The Cpl National Jobseeker Roadshow 2012

Peter CosgroveApril 2012

#CplNJR

Housekeeping

Agenda

INTRODUCTION

YOUR CV

WHERE ARE ALL THE JOBS

THE INTERVIEW / ASSESSMENT

YOUR PERSONAL BRAND

DEALING WITH UNEMPLOYMENT

Q & A

1 %’s

It can often be the small things that make the big difference, so improving

that 1% in certain areas can differentiate you from the competition

Your CV

30 seconds to an impression

Your Advert

Your cv is your advert, in the current market you may only get 30 seconds from an employer so like an advert

make every word count

Our approach to transition

Your CV

CV – initial thoughts

“I did not have time to write you a short letter so I wrote you a long one”

Most cvs are a First Draft

If a recruiter does not understand your cv or does not like the layout – its your fault

89%

CV Format

CONTACT DETAILS

PROFILE

CAREER & ACHIEVEMENTS

EDUCATION & TRAINING

OTHER SKILLS & INTEREST

CAREER OBJECTIVE

REFERENCESX

Visual

SIZE MATTERS

< 1000 WORDS

FONT

WHITE SPACE/ MARGINS

No photo – it adds to the size of the file.

In terms of length – under 1000 words

Content

Biographical

Key Words

Complexity

What does an employer want to see

Begin with the end in mind

Can someone out side your industry understand your cv

Evidence & Credibility

● Managed a team of 6 people

● Organised budgets and targets for the group

● Recruited and interviewed staff

● Motivated and built morale

● Responsive to customer queries and issues

Evidence & Credibility

● Managed a team of 6 people- they hated my guts

● Organised budgets and targets for the group- never got one number correct

● Recruited and interviewed staff - the main reason people did not join

● Motivated and built morale- told awful jokes that no one liked

● Responsive to customer queries and issues- Sent all calls to voicemail

What’s the difference between what you did and the guy who got fired?

The most critical point around cvs. It is what you did well not what you did that an employer cares

about.

Why even after reading you may have spelling ‘msiteaks’

Arocdnicg to rsceearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer are in the rghit pcale. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit pobelrm. Tihs is buseace the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Language

Organized / Color

Your vs You’re

Led vs Lead

Accept vs except

…also be careful of jargon

Be careful of what you write!

“I am about to enrol on a Business Degree. I feel that this qualification will prove detrimental to me for future success.”

Hobbies: “enjoy cooking Chinese and Italians”

“I received a plague for Salesman of the year 2006”

Ask this question after reading every bullet point in your cv. Does the

employer get anything from this bullet point, does it say what you did or what

you did well?

Finding a Job

Where have all the jobs gone?

JOBS HERE

There are only 4 ways to find a job

Direct applications to companies

Advertisements – online / offline

Recruitment Consultants / Headhunters

Using Your Network

Companies …

DEAR SIR

/ MADAM

If you do not apply to a person – you cannot

follow up – never apply saying “Dear Sir / Madam

Publications & Useful Websites

THE INTERNET

How do get the most out of a Recruitment Agencies

Where are recruitment agencies they listed

Website: www.nrf.ie

Objectives of a recruitment agency

Win business from clients either exclusively or as one of a number of suppliers

Source and interview relevant candidates

Manage the interview offer and contract process

Reject the other candidates

Act as a career counsellorX

What recruiters/ employers may discriminate on

• Unclear visa status

• Same job for 20 years

• Out of work for 12 months plus

• Cv sent into the company multiple times

• “chip” on the shoulder

Value of an agency

Access to clients/ jobs and post- interview feedback

Feedback on you and your cv

Market knowledge and information

Someone working for you!

Recruitment Consultants

They never return my calls or emails

Their jobs are not even live

They just want to put me into a box

Recruitment Consultants – what can you do

Identify the recruiters you believe can help you

Provide a professional perception of yourself

Listen to their advice

Ask for feedback

Be professional (again)

Please note……

An agency only makes money when they put the right candidate in front of a client

If this is not you….why not?

It is in the interest of a recruitment consultant to put the right person in the right job – this is how they get paid. If you are not that person and you think

you should have been, you have either not got that point across to that

recruiter or have not left as positive an impression as you thought you had

What recruiters like to see/ hear

• I am interviewing elsewhere

• I have seen three of your competitors this week all who have been positive about opportunities for me

• I am currently using my free time to learn/ develop ....

• Preparation – a pre-interview

• Positivity – its catching!

How Companies Search and how candidates look

1. From Within

2. Using Proof

3. Close Colleagues

4. Trusted Agencies

5. Adverts

6. Cvs on file

Networking

The interview

Prepare

“Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity”

Interviews are all about preparation however most people do not prepare for more than 5 or 10 minutes

Do Not's

1. First Impression – Eye Contact

Eye contact

2. First Impression – Dress Sense

3. First Impression - Handshake

4. First Impression - Smile…

Maximising your impact at interview

Can you do the Job

Do you want the Job

Do we like you

Research

Google.com and Google.ie. Bing, yahoo

Google News

Bodies / institutions

CSO/ ESRI

People who work there

…lastly their website

A companies website is often six months behind – it is not the best place for up to date

information, use other methods

Types of Interview / Assessment

Biographical Interview

Competency based Interview

Other: Panel/ Stress

Psychometric Tests

Assessment Centres

Types of Interview / Assessment

Biographical Interview

Competency based Interview

Other: Panel/ Stress

Psychometric Tests

Assessment Centres

STAR

S ituation T ask A ction R esult

All questions that begin with “give me an example

of a time...” should be structured this way

Types of Interview/ Assessment

Biographical Interview

Competency based Interview

Other: Panel / stress

Psychometric tests

Assessment centres

In summary: Prepare prepareprepare

Your Personal brand

SAFEWhat company brand does this word remind you of?

SAFE

VOLVO

MAGICALWhat company brand does this word remind you of?

MAGICAL

DISNEY

A powerful brand can be summed up easily and

quickly but it takes work – what do people say of your

personal brand?

What do we mean by motivation?

Studies of communication

Body language:

Tone of Voice:

What you say:

55%:

38%

7%

Kids pick up non verbal clues much easier as they spent

the first year of their life almost exclusively looking at these, they know when you are cross with them through what they see not what you

say

Roger Bannister

Was told that if he tried to run a mile in under 4 minutes, he could die, he had to picture it to help him see it and believe

it

OpportunityisnowhereWhat does this say, could it say anything else?

“KNOW THYSELF”

Thinking Creatively

How are jobseekers responding....

How are jobseekers responding creatively....

The Google Job Experiment

Being a Jobseeker

Routine

Treat the week as a work week

Make finding a job a full time job

Meet people – the more people you meet the luckier you will get

Stay positive – however difficult this may be

Know what you can get for free

Re-skilling

Conversion courses

Internships – Job Bridge

Importance of Practical Experience

Making work placements and internships work for job seekers….

www.worklink.ie

Worklink’s primary aim is to support employers maximise the take up and effectiveness of work placement and other employment activation programmes

Supported by

Emigration

Is emigration a good or a bad thing?

700 million people abroad have Irish heritage.

Emigration is being seen as failure – it can be an

incredible opportunity to go to somewhere where there are more jobs. The Irish are

loved abroad

Ernest Shackleton

JOB ADVERTISEMENTMen wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success."

Ernest Shackleton

Actions

Prepare a world class cv which is targeted

Understand how to interview well and prepare prepare prepare

Know your value to an organisation

Follow up – show determination

Start networking

Improve your personal awareness

Improve your skills, knowledge and research ability

Do some charity/ community work

Enjoy yourself!

Name: Peter CosgroveTitle: Director – CplPhone: 01 614 6160

Email: peter.cosgrove@cpl.ieTwitter: @petercosgroveWebsite: www.cpl.ie

Thank you and questions