Career Top 10 – To Boldly Take Your Career Where It Has Never Been Before…

The festive period is often a time for family, friends and reflection. If you find yourself considering a warp jump in your career in 2014 then follow these Top 10 Tips to boldly take your career where it has never been before.

Communication channels open, Heading 2014, Warp factor 9….Engage!

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Star Base 1.  Research yourself. Identify your core skills, values and key achievements

Mars Colony 2.  Research the world of work. Create a list of the industries, sectors, organisations, locations and roles you are specifically interested in

Titan 3.  Create you ideal job description. Given the information from items 1 and 2, what would your ideal job description look like?

Shuttle 4.  Create a master CV. Written for your ideal job description with as much detail and as many examples as you can

Desk 5.  Create a 2 page chronological or functional CV. Written for your ideal job description, and with a clear personal profile which describes who you are, what you have and what you want

Transport Room 6.  Register with no more than 5 online job boards for daily email alerts for jobs matching your search criteria

Deep Space 7.  Make contact with specialist recruiters and search agents who will take the time to get to know you personally. If you get no response, move onto the next

Voyager 8.  Remember that 70% of jobs never get advertised on the open market. Most jobs are filled from internal moves & promotion or from personal recommendation or introductions

Earth Colony 9.  Spend 70% of your search developing your personal and professional network and raising your profile within your industry, location and sector. If you use only one tool then make it LinkedIn

Warp 10.  Get some help, advice and guidance. There are a range of services available for jobseekers at every level. For more from me, please visit www.CareerWorkbook.net

During my 2013 journey, I have interviewed over 300 people and my continuing mission is to help people from all sectors and backgrounds travel from where they are now in their career to where they want to be.  If you’d like to share this mission log and engage with these top 10 tips I know you’ll be starting out on your own new adventure very soon.

Have fun, enjoy work, share knowledge.

Mission complete.  Live long and prosper.

Dean

For some more great CV, Career and Job Search Tips check out my Videos or see my Facebook page

PS – My team and I offer 1.2.1 career planning support from £150 so if you’d like to check into a local Star Base for a quick chat drop me an email to info@deanweller.co.uk

PPS – The Kindle edition of my book is half price until 6th Jan. Amazon

Job Searching with the 1 in 1000 candidate. It could be YOU!

Are you the 1 in 1000 candidate who does things differently?

This post is all about how to stand out from the crowd in your job search.

I have recruited for nearly 20 years, looked at thousands of CVs and conducted hundreds of interviews. In my experience, most CVs are vanilla in flavour and short on personality – And that’s really good news if you want to stand out from the crowd, get noticed by employers and get a job you really want.

So how do you do it? Simply, you need to do the things others aren’t prepared to do.

For most people, job searching is something which is done in front of a screen whilst connected to the internet. Sending online applications and e-mails with CV’s and Cover Letters attached.

To gain some insight I reached out to my network and asked a few of my colleagues how they receive applications from candidates – all said electronically. Some of these people are recruiting hundreds of people year and everyone sends their CV by e-mail or uploading online. Here’s your opportunity to stand out, do something different and be the 1 in 1000 candidate in 7 simple steps.

1. Identify a role you want to apply for
2. Identify the organisation who’s recruiting. To help identify an organisation from a job board posting conduct a  web search using a key phrase or words wrapped in speak marks (“). Often the organisation will use the same advert on their website as the job board
3. Identify a key person in the organisation. You can do a business directory search, use LinkedIn or call the company. The aim is to get a senior contact that has responsibility for the role. Often a company’s ‘about us’ page on their website is good start
4. Write a cover letter and CV specifically designed for this role. Address the letter to the named individual
5. Hand write and envelope and mark Private & Confidential to the named individual. Sign your letter by hand and then put the CV and Cover letter in the envelope
6. Put stamp on it and post it
7. Follow up a couple of days later with a phone call

When’s the last time you received a hand written envelop marked private and confidential?

The envelope is likely to reach the named individual and will get a lot more time than another e-mail in the inbox. By doing something different you have got your letter and CV into the hands of someone with authority AND done something different from every other candidate!

Most candidates will never do this. It’s simple, effective and could make every difference to your search. What do you have to lose?

Go old school and get a job you really want.

Dean

Dean Weller –  ‘The Careers Guy’

Dean Weller is a Career Management Coach & Business Consultant with a passion for Applied Positive Psychology. For details of career management services or to get in touch Please visit www.DeanWeller.co.uk

How To Quit My Job?

I was recently asked this question by a client who loves what he does but has fallen out of love with the  organisation they work for.  It’s been said many times that people join organisations and leave managers. You may love ‘what’ you do and be great at doing it but if you’re not in the right environment then your day can ‘feel’ terrible. When feelings like this start to develop….it’s time to consider your exit strategy and prepare to quit your job. One note to self at this point. If the feelings have arisen because of one, out of the norm incident, consider your reaction and the context of the incident. Sometimes an adult conversation over a morning coffee can give rise to a new perspective or point of view. As a wise man once said…”many of the truth’s we cling to depend on our point of view”managers.

For a lot of people considering a change of job this is going to be true, the relationship you had, or expected to have, with your manager, boss, director isn’t what you’d hoped for.   When this happens it is our ‘felt’ response which has kicked in and we just feel that it’s time to move on.

However, if you reached a point where you feel that a move is right for you, how do you go about quitting your job? Largely it will depend on your personality and the relationship you have with your immediate boss. Ultimately you have a few options:

1. Find a new position and then hand in your notice or quit
2. Hand in your notice or quit and leave without a new role to go to
3. Talk to your boss about your thoughts regarding leaving and explore options

Each of the options has its merits and pitfalls and you should consider the impact of each to find which action is right for you. Most people will quietly start to search and apply for new roles and then hand in their notice once a new offer of employment has been secured.   Something to consider is your behavior  If you start to suddenly update your LinkedIn profile or taking trips to see the dentist it might not take Sherlock Holmes to discover your plan.  If you have the opportunity to explain your situation to your boss, or perhaps and more friendly face within your organisation, you’ll probably feel better for doing so.  After all, if you’re not happy in your role your performance is likely to suffer at some point. Everybody moves on and you might be surprised at how supportive some companies can be.

If it’s time to move on then consider putting as much authority on your side of the desk as possible. You can research your CV, opportunities and have discreet conversations with recruiters before making your final decision.  If you would like a free job search and planning guide e-mail info@deanweller.co.uk quoting ‘Free Guide’…and if you’re about to quit your job…Good Luck!

All I want for Christmas is a New Job…some good news

 

I get to work with some great people and I’ve just been contracted to help FISCAL Technologies, a leading software and solutions company, to find candidates for several exciting roles based from their EMEA Headquarters in Reading, Berkshire. 

This is traditionally a time of year when companies are slowing down, planning for New Year projects and preparing for the final quarter of the financial year. FISCAL like to do things differently. They’ve just finished another fantastic year which has seen 80% sales growth last year.

A little about the company. FISCAL Technologies delivers world class accounts payable forensic software for corporations and government organisations to protect spend, cut costs, reduce risk and create best-in-class accounts payable teams.

FISCAL’s AP Forensics® enterprise suite analyses accounts payable transactions, master supplier files and tax entries. It has been designed specifically for purchase to pay staff to run easily on a constant monitoring, daily or weekly basis. It works alongside any accounting system and has been used to protect hundreds of millions of transactions across the globe over the last 10 years.

 

If you’d like to be part of a great team then FISCAL are looking to attract candidates for the following roles:

1 – Software Developerhttp://www.reed.co.uk/jobs/software-engineer-high-growth-software-house-finance-sector/22364239

2 – Accounts Payable Improvement Consultant http://www.reed.co.uk/jobs/consultant-accounts-payable-recovery-audit-/22360468

3 – Sales Executive. http://www.reed.co.uk/jobs/sales-executive-software-/22349830

To find out more about FISCAL Technologies visit www.fiscaltechnologies.co.uk

101 Career Planning & Job Search Tips [21 – 30]

Here is the extended list of 101 Career Planning & 

Job Search Tips which have featured highly on Twitter.

Spend ¼ of your time online doing job searches. Maximum.

Spend ¾ of your time generating pro-active connections. Minimum.

It’s easier to find work when you’re in work. Consider taking a part-time role or volunteer to keep your mind active and connected to work in some way.

Temporary or part-time roles often grow. Is there an opportunity for you to create your own future by building and growing within a role.

Make one new connection each day. Either in person, or virtually.

Have at least one face to face meeting each week. You cannot talk to too many people when your job hunting.

Create a 30 second personal pitch.

Create a 1 minute personal pitch.

Consider: Situations, Tasks, Actions & Results. STAR answers are considered the best way to respond to competency style questions.

Practise S T A R answers for common questions. Ask a friend to help. 

Don’t forget to catch the latest updates on twitter. and follow @TheCareersGuy

You can also get additional FREE resources and information at www.deanweller.co.uk

101 Career Planning & Job Search Tips 11 – 20

Here is the extended list of 101 Career Planning & 

Job Search Tips which have featured highly on Twitter.

101 Career Planning & Job Search Tips [2 – 20]

• What would you do for free and why?

• Volunteer your time & try new things

• Which brands do you associate with & why?

• What would be your ideal location

• Create a list of your top 10 companies to work for. Get addresses and research contact names. Letters to The Manager get opened in the post room.

• Could you create your own business. What’s your niche? Your angle?

• Could you have more than one role, a portfolio option?

• Create a list of agencies in your local area

• Create a list of agencies in your specific field

• Get to know the employment agencies in person. It’s much easier for the agent to place someone who they’ve met and spoken with.

Don’t forget to catch the latest updates ontwitter. and follow @TheCareersGuy

You can also get additional FREE resources and information at www.deanweller.co.uk

101 Career Planning & Job Search Tips

Here is the extended list of 101 Career Planning & 

Job Search Tips which have featured highly on Twitter.

101 Career Planning & Job Search Tips [1-10]

·         Know yourself before you transmit messages to the world

·         Identify your performance strengths

·         Be aware of your performance weaknesses

·         Be specific in what you’re looking for. The world isn’t recruiting generalists anymore.

·         Create your own perfect role description.

·         Explore all of your interests for options. Create a list of at least 40 things which have interest or attraction for you.

·         Ask others to tell you what you’re good at. We never know what were like on the receiving end of ourselves. Getting 180 degree feedback is very powerful. Remember to ask those who will be objective and honest.

·         Know what success looks like for you. Yes there the financial stuff but what about other rewards like, training, location, flexibility, benefits, share options, the chance to do what you do best.

·         What motivates you. What’s the one thing your role must have to make you get out of bed on a cold and wet UK winter morning.

·         When do you find yourself in flow, what are you doing? The things you do when you lose track of time.

Don’t forget to catch the latest updates on twitter. and follow @TheCareersGuy

You can also get additional FREE resources and information at www.deanweller.co.uk

Will 2012 be the year for SALY or PENNY ?

Will 2012 be the year for SALY or PENNY ?

We will all have the opportunity to share in the journey of some incredible athletes next year; all of whom know exactly what they are best at doing. They dedicate their lives to the pursuit of one goal. Many have life-long training plans in place so they compete in London 2012 at their peak.

They most certainly are not looking for SALY.  Same As Last Year.  Are you?

They will be making every PENNY count.  They will be looking forward to the Prospect of competing in 2012 with Energy, they will bring New ideas and explore New Opportunities in order to make it a Year to remember. So in 2012 I invite you to consider:

• ·         Prospects
• ·         Energy
• ·         New ideas
• ·         New opportunities
• ·         Year to remember

I have given many presentations in 2011 and Applied Positive Psychology for Accounts Payable Success was without doubt the longest title for any presentation I gave.  Perhaps “APP 4 AP” would have been better? But the last thing I want to introduce to the world is more jargon and acronyms.  What I did want to introduce was the concept and power of knowing what you are best at, connecting that capability to your role, your team and the goals of your organisation. You showed me at the IAPP conference at Wokefield Park that the natural strengths which successful business professionals often demonstrate are:

• ·         Order – People strong in Order are exceptionally well-organised in everything they do
• ·         Detail – People strong in Detailnaturally focus on the small things that others easily miss, ensuring that everything is accurate and error-free
• ·         Adherence – People strong in Adherencelike to follow processes, operating firmly within rules and guidelines
• ·         Explaining – People strong at Explainingsimplify things so that others can understand
• ·         Resilience – People strong in Resiliencetake hardships and setbacks in their stride, recovering quickly and getting on with things again.

(Ref: CAPP Strengths Descriptions 2010)

I witnessed many others too, but these five resonated with so many people that they are worthy of listing again here. What are your natural strengths and capabilities? The things which you Do Well, Do Often and Enjoy Doing? What would you add to this list in order to represent the very best of you? 

I would invite you to ask those who know you best to assist you in building a vocabulary which describes what you’re best at.  Why not download our simple form and ask 5 people “what activities or skills do you witness which I Do Well, Do Often and Enjoy doing?”

By increasing awareness of yourself you will automatically start to understand how others see you.  You will also be aware of the skills and talents which you can lean on when things get tough; and most importantly, the things which you could be world class at.  Most athletes competing in the Olympics will be good enough to compete in one event and one event only. What are you good enough at to compete at a world class standard?

As we think about the New Year, the year of the London Olympics and the records which will be broken, the medals which will be won and the stories which will dominate the news; take a moment to consider you own strengths and develop your vision for success in 2012.

The vision for success could be based on our friend PENNY

• ·         Prospects – What prospects do you want to be pursuing? A focus for each quarter with one specific activity each month would be a great place to start.
• ·         Energy – How are you energised? Identify with the people, places, music, emotions, & situations which energise you. Maximise opportunities to energise yourself.
• ·         New ideas – If you could change one thing in 2012 to enable you to improve on your most natural strength. Decide what it would be,  then do it.
• ·         New opportunities – What have you wanted to do for ages but not done?  Make an agreement with a friend to do it by a particular date. Write it down and you will be eight times more likely to do it. If you’re not a great organiser, then you’ll know someone who is and will help you. How great will you feel when you’ve done it?
• ·         Year to remember – London will be remembered for the Olympics in 2012. What will be the Olympic torch in your life in 2012? Enjoy it, share it and have fun.

“You already have all that you need to succeed” 

Dean Weller Dec. 2011.

 www.deanweller.co.uk 

What questions might I get asked at interview (A – F)

The most popular type of interview question is based on a competency. A competency is a skill or task which you are expected to demonstrate your capability. The most common phrase associated with the question is ‘give an example of when…’

To prepare your response consider the following thought process: STAR + R

S. The Situation you were in.

T. The Task you were asked to do / responsible for.

A. The Action you took.

R. The Result of your work

+

R. In Review, what did you learn.

Some example questions from our library

Adaptability      

Can you tell me how you adapted with the change from School / college / university to full time employment?

Can you describe a work situation where your manager has required you to change immediately from one role to another?  How did you react?

Can you give me an example where suggestions from your staff have caused you to change your mind?

          

Analysis              

What is the most significant problem you have had to confront in the last six months?  How did you go about solving this problem?

What was the last problem to surprise you?  Why was it a surprise?  Could you have foreseen the problem by keeping in touch with relevant sources of information?

Describe a situation when you have been recruiting staff.  What approach did you use for recruitment and selection?

               

Attention to Detail        

How do you control for errors in the work you do?  Provide me an example?

Can you give me an example of when things have gone wrong because you have missed the detail?  What caused the error?  What was the result?

Describe a key administrative process that you have had responsibility for.  How did you operate this process (look for attention to detail, rather than details of the process it’s self)

               

Control

What processes do you use for assessing the performance of your staff / projects / Work?

How do you ensure that the work in your department is proceeding according to plan?

Do you have staff meetings?  What is the structure of these meetings?  Is there a review mechanism?  Are actions recorded and assigned?

               

Creativity           

Describe some of the more imaginative things that you have done in your current / last job?

Do people come to you with particular problems to solve?  Give me some examples?

Is there anything in your department that colleagues would recognise as resulting from your innovation?

               

Decisiveness    

How have you taken the important decisions that have affected your career?

Give me an example of a decision when you have taken a long time to make up your mind?  Why did you take a long time?

Describe a decision you have made without all the relevant information.  Why did you make it? What was the result?

               

Delegation

In your current job, what kind of decisions do you delegate to your staff?  Why do you delegate these decisions?  What have been the results of these delegations?

Can you describe a situation where you have delegated responsibility to a member of your staff and been disappointed by the outcome?

Describe a situation where you delegated responsibility and were particularly satisfied with the outcome?  What did you do?

               

Development of subordinates 

Think of people you have managed, who have become successful.  What part did you play in their development?

Describe the ways in which you help your staff to improve their performance in their jobs?

How do you involve your staff in decisions you take?

               

Financial Analytical Ability         

Have you ever prepared or contributed to the budget for your unit?  What issues did you have to face in preparing the budget?

What kind of financial reports have you had to prepare in your previous jobs?

What are some of the more difficult problems of financial analysis you have had to cope with?