Could this be the start of the recovery in Ireland?
Irish Job Boards and Recruiters are starting to witness some positive job activity. Read more at CVs & Interviews Blog.
In tough times people quite often turn to self help books for inspiration and support. This multimillion dollar industry is preying on the vulnerable and quite often churning out the same stuff under a new revolutionary formula. Most of the readers are looking for quick fix and easy solution BUT in reality there are no easy solutions. Ask any successful person and they will tell you this – “the harder I work the luckier I get”. I recall a book I read some years back which did make sense but on further analysis it was nothing different than that which my mother had drilled into me throughout my youth. Below I have outlined some her classic advice …. and it is not write a CV or prepare for Interviews …..
Nobody likes a misery guts – Sulking and complaining never won any friends. Are you complaining? Are you blaming? Has it assisted your job hunting? I understand that job hunting in a tough market is difficult particularly for those out of work. However negativity will not bring anything to the table. People don’t like to hear it will actually switch off or worse avoid you all together. More importantly negativity will drain your own energy. If you are out of work and struggling to find employment or if you are seeking a career change without success – complaining or blaming won’t assist in any way.
Smarten yourself up – When this was said to me it was about physical appearance but for the purpose of this piece I mean how you market yourself. Ensure that your CV and cover letter are sharp. Ensure that they make the right impact. CV Writing Service in Ireland.
You need to work harder – We have all heard the saying – “work smarter and not harder” In reality you should be doing both. You need to work smart and hard. You need plenty of activity but channeled in the right direction. If you are unsuccessful in your job search – have you explored all the available channels? A friend said to me recently that he had tried everything to get a job but he never asked me for help!! Proactive job search channels will help you access the hidden job market. My friend’s girlfriend got an administration job last month that was never advertised.
I don’t want you hanging around with him – Parents can always spot a bad egg and are skilled at identifying unsuitable associates. You need to use this strategy when job hunting in a tough market. You don’t need negativity when job hunting in a tough market. Spend less time talking to your negative friends and more time talking with the positive and bubbly element of you close network. Surround yourself with support BUT not those who fester negativity and doom and gloom.
Turn off that TV and do your homework – I was never a big TV person as a kid but I guess anything came above homework. The reason I say turn off the TV is because the current content will not inspire you. Most of the news in the papers and on the radio is negative. Reading and listening to this everyday will not inspire you. Remember bad news sells at the minute and the media is ensuring we get our fill of it.
Must attend workshop for anyone out of work or changing career. This workshop will focus on essential advice to stand out in a tough job market. There will be 3 key areas of focus –
Job Search Strategies
CV & Cover Letter
Interview Skills
Workshop & Booking Details
Date: Sat 25th April 2009
Venue: Bewleys Hotel Dublin Airport
Address Baskin Lane Cloghran, Dublin
Workshops: 2 separate workshops – morning and afternoon
Time: 10.00 – 1.00pm & 2.00pm – 5.00pm
Cost: €120
If you would like more information or to book a place please email paul@measurability.ie.
This workshop will be run by two of Irelands leading Career Experts – Paul Mullan & Jane Downes – both of which have successful career businesses and regularly comment across national radio and papers on a number of career related topics.
• Are you struggling to find suitable jobs?
• Are you struggling to get called for interview?
• Are you struggling to convert interviews into job offers?
This workshop will give you the tools to change your results – it is insightful and invaluable to all jobseekers whether out of work or changing careers.
I am inundated with requests for information about how to avoid redundancy. My response is the same. In most cases redundancy and decision-making cannot be controlled by the employee. I recommend the following tips for those seeking a pay rise and they can be useful for those seeking to avoid redundancy if only to refocus efforts away from the negativity of possible job loss.
Employees need to demonstrate quality and value to an organisation through actions and a passion for work and their job.
Try to volunteer for extra responsibility and go the extra mile and put in the extra hours if required.
Ensure that you react to special requests and urgent tasks from your superiors quickly and efficiently.
Try to dress for the job professionally and conduct yourself accordingly
Keep up your efforts for a continued period of time as this is what is noticed more that short bursts of energy.
Act on feedback from your boss particularly any development issues raised at your last performance review. This will make an impact.
Don’t be afraid to tell your boss about your desire and goals to do well within the company. Outline what you want to achieve with the company.
Do you work in Sales & Marketing and seeking a pay reviews?
Do you want to get a job in Sales & Marketing?
Negotiating salary?
Sales & Marketing professional and thinking of moving Jobs?
This salary survey will outline Sales & Marketing salaries for some of the key jobs within FMCG, B2B, IT, Retail and Telecoms.
Following JOBS & SECTORS outlined – Sales Director, Sales Manager, Field Sales Representative, Business Development Executive, Technical Sales, Junior Sales Executive, Sales Administrator, Telesales Executive, Marketing Manager, Marketing Executive, Sales & Marketing Executive, Recruitment Consultant, Sales Jobs, FMCG, IT, Telecoms, B2B.
As it is now Thursday most of you should be back into the swing of things at work. Christmas is a distant memory and the Christmas 2009 even more distant. It cannot be denied that January is a tough time of the year when many individuals struggle to get back into the swing of things. Personally I drank little, ate less and shopped none and believe it or not I am fresh as a March hare. Many of you reading are probably thinking about job change as this is traditionally a busy time for change in our lives. Even with the current economic climate there will still be recruitment. My tip for the day – think before you jump. Enter the job market with thought and not as a knee-jerk reaction. Only one thing worse than being miserable at work in January – Being miserable in a new job in February. Attached is an interesting article about January Blues.
I am regularly asked what would be a safe bet for Careers & Jobs during a recession. Personally I believe you should find what you want to do and you will be successful no matter what the economic conditions are. But if I was pushed for a job or career I would probably say hairdresser or undertaker. You see people die and hair grows no matter what the economic climate. To expand on other careers I have summarised finding from another site below. The below post outlines a number of other possible careers or jobs during a recession.
Healthcare – People will always get sick and will need care and support.
Energy & Utilities – Consumers may try to cut back but can never stop using energy or utilities.
Education – School stops for nothing.
International Focused Business – Globally when one country is facing into tough times another is on the upward cycle.
Police – If anything we need more of them in Ireland
Funerals & Undertakers – As outline above.
Accounting – When we hit hard time we look for ways to cut costs and accountants can help.
Public Sector – Normally more secure than the private sector although there are changes on the
horizon in Ireland.
Pharmaceuticals – Recessions do not impact the demand for drugs.
Military – perhaps wars and disorder are more of a possibility during tough times
Hairdressers – As stated above out hair will keep growing during a recession
Debt Collection – Perhaps not the most loved career but certainly in demand.
Trades – Plumbers – We will all need heating and water and if you are like me you will definitely need a professional when they pack in.
Interim Management or Consulting – Organisations are often attracted to short-term solutions during tough times.
Legal Profession – some specialist areas of law will thrive during a recession.
Food – We all need to eat even during tough economic conditions.
Health & Beauty – I would question this as I know this sector can be classified as luxury and would normally be one of the first things to go during a recession.
Luxury Items – We are talking about the mega rich here. Item related to their radar probably won’t take too much of a dent during a recession.
Interview Ireland
We have been posting quite a bit recently about job loss and redundancy in Ireland. I guess this is what is making the headlines in the news. One cannot argue that we are facing a tough job market. Even “Comical Ali” could not deny this (Remember him – “What tanks?”).
There are opportunities in a difficult market. They may be more difficult to find but you have to believe they are there and put in the effort to find them. More often that not those who don’t achieve don’t believe. Remember if you believe that there are no jobs out there this will be your reality.
I have been working on quite a few projects with employees affected by redundancy in the past 12-18 months and I can tell you there have been many more positive stories than negative. Quite often many participants moved on to a better place. Some actually set up their own ventures.
It is important to understand that what worked in a buoyant market may not work in a tough market. There is much Career Guidance & Advice available. You must take this on board and change your strategies until you achieve your goals.
Take the 1st step today
Let’s look at some of the common problems faced by jobseekers.
1. Can’t find the jobs!! – You need to try out other job hunting strategies.
2. Not getting called for interview!! – You need to take a critical look at your CV & Cover Letter – CV Writing Tips– Cover Letter Tips
3. Failing at interview – Change your approach to interview preparation – Interview Tips Skills
Career Coaching – Job Search Strategies from leading Career Consultant
There are many strategies to source new employment in any job Market. This article will outline some of the popular job search strategies and how to get the most out of these strategies. If you are searching for a new job then this article will help improve your efforts and results.
Online Job Boards – This is probably the most popular strategy for jobseekers to source new employment. The last decade has seen many job boards spring up as the popularity increases. The most popular job boards in Ireland include RecruitIreland, EmployIreland, IrishJobs and Monster. There are also niche job boards focusing on certain sectors including SalesJobs, AdminJobs.
How to get the best out of online job boards – Many of these sites make searching easy with job alert functions which will send you the latest relevant jobs. By all means use these tools but I recommend that you visit the site every 2/3 days anyway to do a manual search.
Newspaper Advertisements – Job advertisements in the local and national newspapers has witnessed a steady decline over the last few years with most newspapers increasing online presence with most owning the job boards. Having said this it is still important to review the national and regional papers. The most popular national newspapers include The Irish Independent on Thursday and The Irish Time on Friday.
How to get the best out of newspaper advertisements – There are no shortcuts when using newspapers and a job hunting strategy. I guess quantity is the important point here. If you are actively job hunting you need to look at the job advertisements whenever possible. Most people buy a paper each day but I would certainly recommend Irish Independent on a Thursday and Irish Times on a Friday.
Recruitment Agencies – Love them or hate them agencies play a very important function the job market placing thousands of jobseekers in new positions every year. There are approximately 400 recruitment agencies in Ireland recruiting staff across a variety of skills and industry sectors. Agencies range from the large household names to niche recruiters focusing on a particular sector or skill-set.
How to get the most out of recruitment agencies – The most important point when dealing with agencies is to identify the agencies that recruit for your skills. It can be confusing as there are 400 agencies in Ireland. Speak to friends, family or work colleagues to get recommendations. Alternatively another tip is to do a search on one of the outlined job boards and see what agencies are advertising similar jobs to those you would like. Once you have identified suitable agencies it is important to meet your recruitment consultant and build a relationship. You must also take a proactive approach and stay in touch BUT do not stalk your recruiter.
Networking – It is estimated that 50% of jobs are never advertised so if you are relying on job boards, newspapers and recruitment agencies you will not be accessing the “hidden job pool”. Networking is an excellent tool where you utilise your contacts in an effort to unearth and secure a new job.
How to get the most out of networking – Many jobseekers can find networking difficult and unnatural. It is a skill and can be learned. I recommend that you start with a familiar network such as friends, family and work colleagues as these are familiar names and faces. To extend this network you can attend work related or industry related networking opportunities. Remember
Speculative Applications – This strategy is normally at the bottom of the list because it involves the most work and feel like a waste of time. There is an element of luck but by initiating this activity you are actually creating your own luck. Speculative applications involve identify and targeting suitable companies or industry sectors that potentially require your skill-sets
How to get the most out of speculative applications – An important point with speculative applications is to start your search quite focused. Pick an ideal location and industry sector. Otherwise it can seem like a daunting task. When you approach companies try to speak with the relevant hiring manager before you email or post a CV. Remember try to target hiring or department managers directly and avoid HR.
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