While it was once considered a risk to take a career break, around 31.7 per cent of UK professionals have successfully taken time out during their careers. People may choose to take a career break to concentrate on family commitments, volunteering, travelling or studying, before returning to their job. But while as an employee, you… Read more »
Posts Categorised: Careers
Five Questions you shouldn’t ask a Candidate during a Job Interview
When it comes to conducting job interviews, there are a handful of questions you simply shouldn’t ask the candidates in front of you. Whether it’s because your words could be misconstrued or cause offence, sometimes you need to look for a way around a certain question if you want to get to know your candidate… Read more »
8 Simple Steps you SHOULD follow to Secure your Next Role
“So, how’s your job search being going so far?”…Not an unlikely question to hear when initially speaking to a recruiter and yet for some it brings such anguish and frustration, particularly for those who feel they have all the right experience yet aren’t reaping the benefits of being in a candidate driven market. Whilst having only… Read more »
How to make a Smooth and Successful Career Change
At some point in our working lives, most of us will question whether we’re in the right job or even on the right career path altogether. It’s usually accompanied by a horrible sinking feeling as we see a bleak and long road to retirement, start to regret past choices and begin to doubt we’re young… Read more »
3 Reasons you’re finding it so Difficult to Hire Reward Professionals
So it’s that time of year again, bonuses are due to be paid and in the reward world the ‘other side’ is in reach as year end activities start to wind down, and as such many reward professionals are now toying with the idea of speaking to a recruiter and weighing up the opportunities available…. Read more »
The idea behind Performance appraisals
Performance appraisals themselves are under increasing scrutiny and seen by more and more Organisations to be performing below track. Some leading businesses are scrapping them altogether, or refocusing them on future potential, while others are expanding them to cover not just what people have achieved, but also how they have done it. In many cases this… Read more »
Six Top Tips for asking Questions during Job Interviews
So the day has arrived. You’ve made it through the application process and landed yourself that dream interview, done all your research and thought about all the questions you could be asked and the responses you’d give. The one thing that is still hanging over you is the last 10 minutes of your interview and… Read more »
Stop the CV Clichés !
On average 427,000 CVs are posted on Monster.com each week, to put that into context that would be approximately the entire population of Bermuda uploading their CV every single day. With this staggering number of CVs in circulation it is by no means a surprise that recruiters must use their time efficiently to review and… Read more »
Making the Move from Public Sector to Private Sector
When I was asked recently what I wanted to write about for my next blog at Oasis HR the idea of exploring how people can make the move from the public sector to the private sector instantly came to mind. This is a subject that really resonates with me as I think that a lot… Read more »
How to Find Talent on LinkedIn – Infographic
Gone are the days when business executives debate whether social media is the flavor of the month at the buzzword ice cream shop. Social media has become one of the most invaluable resources for staffing and recruiting companies. And, its popularity continues to gain momentum. Today, the vast majority of business professionals and job seekers are… Read more »
The Top Trends in HR Change Management – 2015
After more than 10 years recruiting across the HR market, we’ve worked very closely with organisations undergoing transformational change. It’s clear that over the past two decades, the discipline of change management has been molded and evolved to align with now commercially driven HR functions. In order to see just quite how things have progressed… Read more »
9 things you should NEVER do on Social Media when Job Hunting
There’s plenty of evidence to suggest that having an active social media presence will actually aid your transition from one job to the next. Ensuring your experience and skills are well documented and searchable undoubtedly helps you to stand out from competitors and of course be discovered for relevant opportunities. However, social media is a… Read more »
God Save Our Generation!
“Why don’t you all fade away And not try to dig what we all say I don’t want to cause a big sensation Just talking ’bout my generation” My Generation, The Who “God Save The Queen A fascist regime They made you a moron A potential H-bomb” God Save The Queen, Sex Pistols These are… Read more »
Is the world of Recruitment Consultancy all it’s cooked up to be?
I have a friend (well more than one actually, but lets not stray from the point early on). He’s very successful in his position as a CTO for a large corporate, gets paid a handsome sum for his efforts, manages a large team and has even won a national award for being super amazing. On… Read more »
For the Sake of the Integrity of the Recruitment Profession, Please Stop!
Having worked in the Recruitment industry for seven years I’ve seen a huge amount of great work, both agency side and in-house. There is, however, something in particular that still happens frequently which I believe creates significant damage to an industry I feel extremely proud to be a part of. I’m talking about agencies and… Read more »
How to Handle Some of the Trickiest, yet Frequently Asked, Interview Questions
So you’ve found your dream job, submitted an application and now you’ve been progressed to the next stage (congrats!). However, there is just one big thing standing between you and your exciting next career step – the, often dreaded, interview! The thought of this turns many people into a bag of nerves, conjuring up images… Read more »
A Job Seeker’s Guide to Dressing the Part (Pour Homme)
Before the ladies reading this begin to feel left out, do not fear, the ‘pour femme’ edition will be released in due course. My father will no doubt be delighted to hear that at least one thing he taught me as a child has stuck – ‘First impressions count’ was a big catch phrase of… Read more »
5 Things your Interviewer Doesn’t Want to Hear
At last (!) you’ve found a job that sounds like a great fit, pulled together your CV, written an application form or met with a recruiter, perhaps done some psychometric testing and finally you get the note – “Congratulations, we’d like to bring you forward to interview”! The excitement sets in and we’d be lying… Read more »
Counter-Offers: Three Reasons you Shouldn’t Accept One
The term ‘counter-offer’ is being used more and more frequently in today’s recruitment climate, but when feelings of flattery are set to one side, what’s the reality of actually accepting one? This summer, the Recruitment & Employment Confederation confirmed that the UK officially entered a candidate driven market; evidenced by a rise in empty roles… Read more »
Getting Hired in a Digital World
Courtesy of: Brighton School of Business & Management http://www.brightonsbm.com/
Four Top Tips for Handing in your Notice Gracefully
So, you have decided you are ready for a new job. You have written your CV, perhaps met with a recruiter, attended a series of interviews (after gruelling research) and often put yourself outside your comfort zone to sell yourself and your skills… then Eureka!… You have managed to get yourself the dream offer. Surely… Read more »
5 Crucial Things to Consider BEFORE you Attend your Next Job Interview
It’s no surprise that we’ve written a number of blogs about interviewing, giving snippets of advice and wisdom that we’ve accumulated over the years. We’ve seen or heard almost every story (the good, the bad and the ugly) over the last 10 years. I thought I would draw together previous blogs, and build out on… Read more »
Six Killer Questions to ask yourself before you Accept a Job Offer
You’ve done the hard part. You’ve been through how ever many interview stages, met with all sorts of members of the company and you’ve managed to impress them all and get the job. Congratulations! But before you accept the offer what should you consider? Confucius, who lived 500 years BC, is famously quoted for stating… Read more »
Authenticity – why are you not progressing past first stage interviews?
Let’s take a minute to discuss the value of authenticity and what it actually means to both the interviewer and the candidate. The Oxford Dictionary describes ‘authentic’ as something from an undisputed origin and not a copy, based on facts; accurate and reliable, thus genuine. You could have the perfect skill set and the ideal… Read more »
The Top 10 most Common Interview Questions: Revealed
You’ve made the decision that you’re looking for a new opportunity. You’ve put time and effort into finding that perfect job and then the call comes; ‘We would like to bring you forward for interview’…so what are your next steps??? Here at Oasis HR, part of the service we pride ourselves on is giving our… Read more »
Setting up and Standing out as an Interim Professional: A Real Candidate Insight
With the economy making a steady, but marked recovery over the last few years, it’s great to see this begin to translate into more job creation in the UK. A knock on effect of this stability to the market is the increase in companies embarking on periods of change; with mergers and acquisitions frequently making… Read more »
How to use Pinterest to Assist your Job Search
Pinterest for finding a job? Surely not you might be thinking. You will probably be thinking isn’t Pinterest the site that is great for looking up recipes, crafts and fashion for personal use or for marketing a business? How are you going to find a job through it? Whilst it’s true that you are unlikely… Read more »
The 10 Best Ways to Research an Employer Prior to a Job Interview
So you’ve been requested to attend an interview… what next? Conducting thorough pre-interview research is absolutely one of the best ways that you can stand out in a competitive market. By following some (or ideally all!) of the suggestions outlined below you will find yourself able to present the most positive and well-prepared account of… Read more »
Candidate Differentiation in a Competitive Market
Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results… With this in mind, does the following sound familiar? Apply for job. Application declined (or not responded to). Make another job application. Application declined (or not responded to). Repeat We have previously offered insight on “successfully selling yourself… Read more »
Thinking about using an Executive Coach to further your career?
Athletes train with coaches their entire career to achieve outstanding performance. Why wouldn’t you? Choosing the right executive coach for you is important. There are many people who offer coaching services; some have completed formal training, while others offer specific business experience. Whoever you choose to work with it is important that you feel comfortable… Read more »
The Pros and Cons of Interview Mediums: Telephone, Video & Face-to-Face
Having worked in recruitment for a number of years now, I’ve seen all kinds of interview feedback from the brilliant to the downright amusing (a particularly memorable one is a video interview where the interviewer could just see the candidate’s forehead…) I therefore wanted to share my thoughts and tips on the most common types… Read more »
5 Tips for Making a Great First Impression in your New Job
Got a new job? First day at a new job? First day at work? Maybe you’re the new supervisor, or you’ve been made a team leader. What now? How can you make such a good impression that you’ll be welcome? Joining a new team or company, or taking on a new role is both an… Read more »
The How, What and When of Asking Questions in Interviews
Interview. Panic. (Some) preparation. More panic. Cross fingers. Sound familiar? Whilst that errant ‘chimp’ inside you may conjure up all types of crazy interview ‘worst case’ scenarios – the reality is that your interviewer is very unlikely to shine a spotlight in your eyes and bombard you with hundreds of impossible to answer questions. Of… Read more »
Answering Competency Questions with Confidence
Last month my colleagues Rob and Marc wrote a blog offering advice around Ways to Improve your Interview Style. There’s some great advice for interviewing and the article is well worth the read. They picked up on one of the biggest challenges that a lot of candidates face in securing their dream job during the… Read more »
Six Quick Ways to Improve your Interview Style
‘Who here has had formal training on how to interview?’ A simple question, but one that left an entire group of recruitment professionals sat in silence with arms awkwardly pinned by their sides. In actual fact, only a small percentage of all those who interview as part of their job have ever had any form… Read more »
9 Tips Guaranteed to help you get MORE from your Recruitment Agency
Candidate experience… currently an infamous topic in the realms of HR and recruitment. And according to much of the reporting in the press, recruitment agencies seem to be taking a hit for offering poor candidate experience, breaking promises and lacking competence. Whilst we’re not denying that there are some ‘bad apples’, it’s a shame that… Read more »
10 Top Tips for Successfully Selling yourself with your CV
In just nine speedy seconds the average recruiter will have decided whether you are suitable for a job or not. It is therefore vital to ensure that your CV showcases your experience and relevance in the best possible way. Too many candidates forget that this simple document is often the first stepping stone to a… Read more »
13 Top Tips for Delivering a Winning Presentation
Public speaking is considered one of the most common fears amongst people, and according to some psychologists it can be more distressing than the prospect of death! That might seem a little extravagant but this state of vulnerability IS incredibly daunting, and for many of us there comes a point in our careers when we… Read more »
Could you make it as an Interim?
5 key qualities that high impact interims demonstrate With interim roles on the increase, more candidates are considering taking the day rate route. The gains of working through your own limited company coupled with the flexibility and variety appeal to many. However, the best interim candidates are a different breed from a good perm or… Read more »
5 Reasons You Should NEVER Accept a Counter-Offer
You’ve just been counter offered – very flattering. Two companies battling it out in a bidding war for you and in today’s climate, you’d be mad not to consider it right? Well, I wouldn’t be so sure – four out of five employees who accept a counter offer are gone within a year! So why… Read more »
Making the Move from Agency to In-house Recruitment
So you want to move from agency to in-house? Here’s seven things you may not have previously thought about… During my career at Oasis HR, I have spent a lot of time building my network within the internal recruitment space. I like to think I have a pretty solid understanding of the make-up of these… Read more »
Building your Online Personal Brand – a few tips but mainly common sense
I recently introduced a policy in the office called “time swapping”. You can no longer ask anyone to do anything extra on top of their current workload. You have to take something out if you want to add anything new into their agenda. The principle behind it is a really simple one. We’ve all reached… Read more »
7 Reasons why it’s better to use a Recruitment Consultancy to secure your next role
As Internal Recruitment teams become better at driving direct attraction, it does beg the question ‘what are the benefits of using an external Recruitment Consultancy?’. More so, you may even question whether a Consultancy is going to have access to the roles you want if the company are hiring directly… Ultimately, there are some roles… Read more »
30 Minutes Social Networking Could Secure Your Next Job
Blog author – Richard McMunn, Founder and CEO at How2become Unless you are unbelievably happy with your current job, the odds are high that you will eventually be looking to make a career move. In the current down economy connecting with the right people who can help you land that dream job is absolutely essential…. Read more »
13 Top Tips to Optimise your LinkedIn Profile for SEO
If you’re looking to boost your ranking in LinkedIn searches and want to ensure you’re making the most of the platform, then these quick tips are sure to help. Create a vanity URL to make you more searchable. Why not reference both your name and your business? Make sure your profile picture is saved under… Read more »
The Top 10 Secrets of Getting yourself Headhunted
Headhunting is one of the highest forms of flattery within recruitment. You have stood out in a saturated market, for one reason or another, and we want to offer you a (hopefully) better opportunity. So what is it that makes you stand out compared to another LinkedIn profile (your colleague, for example), and how can… Read more »