Your resume is your passport to a new job.

The resume can be the most valuable tool in your job search. A good resume is as important as the rising of the sun. Don’t underestimate its value and DON’T take it for granted. Each time you apply for a role, your resume MUST be suitable and relevant for that position. Your skills, knowledge and experience need to marry and match with the job advertised or it’s a wasted effort. Following are some suggestions that may help you gain the winning resume.

1. Research the Regional job market.

How different is it to the Metro requirements? Where are the bulk of the jobs listed? Are they to be found in Health; Retail or are there other opportunities?

2. Seek a professional resume writer

Still unsure of how you can best position yourself, then you may find a professional consultation with us very useful. You may like to take advantage of  a Talent Review Service – Resume writing & Career counselling

In summary, a Career consultation could be useful. To Secure a personal interview with one of our HR specialists who will help you develop a vital job marketing plan, you only need to call 0404056278. The session includes a professional consultation and review of your career path and your goals; comprehensive information on the Regional job market and transferable roles as well as referrals.

Finally, our Resume Basic Service provides a review of existing resume, conduction minor edits and enhancing formatting so as it aligns with industry standards. Interviews can last for approximately 35 – 60 Minutes (Copy of current resume in Word format may be required) your investment $185

Resume – Superior Service

• Resume & job application review – approx 60 mins
• Complete Resume rewrite

For more information and to avail yourself of this exclusive offer, arrange a suitable time with us on  contact Ivana on 0404056278 or visit www.figjamresumes.com.au

In summary, many people find it difficult to write their own resumes, therefore it’s often beneficial to engage an expert resume writer.

Ivana Agapiou Resume writer and career advisor 0404056278

http://www.eatherrecruitment.com

The post The Resume is your passport to a brighter future appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

Speak no evil and then no one will think poorly of you.

Ever walked away from a job interview and had a nasty flash back. You rewind it all your head, and you hear your responses to the questions and you cringe.”OMG you say, I wish I hadn’t have said that!”

Too late now as the interviewers not only heard what you said, they have already made judgements and decisions about you that will affect your future.  What are the dangerous questions I hear you ask? here are a few questions that are TRAPS meant to catch you off guard and some are just ordinary questions that appear to be inane… but can lead you down the wrong path.

1. Tell me about your last employer.
2. Why did you leave your last job?
3. What type of management style do you work best with?
4. What are your weaknesses?
5. Describe your last place of employment
6. Have you ever had a performance review and what did you learn about yourself from the process?

What are the right responses? Here are a few bits of  wise advice 

1. Explain how your last employer was helpful in assisting you to gain valuable experience/skills and knowledge
2. You left you last job on good terms ALWAYS
3. You can work with all types of management styles and you may prefer X
4. Talk about what you think may be a weakness and how you recognize how you need to improve
5. Always talk in positive terms about ANY past jobs
6. Describe how feedback helps you to develop and grow

In summary, remain up-beat and positive.

NEVER EVER enter into negative criticism – NEVER EVER say bad things, or gossip about your last employer or workplace. Need help and coaching for that important job interview? contact our career advisor and resume writer on 0404056278

Ivana Agapiou Resume writer and career adviser

The post What potential employers don’t want to hear at the job interview appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

Every day we meet with candidates who have not grasped the basic fundamentals of a simple resume.  This is very easy to do as many of us have difficulty writing about ourselves. There is no right or wrong way to write a resume, there are just some golden rules.

There are two considerations before you commence composing on any resume

 1) what is the purpose of you  resume ?

2) who  is the audience / reader?

OK,  let’s examine these two considerations first

1) What is the purpose of a resume?

In our opinion, a good resume is one that gets you to an interview… pure and simple! Therefore the purpose is to influence, persuade and attract the reader’s attention! It should make them want to interview you and spend time getting to know you better.  The resume must be inviting and contain the key elements that pertain to the listed, advertised job. This is the one chance to entice the employer to “buy” you, and not someone else, so your resume needs to be hitting the spot in regards to key criteria and relevant skills. Employers (the readers) can not perform “leaps of faith” and draw the right conclusions unless you make it quite clear that your skills, experience & qualifications match the job that they need filled!

2) Who is the audience /who will read this document?

Research shows that most employers take 6-8 seconds to read a resume.  WOW! that is not much time eh? Especially consider how long the average person spends writing a resume!  So you must pack the punch and hit the target for that job in that short time!

Here are a two most important  hints

1) Phone the employer before sending in an application. Have questions prepared in regards to the job. One of the best questions is “In this role, what does 80% of the day look like?”

2) Write the resume with the job advert in mind. What are they really looking for? Highlight the skills and experiences that you feel will translate easily to the role. Examine the information you have gathered on the role and the content of your resume and see if you can match them both to this job.  If you can’t then just maybe the reader will have difficulty seeing the alignment also. If the advert calls for “experience” in a certain field and you don’t have that experience, what can you write in a positive way that explains how you gained similar experience elsewhere? It’s called transferable skills… but you will have to help them “see” the easy transition,,Whatever you do, DO NOT write “I DON’T have the experience required!”

If you need help devising a winning resume, Eather Recruitment offer a great service https://www.eatherrecruitment.com.au/jobseekers/resume-writing-and-reviews/

or contact Ivana on 0404056278 for a chat about how we can help you! Ivana Agapiou Resume writer and career advisor

The post Resumes mean a lot! Is yours good enough? what is enough? appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

BEST advice on Interview questions

Your resume got you to an interview!!! YAH congratulations… now Here are some guidelines for responding to some potentially “tricky” interview questions  ..You may have some idea of what might be asked of you at interview, but many of us don’t have a clue how to respond (especially if we are also a bit nervous!)

So, check out the list of frequently asked questions and click on link to discover how you might respond.

1. What is your greatest strength? – Best Answers
2. What is your greatest weakness? – Best Answers
3. How do you handle stress and pressure? – Best Answers
4. Describe a difficult work situation / project and how you overcame it. – Best Answers
5. How do you evaluate success? – Best Answers
6. Why are you leaving or have left your job? – Best Answers
7. Why do you want this job? – Best Answers
8. Why should we hire you? – Best Answers
9. What are your goals for the future? – Best Answers
10. Tell me about yourself. – Best Answers

More Interview Questions

Job Interview Questions and Answers
Common job interview questions, plus sample answers you can use to practice for a job interview.

Want more information – click below

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewquestionsanswers/a/interviewquest.htm

The post Cheat Sheet – Top 10 Interview Questions & Responses appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

 Jobs in Port Macquarie 

Port Macquarie is a wonderful place,  offering a relaxed lifestyle  along with picturesque beaches and country access.  It’s approximately in the centre of the coast between Sydney and Brisbane and has a growing population.

It’s no wonder we frequently receive resumes and inquiries for jobs in Port Macquarie  especially from the many “commute weary” workers in our Metro areas.

We are often asked ” How can I find a job in Port Macquarie“.   Here are 3 useful tips to securing your next job .. here on the Mid North Coast of NSW.

1) Re-Jig your resume. No matter what your work history, you will need to tailor your resume to fit in with the local job market. Make sure you research and study the types of jobs on offer- where there are; what they are and how often that sort of role is advertised.  Make sure you go to all the job sites and scour for jobs in Port Macquarie. Does your resume still sound city-centric and role specific? Is there too much detail? Have you included an “about me” statement that gives the reader a little snap shot of what type of person/job/ career you are after?

2) Make a few calls. Don’t be afraid to contact any of the local recruitment agencies as well as the larger employers in the area to ascertain the temperature of the job market. If there are no jobs in your specialized field, perhaps you might consider other roles that will utilize your transferable skills

3) Look at further geographical areas, outside of Port Macquarie- Check out the Kempsey and Taree areas, it  may be another, further commute, however,  this widens your options and opportunities for work.

Finally, remain flexible and adaptable. Your new job may not look and feel like the ones in the past, however, you can bring your own experiences and knowledge, making the job even more interesting.

Ivana AGAPIOU   Resume writer 0404056278

The post How do I find a job in Port Macquarie? appeared first on Eather Recruitment.

 Job search is filled with opportunities to worry, stress, and disappoint.

When you start your job search journey, understand it could be an emotional  roller coaster.  It’s normal to feel some angst, but not too good if the trip is full of it.

Like any journey, it needs a plan. You  have to find the right advertisement; for the right kind of job;  at the right company;  and all for the right reasons. Then there’s the application itself as as well as the wait to hear back from the employer. Let’s explore some of these stages of job search

Right Advertisement

It usually means setting up “alerts” for many of the major companies as well as on-line companies like SEEK. Some job adverts look amazing, too good to be true even! “like no experience necessary, we train you” stuff. Read between the lines and be skeptical.  Always follow your instincts and first impressions. Remember that the advert reflects the image of the employer. Reading the advert, you may gain a sense of their culture or personality. If there are “cringe” factors or unbelievable statements like “we want a super human who can delight customers 24/7  you might want to think twice before you send your resume, or hopefully it piques your interest and you apply anyway.

The right kind of job

The general rule is that you should only apply for jobs where you can hand on heart say ” I can do 80% of all of that”. That’s the minimum.  if they ask for mandatory qualifications, then you will NEED those. Naturally, you will have to like the tasks and responsibilities also. Check that you actually WANT to perform the work/job. You may be well suited, but ask yourself if you do you want to work in that field and in that role? The grass is not always greener, so make sure its a leap ahead of where you are at now

The right reasons

Money of often the main motivator. Lets face it – it is!  The trouble with this reason as the major motive for applying for a job is that it may land you into a role that is soul destroying; erodes your family life and freedom and keeps you going because you like what the money can buy. If that’s the only reason, than expect to give something up or a lot up, in return. The best reason to apply for a particular job is for the experience, the enhanced learning, the workplace and the sense of accomplishment. Yes, you want to be paid and as long as the salary marries with the job responsibilities, and meets IR wage /legislation that’s really the bottom line.

Your best foot forward in the application

The majority of time spent in your job search should be on securing the best resume and enticing cover letter. DON’T send the same resume to every job advert unless all the adverts are the same! Adapt your application to fit/suit the requirements and nuances of the advert. DO NOT LIE. The way to the employer’s attention and the way to gain an interview is to match your skills. experience and knowledge to the requirements of the job.

The right company

We always hear of Employer of choice workplaces and companies.  Voices whispering ” Did you hear how much they pay their staff?” or stories about the amount of time off  the staff receive etc. Yep. There are great companies to work for. Yep. They do exist. Yep. apply when they advertise for sure.  But make sure YOU like them too and for all the right reasons.  So, we are back to the right reasons again.

In summary, do your research, not just on the advert; the company background – but on yourself. Is this really, really what you really, really want? Don’t act so desperate that you accept a job that you eventually resent. Speaking of desperation, during the job search phase many of us dread the waiting for a response. We may act desperate here too.

The Waiting

Many companies have a structured recruitment phase. Often the bigger the company, the longer they take to recruit. However, small business owners who are time poor, may also take a long time to contact you. Sadly, all too often, many don’t call; write or email you back at all. This wait period is, and can be, highly stressful. To ease your anxiety, make a list of all the jobs you applied for. On this list, include the Company name; the job outline;  the date you applied (or their closing date for applications)  and the reasons why you applied. That way, if /when you get THE CALL, you will be prepared. This is important to do especially if you have applied for several jobs at once. There is nothing more unprofessional than responding to that all important call with “who are ya?” or even worse, “what job did I apply for?”

Lastly, you got the call! and now all you have to do is prepare, prepare and prepare for the interview, break a leg!

for more information go to www.figjamresumes.com.au

Ivana Agapiou

Ivana Agapiou resume writer and career advisor

The post Chance is a fickle thing, job research is not appeared first on Eather Recruitment.