Recruiters What Your LinkedIn Profile Says About You

Recruiters What Your LinkedIn Profile Says About You As a recruiter who scans dozens of CVs every day, you’ll know how important certain keywords are in identifying the right candidates. You’ll also be used to seeing candidates use the same words like ‘passionate’, ‘strategic’, and ‘driven’ over and over again to describe themselves. However, every story has two sides and you have to remember that candidates and potential employers also assess how your profile represents you, in the exact same way you assess the candidates on a daily basis. Everyone has the potential to fall into using a cliché and there are always a few buzzwords that manage to find their way onto LinkedIn profiles and CVs. We analyzed millions of member profiles in the HR and recruitment sector to reveal the buzzwords our members and specifically, you, as talent professionals are using on your profiles. LinkedIn’s top 10 buzzwords used by talent professionals were: Specialize Experienced Leadership Skilled Expert Passionate Strategic Motivated Responsible Successful This year’s list reveals that you, talent professionals, are using new words like and ‘skilled’ and ‘motivated’ to describe yourselves. Meanwhile, ‘focused’ and ‘excellent’ â€" which featured in fourth and seventh place last year â€" have both dropped off the 2017 list. So what does this mean? We spoke to Rodney Jones, Professor of Sociolinguistics from the University of Reading who explained that the data shows how talent professionals are moving away from highlighting particular personal strengths, towards skills and abilities that can be more specifically categorized. Professor Jones commented: This narrowing down from generic terms to far more specific words such as ‘skilled’ and ‘experienced’ reflects a change in job roles that are becoming more specialized. Roles in the banking and pharmaceutical sector, for example, are under increasing scrutiny and as a result, require more verifiable skills and attributes. The Buzzwords data also reveals an increased use of ‘leadership’ in recent years. Professor Jones explains, “Companies are becoming less hierarchical even junior members are expected to demonstrate leadership.” Whatever you’re using LinkedIn for whether it’s sourcing new candidates, building out your network of clients, or taking your own step up the career ladder it’s essential to ensure that your profile paints the right picture. Here are some top tips on how to give candidates, and employers, the best impression: Join the conversation If you want to let people know you’re ‘experienced’ or an ‘expert’, show your network by publishing a post on LinkedIn. By offering your opinion on industry matters you’ll be positioning yourself as a thought leader and sharing valuable knowledge. And it’s not just about your own profile participate in conversations in groups and on others’ profiles. The more proactive you are, the more potential clients, candidates, and employers will come across your profile. Let others do the talking If you want to highlight your skills such as ‘leadership’, think about getting recommendations from others to prove it. Only 22% of workers say they feel confident enough to talk about their professional achievements, so getting others involved is a great way to show it. Show, don’t just tell If you consider yourself a ‘specialist’, show this by tailoring your profile accordingly list relevant skills which have been built up through your work experience. And while language is important, bring these skills to life by uploading examples of presentations, achievements, images and other work to your profile that clearly demonstrate what you’re capable of. Consider voice It’s often tempting to speak in the third person when it comes to our working lives, but This can sound impersonal. It can pay off to speak directly, the way you would when chatting with a candidate or potential employer people reading your profile want to see and feel your personality. About the author:  Jon Addison  is the Head of Talent Solutions at LinkedIn UK.

Video Interview Tips For Graduates Mistakes to Avoid

Video Interview Tips For Graduates Mistakes to Avoid The video interview, the early stage cost-effective alternate to face-to-face interviewing. With video becoming more and more prevalent in the recruitment and selection process, especially early on  in multiple hurdle systems, its important to know what the interviewer  might be looking for,  as  its not just the merits of your CV. Have you already been invited to the video interview? Great. Here are tips on  how to get invited to the next stage and ace your interview. 1) Camera level eye-contact Please take the time to adjust  your camera height. The easiest is to conduct a video interview on a desktop computer or laptop with elevated platform (stack of books). If you are on mobile, hold or set the camera lens level with your eyes.  It feels unnatural, but try to look into and through the camera lens when listening and answering questions. I understand  if the  camera lens on most devices resembles the eye of Sauron, but staring constantly at the screen (wherever you have the feed  open) looks clumsy and doesnt feel like you are making the effort with making the all important eye contact. Search and study popular vloggers on YouTube that engage with their viewers such as CaseyNeistat, pewdiepie and Jenna Marbles. They make it look easy and make you feel engaged directly with their message. Imagine this situation during the interview with the recruiters being the YouTube viewing community and you the star vlogger. 2) Dont read pre-script I know, its tempting. I mean you can phrase the perfect elegant response to common questions and already know exactly how to tie in your experiences and key achievements and the recruiter wont even notice! Spoiler alert, we  do,  unless of course you have a teleprompter right above your camera. Many candidates  still feel uncomfortable on camera and your awkward eye flickering across the screen and pausing while remaining  fixed on a certain spot for a few seconds  or more are obvious tell tale  signs. I also like to occasionally ask curve balls follow up questions. On many occasions where applicants are script reading, they will acknowledge the new question, but continue to ignore answering the question because they feel their pre-response will be  better, (it usually does), but its not the answer I was waiting for. Great applicants listen, adapt and follow instructions. 3) Understand dress code Please take at least a few minutes to browse through the company careers website before the video interview. Great candidates will take notes on keywords listed on the page and will make use of available information  on the company culture and values. If a  company lists casual dress and all the corporate pictures involve t-shirts, then its a bit awkward when  you wear a  three piece suit and tie for  the video interview. If applying to a company where casual Friday is a listed benefit and the corporate pictures are all shirt and blazers, then you may over-dress for the interview. Know your audience and show the interviewer you took the time to understand their corporate culture by dressing appropriately, (even if it is just from the waist up). 4) Location of the interview When scheduling the video interview, be sure to recommend a time that works for you. This is important so that the location setting and environment does not interrupt or disturb the interview. A quiet and reserved place such as a bedroom inside an empty  household is ideal. Be sure to adjust the frame and proximity so that your face is well lit and there is nothing out of the ordinary that can be seen on video regarding the room that you wouldnt want to be shared. Recruiters expect the interview to start on time, but please  dont call from the bathroom. We can understand a few minute delay. 5) Body language In my experience, top  graduates have already spent hours doing personality assessments and studying up on the importance of body language during the interview. Tips such as mimicking the body language of the interviewer and nodding when listening. Yet, candidates still make these simple body language mistakes. Simply avoid touching yourself anywhere on your body during the video interview and remember to remain calm. If you feel stressed, take a breath, its not an interrogation. A video interview can be a stressful experience, but it really shouldnt be. Its a slightly awkward experience at first, but you gain confidence at it the more you practice and do it. Image: Shutterstock

5 Steps to Getting a Job in Marketing

5 Steps to Getting a Job in Marketing Are you great at communicating your ideas?   Do you consider yourself a natural salesperson? Would you like a career that throws up unique challenges and requires development of a wide range of skills? If the answer to any of these questions is a resounding yes then a career in marketing may be for you Marketing is a fast-moving, results-based industry that can offer an enjoyable and rewarding career, however breaking into this field can seem daunting, especially if you havent really considered a career in marketing before. There are many types of marketing job out there and although they all share some common links, they often require very different skills. This post will look at five marketing jobs, and offer five tips to get you on the path to marketing success: 1) Field Marketer: Instead of relying on media campaigns, field marketers conduct marketing in the field by engaging with potential customers on a personal level to help promote their business. Field marketing techniques include services like sampling campaigns, product demonstrations, and tactical marketing events, such as roadshows. One of the main aims of field marketing is raising brand and product awareness through interaction with the general public, often in person. For this reason anyone considering a role in the field marketing industry needs to be comfortable operating with a high level of face-to-face customer interaction, and have the ability to adopt the ethos of a brand to the degree that they can clearly communicate the brand message. 2) Experiential Marketer: Experiential marketing campaign create a branded experience, usually involving some form of interaction with the general public. A powerful form of marketing, successful experiential campaigns create an emotion connection between the brand and the consumer as well as increasing awareness, credibility and enhancing the positive perception of the brand in question- no easy feat Often focused on unique ideas, experiential marketing is an exciting career path for creatives who with to get involved in the marketing   sector. 3) Public Relations: Good PR (Public Relations) is something all organisations need. PR is all about communicating a message to the public to help build and maintain an image and gain exposure. This could include anything from building a list of contacts within the media that you can call on to help generate publicity for your client, writing press releases or compiling reports from data gleaned from media coverage, to overseeing specific market research events, finding new business opportunities for your agency and clients, or overseeing all manner of content production for clients. Some PR roles also require very creative thinking, to brainstorm ways in which a company can generate interest in its message. PRs may also work in conjunction with other marketing professionals, for example to help promote experiential marketing activities.  Confidence and strong interpersonal skills are a must for a position in PR. 4) Marketing Communications: Often abbreviated to MarCom, marketing communication officers (as their names suggests) aim to make sure any communication their business has with customers, clients or the marketplace, is consistent with company tone of voice and style. MarCom professionals are also often tasked with creating comprehensive marketing plans and accompanying marketing materials that can assist the plan in generating leads for sales. A results-based role, many tasks are completed to strict deadlines, making MarCom roles suitable for those that thrive under pressure. Often the last port of call before a piece of copy is sent out to the public, good spelling and strong proofreading abilities are essential too. 5) Marketing Executive: If project management or research and data analysis is your strong suit, a marketing executive role could be what youre looking for.   A great position for dynamic, driven individuals, marketing executives can really shine if they have ability to spot new marketing opportunities and develop strategies to capitalise on them using a variety of tactics. Marketing executives are also often the first point of contact for clients, so good social skills and a penchant for networking are always welcomed by recruiters. With promotion and progression available for those who excel, a role as a marketing executive can be the first step to a glittering career. Now you know whats our there How do you break into a career in marketing? Now you should have a better understanding of what career options there are in the marketing world. However even if youve decided which type of marketing career is for you, it can still be difficult to know what to do next. Here are five tips to help you turn your marketing dream into a reality. Marketing Qualifications are Helpful but not Essential Obviously a degree in marketing will stand you in good stead but its important to realise that you dont need marketing qualifications to start a career in marketing. Enthusiasm, dedication and a willingness to learn and adapt are just as important! Get Experience Having relevant qualifications is all well and good but if youve already proved your chops youll stand a much better chance of success. Experience through previous job or internships is great but it doesnt have to be that literal.  For example maybe youve successfully promoted your own business or have given out free samples for a field marketing agency.  If you dont have any relevant experience, consider offering free marketing help to a local charity, or help a local store with a small on-street sampling campaign. All of this will help you build a portfolio of relevant, real-world experience and will greatly increase your chances of getting in the industry. Know the Lingo  Do you know what the Four Ps, what a banner ad is, and do you know your KPI from your ROI? It may sound silly but knowing the marketing lingo will be a big help when it comes to convincing a potential employer that you know what youre talking about. Think Digital  You might be applying for a traditional marketing job but given the increasing prevalence of digital technology, it pays to think digital.  If you want to convince a fashion company youre the right person to promote their product, pointing them in the direction of your successful fashion blog that has excellent social engagement with industry professionals and fashion fans is sure to impress. You might not have much real world marketing experience but if you already market yourself successfully online then youre part way there. Look Beyond the Obvious  Every company needs to promote itself which means there are marketing jobs everywhere everyone from insurance companies to the military need people to help promote their cause so be sure to look everywhere, even in places you might not expect! For this reason networking both online and off can reap rewards from surprising places! Insider Tip Quote From an Industry Professional: Tim Harris, Senior Marketing Communications Executive for field marketing agency Cosine, gave this insider tip for landing a marketing job: Read up on all you can, being able to speak confidently and knowledgeably will stand you in good stead. I spent an afternoon in Waterstones reading the opening paragraphs of a number of marketing books until I found the ones I connected with. There are plenty of online resources now too, but keeping up-to-date with news via a website like Marketing Magazine, and following appropriate lists on Twitter are great ways to stay in the know. These tips are just a starting point, but will hopefully point you in the right direction as you attempt to break into the marketing world. The rest is up to you. Good luck! Author: David Jephcott is head of recruitment for Cosine, a leading UK based field marketing agency based in Haddenham, who serve several top international brands.

What Types of Job Interviews Are There

What Types of Job Interviews Are There Depending on the job you are applying for, there are several types of job interviews that your potential employer may conduct. Before you go for  your interview, its important that you make sure that you are informed about what type of interview that will be conducted, so that you can prepare for it appropriately. Here are the six of the most  common types of job interviews. Traditional one-on-one interview: In a traditional one-on-one interview, you will be interviewed by an individual representative of the company. The interviewer will most likely be the manager that the individual in the role you are interviewing for  will report to, or in some case, you may be interviewed by the HR manager. It is likely that you will  be asked about your skills, experience, and what you can offer to the company in this type of interview. Panel interview: In a panel interview you will be interviewed by several interviewers, who are likely to be representatives of different departments  within the company. You could be interviewed by representatives of the management team, the HR team and also members of the team that you will be working in, if you are hired for the position. Each person on the panel will ask you questions that are relevant to their respective position. Behavioral interview: In behavioural interviews, you will be asked questions based on situations that have arisen in your previous jobs. For example, the interviewer might ask you to tell him or her about the most difficult decision you had to make in your past position. The goal of the interviewer is to test your problem-solving skills. Group interview: Sometimes a company conducts group interviews to pre-screen candidates. A group interview usually begins with a brief presentation about the company, and then the interviewer may ask each candidate to speak one at a time. A group interview allows the interviewer to observe how the candidates interact with each other and also how confident they are speaking in front of others. Telephone interview: With the advancement in technology, many companies hold job interviews by phone or Skype. This type of job interview is particularly common with companies who allow their employees to work remotely. If your potential employer is interested in hiring you after the phone interview, he or she may ask you to come in for an in-person interview. Competency-based interview: A competency-based interview is often used to evaluate a candidate’s skills and capabilities. It is very similar to a behavioural interview, but there are some fundamental differences in terms of interviewing processes. In a competency-based interview, the employer will ask you to demonstrate your abilities in a particular skill that is required for the position you are applying for and you may be asked to undergo skills tests and assessments. Image Credit: Shutterstock

How to Write a Resume With Military Experience

How to Write a Resume With Military ExperienceWriting a resume with military experience can be very daunting. Although the ability to provide great service to our country is an honor, it is not always the easiest thing to do. If you are wondering how to write a resume with military experience then this article will explain some of the more common pitfalls.When considering how to write a resume with military experience, the first thing that you need to consider is what your current job title is. The reason for this is that the military usually requires a lot of experience in the field of military that is normally not seen in civilian jobs. For example, a medical professional must have years of experience and knowledge about their specific career. If you had just graduated from college with an associate degree in math and you were a chemist, you might not be qualified to work as a military health care professional. Therefore, before trying to write a resume, look over your current care er titles to make sure you are aware of what skills are needed.Another key factor to keep in mind when writing a resume is how to address your future employer. Although you want to be polite and address the person by their first name, this does not mean you should try to show off all of your accomplishments at every turn. You should also make sure to list your actual position, rank, and year of service.Military veteran's advocates often take advantage of this if they will be addressing the person in the position that they are applying for. It is best to stick to writing the position of the employer and make sure you address them as Mr., Ms., or Dr. to make sure you do not sound disrespectful to them. This is something to remember to avoid some nasty surprises down the road.It is important to know your qualifications and apply yourself when writing a resume. There are many great resume examples available to look at online so itis important to study these examples to get a feel for ho w to address yourself to the potential employer. Try not to let your natural personality get in the way of your resume and you will be able to get a better feeling of how to write a resume with military experience.Finally, if you have multiple resumes, use bullet points instead of lists. Lists are for writing on a piece of paper and will usually fail at getting a response. Use bullet points to address your employer in the most appropriate way and show off your experience in a way that would give them the most confidence in hiring you.Following these tips should help you write a resume with military experience and go a long way to helping you create a better resume. If you feel stuck, there are many great examples of resume examples that you can use to get the feel of how to write a resume with military experience.When you are finished with your resume, make sure to send it to everyone that you have contacted with your application. Even if they did not hire you, they might be interes ted in knowing who you were. Some employers will keep the information on file and it may help you further down the road.

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A Beginners Guide to Working Remotely - Sterling Career Concepts

A Beginner’s Guide to Working Remotely A Beginner’s Guide to Working Remotely You’re ready to ditch your office job and start working from home. Now what? Working remotely offers numerous benefits, but it can seem pretty intimidating when you are just starting out. There are a lot of things that must be taken into consideration. Finding success as a remote worker is a lot of … well … work. As more and more companies begin offering remote positions, the dream of working from home is becoming a reality for more people than ever before. If you are sick of making a daily commute and want to start working from the comfort of home, there are plenty of opportunities out there. Here are a few tips to help you get started. Figure Out Exactly What You Want to Do From answering phone calls and emails to building websites and writing content, there are a lot of options when it comes to working remotely. Businesses are hiring remote workers for all sorts of positions. To ensure that your new job is one you end up loving, though, you need to figure out exactly what you want to do. If you hate your current retail job because you don’t like dealing with customers, for example, you probably won’t want to work from home answering customer service calls. Think about your interests and what you’re good at. If you’ve always had a knack for spelling and grammar, becoming a copywriter or content writer could be a good option. If you enjoy working as an assistant, virtual assisting could be a good option. Spend some time reviewing remote job listings on Indeed or another job website to get a feel for what’s out there. Also, consider how you want to work. Do you want to work full-time as a remote employee for a company? Would you rather freelance? Are you looking for something you can do part-time in addition to your regular job? All of these things are important to figure out before you start applying for remote work. Set Your Space Up for Success We’d all love to earn huge incomes while lounging on the couch or lying in bed. In most cases, though, that’s not how it works. A lot of remote jobs involve spending most of your time working in front of your computer. Relaxing on the couch with your laptop may sound like a great optionâ€"but doing so is not a good way to set yourself up for success. As a remote worker, you are much more likely to be productive if you have a dedicated office space. Your back will thank you, too. Convert your spare bedroom into an office or dedicate a corner of your dining room or living room into a work area. Whatever you do, make sure you have a desk, a computer and printer with plenty of inkjet cartridges, and anything else you will need to do your job. If you will need to take or make calls, invest in a good headset. Make sure you have a fast internet connection. Create a home office that makes you feel productive and ready to take on a new job. Figure Out a Schedule One of the great things about working remotely is that it is usually more flexible than a traditional job. Instead of being stuck in the office from 9 to 5 every day, you are often able to set your own hours or take days off as you please. As long as your deadlines are met, many remote employers don’t particularly care what days or hours you work. This is especially true for freelancers. When you work at a traditional job, your schedule is created for you. Working remotely, on the other hand, means that you need to create your own schedule. This requires more discipline than you may think. With no one standing over your shoulder telling you that you have to stay until 5, and no boss to scold you if you play hooky on a random Tuesday, it’s easy to fall into the habit of blowing off work. Avoid future problems by coming up with a schedule for yourself and sticking to it. Determine what days and hours you will work. When you need to take time off, plan for it just like you would plan to take time off from a regular job. Make sure your family understands your schedule and respects that, even though you are at home, you are unavailable during certain hours because you are working. You can always adjust your schedule as you get used to working from home, but it’s important to start out with some sort of structure. Avoid Distractions Distractions are a huge problem for many remote workers. Whether it’s a friend or family member who thinks you are available at all times because you aren’t technically at work, a new episode from your favorite YouTuber, or something interesting going on in your neighborhood, there are always plenty of things to draw your attention away from your work. Even a cat that won’t stay off your keyboard can be a huge distraction! Learning to stay focused on the task at hand isn’t easy. With no one to reprimand you for getting off track, it’s easy to waste hours mindlessly scrolling through Facebook or staring out the window. These distractions can cause you to fall behind on your work, though, and make working from home a lot more stressful than it should be.There are all sorts of tools out there to help you stay focused. From teaching you how to meditate to improve focus to blocking you from using certain apps or websites during the work day, there are options for just about every situation. Try a few for yourself to discover which ones are right for you. Conclusion Working remotely is a great way to earn a living without having to spend all day at an office or another job. It can be challenging, though, especially if you fail to start off on the right foot. By following the tips above, you can set yourself up for success and enjoy working from home.