Andy's blog

Your CV

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:18:00 +1200

CV advice for the CV weary

It’s time to get your CV out and bring it back up to date. - I can imagine the groan that accompanies the thoughts around this statement! For many people the issue is more about where to start and the fact that it takes some real effort to put something together that is going to sell you.

I mean EVERYONE tells you how important it is to have a great CV and that if it’s not great you’ll never get a job again! Everyone you talk to also has their own opinion on CV’s, from number of pages to the ideal font to use. There is also an array of ‘professional people’ offering their services to assist you in putting your CV together (me included).

So as you sit staring at the screen with your old CV staring back at you (or have you only managed to find the hard copy!!) the question is where do you start?

Before you reach for the phone, the shredder or the delete key here’s a few things that you should know and/or consider.

•   Preparing your CV can be a pain – but what everyone tells you (and is probably the only thing that they say that is correct), your CV is the first step to getting a job so you’ve got to make it good.
•   Layout is important, but the content is more important, so make sure you get the content right
•   Everyone has an opinion on your CV – listen to all the advice that you get and then use a combination of this to make it work for you – its YOUR CV!!
•   Get professional help from someone who knows what they are talking about. Jane next door who can type and has found a template on the internet – whilst well meaning, is unlikely to have the skills to tell you what you should include content wise.
•   Keep it up to date. Once you’ve got it how you want it, then is should be straightforward to keep updating it
•   You can save a lot of money by typing your CV yourself. Get a professional to give you some guidance on your CV and then put it together yourself – or now is the time that Jane next door can really help.
•   Don’t be too different. I understand that you want to stand out, but a CV in a pile of 200 that is too hard to understand or read is still going to get a NO, even if it is in the shape of a butterfly
•   Get the basics right otherwise don’t bother – check spelling, check grammar, be consistent with layout, provide full contact details. You will be surprised how many CV’s I have seen without up to date telephone numbers.
•   Sell yourself and your skills – not sure what this means or what to write here – we need to talk!!

I’m afraid your CV is very important, but I am also pleased to say that help is at hand and that you don’t have to put it all together on your own. Yes there are plenty of books, templates and ideas on the net that you can use and everyone under the sun has an opinion on what you should do. All this ‘generic advice’ is great, but not specific to you. I believe every person is different and therefore every CV should reflect that difference, reflect your style, your personality and your career to date.

Get in touch and let me show you how we can make your CV great in one hour.

Job Market Update July August

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:02:00 +1200

Where's the recovery?

Well it’s really turning into a slow grind out of this recession with the recovery that everyone had been hoping for, taking a while to filter through to all sectors. This is starting to cause a sense of concern in a market that needs as much confidence as possible to try and move out of the current predicament. The recovery isn’t coming quick enough and I have the words of many companies I spoke to at the end of last year. When asked at around November time last year, do they think 2010 will be better than 2009, the common response was “..it had better be otherwise we won’t be in business anymore..” As I look at 2010 so far, I do wonder if it really has been that much better. I think it has, I’m just concerned it hasn’t been good enough.

For many companies last year, they survived by the skin of their teeth and for many business owners it meant re-mortgaging houses and cashing up investments to plough back into their business’s to keep them afloat. The problem now is that if things aren’t picking up enough, how much more ‘spare money’ can these business owners find to continue to support their business. I would guess we are at the bottom of the barrel for some.

Having said that there is a level of confidence in the market, with the same business owners that are finding it tough saying that they think things are going to pick up. Positive economic growth is predicted over the next 12 months and companies are starting to gear themselves up for an increase in business, which includes increasing staff numbers. The Recruitment agents that I know support this view claiming job requirements are steadily increasing across all sectors.

I don’t see this as meaning that it will suddenly become easy to get another job, not at all. Competition is still fierce as there are now a large number of candidates who have been hanging on in their current roles because there have been few opportunities thus far in the market, and are now actively looking for a new role. Competition for jobs is therefore stronger than last year when the main applicants were people who had lost their jobs in the recession (those in jobs were sitting tight in most cases).

So it’s not a time to be complacent or take a passive approach to looking for your next role. You need a good CV, be well presented, able to sell yourself at interview and be committed to finding your next role. If you are finding it hard in any of those areas – then we need to talk! Get in touch now

Andy

Returning Kiwis find it hard

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 20:10:00 +1200

NZ just isn't the same...

Over the lat 12 months I have noticed a steady increase in the number of clients I have been seeing who are Kiwi’s returning from their OE and finding settling back into New Zealand very difficult. The longer they have been away the harder it appears to be to settle back in.

One of the difficulties is that there is an expectation that by ‘coming home’ things should be easier and more welcoming. When you head off overseas, you expect it to be hard to start with. You realise that you are going to have to get to grips with a new culture, new ways of doing things, maybe even a new language. You probably only know one or two people in the country you are going to, or maybe no-one at all, so there is an expectation that you are going to have to ‘work it’ on the social front to make new friends and form new relationships. Essentially you prepare yourself for heading overseas and are ready (well as ready as you can be) for what experiences are ahead. I can relate to this for when I arrived on these shores 10 years ago all of the above applied.

So what’s the expectation for when you arrive back after your time away? When you return home, what do you think it’s going to be like? For most people it’s the thought of putting that old comfortable pair of slippers back on – warm, safe, secure. You’re home, back to where you came from, back to friends, family. Back to familiarity of culture, of how things are done and what to do. Back to what you know ….. right?

Actually, the experience is very different and couldn’t be farther from the truth for most returning kiwi’s. Those comfortable slippers have been chewed by the dog and your feet have grown so they no longer feel comfortable. Your friends have moved on in their lives and aren’t around so much, your family (although happy to see you) have their own lives too, the landscape has changed – your favourate restaurant is now a pizza place and it just doesn’t feel like home any more.

This can be a very unsettling feeling for many people and leave them feeling lonely and isolated. A general sense of ‘this should be OK to be back’ and confusion as to why it isn’t can be hard for people to fathom out. There needs to be some re-adjustment and that can be very difficult to do.

My encouragement is to realise that you are not alone and that this is a common story for many. If you are feeling like this then look for help, talk to someone about what’s happening and start to put some strategies in place to make NZ feel like home again.

Job Market Update May/June 2010

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 12:01:00 +1200

Latest jobs update

Well there appears to be a lot of mixed feedback at the moment with regards to what’s happening in the global economy as well as how our local economy is fairing. All this speculation and uncertainty is reflected in the job market over the last few months. The general impression is that things are looking more positive in general, but there has been more caution in the market over the last few weeks. As the realisation that the recovery really will be as slow as many commentators have suggested, many companies are holding off with some of their recruitment plans for a little longer.

Having said that there does appear to be some movement at the very senior end of the market (where opportunities have been virtually non-existant for the last year or so) with some very senior appointments being made over the last few months. This can create opportunities as change at the top does tend to result in changes across the business.

The market is still quite tight for some candidate skill sets as some of the larger corporates kick-start the projects that they have had on hold for the last 18 months, resulting in them competing for the same calibre and skill set of candidates. Business Analysts, for example, have been in high demand over the last few months, especially those with 5 years + experience.

Redundancies continue to be a factor for many people in the market as those companies holding on by their finger tips have to shed more staff in a desperate attempt to keep costs down and wait for the market to get back to a more sustainable level. The longer this takes, the more likelihood of more companies disappearing (or at the least being shadows of their former selves).

In summary it is clear that there is still significant uncertainty in the market and that there are hopes that things are on the up. Caution remains the key word for the year so far and is likely to be for at least the next 6 months.

It's tough being a contractor/temp

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:51:00 +1200

First time contractors can find it tough

Having been in the recruitment industry for over 15 years across Europe and NZ I have had the pleasure of working closely with some great people, both as clients and as contractors and/or candidates. I have recruited for everything from temporary Warehouse staff to Contract GM’s and Contract Country Managers in Europe. One of the things that has always stood out to me as being common across all areas, is how isolated contract and temporary staff can feel at times.

For experienced ‘professional contractors’ this “..goes with the territory..” and they learn to accept it, although its not as easy as some would make out. It is however very different for the increasing number of people who are experiencing temporary/contract work for the first time, due to personal circumstance such as moving location or being made redundant. It is a completely different ball game to Permanent Employment. There is lack of certainty in the role from a length of duration perspective, limited employee benefits (if any), lack of respect from Permanent Employees and an expectation that you can do everything… to name just a few of the things temporary staff and contractors have to deal with.

If you are new to the contract/temp market it can be quite a shock to the system. I remember the first time I temped, it was a 5 week assignment and I was getting through the work quite quickly and was close to finishing by week 4. During that 4th week there was a death in my family and I needed the Friday off to go the funeral. I spoke to my manager who just looked at me and said “fine, as you’ve done most of it we can finish it off so just don’t come back for the final week”, there was no feeling behind his words, no concern for the fact I was going to a funeral just a focus on the job at hand. Which is exactly what a temp or contractor is employed for – to get through the job at hand. It was a complete shock to me, having previously worked in permanent roles where there was genuine care and concern for my well being.

For the experienced contractors reading this, how many times have you sat and watched the rest of your team disappear of to a meeting, whilst you’re left to ‘hold the fort’ (answer the phones more like), miss out on a team lunch or not be invited to the Christmas party at all! Not only do you miss out on the ‘fun’ stuff, you can miss out on the supportive stuff as well. Who do you turn to when you are being bullied at work, who do you talk to about feeling stressed or not coping (EAP doesn’t always apply to contractors or temporary staff), who is there out there for you? Some would say that’s what your agency is there for, I would say depends on how good your consultant is. Some consultants will only think of the $$$ and do their best to keep you working for their client regardless, whilst some ignore any issue by ignoring your calls. A few will actually be ‘Consultants’ and actually listen and work with you (but these are few and far between I’m afraid). And then there are contractors who don’t work through agencies – “Sole-traders” who contract directly to the client.

So what can you do if you are finding it tough at work or feel that you are not getting the professional development advise you need? Firstly, know that you are not alone and that many contractors and temps feel the same way. Network hard with other contractors when you can, so you build a support group of fellow professionals who know how you feel. Talk to whoever has been involved in the process of getting you placed in your role and explain what’s happening. Talk to your Manager or HR Manager at your assignment company, they will want the assignment to work out as much as you do and still have some legal obligations to meet. Share your worries with friends, family, counsellor etc, bottling it up won’t make it go away.

The key thing, if you’ve not been in this market before is to be prepared for the fact it will be different. I’m certainly not wanting to paint a bad picture of this type of work, (on the contrary I think it’s a great way of working and know a number of contractors who would never look at a Permanent role again) but want those new to this contract world to be aware of some of what to expect.

Watch out here as I think I’ll put another more detailed blog together for those who are new to this type of work – watch this space.

If you are a temp or contractor I'd be keen to hear your thoughts

How well do you know your counsellor/coach?

Sun, 02 May 2010 10:38:00 +1200

Some things you should know

Having been a counsellor and coach for a number of years now, it has always astounded me as to how little some clients actually know about their Counsellor/Coach (I’ll use the word counsellor from here to cover both terms) . Clients share some of their most intimate parts of their world with their Counsellor and rely on his/her expertise and guidance. Yet so many clients don’t fully understand what their counsellors qualifications or experience really are.

Some question is it really that important to know anything about your counsellor and some counsellors would argue that there is very little about themselves that they would like to share with their clients. I am not advocating that counsellors disclose to clients their full life’s history – afterall the sessions are about the client not the counsellor.

My view is that clients should find out more about their counsellor before embarking on a series of sessions. The relationship with your counsellor if a very unique and personal/intimate one and a connection with your counsellor is very important in the success of the relationship. Just a general background about the counsellor is a good start, so that clients can get a ‘feel’ for whether a counsellor is on their wave length.

I feel that understanding your counsellors qualification is of equal importance. I am a very proud member of the NZAC (New Zealand Association of Counsellors) and the ICF (International Coaching Federation) but I often wonder how many of my clients know what this means. I am not saying that being a member of these organisations makes me a fantastic practitioner, but it does hold me accountable. It demonstrates to clients that I have achieved a level of training and that there is a code of ethics that I adhere to (my website has the information on these codes if you are interested). By being a member of a professional body, it also provides clients with a process for complaint should the need arise.

Unfortunately, membership of any of the governing bodies is voluntary and at the current time there are a number of practitioners that are working with clients and have had very little or no training at all and are accountable to no-one. I am certainly not saying that all counsellors that are members of professional bodies are great and all those that aren’t are terrible. I know some excellent counsellors who have chosen not to be a member of their professional bodies for their own reasons, as I have also heard some terrible stories about counsellors who are members of their professional bodies and clients have had a horrendous experience (but due to lack of knowledge were not in a position to do anything about it.)

My encouragement is for all clients to at the very least check out in more detail information about your counsellor and ask them about their training and qualifications. At least then as a client you know who it is you are working with and you can make an informed choice.

Online Counselling and Coaching

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:46:00 +1200

Online Counselling – what’s it all about?

It appears that counsellors and coaches are finally catching up with technology and have discovered ways of interacting with their clients online. Not only as a means of keeping in touch, but as a way of actually conducting sessions with clients. Having had the Online sessions available to my clients for a few months now I wanted to share my experiences and thoughts.

So how does it work? Very simply, it’s a way of client and coach conducting a coaching session through the internet. The actual practicalities of it depend very much on the individuals involved, with some practitioners preferring to use a webcam and microphone whilst others are providing sessions via Instant messaging (IM), or a combination of the two. For me I have gone with the IM option only at this point, just because I am not convinced the quality of the webcam images is at a good enough stage yet. It’s OK for my parents in the UK to see their grandchildren every few weeks, but it really isn’t of any useable quality to conduct a counselling or coaching session, the picture delay and stilted fuzzy image just isn’t good enough.

From my experience the online sessions I have conducted with clients have been good. There are a number of things that you have to bear in mind and it can take a bit of getting used to. I think one of the hardest things is having patience, it takes time for each party to type what they are wanting to say, especially if they change their mind half way through and start again. This can make the sessions appear a little slow, but for me that is one of the benefits of this type of interaction as it gives the client the option to spend time thinking about their response. There are several other key benefits to clients with this type of coaching; its completely anonymous, enables you to have a session from the comfort of your own home at a time that suits you, writing responses to questions is therapeutic and in our age of technology more and more people are living more of their lives online so it is a comfortable medium of communication for most people.

The drawbacks with Online sessions are that they can appear a little slow (as mentioned above) and this can be even slower if either party isn’t the quickest at typing. There is also the difficulty in conveying emotion when typing and what is written can be easily mis-interpreted. (I’m sure we’ve all had experience of this with email or text messaging). There is also the issue of privacy/confidentiality of the information as the chat session remains on the account that the client has used, unless they delete it. Online counselling is also not suitable for clients that are ‘at risk’ ie when there are issues of personal safety or harm

The clients that I have worked with for online counselling have found it overall a positive experience. They have had a number of different reasons for using this method of communication; one client lives in a small local town where everyone knows everyone, another has re-located to the UK and wants to continue our counselling relationship, another finds it hard to make the times I am available for face to face sessions and so we can chat at time to suit her. Interestingly the last 2 examples mentioned here are clients that I have met for face to face sessions before and this does enhance the online counselling experience for both parties.

I believe there is certainly a place for this type of counselling/coaching and providing all parties are aware of how it works and are happy to make it work then I think it can add real value. I don’t think it will ever be as good as face to face counselling/coaching sessions as the relationship between the coach and client is intimate and personal, which is a little harder to embrace over a keyboard and screen. Although as video conferencing and webcam capabilities increase then who knows where we will be in 5 years time, emotions can be conveyed over the internet – I just have to see my parents joy at seeing their grandchildren from over 12,000 miles away to know that, its just not at a good enough level yet for counselling.

Goal Setting for 2010

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 19:20:58 +1300

How are your goals for 2010?

As February draws to a close we are already 2 months in to a new decade. Now is a great time to just check back and see how you are going with those goals that you set at the start of the year... you know the ones... not the New Years resolutions (although it is worth thinking about those), but the prepared goals that are part of your "Life Plan", you know the ones that are going to get you to where you want to be on your journey through Life.

You haven't got any? Oh, you had some loose ideas about what you wanted to do, but haven't done any more about it? Or did you not have any goals at all for this year? That's OK. Really it is, because if you are reading this then there is some level of interest from you that you want to achieve something in 2010.

It is not unusual for people to feel that all the hopes for 2010 and the things they wanted to achieve are now just a distant memory, particularly if those best intentions have fallen by the way side. But all is not lost if you are wanting to make some changes and achieve some goals in 2010.

Before diving in and trying to make a ‘fresh start’ on what you want to achieve. You should first look at what has stopped you working towards your goals so far this year. What was your process for setting the goals and what were your plans for achieving them – are there some changes that need to be made here? Are those the right goals for you, where are you on a scale of 1 – 10 with your desire to achieve those goals. Anything less than a 7 and we need to talk about if they are the right goals for you….anything over a 7 and we need to talk to find out what’s getting in the way of you achieving these goals.

If you didn’t have any goals for this year but are now thinking that there is something that you want to achieve then it isn’t too late. It is never too late to make the changes that you want to make in your life. If you haven’t started yet, the good thing is that you are in a position where you can start off by making realistic goals that are going to take you forward and make a difference to your LIFE.

If you want to succeed in setting and achieving your goals then I encourage you to talk to someone that can help you achieve that. If you feel that someone could be me, then get in touch and we can talk about what’s right for you. If it’s not me then I hope you find the right coach for you (have a look at my free guide on what to look for in a Life Coach)

"Look to the future, because that is where you'll spend the rest of your life."
- George Burns

Coping with Redundancy

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:10:00 +1300

Some tips on how to cope with redundancy from someone who's been there.

‘Redundancy” is a word that can send a shiver down most peoples spines. It can be one of the most stressful and emotional processes that someone ever has to go through in their work life. Having been through the process myself I know how it feels and having working with a number of people dealing with it now, I know how tough it is on everyone.

I was made redundant 4 years ago from a small boutique recruitment business and the process left me completely decimated. It came completely out of the blue (which happens in many cases) and was a torturous process. With the various stages of the process that the company needed to go through and at each stage I became more resigned to my fate, but there was always the glimmer of hope that they might actually change their mind. But they had lost 2 major contracts which accounted for a significant proportion of the business so that was that.

At the time the process was pretty horrendous, especially as my performance was fine, I was meeting my KPI’s, had been with the company for a few years and was part of the senior team (which was the problem, my costs were higher than many of the other consultants). I couldn’t get my head around the fact that I hadn’t done anything wrong, yet I was being told “we don’t want you any more”… well that’s how it felt. I felt rejected, ashamed… a failure. I then had the fear and worry of finding another job to provide for my family.

When I look back to that time, I realise that it was actually the best thing that could’ve happened to me. It was like the universe had said –

“You should’ve left there a while ago as there better things for you to do with your life, your journey needs to continue on a different path. You’ve not seen it yourself so I’m going to make it happen”.

It was like being hit across the face with the ‘wet fish of the universe’ and made to move on.

Through my time as a counsellor and coach I have found that many of my clients that have (or are) going through the process of redundancy have similar experiences. They experience similar feelings, same fears and worries as I did. So how do you cope with this and what can you do to get back in to a positive frame of mind?

Below is a brief list of 10 things you should (or shouldn’t) do to help you get through.

1) Understand and keep telling yourself – it’s not you that has been made redundant but your role in the company. It is not personal and (one of the hardest things to get your head round) is know that it has nothing to do with your performance. You are still that great performing person you were 3 months ago!!

2) Realise that you are not alone in this and that over the last 18 months the number of people experiencing what you are going through has increase incredibly. (little comfort I know, but it is comfort all the same)

3) Take a breath – not the time to panic and make hasty decisions. Talk to your family and friends. Explain what has happened and ask for their support. Talking it through can help. (now might be a good time to see a counsellor/coach to help support and guide you through this challenging time in your life) .

4) One of the most important things is to remain as positive and as confident in your self as possible. Not always an easy thing to do, but vital for you to be in the right space to be able to decide what to do next and to be able to promote yourself in whatever you decide to do next

5) Keep your routine. Try and continue to get up at your usual time and go through your usual routine. After all you now have a new job – The job of deciding what are you going to do next and then implementing that plan.

6) Continue to eat well. You need all the energy you can get and eating healthy food can help to boost the energy levels and thought processes

7) Avoid excessive alcohol and drug use. It’s easy to reach for whatever appears to soothe the pain, but reality is always there the next day and it’s a lot harder to focus on what you need to do to get your life back on track through the pain of a hangover.

8) Get your CV updated. This is a painful process for many people as they haven’t kept it up to date and therefore there is quite a bit of work to do on it. Your helpful career coach/counsellor should be able to help you with this if needed. Remember, this is your sales document that sells you and your skills. It’s got to be good to get you an interview

9) Don’t be bitter. Try not to waste energy on things you can’t change or doesn’t matter. No matter how ‘hard done by’ you feel, feeling angry and bitter towards the company just makes you feel worse and takes away energy from what you should be focusing on.

10) Budget wisely. If you can get some control on your expenses this can help you to cope with the reduced household income. There is no point putting your head in the sand and refusing to look at the bank account and open the bills when they arrive. Talk to a budget advisor and your bank.

Most important of all is to make sure that you talk to someone and share the process. A partner, family member, husband/wife, friend, counsellor/coach anyone who is supportive of you. This is a traumatic experience and one which is very hard to work through on your own.

As hard as it is, for many people it is also the start of a new chapter in their lives. An opportunity to re-evaluate what is important, draw up some new goals and live a different life. For others it’s a chance to do a similar role with a different company which stimulates and challenges them (and might even pay more than they were on before). Ultimately it is down to YOU as to how the future plays out and it is YOU who has to get through this hurdle, because that’s all it is, on of life’s hurdles and we’ve all had plenty of them to deal with….and I’m afraid there will be plenty more further down the path.

a job in two clicks

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 07:58:00 +1300

How to apply for a job, it's not as easy as you think

Applying for a job has never been easier, a couple of clicks of the mouse and you can send your application off to as many jobs as you like. You don’t need to sit down with a cup of coffee to go through the application process, it can all be done in the time it takes the kettle to boil. Simple and easy….or is it?

This ease with which computers, email and websites allow candidates to apply for jobs is proving to be the downfall for many applicants in the current market. When I started in recruitment 15 years ago we would receive a number of hand written application letters with CV’s attached. Of these hand written applications, the vast majority were very well presented and some even a bit querky – one colleague was sent a slice of cake and a sachet of coffee with the line – “have a coffee and cake on me whilst you read my application”.

Why am I mentioning hand written letters now, in this technological age? The reason is these applicants had taken time to go through their application process, the candidate had made an effort to make their application specific to the role they were applying for. Most of the handwritten applications were from people who were reasonably closely suited to the role and actually got interviews for the jobs.

There seems to be a real lack of thought from applicants in the market at the current time, which is surprising as now, more than ever, applicants need to be trying to stand out from the crowd. With employers receiving over 200 applicants for roles, as a candidate you need to be standing out from everyone else. The two clicks approach to applying for a job is resulting in many candidates falling short of the mark and not getting an interview as they are not standing out from the crowd.

Whilst I am not saying applicants should go back to applying for jobs with hard copies of CV’s and hand written covering letters, I am saying that the effort required todo that antiquated process is still required today. Candidates must take time to draft a covering letter/email which they submit with their CV, this must be relevant to the job (not a standard letter) and highlight the candidates skills in relation to the job.

By not taking this time and effort, candidates are wasting everyone’s time and increasing their own anxiety and frustration at not finding their next role. The stories I hear from some of my career coaching clients when they first come to see me is that they have made lots of applications and are very depressed at receiving lots of rejections (and in many cases not hearing anything at all). When we review their application process I usually find that they are firing their CV out to any role that sounds vaguely like something they would like to do, have no covering letter stating why they are skilled at the role and in more than one clients case the covering ‘note’ (I can’t call 6 lines of text a letter) was in each case addressed to Mr J. Johnson – the client had not even bothered to change the addressee on their standard letter…….and applicants wonder why they don’t even get a response to their applications and the response they get is a rejection.

Rejection is hard for anyone, but by making large numbers of applications that aren’t thought out or approached in the right way will result in more rejection. More rejection leads to more frustration and desperation which in turn can lead to a view that “I must apply for more jobs” and so the cycle continues.

Part of the solution is to look at the approach you as a candidate is taking through the application process. With a strong, relevant covering letter that is addressed correctly and a well structured CV you will be ahead of probably 50% of the other applicants applying for the role and although this doesn’t guarantee you will get the job, I would say that’s a pretty good start.