Friday, May 29, 2020

The 7 Office Personalities Everyone Will Recognise

The 7 Office Personalities Everyone Will Recognise If you work in an office, youll understand that having a variety of characters and personalities around means your work is more creative and collaborative. It keeps things interesting and often means you get to see things from multiple perspectives. However, there a select group of personalities whose reputations precede them. They include the office gossip, the lazy one and the over-enthusiastic summer intern. Have you ever had experience of working with any of them? Make sure you tweet us and let us know which ones youve come in contact with! Here are some personalities you may recognise: 1) The bad-influence: Bad influencers can be found anywhere, but its especially bad if its at work! Eternally hungover, always encouraging you to have another pint at lunch; the bad-influence is a rule breaker, but somehow they never seem to get fired. How do they do it?! Characteristics: Always buying rounds of tequila for the team at quiet midweek drinks. Always late, always pulling sickies, but always loved by all the bosses. Often use their charisma to charm their way out of anything. 2) The over-committed colleague: The over-committed colleague is a great example for others. Always at work early, never having a proper lunch break and always the perfectionist the over-committed colleague knows how to get into the bosses good books. Characteristics: Always arrives first and leaves the office last Besties with their manager Always going the extra mile 3) The lazy-bones: This personality is EASY to identify. They usually put minimal effort into anything they do, which can get particularly annoying if youre working on a project with them. Characteristics: Always last to arrive and first to leave. Tries to get away with the least amount of work they can. Can typically be found at their desk perusing social media. 4) The way-too-happy colleague: Happiness is contagious, and in this case thats a terrible thing. Almost as bad as an infectious tropical disease. And like an infectious tropical disease, its recommended that you stay away from the source. Characteristics: Spin anything in a positive light. Always make you feel a little bit brighter. Totally unbearable anytime before 10am. 5) Mr-pointless-meeting: Mr-pointless-meeting loves organisation. Dont even bother asking them what they are having for lunch as theyll want to set a meeting time in order to discuss what theyre having for lunch. Characteristics: Love holding meetings. If you work with a Mr Pointless Meeting, you will often leave meetings wondering why on earth you just had a meeting. They look very intensely into your eyes as you speak. A bit too intensely. 6) The office gossip: The office gossip can often be found hovering around  their colleagues desks waiting to hear some juicy goss. Characteristics: Lives for the latest office scandal. Has the dirt on everyone and everything. Loves to be the centre of attention. 7) The over-enthusiastic summer intern: We all remember being there. Bright eyed, bushy tailed and super annoying! Characteristics: Would bend over backwards to impress the boss. Buy coffees for the team every single morning. Arrives for work an hour and a half early.

Monday, May 25, 2020

Recruiters Dont Expect a Return on Investment from LinkedIn!

Recruiters Dont Expect a Return on Investment from LinkedIn! I am a massive fan of Return of Investment (ROI) when using social media, and I’m not talking about silly “like”, “follower”, ”share” metrics. I get why marketers think these are important (I know they are), but the majority of my agency recruitment clients want   £$€  stats. Do you know how much LinkedIn is worth to you? Now if you are a good boy / girl, you’ll know that what you find on social media in terms of leads needs to be recorded on your lovely CRM (no excuses, it’s your job!) If I came in to your business now and asked you for report on how many opportunities / leads / placements you’ve made from LinkedIn, would you be able to tell me? And would you know how many grade A candidates you’ve found on this platform?   Would you know how much £$€  you’d lose if the CEO of LinkedIn pulled the plug, or worse made your free license totally chargeable? Most of the recruiters I work with are working on that metric (phew), but many more out there are not. They see using LinkedIn as a given; they don’t measure its success apart from the “it just takes one placement…” (yawn… I’ve heard this mantra since the early 2000s when job boards were a massive expense to recruiters, and it didn’t wash with me then). Placement fees are down Cost of hire is up: I have a horrid feeling that just like placement fees have been going down in recent years, the cost of hire has gone up (or worse recruiters don’t know what their cost of hire is). This is not good when you consider that most users of social media are not even paying for the privilege. Worse, they are spreading themselves so thinly with more systems / processes / devices, and their leaders have low expectations of these things that it’s just a total mess and the risks are massive. Time wastage, data loss, brand erosion is common. So, I think that the average recruitment director lives in the following world: Your staff are simply “on” LinkedIn â€" zero strategy for what they need to be doing with it You have little idea what activities your staff are undertaking online You are not measuring these activities (input or output) You have a low expectation of their online activity Your CRM has no clue that LinkedIn exists Your risk is massive â€" lots of recruiters behaving like hair dressers renting chairs, zero visibility over the data they are collecting on your watch and an assumption that your contract covers this (rumour control: the data they collect belongs to LinkedIn, not your recruiters or you!) If this is you, how do you feel about this? Are you are happy or do you think you deserve better? What would you do if LinkedIn removed free licenses? Are you actually in a position to  constructively  evaluate the value of LinkedIn Recruiter license without  focusing  on the cost? (Rumour control: I’m totally impartial but am nagging all of my clients to review the LinkedIn Recruiter product so they are better educated and ready for the inevitable change that their business faces). Although I don’t think that recruiters will ever be forced to pay for LinkedIn, I do feel that you get what you pay for. After all, there’s a reason why many recruiters don’t rate free job boards! There are some pretty decent functions in the Recruiter system and they are giving many a recruiter a competitive edge. I think that the era of “free” social media is coming to an end. The time spent on using it needs quantifying (many recruiters measure phone calls, sendouts, in branches, placements). Recruitment directors need to raise their expectations and implement business-process-led activities which are visible, measurable and the output of which belongs to the business. This will not only help the progression of the business in the digital world, but will also help with business cases for the competitive use (not free use) of social tools. What do you think? Are you a recruitment director/manager/leader? Do you have social media nailed down in your business? Do you know its £$€ value? What are your expectations of it? Please share your thoughts and comments below.

Friday, May 22, 2020

Common Mistakes Job Seekers Make When Applying for a Position -

Common Mistakes Job Seekers Make When Applying for a Position - Staffing has changed over the years due to some changes in the employment world. These changes, however, have been one of the critical areas where qualified and potential job seekers miss on their dream jobs. Prior to the infamous 2008 economic crisis, many recruiters used traditional methods. When these tools are contrasted with new recruitment tools, they are highly inefficient.   Here are the common mistakes job seekers make and the solutions The vagueness of the kind of job you want Uncertainty is one of the major errors almost all job seekers make. Being specific, in any job seeking process, is one of the main tips each job seeker should pay attention to, for success and fruitful process. When, as a job seeker, you are particular about what you are looking for, you can easily narrow down to potential organizations and hiring platforms. This simple process ensures that you capitalize on the time available and reduce the chances of applying to jobs that are you may never get feedback. For a lucid dream job, it is essential to understand your abilities, the job requirements, and most importantly, places to find job advertisements. Applying without proper skills Applying without proper skills is probably one of the major reasons why most resumes do not get a response. Having the best skills is subjective from one panel to another. However, your skills should always be similar as those the hiring staff requires. The best approach to be the best candidate, even with fewer skills, is to update your skills continuously. There are tons of platforms for this vital skill builder. With the skills update, getting the dream job is not farfetched. Also, find out if there is a job fair going on with a particular company you are interested in. Look for a banner made with materials from Coastal Business Supplies. Bring your resume and be ready to apply. Having a general resume A good resume is very subjective according to many recruiters. However, having a general resume is one of the ways to miss that job opportunity. In order to convince the recruiting panel, it is essential to match the job posting requirements with your qualifications and abilities as a potential employee. This means that the documents should accurately speak to the panel and convince them that you are the right candidate they have been looking for. The best approach to having a customized resume is first understanding what the recruiting panels want and try as much as possible to match the skills you have with the requirements. This means that you might be forced to omit some details to make the resume more appealing and specific. Failure to do background study about the company This is without a doubt a risky thing potential employees make when looking for a working position. Having background information about the company gives you, as the prospective employee, an added advantage on how to tackle interview questions. Having a background study not only paints a perfect picture of what you are applying for but also what to expect once you land on the job. Improper dressing on the interview day The proper dressing has been a subject of discussion by many professionals for the last two decades. However, being well dressed and avoiding dressing in a manner that can make the panelist form negative opinions about you is crucial. What are some factors that employers expect from a job seeker? Each employer has a set of expectations from the job seeker, and some of these expectations include the following. Each employer dreams of a teachable workforce. Although one may be an expert in their respective field, having a teachable personality is a key factor in aligning one to the company’s philosophy. In this age of working, many in-job pieces of training require a professional to have a soft spot for knowledge and willingness to expand their understanding on their respective field. Second, each employer dreams of an employee that can work in a team and to have unmatched interpersonal skills. These interpersonal skills give the company a conducive environment. It is through these skills that the company nurtures the next leadership. Thirdly, every employer expects good communicators. Communication is one of the key pillars of a productive environment. Therefore, finding an employee that can communicate effectively or act on direction effectively is always the goal of any organization. It is therefore important to work on these three factors before applying for any job.

Sunday, May 17, 2020

How to Search for Directors and Executives Online

How to Search for Directors and Executives Online Are you using the internet to try and recruit staff? Or perhaps you are simply looking to research the competition? In today’s economy everyone is clamouring for recognition online be it through a Twitter account, using Facebook, LinkedIn, or through search databases. It is much easier for you as an employer to get the dirt on your potential future employees and your competitors if they are using these accounts â€" even if they don’t realise it. There are many out there who have lost that crucial job because of a flippant comment on a social media site. More on this at How Employers Screen Candidates on Social Media. Roll up your online research sleeves: Investigating companies and people has never been easier. Director search is a great way to find out about those at the top of the ladder. Examine their function and position and whether or not they held a previous company directorship. Once you have found these details you can discover more about the company they are currently working in or those where they built up experience in the past. This is a great way to look at recruiting for new staff, identifying your competitors, but also considering what type of work experience you might need in order to become a company director. Networking gives you additional insight: If you are looking to build contacts a search like this is also a great way of networking. Whether you are already a member of a site that connects people or you want to become one, you can find those working in the same industry to check who they are networking with as well as potentially getting in touch with them for advice, or in order to discuss topical issues. In addition it can be useful to try networking with those in different industries with similar roles, that way you have a broad range of contacts who you can call upon where necessary. See more at The Top 10 Networking Books for Your Career. Theres always the headhunting route: Headhunting is becoming a more resilient business; particularly for those working in senior positions as often these are the types of people who are not actually looking to move so must be approached with some encouragement in order for this to happen. Want to attract headhunters? Heres How To Get Headhunted. Beware of pitfalls: There are some downsides to this method, for example it can rule out people who are perfectly capable of doing a job or who have potential. You may not even consider bringing them in for interview yet they could be the right fit for your organisation. The internet may be a useful tool to make information more readily available and make people more visible but it can also have the opposite effect, hiding those who are not necessarily rating but who have hidden talents or who have simply not gained enough experience to be recognised by these searches yet. Remember that doing research and actually making a decision to hire somebody are two separate things. You cannot rely totally on tools which do not give you any idea about personality or potential but they can be a useful starting point. In addition they can give certain candidates a helpful foot in the door. More on this topic at What Social Networks Have Most Job Search Activity?

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Which Area of Law Should You Choose As a Career - CareerMetis.com

Which Area of Law Should You Choose As a Career Photo Credit â€" Pixabay.comFull Disclosure Here : We are not Lawyers nor any type of a legal experts. However, we have written this after some research and scouring the internet. We are hoping this to be a resource for you ?? evalA career in law appeals to many different types of people.Perhaps you want to help uphold truth and justice. Maybe your goal is to have a high-flying career with a high salary. You might want to start your own business or help other people. If you decide you want to be a lawyer, you eventually have to focus on a particular area of law.While some people have more than one specialty, you will likely focus on one field to begin with. Deciding which one is right for you can be a tough task. Of course, finding out what interests you is an important step. There are many areas of law to consider, but check out the benefits of just a few below.1. Business LawIf you’re interested in business and all its intricacies, you might consider commercial law. Running a bus iness can involve a number of complicated legal issues. A commercial lawyer will help companies with a variety of problems. This includes any lawsuits they might have to deal with. Business law can involve giving advice for various stages of setting up a business or trading. Many businesses are just as concerned with avoiding any legal problems than with making existing ones go away. Remember Harvey Specter However, it isn’t necessarily for everyone. Some people don’t enjoy the idea of defending certain people, for example.4. Family LawFamily law involves a number of issues, from divorce and custody to adoption. If you enjoy the thought of helping people in a variety of ways, you might consider this area of law. You can help families to be happier, whether it’s together or apart.You can also help ensure that children or perhaps victims of domestic violence can achieve the life they deserve. If you want to work in family law, you have to be friendly and have empathy for your cl ients. An ability to see cases from all sides will help you to solve disputes.There are many areas of law from which you can choose. If you can’t decide which one is for you, consider your strengths and desires to help you pick.

Sunday, May 10, 2020

Update Your Resume in September and Get Two Free Job Search Seminars

Update Your Resume in September and Get Two Free Job Search Seminars September is a time of new beginnings. The kids go back to school, fall begins, and many companies start aggressively recruiting after the slower-paced summer months. September is the perfect time to update your resume. Here are a few points to consider if you plan on updating your resume in the coming month.What successes have you achieved since you last updated your resume? Have you worked on specific projects that have helped the company make money, save money, save time, grow the business or keep the business? Have you completed mission-critical projects ahead of schedule or under budget?Have you recently completed a degree or certification program or taken classes that better position you as a subject matter expert in your field?Have you taken on any new leadership roles through professional/volunteer organizations?Have you authored any books or articles, or presented at any industry events?In honor of  Update Your Resume Month, I am offering a choice of any two of my September 14, 2009 webinars at no cost to new clients and return clients who purchase resume services and start working with me before September 30, 2009. The webinars you can select from are:Negotiation StrategiesNetworking Strategies for the 21st CenturyLeveraging Online Print Resources to Find Hidden JobsLinkedIn for Job SearchYou can view more details about the webinars here.

Friday, May 8, 2020

How to Write Bollocks - Quick Tips

How to Write Bollocks - Quick TipsAlthough writers are not usually the best candidates for writing bollock, there are other people who can do it. But what makes this profession so interesting is that anyone can learn to write bollocks. Also, writers can also make use of the skills they already have to get jobs as freelancers, but not everyone is aware of the things they can do to land a job as a writer in this profession.Before looking at how to write bollocks, it is important to know that there are various essential writing skills. These include the ability to take notes, use keywords well, organize their ideas and organize and format the information correctly. After learning these skills, writers can take advantage of the many resources available. However, there are also steps to take to sharpen these skills.One way to get better at writing bollocks is to practice while writing. If you want to learn how to write bollocks, writing bollocks should be part of the work environment. Eve ryone who writes must write so that they can use their skills to the fullest.The most common error is to start a sentence that ends with a preposition before a verb, such as 'I started my research.' The point is to always start a sentence with a preposition and not an adjective. When writing on a resume, writers should also start with a preposition before a verb, such as 'We began to research our client's needs.' This will help the reader understand where the writer is coming from and what he or she is writing about.Find the right tools to help you write bollocks. Writing software is very popular among students and writers alike. With writing software, writers can check their ideas or concepts as they are writing them and see what is working and what isn't. Using a screen reader also helps because it will let the writer know if he or she has made a mistake or if the writing style is off. By knowing what is and isn't acceptable, writers can tweak their writing style for easier readin g.Words can make a lot of difference. Readers must be able to focus on a writer's ideas and not what he or she writes on a resume. Therefore, a writer must find the right words to make the reader focus on his or her ideas and not his or her words. One way to get the right words is to go online and look for a few hundred choices. When looking for words, one should choose carefully so that he or she doesn't choose something that might turn readers off.Knowing how to choose words also means that the writer can begin writing. It doesn't matter how long a resume is or how many bollocks there are in it. If there is too much bollocks in it, the reader may end up not wanting to read it, which is a bad thing. To fix this problem, writers should just continue to write and get to the point. It is also important to ask for feedback to make sure that the resume is getting the desired attention.Finally, when writing bollocks, writers should check if the resume has all the information needed. In o ther words, make sure that the information in the resume is appropriate to the company or position the writer is applying for. Some companies need specific information, while others want basic information. By having the correct information, the reader will be more likely to read on.