Using Social Media to Find a Job
Nowadays, a large majority of the population is using social media regularly. You can use…
Posted inCareers Coach Blog How to look for a job Mothers' rights at work Tips for working mums Work and career tips and advice Work, Business, Money
Redundancy – Part 1: What to Do When You Are Laid Off
Gender equality issues have come a long way since Emily Pankhurst and the Suffragettes put their lives at risk to fight for women’s right to vote. However, there are still a lot of kinks to iron out in employment law and the daily reality us working mums face.
Redundancy is just another area of concern. Pregnant working women are twice as likely to be made redundant than any other working woman. The Fawcett Society (the UK charity that campaigns for gender equality and women’s rights at work, home and in public life) have been striving with Maternity Action to ban employers from making pregnant women redundant.
Posted inCareers Coach Blog How to look for a job Work and career tips and advice Work, Business, Money
Time for a job change? Why adding sparkle to your cover letter can make or break your job search
According to recruitment site Monster.com, the most popular months for recruitment at January, February, September…
STOP the time wasting: Which social media platforms are right for your career or business?
As enticising as it may be to spend every waking hour spying on your colleagues’ LinkedIn profile to see how you can trump them on a job promotion, or looking at your competitor’s Facebook page to see how many comments they’re getting for posts, when it comes down to it, it’s just unfeasible to spend your every minute of the day doing it.
Posted inCareers Coach Blog How to look for a job
It’s never to late to do an internship of gain work experience
If you’ve been out of the world of work for a while, or are undergoing a career change it’s you may be struggling to get you foot in the door with an employer. Have you thought of going on an internship or work experience? It’s not just for the twenty something graduate, who has no financial ties, you know.
Posted inHow to look for a job
Why you should consider using an interactive infographic for your CV
Infographics have been popping in up in online articles and in business proposals and projects for years as a way to show data or information in a concise and eye-appealing manner. Recently, people have been taking this notion and implementing them in their CVs.
While the normal paper CV might have gotten the job done in the past it might be time to switch to an electronic CV with interactive infographics to keep up with the competition.
How to apply for a job when you’ve been off the market for a while
Are you preparing to go back to work when your little one starts school or nursery in September? Are you looking for work so you can get the social off your back? Do you hate your current job and want to find something else to do?
Whatever the case may be, deciding that you want to look for work is half the battle, so well done on taking that first step! To get the ball rolling, here are some steps to finding your next dream job:
Posted inHow to look for a job
Job interview over: how not to obsess after the event
The job interview is finally over and you can’t help but sigh with relief. But now that the waiting has started, it is not that easy to carry on without mentally dissecting your responses, the interviewer’s facial expression as you spoke…the list can go on. Here are some tips to stop you driving yourself around the bend while you wait for the outcome of your job interview.
Posted inHow to look for a job
Three things you should know during your job hunt
Looking for a job is like having a part-time job. It takes time and dedication to rewrite your covering letter and make sure your CV doesn’t let you down at the first hurdle.
If you’re thinking about applying for a new job or have sent your CV to recruiters than you can remember then you need to know these three simple tips:
Posted inHow to look for a job Video tutorials
Tough interview question No. 5: Why did you leave your last job? (video)
Getting sacked, hating your boss, being pushed out…these are not exactly reasons that will put you in a positive light at a job interview.
Every recruiter will know that you are either unhappy with your present or old job, or you want to climb the career ladder, or even change careers. However, they may ask this question to try to gauge your reasons for doing so, to see if there are any alarm bells.
Today’s video will help you formulate a constructive response to this tough interview question and help you.
Posted inHow to look for a job Video tutorials
Tough interview question No. 4: What are your strengths and weaknesses? (video)
Today’s video looks at another seemingly simple question that can get many people into a tight spot at job interviews.
If you’re disorganised, you probably don’t want to say that for an office manager or events coordinator role, for example. If you have a bad temper, you won’t get a positive outcome at any job interview if you state that as your weakness.
So just what can you say? Do you make up strengths and weaknesses just to get through the interview?
Watch today’s video for some tips and advice on answering this tough job interview question.
Posted inHow to look for a job Video tutorials
Tough interview question No. 3: Why do you want to work for this company? (video)
Because I’m desperate? Because you advertised a job in my local paper? Because I need the money. Are those your immediate responses to a question like this?
Some interview questions can seem ridiculous, and seem like they are there to trip you up. The fact is, every recruiter wants to hear that there job isn’t one of a hundred that you have mindlessly applied for.
So, even if your real reason for applying any of the above responses, you can’t say that to an interviewer if you’re really serious about getting the job. You need to think of something that’s better thought out. Is the company an industry leader, for example?
Watch today’s video for more tips on answering this tough interview question.
Posted inHow to look for a job Video tutorials
Tough interview question No. 2: Tell me about yourself (video)
Even the most confident and self-assured person can stumble when asked this question at a job interview. You don’t want to sound fake or full of yourself on the one hand, and on the other you don’t want to be so coy that you come across as boring and uninteresting.
This is one interview question that you should practice at home before a job interview. Find a friend or relative who will give you honest and constructive feedback on your response. That’s on tip – watch today’s video to find out how else you can tackle this interview question.
Posted inHow to look for a job Video tutorials
Tough interview question No. 1: why should we give you the job? (video)
There are some interview questions that you just can’t run away from. No matter how senior or junior the role, which industry you’re moving into and whether a recruitment agency is doing the initial interview instead of your employer, the questions will still remain.
Every day this week, we will be tackling one of the following five interview questions with a video tutorial:
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- Tell me about yourself
- Why do you want to work for this company?
- What are your strengths?
- Why did you leave your last job?
Today, we look at the first questions: “Where do you see yourself in five years time?”. Watch the video below:
Posted inGet the Look How to look for a job
Shoes and interviews: three things that could cost you the job
We’ve all heard the saying “first impressions count”, and it’s even more important at job interviews. But is it enough to splurge on a new suit, or dress for an interview and hope the interviewer will bypass your flip flops?
The truth is that, even when the weather is roasting in summer, what you wear on your feet is just as important at the clothes. It’s the attention to detail that the employer will be looking at, as well as how you will represent the company, so if you show poor judgement on your footwear, it may count against you.
Here are some things to consider when planning your footwear for a job interview:
Posted inA mix Get the Look How to look for a job
How to dress for interviews…and do you really need to wear a suit?
Making the best impression at job interviews is not always about what you say. Your clothes, hair and overall look can speak volumes.
If you’ve been out of work for a while, or are branching into a new career or sector, you may wonder what the protocol is style wise…it can get a little confusing to say the least. and the pressure of making the best first impression you can doesn’t help matters, either.
Here are some tips to get the balance right and win over a recruiter:
Posted inA mix How to look for a job
How to win the job war against young, cheaper graduates
When you’ve spent time out of work making the decision to return to work can be a daunting prospect. You may have tackled the demands of being a parent, a 24-hour job – but the office is a different game.
You may be worried that there are younger, cheaper, ‘more employable’ competitors out there fighting for the same jobs. Someone who’s fresh out of university and up to date on the industry news and trends is unbeatable, right? That’s not technically true.
Posted inHow to look for a job
How to explain gaps in employment during a job interview
Job interviews are an opportunity for you to prove that you’re the best person for the job – and it’s also an opportunity for recruiters to check anything that doesn’t add up. And for many mums, this may be a gap in your employment history.
Many people get anxious when a job interviewer starts checking the dates on your CV and asking questions about any gaps in employment. For mums, this is almost inevitable because so many choose to take time out to raise young children before returning to work later.
Posted inHow to look for a job
Struggling to get a job interview? Your social media profiles could be to blame
Pictures of your wild party days (even if they are before you got all sensibly married and became a mum), inappropriate language and ‘I hate xxx’ groups you support…they may seem like a good idea at the time, but when you’re looking for a new job they could be lethal.
According to a recent survey of recruiters and those in recruiting positions by Reppler, 91% of respondants use social networking sites to screen prospective employees.
5 job interview no-nos that will get you sacked before you’ve even started the job
Whether you’re preparing for a job interview after a redundancy, just looking to change your job for one that pays more, or are returning to work after a break looking after the kids, getting the basics right on your CV is only the first step to you getting your next job.