Spend valuable time on the writing, thinking, planning and reviewing and it will be worth every minute!

• It should be a breeze. A walk in the park. A lovely relaxing think, but all too often talking about ourselves in positive light, is the most difficult thing to do. Most of us need help with learning the Key secrets to writing responses to Key Section Criteria and other tricky demands of the application process.

Job Applications that require responses to  Key Selection Criteria (KSC)- or Capability Statements, can be an excruciating experience…especially if you don’t know what to do!

Firstly, you must respond to the Key Selection Criteria. If you only send in your Cover Letter and Resume for a job that has a request for you to respond to Key Selection Criteria your application will immediately be discarded

Don’t assume that employers or the selection panel will pull the information out of your application package and pick up the salient points.  They will not!  Even if they had the spare time for such insight, they are not allowed to infer anything.

Here are some General hints to follow when responding to KSC (Key selection Criteria)

• Read the vacancy announcement carefully  ( I often read it out aloud and slowly – it helps!)
• Gather the information needed to begin writing
• Be specific and be precise
• Get to the point and don’t ramble
• Use poignant examples to support your assertions (current and past colleagues may be able to assist you remember)
• State specifically what you have done, and the results or outcomes
• Do not use acronyms
• Present yourself in “clear and plain” language
• Do not borrow language from the position description
• Make sure you answer each Key Selection Criteria separately. NEVER, ever, write a response that combines 2 or more Key Selection Criteria in one response or write, eg, refer to para 1 or refer to resume
• Study each Key Selection Criteria very carefully. Note the language used and the very specific areas the question covers. Underline any key words and phrases. Then write your response.

For each Key Selection Criteria, delve into your career history and work experience and come up with an example that demonstrates the particular skill or experience that you are being asked for. Try to find examples of a project that was completed (i.e. something that started and ended, with a definable result, while you were there) and write a response outlining what you actually did to assist with the project

Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) structure to respond to the Key Selection Criteria

Keep your responses to Key Selection Criteria within the guidelines on the advertisement.

Keep it succinct and brief. More than 3 or 4 pages per criterion is almost certainly too much. Less than this is to brief and more than this will put you at risk of waffling. Please Note that waffling does not cut it. The questions are very specific and it’s critical you provide specific responses.

There are a number of publications and further information on the web .Let us know if  these tips are useful!

Ivana Agapiou resume writer and career advisor

0404 056 278

The post Let’s explore the Excruciating “Writing Part” for Key Selection Criteria appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

A relevant resume is still required, but you also need to get a grip and smooth your way around responses to Criteria or Capability statements.

As well as a great resume, you need to understand how to provide relevant responses,  you have to make your job application look & read like the process was effortless! Just like these pelicans in the pic, you can’t see the mad peddling under the water, all you see is smooth operation and a “glide”! we know that JOB applications & Resumes that require you to respond to Key Selection Criteria can be – NO, ARE  a very time-consuming task that requires great skill. 

 Responding to key criteria

In this article, I provide a sample criteria that comes up often for  many roles, and that is,

“High-level written and verbal communication skills including well-developed presentation skills.”

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

Summarise what you understand is effective communication first, then provide a great examples of when you used your communication skills effectively ….

Here is an example scenario –  when you were Managing Director’s PA and had to place a convincing argument to upgrade communication systems/phones which included Data base acquisition.

Situation – MD not sure about necessary change – no systems in place and antiquated phone and IT

Action – What did you actually “do” in this instance…  acted – took initiative to consult / listen/ research data… report. .cost analysis  – demonstrate benefits to Manager

Result – implementation of new process and procedures along with new IT supporting the changes – cost saving; time efficiencies; streamlined systems

The same formula applies to  Presentation skills

Explain how it is all about the audience! Who are they? What are the objectives of the presentation? To persuade? To inform?

Situation – you recently presented a mini – education assessing to Business Women’s network meeting

Action – had to prepare and present on Eather Recruitment – why use a recruiter?

Result – audience informed of services and persuaded to consider when next recruiting – connecting with a larger audience and personalizing the contact. Three leads were made and followed through with successful sales

Ivana Agapiou resume writer and career advisor

The post Job criteria-Capability statements, How to respond… and get the Job Interview! appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

Many jobs now require you to respond to ” Capability Statements“. You MUST address ALL the  criterion to be considered for the vacancy. A resume is a must, but it’s just one part of the application.

You might wonder how selection criterion or capability statements are developed? All essential criteria are based on the core and business enabler capabilities contained in the organisation’s Capability Framework. This is corporate speak for ” we need to read that you understand our business. You have the right capabilities that  are a match for that role within our organisation”

Usually, the selection panel will go through the key responsibilities of the job and choose the capabilities that they believe an employee would need to do these duties effectively. For example, a position may have a duty included to provide reception services. In this case,  the associated selection criteria would probably be based on the capability of “Relationships”and its elements of “Communicates effectively” and “Commits to client service”.

Desirable selection criteria are preferred qualifications or memberships and criteria that are nice to have and may be of assistance in the role. Often these are criteria that an applicant can develop skills in and/or knowledge of in a reasonable amount of time while ‘on the job’.

How are selection criteria used?

Firstly for Shortlisting, initially the selection panel reviews each application, assessing the resume and reading through every response to selection criteria. The purpose of this is to determine if an applicant ‘meets’ the criteria. Meeting criteria means that based on the applicants CV or  resume and response to the selection criteria, the panel considers the applicant has demonstrated their ability to do the job. Generally, the applicant must meet a min of 80% of the essential criteria to be considered for the next stage of the selection process (usually a panel interview).

Secondly, this method is used for Interviews. Once the selection panel has decided who to interview, they will develop questions (or another type of selection activity) based on the selection criteria. These are often behavioral questions that reflect the duties of the job. For example, with the earlier example (the duty was to provide counter service to clients in a busy reception), the question could be “You are serving a customer,  and they are getting frustrated and angry with the process they have to follow. How do you use your communication skills to manage or resolve this situation?”

It’s also utilized for Referee reports, following the interview the Chairperson of the selection panel may chose to contact your referees. They will ask them questions concerning your professional abilities based on the selection criteria. This is predominately used to confirm the selection panel’s assessment of your abilities based on the quality of your written application and your performance at interview. Make sure your referees are aware that they could get a call!

THE BIG QUESTIONS

 How do I address selection criteria? 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 .

1. Understand the Position Description (PD) – 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. You should let the panel know 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.”

2. Provide evidence – It’s really important to formulate relevant examples from your work, study, life and/or volunteer experience that relate to each criterion and the associated duties. Decide which examples ‘fit’ best, then use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Approach and Result) to outline them. This 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/ 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, such as “dealing with problems”. Instead, turn it around and couch the phrase as “meeting challenges”or “resolving issues”.

3. Review your work and once you complete your responses to the selection criteria, go back over your application and check that: · You have covered all aspects of the criteria· The structure of your response to each criterion is logical· The information is concise, there is not extra information that does not relate to the criterion · Your sentences are positive and clear· Your grammar and spelling is correct · The best approach is to ask someone else to read your work and ask that they consider the above points when assessing your response

In Summary, the most important things to remember:

· Read and understand the whole PD

· Address all the selection criteria

· Focus on the criteria based on the Core and Business Enabler Capabilities

· Give solid examples and don’t forget to outline the results and outcomes

· Try to keep to around 500 words per criterion · Sell your contribution

· Read through your work over and over and even have someone else edit and review too! Then press SEND!!

Finally, if this sounds all too difficult we can recommend the services of a resume writer.

Ivana Agapiou career and outplacement consultant and resume writer

The post Capability Statements and your response,it’s a hill climb appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

Don’t ignore the Capability statements, levels and frameworks.

Tread slowly and carefully, as responding to these can be a minefield.

Capability (or ability) frameworks describe the skills and behaviors that employers want their people to demonstrate if they are doing high quality work. These frameworks provide an over-arching list of the skills required in particular work settings or contexts. They are broad descriptions, against which specific skills can be mapped. Typically they cover a range of job roles andor work contexts.

Many organisations have critically analysed the role/s and formulated the necessities to perform the roles. Not only is there a LIST of what is required, they also have graded the capabilities in priority groups. These levels reflect a progressive increase in complexity and skill that may be required from the candidate. Job applications for  many public sector jobs  now require you to address “capability statements” in your application. These were developed using a capability framework and have replaced the old “selection criteria“. NO application will be considered seriously unless your application incorporates the capabilities.

So, you find “that” great job and you eagerly apply.  You notice that they only have a few application requirements, that is, a resume and responses to a few “target questions“.

Often the target questions seem quite simplistic, innocuous even, just like the following examples:

1. We are all faced with challenging deadlines. Could you describe a scenario where you had competing deadlines. How did you manage your workload? What was the end outcome?   OR
2. Please describe a situation where you had a complex issue that had to be resolved. What was the issue? What factors did you have to consider in resolving it? What was the outcome?

Then you notice other documents, like the position description; a table with capability framework and capability statements.  All these documents need to be thoroughly analysed prior to your application. DON’T assume that they are just background chatter! The “trick” is to incorporate the capabilities into target question responses .YEEK – not as easy as it sounds!

This is my advice for tackling target questions

1. read and analyse all documents
2. visit the public sector website for handy hints
3. note the “weightings” on specific capabilities – some are more important than others
4. create responses that reflect the capabilities, in fact adapt and use some the wording used to describe the capabilities for example in response to a target question on the capability, challenging deadlines

“I self managed the work load by formulating a clear and simple Business plan that followed measurable and achievable goals and included priorities and deadlines. I arranged the project into bite sized projects and whilst investigating and researching the project I proactively encouraged “excellence in trade operators” to gain their T A E qualification. This ensured that I had a workforce plan with capable resources.  Once I set the operational targets, I consulted and evaluated the progress with the customer demographic, along with the team and executives. I solicited feedback, gathered more ideas and resolved potential problems”. The outcomes were,  job ready staff, new products delivered on time; increase in student numbers .

NOTE the following: The items in “bold” all reflect the abilities required to handle challenges BASED on the capability statements that are clearly outlined in the application documents . Also note that it was all set in the past and the story had the following formula or structure

1. a scenario or situation 2. what you did in the scenario 3. the results or outcomes

Many organisations, especially those that all on-line applications, also use software programs that check for KEY words and phrases as they pertain to the capability statements and grade your application accordingly!!!

Computers now conduct searches for the vital key words in a resume and the targeted responses to  find the more qualified candidates in a few key strokes.  They don’t care how long  or detailed your resume is (now) because they let the search engine do the identification based on what THEY ARE LOOKING FOR and believe that the software will identify the more qualified candidates to interview.

So start the process of updating and obtaining a rewrite of your resume TODAY with the best resume writer in the marketplace so you, as the job seeker, can be ready to actively (or passively) search for that next exciting career job!

Ivana Agapiou Resume Writer 

Extensive experience in Education, Training and Employment services both in private and public sectors – 0404056278

The post What are Capability Frameworks and how to treat them seriously… appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

Resumes generally don’t reveal much about the real “you”. Yes, it’s an historical snap shot of your work life.. but what does it say about your unique personality? What do you want it to “say” about you?

Want to stand out? Want your resume to get you to an interview? Then a simple  ELEVATOR speech or an “About me” statement is a great way to differentiate your resume from the rest!

Definition: An elevator spiel in job searching includes a 15-30 second overview of an individual’s knowledge, skills, and accomplishments. The term comes from the time it takes to complete a normal elevator ride from the top to the bottom floor. An “elevator speech” is an opportunity to sell you!

So it’s basically a spoken commercial that explains to people who you are, what you do and what kind of position you’re seeking. Most people don’t understand, though, that an elevator pitch should also be a crucial part of your resume.

Need help?

Then answer these questions in a “real” voice. Like you’re speaking to your mother, or a couple of friends (I even recommend that you speak into a voice recorder, or just go ahead and call your own voicemail, and answer these questions out loud. That’s the best way to get a conversational tone….)

• Why do you want to work in Retail/ Hospitality or Tourism?
• What is it that you find interesting about it?
• No, seriously, don’t talk to me like I’m your boss, what do you really find interesting about it?
• Why do you want to stay in this field?
• What do you like about this industry?
• When you’re in the shower in the morning, what types of challenges at work make you excited to get to work as soon as possible?
• When are you having the most fun?

It’s like establishing your very own personal brand allowing you to differentiate and position yourself from the competition and claim your job!

Here are some examples to help you get going!

A Marketing role

The Pitch: “I like to shine from behind the scenes. I am an office support professional with experience managing Marketing Programs and Initiatives for the manufactured consumer products industry. Being the people person that I am, I enjoy being hands-on in getting to know what the customer wants/needs and then working within company guidelines to make it happen. I’d be thrilled to share more about my background.”

A Sales Role

The Pitch: “A sales professional with solid track record of winning new and repeat business. I’d like to continue that success for a company that wants to generate more business. My background shows that I have exceeded sales targets and helped boost market share. I’m technological proficiency, particularly in web research. Being a great listener, helps me understand and address client needs. I’ve been fascinated by the sales process and am driven by the impact I can have on a company’s growth”.

A Barista

The Pitch: “Being a Barista is not just a job! I love serving customers and can operate various commercial coffee machines. I have speed and physical agility; I possess initiative and can think quickly on my feet. I’m creative and enjoy making each cup a work of art; I can distinguish qualities of a coffee such as body, astringency, bitterness, fruitiness, acidity, chew, under extracted, over extracted, and the texture of the milk, and last but not least – I love working under pressure!”

A Reception or front line role

The Pitch: “I like being the public face for a hotel. As the first person a customer sees or the first voice they hear, I know how important it is that I consistently act in a professional manner providing the customers with a great first, and lasting impression. I am also a great typist, and pride myself on my accuracy and administration skills. As well as this, I’m told that my smile is contagious!”

General Hospitality and Retail customer service roles

The Pitch: “I deliver a high level of customer service and I understand the importance of presentation and great communication skills. I like to be efficient and to provide t timely service. I adopt a very flexible approach to working various shifts, and can work a variety of hours. I enjoy engaging with Guests and customers and building repeat business”.

Explaining why you for the role?

The Pitch: “Currently I am seeking work for my gap year. I am keen on a role within………..?because….. …?

I am a personable, naturally curious person who is keen to further develop my communication and work skills. I know I will be working when others are partying, however, I enjoy helping others have a great event. I am available for any shifts and for week-ends”.

NOTE- 25 – 50 words IS ENOUGH… but make sure you do make it 100% about you! NO lies; no made-up stories! Still stumped? Try this free career Quiz… the results may help you describe your self in more individual terms!

http://www.carecareers.com.au/page/career-quiz Ivana Agapiou resume writer and career advisor

RESUME WRITING PORT MACQUARIE

Good luck!

The post Why you for this job? The elevator statement is a must! appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

After the RESUME has done it’s job…

and you have secured an interview – it’s time to stop…pause… think… and

“do not proceed past this point”

until you…

Practice  – Practice  – Practice 

or run the risk of remaining the bridesmaid and never the bride, for a very long time….

The job interview is the most popular way employers have to decide on whether to employ or not,  and regardless of how relaxed an interviewer / employer may make you feel during the interview….They are still in “formal” mode, observing your body language, listening and looking for any reason NOT to employ you.  In fact, getting you to feel comfortable is clever interviewer behaviour.  Most of us behave quite differently if we don’t feel threatened. Some interviewers use the opposite technique and act combative and a bit aggressive, this can also be a test to see how you might react and respond under pressure. So, yes interviews are a staged audition and you only have a short time to impress. It can be brutal!

Body language makes up for up to 80% of the communication – so it means that what you say is not as important as how you say it! So why do so many of us neglect to practice and ensure that our posture, eye contact and gestures are congruent and match with what we are saying?

Many employers will observe how you present, whether you arrive early, whether you are dressed professionally, and how you communicate with front office staff. Some even watch you waiting to be called in for interview!

Proceed with caution only after you follow the recommendation that prior to any audition,  (any interview) you sit in front of a big mirror and practice responding to possible and impossible questions; practice your delivery and then practice, practice, and practice again!

Take special note of the 6 following areas: Posture; seating; eye contact; gestures;smile and dress.

1.Posture – open, honest equals – chest out, square shoulders, open palms and hands either by placing side by side or together on your lap.

2.Seating position –-try to sit facing a little side-on, even if the chair is “full frontal” this direct positioning can be a bit disconcerting, shift your body a little so that you are not exactly front-on and appear confrontational.

3.Eye contact  – direct eye contact is a tricky one. If your contact is too piercing, you can appear weird/scary and if your eye contact is evasive, you can appear a bit dodgy and maybe untruthful. Check yourself in the mirror or whilst in discussions with a partner, ask for their feedback on your eye contact. It is great to maintain eye contact when talking to a person however it can become a bit creepy and uncomfortable if you stare too intensely at them. To combat this, break eye contact every 5 seconds or so by looking away at either another panelist, or at a spot behind the interviewer. This needs to be performed as naturally as possible.

4.Gestures – with hands placed by your side or loosely folded on your lap, it will be easier to gesture out and openly, revealing the inside area of your arms as you speak. This part of the body exemplifies openness and honesty.

5.SMILE!

Good eye contact must be complemented by a genuine smile, or else you’ll just be staring, which makes anyone feel uncomfortable. Now don’t always smile, cause that just makes you look insecure, but smile at the key points. Along with staring, never do it for more than 4-5 seconds, as this bypasses the comfort zone.

Mirror their eyes: pay attention to eye brows and mimic the emotions of surprise or sadness –  It works best if accompanied by a little nod at these points of inflection.

6.Your dress

Err always to the professional side. Know that what you wear will be interpreted rightly or wrongly. So try to get it right the first time. Study the company, their corporate colours, and their dress standard. Do your best to wear clothes that look like the right “fit” not just in correct sizing, but a “fit” or match,  for the company’s image. First impressions only take seconds and can last a lifetime.

In summary, if you made it to the interview stage, you are almost there, so why allow another candidate, who has developed the knack of great, positive body language, beat you to the job? Get that mirror and start rehearsing for the job YOU deserve!

Ivana Agapiou – consultant – resume writer 0404056278  and career counselling

#resumes #resumewriter #FIGJAMresumes,

The post The job interview IS an audition appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

5 fast tips for hiring long-term, loyal employees

 Are you in recruitment mode and seeking workers for your business?   Here are 5 easy tips that may help attract, recruit, and maintain happy workers…

1. Market and promote a strong brand image

Good marketing not only applies to attracting clients. Applicants want to work for an “employer of choice”.  Ensure you project the most professional image you can in all your media choices,  like your website, social media and events. Most importantly, this professional image must be aligned to your customers experience and what your potential new staff members notice about you. Is your establishment projecting what you are advertising?

2. Create a warm and positive work culture

If you maintain a pleasant work environment, you won’t have to look too hard for new team members, as no one will want to leave! Developing a reputation as a great employer helps position you as an ideal workplace. Companies known as quality work places often spend less money and time on recruiting because people are waiting for vacancies to arise!. Word of mouth works really well as your team talk to peers in other workplaces about what a great boss you are and what a great place to work!

3. Demonstrate community engagement

Get involved in your community. Sponsor and participate in events that get you out into the public and in front of prospective employees. Take on some public speaking engagements that present you as an expert and leader in your field. Start a blog and include comments about why your business has the best people and show you really are very proud of them.  Your reputation will spread and your current employees will appreciate you even more.

4. Recruit slow – consider recruitment Agencies

Often small business owners ask their staff to refer people (like themselves) to work for them. Sometimes this works, however you may find that “friends” and family may cause unnecessary conflicts in the workplace.  It is advised to recruit slowly and carefully, making sure you have a clear picture of the type of person you are looking for; as well as a good job description, prior to seeking any further staff.   Some employers may find recruitment difficult, whether it’s because they don’t have the time or maybe it’s because they are not confident with recruitment.  You may want to consider an objective perspective and hire a professional and experienced recruiter who knows just what to look for when sourcing the right staff for you. If you are a small to medium business, a good recruiter can attract and place candidates who might not normally consider your workplace.   For larger businesses, recruitment agencies can often be the most cost effective way to find the best fit.  As we all know, an unhappy,  team member can destroy the culture of any  business very quickly.  Just one bad apple…….

5. Manage their performance and reward good work

“Talk early, talk often and talk private”.  The most important aspect of any relationship is consistent and regular communication.  A clear written job description along with simple expectations of their on- the- job behaviour must be communicated to them. When you see your staff performing well, sincerely praise them! If and when they are not performing to standard,  a chat in private is necessary and make sure you refer them to the written expectations a help steer back on track.

In conclusion, one of the biggest challenges of any business is staffing.  If staff are the wrong fit, and do not enjoy their jobs, this attitude will be obvious to your customers! Your customers want to experience a happy, positive environment. It’s not just the great coffee and food that delights, it’s the people interactions, it’s the remembering of customer’s names and orders, it’s the genuine smile that really counts to making sure your customers return time and time again and making your business a success.

Ivana Agapiou 0404056278

The post 5 Tips for hiring great staff! appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

 Selection Criteria Responses that get you THAT interview.  Your application needs to have an  inviting “bite”.

Recently, I heard an interview on ABC Radio National. A leading HR company was discussing the ways to best respond to Key Selection Criteria. He stipulated how important is was to create interest, to “bait” and attract the reader enough to get you an interview.

Here is a very quick synopsis from the interview.

Many employers are looking for the right “fit” and this means that they want to get to know you, your likes, dislikes and most importantly… your failings… we all hate that dreaded question “What are your weaknesses?if you can’t find an example from work experiences,use examples from “life” .

1. To respond to questions we often refer to work experiences,  and all about forget our life’s experiences… Think of a time in your every day life that might be a suitable example to demonstrate your ability to perform.

2.  Use examples from “learned” experiences – mistakes you’ve made, what you learned and how this has made you a better, smarter employee

3.  Provide stories – examples of when you did wonderfully and what that meant to the outcome of the project/task

So basically, don’t panic if you don’t have work examples for all the questions – use your life experiences.  LASTLY,  remain up-beat; positive and always write in the active voice!

There’s loads more to know – if you seek help with your resume/ job application – phone Ivana 0404056278

Ivana Agapiou resume writer and career advisor

The post Key Selection Criteria Responses that get you THAT interview appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

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.  What does this mean for the applicant  who is looking for a job now?  Today’s job seeker must have a well-written resume; the resume that is rich in content,  concise and with wording that showcases career achievements, capabilities  and accomplishments as it pertains to the job that they are applying for!    The resume must demonstrate diversity in skills and capabilities based on technical skills, and where possible, volunteerism, languages, publications, and awards and recognition.

The job seeker should be careful when hiring a resume writer.  They can be sucked into ridiculously expensive resume writing services with very little return on their career search investment.  Some resume services charge between $1-2,000K and the result is essentially ‘a pretty resume’ that on appearance looks great, with borders, fancy text, and filler words, but very little Return on Investment, because it’s loaded with subjective verbs versus objective descriptors.  Some claim that they can “re-brand” the applicant.  This is often marketing bunk! Re-branding sounds a bit too fake for me!

There are resume certification services that claim their resume writers are the best qualified  – but those certifications are not necessarily important.  And, you don’t necessarily need to meet face-to-face with those resume writers – that just makes you spend time and money that is not really necessary.

You do want to use a resume writer with hundreds, if not thousands of resumes under their belt and loads of positive reviews and references.  You do want to see samples of those resumes when you are shopping around.  A professional resume writer will also explain the process to you,  for what they will do with your resume.  They will explain the process, the steps, and work interactively to reword and design the best-practices of the resume rewrite formatting.  Good resumes service companies will offer smaller and affordable packages, so even if the job seeker is unemployed, they can afford the services (this means the resume writer is empathetic to the job seeker’s financial circumstances).  You want to get a ‘good feeling’ from the resume re-writer’s personality, where you hear their empathy and just know they are on your side and will work hard to really make your resume shine to recruiters.

EDUCATE YOURSELF ON RESUMES AND RECRUITING PRACTICES:

Statement claim 1:                       

You need to rewrite the resume for every job you apply for …

Response 1:              

Not necessarily so,  if you write a ‘capability’ resume, for all your skills, experience, strengths, and education, that one resume only needs to slight adjustments for each job application.

Statement claim 2:           

Resumes should only be 2 pages long

Response 2:              

Resumes can be longer than 2 pages. Agencies and employers are looking for the most qualified candidate in experience, which means you may need to ‘load’ that resume with far more content to really compete with the dozens or even hundreds of other competitors for those  jobs.

Resumes for private sector companies can be one page (if new to job market and fresh graduate) and

to up top four pages (if experienced careerist).

In the main, Resumes used to be submitted in paper form.  Loads of filing cabinets took up lots of valuable office space.  Now,  most resumes are required to be uploaded  and digitally stored.  And, now the recruiters can search that database of resumes in the entire database or only within the job requisition pool of applicants using  Search criteria for the more vital key words in a resume and find the more qualified candidates in a few key strokes.  They don’t care how long the resume is (now) because they let the search engine do the identification of the more qualified candidates and only need to glance over the resumes now for  key words and phrases. In summary, it might just be a machine that decides if you are shortlisted to an interview!

TAKE ACTION – be proactive

Commence  the process of updating and obtaining a rewrite of your resume TODAY with the best resume writer in the marketplace so you, as the job seeker, can be ready to actively (or passively) search for that next exciting career job!

Ivana Agapiou resume writer

The post Resumes need attention and updating appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

How to take advantage of  a private recruitment agency

Recruiters act as a “conduit” between you and your prospective employer. They can facilitate your progress to a shortlist, nor not.

When your application is received by the agency, they will scrutinize your resume and cover letter. HR personnel will carefully assess of your skills, experience and qualifications and how these match up to any advertised or non-advertised, position and also to any specific employer requirements.

Recruitment agency perspective

Acting on behalf of an employer, they will scrutinize your application for best “fit”.  That means that they will be evaluating the appearance, presentation and professionalism of the documents as they serve as the very first impressions of you. Yes, they do look for errors, poor attention to detail and Yes, they make many judgments based on what they see.

If your application documents are good enough to make a shortlist, you may be contacted by the agency for follow-up interview/s and perhaps a skills test. The agency makes its money from the employer once a candidate is chosen. Therefore, it is in their best interests to find the perfect candidate. They are NOT necessarily on your side, instead they focus and prioritize on matching up the best applicant to the employer’s specifications.

Your best first impression is the resume

Prior to applying,  check that your Resume is up to scratch. Does it match what the employer is looking for? Has it yielded you an interview in the past? Have you double-checked it for any errors prior to pressing “send”?

Print one out and see how it looks. Does the format and layout appear professional? Often less pretty and fussy tables, colours, fancy text means less problems with compatibility at the other end. Keep it simple, clean and easy to read.

A resume is your “sales flier” and if it does not “sell” you, it is letting you down. Recruiters rely heavily on first impressions and often this comes through  in the form of the resume. Take your time making sure your resume is perfect and an accurate picture of you.

Don’t know how to write a resume? We do offer this service, please call us.

Ivana Agapiou – resume writer 0404056278

The post Recruitment Agencies, how to use to land a job! appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

Your Resume needs to contain your Knowledge, Skills and Abilities.

These can be also disguised under Key Selection Criteria (KSC), each have distinct differences between them. Know the difference and win the interview.

Knowledge: The level of education, experience and training an individual must have at minimum to be considered qualified for the position.

Skills: Specific skills such as ability to create manipulate and utilize spread sheets, word, processing programs

Ability:  Tasks you have performed and the length of time spent in a particular role.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (SKA’s) are often contained in a list of special qualifications and personal attributes that you need to have for a particular job.  These are the unique requirements that a recruitment agency wants to find in the person selected to fill a particular job.  A primary purpose of KSAs is to measure those qualities that will set one candidate a part from the others.   How well an applicant can show that he or she matches the position’s defined KSAs determines whether that person will be seriously considered for the job.

Knowledge statements refer to an organised body of information usually of a factual or procedural nature which, if applied, makes adequate performance on the job possible.  A body of information applied directly to the performance of a function.

Skill statements refer to the proficient manual, verbal or mental manipulation of data or things.  Skills can be readily measured by a performance test where quantity and quality of performance are tested, usually within an established time limit.  Examples of proficient manipulation of things are skill in typing or skill in operating a vehicle.  Examples of proficient manipulation of data are skill in computation using decimals; skill in editing for transposed numbers, etc.

 Ability statements refer to the power to perform an observable activity at the present time.  This means that abilities have been evidenced through activities or behaviours that are similar to those required on the job, e.g., ability to plan and organize work.  Abilities are different from aptitudes.  Aptitudes are only the potential for performing the activity.

Some job applicants are not sure whether the KSC requirements apply to them or where a response is optional.  There’s an easy way to decide when to pay attention to KSCs.  In a word –  “ALWAYS”.

Recruitment Agencies may emphasize the most important aspects of a job by assigning relative weights to each KSC.  Others will designate particular KSCs as being Mandatory (M) or Desirable (D).  Obviously the job applicant will want to focus the most effort on responding to the more heavily weighted KSCs or the mandatory ones, but it is important to remember that you need to address everyone on the list.  If a vacancy advertisement makes no distinction among the position’s KSC, the applicant should assume that all KSCs are equally important.

A key point to remember about all KSCs is that they must be job-related.  An agency cannot ask for anything in a KSC that is not in the job’s position description.

That’s enough on KSC for now, watch this space on “How to respond to KSC” and  Capability Statements along some writing tips and tricks.

In summary, if you need help with your applications or resume,contact Ivana, our resume writer on 0404056278

Ivana Agapiou career and outplacement consultant 

The post Knowledge, Skills and Abilities, why you can’t ignore them! appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

No kidding! If your resume is not getting you the interview, then it’s not the most memorable Rose in the bunch. It’s the one that got discarded and abandoned.

There are a few things that may need adjustment so that it gets a chance to be noticed. Firstly, we assume that you have updated it and it’s a current document.

Even with currency, here are 10 reasons why your resume may have been discarded…

1. Your resume does not match the advertised job -example – You send a resume filled with retail experience for a job as a scaffold
2. The reader (future employer) thinks you didn’t meet 80% of the criteria for the role – eh.. you haven’t provided enough evidence that you can do the job
3. The resume was poorly presented (spelling errors etc) – my pet hate, it leaves the reader wondering what else you don’t care about
4. your work history has large gaps – don’t leave mysteries, explain any gaps
5. your resume is far too long – unless your the Prime Minister, DON’T!
6. you missed the closing deadline – hmmm they might be thinking you’re disorganised
7. your contact details are incorrect – look at comments #3
8. your forgot to insert current contact details – make sure you are contactable
9. you have sent  the wrong application documents ( ie for another job all together!) opps- care factor?
10. you don’t meet the basic requirements for the role (ie lack the mandatory qualifications) if they ask for mandatory qualifications, you will need to back that up.Resume writing is a skilled process. It needs your absolute attention to detail and most importantly, the reader has to be your  main focus. Answering the question – What do they want? will guide you to present a better and more successful document that aligns your experience with the job you are applying for.

FINAL POINT- Tell the truth, you can still be 100% honest without compromising your chances to be shortlisted for the job. Never lie!

Need help to organise your resume so that you get THAT interview? call us now on 0404056278 to secure your time with our HR professional Ivana Agapiou.

Ivana Agapiou Resume writer and career advisor

The post RESUME writing Services appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

Selection Criteria. If you are seeking work especially within large corporations, the job application process has become even more onerous and tricky.

The process often requires you to possess a huge amount of critical thinking, analysis and the qualities of a best selling author.

In the past, the expectation was that you responded to selection criteria. That was tough enough. Now there is a whole new world of potential suffering that manifests into paralysis and sheer fright! The expectation is that you can read between lines,and interpret any job description, and be able to respond with creative intelligence to “capability statements” or articulate answers to seemingly innocuous key questions within a cover letter (no more than 2 pages allowed)

As you wade through the pages of corporate guff, (some of which is not useful) which often includes the now trending competency percentages for the role, you are expected to interpret how you can match these required job attributes to your experiences. Sometimes you are required to be almost a literary genius!  All the responses require you to demonstrate how you encompass your competencies and your experience into great, meaty examples that relate to their job.

In the past, most applications were initially screened and handled by HR administration or  HR professionals, these were the people who first eye-balled your application and would shortlist by simply skimming  your application, searching for certain phrases or buzzwords. Here’s the tricky thing … not all applications are read by human eyes anymore. Many employers and HR departments that employ large numbers of staff, utilize scanning software to search for keywords in job applications and ONLY  when the computer pings with matches,  will they read the applications!

Regardless, it’s vitally important to make sure your application has the right keywords contained within, so that a match or a “hit” happens in the search. Please note that this is not an excuse to implant your application with a loads of random buzzwords or make it obvious that you have copied phrases and sentences into your application.

The computer searches rely on verbs and also nouns. If you were applying for a accountancy role, then you’d want to make sure you included keywords your job application, like profit and loss statements, along with using niche terms that are relevant and are integral to the role advertised.

The easier you make it for the recruiter or the scanning software to find and match your skills and qualities to the job, the quicker and easier it will be that you are shortlisted,  and the more likely it’ll be that they’ll ask you for an interview.

YES! The application process now requires a huge amount of critical thinking, analysis and the qualities of a best seller author.

Ivana Agapiou  resume writer and career adviser

The post Your job application needs to be smarter, shorter, smoother and simply match the criteria appeared first on Eather Recruitment.