First Impressions - Is There a Second Chance

First Impressions - Is There a Second Chance (And Oy! that applies to hiring clients as well as candidates!) I often wonder what people think of me when they meet me for the first time. Do they make an instant judgement of me based on what I am wearing, how I am feeling that day or the context of the meeting? And is the impression I give to them, the one that I would want them to have of me? Candidate checklist: Within a recruitment context, we often talk about creating the right 1st impression in an interview, don’t we?  Heres the checklist for “good 1st impression” for the candidate: A smart new suit (not shiny or too trendy), top-to-toe elegance and professionalism immaculate hair, nails, shoes and tie if a man. A good strong handshake. Good, regular eye contact not too much but not too little either. Fresh breath no cigarette, garlic or wine breath allowed! Smile and be friendly and approachable. Build a rapport with the interviewer and follow their lead if they create small talk to soften the atmosphere. Do all the above whilst being ushered into a meeting room and manage to sit graciously at a desk and accept a drink if offered. Remember also that the 1st impression you create is not just with the interviewer. It is also with the PA, Office Manager and the colleague that meets and greets you or walks past you in reception. It is the person who buzzes you in.  The 1st impression you create when engaging with a new potential employer is actually plus-fold. If you follow all of this advice and remain genuine, you will be memorable and have a good chance to prove why you are the right person for this business â€" if they turn out to be the right business for you! Butclients! Have YOU remembered that YOU also need to create a good first impression?  In candidate-driven markets (which is the case in so many sectors now, including R2R and LONG may it last), all too often a first impression of a company can be misguided if the interviewer hasn’t followed their own essential checklist too: Client checklist: Here is the checklist for a “good 1st impression” for the hiring client: Make sure the exterior and reception area of your office is neat, clean and welcoming. Ideally, have on a coffee table some literature and even awards/testimonials on show to start the grooming process for the candidate! Your chance to allow a candidate to window shop, before you have even met them! Whoever has greeted them needs to offer them refreshments upon arrival. Nothing worse than sitting there thirsty. Rules of hospitality apply as you would to any guest! You also need a good, strong handshake, to be suited and booted and to follow the above checklist about demeanour, presentation and rapport! You have a job to do too. If this candidate turns out to be your next best hire, you need to convince them that they should choose you! Don’t turn the candidate off by starting with probing questions straight away. This is your chance to settle them and tell them all your USPs and why it’s a great company to work for. It is your job to make them desire your opportunity! Do second chances exist? And if, in both instances, you don’t follow these rules, is it possible to start again and have a second chance of a first impression? I personally don’t think so. I  think that recruiters are naturally instinctive and so can see through whether it is likely to be nerves as oppose to something else. So remember that each and every time you meet someone. What is the 1st impression you want someone to have on you? Remember the checklists each and every time you meet anyone (as the list is not exclusive to a recruitment scenario it can apply to client meetings too!)

Things You Can Be Thankful For At The Thanksgiving Table

Things You Can Be Thankful For At The Thanksgiving Table Happy Thanksgiving! There are many things to love about Thanksgiving and the Holidays in general: quality-time with family and/or friends, great (home-made) food, Football, and maybe even Black Friday. For the exact same reasons, maybe with the exception of Football, people will also tell you that they dread Thanksgiving. Its understandable after all time with family and friends can be stressful, meal preparation is definitely stressful and dont get me started on Black Friday and Holiday shopping. As a foreigner, Thanksgiving Day wasnt celebrated in any of the countries that I lived in or visited, at least an entire day wasnt dedicated to it. This year is my sixth Thanksgiving and I have to say, along with the 4th of July, it has become one of my favorite holidays. More than anything else, I think it provides people with an opportunity to be both  celebratory  and reflective, and in so doing, give thanks which is something that most of us do not do nearly as much as we should. Ive had a pretty interesting year, a year that has been difficult in many ways; a year that I have grown a lot. I think many of us have. Ive shared a few things on here throughout the year but the devil is in the details so we just wont go into them right now. Still, as my mother would advise, if youre alive, there is always something to be thankful for and despite this year, I have many so many things to be thankful for and if you take a minute to reflect, you probably do too. So, before we get lost in all the things that we think are stressful, let us take a moment to be thankful. And if youre struggling to find some things, especially things to say at the thanksgiving table, heres a list you can borrow from: You are alive. I know sometimes it may not seem like something to be grateful for, but youve made it to now despite all the growing pains of life and youve probably made someones day at least one time this year. You have family and friends. The importance of family cannot be  overemphasized, and I know this because my nuclear family is spread in three different countries, not to even mention my extended family, and we dont spend holidays together every year and I miss them dearly. Still, the friends that I have made since moving here are like family; they are family. Everyone who loves you and wants to be with you today is your family. Yes, this family drives us crazy and we complain about them till were blue in the face but when it comes down to it, whos got your back? Thats what I thought. You are healthy. To understand the value of health, just visit a local clinic or hospital during the Holidays and youll never undervalue it again. If you can run or bike or walk without any problems, you are winning at life. You have things cell phones, computers, cars, clothes, etc. (You have really nice things!) You have a job some kind of job, any kind of job and the bills are getting paid somehow. You have a degree or youre in school or youre making plans to go to school. You have food on the table. You have a table. You also have a bed. I think you get the point. The list goes on and on. The things that we take for granted every day; today is the day to be thankful for them. The things that matter the most, today is the day to be thankful for them. And if this list is just too corny or too simplistic for you, let me add another thing you can be thankful for: You have hope. Whatever this year has brought you, youve made it this far and that hope, that fragile yet powerful hope that gives you notions of a better tomorrow, can allow you to be thankful for today. I hope that helps. Happy Thanksgiving!

Sooqini a new marketplace, making students money, one task at a time

Sooqini â€" a new marketplace, making students money, one task at a time Sooqini â€" a UK mobile and online marketplace is recruiting students and local businesses who would like to earn extra money by offering their time and skills. With already almost 10,000 students and small businesses signed up, and the support of UK Trade Investment (UKTI), Sooqini is changing how people get things done. Sooqini is the first UK marketplace for tasks: outsource any To-Dos to trusted local communities whose members can then sell their skills to do them. Every new request is an opportunity to earn money for someone. Making money can be as easy as tutoring a fellow student, assembling some IKEA furniture, selling tickets, teaching someone how to play squash, cleaning or delivering a meal. Students can not only get extra money around their study schedule, but also build a reputation with ratings and feedback to help them become more employable. The process is easy: sellers sign up for alerts and are automatically notified if the right job is out there, or can respond directly to jobs around them. After a buyer accepts an offer, sellers can then be paid using PayPal or cash. Ratings and feedback are exchanged to build a community of trust as on eBay and Amazon. Dealmaker Judith Moreton at the UKTI’s Global Entrepreneurship Programmer commented “GEP is proud to be supporting an exciting new company like Sooqini, and is particularly pleased with its potential to build communities, and to bring many more people into the paid work sector in these difficult economic times.” 0

Subtle Sexism 48 Things Women Hear That Men Dont - Classy Career Girl

Subtle Sexism 48 Things Women Hear That Men Dont In a new video from Huffington Post,  48 real women reveal things that they hear in a lifetime that men just dont, otherwise known as subtle sexism. We are told how we should conduct ourselves from childhood, how to behave correctly as young women in high school and college, and even later on as grown women. According to Huffington Post, In the video, watch as girls and women deliver messages youd never say to a boy or a man, one after another. Each individual remark may seem inconsequential, but listening to them in totality shows just how never-ending (and exhausting) subtle sexism really is. Here is a few of the subtle sexism mentioned by  women in  the video: -Dont be so bossy. -You look so pretty. -He picks on you because he likes you. -Your dad is going to have to chase the boys away when you get older. -Dont wear that, you are going to distract the boys. -Stop being so dramatic. -Why are you getting so emotional? -It must be that time of the month. -I was just trying to give you a compliment. -You eat a lot for the girl. -You like football? -Can women have it all? -Are you like, a feminist? -Your biological clock is ticking. -Are you planning to work after the baby is born? The most important thing to remember is that these sayings are so subtle, you may have even said one of them to another woman in your life. This video is just  a reminder that hearing them over and over again throughout our lifetimes can really impact what we do, what we say, and ultimately the impact we make in the world. Watch the video below and then share with us  your thoughts in the comments below.

How to Show Writing Skills on Resume

How to Show Writing Skills on ResumeIn the course of pursuing an education, you may have had the chance to be exposed to teaching in the form of writing assignments, which are typically part of the curriculum. If so, you will have come across writing skills, which are crucial to successfully attaining employment at a professional level.In today's highly competitive business environment, it is imperative to showcase your writing skills. Whether you are seeking a job in the customer service sector or a corporate executive position, the ability to write is mandatory. The following tips will help you improve your writing skills, and then improve your resume.Some of the best ways to improve your writing skills on resume is by studying writing. There are courses that can assist you in this endeavour. You will learn the ins and outs of good copywriting, including the creation of persuasive and informative essays, reports, and dissertations.But beyond basic grammar and spelling, you will als o learn how to construct powerful and convincing body language, including the use of jargon and slang. You will learn how to write for people who understand English as a second language. This is a useful skill when you are applying for jobs in a foreign country, where the fundamental language used to communicate is another language.It is also important to note that the ability to write clearly and effectively is not exclusive to the writer. All job applicants need to develop the ability to be able to translate their skills into written communications. This is because the resume must reflect the qualities and experience that the hiring company is looking for.For example, the ability to craft compelling and persuasive communications is an integral part of your writing skills. However, the ability to deliver presentations that will demonstrate the right level of skill is also important. The purpose of a resume is to get a prospective employer to identify with your abilities, rather tha n using generic, generic resume templates, which are often reused and never really show writing skills.Writing skills can also be improved through extensive training and practice. This can include practising to create a convincing cover letter, along with accompanying letters of recommendations and cover letters. The use of scripts and titles that are more interesting to the reader will assist you in improving your writing skills.Finally, when you are ready to put your skills to good use in a good resume, there are many effective resume templates available online. A personalised template, that shows an interest in your employment history, qualifications, and career goals, will go a long way to showcase your abilities.

Summary Sunday Get Sourced, Stand Out and Impress

Summary Sunday Get Sourced, Stand Out and Impress If you want to learn how to get sourced, stand out and impress recruiters, you first have to understand how they search for candidates. In order to play this job search game, it helps if you understand how recruiting works. Why? You want to reverse engineer the process so you can give recruiters what they are looking for. Isnt your end game to get invited for an interview for a job that you havent applied to yet? Learn how to get sourced, stand out and impress recruiters and hiring managers!   This summary includes articles on how create a more magnetic LinkedIn profile, how to impress your next interviewer and more! RECRUITING SOURCING Recruiting is different from sourcing. (And these terms can often mean different things to different people). Recruiting  tends to involve the larger process of screening through  hiring candidates. Sourcing tends to focus more on proactively  researching and finding candidates. I think its important for you to understand the process and logic recruiters and sourcers use and these two posts should shed some light on the topics. Let me encourage you to read other articles on ERE and by Irina so you can learn even more about the complexities of recruiting and sourcing. How To Recruit On Facebook by  Ninh Tran | ERE Facebook groups are a goldmine for talent according to this article. And it isnt the first time Ive heard this. Tran writes: [Facebook] is the single best resource for new graduate and entry-level roles across industries, especially in software engineering, UI/UX graphic design, human resources, and product management. How To Source on About.me by Irina Shamaeva Shamaeva is one of the most highly respected sourcers. Her post explains how to use deep web search and X-Ray search to mine About.me for specific skills, etc. Her tips should help you understand why it is important to have a profile on About.me (Ive written about it before here) LINKEDIN 5 Tips for Personal Branding on LinkedIn by Kendrick Mendiola | Social-Hire See real examples of super LinkedIn profiles and get inspired to change yours! These tips helped one executive recruiting agency increase the number of views to staff profiles 2.73x in one month. INTERVIEWING How to Leave a Strong Lasting Impression in Your Job Interview  by Veronica Wright | CareerCloud This post has four actionable tips you can start doing right now that will certainly impress your next interviewer!

5 Ways Facebook Will Get You Fired - CareerEnlightenment.com

4. Your Idiot Friends Sometimes, it won’t even be your own fault. One of your friends might do something stupid like tag an incriminating photo of you in a bikini (you’re a dude, in this scenario) from that bachelor party in Mexico with the donkey… Or maybe somebody posts something on your wall about that party you went to last week when your boss thought you had the flu. Maybe they think it’s just good, clean fun because they’re either:Already unemployedInsensitive to your desire to remain employed and/or marriedSmart enough NOT to have coworkers as friends and/or set their own privacy settings correctly to protect their sensitive secretsThe problem is, these things can get posted without you even noticing. If you’re a once-a-day or twice-a-week Facebook user, there’s the potential for hundreds, even thousands, of people to see it before you have a chance to take it down.5. Typos If you cant get you’re spelling and grammer write, your going to look like a dumass. Wea ther now, or in the future, your going to loose credibility if your status updates look like there written by a 1st grader.Seriously. Take the extra 30 seconds to check what you wrote. It’s a couple of sentences, not War and Peace. Tired excuses like, “Oh, I’ve always been a terrible speller” aren’t gonna cut it, anymore. YOU’RE ON THE INTERNET! Google it.The bottom line is, be smart, and understand that Facebook is forever. The Internet never forgets. It is becoming common practice, these days, for companies to do social media audits, both for current employees and prospective candidates. Just assume they will see everything you’ve ever posted online. Maybe not today…but some day. So be careful.Rob LeRoy is the creative director of The Outsourcing Company.