Mark Ross Roberts, Author at Headhunters International

Mark Ross Roberts September 11, 2019 No Comments

13 Ways to Show Your Boss You’re Ready for the Big Promotion

If you’ve been at the same job for some time, it’s all too easy to just assume that a promotion will come along every year, like a bonus for time served. But you have to do more than log hours to make it to the next level. More responsibility means actively showing (and sometimes telling) your boss that you’re ready to take on a new role.

To show you just how it’s done, 13 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council weighed in with tips on getting promoted, based on their own employees they’ve seen rise through the ranks.

1. Make Your Boss Obsolete

It’s ironic, but the best way to get promoted is to make your boss’ job easier. And the best way to do that is to make his or her job obsolete. You’re not really putting your manager out of a job—you’re allowing him or her to trust your work. In turn, he or she can focus on new areas that the higher-ups have needed to address for some time. Strong work goes up the chain, improves the company, and gets you noticed.2. Summarize Work Visually

2. Summarize Work Visually

When talking about your work, give us something to look at. When you answer the question, ‘Why are people buying?’ show a chart of the top responses as well as how many people gave each response. It makes everyone a believer when we can see a quick visual snapshot that backs up what you’re saying.

3. Own Projects From Start to Finish

Organizations place a premium on individuals who follow through on tasks. If you can prove that you can consistently own projects from start to finish, you will not only get promoted, but you’ll also make yourself indispensable.

4. Keep a Positive Attitude

The people who typically get promoted keep their cool under stress. They also act as a role model to everyone around them. They meet deadlines and ask relevant, intelligent questions that help clients be happier with our services. When an issue arises, they want to solve it and work to avoid future problems by learning from their mistakes.

Tailor your CV to get more interviews

If you were going for an interview at a big City law firm, it is unlikely you would turn up wearing sandals, swimming trunks and a tee shirt. Likewise, if you were going for an interview to be a Lifesaver for the RNLI, it may come across as slightly odd if you turned up for your interview in a pinstriped suit and bowler hat. If it’s important to tailor your approach to interviews, it is equally important when it comes to your CV.

It is a common mistake to rely on just one generic version of your CV for every application. How much the CV needs changing depends very much on your circumstances. A professional looking to further their career within a similar role and industry may need to tweak the CV for different applications. If you are a graduate or changing career, then you will need to refocus completely the information in your CV to demonstrate the right skills and qualities for different career paths.

Recruiters are often time strung and under pressure. It is therefore up to you the job seeker to make sure the information in your CV immediately connects. The first thing the recruiter wants to see is that your CV is relevant to the role applied for, this is where a Professional Profile comes into its own as this acts as your introduction and enables you to clearly position yourself in line with the job you are applying for.

CV Key Skills

Everyone knows you never get a second chance to make a first impression. But what some job seekers do not realise is that a CV is the first impression you leave on a prospective employer so it is no exaggeration to say that a bad CV can ruin your chances of being hired.

It is also important to have a CV because of the following 3 reasons:

It is a Record: Keeping a CV and updating it regularly will help you keep track of all of your minor accolades, many of which you might forget if you don’t organise them all in one place.
It Demonstrates Professionalism: Skills aren’t everything when you are on the job market. Often it isn’t about what you can do so much as how you can do it. Companies want employees who present themselves as polished professionals.
It is a Reference: For employers, a CV is helpful simply for keeping track of candidates. Your CV is the point of reference that keeps you visible to employers during the hiring process.

What Do Recruiters Look For in a CV?

Successful CVs stand out for many reasons, but recruiters primarily look for the following traits when evaluating the document you give them:

Presentation: Aesthetics are the first thing anyone reading your CV will notice. Does it look like a typical, cookie-cutter template? Is it easy to read at a glance? Is the information organised in a thoughtful manner? Is the document clear, efficient and precise? Inconsistent formatting, typos, and uncommon file formats are all quick ways present yourself in a negative light.
Relevance: Employers are interested in the relevant aspects of your professional history. So they probably don’t need to know about your part-time high school job as a car washer or that you are interested in collecting coins unless those things are directly related to the job for which you are applying. Don’t include things just to fill out the CV; every item on your list should be relevant to the task at hand.
Experience: Of course, the contents of your CV are critical too. Employers want to know what experience you have in the profession, or what skills you possess that will help you thrive in the role.

Key Skills to Highlight in Your CV

When putting together a CV, it can sometimes be hard to determine what skills or experiences to include and what to leave off.

The following types of information are relevant examples of what skills to highlight on a CV:

Administration Skills

Arranged meetings with senior management personnel
Distributed and filed new employee paperwork
Contacted customers and suppliers to arrange deliveries and receive orders
Managed transition of data from Microsoft 98 OS to Windows XP
Undertook digitisation project to scan the physical file and transfer to the cloud-based servers.

Communication Skills

Successfully mediated conflicts between staff members
Drafted and distributed interdepartmental memos
Read market reports and trend forecasts and 1-page business abstracts laying out all the key data and conclusions
Evaluated candidates for new positions and wrote brief reviews during hiring process
Recorded minutes of all executive level meetings

Managerial Skills

Oversaw customer service, financial, and administrative operations in the main office
Managed and trained two administrative assistants
Ordered raw materials and managed the receipt of all orders, confirming correct amounts and products
Arranged optimal scheduling for shop floor staff and filled vacancies when employees were sick or on holiday
Coordinated deadlines and completion estimates between customers and production staff

Interpersonal Skills

Managed and trained multiple new staff members
Took charge of account management for several customer accounts
Coordinated business lunches and special events (such as concerts and sporting events) for key clients
Planned and hosted the annual holiday party
Hosted weekly employee lunches with staff members from multiple departments

IT Skills

Coordinated social media marketing campaigns
Built company website using interactive web design elements with HTML and CSS
Oversaw backup of company files to a cloud-based storage service
Managed transition from CD install software to new, scalable SaaS systems
Managed and organised Excel databases with performance analytics data

Problem-Solving Skills

Identified issue in IT systems and provided alternate solutions
Drafted a report providing ways to streamline office functions, which were later implemented by management
Replaced traditional office desks with standing desks for all willing employees, which led to an 8% increase in office productivity
Addressed customer complaints in a timely manner, providing store credit for faulty products
Implemented flexible scheduling and reduced overall energy consumption by 14% in six months.

Creativity Skills

Set up and maintained a company blog online, with more than 5,000 daily visitors
Drafted new design plans for a product that sold more than 1 million units
Designed new labels and logo for the company
Created invitations to the annual holiday party
Designed brochures and product catalogues for distribution by mail.

Finance Skills

Oversaw payroll for more than 80 employees
Paid taxes on both federal and state levels
Utilised Quickbooks for invoicing and accounts payable
Kept track of profitability via Excel spreadsheets
Implemented new credit card payment scanners

5 signs your CV is underselling you

On average, recruiters receive 250 applications per corporate job opening. With a statistic like this, it is essential that your CV is up to scratch, because if you’re not selling yourself on your CV, you can bet that the next candidate is.

If your CV includes one or more of the following signs, it might be time to step it up.

Your CV is missing a skills section

When it comes to passing an applicant tracking system, your skills section is your best friend. This is the easiest way to insert keywords into your CV and highlight to the recruiter (and software) that you have the necessary skills for the role. If you don’t have a skills section on your CV, or if you are listing irrelevant skills, then you are likely underselling yourself.

You’ve yet to master the art of the humble brag

It’s not always comfortable to talk about your achievements, but when the whole point of a CV is to sell yourself, you need to step it up.

Enter the art of the humble brag.

The goal here is to brag about your achievements, qualifications and skills in a way that is professional and polite (and doesn’t necessarily feel like bragging). If you’re struggling to talk about your accomplishments, you could be underselling yourself.

You’ve listed your duties but not your achievements

Recruiters are looking for candidates who can demonstrate relevant experience and offer a positive contribution to the hiring company. When listing your previous work experience, you shouldn’t be writing it like a job description. It’s fine to list your responsibilities, but recruiters will be looking for your achievements. What did you contribute to your previous roles? What impact did you have? If you can list specific accomplishments and figures to demonstrate the quantifiable impact you made, chances are you’ll move ahead of the competition.

You forgot to include a cover letter

When your CV is only two pages in length, you want to make sure you are using every tool you’ve got to impress a recruiter. So why wouldn’t you submit a cover letter? Unlike a CV, your cover letter is an opportunity to speak directly to the hiring manager and address exactly why you’re the perfect candidate for the role. Even if the job application lists a cover letter as ‘optional’, it’s always recommended to submit one. If you don’t, you’re probably underselling yourself and limiting your opportunities.

You skipped the proofread

Errors and spelling mistakes are a major pet hate for 71 percent of recruiters, so you’re certainly selling yourself short if you don’t take the time to proofread your CV. Use spell check on your word processor, read it through slowly at least three times and, if you can, get a friend to read it too.

8 things to remove from your CV right away

Getting your CV right is essential for job-hunt success as it’s the first stage of convincing a prospective employer that you’re the one for the role.

To make sure you present yourself as the talent they need to bring on board, here are eight things that should not be included on your CV. Remove them right away and you’ll create an impression that lasts for the right reasons.

Age and date of birth

As your age doesn’t affect your ability to do the job you’re applying for, it has no place on your CV. Employers should measure your ability on years of experience, not how old you are.

In the UK, under the Equality Act 2010, it’s illegal for employers to discriminate against candidates because of their age. Therefore, recruiters should not ask for this information during the job-application process, and they should not base their decisions on hiring or not hiring you based on how old you are. Don’t give them the fuel to do so by including your age on your CV.

Marital status and dependents

Like your age, your marital status and the number of children you have don’t affect your ability to do a job. Therefore, you don’t need to include this information on your CV. Plus, these are protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

Personal circumstances

Most candidates are extremely lucky to experience a smooth career trajectory, as most of us go through a few bumps here and there. Your reasons for being out of work have no place on your CV for two reasons.

Firstly, your CV is a two-page document filled with your most relevant skills and abilities to show why you’re a great fit for a vacancy. You don’t want to waste precious space with details that could convince the prospective employer why you might not be so great. This is particularly pertinent if you were dismissed from your last role.

Secondly, some personal circumstances are also protected characteristics, such as being pregnant or on maternity leave. It’s worth noting that you’re legally protected by the Equality Act if you’re associated with someone who has a protected characteristic, such as if you were caring for a family member or friend with a disability. Even if your reason is protected, don’t open yourself up to potential discrimination by listing it on your CV. There are better ways to fill the space.

A photo

In some countries, a headshot is customary. However, in the UK, a photo of yourself is not required.

Firstly, employers should judge you on your skills and experience, not what you look like. Therefore, it’s more beneficial to fill the space with the details they’re looking for.

Secondly, a photo can often reveal your age, or at least give a general idea of it. Avoid the possibility of age discrimination by not including a headshot on your CV.

Your address

Once upon a time, listing your address on your CV was a requirement. Today however, you simply need to list your town and county of residence.

Most application forms ask you to fill in your address separately, so there’s little point in adding it to your CV too. But your general location can be a nice addition to your CV if your locality is deemed a selling point.

If you think your location might negatively affect your chances of landing a job ‒ if you live quite a distance away, for example ‒ you can omit your location from your CV entirely.

‘Curriculum vitae’ as the title

Many job hunters make the mistake of titling their CV with the phrase ‘curriculum vitae’ or ‘CV’. This is outdated and unnecessary.

As most CVs are sent digitally, the file name of the document should be enough to signal to the recruiter what it is. Plus, if you’ve formatted your CV correctly, a prospective employer will know that it’s a CV with one glance.

Treat your name as the title of the document. After all, your CV is all about you. Place it at the top of your CV in large lettering, followed by your email address, phone number, location and your LinkedIn URL.

Irrelevant work experience and qualifications

It’s extremely important to tailor your CV to the job for which you’re applying. Therefore, don’t be afraid to cut irrelevant details from your CV. This includes work experience from over 10 years ago or positions that are unrelated to the industry you’re entering, for example.

I’d also encourage you to avoid listing every single qualification to your name if you’re a few years into your career. Summarise your qualifications where you can; for example: ‘four A-Levels, grades A to C’. And if you’re an experienced professional, it’s perfectly acceptable to list only your most recent or weighty qualification, such as your degree. The rest of your education is suggested.

References

How useful is the line ‘References available upon request at the end of your CV? Not very.

Across the UK, there is a mutual expectation between past and prospective employers that an exchange of references may be necessary when a new hire starts their role. Therefore, as everyone is in the know, it’s redundant to say at the end of your CV that you have references at hand.

If your new employer wants a reference, they’ll ask for it, so use that space on the page for more important points to show recruiters what a great hire you’d make.

Read More – www.jobs.telegraph.co.uk

Mark Ross Roberts September 3, 2019 No Comments

Competition for Emirati talent reaches record levels

Competition for Emirati talent is the highest it has ever been, according to recruitment giant Hays.

An update on the firm’s Middle East operations, released this morning, reveals that hiring of UAE nationals – as opposed to expatriates – has risen over the past few months, with increased demand in both the public and private sectors.

The growth is occurring against a backdrop of ‘Emiratisation’ in support of the ‘Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030’ plan across private organisations and industry sectors, with around 30,000 private sector jobs expected to be created for UAE nationals in 2019.

As a consequence, Hays says the competition for top Emirati talent is hotting up, with organisations having to assess their attraction and retention techniques to ensure that they have the most effective processes in place for securing talented employees. The three core ‘pull’ factors are learning and development opportunities and initiatives, organisation culture, and employer brand.

The hiring of UAE nationals differs from that of expatriates and has its own complexities and requirements. Hays underlines the importance of the onboarding process being managed as professionally and efficiently as possible. Otherwise, employers can lose candidates because the hiring process takes weeks or months longer than anticipated, resulting in a lack of trust in the organisation and loss of interest in the role.

Consequently, Hays calls on employers to manage candidates’ expectations, communicate on the status of their application regularly and enforce the value that they foresee in them. If in doubt about the process for hiring UAE nationals, employers should work with a trusted recruitment partner that can provide support.

While there are many Emirati candidates available for work in the local employment market, there is a skills shortage in technical engineering roles, digital marketing and communications, finance and HR.

The do’s and don’ts of getting a pay rise

How much are you worth? Or rather – is the answer to that question equal to the sum paid into your bank account by your employer?

If not then you need to ask for more, and that means you have to negotiate with the person who pays your wages. It’s something that puts the frighteners on a lot of people. It shouldn’t.

“No one ever got fired for asking for a pay rise” said Pip Jamieson founder of the professional networking site, The Dots. “In fact rather the opposite – asking for more money shows ambition and shows you want to stay with the company.”

But there are good ways of asking for a pay rise and there are bad ones. So here are some dos and don’ts when it comes to asking for a bigger salary.

DO: Research properly

Go to a salary comparison website or talk to a recruitment agency or your Human Resources department (HR) to find out the kind of pay your job should be getting. You need hard evidence to back your pay rise – sales targets reached, contracts signed, goals met. Remember, it’s surprising how little the person who decides your salary, especially in a big organisation, may know about what you do.

“Work at it,” says Dulcie Shepherd Swanston, author of It’s Not Bloody Rocket Science and founder of the business training company Profitably Engaged. “The sort of qualities you need for getting a pay rise are the same sort of qualities you need for being a good employee.”

DON’T: Randomly demand more money

Tessa Fyson had been working in the NHS for six months when she decided to ask for more money.

“When I got asked the inevitable question, ‘Why should we give you a pay rise?’ – I froze!” she said. “Any type of meeting with management can make you nervous and I lost all ability to speak. It made me feel and look incredibly naïve and I was told to think of the reasons why and then come back.”

Ms Jamieson insists employees should see pay as a commercial contract, not a favour, which should be negotiated seriously.

So you should not argue that you need the money to pay the rent or buy Prada handbags on a monthly basis.

But Lou Goodman, marketing director at the employment website Monster for the UK, Ireland and Benelux cautions: “It’s always worthwhile for a company being empathetic about your personal life, because if they lose an employee, the resources needed to find, recruit and train up someone new can be considerable.

“But in the end, pay should reflect someone’s performance and the performance of the company itself.”

Why Companies Are Turning To Headhunting Firms

There was a time when business leaders resorted to working with headhunters only for the seemingly impossible job searches. Today, companies are changing their perception when it comes to executive search firms with the numbers indicating this trend strengthening over the next decade.

As business and hiring practices continue to evolve, the plight of the headhunter looks to be one of longevity, and business owners may find themselves increasingly reliant on them to fuel their company with fresh talent.

At the same time company leaders are turning an eye towards headhunting firms, they are finding it harder than ever to find good talent using traditional methods. While the value of personnel is better understood and appreciated than ever before, the availability of talent seems more scarce by the minute. Traditionally, internal recruitment teams have filled the vast majority of roles for a company, yet the increasing complexity of today’s job descriptions is proving to be more difficult for corporate recruiters to manage than in years past.

There are simply too many roles at most large companies for a handful of corporate recruiters to adequately recruit for. This is especially true for upper-level positions that may not need to be filled frequently. A corporate recruiter may not have experienced the job search before for these positions.

For a company to have the breadth and range an executive search firm possesses, they would need to employ an entire search firm themselves; fully equipped with the tools, licenses, and operational processes.

Simply put, recruitment firms with specialized teams of recruiters are far more likely to have the experience to find and, more importantly, qualify candidates for specialized roles than corporate recruiters.

Based on the survey responses of nearly 4,000 corporate talent acquisition leaders, 61 percent say their team will stay the same or decrease in size in 2017. One reason for this is companies are warming up to the idea of using search firms for positions that are not commonly filled. While an organization with a large sales team may have no trouble filling average sales roles, the internal recruitment team may struggle to find a director of compensation with the right experience. Not being exposed to the wide range of compensation talent like a headhunter, the internal team is likely to look for individuals with the same job title, and underestimate the importance of the type of experience, varied exposure to both specific and broad-based areas of compensation, and the importance of finding an individual who has worked with a similar company. In the medical field there are general practitioners, and then there are specialists — the headhunter is the specialist.

One clear advantages headhunting firms have over corporate recruiters is the ability to reach out to passive job seekers. Passive job seekers are professionals who are not actively looking for a new job but may be open to new opportunities. Eighty-five percent of professionals in 2017 are open to new opportunities and with recent developments like Linkedin’s “Open Candidate” tool that allows professionals to indicate they are open to conversations with recruiters, the ability to recruit from a company’s competitor is easier than ever for a recruiter. While headhunting firms excel at this, corporate recruiters have limited resources. It takes a much more proactive approach to attract this level of talent than the average active job seeker.

Companies also have a better understanding of the cost of a bad hire these days. Poor hiring decisions can cripple a company’s growth and the data points to bad hires being costlier to an organization than previously thought. Because hiring mistakes are costly, companies are extending their hiring process longer and taking more precautions to guard against making poor personnel choices. This, however, can be a double-edged sword as time-to-hire increases and jobs stay unfilled longer.

While companies are willing to put more effort into finding the right candidate, they still need to fill the jobs in a relatively similar time frame. This is where the speed and efficiency of an executive search firm is attractive to business leaders. The lack of bureaucracy and a focused approach, typically lead to faster time-to-fill and quality candidates.

Top 10 mistakes corporate recruiters make:

Unrealistic job descriptions,
Shotgun approach to marketing jobs,
Recycled job descriptions,
Reliance on dated techniques and processes,
Take time away from hiring managers to explain the job,
Recruit through employees friends,
Too rigid on specs,
Boring communication,
Failure to evolve,
Complacency.

07:30 – 19:00

U.K Office