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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?
CV Writing Offer
Your CV is usually the first impression a prospective employer gets of you, so it is imperative that it is up to date, clear of errors and highlights all your skills and experience. Do you think your CV might be letting you down?
If you feel your CV is in need of a revamp, or maybe you don’t have a CV at all, then we can help you. We will help you put your CV together and give you a hardcopy as well as an electronic copy for future use and to apply for positions online.
This offer is open to the first 25 people that get in touch with Colleen before the 5th of August. You can contact her between on 01794 524212, or email her on colleen@paragons.co.uk.
Romsey Job Club
If you are out of work, have you considered visiting the Romsey Job Club? They are open every Wednesday for jobseekers to pop in for a cup of tea or coffee, advice and some moral support!
They have volunteers on hand to assist with job searches on their laptops, give advice on CV writing, interview tips and IT skills. Whilst we as an agency are always happy to help with this kind of advice, we appreciate that very often you just need some good old moral support! By visiting the Romsey Job Centre you will meet other people who are in the same boat as you, so you need not feel alone in your jobseeking. You might even make some new friends!
Do visit their website, where you can find out more about them and how they can help you. If you are unable to attend their open days, they do have discussion boards on their website which you could use to interact with them and other jobseekers. They also have a Facebook page which you could interact with them through.
We think that with so many people having been made redundant and very often feeling quite low, the Romsey Job Club is such a positive initiative. A place for people to gather and lift each others spirits!
Let us know if you have used the Job Club and how they helped you.
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Romsey Job Club
Company House, The Romsey School, Greatbridge, Romsey, SO51 8ZB
Email: jobclub.romsey@googlemail.com
Tel: 01794 522106
Opening Hours:
Normal hours: Open every Wednesday 9.30am – 12.30pm.
16 June to 14 July the opening hours will be 9.15 -12.15
Closed on 4 August, reopening on 11 August
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