Top 9 CV mistakes

1. Spelling and grammatical  mistakes

“Hope to hear from you shorty” , “I’m intrested to here more about that”.

Spelling mistakes is the number 1 eliminator of all applications. It says a lot about your attention to detail, your passion for presentation and commitment to service delivery levels. Always use a spell check and if possible ask an objective person to go through your CV to ensure there are no spelling mistakes.

2. Lack of specifics

“Worked with hotels/ managed projects/ was in charge of sales”

No numbers or quantifiable information to gauge targets or results.

3. Leaving out important information

No contact details, incorrect contact information

“I leave that phone with my mum, wife, cousin etc.”

4. Poor formatting

Recruiters spend an average of just 8.8 seconds reviewing each CV that they receive. Layout, inconsistent font size, lack of clarity in the information presented will eliminate your CV from the “yes” pile

5. Listing basic requirements under “Skills”

“Microsoft WORD”, “Can speak and write English fluently”.

Just know if you are invited for interview, your linguistic ability will be assessed as a requirement of the role you are applying to do.

6. Lies

7. Too many jobs over a short period of time.

Listing a number of jobs you have done is not a bad thing, it is good to list all jobs you have done during your career, but having too many jobs over a short period is a warning sign to recruiters. Maybe you have a reasonable explanation for “job hopping”, but unless you explain the reasons for your short term moves potential employers are likely to think there’s something wrong with you or your work ethics.

8. Overinflating responsibilities in the positions held.

9. Unrelated skills

When applying for a specific role, e.g Vacancy clearly states – Manager minimum 5 years of experience, CPA mandatory. The applicant is a Graduate with one-year experience and states “CPA, in progress”.

10. Inserting your peers as references in your CV.

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13 Traits Of People Who Have True Integrity, Do You Have Them?

Integrity is one of the most significant characteristics. But what does it mean? Some people think it represents behaving in the right way, whereas other people think it is doing the right thing, when you are not watched by other people.

True integrity indicates doing the right thing for the benefits of the society, not for yourself. It means to be honest and to possess high moral principles.

People, who have string true integrity, are rare. Even though their number is still small, they possess these 13 personal characteristics.

13 PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE WITH TRUE INTEGRITY

1. They are unique

They are authentic; they never lie and they are not fake.

2. They do not take advantage of other people

They never take advantage of other people. They want to help to other people in need. Taking advantage of other people will never be a trait of people, who have true integrity.

3. They try to see the best in other people

They always try to find the best in other people. They do this, because they think that there are a lot of people like them, with true integrity. Therefore, if you try to take advantage of them, they will remove them from their life immediately.

4. They believe in other people

They believe in what other people say. They do not accept lies. If someone lies them once, they will never listen to their word again.

5. They always apologize first

Whenever they have done something wrong, they always apologize. They admit their mistakes and try to do things the right way.

6. They help other people whenever they can

They love helping other people. Their life is meaningful, when they think they have done something good to others.

7. They are kind to people in need

Kindness is a characteristic of people with true integrity. They try to brighten other people’s life, whenever they can.

8. They are very humble

They are not aware of their own worth. They try to do good to other people, so there are now aware of their value. Other people should remind them of their worth.

9. They are aware when something bothers someone

They are very intuitive and what is going on. If someone feels down, they notice it. They will try to do everything to cheer them up.

10. They do not take part in argues

They always try to discuss things in a polite way. In fact, they tend not to argue about trivial things. This is the reason why they are respected by other people.

11. They are honest

They are very honest and do not like when other people lie to them.

12. They credit people who have deserved it

They do not give credit to something they did not do. In addition, they always give credit to people, who have deserved it. If you have helped them, they will give credit to you.

13. They appreciate other people’s time

Not only they appreciate their time, but they also appreciate other people’s time. They will not hold you when they know that you have other responsibilities. They appreciate the time you have spent with them.

If you are among the people with true integrity, you should be thankful for it. You are very different from the other people, so be proud of yourself.

Source: http://fullyawaremind.com/traits-of-people-who-have-true-integrity/

5 Outrageously Creative CVs That Got Them Hired

In the sea of talent, you want to stand out. And in the initial stages of your job applications, that means and impressive CV.

Templates, fancy formatting, and creative design ideas are readily available on the internet, so it seems like no matter how creative you get, someone’s probably done it before. So what do you do to beat the crowd?

Here are 5 ultra creative CVs that have caught the public – and employers’ – eyes:

1. Chocolate Bar CV

Australian Renata Chunderbalsingh decided to break into the business industry with a résumé presented as a chocolate bar. Relevant details like her skills and attributes were written as nutrition information. Her efforts have been reportedly successful, securing her interviews and offers.

Bribed or impressed? You decide.

2. Sewed Résumé

To show her passion for the needle and thread, designer Melissa Washin created resumes sewn and printed on various patterned fabrics. She crafted her CVs in college, when she anticipated having to secure a job upon graduation. The result was something eye-catching, tactile, and made with passion and love.

It worked, and got the first job that she really wanted. Effort pays off!

3. Google Maps CV

The rise of tech and tech savviness allows jobseekers to be creative, and Ed Hamilton – copywriter and creative director – took it to the next level with his Google Maps CV. The details are concentrated in the Google Maps pins, which also provide important locations such as his home address, university, plus previous jobs and experiences.

4. Amazon.com CV

In the age of online platforms for just about anything, Philippe Dubost, a French web product designer, went viral with his CV modeled after an Amazon.com product details page, populating it with his personal and professional information. He even included ‘reviews’, ‘product dimensions’, and ‘worldwide international shipping’.

He reportedly received 150 job offers and ultimately went to work with New York-based startup Birchbox.

5. Super Mario CV

Interactive CVs are the craze. Animator and designer Robbie Leonardi designed an eye-catching Super Mario-inspired online game to showcase his personal and professional details, as well as his creativity and technical skills!

His CV has won him several awards,

Granted, how crazy you can go with your CV depends heavily on your industry’s attitude and the overall work culture. Creative jobs welcome creative documents, but if you’re applying for something more austere like accounting, maybe things like ‘analytical’ and ‘attention to detail’ in regular bullet points might be more attractive to your prospective boss.

Regardless, these creative CV crafters certainly deserve some admiration and a pat on the back for being able to make a traditionally sober document into a memorable work of art.

*****

Think your CV got you your job? Tell us your tale with an anonymous interview review, and find out how others fared!

Source: http://www.officeparrots.com/single-post/2016/12/22/5-Outrageously-Creative-CVs-That-Got-Them-Hired

Integrity – It matters!

There was once a Chief with more than ten thousand goats, more than one hundred thousand cows and more than one million acres of land. He lived in a palace made of gold and precious stones and had many wives.

He was the happiest he could be but one thing he did not have was a heir. He knew if he did not leave a heir to inherit his kingdom, upon his death his fortune and his beautiful wives would perish.  He decided to find a heir among his people.

Thousands of children from across the kingdom came to the palace and were surprised when the Chief exclaimed that he was going to choose one of them.  He gave them all a seed.  They were to go home to their villages, plant the seed in a pot and tend it for a year.  When they returned after a year, the Chief would judge their efforts and choose his successor.

There was a boy named Modise who also received a seed and returned to his village.

His mother helped him to choose a pot and put some soil into it.

Modise watered his pot every day.

Once a week, the children of the village would get together to compare their plants.  After a few weeks, there were signs of life in all but Modise’s pot.

The weeks passed and Modise continued to water his pot every day.

After a few months, the pots really came to life.  Some had trees starting to grow, some had flowers and some had leafy shrubs.  Modise still had nothing growing in his pot, leading the other children to make fun of him.

Modise continued to water his pot every day.

A year passed and it was time to return to the palace to show what had grown and decide on the new heir.

Modise was very sad that his pot still showed no signs of life.  “What if they punish me?  They won’t know that I’ve watered it every day, they’ll think that I’m lazy.”

His mother explained that whatever the consequences were, he had to return and show the Chief his barren pot because those were the instructions given by the Chief.

Modise and the other children entered the palace gates and into the palace gardens.  By now, some of the plants were looking magnificent and the children were wondering which one the Chief would choose.

Modise was embarrassed as other children looked at his lifeless pot and whispered and pointed.

Suddenly they could hear the sounds of the palace trumpets announcing the arrival of the Chief.

The Chief came out and started to make his way through the crowd, looking at the many impressive trees, shrubs and flowers that were on display. Before him was a spectacular scenery of colors and rich, plump leaves. The children all puffed their chests out and tried to look as regal as possible, hoping that they would be chosen as the heir to the kingdom.

Finally the Chief came to Modise.  He looked at the pot then he looked at Modise.

“What happened here?”  He asked.

“I watered the pot every day, but nothing ever grew,”  Modise whispered.

The Chief was silent and moved on to the front of crowd.

He stood in front of the children and asked them all to sit down.

The Chief held up Modise’s pot for all to see and the other children laughed.

Then the Chief began to speak: “One year ago, I gave each one of you a seed. What you did not know was that each seed had been boiled and was a dead seed. It was absolutely impossible for any of them to grow. Modise is the only one who had courage and integrity. He did not substitute it with another seed like the rest of you did. Therefore, he has shown the values that I was looking for, courage, honesty and integrity.  Modise is my chosen heir and I know he will rule this kingdom with conscience.”

How to avoid the seven most common CV mistakes

Your CV is your ticket to interviews and job offers, so it needs to be immaculate from start to finish. It only takes one mistake for a recruiter to start doubting your credibility, so you must ensure that your CV is error-free. Here are the most common mistakes recruiters see, and how to fix them:

Not doing your research

Before you write a single word, browse through plenty of relevant adverts and compile a list of the most in-demand candidate requirements. Then you will know exactly what skills and knowledge will grab the attention of busy recruiters.

Poorly-structured job descriptions

Your recent roles will be heavily scrutinised by recruiters, so it pays off to make them easy to read and understandable. A role that is presented as one huge chunk of text, with no logical structure, is unlikely to impress readers or describe your work properly.

Start your roles with a brief intro that describes the company you work for, where you sit within the hierarchy and what the overall goal of your role is. Then bullet point your responsibilities to show the work you carry out and showcase your skills and output. Finish your role off by highlighting some impressive achievements you have made during your time in the position.

Not showing your impact

It’s important to show the work you carry out, but it’s even more powerful to show the impact your work has on your employers. Without highlighting the results you have achieved in your previous roles, you are missing a big opportunity to prove the value you can offer an employer.

For example, a sales candidate may list skills such “relationship building, cold calling and networking” but without results, those actions are pointless. They should elaborate to explain that these activities “have led to growth in clients, sales and profits” for their employer. By using results to prove your impact, you will give hiring managers tangible reasons to hire you.

Generic cliches

“Hard-working team player.” “Innovative forward thinker.” “Go-getting people person.” These types of cliched terms may sound impressive, but they are damaging to your CV. The problem with cliched phrases is that they are hugely overused and they don’t tell readers anything about you.

If you want recruiters to know that you are a hard-working team player, then prove it by using examples of the results you have achieved in team settings. This method will add more context to your message and give readers a much better understanding of your work.

Too much information

Recruiters read scores of CVs every day and work to tight deadlines, so they are often pushed for time. If your CV is seven pages long and crammed with every detail of your career, it will not be appealing to read.

Limit your CV to two pages in length and only include information that is relevant to the jobs you are applying for. If your CV is coming in too long, check each point and ask yourself: “Will this persuade a hiring manager to interview me?” If the answer is no, then remove or reduce that point.

Lots of candidates have periods of unemployment, it’s not necessarily a negative. However, if you don’t explain the reasons for a gap in employment, it will leave recruiters with the impression that you simply haven’t been doing anything. If you’ve taken some time out between roles, be transparent and explain why. Maybe you’ve done some travelling, maybe you’ve been studying or even working on a personal project. Show employers that you are pro-active and haven’t been wasting your time. If you’ve had any long periods of time out because of sickness, don’t be embarrassed to include it; a good employer will not discriminate against you.

Lies

A third of job seekers lie on their CV – but embellishing your achievements, such as fictitious work experience or improved exam results, is not advised. Diligent recruiters will investigate facts that don’t add up, and if you get caught telling fibs you will be out of contention for that role, and probably all future roles in that person’s remit. Even if you do manage to trick your way into a role on the back of an exaggerated CV, you will probably struggle to perform to the expectations you have set once you start.

Andrew Fennell is an experienced recruiter, founder of CV writing service StandOut CV and author of How to write a CV.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2017/apr/03/how-to-avoid-common-cv-mistakes

Scrub These Words And Phrases From Your Resume Right Now

We’ve all heard the saying, “You’ll never get a second chance to make a first impression.” This is perhaps most true when it comes to your resume. While many companies use screening software to screen resumes, recruiters are largely the first people you need to impress.

“The language or content of a resume can definitely tank a job seeker’s chances of landing their dream job,” says Jamie Hichens, senior talent acquisition partner at Glassdoor. “You have a limited amount of time to catch a recruiter or hiring manager’s eye–use it wisely.”

Filling precious resume space with verbose language or overused buzzwords can certainly backfire. So we tapped a group of HR and resume experts to give us the inside scoop on some of the most common words and phrases to avoid. Scan your CV to make sure you’re not guilty of including any of them.

1. “UNEMPLOYED”

“Your employment dates already show if you’re unemployed–you don’t need to highlight it,” says Hichens.

2. “HARDWORKING”

“We hope you are a hardworking individual who shows up to work on time and is self-motivated, but you don’t need to call it out,” she adds.

3. “AMBICIOUS”

“Misspelled words [like this one] should never appear on your resume,” says Elizabeth Harrison, client services manager and senior recruitment partner at the recruiting firm Decision Toolbox. “Read your resume numerous times, print it and take a pen to it and have someone else read it. One misspelled word can completely eliminate an otherwise strong candidate from consideration because it demonstrates lack of attention to detail.”

4. “MICROSOFT OFFICE”

“Popular resume templates and HR pros prompt job seekers to include a list of strategic skills on their resume,” says Glassdoor expert Eileen Meyer. “From Java to Final Cut Pro, speaking Arabic to spearheading 150% growth, be sure to include not only the relevant skills that make you a perfect fit for the role, but also the skills that make you stand out. Take note, command of Microsoft Office is not a skill. It’s a given.”

5. “OBJECTIVE”

“Is your career trajectory pretty straightforward and lacking major gaps between jobs? Then you probably don’t need an objective statement,” contends Glassdoor writer Caroline Gray. “If your resume is self-explanatory, there’s no need to take up valuable space with anything that’s redundant. Also, if you’re submitting a cover letter with your resume, that should be more than sufficient in addressing your objective for your application.

6. “SYNERGY”

“Words like ‘synergy’ and ‘wheelhouse’ are completely overused lingo,” insists Hichens. Steer clear.

7. “REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST”

Having “references upon request” at the bottom of your resume is a sign that a candidate is overeager. If a recruiter wants to call to know more about you, they will reach out directly. There is no need to point out the obvious. As one HR expert said, “everyone assumes we want references, but honestly, we can ask.”

8. FIRST- AND THIRD-PERSON PRONOUNS

“Talking in first or third person reads weird–did someone write your resume for you? Just state the facts,” says Hichens. Avoid “I,” “me,” “she,” “he,” “her,” and “him.” For example, write, “Led a team of four,” not, “I led a team of four people” or “Jamie led a team.”

9. “ROCKSTAR”

This term, says Jennifer Bensusen, technology lead and senior recruitment partner at Decision Toolbox, has “been overused in the last five years.” Like other cheeky titles that have come into wider use, like “ninja,” it’s best to avoid it–“unless you are truly a singing superstar, applying for a wedding singer or entertainer role that is!”

10. “DABBLED”

Bensusen says not to refer to “technology or systems you have touched or were exposed to but really don’t know.” For example, stay away from sentences like, “. . . a Software Engineer who dabbled with Python in college seven years ago but has been developing in .NET professionally since.” In this case, don’t add Python to your resume if you’re not a pro.

11. “ON TIME”

Again, a candidate being on time is an expectation. “[Instead] craft a well thought out, concise resume with interesting content on accomplishments, KPI success or significant highlights with bullets on what you did,” advises Bensusen. “Did you create efficiencies that saved the company big bucks? Did you hire a stellar team that accomplished world peace?”

12. “EXPERT”

“Stay away from the word ‘expert,’ unless you truly are,” says Bensusen. Otherwise, “be prepared to be peppered with questions regarding your expertise.”

13. “CAN’T” OR “WON’T”

Negative words should not be included in a resume. “Resumes should demonstrate what you can do and not what you can not do,” says Harrison.

14. “ACCOMPLISHED”

Instead of saying you’re accomplished, show it. “Accomplishments are currency when it comes to resumes,” says Anish Majumdar, CEO of ResumeOrbit.com. “The more you have, and the more applicable they are to the job you want, the greater your perceived worth. This can have a big impact not just on whether you receive an interview, but how much you’re ultimately offered. Front-load the accomplishment, then describe how it was achieved.”

Nicole Cox, chief recruitment officer at Decision Toolbox, adds to that advice: “Substantiate your accomplishments with numbers,” she says. Some recruiters prefer to see actual numbers (such as “cut manufacturing costs by $500,000”), while others prefer percentages (“cut manufacturing costs by 15%”). Either way, provide enough context to show the impact. If your objective was to cut manufacturing costs by 10%, make it clear that you exceeded the goal.

Majumdar gives this example, which explains not only what you accomplished but how: “Improved customer satisfaction 30% within nine months through re-engineering support processes and introducing new training materials to staff.’”

15. “STAY-AT-HOME PARENT”

“Personal information about age, relationships, or children can expose you to discrimination,” warns Cox. “Employers aren’t allowed to ask for that kind of information, and you shouldn’t offer.” As Harrison notes, “These items do not pertain to the qualifications of an individual for a position.”

16. “RESPONSIBLE FOR”

“Often, careerists will write, ‘Responsible for’ at the beginning of a statement,” says expert resume writer Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, even “when a more powerful lead-in would” be better. “Instead of ‘seasoned sales management executive,’ write, ‘regional sales manager for largest revenue-generating area, exceeding competitors by 25–55% in revenue growth, year-over-year,’” she advises. “In other words, strengthen the story through muscular verbiage and results. Lead with strength and energy.”

17. “RESULTS-ORIENTED”

“While many other words are misused or diluted by overuse, these are the weakest and most abused,” says Barrett-Poindexter. “If your resume language or content is weak, unfocused, [or] rambling, you can obliterate your chances of landing that dream role.”

A version of this article originally appeared on Glassdoor . It is adapted and reprinted with permission.

Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/3068095/scrub-these-17-words-and-phrases-from-your-resume-right-now

9 bad manager mistakes that make good people quit

It’s pretty incredible how often you hear managers complaining about their best employees leaving, and they really do have something to complain about — few things are as costly and disruptive as good people walking out the door.

Managers tend to blame their turnover problems on everything under the sun, while ignoring the crux of the matter: people don’t leave jobs; they leave managers.

The sad thing is that this can easily be avoided. All that’s required is a new perspective and some extra effort on the manager’s part.

Organizations know how important it is to have motivated, engaged employees, but most fail to hold managers accountable for making it happen.

When they don’t, the bottom line suffers.

Research from the University of California found that motivated employees were 31 percent more productive, had 37 percent higher sales, and were three times more creative than demotivated employees. They were also 87 percent less likely to quit, according to a Corporate Leadership Council study on over 50,000 people.

Gallup research shows that a mind-boggling 70 percent of an employee’s motivation is influenced by his or her manager. So, let’s take a look at some of the worst things that managers do that send good people packing.

They overwork people

Nothing burns good employees out quite like overworking them. It’s so tempting to work your best people hard that managers frequently fall into this trap. Overworking good employees is perplexing; it makes them feel as if they’re being punished for great performance. Overworking employees is also counterproductive. New research from Stanford shows that productivity per hour declines sharply when the workweek exceeds 50 hours, and productivity drops off so much after 55 hours that you don’t get anything out of working more.

If you must increase how much work your talented employees are doing, you’d better increase their status as well. Talented employees will take on a bigger workload, but they won’t stay if their job suffocates them in the process. Raises, promotions, and title-changes are all acceptable ways to increase workload. If you simply increase workload because people are talented, without changing a thing, they will seek another job that gives them what they deserve.

They don’t recognize contributions and reward good work

It’s easy to underestimate the power of a pat on the back, especially with top performers who are intrinsically motivated. Everyone likes kudos, none more so than those who work hard and give their all. Managers need to communicate with their people to find out what makes them feel good (for some, it’s a raise; for others, it’s public recognition) and then to reward them for a job well done. With top performers, this will happen often if you’re doing it right.

They fail to develop people’s skills

When managers are asked about their inattention to employees, they try to excuse themselves, using words such as “trust,” “autonomy,” and “empowerment.” This is complete nonsense. Good managers manage, no matter how talented the employee. They pay attention and are constantly listening and giving feedback.

Management may have a beginning, but it certainly has no end. When you have a talented employee, it’s up to you to keep finding areas in which they can improve to expand their skill set. The most talented employees want feedback — more so than the less talented ones — and it’s your job to keep it coming. If you don’t, your best people will grow bored and complacent.

They don’t care about their employees

More than half of people who leave their jobs do so because of their relationship with their boss. Smart companies make certain their managers know how to balance being professional with being human. These are the bosses who celebrate an employee’s success, empathize with those going through hard times, and challenge people, even when it hurts.

Bosses who fail to really care will always have high turnover rates. It’s impossible to work for someone eight-plus hours a day when they aren’t personally involved and don’t care about anything other than your production yield.

They don’t honor their commitments

Making promises to people places you on the fine line that lies between making them very happy and watching them walk out the door. When you uphold a commitment, you grow in the eyes of your employees because you prove yourself to be trustworthy and honorable (two very important qualities in a boss). But when you disregard your commitment, you come across as slimy, uncaring, and disrespectful. After all, if the boss doesn’t honor his or her commitments, why should everyone else?

They hire and promote the wrong people

Good, hard-working employees want to work with like-minded professionals. When managers don’t do the hard work of hiring good people, it’s a major demotivator for those stuck working alongside them. Promoting the wrong people is even worse. When you work your tail off only to get passed over for a promotion that’s given to someone who glad-handed their way to the top­­­­­­­, it’s a massive insult. No wonder it makes good people leave.

They don’t let people pursue their passions

Talented employees are passionate. Providing opportunities for them to pursue their passions improves their productivity and job satisfaction. But many managers want people to work within a little box. These managers fear that productivity will decline if they let people expand their focus and pursue their passions. This fear is unfounded. Studies show that people who are able to pursue their passions at work experience flow, a euphoric state of mind that is five times more productive than the norm.

They fail to engage creativity

The most talented employees seek to improve everything they touch. If you take away their ability to change and improve things because you’re only comfortable with the status quo, this makes them hate their jobs. Caging up this innate desire to create not only limits them, it limits you.

They don’t challenge people intellectually

Great bosses challenge their employees to accomplish things that seem inconceivable at first. Instead of setting mundane, incremental goals, they set lofty goals that push people out of their comfort zones. Then, good managers do everything in their power to help them succeed. When talented and intelligent people find themselves doing things that are too easy or boring, they seek other jobs that will challenge their intellects.

Bringing it all together

If you want your best people to stay, you need to think carefully about how you treat them. While good employees are as tough as nails, their talent gives them an abundance of options. You need to make them want to work for you.

Dr. Travis Bradberry is the award-winning co-author of the No. 1 bestselling book, “Emotional Intelligence 2.0” and the co-founder of TalentSmart, the world’s leading provider of emotional intelligence tests and training, serving more than 75 percent of Fortune 500 companies.

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/13/9-bad-manager-mistakes-that-make-good-people-quit.html

A Day in the Life of a Recruiter

Many job seekers often wonder what their recruiter does all day. They have to leave messages for their recruiter and may not get a return call until the next day. Along with the wonder, frustration starts to set in. The popular statement, “There is never enough time in a day,” is a reality for most recruiters. To build a rapport between job seeker and recruiter takes trust. To gain trust, takes time.

The race against time is what will make or break a recruiter. When positions are posted by client employers, there are many recruiters searching at the same time for the right candidate. Sometimes a job opening will be created by an employee who is immediately terminated or who leaves without providing two weeks’ notice. This increases the risk of losing precious time as a result of working around current work schedules for interviews or appropriate start dates.

The next step is to contact candidates who match the criteria of the position as quickly as possible. Delays may happen from leaving messages, e-mails or working around work and personal schedules. Once an employer contacts a recruiter regarding a new opening, the recruiter has to review the details of the opening and confirm permission to submit job seeker profiles. A large percentage of the client employers utilizing outside staffing resources have a specific profile submission checklist of requirements. Any delay on the recruiter’s part in completing profiles could mean the loss of an opportunity.

Candidates are submitted by either fax or e-mail. As a rule of thumb, you never rely on office equipment to get the job done. So, the phone tag process between client employer and recruiter will begin. If a candidate is chosen for phone a interview, then that job seeker is added to become a three way relay of communication to tie down an interview. Previous communication of start dates, request off time, available dates, times available for phone interviews and all means of communication access will alleviate potential time barriers. Additionally, if recruiters are able to leave messages at the job seeker’s current job site, it may save valuable time.

If no immediate candidates are available, the recruiter will start searches for a match and potential new hire. This also will affect timing, as new hire candidates have to complete the recruiting firm’s new candidate requirements before being submitted for positions at the recruiter’s client employers.

All of the above information references the amount of time invested for just one job seeker with one position. Recruiters vary on the maximum amount of job seekers they maintain in their individual database. Take a moment to imagine that if you were going through the described above placement process for an average of 4-5 candidates per week. Factor in all the phone calls, e-mails and paperwork completion involved at various levels, all at the same time. How much of the day is gone and I have not even begun to reach the bottom of the daily to do list?

Recruiters that do contract or temporary placement have the added task of maintaining relationships with the candidates they place on jobs. Relationship building is not something that can be achieved with automated systems. Once you begin with an employee, regular weekly communication to maintain the relationship is important. Employee satisfaction, trust and loyalty are built into the relationship over a period of successful assignments. An average once a week check in call per job seeker will approximately last an average of 15-30 minutes per call.

Additional tasks that may end up on a daily to do list may include: time slips, schedules, contract extensions, housing, insurance, referral calls, paychecks, file compliance, renewals and complaints requiring additional problem solving.

Approximately 50% of these tasks will be pre scheduled in advance and the other 50% will be unplanned and worked into the week as needed. Over communication combined with patience are the top two ingredients for a successful relationship. A “great” recruiter will develop strong relations with their job seekers to the point of knowing their daily routine and what it takes to meet their individual expectations.

If you are curious as to how the above listed activities fit into a 8/10/12 hour day for a recruiter, grab a piece of paper and outline a day in 15 minute increments x 5 days. Start filling in 15 minutes phone calls for a database pool of 25 job seekers allowing some calls a slot of 30 minutes in case you get behind, although you will not be behind all day. Add in time for 4-5 candidates to complete the submission process along with the additional tasks just listed above. Oops! Don’t forget to schedule in there somewhere a lunch hour! To many recruiters, lunch and bathroom breaks are considered a privilege. Some recruiters will even take work with them to their second job or otherwise known as home. Are you able to identify and relate with where the time goes?

To summarize, here are some steps you can take as a job seeker to help busy recruiters to be better able to help you:

1. Give recruiters as many contact options as possible. Providing a phone number you can be reached at during the day – whether it’s an office number, cell phone, etc. – will make it easier for recruiters to coordinate opportunities with you.

2. Be able to quickly provide a recruiter with dates you would be available for in-person interviews. Let the recruiter know the best times for you to do phone interviews.

3. Having a well-written resume available in Word format can also speed up the process of working with recruiters. Often, job seekers’ resumes are not written clearly enough so the recruiter has to re-write the resume before it can be presented to the client employer. Think about it: if the recruiter has to choose between two equally qualified candidates and one has a more presentable resume, which one do you think they’ll choose?

The next time you are unable to immediately speak with your recruiter or waiting for the much anticipated phone call, take a deep breath, smile and remember, “A day in the life of a recruiter.” You might just be amazed at what tomorrow’s perspective may look like.

This article was contributed by Tracy Montgomery, Regional Manager at Alacrity Healthcare Staffing.

Source: https://www.livecareer.com/jobs-tips/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-recruiter

The Importance Of Honesty And Integrity In Business

Why is integrity important in leadership?

Having honesty and integrity in the workplace is one of the most important qualities of great leadership in business and I am going to tell you why…

Integrity In Business And How It Translates To Success

Whenever I hold a strategic planning session, the first value that all the executives agree on is integrity. Leaders know that honesty and integrity are the foundations of leadership. Leaders stand up for what they believe in.

For example, Jon Huntsman, Sr. is a multibillionaire who started a chemical company from scratch and grew it into a $12 billion enterprise. His book, Winners Never Cheat, is filled with stories taken from his own experience in which he steadfastly refused to compromise his principles. Huntsman says that integrity is the reason that he has been as successful as he is.

“There are no moral shortcuts in the game of business or life,” he writes. “There are, basically, three kinds of people, the unsuccessful, the temporarily successful, and those who become and remain successful. The difference is character.”

Great Leaders Never Compromise Their Honesty And Integrity By Cheating

There are many examples of temporary winners who won by cheating. For a number of years, Enron was cited as one of America’s most innovating and daring companies. The CEO of the company knew the most important people in the country, including the President of the United States. Except that Enron’s success was built on lies, and the “winners” who headed the company are case studies in lack of integrity.

Integrity Means Doing The Right Thing Because It’s The Right Thing To Do

Leaders with integrity may not be the most famous or flashy of leaders, and they don’t care. Integrity means doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do. And that’s what makes success.

Importance Of Integrity In Giving And Keeping Promises

Leaders keep their promises. They give promises carefully, even reluctantly, but once they have given that promise, they follow through on that promise without fail. And they always tell the truth.

Jack Welch calls it “candor.” He believes that if you are afraid of candor, then you don’t have the guts to be an effective leader. You are going to surround yourself with yes people who will say what you want to hear instead of saying the truth.

Leaders With Integrity Aren’t Afraid Of The Truth

Leaders with integrity is not afraid to face the truth. This is called the reality principle, or “seeing the world as it really is, not as you wish it to be.” It is perhaps the most important principle of leadership and dependent on integrity because it demands truthfulness and honesty. Many companies and organizations fail because they don’t follow the reality principle.

Integrity means telling the truth even if the truth is ugly. Better to be honest than to delude others, because then you are probably deluding yourself, too.

Leaders need to be courageous, but they also need to be open to the idea that they could be wrong. There are many leaders who eventually fail because they refuse to question their own assumptions or conclusions.

“Errant assumptions lie at the root of every failure.” – Alec Mackenzie

There’s a difference between being confident and blind. Let’s face it, in today’s world of rapid change, there is a possibility that you are partially wrong or even completely wrong. Maybe you are not wrong, but just opening yourself to to that possibility is going to make you a more effective leader because it will open your mind to new ideas or new thinking.

Conclusion

There should be no exceptions to honesty and integrity. Integrity is a state of mind and is not situational. If you compromise your integrity in small situations with little consequence, then it becomes very easy to compromise on the small situations.

Leaders with integrity always err on the side of fairness, especially when other people are unfair. As a matter of fact, the true mark of leadership is how fair you can be when other people are treating you unfairly.

Thank you for reading my blog. Please comment below and share it with your friends. Do you have the habits of a successful leader? Click the button below to get my free report The Power of Habit.

Source: https://www.briantracy.com/blog/leadership-success/importance-of-honesty-integrity-in-business/