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A little FIGJAM is good for you

A little FIGJAM-F* *k ,I’m Good, Just Ask Me, is fine, provided the self-praise is meant to bolster and boost your confidence. This is especially true if you’ve suffered a career disappointment. However, be wary of staying in this state of mind for too long just in case you become a little too arrogant and lose your humility forever!

Looking for work in all the right places

The job market has changed dramatically, yet some of the tried and true methods are still relevant. An example is the old fashioned cold call! So let’s explore five basic ways and flesh-out best approaches for gaining employment using these methods.

11 Most popular Job Interview Questions.

Get ready for your next job interview! Find out what interview questions are the most popular and be ready for your great response!

Chance is a fickle thing, job research is not

Job search is filled with opportunities to worry, stress, and disappointment. Make sure that when you start your job search journey that you understand it could be an emotional roller coaster ride. It shouldn’t be, but often it is! It’s normal to feel some angst, but not too good if the trip is full of it.

Facing redundancy made easier, Outplacement services

Outplacement is a valuable service to help exiting employees face their future

Responding to Selection Criteria

Responding to Selection Criteria. It’s a specialised skill and you’re not alone. This article with cover how should you respond and address selection criteria. Firstly, you are required to address each criterion separately, providing enough detail for the panel to assess your abilities in relation to them. While there is no specific word or character limit, the average response should be around 350 -500 words per criterion. The best approach is to 1.Understand the Position description 2. Provide evidence 3. Be positive and specific 4. provide outcomes/results . Understand the Position Description (PD) It’s important to read the whole of the PD, considering the responsibilities of the job and how they relate to the selection criteria. Make sure you understand what sort of responsibilities relate to every criterion. For example, writing reports, negotiating with colleagues and providing information to clients all relate to a selection criterion based on “communicates effectively”. In your response to that criteria you should therefore cover your experience relating to writing, negotiating and providing information. You should make notes under each selection criteria regarding the types of things you should cover. Inform the panel on what aspects of the criterion you are addressing. For example, the excerpt below from an applicant’s response to the criteria uses the same terms (report writing, negotiating and providing information) to show how their experience relates to the role they are applying for: “In several positions I was required to negotiate with colleagues and clients in relation to deadlines. for example, while working as an Account’s Assistant with XYZ Company, I had to liaise regularly with clients to negotiate deadlines for payment. I worked in partnership with them, clearly explaining the reasons for the deadline and adopting a flexible attitude if possible. I also ascertained a good understanding of my client’s business to ensure I understood and worked with their needs and their own specific deadlines. As a result of this relationship-building approach, I consistently received payments on time and was therefore able to maintain cash flow and decrease outstanding debts.” Provide evidence, This is  really important when formulating relevant examples from your work, study, life and/or volunteer experience. Decide which examples ‘fit’ best, then use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Approach and Result) to outline them. The STAR approach ensures that you provide evidence of how you are suitable for the job, not just generic statements. With the example above: The S situation was working as Sales Officer with XYZ.  The task was negotiating the deal, The A approach was explaining the reason for the deadline, being understanding of the client’s needs and adopting a flexible attitude and The R result or outcome was ensuring payments were received on time to prepare and submit the end of financial year  report,  by the required deadline. Often the difficult part is knowing what examples to use from your work history and what sort of things to emphasize or highlight. You might find that you have too much information to fit into just a couple of pages or you may struggle to write a paragraph. It is best to be concise and avoid going off on tangents. Every bit of information should link to the selection criteria. It must be positive and specific, using positive and specific language and avoiding ambiguous or passive expressions, such as “I was involved in” or “I assisted in”. Use strong action terms and verbs and avoid passive language when describing your qualifications and experience, for example, say “I lead the project” rather than, “As part of my ongoing duties, I participated in the project”. Avoid negative terms,...

Make it past the first cut with a great resume

Gaining an interview means that your resume passed the first test or often, the first cut… but a lot of applications don’t make the first cut and here are just 3 reasons why..

Job criteria-Capability statements, How to respond… and get the Job Interview!

Good communication is a core competencies for all jobs.. regardless of the level! Notice that this statement also asks for 3 skill-sets – written/verbal and presentation to an audience. You can try to “bundle” all three, or you can divide it up, either way, I strong suggest a very basic formula to follow:- S.A.R – Situation/ action / response

There’s Employment Agencies and then there’s Recruitment Agencies

Eather Recruitment, although posted and listed under Yellow pages and most on-line media as an Employment Agency, is actually a Recruitment agency. What is the difference you ask?

Resumes are your best sales and promotional flier!

“Is your resume getting you that interview?”

If it is, then you have a good resume, however, if it does not get you in front of a potential employer, it’s doing you NO favours! It should read like a sales document, it should “sell” your skills, experience and qualifications… it should make you like highly marketable!

Random resumes without a cause

Are you sending out random resumes to any advertised jobs, ones  that you think you could perform? Are you on the “auto” applications list with a number of job sites? Do you send the same resume to a variety of job advertisements? STOP IT! It’s doing you more harm than good!  Here’s  four main reasons why:-

Resumes mean a lot! Is yours good enough? what is enough?

A good Resume is only one that gets you to an interview – otherwise write a better one!

Resumes need attention and updating

A resume is a living, breathing document! It should NEVER remain static, if it does, it will loose its relevance and perhaps become redundant.  Workplaces and work requirements are changing rapidly and it’s important for job seekers to get a professionally written and rewritten resume completed for their job search.

RESUMES are underrated – start rating it!

Every day we receive job applications that include an attached resume. Most of the time the resume as presented, does not reflect the advertised position. In fact, we often comment that we have no idea why the applicant is interested in the position as they don’t appear to have any work experiences, skills or abilities that match the job. The resume MUST help the reader and potential employer understand why you would be the best person for this job. How do you do this? Here are some major tips!

DIY Resumes? are some things better done by others?

DUI resumes can turn out amazing. Many do not make the first cut! If you’re not sure, ask an expert to review and advise.