During
an interview, it’s customary for you to get a chance to ask your
own questions to find out whether the company is a good fit for you.
This is the perfect opportunity to work out whether it’s the job
you’ll love.
Ask the interviewer what the traits of
successful people in this company are and compare it to what you’ve
established about yourself. This should help you work out if you’d
fit in with the existing team.
Working on finding a job
you’ll love is about more than just your duties. Organisational
structure, company culture and employees’ insights will all play a
role, so make sure you’re doing all you can to work out where you
think you’ll be happiest.
‘Do
you have any questions for us?’
Towards
the end of the interview, you will usually be asked if you have any
questions of your own. Be confident when asking your questions and
use them to score additional points in your favour.
Examples
include:
Why
is the position available?
What
training and induction will be given?
What
prospects are there for personal and professional development?
What
are the company plans for the future?
When
can I expect to hear from you?
What
skills and attributes do successful people at your company usually
have?
What
do you like best about working at the company?
What
results are expected from me?
What
specific problems are you hoping to solve during the first six
months?
Your
dream job is out there, somewhere; you’ve just got to find it. And
according to the Australian
Bureau of Statistics there
are plenty of options for you. In May this year there were
approximately 146, 000 job vacancies in Australia, up 2.1% from
February, and whilst it’s likely that out of all those positions
there are some that don’t fall into that dream category of yours,
unless you’re blessed with some kind of inhuman super job scouring
strength, you won’t necessarily even be in a position to know.
Figuring
out how to separate the wheat from the chaff in the job market can
seem like a task of biblical proportions for your average job seeker,
but for those willing to take advantage of the technologies available
to them, finding the perfect role is more possible now than ever
before.
top
tip 1: use your mobile
According
to research conducted by Google and Ipsos Media in 2013, 77% of
Australians don’t leave their homes without their device.
Furthermore, 82% of the population uses their phone on the go with
75% also using a device at work. Needless to say, and as the ‘Our
Mobile Planet: Australia’
report finds, smartphones are “indispensable to daily life”.
So
how can your smartphone help you find that once in a lifetime role?
Start
by using an effective platform to search for jobs. Sites that are
optimised for mobile use don’t just look like miniature versions of
a website, they are fully responsive, which means jobs are easy to
view no matter where you are or what device you use. Features to help
you find the right jobs include those on the new Randstad website
like:
If
you’re prepared, applying directly via a mobile device is
oftentimes more efficient than using a desktop computer.
top
tip 2: optimise your CV
Scott
Belsky,
Vice President of Community at Adobe, says, “Optimisation isn’t
about making drastic changes…the key to optimisation is making
incremental tweaks…” As such, you don’t need to reinvent your
CV to get the most out of it; you just need to optimise it. According
to Google’s ‘The
New Multi-screen World’
report, 90% of people move between devices to accomplish a goal, so
having a version of your CV saved to your mobile device will greatly
decrease barriers that prevent you from applying to a job ad at a
minute’s notice.
Users
can also use cloud technology such as Google Drive, Dropbox and We
Transfer to store and send resumes. Increasingly, employers are
enabling job seekers to apply through sites such as LinkedIn and The
Loop, which means you should ensure your CV is adaptable across
multiple social platforms. If you choose to host your CV on a
website, you may also wish to include key words and a simplified
bullet point structure.
top
tip 3: personalised search
Lastly,
make searching for jobs even more efficient by taking advantage of
the personalised search feature on the new Randstad website. Once you
have created a myrandstad account, allow the technology to find
relevant jobs for you based on your previous searches.
As
the trend towards mobile continues to penetrate the recruitment
industry, smart job seekers will get ahead by essentially automating
processes. By using mobile devices, having their applications
optimised for all opportunities and relying on recommended job ads
based on previous user behaviour, these applicants are in a better
position to find their dream job than those with no considered
approach to utilising the technology around them.
Have
you always wondered why your friends and colleagues seem to get that
tap on the shoulder with amazing jobs offers, with perks and career
progression?
You
work hard, but sometimes, you feel a bit un-noticed. It’s
time to get noticed! Here
are 5
tips to
help you on the way to being head hunted.
1.
Your personal brand
We
hear a lot about our own personal profile, and in a world of social
media and communication apps, it is more important than ever to have
a clean and clear online image that really reflects who you are and
what you stand for. Your whole online presence is an ever changing
resume, so keep it nice, and aim for continuity, integrity and
interesting content.
2.
Work beautifully
The
very best recommendations will come from ex-colleagues, and managers,
or even suppliers and customers. Remember the customer whose problem
you solved? Remember when you didn’t yell at your supplier, but
helped them resolve the issue? Remember when you created a new
strategy and shared the credit with your team? If you work well with
others, are highly regarded, and even if you work in a seriously
difficult situation – the way you operate every day is your best
advertisement.
3.
Align yourself with influencers
Influencers
are those people with a great profile online and excellent social
connections. They know other ‘power’ people and often have senior
roles. Most importantly, they are well respected in their space. They
would be the type of people you would use as referees and they will
naturally want to recommend you if they get the chance. Pay it
forward, do a good deed, share a post of theirs – show them that
you are engaged in their world.
4.
Be visible & approachable
Get
out there, go to industry events and start talking with people. Catch
up for a coffee with contacts in industries that interest you. Make
connections via Linkedin, start talking
to recruiters,
use your personal network as well. If the opportunity comes up, you
can mention that you are open minded to new opportunities.
Reciprocate too, if people ask you out for a coffee, take every
opportunity, you never know where it will lead. Be generous with your
time and support and don’t forget to switch your Linkedin profile
to ‘open to opportunities’ to get the word out. (Need
Linkedin profile advice?)
5.
Keep your cool
When
all the elements combine and you get that delicious mystery phone
call with a job opportunity to explore, try not to get too excited
and accept the role! A head hunter will make the first tenuous steps
of communication after a swag of research. They already think you are
a good option. You need to strongly consider whether the role is a
genuine fit for you, in terms of wages, culture, industry and more.
Most importantly, you need to understand that they are not ‘offering’
you the role, but just the chance to discuss and interview for it.
Don’t be so flattered that you want to take the role straight away-
this will actually send a red flag to the head hunter and could make
you look a bit desperate.
By
keeping these 5
points uppermost
in your mind and being aware of the way you operate in your work and
social life, you are well on the way to being head hunted. If you are
working well and enjoying life, people will be drawn to you and
exciting opportunities will start to drop into your lap!
Quality People was proudly represented at the Avalon Airshow 2019 by David, Darren, Dom and James. Despite the 40 degree heat, we created a significant stir with our matching ties, attracting attention at every turn!
Quality People has been a significant player in the Defence industry for many years. With well established networks, connections, and an extensive talent pool; we have become a recruitment agency of choice in the Defence Industry.
Please contact us at jobs@qualitypeople.com.au to find out how we can partner with your business to solve your recruitment needs.
Lessons we can learn from Disney and how we
can apply them to our business lives
What is better
than cuddling up with your daughter, watching a Disney movie on a rainy
Saturday afternoon? A few years ago, I had the pleasure of watching Disney’s
Cinderella in such circumstances.
One thing puzzled
me during that movie. Why did Ella’s (Cinderella’s) mom wait until she was on
her deathbed before she shared her wisdom?
“a great secret that will see you through all the
trials life has to offer… have courage and be kind”
In this modern-day
Cinderella remake, the message is so different from previous versions, that is
what makes this one so refreshing and relevant. Today’s version is more of a
young woman whose naiveté is far sweeter when accompanied by her steely resolve
to achieve success no matter what.
After her dear
mother dies, Ella is courageous and she is kind to everyone, including her
cruel and twisted stepmother and stepsisters who continually bully and belittle
her.
Sure, Cinderella
looks stunning but it’s more her inner beauty that captures attention – her courage and her kindness. Everyone has
inner beauty, and it’s not only the stuff of fairy tales.
Since that day,
the last thing I say to my daughter as I tuck her into bed each night is “have
courage and be kind”. What better motto for a child growing up? One day she may
be a businesswoman, a leader in the community, and hopefully she will carry
this motto with her and apply it to everyday situations.
Kindness: “the
quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.”
Courage: “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, or pain without fear.” I explain courage to my daughter as “doing something even when you’re scared to do it”
At first it might
seem odd to merge kindness and courage together as core values but if you stop
and think about it those two characteristics, when blended together they can
help you get through most life situations. Kindness helps you appreciate others,
even when they may not act in a way that appears to deserve that tolerance.
Courage helps you live with integrity, even when you are fearful of the consequences.
We need to have courage
and kindness in our lives and often we need them both in the same moment – for
example, at times in our lives it will take great courage to treat someone well.
It will also take great courage to know when to walk away from situations or
people that aren’t good for you. Ultimately it will take kindness to
forgive and walk away without feelings of malice or anger. Courage is what
helps you to continue moving forward with your life.
How can we have courage when others mistreat us? Why should we be kind to those who are cruel?
Let’s face it, life isn’t a fairy-tale. People will
mistreat you, sometimes for no good reason besides to see you fall. Cinderella chose
to act bravely and kind because she was a princess – not by blood, but a true
princess at heart.
Sometimes,
the life you live becomes your downfall. Your daily life can become so rough
that you begin to lose sight of your personal values. Increasing stress and
demands threaten to rob you of your passion for achieving your happiness.
Some
people come into your life and you want them to stick around forever, but they
don’t. Pressures start out small, but they build continuously. It is important
not to lose sight of what makes you special and what got you where you are.
You
have a choice to make in the face of corporate bullying. Do you choose to
continue to allow yourself to be broken down and destroyed? Or will you rise
above it, making use of your core values and beliefs?
So, when you encounter bullies at school, home or
at work, remember this: Cinderella rose above, remaining hopeful and kind until
things finally worked
out in her favour. She is not weak; she is resilient and strong.
Kindness is not weakness – it is strength
Have
the courage to remain kind. Stand proud when life begins to pull you down. Try
not to become bitter; that is letting the bad guys win. Stay humble in the face
of the too-proud.
This
is not to say you should become a doormat. Stand up for yourself and for what
is right in the face of so much wrong. Just do it in a way that maintains your values.
Two wrongs never make a right.
