as well as requiring the candidates to increasingly tech-savvy.

Recruiters who want to become top billers in 2016 must know the market they’re operating in. Those wanting to know more should keep abreast of the latest labour reports and trend forecasts by professional bodies such as the CIPD, and get involved in industry forums. This proactive approach will give you the information to advise your clients and candidates well in the current job market and into the future.

Until next time,

Cheryl

Instagram can be a tremendously powerful recruitment tool, expanding your reach, building brand recognition and loyalty, and tapping into an audience of highly engaged prospective candidates.

Who uses Instagram?

It’s used by over 300 million people each month, of which 70% log in each day. Instagram has 50 times more engagement than Facebook, while the average user spends 257 minutes logged into the site each month.

Overwhelmingly, Instagram users are young. In America, 53% of those between 18 and 29 years old are on Instagram. For this Millennial demographic, the technology they use, the brands they trust and the importance they put on company culture has never been more important- and Instagram provides a direct line to this audience.

Who shouldn’t use Instagram for business?

Because the majority of Instagram users are young, starting an Instagram account probably isn’t your best bet if you’re recruiting senior executives. In fact, this fun and informal social media strategy might even work against you in the more formal recruitment market. Instagram isn’t for every business, so carefully consider your target audience.

Firstly, what is Instagram and what can you do with it?

It’s an image-sharing site that allows you to post images and short videos. You tag your photo or image with hashtags so that it pops up on other people’s feeds who are also following that topic- thereby opening you up to a potentially endless supply of candidates-both active and passive.

There’s lots of room to be creative and your potential audience is immense.

What won’t it let you do?

It’s not meant for articles, so this isn’t a place for blogs etc.

It won’t allow you to link things (although you can get around this by typing the link out in the post so people can cut and paste, or direct the reader to the link in your profile to visit your page.

Why does it work so well?

It’s all about creating an online presence that is engaging, memorable and fun. Instagram is quite personal in tone, and not at all stuffy. With Millennials now making up more than 50% of the workforce, the emphasis on good company culture has never been higher. Millennials decide they want to work somewhere based largely on what they think the culture is like. Instagram is therefore perfect for showing your company has a fun, young culture.

Luckily, recruitment is all about people and success stories, so there’s a huge amount of engaging content you can post.

How should you start?

To make a successful recruitment Instagram account, it’s necessary to be a bit creative. After all, you’re not a travel photographer in the Canadian wilderness, a pop star like Taylor Swift, or a famous designer with access to gorgeous high resolution fashion photos. So, how do you go about creating a memorable, ‘followable’ and trustworthy brand image on Instagram?

Recruitment is about people. So your Instagram account needs to be about people too. Engaging, happy, successful people.

1. Create an account- making sure that the company name is the account name.

2. Get all employees to follow the account to build momentum, and ask for their input for content.

3. Decide your strategy. Don’t make it all about business- intersperse a business-specific image or meme in with other engaging things- pictures of staff at lunch, inspirational quotes, even pictures of dogs.

4. Post pictures of your staff to create a sense that followers know the people behind the name.

5. Make a short video, perhaps talking about interview strategies or CV tips.

6. Always remember that this is an image-sharing site. If you don’t have good images to post, then find some! But be wary of using generic stock images, as Instagram users don’t tend to respond well to these. Genuine, even quirky images work much better, so get the camera out…

7. Consider running a fun competition. Ask followers to write something on a post-it note, such as ‘best excuse for being late to an interview’, or ‘funniest thing seen on a CV’ and post it. Recruiters should have a field day with these. You can start it with a funny one of your own.

8. Make sure that your company facebook, twitter, and Instagram accounts are linked.

9. Each time you post an image, be sure to put a few hashtags in the post so that your image pops up on lots of people’s feeds. #recruitment and #careers are obvious ones, but be a bit creative to expand your reach. #cvtips or #inspirationalquotes might work well, or #officedogs might prove a winner.

10. Be creative, try new things and see what works. Follow your network, your competitors and your industry. See what everyone else is doing and then create your point of difference if you can.

11. When someone comments, comment back- asap.

12. Find a hashtag that’s trending in your industry and then participate with images from your brand.

13. Remember- Instagram is meant to be fun!

So if you’re trying to recruit young and social media savvy employees, then Instagram is a great strategy to add to your recruitment arsenal. Just remember to keep your profile engaging and stay active, and you’ll be amazed at how many active and passive candidates you can reach.

Until next time,

Cheryl

Traditional CVs may be losing some of their clout with the rise of LinkedIn and digital CVs, but in the construction industry a CV is still overwhelmingly the way we recruit.

The problem is that candidates don’t always do a very good job of writing these CVs in a way that gets them maximum attention and the best chance of securing an interview.

A big part of the problem is that candidates don’t really understand the way recruiters and hiring managers use CVs- and realistically, how would they know this? They’re applying for a construction role, not a recruitment role, and they can’t really be expected to know what it’s like to be reading hundreds of CVs every week. Or, more importantly, what makes those CVs stand out or get discarded.

And perhaps as a recruiter you’re so accustomed to the ins and outs of CV writing, that you just assume everyone else knows this information too.

However, when you think about the CVs that come across your desk, you realise that many people don’t know what you know about CVs. Yes, like that great senior quantity surveyor candidate who only wrote one line about his past experience at a huge firm, or that guy who’s going for a management role with spelling mistakes littered like confetti through his CV. Yes, all of those people need your inside knowledge.

So, it’s time to share that info. In order to be a great biller in 2016, the first thing you need to do make absolutely sure your candidates understand how hiring managers look at CVs.

1. Many of your candidates probably think their CV’s are printed out, so they don’t know that in reality the hiring manager is probably looking at them on screen and pressing Ctrl F like crazy to find the magic keywords. Tip: Make sure your candidate has identified the important keywords in the job description and included these keywords strategically through their CV.

2. Hiring managers want to see the most recent job at the top, otherwise they find themselves getting frustrated when the CV jumps through time like Doctor Who’s Tardis. Tip: Make sure your candidate is using a chronological format, even if the most recent experience isn’t the most relevant. On that point, make sure they know to pull out all transferable, relatable skills from each past role and package them in a way that is relevant to the current role.

3. Hiring managers want to see clear CV formatting, with no spelling errors. Construction workers don’t need to be Hemingway, but spelling mistakes are so easy to catch on spellcheck, and the lack of effort in doing so shows a lack of attention to detail that might count against them, particularly for the better jobs. Tip: Get your candidates to spellcheck their CVs, or if you really want to place them, check their CV yourself. Just think: top biller.

4. Hiring managers read so many CVs that they like ones that stand out- but not in a bad way. Tip: Get your candidates to put a little bit of themselves on the page-perhaps with a bit of humour in the ‘Interests and Hobbies’ section. However, advise them against including overly personal information.

5. Hiring managers can spot a generic cover letter and CV in a second, and it instantly marks the candidate as not particularly keen for the role. Tip: Convince your candidate of the importance of crafting their cover letters and CVs for each different company or different role.

CVs are such crucial documents, and as a construction recruiter you know how important they are to get right. Now it’s time to make sure your candidates know this too. Top biller, here you come.

Until next time

Cheryl

We talked recently about how important it is to thoroughly check references to avoid a disaster down the line. But just as important is to check the company is a good fit for the candidate, and to prepare the candidate properly for their arrival in the new job.

When you’ve placed the right person with the right company, everyone’s happy, and that candidate will slot into the business seamlessly and make a great impression from the first day. As a recruiter, that good impression will reflect well on you.

However, if you push a candidate into a position where they don’t naturally fit – such as a job they’re uncertain they really want, or in a company culture that doesn’t fit with their personality, nobody is likely to be happy long-term with the outcome. (Remember that this includes you, as in this job market a dissatisfied candidate can just quit and go elsewhere- and you’ll have to return that lovely placement fee.)

So do your due diligence and research as much as you can about the company and the culture, and match that as well as you can to the candidate’s personality and expectations.

Once the right candidate has been chosen, it’s just as important that they are properly prepared for their arrival at their new job so they can make a brilliant impression in the first few days.

How to prepare your candidate for their first day

-Provide them with all the company material- company structure etc, and strongly advise them that they read it before their first day. Provide links to the company’s social media page and key player’s LinkedIn pages.

-Find out the dress code from the hiring manager and let the candidate know.

-Provide the candidate with directions to the office, and advise them to do a trial run on a day with bad traffic… and then add on at least 10 minutes for good measure. Impress upon them that lateness in the first week of a new job is devilish hard to come back from when it comes to good impressions.

-Find out on their behalf if the candidate will need any forms of ID on their first day, whether to get an employment or access card made.

-Establish what the starting time is, and who they should report to on arrival.

-Finally, make sure you’re in contact with the candidate in the lead-up to their first day. Wish them luck, ask if they have any questions (even ‘silly’ ones), and assure them you’re here if they need any assistance.

All of this may seem to some like hand-holding (after all, doesn’t everyone have google maps these days?), but all these things can really help your candidate make a brilliant impression in their new job. You might want to think of it as holding your own hand, because if your candidate succeeds, so do you.

Until next time

Cheryl

Focus. Just shout the world out and get on with the task at hand. It’s hard, isn’t it? Email alerts are popping up on your screen, you’ve got 8 red notifications on facebook, someone just replied to your recruitment post on Twitter, and all you can hear in your open plan office is phones ringing and other recruiters talking! It’s all so distracting.

Some people are great at shutting out the distractions. And when we’re doing something we’re really interested in, we all are. So what is the key to harnessing that focus? How can we be more clear-headed, more strategic, and more productive in 2016?

Here are some great tips on how to focus- spanning work, life, and in between.

-We’ve written recently about goal-setting, so I’ll just take this opportunity to remind you how important it is to break big goals into small achievable goals. This is just as much the case with a day’s work or a project as it is with a major goal. Break it down!

-Limit your social media. This is tricky for recruiters, as you need to access a lot of social media to place job ads and research candidates. As such, set limits on yourself about checking your own social media pages at certain times of day, and when you notice yourself getting sucked into the vortex of social media, shut the page down and move onto something else.

-Stop obsessing over details at work that don’t matter. It’s important to get things right, but often perfectionists spend so much time on things that don’t matter in a significant way to the outcome. Train yourself to recognise those moments where you’re just starting to throw time away on small details, and move onto another task.

-Get your blood pumping. We pass a truly extraordinary amount of our lives sitting in a chair, followed by hours at home sitting on the couch. Humans aren’t designed to live this way, so get out and go for a quick walk or jog to get the blood flowing. Countless studies have proven that you’ll soon find your focus and productivity flows better too.

-Eat better. While we’re on the topic of health, our brains can’t be expected to function properly if they’re not fed the right fuel. The average Briton eats 2.7 pounds of sugar per week, and high sugar diets have been proven to lead to energy slumps and brain-fog. So up the nutrition intake and cut down your sugar in 2016 to find your focus again.

-On the home front, cut out TV where possible and do something productive that makes you feel good about yourself. Think about this: how many hours so far this year have you watched/listened other people’s creations- whether it’s music or movies or whatever else? Ask yourself: when’s the last time you created something? Get back to your passions- draw, write, learn a language, cook a nice meal, have friends over for dinner. Look at the lives of your happiest, most energetic friends- the ones that are always doing something- and spend a bit more time with them. This may seem irrelevant to your career, but happiness and productivity at home funnels into the same results at work.

-If your schedule allows, always try to get a block of focussed work out of the way first thing. By focussed work I mean a task that takes real thinking, rather than just getting bogged down in emails or social media. Getting a block of work or difficult task out of the way at the start of the day, gives you a feeling of success early on that is proven to make you more productive as the day goes on.

Finally, accept that if you work an 8 hour day or more, you are bound to have lulls of productivity. Our brain works this way, normally on a cycle of strong focus, followed by a period of inattention. This varies between people somewhat, but the average is around 50 minutes to an hour, followed by about 15-20 minutes lesser concentration. Start to notice your own cycle of productivity and structure your day around it.

Until next time

Cheryl

Back in the recession when jobs were scarce, recruiters checked references extremely thoroughly- after all, talent was everywhere and detailed reference checks made sure that only the very best were put forward for competitive roles.

Today, the tables have turned, and talent is the thing that is scarce. As a result, some recruiters are falling into the trap of putting candidates through to interview without examining their references in detail- or at least not with the same detail as before. It’s easy to see how it happens: you’re busy, you need to make commissions in a tough market, and it’s great to have a good CV to put forward. In these conditions, you may decide just to take the candidate’s CV at face value, or with a cursory check.

You know it, I know it: this is a mistake.  A mistake that can end badly, with the client becoming unhappy with the candidate and making a few calls themselves, only to find out that the original references don’t check out. The end result? The client is very, very unhappy with you for failing to make the necessary background calls and doing the necessary digging. It’s a disaster- they ask for their placement fee back and you lose the client forever.

So, if you think your reference checking has been slipping a bit later, here’s a refresher on how to do it so that no one gets through the cracks and damages your reputation!

a. Do at least three reference checks.

b. Expand your targets- go off the suggested list of references.

c. Call or meet in person wherever possible; email is the least favoured option.

d. Ask the referee when they might have 15 minutes to talk about the candidate so they are not rushed (you may perceive a rushed reference as one they’re uncomfortable giving).

e. Do some digging- is there a personal connection between the referee and candidate?

f. Pay real attention to visual or audio clues given by the referee- does the person sound genuine, or look uncomfortable?

g. If you’re talking to a past employer, be sure to ask if they’d hire the person again.

h. Lead the referee away from ‘safe’ questions, or yes or no questions. Good people naturally shy away from talking badly about others, but you need to push past this resistance with fair but tough questions.

i. Ask why they left the job.

j. Ask what their strengths were, but insist that they also provide some weaknesses.

k. Ask if they suited the work culture and got along with others- and what that work culture was.

l. Also remember to check education history. It’s astonishing how many people will lie about their grades or where they attended university, thinking no-one will check.

Seems like a lot of effort? Well just imagine that angry client for a second, and remember that it’s your own professional reputation at stake. By doing your due diligence you’re protecting the client…and yourself. That’s got to be worth a bit of effort, doesn’t it?

Until next time,

Cheryl

According to recent research, 42% of students now think that the traditional CV is outdated, preferring to shun it in preference for exciting new ways to showcase their skills- such as video, social media, and digital CVs. Recruiters are also beginning to change their techniques, with an emerging reliance on professional networking sites like LinkedIn and online job applications.

However, as a recruiter, you know very well that traditional CVs are still the crucial, primary gateway to employment for these young graduates- even if they’re supplemented with these dynamic new techniques. So how do you ensure your candidates are making them most of their CVs, and how can you help them to polish them to impress employers?

1. Firstly, remind the candidates how important the traditional CV still is. After all, while Millennials may not feel the traditional CV allows them to show off their personality and aptitudes enough, the hiring managers will often be of a generation who puts a lot of stock in traditional recruitment techniques, and may find the new ‘personality-focussed’ techniques like personal video or Twitter accounts distracting, off-putting, or requiring too much effort and research. Particularly for the first round of interviews, a straight CV listing skills and experience is an effective way for recruiters to narrow down the field. In short, candidates ignore their CVs at their peril.

2. Ask them to fill the gaps. Some candidates don’t like the linear, list style of CVs…often because they are a little scared of the gaps it can reveal. Where a video or online profile is edited to play to a candidate’s positive achievements, a chronological CV might reveal a patchy work history, an unusual job shift, or periods without employment – often leading the hiring manager to ask difficult questions. As a recruiter trying to place these candidates, you need to prepare your candidates for tough questions in the interview, and get them to write their CV in a way that explains these gaps in a confident and open fashion.

3. Provide candidates with the current do’s and don’ts of CV writing. You’re up to date with all of this, but are they?  For example:

a. You’re aware of it, but do they know that many hiring managers use Control F all day trying to find keywords in piles of CVs? Get them to include keywords in their CVs where possible.

b. If the candidate is including a personal interest section on their CV, ask them to make it interesting! ‘I like mountain-climbing, am writing a book in my spare time, and have a guilty pleasure for mindless reality shows.’ A bit of humour doesn’t hurt, but overly personal information generally will. Dullness, meanwhile, is unlikely to create a memorable impression.

c. Microsoft Word CV templates instantly date CVs, and look old-fashioned. Ask candidates to use PDF where possible. When it comes to presentation, hiring managers certainly won’t appreciate a CV on pale pink paper with flowers and a loopy cursive script, but clear and attractive formatting might help them stand out. However, ensure that the candidate knows that content always wins out over presentation, and make sure they check that the document still looks good when stripped of formatting.

d. Does your candidate know to write their CV in the third person, but their cover letter in first person? Or that if they don’t have a great cover letter that stands out, that there’s not really any point sending one at all because it won’t get read?

e. Finally, does the candidate know to put their recent job at the top- even if it isn’t quite as relevant? Candidates often mess up the chronology of their CVs to make their most relevant job stick at the top, but that’s just confusing to the reader. Make sure the jobseeker writes their CV in a way that is chronological, but also makes their recent job as relevant as possible to the job description.

Fashions in CV-writing have changed over the years, and will no doubt continue to change. It’s inevitable (and exciting) that new, dynamic ways of recruitment are opening up, but the traditional CV is still the primary way for jobseekers to showcase their skills and achievements.

Until next time

Cheryl

January is flying by isn’t it? For those of you that set goals, it’s definitely time to take stock of how you’re progressing on your 2016 resolutions, and maybe adapt some of those goals to make reaching them even more likely. For those that didn’t start 2016 with an action plan, is it worth setting goals now?

Heavens, yes. Setting goals in February (or March, or November for that matter) is a vital part of understanding exactly where it is you want to go, and exactly how it is that you are going to get there. In reality, February is possibly even better than January for setting these goals, as the buzz and champagne positivity of New Year is behind you, you’re back at work, and you have a more realistic view of where you are in life. For example, your fervent declaration in the early hours of January 1st that you were going to turn everything around at work with the manager that clearly hates you, might have been dampened slightly by the cold shoulder she gave you on Monday, January 4^th.

So, no matter whether you set goals in January or not, it’s definitely time to re-examine them.

How to reach your goals this year

1. Aim high, but build yourself a stepladder! Research shows that most people are only motivated towards goals in the short term, meaning we often give up when we don’t see quick results. As such, you need to sit down and break your big goal into small, manageable goals.

2. Don’t forget to celebrate when you reach your goals. You might plan some rewards for yourself, such as ‘if I take the IT evening classes that I will need to get the promotion, I’ll reward myself with a massage/weekend away/new laptop.

3. Only make goals for things YOU are in control of. Don’t fall into the trap of expecting other people to play along. As in the example described above, a goal like ‘turning things around with my manager who hates me’ depends far too much on the manager’s behaviour and willingness to change. Instead, set your goal as something that’s completely under your control- perhaps something along the lines of: ‘I won’t let that manager’s behaviour get me down.

4. Find techniques to make you more productive: at work; at home; at life. Many high achievers swear by planning their week ahead on Sunday night, or writing their to-do list for the next day before they go to sleep- allowing them to spring into action the next day. Schedule time to work on moving towards your goals- actually block it out on your calendar and treat it like a work appointment. Above all, treat your goal as importantly as you would treat a high-level assignment your boss gives you. That’s not negotiable, so why would your goal be?

5. Keep re-examining your goals throughout the year- and don’t be afraid to adapt them to new circumstances. Put them somewhere obvious and schedule an (unbreakable) appointment with yourself each month to assess how you are going. Don’t give up when you see that you’ve missed a target, rather take this opportunity to assess why you didn’t reach it, and then perhaps break the task up into even more manageable, achievable pieces.

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, very few of us see them through- in fact, 25% of us don’t even make it through the first week! So don’t put too much stock in an arbitrary date like January 1, instead, seize this moment- NOW- to establish a hopeful, happy, and hugely achievable set of goals for your future.

Until next time

Cheryl