Recruitment Apprentices Time to Get Involved

Recruitment Apprentices â€" Time to Get Involved Employing apprentices is a new thing for the recruitment sector and I know that many will be asking, why bother, why not just employ graduates? And if I do employ apprentices won’t they be a lot of hassle? I hope to dispel those worries. It is a myth that all the best people go to university, with rising costs I know that many of my generation have taken a very conscious decision not to incur that sort of debt. Many of the most able and energetic young people are also impatient to get into the world of work. I know I was. I then decided that the career that I’d chosen, child-care, wasn’t for me, so I had to make a career change. At that stage, like most career changers, giving up my income was not an option. So by not employing apprentices, you’re missing out of some of the best talent. Graduates come with certain income expectations; I’m sure you’re well aware of that! Apprentices know that we’re learning on the job, so our expectations are a lot lower, and you get to train us in your good habits and needs, so we are tailored made for you. For example, we have clients in Germany, so part of my apprenticeship is learning German. I love the hands-on work experience that the apprenticeship offers, the fact that I can get involved, rather learn from the side lines. I chose a career in recruitment because I’m highly driven by targets and I love being able to help others find their dream job. I chose BPS primarily because of their “people first” culture. At my interview, I was present at the weekly meeting and saw the passion that the management team has for delivering a good service. The culture of the office is supportive, hardworking, active and most importantly happy, and that really appealed to me. I was also really impressed with their Stars programme which offers training and education across all areas of the business. The programme develops people from apprentice level through to director  level so there is great  opportunity for progression. I can work towards industry specific  qualifications and there is a wealth of opportunity for self-improvement. I access the training in a  variety of ways including online tutorials from LinkedIn Learning  platform and internal group training on more specific recruiting topics like  â€œWriting a Job Ad” or  â€œTwitter for Recruiting”. This learning is in  addition to  studying for my NVQ Level 3 in  Recruitment Resourcing and learning German. The first day can seem very daunting, but I suspect that is the same for all new recruits, whatever their background and even if, like me, you’ve been used to the most demanding of customers of all, pre-school children! However the structure of the apprenticeship learning programme has made it straightforward for my employer and me to get up to speed in no time at all. I was quickly hitting my targets and that was incredibly rewarding. I really hope that apprenticeships catch on in the sector. There is lots of support for employers who do offer them and I know, from my own experience, how soon we contribute to the business goals. To find out more the Government offers some great advice. About the author:  Natalie Winterton  started as an apprentice at global resourcing company BPS World two years ago. BPS was one of the first recruitment companies to offer apprenticeships in the sector. Last year they won REC apprentice of the year, and this year BPS have recommended Natalie for entry into the same category.

Setting Yourself Apart in College

Setting Yourself Apart in College By, Jessica Lawlor As a college student, it’s always nerve-wracking to think about the future. Finding a job is one of the major worries that a person nearing graduation experiences. However, there are many ways to set yourself apart as a student that just might help you to land your dream job after graduation. Social networking: You’ve probably heard it before, but social networking is becoming increasingly important in the business world, and therefore should become increasingly important for you! You probably already have a Facebook page, but have you created a Twitter page, yet? What about a LinkedIn profile? Joining these sites and getting your name out there will help to raise your profile. Twitter allows you to “follow” people and engage in conversations with them in 140 characters or less. LinkedIn is a fabulous resource because it allows you to create a resume for yourself, and then “connect” with other students and professionals. Interact: So, now that you’ve created a profile for yourself on different social networking sites, what do you do? Interact. It’s all about the conversation. When I signed up for Twitter, I went to Twitter’s search page and typed in key words of the type of people I wanted to follow. For instance, I used search terms such as public relations, freelance writing, creative writing, and journalism. Within seconds, thousands of entries of other people on Twitter talking about these subjects popped up. I browsed through profiles and decided who I wanted to follow. To get a conversation started, post a link to an interesting article or pose a question that your followers could answer. Don’t be afraid to talk to professionals in the field your studying; they will most likely be flattered that you want their advice. Create a blog: I’ve been told that there is no better way to set yourself apart than by creating and maintaining your own blog. Writing in a blog shows a potential employer that you’re constantly brainstorming ideas and practicing your writing skills each day. Along with writing in your own blog, read and comment on other blogs that are specific to the topic you write about. A great way to gain credibility for yourself is to show other bloggers that you’re interested in what they have to say. If you think another blogger has said something interesting, link back to them in your post. Start a student organization: Last spring, I co-founded the student-run PR firm, PRowl Public Relations at Temple University. A member of our PRSSA chapter realized that there was a need for students to gain experience in the PR field and recruited other students to help create a firm. A year later, our firm has had seven clients, and many students have gained the experience of working at a PR agency. Take initiative and start your own organization. I truly believe that everyone has an entrepreneurial spirit somewhere inside of them. Dig deep and think about what interests you. The organization certainly doesn’t have to pertain to your major; it could simply be a club for an interest you have. Get Involved: While it looks great to have several internships on your resume, I believe that it’s also important to be involved in extracurricular activities. I’m very proud of my experiences as a student in PR, but I also take pride in the activities I participate in that have absolutely nothing to do with public relations. For instance, I am a sister of Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority. I also write for The Temple News. These activities don’t directly relate to my major, but they show that I have interests outside of what I hope to do when I grow up. It’s all about being well-rounded. Learn a language: I’m currently learning Italian and loving it. Why am I learning Italian? No real reason. I’m not sure if I’ll ever need to use Italian in my career, but if an employer has a need for a candidate with skills in a language, knowing Italian might boost my resume to the top of the pile. Study abroad: Gaining experience in another country and understanding another culture truly can set a candidate apart. I haven’t been abroad yet, (I’ll be studying in Rome this summer!) but I’ve heard that the perspective you gain about life, after living in a different country is incredible. I think that studying abroad shows that a candidate is mature and willing to absorb themselves in any experience that comes their way. What are you doing as a student that sets you apart? Employers, what else can students do to set themselves apart in your eyes? Jessica Lawlor is a public relations student at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. She is currently the Director of Public Relations for PRowl Public Relations, Temple University’s first and only student-run PR firm, and serves on the executive board of Temple’s PRSSA chapter. Follow her on Twitter: @jesslaw Check out her blog: PRowl Public Relations blog

6 Top Tips on writing a winning cover letter

6 Top Tips on writing a winning cover letter So, you’ve worked on your CV and it’s a thing of beauty, it showcases your skills, and covers your employment, volunteering and extra-curricular activity with aplomb. You’re rightly proud of it. The bad news is that you can’t relax yet. The job advertisement asked for a CV and cover letter! Here are my tips to get that cover letter to the same glittering standard. 1.  Write in a standard formal way. I thought this  template was pretty good as a starting point. Stick to this format even  when the application is going by email. I would attach both this letter and the CV to a very short message, along the lines of “I am applying for the post of x and attach my curriculum vitae and cover letter.” 2.  Tell the employer what you want. Start with either a heading “Application for the post of …” or a straightforward statement, “I am applying for the post of…” You need to show that you are someone who can get to the point. Don’t leave the employer wondering what you might want, he or she might just stop reading in frustration. 3.  Explain why you want the job. This is where you demonstrate the detailed research you have carried out into the employer’s business. It isn’t as uncommon as you might imagine for employers to get letters which explain, “I want to work for (insert name of company) because” While this approach really is the fast track to the rubbish bin the generic letter isn’t going to fare much better. You don’t have much room to showcase your research, so focus on some simple things, try to link research back to you. You want the employer to feel that the research has informed your decision and that there could be a real synergy between you and the organisation. Here’s how you might approach it: Recent news items “I have lived for several years in Moscow and speak fluent Russian. I was delighted to see that you have recently opened an office there, I hope that this would give me the chance to put my linguistic and cultural knowledge to good use.” Awards “I was delighted to see that you have been nominated for a Stonewall award. I was treasurer of the LGBT Society in my second year at university and am committed to working to create a more equal society. I want to be part of an organisation which shares my aspiration.” Culture of the organisation “I know from talking to your graduates that your open plan offices facilitate a co-operative and non- hierarchical work place, where everyone’s opinions are valued. I would love to join such an open and creative company.” 4.  Pick some of your key skills and write about them. What makes you special? This is not the moment to repeat the CV. You need to elaborate on key points and show how your achievements are relevant to the company. Often it’s not what you’ve achieved, but how you explain it that matters. Completing a tough outdoor activity like the Three Peaks Challenge isn’t necessarily going to make you a better desk bound employee. However, if you talk about the resilience and determination you showed, and your meticulous attention to detail in planning the expedition, you might be on to a winner! You might also be able to showcase those all-important marketing skills by talking about how you went about raising sponsorship and the phenomenal amount that you raised. Better still if your chosen charity was one supported by the target employer! Make sure this section doesn’t slip into arrogance. Of course you have to sell yourself but there is no need  for superlatives or a surfeit of power words. Keep it business-like and relevant and you’re likely to have more success. 5.  Keep to a page and round off politely. Normally a cover letter should not exceed one page. You need not to pick a font size so small that you have the graduate recruitment team reaching for the magnifying glass. Don’t abandon margins either. Your letter should look neat and smart on the page and there should be some white space around to make the whole thing easy on the eye. Your final paragraph can be something as short as: “I hope to hear from you further.” There’s no need to thank the recruiter for taking the time to read the letter â€" that’s their job! You can also leave out details of when you’re available for interview, if the employer wants to see you, they’ll invite you and it’ll be down to you to try to make yourself available. And finally 6.  There’s no such thing as a successful generic cover letter! Start from scratch each time and make sure that you demonstrate your interest in this particular employer and its business. You might also want to look at our blog on speculative cover letters, you’ll need to approach writing them in a rather different way.

Why a Bowling Pin Boy Beats an MBA - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Why a Bowling Pin Boy Beats an MBA - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Millennials are getting a bad reputation for helicopter parents, ADD and lack of commitment at work. Plenty of Millennials disprove that stereotype. However, almost every employer and manager I speak with â€" some Millennials themselves â€" worry aloud about the work ethic and engagement of this generation as a whole. In Sunday’s New York Times, reporter Steven Kurutz neither laments his own humble work history nor regales us with his arduous first job, when he was working as a pin boy in the bowling alley of his rural Pennsylvania hometown. In the 1990s for $5 an hour plus tips, this is the job: “To perform the job of pin boy, you sat perched above a pit on a wooden bench, hidden behind a latticework of machinery. As the ball thundered down the lane, you waited for the crack and jumped into the pit. Then, in a series of movements as fast â€" and nearly as well choreographed â€" as a Nascar tire change, you grabbed the scattered pins, placed them in their corresponding slots on the pinsetter, picked up the ball and pushed it down an iron track back to the bowler.” By happenstance, my great uncle Jerry also worked as a pin boy, before he joined the Navy toward the end of WWII. He was a New York City high school student studying avionics. There wasn’t pay for pin boys then, just tips from the bowlers. For the rest of his life, Uncle Jerry always held a job where he was paid for performance. He always worked hard and loved work. He was meticulous about keeping records. Plus, he could have become a pro-bowler, he was that good, but he didn’t like the potential earnings. When he moved to Southern California, he played football on Sundays with Elvis, would have been a movie star if stage fright didn’t overcome him, and married Miss Hungary, who was a Miss World finalist. Of all the great stories Uncle Jerry tells about his life, some of the funniest and most inspiring are about jumping around the bowling alley putting up pins, and avoiding being knocked out or badly bruised by incoming balls and flying pins. Kurutz writes that his hometown still has the same setup in the bowling alley, and the pin boys do the same job, and take home the same money he did. The pay is the only thing that stinks about the story. What’s amazing is that high school boys or girls putting up pins and dodging danger in the pits today, can grow up to be a top apparel executive like my uncle Jerry, a New York Times reporter like Steven Kurutz, or if I am lucky: someone who works for me. That’s the Millennial I want to hire, as do lots of other executives and business owners. I want to hire individuals who know that sweat is a sign of strength. Who think and move fast. Who knows laboring in the background to make things right in the front of the house is a great job on the road to future success. When you put together your work history â€" not your resume or LinkedIn profile â€" but your actual working life: try to find a job that shows you can sweat, pick up heavy items, or do repetitive tasks with speed and verve. I could easily turn down an Ivy League MBA for employment. But a pin boy or girl? You have an unbeatable competitive advantage.

Top 10 Skills for the Successful 21st Century Worker CareerMetis.com

Top 10 Skills for the Successful 21st Century Worker Photo Credit â€" Flickr.comIn this millennial age, the 21st century, many jobbers struggle hard to keep their job positions in their workplaces. This is primarily due to the fact the millennial generation presents a few challenges which make it difficult for people with less-developed skills to cope.The expectations of the employers are beginning to shift from paper-based to skill-bound. Because of this development, as an employee, you need to focus on acquiring premium skills and how you can improve on them to get along. This article addresses them here:1) Critical ThinkingevalThese recent times, business schools take a host of subjects and universities to offer courses that primarily have to do with critical thinking and tend to improve this skill in scholars. Without having anything to do with what your major is, it’s a very great thought to acquaint yourself with several courses. This is because it assists you in bringing out the best regarding quality thinking.evalIt helps you in getting out of herculean circumstances in a way that appears to be most inconvenient, and it saves you from danger, as much as it is practicable. It will also assist you in engaging with self-motivated and project-bound learning processes.2) CommunicationAs an employee, this is another skill you should endeavor to acquire if you want to do well regarding retention capacity in today’s workplaces. Do you know a vital skill that can distinguish you from other employees? Without much ado, it is the way in which you can effectively communicate. Many employers usually consider your capability to influence people through effective communication.3) FlexibilityIn this ever-changing world, you need the capability to mold yourself in line with the current requirements. This is a time of ideas during which people tend to bring innovations and concepts to the table, and these changes would take you by surprise if you are not flexible.The living standard and contemporary lifestyle are chang ing, and employers exclusively consider only those folks who can easily flex to the modern working environment. Employers prefer workers who can adapt sufficiently and make meaningful input.4) Novelty We already recognized that this is the season when folks desire to get forward and move ahead of others by merely depending on inventions. A lot of concepts have revolutionized the lives of people, and they go along with one another. Novelty is one thing that brings about comfort for people.If you can point out situations that can be of help in improving media tech and fluency, you are moving in the right phase.eval5) CooperationIf you appear to be a loner or you are indeed one, you are capable of going only to certain limits. Having some people who you share the same values and work interests with, is very important. To accomplish the timely and adequate coverage of your tasks, you need to team up.evalDo recall that as you study in a college, you are often expected to do group works a nd cooperate with other fellow students. This tells us about patience and assists us in learning some things from other folks. We can acquire new habits, rely on others and help ourselves while the fun and work last.6) Accountability and EffectivenessIf you desire to become someone great in this present-day society, you would need to be very productive. The world gives no room for a sluggish fellow or someone who does not focus on his work. You should provide more value to your work by offering useful outputs within a specific time frame.The more effective you become with this, the more recognition you are likely to get from others. It isn’t sufficient to be effective; you also need to be transparent in all your moves as well. If you lag in a job or make a mistake, you should be responsible for it. You should be ready to be accountable for your failures and shortcomings.7) Checking in, Conceptualizing and Creating So that you can flourish in today’s world, it is crucial for you to know. There are loads of info available relating to diverse issues, and it is only when you know what goes on that you can embrace progress.evalThese factors are interrelated such that if you can check-in, conceptualize and create the info you collect from them; you are most likely to be acknowledged as a results-oriented worker. Also, any individual who does not have needful knowledge about his environment would suffer, regardless of his hard work and brainpower. This is just because such an individual would not have the essential info to establish their future goals and plans.8) IndustriousMany folks get involved in entrepreneurship, but it does not concern everyone nevertheless. For you to effectively lead a team in line with a unified goal, it requires having the skills to deal with everything that comes your way. You should be able to ideate and bring value around your concepts.Nonetheless, it is no point in trying to deny that someone can acquire these sets of skills anytim e. When you are truly serious about it, and you can get around some essential points from other people’s lives, you are poised to establish yourself as a successful entrepreneur very soon.9) InspirationThere are bosses! But being an inspirer takes time and great effort. It is not everyone who can be a leader and make themselves capable of being accountable for their actions. You are not supposed to be responsible for your actions if you are not seen as a leader.An inspirer leads! It is a leader who knows the way to part the workload in a unified manner. He tries to become someone who understands the method of reducing the heat on the partaking members of the team.10) Worldwide ExposureRegardless of the time and geographical constraint, the world has now become a global village in which the exchange of information is easy. You require a level of maturity that brings you out of your comfort zone in your nation or your place of work.One exciting reality regarding this is for you to k now how to learn new languages, especially the sorts that are well-known in a few other countries like English, French, Arabic, etc. As you depend on these skills, you can enhance your professionalism and your resourcefulness not only for the workplace in your local country but in other places too.How to improve your 21st- century skillsSurely, you do not expect only to acquire skills; you are also to improve on them. You desire and aspire to do more â€" master these skills you have learned so far. Doing this is never as difficult as you think. Here, we are going to point out how you can improve the garnered skills. They should, however, be considered in phases;1) Digital Age Literacya) Normal literacyWe refer to this as the capability to read, listen, write and speak and compute figures and bring solutions to regular literary issues.b) Scientific knowledgeevalThis refers to the common comprehension of scientific ideas and processes.c) Financial knowledgeThis takes account of compre hension of conventional economic ideas, personal duties of small, medium and large enterprises, and the manner in which these economic issues relate to the citizens and customers.d) High-tech literacyThis includes an appreciation concerning tech and the way it can be deployed to achieve specific goals or objectives.e) Graphical literacyThis talks about effective visual skills and the capability to comprehend, employ and ideate images and videos, making use of a combination of standard and new media.f) Information literacyHere, the emphasis is on your capability to discover, get, and make use of info and the ability to estimate the integrity of the info.evalg) Social literacyThis has to do with your ability to relate to value diversity and show sensitivity to social issues and to intermingle with different local groups.h) Worldwide awarenessThis relates to your ability as to how countries, persons, groups, and economies are interrelated and the manner in which they interact with each other.2) Innovative ThinkingYou should realize that creative thinking is vital in the millennial age, and a prosperous employee needs to create and enhance these optimal life skills:a) Flexibility and taking care of complexitiesThis has to with the capability to identify and comprehend that change is constant and to tackle it the right way by altering the way in which one thinks, one’s attitude and behavior to deal with the present clime.b) Self-directionThis relates to the capability to carry out work without others. It may be about creating plans and goals or managing one’s time and work or estimating one’s knowledge and learning ways.c) InquisitivenessThis refers to a passion for learning and new knowledge, an essential part of lifetime learning.d) IngenuityThe way you generate something novel or original whether it is individually or culturally significant.e) Taking RisksThis refers to the entrepreneurial attitude to reflect on a challenge or problem, to share that though t process with other people, and to get feedback from them. It has to do with the desire to get out of one’s comfort zone, to make some mistakes and to innovatively deal with the final objective of improving individual growth and achievement.3) Higher-range thinking and quality reasoningThese refer to the capability to analyze, relate, refer, construe, estimate, and create. Quality reasoning relates to common sense and gathered knowledge and skills to guarantee solutions to problems and effective decisions. Effective communication deals with the capability to connect with persons and groups positively. It generally involves:a) CollaborationCollaboration occurs when individuals share common goals, bring together unique skillsets to work in a stratified environ, and show true trust and dignity towards others. It is the collective interaction that takes place among team members as they carry out their works to attain specific goals.b) Relational skillsThis refers to your ability to d eal with your behavior, motivations, and emotions to enhance great interactions with some other groups and persons. It is the capability to excellently deal with conflict and an essential interpersonal skill needful for greatness in this 21st Century. These are skills you can exhibit to take care of one-on-one circumstances, emails, meeting calls, and teleconferences.c) Individual responsibilityThis requires you to understand the legal and defined matters associated with tech and to deal with and make use of technology in an accountable manner.d) Social responsibilityThis takes individuals to make use of technology to foster the public advantage and to shield society.e) Interactive communicationThe emphasis here is on the ability of individuals to learn communication, making use of a wide array of media and digital technology. To improve their workplace effectiveness by way of skills, it is vital for them to choose the most effective means of contact for the proposed audience. As we ll as being capable of utilizing it dependable and effectively to improve the broadcasting of information.CONCLUSIONIf you genuinely want to have what it takes to become a successful worker in the present age, the skills discussed above are what you need to acquire. But as we explained earlier, it goes beyond mere acquisition you’ve got to, from time to time, improve on it. That is how you can become a well sought-after and effective worker in this 21st century.

Motivation Monday Follow and Trust the Process

Motivation Monday Follow and Trust the Process Yes, there is a process for job search and in order for you to achieve the desired results,   it requires you follow it and have trust that it will work.   Todays post is a reminder and some tips on why the process works! I have seen a lot of new job seekers think they know what the process is and they think they are doing the right things, butit isnt until theyve tried their method for weeks, sometimes months and not gotten far, that they begin to realize that what theyve been doing isnt working. As a reminder, these steps need to be followed in this order. Do the hard stuff first! Would a company launch a new product without knowing who would buy it and why? This is exactly why you need to assess what you have to offer a potential employer. Doing this allows you to build the foundation youll need to launch your job search campaign and target the best opportunities for you. Connect the dots! When you are a perfect fit for something, explain how you meet the criteria. Use the right language and terminology! Be able to explain how your experience matches what the employer is looking for- in specific and measurable terms! Networking Works! Give it time! When you communicate what you are looking for and/or the type of help or information you are specifically looking for, you should see much more meaningful outcomes.   You need to give this time to work.   Sometimes it will feel like you are wasting your time. You will get information that does not seem helpful. You may receive leads that are not the right fit. You may be given contact names that dont appear to be immediately beneficial.   Leave no stone unturned. Building It Doesnt Mean They Will Come Posting your resume online and having a LinkedIn profile do NOT guarantee your phone will ring off the hook! How do you know the right people will see it? And if they do see it- how do you know they will take action and call you? That leaves a lot to chance.   Work it! Look for ways to demonstrate your talents by volunteering, participating on boards or in forums, or by speaking! Look for opportunities to get yourself in front of people who would need your skill set. Play Nicely with Others Dont be a jerk! Respect other peoples time and advice- say THANK YOU! Keep your contacts in the loop by letting them know when you have secured a new job! Practicing advanced interpersonal skills will help you in the long run. Do not take this for granted. People will always remember how you made them feel. Break a leg out there this week!

Writing Your Resume Will Make You Stand Out

Writing Your Resume Will Make You Stand OutIf you've recently graduated from college and have no job lined up at the moment, you might be asking yourself if writing you resume is worth it. Well, the answer to that question depends on how well you can actually write your resume. Having no clue what a resume is and how to write one can make it difficult to start your job search.Writing you resume will take some time, patience and perseverance. There are many resume formats and you will want to find one that suits you best. Some people prefer to have one resume for their career, while others may want to have two or three. You should know what format you are going to use for your career-specific resume so you don't end up wasting time and effort looking for the right one.There are a lot of different resumes out there and you will need to make sure that yours stands out from the rest. A personal statement and a cover letter are essential parts of your resume. It will show potential employ ers why you are the best candidate for the job. When writing your cover letter, you should think about your skills, education and past work experience in relation to the position that you are applying for.Another important parts of your resume are your educational credentials. Make sure you are able to present them in an organized manner, without going over the top. There are certain documents that you will need to send with your resume and you will want to know how to get them.You will also need to understand the types of jobs that you are applying for and how you will get started. Job descriptions are usually required and you will need to know how to find the most common job openings. You should have no problem locating them as many of these positions are listed online. If there are specific dates that you need to meet during the job interview process, you will want to research those first. Experience in the field is also vital in creating a good resume. This can be learned while participating in a job search program or attending seminars on career success. With this information, you will be able to point out your skills in the area that you are trying to land a job in. It will be very beneficial for you if you take advantage of programs such as these.Be sure that you are comfortable writing your resume before you start writing it. Research your field of interest and ask yourself questions such as 'What do I have to offer'What's the goal of my resume?' The answers to these questions will determine how you will write your resume. You should write your resume using specific keywords and terms to put you in a position to stand out among all the other resumes.The information that you supply on your resume should stand out. Don't go overboard with too much information that doesn't relate to your field of interest. In general, a good resume should contain a summary of your education, experiences, hobbies and a short description of your professional goals. You can also use these guidelines to add your future work history and any awards you may have won.