5 Instances its OK to Say No to Clients

5 Instances its OK to Say No to Clients As recruiters it’s in our DNA to say ‘yes’ to clients. We want to please them because their business is our livelihood, at the end of the day. But if you’ve been doing this for a while, you’ll know that the most fulfilling client relationships come about when the client can rely on you for your opinion and judgement. We are experts at what we do, and it is our advice and consultation that they also pay us for. Being able to give honest advice â€" even if it’s not what they want to hear â€" is part of the deal if you want to secure a truly long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationship. Saying ‘no’ wisely often garners increased respect, heightened value in our services and ultimately may well lead to choosing us over a competitor. While we want to please our clients we must choose those moments wisely. These are some of those occasions: 1. Competing with agencies I’d love to say that we only work on exclusive business but that wouldn’t be true. But there’s something to be said from walking away from a job that has every agency in town working on it. When you drill down on time spent vs the chance of return, it’s just not worth it. I will usually assess how many agencies are recruiting the role and make a judgment on whether or not it’s worth my time to do so. 2. Pushing down candidates’ salaries Understandably, many clients wish to negotiate candidate salaries. Their reasons for doing so may vary: budget, room for progression etc., but my view is that (in this market particularly) they should be willing to pay for them if they feel they’re the right person. I would be concerned that if I convinced a candidate to unwillingly negotiate, I’d find myself replacing them a few months later when they receive a better offer. 3. Management of expectations Clients who are not as familiar with the market may have a wish list as long as the job description. As part of the briefing process it’s important to manage those expectations early on and let them know if they’re not realistic. 4. Long shortlists If you’re good at what you do, you shouldn’t need to give the client tens of CVs to choose from. A small shortlist should suffice and in some cases, just one should be enough! If they request more options, it could be a sign that they’re unsure of what they want. In that case, I’d take the conversation back to briefing stage and go over the details of the role again to ensure you’re both on the same page. 5. The role is outside of your remit I’ve (happily) won the trust of many clients and they’ll often ask if I can help with roles that are outside the scope of our specialism. If I don’t think we can do a good job, I’ll say ‘no’. The value of the client relationship is simply not worth the risk. About the author: David Morel is the CEO/Founder of Tiger Recruitment, one of London’s leading secretarial/administrative recruitment agencies. David founded Tiger in 2001 and has written extensively in the press and wider media advising both employers and job seekers on best recruitment practice.

How to Use an Award From Magna Cum Laude to Show Yourself

How to Use an Award From Magna Cum Laude to Show YourselfSome of the most powerful ads you will ever see in your lifetime are the ones that place you on the resume of someone who just received a Magna Cum Laude Award for Excellence. There is nothing more powerful than using such an award to introduce yourself and your business.When you see a resume that features Magna Cum Laude, you are hearing a message. Yes, it is a difficult process to be recognized at such a high level but when you stand up and show that you have the skill and talent it is true. Your resume is a way of speaking to those who are making the decisions about you.Let's say you are just starting out in the business world and are being called upon to work for a low level person as a manager. You are not going to be good enough to do the job by yourself and you need help. An experienced resume writer can help you stand out and do your job well. With one piece of fantastic Magna Cum Laude accomplishments, the case becomes stronger.In fact, in this day and age, rich people want people to notice them. They are desperate to connect with those around them and want to find ways of making themselves visible. There are a lot of different forms you can use to get noticed. Your resume is one of them.One of the best ways to get a lot of attention for your Magna Cum Laude Award is to place it on a resume. That can be done with ease because there are now so many different places where resumes can be placed. Some places have web based versions and others have offline versions. No matter which one you choose, you can make it appear more natural when you place it on a resume.Resumes can also be used to get noticed when you have a special job opening. The resume can be placed on a resume and sent off to the right person. There are even programs online that can help you create a resume very quickly. You can create it yourself or use an experienced professional. Either way you get a great advantage.If you have other awards to use with a resume, Magna Cum Laude is the perfect place to put them. That will allow you to use the award and the other achievements to make you more noticeable.These are just a few ideas of how you can use the award from Magna Cum Laude to introduce yourself. You can use the award to make you more visible, to make you more appreciated or to show people how much you can accomplish. These are the most valuable reasons why it is such a good idea to make it a part of your resume.

Unconscious Bias Why You Shouldnt Judge at First Glance

Unconscious Bias Why You Shouldnt Judge at First Glance Our unconscious bias can override our ability to make rational decisions. When it comes to business, bias-based decisions and behaviour can limit creativity and opportunity, as well as lead to discrimination â€" all of which can have a significant impact on performance, productivity and the bottom line of a business. First impressions: One of the major contributing factors to bias decision-making is the first impressions formed by people within the first few minutes of meeting them a factor which all of us are susceptible to; rapid categorisation. These thought patterns, assumptions and interpretations â€" or biases have built up over time and help us to process information quickly and efficiently. From a survival standpoint, bias is a positive and necessary trait. We as humans tend to cast people as heroes or villains through visual or social identity, gender and ethnicity. It can be something as simple as what someone wears that can have a powerful impact on what people think about them. Once we have categorised ourselves as part of a group and have identified with   a group we then tend to compare that group with other groups. If our self-esteem is to be maintained our group needs to compare favourably with other groups. This is critical to understanding bias, because once two groups identify themselves as rivals they are forced to compete in order for the members to maintain their self-esteem. Competition and hostility between groups is thus not only a matter of competing for resources like jobs but also the result of competing identities. So you are on the packed Northern Line and the person next to you chooses to eat the smelliest sandwich? They have no regard for others, no self awareness, and slightly overweight; do they really need that sandwich? We all do it â€" we judge: We aren’t trying to be cruel and we would of course be mortified if another person could hear what we are thinking, but that’s not the point â€" the point is that these judgements happen without us even thinking and they affect how we behave and how we arrive at decisions. Move this to a recruitment context I am sure we can all remember an occasion when a candidate walked through the door and we began to make judgements whether it was what they were wearing or what weight or what height they were from the second they walked in they did not have the same chance as the others and their CV suddenly became irrelevant. Can you remember doing that? Statistics speak for themselves; approximately half of HR professionals are biased towards overweight women, whereas only 4% held a bias against slim women (People Management, 2012). On top of this 78% of employers have discriminated against candidates based on their accents. (Personnel Today), It would be no surprise that an increasing number of people make a conscious effort to hide their accents in job interviews. As recruiters we are fairly self aware around issues such as racial bias and we certainly need to do more but the issue is there is less of a focus on broader biases and they are less obvious in nature. We need to develop our consciousness in terms of how our upbringing, the media and our friends can have an impact on the decisions we make. Combating bias: So how do we go about addressing our innate social biases well we could introduce a “blind date” style interview process where you interview without seeing the person that would work wouldn’t it? Or maybe we could develop software that runs or automates the interview process without the need for human interaction. I am aware that some organisations have had real outcomes by removing all demographic information from CVs and job applications submitted for short listing. The truth is in some companies the right qualification from the right education establishment is enough to get you that interview slot why because they are likely to be ‘pro-active, intelligent, switched on, cultured, hard-working, and analytical’ so there seems to be no quick fix, but then culture change is never a quick fix. To really affect a change you need to be open to admitting you think like this and that sometimes I make assumptions which have no basis in facts. However, you shouldn’t feel guilty for this and instead accept responsibility for monitoring your own behaviours and commit consciously to being fair and respectful to everyone you come into contact with. Practice empathy. Imagine yourself in someone else’s shoes and always ask: “Would I think this scenario is fair?” Be an accessible, open communicator. If people feel they can talk to you about sensitive issues, you’ll prevent bias situations from escalating. Author:  Andrew Hyland.  Andrew joined Macmillan Cancer Support in 2011 to develop and implement a new recruitment model. Since joining he has brought the service in house, developed a new team, implemented a new system and developed Macmillan’s career brand in a time of significant growth for the business. You can follow on Twitter @MacRecruitTeam

What Countries are the Most Competitive Attracting and Recruiting Talent

What Countries are the Most Competitive Attracting and Recruiting Talent INSEAD’s new Global Talent Competitiveness Index shows high-income countries leading in fostering knowledge and vocational talent pools. Low-income countries are struggling in both areas. Talent is the V8 engine of competitiveness and innovation for today’s globally connected mobile economy. Those that have mastered the development of skills inside their countries and lowered the barriers to entry for foreign talent are creating vibrant and sustainable economies. Those that haven’t are facing a wide array of challenges, from skills shortages to high joblessness. INSEAD, in partnership with Singapore’s Human Capital Leadership Institute and Adecco, has created the first ranking of 103 countries on their ability to attract and incubate talent. The index shows the top ten slots mostly populated by European and rich countries, plus Singapore and the United States  and a wide gap between prosperous and low-income countries. The top-ranked 20 countries in the  Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI)  shows countries need both skill sets global knowledge and vocational to build a cutting edge, knowledge-based society, a complex undertaking that in some cases relies on strong educational traditions, and in others on immigration policies. Swiss formula At the top of the GTCI league table sits Switzerland.  What sets Switzerland apart is its strength in both vocational and global knowledge skills, and across the entire gamut of indicators, said Paul Evans, Academic Director of the INSEAD GTCI. At the same time, Switzerland has two local specificities, added Bruno Lanvin, INSEAD Executive Director for Global Indices: a thriving apprenticeship programme, and a system where workers can move back and forth from classroom to workplace. The GTCI measures countries, using 48 variables, split into two groups. The outputs are vocational and technical skills for jobs in fields such as health and engineering; and global knowledge skills, which encompasses a range of positions, including entrepreneurs, researchers, managers and other professionals. The second group addresses how countries enable, attract, grow, and retain talent to foster these output skills. Small-country advantage Lanvin said the rankings reflect three distinct types of situation in the leading countries studied. Countries and city states in the top ten employ a strategy that emphasises drawing in talent.  These countries include second-ranked Singapore, followed by Denmark, and joined by the Nordic countries, Sweden, Finland and Iceland; plus Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the U.K.  Many of these countries, especially in Europe, have a long history of fostering strong education systems. “They have the income, they have the resources, they have the infrastructure. They just need the people that their demography does not generate,” Lanvin said. The second is large industrial countries clustered further down in the top 20, which have a well-established tradition of immigration to attract talent, such as the U.S. (9th), Canada (11th) and Australia (15th). And the third situation is seen in emerging countries that need talent to build infrastructure, develop their economy, and lift GDP growth. Such talent champions such as Montenegro and Malaysia were ranked 26th  and 37th  respectively for their focus on skills that their neighbours lack and developing human capital that is in particular demand. Innovation link Lanvin notes, as expected, the talent competitiveness performance of countries and GDP per person were tightly correlated in the GTCI rich countries rose to the top of the GTCI, poor countries ranked at the bottom. But what was surprising was an even stronger correlation between talent competitiveness and innovation performance, he added. Fast learners In each world region, there were countries that stood out. For example, even though Germany is ranked 20th  and is often lauded for its strong industrial base, Belgium is ranked slightly above Germany in the GTCI index, largely on the merits of its education system which leads to a stronger global knowledge workforce, whereas Germany is more weighted toward vocational skills. Among developing countries, there were emerging economies that bettered their regional peers. In sub-Saharan Africa, which falls at the bottom of the table in GDP per person, South Africa stood out for its large share of women in parliament, a measure of a country’s commitment to growing and attracting talent. In Latin America, Chile was noteworthy because of its high social mobility and its open borders. In Asia, China outperforms other countries in the region due to its ongoing efforts to strengthen its higher education system. The strong performance of these countries indicates that “global competition for talent is going to remain a rapidly-moving field, in which comparative advantages may be hard to keep,” the authors point out. Minding the gap The GTCI shows the global spread of talent competitiveness is indeed lopsided. Clustered at the top are rich countries that need to nurture both global knowledge and vocational skills, contrasted with lower-ranked emerging economies. The gap is widest on global knowledge skills, where rich countries are much stronger due to their well-developed ecosystem of universities and institutions that spur innovation, which are difficult for developing countries to replicate in the short term. There is a virtuous feedback loop in operation in rich countries, which are able to develop, attract and hold onto talent. By contrast, the GTCI shows poor countries may not be able to keep the skilled workers they have developed and attracted. What is more, many of these emerging countries are striving to expand their pool of the vocationally skilled. The draw of the metropolis The index suggests another front is emerging in the global war for talent. To sharpen its competitive edge, a large country can better match the agility of the best-performing small countries and city-states, through strengthening competition among cities within its borders, Evans said. Evans cites several examples of the increasing clout of cities as top talent draws: Barcelona, which has fashioned itself into a hub for information technology; the fashion industry, where there are now several capitals of “la mode”, with Paris no longer predominant, including London, Milan, New York, and Tokyo; and Singapore, which despite its modest market size, has positioned itself as the gateway to Asia, through building world-class infrastructure and striking partnerships. “Ten years ago, if you worked for a large U.S. company… people would say are you interested in moving to a management position in China? Today, typically the answer to the question is, are you sending me to Beijing, to Shanghai, to Guangzhou, or to the western provinces?” Evans said. Redressing imbalances The authors note that to address the skills gaps evident worldwide, and most acutely in some countries and regions, will require more cross-border mobility of talent, greater access to education for women, the disabled, marginalised ethnic and poor populations, and for companies to reinvigorate apprenticeship programmes to retain skilled workers and create local jobs. To address the complex and inter-connected challenges necessary to boost talent competitiveness will require government, business, organised labour, educators and individuals to collaborate through forging partnerships, the authors note. Download the full Global Talent Competitiveness Index report here. By  Paul Evans, Academic Director of the INSEAD Global Talent Competitiveness Index and Bruno Lanvin, INSEAD Executive Director for Global Indices with Sarah Wachter, Knowledge Contributor.

How to Help Writing a Resume

How to Help Writing a ResumeIf you have been trying to learn how to write a resume, then you know the frustration of finding that you just can't seem to get the right idea out. But if you have never tried to figure out how to write a resume, then here are some tips for you. To help you get started, read through the tips listed below and try to incorporate them into your resume writing.Start by summarizing what you did previously. Your resume is made up of some highlights of your career, some of the most important skills, and maybe a few of the more significant accomplishments that you might have had. This will help to fill in the blanks for you. After you have already written your resume, you will need to take the time to think about your past work history and what has stood out. This is a good way to get a sense of how your past employers reacted to you.When you go looking for a new job, there are some things that you want to ensure that you do. You want to make sure that you presen t yourself well to your prospective employer. This means that you need to write a great resume. You also need to learn how to write a resume correctly and properly word it. However, you don't want to copy someone else's resume because you may not be able to get it to look the same.It is always a good idea to talk to someone who is already in the job you are looking to apply for. This can prove to be very helpful to you as you learn how to write a resume and it can give you a chance to ask questions. If the person that you speak to has already had some experience with applying for jobs, then this can help you understand the process better. You may even get a chance to learn some of the mistakes that some people make when they attempt to write a resume and to avoid making them.One thing you should do to help you as you write your resume is to make sure that you include everything. This means that you want to include everything that is important. You don't want to omit any information or even one little bit that could impact your chances for success.Another thing that you want to do to help you get some ideas for your resume is to look at different locations you have been. Do you like what you see? What does it tell you about your potential employer? This is a great way to give you ideas about the things that you might want to include in your resume. If you like what you see, then you may be able to adjust what you write so that it gets you that much closer to success.You also want to make sure that you keep your original idea in mind as you write your resume. There is no sense in changing your resume just because you find something different that you can add to it. When you think about how important it is to your dream job, you will find that you will be able to work with the idea that you currently have and change what you write a little bit without having to make major changes. Remember, you don't want to force anything into a resume, but you want to be able t o add a little something to it. This can be done so that you can be successful in writing a resume that can get you hired.These are a few tips that you can use to help you help writing a resume that is both professional and readable. By taking the time to research some different places to apply to, you can find some ideas on how to help writing a resume. After you know some basics about how to write a resume, then you can apply the advice and start getting an idea of how to write a resume that will help you get your dream job.

#75 - Career Expert Series - Isaac Morehouse

#75 - Career Expert Series - Isaac Morehouse The Career Insider Podcast Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSSForEpisode 75of The CareerMetis Podcast, we will be hearing from Isaac MorehouseThis interview is part of the “Career Expert Series“.Guest Introduction â€" Isaac MorehouseevalevalIsaac describes his career path and what he noticed throughout his time working in and around higher education organizations.He noticed that something was amiss between students leaving higher education and looking for work, and the employers who were hungry for talent but couldn’t find it.He launched Praxis to fulfill that need and bridge the gap, and it has been a growing success.Episode Summary1. Isaacbreaks down the differences between internship and apprenticeship, and how companies view each of them.2. He also explains the benefits of an apprenticeship for the employer and why Praxis offers them instead of internship positions.3.Isaac also explains the benefit of apprenticeship for the employee. He talks about the level of training and education people receive is getting them into positions that would normally require a college degree.4.He shares some insights on the idea of being able to showcase what you can do, and how the apprenticeship helps to build skills and relationships that ensure a successful match.eval5.He describes the ways people are born entrepreneurial, and how the education system is designed in a manner that tends to suffocate those qualities in favor of a more streamlined learning environment.6.He shares ways to break the mold and get out there in a much more creative way to showcase your talents, skills and abilities in order to get more opportunities.7.Isaac shares a ton of tips to help you get recognized for a career or job. He explains that being diligent and consistent, and quick to respond are just a few things that will set you apart from your competition.8.He also shares a massive outlook about passion, doing what you love, and chiseling away th e parts that you don’t like over time.Quotes“As long as I was doing something I didn’t hate, I figured it was okay”.eval“We’re giving you this trial run, show us what you’ve got”.“They’re doing this instead of college, and getting jobs that say you need a college degree”.“What kind of problems can I solve and how can I prove that to them?”.“If you keep it alive just enough, I think you can learn to fan it back into a flame”.“You should respond to every email within 24 hours max.”.“First impressions matter”.“Don’t do things that you hate, and everything else is fair game”.LinksTo learn more about Isaac Morehouse’s work visit hiswebsite.evalYou can also connect with him onLinkedInorTwitter .We also recommend that you listen to Isaac’s Podcast â€"The Isaac Morehouse Podcast.Intro Music provided courtesy of Accelerated Ideas (www.accelerated-ideas.com). Soundtrack â€" Siren KickbackEnding Music provided courtesy of Accelerated Ideas (www.a ccelerated-ideas.com). Soundtrack â€" No Need to Rush

7 questions to help you reflect on 2012 - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

7 questions to help you reflect on 2012 I dont know about you, but at the end of each year, I like taking time to reflect on the year that has passed and prepare for the year ahead. So as we near the completion of 2012, I thought you might be interested in a few question to help you reflect on what you’ve accomplished this year and what did not work so well. Grab a cup of coffee and write down the answers down in your journal. Reflecting on 2012: 1. What worked in your life this past year? What did not work? 2. What were your wins, accomplishments and celebrations in 2012? 3. What was the single best thing that happened in 2012? 4. What were your greatest challenges/lessons? 5. In what ways did you grow emotionally/physically/spiritually? 6. What did you learn about yourself in 2012? 7.  What are you grateful for in 2012? Looking forward to 2013 1. What is your vision for 2013? Write your vision in the present tense, as if it is already happening. Where do you want to be in your life a year from now in terms of your career, relationships, finances, spirituality, physical wellness etc? 2. Write down 3 main goals youd like to accomplish in 2013. 3. Write down 3 steps you can take this week to begin planting the seeds for 2013. Please feel free to share your accomplishments and wins for 2012 below and your intentions and vision for 2013.

How to decide if you should apply for a job -

How to decide if you should apply for a job - Just because you would be willing to take any job someone offers you does not mean you should apply for just any job. How can you evaluate job descriptions to decide if it is worth your time to submit an application? Answer the following questions: Do you have the required qualifications? Yes, employers are asking for the equivalent of the sun, moon, and stars in their preferred qualifications, but it’s the requirements you need to review most closely. Unfortunately, if the job mandates a bachelor’s degree, and you do not have one, it is extremely unlikely the applicant tracking system will pass along your resume. Similarly, if the job mandates five years of experience and you are a new college graduate with no real-world experience, it is probably a waste of time to apply. Why are you the best person for the job? This is a different question than “are you minimally qualified?” Can you name several accomplishments in your work history that align you with the position? Can you support your candidacy via your application materials? Copy and paste the job description into a file and highlight everything that you can support in your resume. Does the job provide the experience you need to propel your career? There is nothing wrong with a lateral move where your title doesn’t change, but be sure to evaluate what you’ll be doing in the new job to decide if those skills will help you make your next move. Is the salary in line with your needs? You may not know exactly how much the position pays, but it is up to you to do some research. Use Glassdoor.com and Salary.com to help research likely salaries for the positions that interest you. Are you willing to relocate? If you know a position requires living in a particular city, and you are not willing to relocate there, you are barking up the wrong tree if you apply. Read the entire post on U.S. News World Reports.