Despite the growing economic recession, data released in December 2008 by the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC) revealed that demand for recruitment in 2009 is expected to remain stable in the areas of education, professional services and not-for-profit, and increase for both finance/accounting and engineering positions. Globally, the greatest demand is expected to be in China, India and Eastern Europe.
So, in this economic climate, what can companies do to save costs in their recruitment processes whilst at the same time source the best talent in the market?

Before taking recruitment in-house or outsourcing parts of the process to a partner, companies should consider the skill sets and profiles of the candidates needed and ‘which shore’ is right for the recruitment process. Many of the larger organisations are now employing ‘Rightshoring Directors’ whose responsibility it is to decide which shore business processes should be delivered from.

Whilst offshoring the entire recruitment process may be considered complex, forming a relationship with an operation in India for part of the process could be the solution. In most instances, activities requiring a high level of candidate contact e.g. positioning the role, ‘selling the vacancy’ and deciding if the candidate is a good fit, needs to be handled by someone from the same cultural background. However, sourcing candidates, scheduling interviews and supporting the on-boarding process can all be well managed by staff in India who are trained on the necessary procedures. Other examples of processes which can be offshored are database management, candidate pipeline reporting, job posting and statistics.

Depending on the annual volume of recruitment, a larger or smaller number of researchers and administrators can be hired on a temporary basis to develop a pool of candidates. Either a company’s in-house recruiter can manage the recruitment process, or their outsourced partner can utilize a suitable recruiter on a part or full time basis depending on demand.

As the recruitment industry embraces the global delivery model there will be a move towards building both onshore and offshore teams which will drive cost efficiencies whilst at the same time maintain the flexibility offered from the traditional agency model.

There are a number of articles about this subject floating in cyberspace across a variety of blogs and interview advice forums.  I wait with anticipation the article that I will read that tells of the flip side of this practice.  Unfortunately to date, there is little I read that offers much more than the approval of the practice interview.  The practice interview is defined as an interview in which someone applies for a role in which they are not interested, however qualified, in an attempt to get an interview with the employer for purposes of sharpening their interview skills.

Well let me start with this is a complete waste of time and one of the most annoying practices I am familiar with.  To see someone openly displaying their intent to practice on an unwilling manager, entering the time with an alternative purpose and agenda is wrong.  The manager is looking for someone, has screened countless resumes, and has selected yourself as a potential fit not knowing you will be wasting their time by simply cleaning up your interview game, thus getting the dust off in their office.  I am certain that if the manager did not know, they would not have been open with their schedule to provide you the opportunity.  Consider some of the negatives here:

Obvious, wasting of the manager time
Misleading, lying to the manager by submitting your resume thus showing interest in their role when there is none
Competing against other candidates who might very well want or need the job more than yourself
Jamming the process if you are the lead candidate, causing the company to spend untold time and effort to convince you to take the position when you could care less

These are some of the fundamental issues with this sort of practice.  Look at the above and one would truly see where this can cause untold damage well after you leave the office.  These issues can lead to more complicated ones, such as searching for a replica of yourself.  They find the perfect candidate (you) and now begin looking for a replica thinking that person exists, and much less would be interested in the role.  Time and money wasted.  Then there is the character part that speaks more to oneself and internal than the others.  You are entering in there, knowing full well there is no interest, only to waste their time.  There is nothing that can be said to turn that around.  Bottom line: WRONG.

Friends, current or former bosses, HR professionals and outside agencies can all be sources of interview practice and advice.  With the number of professionals in the field, there are suitable options offering real life scenarios and practice to ensure your success when the real time comes.  In addition, there are groups of job seekers that work together, having mock interviews and allowing for Q&A time – providing a more valued time than a single interview.  These sessions show different styles, success and failure points, from a variety of perspectives.  The experience equals 20 interviews.

Keep it real.  Interview for the jobs you want and have interest in.  Enough said.

Resume Format Styles

The different types of resume formats and when to best use them.
 
  Most people don’t think about the different resume types, they either create a resume the way they think it should look or they use a sample resume and use the sample as a reference point.
Most sample resumes are formatted in chronological order, in which your most recent position is at the top and then goes in reverse order from there. This is the most popular style, but it doesn’t mean it’s the best resume format for you. Employers and recruiters prefer this format over others because it provides an easy to track snapshot of your work history, that being said. This format may be the best in format in some situations and not in others.  

Chronological The chronological resume format is a good fit if you have been working in the same field and have a solid and consistent history of moving up within that same field, but if you have worked within that same field and are trying to break into a different field of work then this would not be the best resume format to use. Other ways the Chronological resume format might not be the best format include; A) Your most recent experience does not relate to the job in which you are applying for.
B) Your resume shows that you have been at most of your positions for a year or less.
C) You are looking for entry level positions and lack a work history.
D) Your resume history has gaps between employment. If you fit into any of the categories above, then you should consider a different format options for your resume.

The Functional Formatted resume:
This resume format is organized around your experience, skills and accomplishments instead of focusing on specific jobs, by using this method you use general terms or leave out your previous titles and dates relating to your employment.
This allows you to look better suited for certain positions where a chronological resume would disqualify you immediately. You should consider this format if;
1) you are re entering the job market after a long absence and your past experience has little to do with the position you are targeting.
2) Your work history shows several positions but they do not show professional growth.
3) You are looking for an entry-level position and you do not have a lengthy amount of experience.
 
Keep in mind that using the Functional Format for a resume has both its advantages and disadvantages. The big advantage of using a Functional resume is that you place emphasis on those skills and experience in your back ground most likely to catch the attention of employers. by studying the target position and highlighting those skills that would best match the position, you place yourself in the best light to be a fit.
The reason most people use the Functional resume format is that it allows them to be creative with certain aspects of their work history, highlight key skills or hide long periods of unemployment

  The disadvantages of using a functional resume is that many recruiters, hiring managers view them with skepticism.
Most employers expect to see the specific position you held in a certain order and expect to read about each of your roles and what was expected of you in those roles with a detailed explanation. The fact that the Functional style allows you to highlight your strengths and accomplishments are still key to a potential employers, but continuity is equally important to potential employers.  

Hybrid Resume Format The third option is a combination of both the chronological and functional resume. Basically, it starts with a description of your functional skill sets, high lighting key words and qualifications employers would be looking for in a resume. The continues with a chronological employment history.
In this case try and highlight as many terms that relate to the position you are after at the top and include them whenever they fit with the chronological part as well. This hybrid resume is best used if you are;
1) looking to change careers and want to highlight the skills that would best match your new career path. it creates a seg-way into your new career by showing skills that could be transferable.
2) You are interested in a position and think you can perform the tasks needed, but your past experience and the skills necessary the new position are not strong.
3) It may also be worth trying if have had no luck with the straight chronological resume format.

Once again this type of format has its advantages and disadvantages. the big advantage of the hybrid resume is that like a functional resume it highlights early on what skill sets you can bring to the position and what you have accomplished in your past employment that can contribute as well. this format seems to diffuse most suspicions that employers may have.

The only disadvantage of a hybrid resume is that some employers and recruiters prefer the resume to be in chronological order and may think that you are trying to conceal certain parts of your employment history.

The hybrid resume is being seen more and more, and its seems to be more accepted by employers. As for resume format, you should look at where you are in your career and pick the resume format best suited to your situation. there is no real wrong or right format. certain layout work best for some and not others.

My advice would be to look at a position you are targeting and then go over your skill sets. Decide from there what would be best to highlight your experience and show your skill sets.

The bottom line is regardless of which format you choose, make sure your resume looks professional, highlights your skill sets by showing your accomplishments and not just your day to  day work. last but not least make sure your resume is targeted towards the position you want, having a great looking resume will not get you the position if it does not match the skills needed for the position. Spend time on your resume, you might want to create several versions to best suit different positions.

This is one of the most important documents you can create, remember your initial meeting with potential employers is through your resume, make it count and it pay off by generating more interest from employers.  

 I wish you all the best in your job search.

please share any comments you may have on this or any of my articles.  

Best, August Ferradeira www.getthebestjobnow.com

Recruiting people in network marketing is one of the toughest challenges in the industry. Most people are confined to their locality, in other words they can only target network marketing prospects in their local market. They are not able to venture out of their country or even their city because their business can only work around their vicinity.

If you are looking for world wide recruiting techniques, you have no choice but to bring your business on the Internet. You see, the Internet has tremendously changed the way people consume information and thus, has changed the way network marketing is done in the 21st century.

Basically, you must let the Internet work for you rather than against you. Because people are more informed, you will tend to lose out if you do not find a proper way to share information about your business opportunity to the worldwide market. As a matter of fact, people around your locality will even start looking for opportunities all over the Internet as well. They prefer to make money from the comfort of their own homes rather than venture out to participate in an opportunity meeting at a local hotel.

The first way you can tap into the global market is to start a network marketing blog about yourself and your opportunity. Blogs are one of the most popular platforms on the Internet because you do not need a lot of technical skills (those pesky HTML codes) in order to start a website. But bear in mind that branding is very important so do not be a cheapskate and get a free Blogspot or WordPress account. Invest in a good domain name and hosting because those are the bare necessities.

The next thing you need to do is to get traffic to your network marketing blog. You can do some blog marketing by submitting your own written articles to article directories like E-zine articles, Go Articles, Article Dashboard, Article City and many others.

Another very good way to get traffic is to use social bookmarking and social networking tools. These are high traffic sites that are very good for worldwide recruiting. Your network marketing business will thrive if you can drive traffic to your lead capturing pages.

Good social bookmarking sites include Digg, Propeller, Technorati, Mister Wong, Reddit, Blinklist, Delicious, Stumble Upon and many more. These sites have millions of visitors each day.

Social networking sites like Facebook, Friendster and MySpace are also very popular and it will work to your advantage if you start a network marketing community there,

At the end of the day, the sky is the limit. You must test and tweak your recruiting campaigns to get the best results.

Assuming you have decided to venture into writing your own articles, the following checklist should offer you as a very useful guide to help you overcome some common problems all beginners find in writing articles:

1) Decide on a Specific Objective

Always begin with a clear objective of writing an article. Is it a solution and answer to a particular problem faced by many? Is it an article expressing one’s experience in certain field? Or is it an article to attract prospective customers.

2) Target Your Audience

Before writing an article, ensure that the targeted audience is big enough to make your effort worthwhile. Ensure that this target is relevant, meaning they would find your article beneficial. For example as I write this article the target audience is the Internet marketers who want to drive or improve traffic to their sites by submitting articles to directories etc and are looking for a good guidance to do so effectively.

3) Give a Brief Description of the Article

With a quick glance the reader would immediately know the gist of the purpose, the important points and benefits of this article.

4) Create an Attention Grabbing Title

Perhaps we need some tips from the Advertising experts. One has this to say : “People that sell products to help you stop smoking don’t sell the “stop smoking” part. They sell the part about making your breath better, improving your health, living longer, getting better-looking dates, having whiter teeth”

Hence your title must grab the reader’s attention and prompt them to start reading at least the introduction of your article in order not to miss the benefits by ignoring your article!

5) Write as if You Are Talking to Somebody

There is no need for big and bombastic words and jargons that only would lead to confusion to some. You must write with simple English and in a manner that the reader feels that you are actually talking to him or her.

6) Re-read and Re-Write Your Articles

After you have finished writing, safe it and put it away for one day or two. Open it and read again. I bet you would find some weaknesses or mistakes that need your correction and amendments. Repeat this once or twice at least. If possible get somebody with experience of the same subject to proofread for you.

If with all this and your initial enthusiasm of an eager beaver, you still failed to become a writer, do not despair. Although you are ready to resign to the fact that you just don’t have the flair for writing and may be writing is not your forte, there are ways you could create your “own” writing with your name as the author in the “resource box”……………without having to write. In fact there are three ways from which you can choose one or use all of them:

1) Hire a Ghostwriter

You could hire somebody to write on your behalf on any subjects of your choice and he does not even take any credit despite his effort hence he is called a “ghost” writer. However a ghostwriter could be expensive. If you could afford this, it might be the best and easiest thing for you to do.

Visit http://www.elance.com/ where you can search for a writer who can help you create your own articles.

2) Buy Private Label Rights to a Collection of Articles

You could get hundreds of pre-written articles for a small enrollment fee. From these you could choose articles discussing subjects related to the content of your website. These are referred to as the “Private label articles” which you have full permission to use and also put your own name to the resource box as the author.

Although this method also costs money it is less expensive than ghost writing. The obvious disadvantage is that if the Private Label Articles are being sold in large numbers, there could be many purchasers using the same content at the same time unless of course you are good enough to do a considerable amount of editing.

3) Get Someone Else to Write for You Through an Interview!

This is a free method. You get someone else to create the article for you through an interview. Very often, interviewees are put in the limelight that would improve their image as experts in their fields. Hence people are glad to be interviewed, even if it’s free. If you know of any experts, a face-to-face interview in person can be conducted. Otherwise interviews through phones and e-mails could also be carried out. The article cold then be sold and distributed either as a text or audio format!

In conclusion, whether you are cut out to be a writer or you hopeless as a writer, you now know how to get the articles you require and distribute them to articles directories, e-zines to start driving traffic to your websites. Getting your own articles published on the Internet is one of the very best Internet marketing techniques in existence.

This is to catch attention of all the professionals around,
regarding their attempts to career advances. I felt the need for
writing such an article because:

Yesterday, I sent a mail seeking resumes of all of interested
guys for a technical job opening at the organization, where I am
working. I received responses from 4-5 people by the time of
writing this article and was really disappointed to see the
resumes attached therein. In my view, your resume is your first
impression upon your employer, and I am sure, no one intends to
spoil his/her first impression. I saw a number of blunders in
those resume, which could be sufficient reasons for an employer
to reject your profile into the trash. I am trying to articulate
them, and requesting you all to first look at the body of
anything you write before you send it to anyone else, be it your
resume.

* Run a thorough spell-check on your resume. [very
important, and I found many mistakes]

* Read it completely and let any one else with good semantic
knowledge of English read it, to check the flow in it. [I
found titles of projects and trainings, not matching the
description.]

* Don’t write much (don’t create fuss over) about the
small and irrelevant details, because you need to be packed with
the explanation for those things at the time of personal or
technical discussion.

* Elaborate on the projects, which seem relevant to the
particular opening. They increase chances of your profile
selection.

* Don’t repeat the description of the projects with each project
being added in your profile. They have to different
somehow! I saw this peculiar thing is the resume, I am attaching
herewith.

* Highlight those skills, which you really have!
Otherwise, interviewer having better knowledge on the subject
may screw you anytime during your interview. For example,
writing, Reading, as your hobby may attract a good discussion
between you and interview. That may end up exasperating you if
you don’t have guts or wits to justify all that.

* Have a specific career objective, which really shows
your interest in joining that particular company and highlight
your some particular skills matching their requirements, if
possible.

* Write a cover letter, especially for a particular opening, if
possible. More importantly, don’t let your friend copy
your cover letter, if he is going to apply for the same post in
same company

Any article on recruiting planners must start with the obvious: good planners are scarce and also difficult to shift.

If, like me, you have recruited planners for 10 or more years, you know that advertisements where you try to fill an immediate need rarely work. And, the ads which are in the mass media or online are equally as ineffective if you want quick results.

In this article we are not going to focus on the mechanism of recruiting –

There are only 2 methods to attract quality planners to your practice:

1.Recruit them yourself by spending time building a pool of potential candidates. You then get to know them and build mutual trust, and after 3, 6 or even 12 months, some of them will join you.

The best way to meet your pool is at industry functions and conferences. Another way is to run a series of ads in the trade press, inviting people to commence a dialogues with you. A single ad is unlikely to be effective, and does not send a we are committed message.

Some practice or regional managers have made an art form out of this, such as industry veteran Peter Fysh of Financial Services Partners. He would be the first to acknowledge that his success comes after significant time and effort. However, many dealer groups are simply too short term focused to make this investment.

We would recommend that all practices follow this pool approach, as it is low cost and will deliver quality planners. However, if your need is more urgent, or your time is scarce or if you need more than 1 or 2 planners, then.

2.Form a trust based partnership with a specialist planning recruitment consultant. There is simply no point in briefing multiple agencies you will just get disgruntled bank planners sent to you!

Again, do not expect quick results from this method, though it is more likely with an experienced partner than if you work on your own.

This advice to work with a consultant begs the question of how you find a partner you can trust? There are well over a hundred consultants trying to do planning recruitment in Sydney, probably about a hundred in Melbourne, and proportionately similar numbers elsewhere.

One approach is to ask your industry colleagues for endorsements. If you cannot find a consultant who is strongly endorsed, dont feel discouraged as its not unusual (see Inside Knowledge for why many recruiters make insurance salesmen from the 1980s look good!).

Without an endorsement, you need to put recruiters through a beauty parade, and ask them some tough questions. A practical piece of advice would be to ask some of these questions over the phone to narrow the Melbourne Cup sized field your time is too precious to waste in meetings. We will only look at 4 broad filters here, and there is more analysis on Inside Knowledge.

Firstly, if they try to sell you an expensive mass media advertisement, eliminate them. You are just paying for their publicity. It is also likely that they overly rely on such advertisements and have not built other recruitment skills such as Search.

Secondly, have they recruited 3 or more planners in the last 12 months? If not, let someone else business pay to teach them the incredible complexities of financial planning. A generalist recruiter just will not have the knowledge you need, nor understand that there is no such thing as a generic planner there are 40 or more different categories, some would argue over 100.

Thirdly, have they at least 2 years recruiting experience, and hopefully a lot more? It takes time to learn the mass of detail in our industry, as it does in yours.

And finally, do they have trust-based relationships with 2 or more financial planning groups? If they have not, they probably do not have the skills or temperament to move away from a short-term transaction focus.

The one factor that is critical in successfully recruiting planners is trust. You, or you and your recruitment consultant partner, have to invest the time to build it.

Interview Tips to help you get that perfect job in Chichester

This article is designed to help people find jobs in Chichester or to find a new job near Chichester. With the job market now more competitive than ever, you need to give employers every reason to pick you when you get to the important stage of being invited for a job interview. The first 30 seconds of a job interview are very important. Here are a few helpful tips on what to expect and how to prepare for your job interview.

Job Interview checklist

Make sure you double check the time, date and location of your job interview

Plan your route the day before, eg if you are being interviewed for a job in Chichester you could get a route map from google maps so you can pin point the place to be before hand, or even make a trip there the day before to avoid any stress on the day

Research the job and company before the interview, a few minutes spent typing the company’s name into Google will be time very well spent. Read the company’s about us page and any news articles you can find. Your interviewer will be impressed if you have some understanding of the company and its background

Re read through the job advertisement on allChichesterJobs to remind yourself what the job involves and what the recruiter is looking for

Re read through your CV and have a good think about exactly why you think you’d be good for this job

Look Good, Feel Better

Rightly or wrongly, looks can make a difference, be smart and look professional. Think about the company you are applying to – how do your potential future colleagues dress for work? If you already look the part then you’re on the way to fitting in at your desired new job!

Be on time!

Always keep in mind that you never get a second chance to make a first impression, so make sure you’re prepared. Aim to arrive 20-25 minutes before your interview time, that way if your bus is late or you get stuck in traffic you’ll still arrive on time. If you arrive early, you could wait nearby at a cafe or have a short walk round the area thinking about what you plan to say in your interview. Aim to report to reception exactly 10 minutes before your scheduled interview time.

Look them in the eyes and smile

Eye contact is one of the most important aspects while on your interview and can make a significant difference in how you present yourself. If you look away when speaking to someone, you are viewed as lacking confidence or not interested or being dishonest. So always answer the question with eye contact, and without glaring.

Be enthusiastic and positive

During your job interview always be enthusiastic. Do not be negative or mention any bad points about previous employers. Focus on positive achievements and views, always smile and be attentive.

What not to do in your job interview

As well as preparing for what you should do on a job interview, whether it’s a part time job in Chichester or that perfect next step on the career ladder, it is just as important that you know what not to do.

Don’t be late!

Don’t swear or use slang words.

Don’t slouch in your seat or do anything else that makes you look disinterested.

Don’t lie! The interviewer may see through you. Even if you get the job, your employer can dismiss you if they find out.

Don’t let your nerves show too much. It is normal to be nervous, but you can’t let your nerves take over, as this will affect your performance. Use breathing techniques and try to remember that it’s not a life and death situation; there are plenty of jobs on allChichesterJobs.com!

Don’t be arrogant and assume you’ve got the job. Nothing turns off employers more than someone who is disrespectful and over-confident.

Don’t read from notes or your CV. You should be familiar enough with your own history to be able to talk about it unprompted.

Don’t argue with the interviewer, no matter what. Remember to keep things positive!

Top 4 questions asked at job interviews
1. Describe your strengths

It is almost guaranteed that on most job interviews you will be asked what you think your strengths are (and sometimes what you think your weaknesses / ‘development areas’ are too). You want to leave a positive impression in mind, so you will need to show that you are in the process of overcoming your weaknesses. Once thing is for sure, you need to have thought about this common interview question in advance so you know roughly what you will answer when asked it.

2. Why do you want this job?

Think carefully about this question. Stress the positive aspects, that have attracted you to applying for this job.
What qualities do you think will be required for this job?
Their advertisement for the job may help you a little bit, but you should also think of the other qualities that may be required. These may include leadership ability, supervisory skills, communication skills, interpersonal skills, problem solving, logical skills, etc.

3. What can you contribute to this job vacancy?

This is your chance to shine. Tell them about your achievements in your previous work that are relevant to the new position you are applying for.

4. Why do you want to work for this company?

Emphasise the positive reasons why you want to join their company, but avoid aspects such as more money or shorter hours. These may not endear you to a prospective employer. Stress opportunities for personal growth and new challenges.

Finally, don’t give up your job hunt!

The fact is that you may not be offered every job, however perfect you think you may be for it.

If you do not get the job after an interview it is a good idea to run through the interview with someone and try to help them to identify any areas where you could have done better. There will be other opportunities in time and any failed interviews should be looked upon as part of a learning process.

Don’t forget that performing well at an interview is a skill and it can be learnt and improved with help and practice. There are plenty of jobs in and around Chichester – the main thing is to find the right one for you!

We wish you the best of luck with you job hunting!

For the mid career professional, career and job changes have increasingly become a way of life. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that over the past 25 years, Baby Boomers have held an average of 10.5 jobs. That’s moving to a new position every 2.5 years! The impact to work/life balance, skills development, managing change and transition is significant. So what does this mean for the mid career professional, in terms of developing and preparing for this shift in job/career management?

We are seeing this seismic shift to more knowledge based vs. skills based workers. Today, your skills and experiences are simply a point of entry. It is the knowledge of your industry and emerging trends, integrated with your skills, that will be the lever which “makes you interesting” in the eyes of a potential employer. Your approach to obtaining a new position has to change from, “look at what I’ve done” to “look at what I can contribute based on what I know”. So, while keeping your skills current, your career transition plan should also focus on the building and strengthening of your knowledge base.

To begin your future as a skilled, knowledge worker, what actions can you take to create knowledge in your current position, learn more about trends in your industry, and gain a deeper understanding of your company’s competitors? Where could you obtain more information? Who could you contact to gain additional insights?

Here are some suggestions where you can take action, immediately!

- Create a plan for internet research. A plan is critical so that you don’t spend time in the rabbit hole of links and pages.

- Get out from behind the computer and check local library resources for industry and job related information and trends

- Conduct informational interviews with marketing strategy, operations heads and key leaders in your company

- Check out magazines relevant to your business/industry online, at the library or on the newsstands

- Network – online (e.g. Ryze.com, Linkedin.com), at industry events and association meetings

- Join associations who provide thought leadership for your area of interest/industry (ask for referrals to important sources during your information interviews)

- Talk to friends and colleagues to share knowledge and interests

- Join or start a Mastermind group dedicated to increasing the knowledge base for all participants and to stay current in your area of interest/expertise

Now that you have some suggestions and resources to gather knowledge, how will you use your newly acquired data? Knowledge, until you use it, is just a set of interesting facts and trivia; which will make you popular at parties and functions. But how can you make it useful and create more value for both you and your company? Who could you share this knowledge with?

Here are some suggestions that are easy to do (and free!)…

- Write an article for a magazine, periodical or online article directory

- Participate in or start an online blog that discusses your area of interest/industry

- Create or join a Yahoo or Google group to share thoughts with like minded leaders, globally

- Present your knowledge at conferences, association meetings, network meetings

Be sure to include any articles or activities which demonstrate your newly acquired knowledge and thought leadership in your portfolio for inclusion in applications, marketing pacs, on resumes or CV, etc. This portfolio increases your “currency” when competing for a promotion or new opportunity outside your current company. You’ve heard “knowledge is power”, well it amps up your confidence and gives you incredible career choice as a result!