Becoming an interviewer

If your firm trusts you enough you may be given the opportunity to recruit for roles, and in many ways, you have to be prepared. You may think you know what the company wants, but you should think carefully about who is going to be right for the role. You have to be professional enough to put personal preferences aside and think about the needs of the company. So many people will interview people and employ the person they felt they got on well with, especially if they’re going to be working beside them. This is the wrong way to go about things because you don’t know someone until they’ve started the job and had some time to really get to know them. In one interview you won’t know how they work or who they’ll click with, so you should only look at their skills and see if they’re the right fit for the company.

Sometimes what’s best for the company is not best for you.

File formats – what you need to know

When you’re applying for a number of jobs and are actively looking for work, you may be applying via a range of websites, including job search sites, agency websites and even private advertisers’ websites. Some of these will require word documents (.doc), others will want PDFs (this is especially important for marketers, designers and artists who need a beautiful CV to demonstrate their skills), while some would prefer your information in Excel (this isn’t as likely). That said, you need to be prepared to give it in the file format of their choice, you also need to be able to scale the size down if required as some will have file size limits on their website. There will always be a reason behind why they’ve asked for a certain file and you need to make sure you give them the information they need in a nice looking document. So keep in mind you may need to make different versions of your CV for different applications.

Applying for too many jobs

When you’re desperately looking for a job, many people will tell you to apply for as many jobs as possible, but we wouldn’t actually recommend this and we’ll tell you why. When you start applying for too many jobs, you lose track of what you really want to do. You should only apply for jobs that genuinely interest you, because if you’re too desperate it will show in your CV, your cover letter or your interview. Be particular about your next step and the job you’d like to gain, the more focus you put into getting that dream job, the more likely it is you’ll get it and reap the rewards. Why not try to apply for jobs that grab your attention or choose jobs that come from brands you’re interested in. Ignore everything else, otherwise, you could find yourself in a job you don’t like only to find yourself moving on again in a few months time.

Preparing for your first interview

It can be a scary prospect, your first interview but we all have to do it at some stage in our lives and it’s best to be prepared. If you’re having your first interview pretty soon, here are a few things you should know.

Nerves will show

It’s very easy for an experienced interviewer to see your nerves. You won’t know you’re giving off any signs, but they’ll be looking at your body language and summing you up and down. It’s best to sit in a comfortable and relaxed position when you answer questions, you’ll come across a lot more confident this way.

You need to be the interviewer too

When the time is right, usually at the end of the interview, you should have some questions ready to show you’re interested in the job. They shouldn’t be about money or lunch breaks; they should be about the role and the company. You’ll come across a lot better if you prepare for your question section at the end.

Giving your first interview

It’s a weird one isn’t it— when you’re finally on the other side of the table? When you give your first interview, you have to ask the right questions to see if the candidate is the right individual for the role. For the interview to go to plan, you’ll need to:

Ask questions the right way

It shouldn’t feel as though you’re grilling the person, you should ask questions naturally and more should evolve as you converse with the interviewee. If you just read down a list and don’t engage with the individual, it will feel unnatural and the individual won’t feel at ease.

No closed questions

Don’t make it easy for the interviewer. They shouldn’t be given the opportunity to answer with yes or no. Press them to elaborate to really get the right type of information out of them.

Revise their CV

Read about their experience, check out some of the companies they worked for and show an interest in them. They made it to the interview, so they obviously have a background that impresses you.

Being a digital nomad

A digital nomad is an individual who moves from place to place with no permanent home or permanent workplace. They tend to earn money by working remotely on their laptop whether that be copywriting, consulting, design, programming or photography to name a few. This sounds like heaven for some and hell for others, so let’s look at some of a couple of the issues digital nomads face.

Finding Wi-Fi.

You need to make sure you’re travelling to a city that is developed enough for a significant amount of venues to have Wi-Fi as your entire lifestyle depends on finding a reliable connection.

Where’s the work?

If work starts to dry up, your money will and before you know it you’ll have to book the dreaded return flight home. Make sure you have savings to fall back on if you go through any dry spells.

Don’t overdress for an interview

If you’re looking to get a job for a senior role in an established company some think it’s important to look the part and whilst that may be true it’s important not to overdress. If you’re going for a managers’ job for example and you overdress, you’ll look fake and like you’re putting on a massive front. It’s important to be comfortable when you’re being interviews. Don’t get us wrong we’re not saying you should wear your pajamas, we’re just stating that you should dress smart but not too smart, because it could work against you. Of course, context is important and this rule of thumb will depend on on the company you’re looking to work for, but I’ve found in my experience that dressing smart/casual tends to go down better, otherwise you can look smarter than the person interviewing you and no matter what they say, that’s not always going to go down well.

The Importance of Soft Skills

There has been a lot of talk for a number of years now about how our education system, both standard education and that achieved from university, is not adequately preparing individuals for a work life. Labelled as soft skills, the set of skills which many employers feel is lacking from the modern entrants to the employment market includes things like initiative and the ability to present arguments in an effective and compelling way.

Initiative is immensely important to businesses and individuals, as it is through your individual initiative that you can begin to showcase the true breadth of your skills and experience. Businesses have a tendency to narrowly define your role, and while most employers would agree that following that is a necessity, finding opportunities to go above and beyond what you are called on to do can be a great way of impressing them and hopefully increasing your pay or even achieving a promotion.

Your soft skills are like a value- added service that you provide your employer, and they can work in the same way for you as they do for a business providing a value-added service to their customers. It can result in greater levels of trust, and from there a business/individual will have a greater “brand” on which they can use as capital in a better position for bargaining. In a buyer-seller relationship, this can allow them to charge more than their competitors whereas, in an employee-employer relationship, the employee is deserving of a larger wage than their colleagues who are performing the same role.

Do Young People Need to be More Willing to be Interns?

Interns is considered to be a bit of a dirty world in the UK, and not without reason. Often times, internships have been a means for businesses to get cheap/free labour without any promise of better opportunities to come, and this has tainted a wide range of intern schemes. However, when they are done well, that can provide easy access to otherwise highly competitive industries, and give those who’ve gained even a small amount of experience an advantage when it comes to looking for a proper job.

Why do Businesses use Interns

Businesses use interns for two reasons – cheaper labour and training their up-and-coming workforce. Businesses like to have interns around because they can do the odd jobs that nobody has been employed to specifically carry out, and because they can engage with younger people and feel them out for how much value they offer to them as a proper member of staff.

How Internships can Help You

Internships are clearly a beneficial scheme for businesses, but what about you? If you read into how businesses benefit from internships, it gives you a clear idea of how they can benefit you. They can give you an opportunity to impress your employer, with a potential job at the end of that, or they can give you experience that you can put on your CV.

Why Take Up A Nursery Nurse Job?

About a Nursery Nurse Job 

If you live in Chester and you love children, there are many jobs available that involve taking care of kids. One may choose to apply for any of the nursery nurse jobs Chester that are always available. The job comes with important responsibilities that will influence the development of the young ones considering that most of them are below the age of five.

It is therefore a good idea to have the relevant training in order to perform well in your duties. If you have a CACHE level 3 Diploma in childcare, you stand a good chance of landing the job. You may also stand out if you have a BTEC National Diploma in childcare. Ultimately, what really counts is your love for kids and the ability to work with them.

In case you have worked in a voluntary or paid childcare job in the past, it really enhances your chances of landing the job. Having first aid and food hygiene knowledge is also a bonus. If you hope to become a good nursery nurse, you ought to be a team player. Since you will be responsible for the care of the young ones, you will be expected to follow instructions as advised. In addition, you must report any incidents that happen in the course of your duties to your employer.

Continue reading “Why Take Up A Nursery Nurse Job?”