My Biggest Mistake: John Rawlings
I trusted too much, too soon
Careers In Marketing
A career in marketing can offer you lots of possibilities for variety and interest. Any reasonably sized company or organisation today relies on marketing communications to get their message out to customers and it is one of the strongest sectors of the UK economy.
6 Jobs That Can Make You Healthier
From an increased risk of heart disease to more fat around our middles, studies show that our time at the workplace (8.8 hours per day on average) can be hazardous to our health.
Make Employers Come to You
Utilizing job listings, networking with people in your industry (and in other industries), and applying to companies you want to work at–these are all great ways to go after a job. But how can you make employers and recruiters come after you? We asked Career Rocketeer’s Chris Perry, a career-search and personal-branding expert, for five
To Be Successful, Return to Basics
When the economy took a downturn at the start of the 1990s, my career — ironically, it’s headhunting — took a downturn, too. I have to admit I wasn’t ready for difficult times. But that rough patch was probably the best thing that could have happened to me. Today, amid another downturn, I’m sharing the
Resist the Urge to Take Employees for Granted
We’ve been here before, the point in an economic cycle when managers need to take special care. The job market is awash with candidates and the competition for available jobs is intense; it’s a recruiter’s dream. This type of situation always encourages managers to become lazy about how they treat their employees. As business psychologists,
How to Gain Control Of Your Job Search
Only 25% of all positions are found through published and defined markets, such as employment ads, placement agencies and recruiting firms. Unfortunately, job seekers favor these markets even though they face less competition for the remaining 75% of jobs found through networking and direct unsolicited contact with employers.
A Polished Appearance Pays Off for Candidates
If you’re actively job hunting, paying close attention to your image is as crucial as the scrutiny you give to other facets of your campaign. For instance, you have probably agonized over multiple versions of your resume, attended job-search seminars, identified your key skills and rehearsed what you plan to say in interviews about your
Consultant’s Layoff Leads To Deeper Understanding
Things were bad in consulting: The end was coming, but I had so much fun in my job, I couldn’t bring myself to bolt. I led a global information-technology team, and my task list was rich and varied. While it wasn’t my “ideal” job, it was a good one, and I hoped I could keep
Why Contacting Recruiters Is a Waste of Your Time
It’s a scene that’s played out all too often these days: You’re looking for a job and you’ve read or heard that you should contact executive-search firms. After all, they recruit people for jobs, and you’re looking for a job. You send a well-worded letter or leave a polite voice mail for the recruiter, and
How to use direct marketing techniques
All commercial organisations have an interest in maximising market awareness. With the development of the internet and search engines, it has never been easier to find a particular firm.Recruitment is a sector that has widely used web traffic and search engine optimisation as a way of building awareness and attracting new business and candidates. Historically,
Holiday pay – what options do you have?
The European Court of Justice found in March that payments for minimum annual leave through a system of rolled-up holiday pay are contrary to the Working Time Directive 1993 (implemented in the UK as the Working Time Regulations 1998), and therefore unlawful.
Taking the first offer?
First, let’s get something straight. There’s nothing wrong with taking the first job you’re offered, as long as it’s the ‘right’ job. And what with parental pressures (“We’re not supporting you any more”, “It’s time you found your own place” etc), the burden of student debts and the desire to join your peers on the
Perks
To truly assess a job offer, you need to look at the whole package rather than just the size of the first pay cheque. Are you being offered the following perks?
Nepotism
Nepotism is an ugly word. It reeks of old school ties, cliques and clubs; daddy putting a word in with the boss, or mummy pulling a few strings. In our new flexi-friendly, high-tech egalitarian corporate world it might seem that there is no place for nepotism any more; success is based on skills, creativity and
Verbal CV
Before approaching potential employers direct, take time to brush up your ‘verbal CV’.Consider the time and effort that you’ve put into your written CV, detailing your skills and experience. Yet this could all go to waste if you’re asked to say something about yourself when you call a recruiter or meet them socially or at
Speculative letters
If, as is claimed, only 30% of the total number of job vacancies are advertised, your best bet could be to job-hunt more creatively. Many job-hunters resort to sending off speculative letters to relevant companies. And many employers would rather turn to their pile of speculative letters than spend thousands of pounds on advertising. The
Inside information
Come on, let’s be honest, most of us love to have a good goss. There is something deeply satisfying about getting the latest lowdown on so-and-so or such-and-such. Much of this tantalising tittle-tattle tends to centre on family, friends and so-called celebs.
Company presentations
Company presentations are rarely a formal part of the employer selection process, but they are your crucial chance to add a face and personality to a paper CV.So what are the golden rules for impressing employers over a vol-au-vent or two?
Cold calling
It’s reckoned that four-fifths of the job market is ‘closed’, meaning you can’t find out about available job openings unless you dig for them. So what do you do? Pick up the phone and dig. Cold calling, or uninvited job-hunting, is a proven method of finding employment. Find out for yourself by following these