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16 Aug in Advice, Jobseekers, News | Comments (0)Give prospective employers reason to employ you
We are approached on a daily basis by people desperately searching for work; and we are quite often surprised at the approach and attitude of many jobseekers .
Today a jobseeker came into our office without an appointment to see if we would be able to help him find work. He confidently greeted us with a smile and explained briefly what he was looking for. Not only was he dressed smartly and neatly, but he had his up to date CV, referee details, passport and proof of qualifications available. Usually we register candidates once they have made an appointment; but due to his positive attitude, professionalism and attention to detail we arranged for him to pop back in half an hour to complete our registration process.
This candidate is looking for permanent work in a sector that we do not specialise in, but he has taken the flexible approach that it is better to do something rather than nothing, even if it is at a much lower rate than he would normally receive. So we hope to be able to find him either temporary administrative or warehouse work whilst he looks for a suitable permanent position.
So if you are in search of work and approaching employment agencies and local businesses; what impression are you giving your prospective employer?
Are you neat and clean?
Do you have all your paperwork to hand?
Are you being polite and friendly?
Do you think you are giving prospective employers reason to employ you?
Our experience with this candidate today really highlighted to our Consultants how little effort many jobseekers make. We suddenly realised that we were commenting on how professional and organised this candidate was. Surely professionalism should be the norm, and we should not be surprised at that, to the point of writing this blog post?
Furthering your education with Totton College
Totton College have kindly sent us some of their brochures and leaflets to display in our reception.
They offer a wide range of Adult, Professional and Higher Education Courses including:
- Business, Accounts, Administration & Management,
- Computing & Information Technology,
- English & Languages,
- First Aid, Food Hygiene, Health & Safety,
- Mathematics,
- Beauty, Hair & Holistic Therapies,
- Child Health & Social Care,
- Vehicle Maintenance and much more
They also offer a range of fun, creative courses such as African Drumming, Ceramics & Pottery, Flower Arranging/Floristry, Confidence Building, Photography and Golf. Courses are available on weekends as well as Spring/Summer Term.
If you are interested in furthering your education then do get in touch with them on 02380 874 874 or visit www.totton.ac.uk. If you are in the area, please do pop in and collect one of their brochures from our reception.
Totton College
Calmore Road
Totton
Southampton, So40 3ZX
Tel: 02380 874 874
Email: learn@totton.ac.uk
Term Time Opening Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 8.30am – 9pm
Wednesday & Friday 8.30am – 4.30pm
Non-Term Time Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday 8.30am – 4.30pm
Need to improve your IT Skills?
If you feel you need to brush up on your IT skills, you may want to consider getting in touch with Manor Training in Ower. Their offices at Paultons Park offer the perfect peaceful environment that is so important in a training atmosphere.
Whatever level of training you require, they will have the course just for you.
A selection of some of the course they have available are listed below:
Applications:
Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Project, Outlook
Graphics
Publisher, PhotoShop, InDesign, Illustrator
For more information you can visit their website or pop into our office to collect a leaflet.
Manor Training
Unit 15, Mortimers Trading Estate
Paultons Park
Ower, SO51 6AF
Tel: 02380 811680
Email: sales@manor-training.co.uk
Work experience for Students
This article was taken from Recruiter:
Work experience is critical to standing out in the crowds, according to a survey by Vodafone.
The survey shows that 69% use work experience to help their job applications, while 34% take up volunteering to enhance their CV and increase their chances of a getting a job.
Almost half (45%) of students say the marketplace is becoming even more crowded, citing the huge growth in graduates is the main obstacle to getting a foot on the career ladder.
“Volunteering and work experience have become critical assets which young people today can use to enhance their attraction to employers,” said Vodafone UK graduate manager, Nicola Fitzgerald.
“Over 3,000 people applied for our 2010 graduate programme which offered 50 places. It was those people who communicated how their life experiences and personal interests added value to their academic successes who shone through both in their CVs and interviews.”
06 May in Advice, Jobseekers, News | Comments (0)CV Writing Tips
Curriculum Vitaes are there to sell our skills and experience; so it is vital that they are informative, accurate and neat. A CV filled with spelling, grammatical and formatting errors will only send you to the bottom of the pile if not the shredder. A few tips to get you started:
Personal information
Always start with your name and contact details at the top.
Profile
Write about two to three sentences briefly describing your character and highlighting any specific skills.
Employment History and/or Work Experience
Starting with your most recent employer, list the dates you were employed, the company name, position held as well as a description of your duties. It is usually best to bullet point your duties, and describe them briefly.
If there were any gaps in employment, always explain them. Eg: 1982 – 1991: Raising my family, or 1 July 2008 – 30 September: Took the opportunity to travel between employment.
Education and Training
Again, start with your most recent qualifications and work back.
Interests and achievements
Highlight a few of your interests, such as volunteering, playing tennis at your local sports club. Each of these will show that you are a team player and enjoy working with and meeting new people.
References
If submitting your CV to a recruitment agency then you should list two referees, ideally your two most recent employers or you could put “Available on request.”
Always double check for typing errors and try keep your CV to 2 – 3 pages. When submitting your CV in application for vacancies, always submit it with a covering letter specific to the role you are applying for.
There are many websites that help you create a CV, or look out for free help at your local library, job centre or job club. If you are registered with a recruitment agency then this is something they should assist you with.
We hope you have found this information useful?
06 May in Advice, Jobseekers, News | Comments (0)Positive Jobseeking
As you all know, work is very difficult to get at the moment. There are so many people looking for work that competition has really increased. Job seekers really have to up their game to ensure they stand out from all the competition.
A few simple tips for job seekers:
- Update your CV
- Double check it for spelling and grammatical errors
- Register your CV on various online job boards, such as Reed.co.uk and Fish4.co.uk.
- Customise each covering letter for each job application.
- Only apply for jobs that you have the relevant skills/experience for.
When approaching agencies and prospective employers:
- Make sure you are dressed smartly/neatly as if you were going to work.
- Start off by introducing yourself and finding out who the right person is to speak to.
- If you are not offered one, ask for a business card, that way you have relevant contact details to follow up your visit. You could then send a brief email with CV and covering letter, if appropriate.
- Be polite and positive; never speak badly about previous employers.
- Remember you are selling yourself and the skills and experience that you have to offer!
Paragons Personnel