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Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) is a university-level institution in the South-East of Ireland with over 10,000 students and 1000 staff. WIT offers tuition and research programmes in various areas up to PhD level.
WIT News
by Dr Brigid Milner
We are living in difficult times. Those seeking employment face much greater competition for a more limited number of roles and securing a job presents a particular challenge to those new to the job market (school leavers and graduates) or returning to work after a lengthy period. Their skill and competency set may be less well developed than those job seekers with experience. In the days of the ‘Celtic Tiger’ when employers were engaged in a ‘war for talent’ to meet growing demand for full- and part-time staff, employees were effectively able to walk out of one job (often without even observing the notice period required by the employer) and into another. Those days are gone and the balance of power is now firmly back with the employers who are receiving record numbers of solicited and unsolicited applications, many from highly qualified candidates, often with extensive experience. The good news is that there are still jobs out there but there are fewer and candidates need to be more creative and work considerably harder if they want to land a role. Preparation Having been involved with selection for many years in the private, public and semi-state sectors, I have had the opportunity to view numerous CVs and application forms. Something that has always struck me is how often candidates fail to capture what they have done in their career to date, neglecting to ‘sell themselves’ to a prospective employer. Secondly, I have been struck by the number of errors contained within the CV or form. Your CV or application form is an opportunity for a potential employer to form a first impression of you as an applicant so make sure it’s a positive one! If you are serious about landing yourself a job, you need to develop a ‘high impact’ CV in terms of content and presentation - one which is no longer than two pages. This needs to tell anyone reading it who you are, what you’ve done and what you can do for them! What are your key skills and knowledge? What have you done in your previous roles and what impact have you made? Don’t discount the experience you may have gained in part-time and casual jobs. Give some time to considering the extent to which your skills are transferable to a different type of role and organisation. For example, if you’ve had retail experience, you should be well versed in customer service. All jobs have an element of customer service, whether the customers are internal or external to the organisation. Those working in Human Resource Management (HRM) have a range of internal customers that include employees, line managers and the senior management team of the organisation. So, if you’re looking to get your first job in HR, then make a play on your customer service skills in your CV. Tailor your CV to the role for which you are applying. Consider the layout of your CV and make good use of fonts, headings and colour as appropriate. Avoid the use of abbreviations where possible. Take plenty of care with the layout and make the best use of the page. Use ‘spell check’ and then check closely by hand for spelling, punctuation and layout errors. Ask friends or family members to act as ‘proof readers’. Equally with application forms, make sure that you take time to complete these correctly and neatly, be they in hard copy or online. Very importantly, make sure the information that you provide, either in your CV or in an application form is full and correct. Employers have a right to terminate your employment if it can be shown that you deliberately misled them at the time of application. Opportunities There are a number of ‘sources’ of job opportunities and you may want to consider exploring a number of these simultaneously. With the advent of the internet, newspapers are relied on less for recruitment advertising. However, local publications should be reviewed on a weekly basis as some employers still prefer this traditional mode of job advertising. The internet has become the key vehicle for the majority of recruitment advertising with websites such as www.irishjobs.ie providing significant information about job opportunities. If you’re not familiar with these websites, spend some time exploring them. It’s possible to register for email alerts so you’re notified when particular types of vacancies are posted. This is a useful facility, but do be aware that you need to act quickly as employers (and agencies) frequently close off applications within two weeks of first advertising. Recruitment agencies acting on behalf of employers are also worth contacting, particularly for those with some experience on their CVs. Many agencies are now posting their clients’ vacancies on recruitment websites and then conducting the initial screening of applicants. Be aware that the same role might be posted by two or more agencies. Making an unsolicited application (sending in your CV or completing an application form for suitable roles which may arise in the future with an employer) can have varying levels of success but is always worth a try. Additionally, many jobseekers - especially those applying to smaller organisations - call in person with a CV and ask to speak with the manager or person in charge of recruitment. This has the potential to work well but do be aware that this is your opportunity to make a good first impression and have a positive impact. If you are considering doing this, think about what you want to say in advance. What you say in this situation and how you handle it may be an indication to a future employer of how you might behave in a role. Also give some thought to your appearance – you might end up having an informal interview! With bigger organisations, you’re likely to get a standard letter or email indicating that your application will be held on file for a given period of time. Employers still look at applications on file and assess their suitability when certain types of vacancies arise. From an employer’s perspective, if the pool of candidates appears good enough, they are saved the expense and time of advertising. Using your personal network (friends and relations) can be particularly effective as you are potentially going to be in a position where someone already inside the organisation will recommend you to at least be interviewed for a role. Employers are often very interested in this as a means of filling vacancies - given that existing employees know the organisation, the job and should have some idea of whether a person will ‘fit’ with these. However, this is not without its risks for the person doing the recommending as their reputation and judgment are at stake. Before asking someone about possible opportunities where they work, ask yourself one very important question - would you recommend yourself?! Graduates and those with experience should also consider putting their profile on www.linkedin.com – the professional networking website. LinkedIn allows you post your profile of qualifications and experience and also indicate if you are seeking a new role. You can build your own network by ‘linking’ with others e.g. college classmates or people that you have worked with in the past, some of whom might be aware of roles arising in their own organisations. You can also join special interest groups online where some employers choose to post job opportunities. Additionally, many colleges - including WIT - have formed alumni groups on LinkedIn as an additional means of connecting. Managing Impressions If you are serious about looking for a job, you should be aware that you need to be constantly managing the impression that any potential employer might be forming of you. As already mentioned, both the content and presentation of your CV or application form will allow for an employer to develop that impression, as will any interactions that they have with you. This not only includes face-to-face exchanges but also those by email and by mobile phone. Employers will often discount applications made to them from what they consider to be ‘inappropriate’ email addresses (such applicants are considered to be too much of a risk). Play it safe and use your name and a number if necessary e.g. johnbarnes123@hotmail.com. Equally, think about your voice message on your mobile phone. If a potential employer needed to contact you, would they be happy with what they heard? Go for a standard voice message such as ‘You have reached the voicemail of John Barnes. I’m sorry I can’t take your call at the moment but please leave your message after the tone and I’ll return your call. Thank you.’ Impressions will also be formed as part of the interviewing process, not only based on what you say and how you behave but also on how you present yourself. Presentation is crucial, particularly for jobs in the service sector, where you are likely to be interacting directly with external customers or clients and hence become the ‘face’ of the organisation. Do dress appropriately for interviews, as the majority of employers will be conservative in this regard. Greet your interviewers with a firm handshake. Very importantly, maintain eye contact throughout the course of the interview. Also think about your body language – is it saying ‘relaxed and confident’? Consider smiling occasionally! Preparing for Interviews If you are called for an interview, preparation is essential. Do some research on the organisation - look at their website and get a feel for who they are and what they do. For smaller organisations, e.g. a shop, go to their premises and have a look around. What do they do? What do they sell? Who are their customers? Not doing this research can seriously impair your chances of landing the role. There are some standard interview questions to which you should give some thought in advance. These include: • Tell me/us about yourself. Give considerable time to practising your answers so that during the interview itself, your responses will flow smoothly. Also, think about what questions (if any) you want to ask the interviewer(s). There are a number of other selection methods that employers also deploy when filling roles - including various forms of psychometric testing. These can include personality questionnaires to establish the extent of your potential ‘fit’ with the role and/or organisation and also aptitude tests. In relation to the former, just answer each question honestly as this will reveal your preferences for various types of behaviours and, hence, facets of your personality. For aptitude tests that involve verbal and mathematical reasoning, there are various texts that can be purchased at good bookshops which will provide you with suitable practice questions. Use your time well For those who are not currently working, it’s important to show a potential employer how you fill your days. In between the considerable time that it takes to apply for various roles, make sure that you are spending your days productively. If you are a graduate in a specialist area or an experienced professional, what are you doing to keep up-to-date with your discipline? Equally, could you consider doing some voluntary work that will enhance your CV while also allowing you stay active and maintain confidence? Finally, accept that securing a position is likely to take time. Be patient, stay positive and accept that searching and applying for roles should now be your primary focus. • Dr Brigid M Milner, Chartered FCIPD, is a Lecturer in Human Resource Management at the School of Business in Waterford Institute of Technology and is a certified executive coach and workplace mediator. She can be contacted at bmilner@wit.ie. This article also appears in the current edition of BizBites, the School of Business magazine edited by Pat Ryan, Lecturer in Economics. |
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