With an ever growing number of social media users, the link between employment and social media is becoming stronger. There are many platforms available to us which enable us to post, share, like and connect with people all around the world. Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Instagram to name a few, the list is endless.

That said, the content you display is more than likely going to be viewed by your employer, your colleagues or even both at some point, so be mindful on the type of things you choose to display.

Before we look into this further, let’s take a look at some of the statistics…

The numbers are astronomical.

Many of us have some kind of social media presence, in fact 2 thirds of all internet users have some form of online profile. The market leader is Facebook with nearly 1.5 Billion monthly users in the second quarter of 2015 alone, that’s 47% of all Internet users currently updating regular posts to Facebook.

If you are considering using social media to increase your chances of employment LinkedIn is probably the most effective form of social media to do it. LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking site allows users to connect with like-minded users and build a professional network. Opportunities are regularly advertised on here, simply follow the right people and search for your preferred sectors and professional bodies to begin networking. Linked in has approximately 365 million users, not quite as popular as its big brother Facebook, then again – how many people do you need to know to get one job?

So how is social media connected to employability?

Your online presence has become the much easier to access in recent years, the fact is, if you put it online, it’s there for the world to see.

Back in 2009 a University of California student posted the following tweet about an internship with a software giant.

“Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty pay check against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.”

Well, for those of you who didn’t know, it didn’t end well. A Cisco employee discovered the tweet, the offer was withdrawn and a publicity storm erupted. This incident was one of the first cases where a status update resulted in the loss of a job.

So is it legal for employers to examine your social media presence?

This is a loaded question and in short, yes and no. Measures have been put in place to protect both Employee and Employer. It is generally up to the Employer to enforce a social media policy that enables them to take action when an employee bad mouths their company online for example.

Many online activities, especially something like a Facebook post regarding wages or working conditions that is shared with co-workers, are forms of “concerted activity” that are sheltered under the law until it reaches the point of being “disloyal” to the employer. “Disloyal” can be complicated to define, but it differentiates between comments that are merely complaining about work from ones that actively seek to reduce business by driving customers away.

The bottom line is, respect the boundaries of social media. The legalities can be messy and avoiding a court case is advised. Our advice to you would be to only publish things that you wouldn’t mind your employer or future employer to see. After all prevention is the best cure.

Attention to detail is key when looking for a job, after all, first impressions count for a lot.

In recent weeks, I have attended several open days and interviews with a variety of candidates for a wide range of different jobs. Something that I have noticed and wanted to underline, is how many people lack attention to detail.

Regardless of the calibre of the role you apply for, whether it be a Receptionist role, or a higher paid job like a Business Development Manager, there will always be candidates that fail to realise the importance of the small yet vital details when trying to amaze your future boss or recruiter.

I once met a really great candidate for a Sales job, David was just what we were looking for on paper and even better in person. Prior to our meeting I asked him to bring with him a copy of his most up to date CV. Do you think he did? Well, he didn’t. These kind of things can generate negative reactions or lasting memories of you. Instead of remembering David for his enthusiastic approach and his persuasive persona, I will always remember him as the guy who forgot his CV.

You may have spent a week solid preparing for an interview, questioning yourself over and over, ironing your shirt the night before, practicing positive body language in the mirror, but all this can be crushed by a simple yet devastating mistake like David did.

Attention to detail is not just about remembering to do the little things, it can also be a great tool for standing out in the crowd. Paying attention to the facts and understanding the ins and outs of a job will impress any employer. Asking questions and mentioning certain duties on a job specification shows that you are engaged and have done your research.

Things not to forget!

If you are sending an email to a prospective employer or recruiter, you can’t say you have good attention to detail in your cover letter and then go on to forget to attach your CV, this happens all too often, DON’T DO IT!

Cross the T’s and dot the I’s… Your CV says a lot about you and your attention to detail. First impressions count! Read through your CV a few times paying attention to punctuation and spelling. Failing to correct any mistakes can suggest that you lack attention to detail.

Be prepared! Take a pen, a notepad and anything else you can think you might need in your interview. After all, looking unprepared and unorganised can be damaging. Good preparation is crucial to any interview.

Don’t forget their name!  If you know the name of your interviewer, please get it right. For example: if you are being interviewed by Jonathan King, don’t go to reception and ask for Jon King and certainly don’t call him Jonny boy when he greets you. Remain professional at all times. Use only the name you have been given. These details are all noted by employers.

So you’ve been invited in for an interview, fantastic! But are you prepared for those typical interview questions that are designed to draw out your ability to overcome objections? The following questions are ones that will sooner or later come up in most interviews. Despite how simple they appear to be, many people stumble on them due to lack of preparation, over thinking or just can’t think of a good enough answer.

Hint: It is vital that you remain calm and competent throughout and not let these typical interview questions destroy your interview. Remember to Think, Breathe and Answer.

Why is there a gap in your Employment History?

It’s fine if you have a gap in your work history – we’ve all had a point in our careers where we’ve been unemployed or between jobs. Just make sure you explain it to your advantage. Any type of experience that is beneficial to personal or professional growth will be an excellent example… such as taking time off to grow your portfolio, acting as a consultant, freelancing, etc.

Why are you leaving your current employment?

OR

Why did you leave your last job?

Depending on your situation, this question can be as easy as they come, or one of the hardest to answer. If you are in employment and you are leaving due to redundancy, it is plain to see why you are leaving and normally no further questions will be asked. On the other hand if you have left your current role because you just didn’t like it, you will probably be considered unreliable and lacking loyalty. You have to turn your reasoning into a positive. For example; Instead of “I didn’t like it there”, you could say, “I left because there was no progression opportunities and found it easier to focus on finding the right job by leaving and giving myself more time to find the right job where I can stay and build a career”.

What is your biggest weakness?

Instead of revealing your greatest weakness, take this time to show them that you’re not only self-aware, but also looking for ways to improve where you fall short. It’s also imperative that – if you state a weakness – it isn’t one that would hinder your work. Saying you have poor time management will almost immediately eliminate you as a candidate. Alternatively, don’t pick a cliched response like “I work too hard” or “I’m a perfectionist”. Instead a small weakness, like a fear of public speaking or being a bit shy, will do… not to mention it won’t present itself as a threat to your doing a good job.

Why should employ you?

This can be a tricky question to answer, as you don’t want to come across as arrogant. Instead, be confident in your abilities (but don’t over-do it), and match your skills to the job at hand. Just be sure to back-up your answers with work-relevant examples. Platitudes like “I’m a hard-worker” or “I’m passionate” are essentially meaningless, and won’t impress so much as bore the interviewer. This is an opportunity to reiterate your most impressive strengths – so make the most of it!

Do you have any questions?

This is a question almost every Employer will ask at the end of an interview. The most common answer given is “No, you’ve told me everything I need to know”. Instead, use this opportunity to almost lure a decision out of them. You could ask “Do you have any concerns or reservations about me”? This way, if they do you have the chance to overcome any of their objections. Of course, the more questions you do have for them shows that you have initiative and a keen interest in working there.

To round up:

• No matter what questions are thrown at you, remember to Think, Breathe and Answer.
• Always back up your answers with positive facts or opinions.
• Make sure to answer questions directly, don’t get side-tracked.
• Ensure your answers are relative and you are providing examples of your transferable skills.

Do all this and you will be fine!

Good Luck!

Through experience and an abundance or employer feedback, we have decided to give you an insight into what qualities employers really look for in a candidate. Although they may seem obvious, some may surprise you.  Below, we outline 5 main qualities employers desire, followed by some recommendations on how to demonstrate these key qualities.

1. Communication skills.

As Albert Einstein said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” Whether you’re leading a team, managing clients, or training a new member, the ability to communicate clearly and concisely is essential. We’re not just talking about how you speak to one another but managing your whole communication portfolio (email, Facebook, Twitter, etc), if your succeed doing this, your ideas and creativeness will be noticed, automatically making you a more successful person.

2. Pro-activeness.

Employers tend to judge candidates based on their experience alone. After all, the whole idea of your CV is to list your experiences. However, they also want to see qualities such as pro-activeness, demonstrating this strength can often set you head and shoulders above the rest, as many forget to include these details. A good way to demonstrate your pro-activeness on your CV is to back-up any example of where you went above and beyond in a previous job. Don’t just list a number of things you’ve done, explain why you did them. Whether it was securing new business for your organisation as a result of something you did, correcting an issue, identifying opportunities to change the company for the better, started a campaign or club, or even just aiding a colleague. These all show that you did something on your own back for the good of the company – Who wouldn’t want that quality in their workforce?

3. Problem-solving.

Holding the ability to problem solve is a skill to be proud of. Many see a problem and immediately swerve it or reach for help. To an employer, someone that can not only identify an issue but pro-actively resolve it or even better – avoid it happening again is a god send. You will always come across problems in your life and career – it’s a fact, how you deal with it makes all the difference. This is something you can demonstrate better in a job interview as opposed to writing on your CV. Employers will often use competency based questions, designed to throw you off. Instead of answering the questions directly, think about giving an example of a similar scenario and how you dealt with that. Don’t forget to mention how you dealt with the problem, what results your actions had and how you avoided it happening again.

4. Curiosity.

“Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.” So said French philosopher Voltaire. Daring to ask a new question goes a long way toward finding the right solution. What’s more, a high level of curiosity – the hallmark of an inquiring mind – is typically indicative of other good qualities, such as inventiveness, resourcefulness, and fearlessness. It also tends to ward off boredom and apathy – sentiments that will put off any employer.

5. Risk-taking.

Although this may surprise you, being open to risk (and thus failure) is a key trait that employers admire. We can only truly learn and develop when we push ourselves outside of our comfort zones. Chances are you will only regret the things you didn’t do, so ask the questions you are afraid to ask, provide examples of when you took a risk and it paid off, you can even mention ones that didn’t pay off and what you learned from it. Truth is, if we didn’t take risks and changed the way we do things, nothing would ever change, and we would never accomplish anything. One of my most favourite books depicts this message really well. “Who moved my Cheese”? By Spencer Johnson.

For similar post related to this topic, Read:

“10 Ways to Impress Your Future Boss in a Job Interview” http://www.veryimportantpersonnel.co.uk/how-to-impress-your-future-boss-in-a-job-interview/

Not sure what to include in your CV ? Not sure what it should/shouldn’t say? We have compiled a brief description of what employers will want to see upon opening your CV, as well as a few pointers on what not to include and common pitfalls to help you avoid  disappointment when job hunting.

Contact details

The most important thing on your CV is your contact details, after all – you could have the most impressive CV but if your details are missing, how is anybody going to contact you? Be wary of using inappropriate email address’, Simon@thuglife.com may be a fun email address to use in your personal life, but what message are you giving to your employer? Be sure to include your Address and telephone numbers.

Profile

This is the earliest opportunity on your CV to show you have exactly what they’re looking for. It will normally be the first thing they read so make it gripping. Try to avoid using the “I” “I am” “I have” etc. We know who the CV is about, instead get straight the point. For example:

Don’t write, “I am an experienced Administrator and I have excellent communication skills”.

Instead write, “An experienced Administrator with excellent communication skills”.

Also try to include your key skills and experience you have that are relevant to the job you are applying for.

Employment History

From experience, employers like to see your most recent job at the top of your list, followed by your previous and so on.

The information you include should be as informative as possible, not just a summary of the job description.

Highlight activities you were involved in, things you maybe did that aren’t necessarily in your job description, such as training other colleagues, or assisting other departments.

Include achievements, such as how you met or exceeded any targets that you were set and how you added value to the company. This could include additional income you helped to generate, costs you reduced, improvements etc. Wherever possible, try to quantify your achievements. For example, say your marketing idea generated a 10% increase in market share, or you saved the department £5,000 by switching stationery suppliers. No matter what role you worked in, you should find a way to demonstrate your positive impact on your team, organisation or customers.

Avoiding Negative information

To ensure that you are only seen in a good light and to make sure your future employer gets the right impression of you from your CV, then avoid the following common pitfalls:  Absence of important information. Many candidates make assumptions about what’s important to the employer and so fail to provide the relevant information in their CV. Being too generic. Many candidates write a broad CV because they want to keep their options open. But unless it’s clear who you are and what you do, then recruiters won’t know what to do with you.

Errors. Many CVs have errors in them and are often rejected on that basis alone. Your CV must be impeccably presented if you want to demonstrate your professionalism and attention to detail. Always ask someone else to check it over for you.

Negative information. Your CV should include only positive information. Never criticise a previous employer or refer to difficulties or disappointments unless you were able to turn them around.

Poor language. The use of jargon, clumsy expression or slang can sabotage the chances of even the most capable of candidates. Your communication skills are being judged by your use of language in your CV. Don’t waffle, be precise and use positive action words such as “initiated this” or “created that” to reinforce the message that you’re an upbeat, “can-do” type of candidate.

For similar articles, also check out http://www.veryimportantpersonnel.co.uk/cover-letter-and-cv-2/ 

Got a Job Interview lined up? Have the edge and be head and shoulders above the other candidates by using these 10 easy tips!

Look the part! The suit is the obvious choice for most but unless you are applying for a power position, it’s not compulsory. I’m not saying wear your sweats or look too casual but don’t be afraid to wear a smart shirt and trousers, after all it’s not a fashion parade, it’s an interview. Sometimes not wearing a suit can make you stand out, you will be remembered as “the one who didn’t wear a suit but was really good in the interview”.

Eye Contact Look your interviewer in the eye. Anybody who has studies psychology will know that this shows confidence and truthfulness.

Shake hands with a firm grip. No soggy handshakes! Other gestures similar to this will have a huge effect on how you are perceived. Crossing your arms, yawning, head in your lap or slouching are all classed as negative body language.

Go Prepared, Take with you a copy of your CV and cover letter so the employer has a souvenir of your visit.

Smile! It’s amazing how much a smile can change someone’s outlook or impression of you. Chances are, like most people – nerves will kick in, keep the nerves at bay with a smile and the interviewer will smile back, subsequently the situation won’t seem so overwhelming. Also it plants a positive seed in their head and are more likely to be remembered for the right reasons.

Don’t be afraid to disagree on certain things, overly agreeing with your interviewer could be perceived as being a pushover. Show them that you have your own thoughts and ideas.

Comment on something in the building or room that you are in, this will make you appear to have a warm personality and aware of your surroundings. Finding a common ground with them or having something in common has a similar effect.

Do your research on the company prior to the interview. How long have they been established? How many people work there? What is their turnover? If you can’t find out, don’t be afraid to ask.

Ask questions! You want to get to know their business! You are interested in their business! Refer back to your ‘Research’. The interview isn’t just about finding the right candidate, it’s also an opportunity for you to find the right company to work for.

Give yourself a break… Don’t work yourself up. Stretch before going in to a job interview. Take some deep breaths. Do whatever it takes to calm yourself down. Your personality will suffer if you let your nerves take over.

For more tips on this topic, don’t forget to check out:

“How to take control of a Job interview” 

http://www.veryimportantpersonnel.co.uk/how-to-take-control-job-interview/

“Interview Do’s and Dont’s” 

http://www.veryimportantpersonnel.co.uk/interview-dos-donts/