What is a Recruitment Consultant?
And at this point I have probably put a few of you off from joining the recruitment profession, please don’t panic as some of these large recruitment consultancies have many a varied role which may suit your personality more than others. If you want to be a recruitment consultant though you really do need to have a sales mentality, a passion and a desire to succeed because at the end of the day this is a VERY COMPETITIVE MARKET.
• Good communication skills (Clear diction)
• Hard working (Keen to put in overtime make calls from home if necessary)
• Sales ability (Should be able to close the sale i.e. ask for the job)
• Time Management (You will be pulled in all directions)
• Good written Skills (Writing adds, resumes etc, although I have got away with it for many years!)
• Smart Appearance
• Able to deal with rejection
• When it is tough have the strength to keep focused
• Good Rapport skills
• A personality
• Be able to think outside the box, there is always more than one way to skin a cat!
Generally if you have just come out of University or a non sales role you will not have had much experience which is what most consultancies look for so with my next instalment I will try help you get past this hurdle. In fact most of what I will be telling you will help you get any job that you apply for.
How to Dress for an Interview
I was trying to think what is the most important thing you should do when you go for an interview and I came to the conclusion is preparation which I have covered in the previous post. But also part of the preparation is the way you appear.
So what next, what else is going to give you the edge over your competition again some thing quite simple and that is dress code. I must admit I have interviewed all manner of people over the years and still people turn up for interview without giving any thought to there appearance. I am convinced some people have no idea so I will run through some pointers to ensure you do not make the same mistakes.
First I want you to realise that no matter what level of job you go for the interviewer will expect you to be smart even if the job you are applying for is on a building site or collecting the trash.
The obvious first point is to wear a suite a simple task but again candidates turn up in suits that look as though they have slept in them the night before so GET IT DRY CLEANED AND PRESSED. If you haven’t a suit buy one, if you cannot afford one then either borrow but again clean and press, or go to your local charity shop you will be surprised what you will find. If you cannot afford anything then I assume you are on the poverty line then there is plenty of help out there you just need to ask and you will get help.
Also in regards to the suit it needs to be dark ideally navy blue, loud party suits here are also a no no unless you are applying for a job as a clown or entertainer.
So now I assume you have a suit for interviews cleaned and pressed and looks like new.
Next the shoes often over looked at all levels and is used as a gauge by the interviewer because dirty shoes tell a lot about you it is a sign of being unorganised untidy and having a lack of attention to detail, so get them polished and re healed. A trick here is to get a black marker to redo the heels.
Socks must be black nothing more to be said on this
Shirt should be plain ideally white, NOT FRAYED AT THE EDGES
The Tie again says a lot about your personality so no Mickey Mouse Motifs, it really detracts form the interview and it shows lack of personality would you believe.
That covers the clothes for the interview, next can be a little controversial and I understand that the piercing and the green hair is part of your personality but I am assuming that you are reading this so you can get a job, so you can spend money on yourself, so please try to consider that I am not after making you a clone but you get the job you want and succeed in the interview. So take out the studs, the earrings all the body jewellery get you hair washed and trimmed, you can always turn it green another day. Shave or trim your beard an small note on this a beard is seen as though you are trying to cover up something so if it is long and bushy and you do not want to cut it then a good trim and clean will help also eyebrows are often missed. Next ensure your nails are trimmed and even and clean and make sure you have washed and used cologne etc because body odour will bring the interview to a close quickly. Also just as an aside so that you do not think this is all one way, on one occasion we had a client interviewing in our offices all afternoon he had B.O. it was a hot day and boy did the interview room smell, I felt sorry for the lads and lasses who went in for the interview.
In regards to the women similar points apply but generally I find they tend not to make the same mistakes although they can often go to the other extreme i.e. too much makeup, skirts too short, blouses too loud or cut too low, earrings to big. It is important to ensure that the interviewer isn’t distracted.
So again go for a plain dark business suit white blouse and plain clean shoes.
As I said before, I do not want to produce clones or take away your individuality but the above can make the difference between getting the job or not.
Finally there are some jobs when a little flair works i.e. in the advertising/design industry but again you still need to be smart and the shoes are clean.
But before you leave the house get your partner or mother checks you before you leave go I am sure they will help with an honest opinion.
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Attitude and Preperation is everything when it comes to an Interview
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First Interview Preperation
Assuming that you now have an interview with your ideal recruitment consultancy, you will need to prepare no matter how informal they tell you the interview is. It is always better to be over prepared than under because it will give you confidence and focus.
Based on this I suggest that you prepare a presentation as there is something psychological in the process, which will ensure the interview goes well, not only that it will give you an edge.
Preparing for an interview these days is so simple because virtually all companies now have a web presence, so there are no excuses for not knowing about the company you have the interview with.
It still surprises me that people still do not check out the company website before they arrive. In fact companies will mark this against you so No Excuses!
When you prepare for the interview I believe it is worth putting together a small presentation folder specific for the role and the company, it always looks better than just turning up. Generally I buy a A folder with clear plastics sheets inside, where I can drop the cv in etc.
Below I have outlined the things that I would generally put in the folder:
- A Front page (Name, Location, Time of interview and Name of interviewer)
- The CV (only 3 pages here please!)
- Show proof of success such as pay slips, awards, letters of commendation etc (Proves your ability)
- Information on the company you have the interview with (Print out from web etc) NB this shows you have done your research. Also it is often worth printing out details of the company you worked for, I am sure you have heard “a picture paints a thousand words.”
- List of 5 questions for the company (Saves that embarrassment when they ask have you any questions)
- List of 5 reasons why you can do a job for them (This they do not need to see but will help you sell yourself)
- Print 3 copies so that when you can leave you can leave them one, which will go down well.
Spend some time on getting this and right and ensure you have some one read over it and dont forget to check the Grammer and Spelling is up to sratch.
Although this may seem a lot of work putting a presentation together for the company, even-though it may not be necessary, it is worth the effort. There are many reasons for this, one because once done it will only take short time to prepare for another if you are unsuccessful with the first. Secondly I can promise you will have an edge over the competition not just because you have one but because the process of writing one focus you on getting the job rather than just turning up.
Tags: interview tips
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2,300 jobs go in Peugeot closure
Having been working the manufacturing industry over the last 12 months, I could not help notice the 2,300 jobs to go in Peugeot closure headline in the news. Unfortunately it is another one of the latest job cuts for the industry and they seem to happen with extreme regularity these days.
When you have spent so much time canvassing this market, you cannot help but feel a little depressed about the effects this has on the guys and girls out there trying to earn a living. When you then compound this with the cheap foreign labour what chance have they to survive.
Peugeot is to close its car plant at Ryton near Coventry with the loss of 2,300 jobs, it has been announced.
The plant, where the Peugeot 206 is made, is to cease production in the middle of next year.
Union officials were given the news at a lunchtime meeting with the firm’s chief executive.
In February, the government said it was working to secure the future of the Warwickshire factory after the company announced a drop in profits.
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How I got into recruitment
It is amazing how time fly’s, I have been in recruitment now for nearly 20 years, it has been a great industry to be involved in with many ups and downs on the way. What I can say is that I still get the same buzz I had when I placed my first candidate in a job all those years ago, it is a feeling that really keeps you in recruitment.
It’s also that love of the industry which has compelled me to write this blog, with the initial intention to help other newbie’s get into recruitment. Since that initial thought I now plan to develop the site to help experienced consultants and anyone looking to start up their own recruitment consultancy and any thoughts on the way.
So based on this and to develop the theme of “How to become a recruitment Consultant” I thought an obvious place to start is with me, and how I got into recruitment.
For me it was quite by accident and I am sure it is how most of us get into the industry. I remember the day as if it was yesterday I popped into a local agency looking for a job and I quite liked what I saw, so I asked them if they were looking, they said no and sent me to the competition, what I didn’t know I had just been fed to the lions!!
The company was called Austin Benn and they specialised in Sales Recruitment, it was a tough environment but a great place to learn your skills. Interestingly many of the consultants I worked with there slowly left and started their own agencies, some of which have become very successful in deed. Austin Benn in their early days was probably one of the first to adopt a new style of more aggressive young go getting sales guys.
In some ways the industry is still the same and maybe more competitive, but what still holds true is the sales element, that most newbie’s do not realize when they start their job hunt. Like many the appearance of a Recruitment Consultant seems to be an easy job, where all they do is meet candidates and have a nice chat, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
Tags: recruitment consultant
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German Builders head to the UK
Well it seems that the UK is going to get very interesting 
over the next few years in regards to foreign workers.
Quoting from the BBC
“After decades of sending builders and bricklayers to work in mainland Europe, the UK is now attracting craftsmen from Germany to its construction industry.
In the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, German builders are being advised how to “attack” the UK market.
The construction industry is stagnating in Germany, but up to 30,000 new homes a year have been earmarked for building in the UK over the next two decades.
The 2012 Olympics in London is another attraction for overseas builders. “
Not only will it be the bricklayers but I have also been involved recently with welders and again there will be a shortage of these skills very soon, which will I hope increase the rates for these guys who have had their rates trimmed with all the foreign labour that has come over with the likes of the new entrants to the EEC.
In a very short time these trade skills will be rare with all these major construction works going on all over the world.
Tags: constuction works, labour
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New Job Portal for the Brewery Trade
Launched this month a new jobs portal for the brewery trade. Like with any new Jobs Portal it is always tough to get a firm grip within the industry, but with the backing of the British Institute of Innkeepers I would expect barzone to succeed.
Having checked out the web site the most obvious impact is its simplicity and ease of use and having then looked at the vacancies, I loved the individual templates for vacancies a real plus in my opinion.
Also it looks like they have Witherspoons as a client so they will be off to a good start. Apart from this it appears to have all the features you would expect in a jobs portal.
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What is it all about?
I must be mad to even attempting to write this blog on recruitment, particularly when I remember how I struggled to get my ‘O’ Level in English plus my poor attempts to write recruitment ads! If it wasn’t for my ex boss whom I have the ultimate respect for, I am sure I wouldn’t have even attempted this. It is a shame he isn’t around to keep an eye on my posts and check the grammar.
The other point I have to make is thank god for the spell check, without it I would take forever and a day to check each email, letter and blog entry. I suppose this is a sign of the times, as we all become more illiterate, although in my case I am sure I was just useless, but heh I survived.
As I now step seriously into this blog, I thought how would I appeal to fellow Recruitment Consultants, the answer came flooding in “don’t write a blog on recruitment!!”
That maybe a little harsh but in essence there is some truth, so I plan to have a mixed feel with some good helpful content mixed with as much light heartiness as possible, so if you want to take a blow or have a laugh I can take it, 20 years in this industry you become thick skinned.
So if you have something to say let me know serious or not as you know us Recruitment Consultants are a little quirky to say the least!!
Regards
Stephen Fowler
stephen@recruitment-views.com
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