Career Tips
Here are the last six Career Tips as listed on our regular Job Listings.
29 Jul 10 Job Interviews - From the Other Side
So you thought the process of trying to win a new job is tough??? Its not all beer and skittles for the hirers either. There's a lot that goes into preparing for the onslaught of job applications. Sifting through written applications and then trying to assess a candidates at the interviews, knowing that one wrong error in judgement could have them employing the wrong person - wasting precious time and money.
So with this in mind, lets look at the recruitment process (specifically how they qualify candidates properly) from their point of view:
They will work really hard to qualify candidates against the job brief before inviting them in for an interview. They may choose to do a telephone interview first and ask some difficult/technical questions to quickly weed out those who are unsuitable at this early stage. Whether its by phone or face to face, specifically, they will:
- Judge your respect for them, through your timeliness, attire, body language, politeness, etc.
- Test your motivation level for wanting this job. ie get concrete evidence that you are a true prospect, not someone ‘scouting around' to see if their current job is worth leaving or not.
- Look for something from you to confirm you don't fit the ‘culture'. This can be code for ‘there was just something about you they didn't like' or ‘your referee report didn't paint the best picture for you' or ‘your personality will disrupt the team' or ‘you're too old', etc. Yes you can be the best candidate, but still not be offered the job.
- Look to determine why you aren't experienced enough to do the job (basically anything to reduce the possible contenders is a bonus to them).
- Try and maintain their interest even if you're the 8th person they've interviewed that day.
- At some point confirm that your salary expectations align to their budget.
- But most of all, they will want to hire somebody. They have a written document that spells out the person they're looking for. The good news is that so do you (it's the job ad). They will be looking for someone who fits that description. Do you want to be that person, or someone else. Your choice!
If you want help with making sure you don't rule yourself out for something you didn't say, or something you didn't know could kill your chances of winning the job, call us on 1300 366 104. It could be your best investment yet.
Happy Job Hunting!
20 Jul 10 CV/Résumé Tips
With so many versions of what constitutes a "CV that works", its no wonder people turn to doing it themselves. If you're going to do your own CV/Résumé, at least follow these tips to give yourself the best chance of getting to the interview stage.
State Your Value Proposition
Your CV should prove you have the skills and experience to excel in the position you're applying for. Make your message clear from the beginning by appropriately highlighting your value proposition on the first page. Employers should readily understand your industry specialty, level of past responsibility and relevant skills so they can mentally start placing you within their organisations.
Showcase and Quantify Your Achievements
Regardless of the level, you should show how you impacted the organisation. Examples could be that you improved or contributed to enhanced processes and procedures. Also show how you were able to do it, as well as how you impacted on the organisation."
To gain quantifiable information, ask yourself these questions:
- Did you win any awards or receive incentives for your work performance?
- Did you earn superior marks on performance evaluations?
- Did you train new staff?
- Did your work enable the team to complete a task on time or on budget?
- Did you earn a perfect safety rating?
- Did you complete any special training?
- Did you build a reputation for reliability?
- Did you complete a job/all jobs with zero defects or errors?
- Did you recommend or implement processes that improved efficiency, productivity or workflow?
- Did you submit all reports on time?
- Did you institute any procedures that improved operations?
- Did you organise an event/special project that positively impacted the organisation?
- Have you used technology to improve support activities (ie created effective PowerPoint presentations, built a customer database to improve tracking, reporting and customer service, etc)?
- Did you demonstrate the ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment, while maintaining an emphasis on quality?
- Do you consistently present a professional image, contributing to your organisation's positive reputation?
Key One Liners for CVs
- Advised on the Training and Development of the new course curriculum and personal facilitated the training
- Led sales effectiveness initiatives for a $30m business
- Developed training and online management systems for 1300 staff
- Proven ability to sell the vision to the staff, customers and stakeholders
- Increased staff satisfaction from 47% to 65%
- Authored the 3 year strategic plan
- Reduced the cost to income ratio from 65% to 55%
- Six years strong retail planning and execution skills
Selling Words
- Developed, implemented, coached, trained, facilitated, initiated, planned, achieved, delivered, executed, saved, increased, improved, enhanced, designed, progressed, built, reconstructed, created, established, crafted, authored, reduced, expanded, launched, advised
Having already demonstrated your personal dedication, perseverance and strong commitment to our country, the areas where many Defence people find the CV writing process difficult are:
- Telling a good story in plain language
- Selling without using a "Sales Pitch"
- Unlearning what they already know about the myths of CV writing
- Describing their work in detail for a civilian employer to understand
- Explaining the challenges of work experiences
- Understanding what can be classed as an Achievement
Now you can work out what you have done and how to word it. Next you must remove anything that may allow the reader to be biased against you. This means trying to use plain English to explain your history. Your aim is to have a document with no Military speak, no acronyms and no rank references. Replace words like "Subordinates" with "Staff" and replace "Commanding Officer" with "Senior Manager". There may also be a need to change your Job Title to enable a civilian employer to understand an equivalent in their own organisation. In most cases this will be relatively easy, however there are some that may prove difficult. Here are some examples:
- Chief of Staff for Maritime, Land, Air Commander = CEO or General Manager
- Commanding Officer (CO)/Officer Commanding (OC) = Senior Manager
- 2IC = Deputy Senior Manager
- Staff Officer = Administrative Operations Officer/Manager
- Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) = Senior HR/Operations Manager
- Company Sergeant Major (CSM) = HR/Operations Manager
Industry-specific terminology is fine to leave in the CV. As always, we continue to offer assistance as required to those who ask for it. If you don't ask, we can't help.
Happy Job Hunting!
6 Jul 10
How good are your interviewing skills - Really?
Again we hear about so many people losing job interviews because their performance was less than satisfactory. The standard responses are "I didn't think they would ask questions like that" or "Gee I thought it went really well".
Folks there are many organisations out there making money from writing books and offering services to help people in the job seeking process. They make money because for most job seekers the recruitment process is foreign. Taking a standard approach to something as complex and important as the potential "meeting of a lifetime" has always proven to end in disappointment for both parties.
Most people blow it at the "Tell me a little about yourself" question, purely because they didn't understand what the interviewer wanted to hear. It's the simplest question, but the hardest to get right.
If you really want the job your being interviewed for, why not get as much help as you possibly can. And I don't mean get help from a mate. Would you take financial advice from your local butcher? It's a fact that most people like to help others. Free advice is something that is offered around every corner if you ask for it. Just play golf or Solitaire (cards) and someone will offer you advice. Get help from people who have had success, not only with one or two, but with hundreds of people winning the job they were after.
Don't gamble on something so important and be another casualty. Call us for help on 1300 366 104.
Happy Job Hunting!
17 Jun 10
Top 10 job hunting blunders & success tips
Weird email addresses, typos and spelling mistakes in Cover Letters and CV/ Résumés, poor preparation for job interviews ... these are just some of the job hunting sins that will get your application rejected.
CareerOne.com.au surveyed recruiters and HR managers to compile the top 10 ways job hunters ruin their chances of landing the job.
- Spelling mistakes on a CV/cover letter.
- Using "crazy" email addresses - sexylovegod@hotmail.com
- Inventing careers and skills
- Interrupting an interviewer to look at a text message or take a call.
- Reeking of that last minute cigarette as you walk into the job interview. Overpowering colognes/perfumes are also bad form.
- Dressing inappropriately - the way you look should match the image of the company you are interviewing with. Also, jewellery that jangles irritates interviewers.
- Not setting up a quiet space for a phone interview. Pet noises, house mates/family asking questions or loud music in the background are interview killers.
- Sharing too much personal information.
- Bagging your former employer or boss.
- Not doing your home work about the employer - and worse - calling the employer by the name of their competitor.
You have to remember that your CV/Résumé is the marketing document and you are the product. Don't allow something as simple as a weird email address to rule you out of contention. The same goes for voice mail messages. It's not hard to re-record your voice mail messages to sound professional just while you are job hunting. Recruiters and Hiring Managers will just bin someone's application if they call and get a voice mail message that is irreverent, vague or rude.
Spelling mistakes make employers worry that you will be equally careless on the job. Holding a phone interview in a room with a TV going in the background says you don't take yourself or the job role on offer seriously. This is all commonsense but the mistakes are all too common.
To make sure you don't get caught short on the job hunt trail, here are 10 tips for job hunting success.
- 1. Research, research, research - on both yourself and the employer.
- 2. Tailor your CV/ Résumé and your interview preparation for each role.
- 3. Rehearse for the interview - at least three times
- 4. Prepare to use real examples from your work history to answer interview questions
- 5. Pick your job interview outfit days ahead to make sure it fits and is stain free.
- 6. Be positive about your past work experience
- 7. Prepare questions to ask the employer
- 8. Always be 10 minutes early for an interview
- 9. Follow up with a thank you after the job interview
- 10. Be on your best behaviour but be genuine. If you have to pretend to get the job then it is not the job for you.
As always, Happy Job Hunting!
2 Jun 10
Analyse Your Career with a Personal SWOT
Want a fresh way to size up the state of your career? How about taking a page from the business-school playbook and running a SWOT analysis? SWOT, which stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, is a simple yet powerful model MBA students use to analyse the strategic positions of companies, products or business situations. But you don't need to be an MBA to apply the SWOT technique to your own career planning.
How to Create a SWOT Analysis
The model is a basic two-by-two table, with strengths and weaknesses laid out in the top two boxes and opportunities and threats in the bottom two. You've probably considered your strengths and weaknesses already, but the SWOT model takes it a step further by making you think about the external factors that bear heavily on the health and direction of your career. These factors -- mainly physical location, industry, company and profession -- signal potential opportunities and threats. Looking at the quadrants together can be a creative way to think about where you are in your career and the directions you could take.
To get an idea of what you could incorporate into your own SWOT chart, look at some examples in each category:
Strengths
Strengths are your internal, positive attributes and selling points. You have some control over these. Examples include:
- Strong positive personal traits.
- Relevant skills, competencies, knowledge and work experience.
- Education (including your civil accreditations).
- A strong network.
- Commitment, enthusiasm and passion for your field.
Weaknesses
Weaknesses are your internal negative attributes. You have some control over these as well. Examples include:
- Negative personal characteristics and poor work habits.
- A lack of work experience or relevant experience.
- A lack of education.
- No network or a small one.
- A lack of direction or focus.
- Weak professional or career-management skills.
- Lack of commercial acumen.
Opportunities
Opportunities are uncontrollable external events that you can potentially leverage. Examples include:
- Favourable industry trends.
- A booming economy.
- A specific job opening.
- An upcoming company project.
- Emerging demand for a new skill or expertise.
- Use of a new technology.
- Referral to a high-powered contact.
Threats
Threats are uncontrollable external factors that may work against you and require you to take protective action. Examples include:
- Industry restructuring and consolidation.
- Changing market requirements and their impact on your employer.
- Changing professional standards that you don't meet.
- Reduced demand for one of your skills.
- Evolving technologies you're unprepared for.
- The emergence of a competitor, either to your company or to you personally.
- A company decision maker who does not like or support you.
An external factor can sometimes be both a threat and an opportunity. For example, the emergence of a programming language that replaces one you know is a threat if you do nothing about it and an opportunity if you commit to becoming one of the early experts.
Do Your Own SWOT Analysis
1. Create a two-by-two grid on a new page.
2. In each quadrant, write out ideas in bullet-point form. Be as specific as possible.
3. Stretch to come up with true insights. Take a break if you have to, and revisit your analysis when you're fresh. You can even show your SWOT to a few close contacts to get their views.
4. Edit. Delete repetitive ideas, and sharpen less specific ones.
5. Analyse what it all means. Use the tool to:
- Validate your current position.
- Understand the skills, attributes and experiences you should emphasise and the ones you should downplay.
- Brainstorm possible career directions.
- Highlight opportunities to take advantage of.
- Flag possible threats.
6. Determine possible actions. There are four types of actions you could take:
- Strengthening a specific skill or adding something to your strengths quadrant.
- Minimising or eliminating a weakness.
- Pursuing or exploiting an opportunity.
- Protecting yourself from threats.
Revisit and update your SWOT chart periodically to add a level of sophistication and effectiveness to your career planning.
As always, Happy Job Hunting!
20 May 10
What exactly is HR?
In most jobs, we all start at the basics, whether its in a trade, or at a computer. Once proficient, our responsibilities increase until we are told that not only must we do our own job, but also train and look after others. We are then considered a Team Leader (and some would say the start of middle management). Then we progress through to Supervisor and Manager. Its in these later stages where getting our hands dirty isn't part of the job any more and we seem to be doing more of a "Human Resources" (HR) function. In essence that is correct.
Don't be mislead however into thinking because part of your role requires administrative duties, that you are then automatically competitive for HR Management roles. Unfortunately we see this on too many occasions. Someone who has a 20 year military background operating at a management level for the past five years doing administrative duties now seeks a role as a HR Manager and wants to be earning a minimum of $120k.
As with any job advertisement, look at what they are asking for. If you have it all, then apply, if you only have ¾ then the choice is always yours, but understand how competitive you'll be. In the main HR Managers are very well versed in Industrial Relations, Payroll and Recruitment, as well as administrative duties. It is with all these functions in mind that most long term Defence people won't be competitive in applying for such positions. Some purely clerical positions within Defence might be competitive, but definitely not Arms Corps Army staff or equivalents.
As an example, here is a role for a Chief HR Officer in Brisbane I found on the Executive area of www.seek.com.au today. While it sounds like it could be perfect for someone out of Defence, the successful candidate will need "This leadership will extend across People strategy and governance, and be instrumental in shaping all aspects of the HR function, including workforce planning, recruitment and onboarding, remuneration and rewards, organisational development, succession mapping, learning and development, and workplace relations."
I'm sure there are people reading this saying "I can do almost all of that". But have you done it in a commercial sense? Do you have examples that can prove your experience in these areas? I go back to my tip a few weeks ago and ask - do your examples have relevant meaning to the interviewer, or are they just your story as you like it told?
So if you are in this category, where does that leave you? It comes down to your transferable skills to see where your strengths lie in other areas, complemented by your admin skills. You could apply for other managerial roles that aren't strictly HR, such as Operations Manager, Project Manager, etc. I suggest you can still search under HR roles within SEEK and see what other roles come up, other than HR Manager.
Happy Job Hunting!
