Brilliant Blog

Archaic in nature, the CV doesn’t quite do people justice these days does it? Here are the issues we have with it.

Without exception, at the end of every interview you will be asked, 'Do you have any questions for us?' The answer to this question can say as much about you as the entire interview itself. It illustrates how engaged and interested you are, and whether you’ve been listening to the interviewer. Plus it’s the last chance to leave them with a good impression of who you are. As Jems Recruitment's Managing Director, Jo Samuels, explains: ‘We find it really telling when a candidate doesn’t ask any questions. Do they believe they know everything?’ But there are some important things to remember about this minefield of a question too. If you could answer your question simply by googling it, then don’t ask it. You should know it by now. Examples of this are: What’s the name of the CEO (Check their company LinkedIn page) What products do you sell? (Check their website) Do you have any other offices? (Again, check their website) What social media profiles do you have? (Check Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc) So what are great questions to ask? Here are some perfect examples, just make sure they weren’t answered during the interview already before you ask them. What does a typical day look like in this role? What are the key things that need to be achieved by this person in the first three months? What’s the rest of the team like? Could you talk to me about the company culture? Of course, as you know you won’t ask about salary or holiday allowance. This can all be discussed at offer stage, but showing an interest in the position and how the company team works is a sure fire way to leave the interview on a very positive note, and bag you that offer of employment.

We all experience stress at work from time to time, but there are ways we can manage it. Here are 7 tips for managing work place stress: Prioritise It can be very overwhelming watching your to-do list get longer and longer. Take some time to prioritise the most urgent tasks and do them first. Break down the big tasks into smaller ones so they are more manageable. Get organised Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that just looking at clutter can spur the body’s production of stress hormones. So, doing a quick tidy up of your desk could do wonders for your stress levels. Get a hobby Having something outside of work that you can put your energy into is a great way to reduce stress. Even better if it’s an active hobby as all the endorphins you release will put you in a positive mood. Take a break Always take a lunch break. It’s an opportunity to get some fresh air, breathe, and release any stress that’s built up during the morning. Eat right and sleep well Getting the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep at night and eating the right foods will help your brain work more productively. Eating sugary or fatty food during the day can often be the cause of your mid-afternoon slump. Know your limits Being able to manage a big workload while working to tight deadlines is a great attribute to have, especially for potential employers. However, saying yes to every request and taking on more work than you can handle is detrimental to your own wellbeing and performance. Ask for help It’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help. If you’re struggling to cope, talk to your manager or speak to a work colleague about sharing your workload.

National Work Life Week is an opportunity for both employers and employees to focus on well-being at work and work-life balance

It’s very easy to panic as soon as someone hands in their notice. You scramble around your computer to find the job description you used to hire them way back when, and use this out-dated document as the benchmark for future candidates. But taking the time to review, evaluate and amend the role and the person you want to attract will set you up for a very successful placement. Here are our top tips on how to write the perfect job description:

A bad CV won’t get you very far in the recruitment process. Here are the do's and don’ts to follow when putting one together. DO Do use a professional font, we love Arial or Times New Roman. You should always say no to Comic Sans! Do keep it to two pages max. Unfortunately nobody has the time to read a five page CV, nor should you want to create one. You can be short and succinct in your descriptions of roles. Do put things in chronological order. We want to see your career path clearly. Do use dates. The month and year of each role will suffice, ie. February 2015-March 2018. If there are gaps in your employment, please do be ready to offer an explanation and discuss what you learnt during that time. Lots of people take career breaks, it's what you did with your time out that matters. Do check for typos. Some mistakes can be easily missed and if you’ve merely typed the wrong word, your computer spell check won’t pick it up. Get a second pair of eyes to look over it. Do be specific. For each role that you go for, you should ensure your CV plays to the strengths required. Do show examples. For those key skills required in a job, give an example to set you apart from other applications. For example if you are uber organised, explain the time you managed the roll out of a new policy to 200 staff in your organisation. DON'T Don't include a selfie. It won't matter what you look like and it’s taking up valuable space where you could be explaining your experiences. Don't nclude every single job you’ve ever had in your career. If you’re applying for an Underwriting role, that job you had house sitting 15 years ago during the Summer holidays isn’t going to help your chances. Keep things relevant. Don't waffle. Keep language succinct and persuasive. Don't neglect your CV. As your skills and experiences progress, so should your CV. Keep it up to date.