jdconsulting

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I’m just back from a lovely holiday in Bologna, Italy. Even though I managed to switch off and have a great break, there was one inspiring man who I met on my holiday who really got me thinking about career choices.

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In my work, I often meet people who are dissatisfied in their working lives – this can range from being a small concern to a crippling burden that they carry through every aspect of their life. As a career coach, I am in the fortunate position to be able to help people to find their niche and create a career that they both enjoy and find rewarding. Sometimes I meet someone who has already done this, they have found a career which is right for them. These people are quite easy to spot because they ooze confidence and throw so much energy into what they do.

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This man, Alessandro, has done exactly that. Bologna is a real foodie city,  in fact it is known as la grassa (the  fat one) and Alessandro is one of the many food lovers who resides there. Through glowing recommendations that we found on TripAdvisor, myself and my husband embarked on a one day foodie tour  of the region which was led by the very passionate and inspiring Alessandro. With great knowledge, energy  and vitality, he took us on a foodie tour which included a Parmigiano Reggiano factory, a Balsamico  production house, a Proscuitto factory and a wonderful, authentic Italian lunch. Well, who knew such an  itinerary could be so much fun and so memorable?

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I was so inspired by Alessandro and the fact that his career choice just seemed to fit him like a glove that I asked him about how he had found himself setting up his Italian Days business and leading the tours. His answer was really very simple (which reminded me how simple it can be). He had been working in a hotel at the time, some parts of which he enjoyed but it wasn’t fulfilling him so he sat down and thought about where his passions lay and came up with three things; food, entertaining others and meeting people from around the world. He then simply worked out what he could do to incorporate these critical three elements and Italian Days was born.

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It can often be easy to over-complicate things when we are considering our career choices but sometimes simply identifying what you enjoy and what you’re good at is the vital first step that is so often neglected. That’s what Alessandro did and he is now a very happy and inspiring man.

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This entry was written by Judith Drysdale, Director at jdconsulting, www.jdconsulting.uk.com

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The STAR technique is an invaluable technique when it comes to answering competency based interview questions. It takes a bit of practice but once you’ve got it, you’ll never look back.

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STAR is an acronym which stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result. Let’s break it down:

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Situation

This is the introduction where you set the scene and put the specific example of the competency that you are about to give into context. This should be clear and succinct and if it’s an external interview, it should be jargon-free.

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Task

This is where you describe what your objective was in the example that you’re providing i.e. what it was that you set out to achieve. This again should be brief and to the point. The Situation and Task are simply providing the background so that your example of the competency makes sense.

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Action

This is the critical part of your answer, this is where you are actually providing evidence of how you demonstrated the competency. This should be the most detailed part of your answer (about 70% of your total answer) and should break down step by step what you did. You should use the word “I” as much as possible to show that you effectively demonstrated the competency. Try not to fall into the trap of assuming that your interviewer will know what you did, unless you tell them, they don’t know whether or not you can fully demonstrate the competency therefore make sure that you go into relevant detail.

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Result

This should tie back to the task in terms of what you set out to do and what you actually achieved. In some examples this will be quantifiable (e.g. as a result we increased market share by 1.5%) or you may be able to qualify the results (e.g. resulting in outstanding feedback from the Project Manager.) Like the Situation and the Task, the Result should be brief and clear.

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It is very helpful to prepare several examples of your competencies in the STAR format and then practice them with a friend or career coach prior to any interview. To find out more about competency based interviews have a look at this blog post.

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This entry was written by Judith Drysdale, Director at jdconsulting, www.jdconsulting.uk.com

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Often people find the thought of a competency based interview a daunting prospect so I thought I’d write a post to dispel some of the concerns that you might have.

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What’s a Competency?

A competency is a knowledge, ability or expertise in a specific subject area or skill set. A company will identify the competencies that you need in order to be effective at the job for which you are applying. The competencies will vary depending on the role you are going for but may include; Communication, Teamwork, Influencing and Leadership.

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The Theory

The reason that competency based interviews were introduced was because some companies were finding that candidates were promising the world at interview but the reality was that once they were doing the job, they weren’t quite as good as they’d said that they would be! The theory of competency based interviews is that “past behaviour is the best predictor of future performance.” In other words, if you can provide sound evidence that you have effectively demonstrated a competency in the past then your future employer believes that means that you will be able to use that skill effectively when you are working for them.

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The Questions

You will be asked to provide evidence of when you have demonstrated a particular competency in the past. The questions are often worded in the following ways:

• Give me an example of a situation when…
• Tell me about a time when…
• Describe a situation when…

E.g. if the competency that you’re being asked about is Teamwork, the question might be; Tell me about a time when you worked as part of a team to complete a task.

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The Answers

It’s really important that you give a specific example, I can’t emphasise that word specific enough… they don’t want a generic example, they want to find out about a particular situation that you have been in when you effectively demonstrated the competency. Try to come up with examples in the last 3 years to show that you have these skills now. Have a look at this blog post to remind yourself of what you’ve done. There is a very useful technique called the STAR technique which can be adopted to ensure that you give a full and thorough answer – much more about the STAR technique in my next blog post.

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This entry was written by Judith Drysdale, Director at jdconsulting, www.jdconsulting.uk.com

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I have just spent a really enjoyable hour chatting to Esther Caines who is the Manager of the HR Division at Search Consultancy in Edinburgh. Esther has worked in recruitment for over 10 years and has a very successful track record which means that her experience and thoughts are valuable to anyone who is currently looking for a job and is keen to use recruitment consultancies as an effective route to the job market.

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I started by explaining that the reason I was keen to do this interview was because more and more of my career coaching clients are feeding back to me that the service that they are receiving from recruitment agencies is (often far) below their expectations. I was really keen to find out why this is happening and how candidates can help themselves to work effectively with recruitment agencies.

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In what ways do you think the recruitment market has changed over the last 18 months?

• Networking is key - It very much depends on the sector that you are working in but generally I would say that the main change has been in the way people go about looking for a job. Those who are well networked and in touch with their contacts, will find it easier to pick up work and will find a job quicker. You have to make an effort and put yourself out there, for some people that’s a step outside their comfort zone but it’s really important. Your job search needs to be a blended mix of adverts, agencies, networking and applying directly.
• There are jobs - Two years ago it was par for the course for companies to use recruitment agencies but now there are much more direct responses. Good candidates are getting snapped up quickly so we still have shortages in certain senior areas. It’s false to think that there are no jobs out there, there are jobs but often they are very specific roles that require a specific skills set. A lot of clients are being very specific about what candidates they’ll consider. I’m looking forward to getting away from this.
• Social Media - In less than a year, the impact that social media has had is unbelievable and things like LinkedIn and Twitter are growing all the time. We track where all of our candidates come from and there has been a significant increase in those coming through these social media sources.

How can candidates give themselves the best chance of being successful with recruitment consultants?

• Phone first - Because of the way the market has changed, it’s really important for candidate’s approach to change. I like it when candidates phone me before sending their CV – it means that we establish a dialogue and build rapport straight away. It also means that when I receive their CV, it stands out and isn’t just another name on the list.
  
• Professional CV – It’s really important to have a well written CV, I want to easily see where their last job was, whether or not it’s relevant and which company they were with.
• It’s a partnership – The candidates who I build the most successful relationships with are those who understandthat it’s a partnership – a two way relationship. Yes, I aim to get them a job but I’m also looking for a long-term relationship with my candidates. I’m looking for someone who is clear about what they are looking for but that needs to be balanced with having an open mind and beingflexible about the opportunities that they’ll consider given the current market.

What makes a good candidate stand out from an average candidate?

• Career path - Someone who knows what they’re looking for in their career. I like someone who has had a career to date, has had career progression and is looking to further themselves. I like someone who has managed their career properly, someone who hasn’t jumped around too much. A well managed career path is attractive. If someone has been in a role for a significant time, they have had a chance to deliver.
• Get in touch - It’s about building a relationship with me so I like it if someone sends an email addressed to me or they phone me directly. If someone leaves me a message, I will always return their call.
• Commitment - It’s important for a candidate to be well presented both in their CV and in person – it means they’re taking their job and taking me seriously. Candidates need to show that they are committed to their career and what they want to do, they can do things like voluntary work pertinent to their job search or write an article for a publication – it is likely to be read by someone relevant and is a great addition to their CV.

Once you are representing a candidate, what is the best way and in what frequency should they keep in touch?

• Regular contact - It’s vacancy led so it depends on the candidate. If I’m representing a candidate for a vacancy then I’ll keep in touch with them regularly to keep them up-to-date with progress. It’s frustrating if I’m working with a candidate and actively trying to find a role for them and then find that they’ve found another job without letting me know. This goes back to my earlier point that it’s a two-way relationship.
• Have a reason to call - The candidates that I’ve got a good relationship with but don’t have a role currently, it’s good to speak to at least every two weeks. I don’t mind candidates calling me every couple of weeks and it’s even better when they have a reason to call me rather than just to ask, “are there any vacancies?” It’s good when candidates phone and let me know that they’ve got other applications and interviews – it shows me that they’re a strong candidate and that they’re in demand.

I’d like to thank Esther for her honest and interesting responses. I welcome your thoughts and comments on this interview.

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This entry was written by Judith Drysdale, Director at jdconsulting, www.jdconsulting.uk.com

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“The horns and halo effect is one in which one person’s judgement of another is unduly influenced by a first impression; it may be either unfavourable (horns) or favourable (halo)”, The Oxford University Press.

We cannot underestimate the powerful and lasting influence that the horns and halo effect has in an interview situation- this all comes down to the importance of the first impression that you make in the first two minutes of an interview.

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Horns Effect - if you make an unfavourable first impression at the very beginning of the interview, the interviewer will make an almost instant decision they he/she can’t see you fitting in to the role/team/organisation for which they are interviewing you. The interviewer will then be looking for the negative in everything else that you say throughout the interview. Your challenge then is to change the interviewers mind and make them believe that you can do the job. Changing their mind is a very difficult thing to do, it is so much easier if you make a positive impression in the first place…

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Halo Effect - If you make a favourable first impression at the beginning of the interview then the interviewer will be looking for the positive in everything that you’re saying and will give you the benefit of the doubt throughout the interview. They have already decided that based on first impressions, you can do the job so you just need to keep them on that track and the job will be yours.

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So how can you make a positive first impression at the start of the interview?

• Look professional – look the part and feel comfortable in what you’re wearing
• Look confident – shoulders back, stand tall when you enter the room, be prepared  - you will then ooze confidence
• Smile – look as if you want to be there
• Make eye contact when you greet the interviewers (nerves can sometimes push our eyes to the floor)
• Have a firm handshake when you greet the interviewer
• Be friendly – show your personality and build rapport

If you do all of these things then you can be sure to make a positive first impression and the Halo effect come into play.

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This entry was written by Judith Drysdale, Director and Coach at jdconsulting,www.jdconsulting.com

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When you are looking for a job, future employers are particularly interested in what you have achieved. Yes they want to know what your job involves so that they can paint a picture of what it is you have done however, it is what you have achieved that will make you stand out and differentiate you from the other people who have similar experience.

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Do you find it difficult to think about what it is you’ve actually achieved? You feel as if you’ve just been doing your job, doing what you were paid to do? An achievement doesn’t have to be something enormous that changed the world, it can be something small but significant such as, an idea that you came up with that resulted in improved efficiency in your department. If you are finding it challenging to think of what you have achieved, try these sources:

• Past Appraisals or Performance Reviews
• Certificates – Education, Qualifications
• Company or Industry Awards
• Emails/Letters of thanks
• References from previous employers
• Recommendations on LinkedIn
• Referrals that you have received
• Your manager, your colleagues, your clients – they will often remember things that you have done

By using these sources, you will be able to gather evidence of what you have achieved. You can then use this evidence when you are writing your CV and when you are selling yourself at interview. Some of these items will become part of your brag file.

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This entry was written by Judith Drysdale, Director and Coach at jdconsulting,www.jdconsulting.com

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There is a huge choice of careers out there, so many exciting opportunities to choose from. I have attempted to put together a comprehensive (but not exhaustive) list of career options to which you can refer.

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Whether you are at the beginning of your working life and deciding where you would like to start your career or you are looking for a change of career and keen to find out what opportunities might utilise your transferable skills, this list should provide you with some useful food for thought.

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Click here to read the A – Z list of careers

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I welcome your thoughts on this list and will happily add any other suggestions that you might have.

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This entry was written by Judith Drysdale, Director at jdconsulting, www.jdconsulting.uk.com

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I have just interviewed Rachel Newell, Managing Director of Max Resourcing, a successful recruitment consultancy specialising in placing professionals and senior managers within the clinical, pharmaceutical and healthcare industries across Europe.

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Rachel was happy to share her expertise with me on how her team at Max Resourcing have had a great deal of success using LinkedIn to source candidates. She also provided some advice to help you optimise your chances of being found by relevant recruiters. Rachel started by sharing some very interesting and bang up to date LinkedIn statistics with me :

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Rachel: There are currently 66,000 recruiters using LinkedIn in the UK alone and LinkedIn has 70 million users worldwide.

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Judith: What percentage of your placements come through LinkedIn?

Rachel: 33% of our placements last year were candidates who we found through LinkedIn, this is the single largest source of candidates for us.

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Judith: How do you go about sourcing candidates through LinkedIn?

Rachel: We have paid to be a featured user which gives us some additional tools to be able to search for people and send messages to them. We do a key word search on such criteria as industry experience, geographical area, qualifications and job title. We will then review the profiles that come up from the search and contact the candidates who meet the criteria through InMail. There is a limited word count that we can use in InMail so we can only send a brief message to candidates to let them know about the role we are recruiting and we will ask the candidate to connect with us. Once we are connected we can have an open dialogue with the candidate and find out if it is the right opportunity for them.

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Judith: How can candidates make sure that their profile is found by appropriate recruiters?

Rachel: There are several things that candidates can do to give themselves the best chance of being found by the right recruiters:

• Job title – some companies use unusual job titles which will not be easy to find in a key word search – try to use a more generic title which will be easy to find, for example if your job title is Regional Sales Manager but you are actually a 2nd line manager, you’d be better to put National Sales Manager in the job title if that is the more common title for your role. You can mention your actual job title in the sub-text
• Key words – use the key words that are relevant to your role several times in your profile. It works in a similar way to SEO in websites – the more often you mention the key words, the more likely your profile is to come up in a recruiters search.
• Join Groups – If you join several groups within you area of expertise and get involved in discussions, it will increase your profile and again you’ll be more likely to come up in a recruiters’ search, it will optimise your chances.
• Career history – you only need to show your relevant career history, usually showing your last three jobs is enough. Try to show the career progression that you have had.
• Qualifications – it’s a client led climate currently, so in order to make yourself stand out, include all the details of your qualifications – it might just give you the edge.
• Career Opportunities – we only contact people who state on their profile that they are looking at career opportunities. In your Profile, Account and Settings, make sure that you put a tick to show that you are interested in Career Opportunities.

Judith: What other advice would you give to someone who is seeking a job in this time of online networking?

Rachel: Start thinking about your own network and make sure that you regularly update your contacts, very often people find that the key influencers and decision makers are within their own network. I would also urge people to realise that HR Directors will often do a search online before inviting a candidate for interview – 80% are using social media to support their recruitment process of which over 95% are using LinkedIn and many of them will use facebook as a back up. Remember, ‘what goes on in Vegas does not stay in Vegas anymore.’

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Many thanks to Rachel for sharing her expertise with us and for being as helpful and informative as ever.

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This entry was written by Judith Drysdale, Director at jdconsulting, www.jdconsulting.uk.com

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“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is a command dating back to biblical times and is advice which is still regularly handed out today usually in the form of; “treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.”

In many situations this is sound advice however what it overlooks is the fact that we’re all different, instead it makes the assumption that we all like to be treated in the same way. Many managers follow this advice and make the assumption that what motivates the members of their team is the same as what motivates them and they manage their team in the way that they like to be managed themselves. This approach may work with some members of your team however, one size does not fit all and each individual needs to be treated as just that, an individual. For example, for some people being praised in public can be very motivational, for others the very same action can cause excruciating embarrassment and consequently be incredibly de-motivating.

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It’s critical to ask each member of your team what motivates them and how they like to be managed, only by doing this can you possibly get the best out of them. So, the platinum rule is to treat people as individuals and with respect and…

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“Do unto others as they would have you do unto them.”

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This entry was written by Judith Drysdale, Director at jdconsulting, www.jdconsulting.uk.com

You’ve decided that now is the time for a job move or maybe a complete career change so what’s the first step?

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You may have been thinking about it for a while, maybe even years and you’ve now decided that you’re ready for a change of job or career or maybe the decision has been made for you and you’re facing redundancy.

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Often when people find themselves in this position, their knee-jerk reaction is to update their CV, trawl through the recruitment pages in newspapers and jobsites and apply to anything and everything that they can. If you do this, you might be lucky and land the right job but the more likely outcome is that you rush into something that isn’t the right career move for you and find yourself looking for your ideal job again within a year.

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The first step should be doing something that I suspect you rarely dedicate much (if any) time to – focusing on you. Before you start looking for a job it’s really important to have a good understanding of yourself, what you have to offer and what you are looking for in your career. There are lots of useful self appraisal exercises that you can do to help you to identify your transferable skills, values, career anchors and what your needs are at this stage in your career and life.

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Once you have confidence in yourself and know what you have to offer the job market, you are in a strong position to look at your career options and then pursue your career goal.

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This entry was written by Judith Drysdale, Director and Coach at jdconsulting, www.jdconsulting.uk.com

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