Playing with Fire – notes from last nights CIBSE CPD session

First things first – I’d just like to point out that I’m a Recruitment Consultant who has been recruiting within the building services field for nearly 14 years with a strong interest in the discipline, industry as a whole and engineering in general amongst many other things. I am not a professional note taker and the following may be lightweight for any industry professionals reading it, particularly if you are fire specialists, or even inaccurate for which I apologise! On the other hand, I hope that it gives you a flavour for the discussion that intertwined the presentation and I’ve also added some resources that you may find useful at the bottom. Disclaimer over…

The title was Playing with Fire – Best Practice for Fire and Smoke Installation and presented by David Fitzpatrick and Terry Sweet from Ruskin Air Management.

The format was essentially a presentation with discussion around the points; the fact that there was an audience of 10 made this work really well with David and Terry happily answering questions and discussing points throughout.

The focus was on why DW/145 been published and who should use it which in short is a response to the ambiguity that has existed around responsibility for fire damping, to bring in a change to testing procedures to take in to account the installation circumstances, not just of the damper itself and to highlight the importance of communication throughout the build process. An interesting aspect is that it also places responsibility for maintenance on the building owner/occupier too.

Interesting points here are that there is going to be a requirement for all dampers to be CE marked in 2013, anticipated for July with there being an unanswered question about use of dampers which have been held in stock from before this date.

There is also expected to be a move for “installers” to become “placers” taking instructions from the client, clearly putting a line in the sand whose responsibility it is for the design and specification of the dampers and their locations.

From a point of view of testing, the manufacturers are having to test each damper that they see in each type of material that it will be mounted such as brickwork etc. as opposed to the usual metal frame. This test must be carried out with it in the vertical position and horizontal position at a cost of £10000 each. As you can imagine this is a significant investment for the manufacturers, but as David and Terry pointed out, as a company they have learnt a lot from it. They also flagged up that it is worth checking if the manufacturer you are looking to use has tested the dampers you are considering in each position as it is possible that not every manufacturer will carry out each of the tests.

Traditionally Ruskins have sold 50% of their dampers without frames, but this is likely to stop as the frame has obviously been tested and passed as opposed to just the damper itself.

A key point to note is that if someone wants to use a damper in a scenario different to that to which it has been tested, they should speak to the manufacturer prior to installation so the manufacturer can advise appropriately and do research. If they are approached after installation, the response is highly likely to be along the lines of “Sorry, but I can’t help”.

A quick point is that consultants are going to have to update their standard specifications to reflect the changes in the regulations; apparently some are still making reference to standards in the previous requirements, not even the current ones!

Looking at longer term aspects and maintenance, there was a lot of discussion about this with several examples cited of surveys being carried out on existing installations, but the FM having concerns about the cost implications or just how it can be carried out. The question of who is best placed to do the work was raised and the requirement for a competent person could lead to new certification/training courses being launched/needed to give end users confidence that they are in fact hiring just that, a competent person. Interestingly, insurers are were identified as being drivers for this initially.

As I said at the start, this is just a few points that I scribbled down during the talk; it is certainly not exhaustive by any means.

The presentation is going to be made available on the CIBSE Yorkshire website – http://www.cibseyorkshire.org

While there is further information on Ruskin’s website – http://www.ruskinuk.co.uk/

The Info4Fire newsletter was also mentioned as being of interest, you can subscribe/read more here – http://www.info4fire.com

If you want to know about future CIBSE CPD events, including those of the Young Engineers Network – http://www.cibseyorkshire.org/Technical-Events.aspx

While if you are on Twitter, it is worth following @cibseyorkshire where Derek post’s updates/reminders about events and other items of interest. I also tend to tweet about them a day or too before on @CalibreSimon

Overall, a good event, and even to me as a relative layman, the DW/145 is going to create a massive shake up within the sector with the possibility of fake CE marked goods, increased need for CDM Coordination while the maintenance/responsibility/knowledge aspects have the potential to repeat the outcomes of the Legionella outbreak in Barrow in Furness.

If you want to get involved with the CIBSE CPD events, the next one is going to be on the 21^st March at the Rose Bowl in Leeds looking at “Solar thermal integration with commercial buildings” with a presentation by Lochinvar; hope to see you there!

Do you still need your recruitment agency?

This may seem like a strange question coming from someone who has made his living from the recruitment industry for over a decade. Given the change in the economic landscape over the past three years, it is a valid one for the majority of sectors.

Thankfully for the most part my clients are keeping me busy, but there is a perception from some quarters that recruitment services must be in decline due to these challenging times. This got me thinking… Is it generally easier or harder to recruit the right technical staff these days?

The argument that recruiting services are less relevant today is normally focussed on the following points:

• There is simply more direct responses to advertising.
• Salary expectations are lower.
• Advertising is easier and cheaper through social media and traditional methods.
• There are less positions opportunities for the talent pool, therefore less competition between employers.
• The current employer is less likely to counter offer.
• Recruitment services are expensive compared to advertising.

So all this makes it a buyers market. Right?  

With the exception of hiring from internal referrals (which should be at the heart of any company’s recruitment strategy) the feedback I have been given by many hiring managers is quite different, for the following reasons:

• More is less: Applications are increasing but the quality is reducing as more people are applying for positions to which they are not suited. Reasons for this are plenty full but common reasons can be  due to either a lack of opportunity in their own geographical region or area of expertise.
• Skill shortage for experienced graduates/trainees: There is not always an abundance of applicants. For example there have been fewer and fewer trainees and graduates taken on in the last few years, resulting in a skill shortage at the experienced graduate/trainee level.
• Less Liquidity in the marketplace: Generally during harsher economic conditions people are less willing to risk moving jobs without good reason thus reducing the number of ideal applicants in the active job market, making it harder for employers to reach them. This can be exacerbated for those forced to make redundancies in recent years.
• Valued employee’s  are still in demand:  If employers have held onto their most valued staff this far in rocky times, they will try everything to hold onto them for the future, increasing the possibility of a counter offer.
• Unrealistic Expectations:  Employers may unwittingly overlook a good hire by having unrealistic expectations of the applicants. Due to the perception that there are plenty of people on the job market, there is the temptation to set the bar so high it rules out 99.9% of the talent pool, whereas 5 years ago they would have been happy with the skill sets available. This can lead to positions not being filled for unnecessarily long periods of time.

This list is not exhaustive but just an example as to how things are not always what they seem; having recruited in both buoyant and challenging climates it is my experience that in many ways that it is just as difficult today as it was 5 years ago, although the reasons may have changed.

Certainly, given all of the above, most of the pitfalls can be managed by the recruiter reducing the amount of money and time wasted during the recruitment process, by only short listing well qualified, motivated applicants who will not only accept a position, but stay long term.

I would be very interested to hear from other people’s experiences of hiring in the current climate, either using a recruiter to help them or recruiting directly. It would be of particular interest as to whether they have found it any easier, more difficult or the same as it has always been in technical/professional markets.

Calibre Search is a specialist recruitment consultancy operating in the Built Environment, FM / Building Maintenance, HVAC / Refrigeration and Marketing sectors throughout the UK.

“You’re hired!” – back to school style…

Youth unemployment; a big concern now and a time-bomb for the future. This we know; there are enough people writing about it without saying the important thing: what action they have taken beyond commentating.

At Calibre Search we have decided to give a day a month to different groups to contribute to the solution. This is first in a series of blog postings that we’ll be making telling you what we have done, how we found out about it and contact details for how you can get involved should you feel that you would like to do something similar.

This Tuesday I spent most of the day at St Mary’s Mount School in Leeds as a mentor working with a group of 6 pupils at an event developed by the local Education Business Partnership (EBP) called “You’re Hired!”. The “You’re Hired!” exercise was run twice before lunch and after the break I had the opportunity to talk with pupils in the classroom as an open forum.

Before going to the school I was given a thorough briefing by Becky from the Leeds EBP as to what was involved, what to expect and what my role would be.

As I would be just visiting the school I would not need to have a CRB check carried out and my role was purely as a facilitator and to advise; I would not have to supervise the pupils at all, just introduce myself, tell them about my experience of interviewing and guide them through the event.

After introducing myself and finding out a bit about the pupils I was working with we started on the formal aspects of the exercise analysing what constitutes a good and bad first impression before moving on to looking at attitudes and skills. The students had completed a questionnaire before hand looking at their attitudes and their own unique selling points.

We then went on to looking at a job advert, identifying the key aspects of it and how to use that information to anticipate, and prepare for, questions at a mock interview.

Holding the interview was good fun and I was amazed by how well my interviewees performed with very little preparation time; it was obvious that the children had bought in to what we were showing them and the materials were supporting the learning very effectively.

What was particularly interesting was providing feedback directly to them and how the group were keen to contribute to that process as well as take on board the additional thoughts I gave as to how a good answer could be extended to be a great one.

After a brief look at using the STAR (Situation Task Action Result) competency based interview format including a role play and feedback session we had a brief open forum where the children asked me questions about everything from the session itself, to what I do as a recruiter and what general advice I could give them.

The event was rounded off with presenting attendance certificates before enjoying a much needed coffee ready to do the same again with the second group.

Running through the event the next time was interesting; while I had a better idea of what would happen, the second group who had a slightly different take on the material. As a result, it got me thinking and I had to present the thoughts and concepts in a different way to before.

Both groups said that it was a useful exercise and you could see how with very little input, their thinking had radically changed about how they would approach applying for a role, preparing for an interview and the interview itself.

After lunch I spent 40 minutes in the classroom with about 30 students and their teacher answering questions about looking for work, applying for roles, writing a CV and different careers. It also gave me the opportunity to find out what they think their situation will be when they leave school. I was pleasantly surprised by some who had thought about their careers, picked their options accordingly and working hard to achieve the grades that will keep them on the path. There were others who created the impression of being completely disinterested, but as the end of the session approached were busy quizzing me about all manner of subjects. Just maybe everything that they had experienced that morning and spoken about previously had got their eyes open and minds buzzing; I sincerely hope so.

Given the response that I get when I inform people that they will be having a competency based interview when they meet my clients I think it shows foresight introducing the concept at this stage and will certainly help any of the students that use in a real situation stand head and shoulders above what will no doubt be stiff and plentiful competition.

The EBP runs this and other similar sessions throughout the year and there are a number of EBP’s throughout the country. They are really keen to speak to people who feel they can help deliver sessions such as “You’re Hired!” or talk to students about employment related issues or give information about career choices.

The two local ones for us are Leeds and North Yorkshire and while Leeds’ is titled “You’re Hired!”, NYBEP does something very similar. Geographically,  Leeds tends to operate within the City boundaries and North Yorkshire works on a much wider scale (including Leeds’ region in some respects) with both being able to put you in contact with counterparts in your area if you want to take part.

If you want to know more it is well worth contacting:

Leeds: Becky Cumberworth on 0113 395 2646 or Rebecca.Cumberworth@leeds.gov.uk. (No website at present due to Leeds City Council IT changes)

North Yorkshire: James Curran on 01904 693 632, james@nybep.org.uk or www.nybep.org.uk

New Year, New Focus – 5 tips for job search success

If you have been seeking a new role for sometime, it is likely you will have felt frustrated with the lack of positive response, or indeed any response in some instances and possibly that recruiters have no interest in your goals. With the New Year, it is the ideal time to try some tips for a new focus and approach to your job search which may well change that.

Tip 1: Value your own application.

It may be tempting to apply for a number of roles that you are not suited to, or would like to do on the basis that “you have to be in it to win it”. This is not a prize draw though, but a considered decision making process. By using a scattergun approach you will get demoralisingly more rejections or hear nothing more often than you should. To send your information to the same recruiter, either in one flurry or over a period of time for different roles, locations or wide range of salaries or industries can also result in that person paying less attention to each successive application.

Tip 2: Think about the reader.

On the first read, recruiters will rarely look at your CV in detail; some have neither time nor the technical knowledge while others will be keen to complete one task and move to the next. Being aware of this means you can take advantage of it, or at least prevent falling victim to it.

Make sure your key skills and background is easy to read and likely to be noticed by someone scanning your details.

Keep your CV current; if you apply for a contract job described as an “immediate start” and your CV looks like you are in a permanent role you are highly likely to be rejected unless the recruiter takes the time to contact you and ask the question, which they may or may not do once they have reviewed other candidates.

Relate your application to the role; there is nothing wrong with (I highly recommend) having two or three versions of your CV appropriate to different roles, if you legitimately are confident and competent in those positions.

Tip 3: You are in the wrong place, so say why you can/will be in the right one.

Remote working is possible, but most employers (and to be fair most employees) prefer to have a more conventional arrangement rather than working from their back bedroom.

If you live more than 45 miles or 90 minutes commute from a post, make it clear how you plan to get there. Will you lodge or re-locate? From a recruiters perspective, particularly when looking at a permanent role relocation is the only way. Give a timescale and state your links to the area or reason for wanting to move there. This will get the recruiters attention positively. Saying that you will take a role if the employer will pay lodge/re-location fees or “if the money is right” is unlikely to improve your chances of success as you are not showing commitment or “give”.

Tip 4: Read the advert – carefully!

Sounds obvious, but you would be amazed how many people don’t… Recruiters don’t want to read 50 CV’s and whittle out those who are unsuitable for the position. They want you to rule yourself in or out and use words such as: “essential”, “advantageous”, “desirable” etc to help you do that.

As a rule of thumb, if an advert has 10 criteria and you genuinely meet 7 of them, apply and highlight why you satisfy those points.

I’ve used the word “genuinely”; consider if you were recruiting for the role, how would you grade your application against each point?

Tip 5: Speak to the recruiter.

If you see a recruiter advertising that you think you can help and that they can help you, introduce yourself with an email or ‘phone call. Jobs boards make it very easy to make an initial introduction but by actively building a rapport with someone you may well get the call from them before they place the advert or at least you will have put yourself in a far better position when they see your details in future.

Tell us about your experiences and successes! Have you tried any of the above previously, or is there anything you would like to add?

As always, we’d love to hear from you.

It’s pantomime season so – 2011 “it’s behind you”!

So we come to the close of another year and the start of pantomime season. It is also when the traditional media round up of  “the best of 2011”,” What have you achieved in 2011” and “What made 2011 memorable” etc. begins.

I’m a traditional kind of person so I thought it would be a good time to share pieces of advice which seem to be “Keys to Success” when planning ahead.

Key 1: “Don’t look back, you’re not travelling that way”. For many, 2011 has been tough but if you only take negatives away from this year, it will more than likely get you off to a bad start for the next.

Key 2: “Have a mix of goals, not just the things you want to do”. Choose some for work , home, family and the community at large.

Key 3: “Share them and make them public”. Two reasons for this; firstly, you are making a commitment to yourself by writing them while cementing that commitment by announcing it to others who are involved and able to help. Secondly, by telling someone about your goals, you are giving them consent to ask you for a progress report…

So to help me fulfil Key 3 (who said blogging is altruistic?!), here are my objectives for 2012:

Career objectives – My primary area of recruiting is within the building services sector of construction (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and Public Health as well as electrical systems in buildings). I’ve been in enforced exile due to changing roles that will be over at the end of January. My objective is simple; let everyone know that I’m back and re-establish myself within the region.

This year Calibre is going to be volunteering in schools to help promote the industries we serve (marketing, civil & structural, HVACR maintenance and building services engineering). We need to find out what we can do, who for and when.

Family and home – My daughter Anna is now nearly 5 and settling well at school so my goal is to support her and ensure that her confidence and knowledge of the world grows by showing her what is out there for her to enjoy. With the house, big projects for this year are raised vegetable beds in the garden, to be built, filled and planted. That means this particular job has to be off the list by the end of March. There is also painting the wooden fence before the garden wakes from its winter slumber and covers it up – lets hope for some dry days in Spring…

Interests – On my LinkedIn profile and Twitter bio I mention that I’m a biker. I will be doing the Royal British Legion Riders 1000 where the aim is to travel 1000 miles in a day raising funds for the Legion. I still need to persuade my wife that I am neither mad or worth divorcing for wanting to do it.

I guess that means that I am now committed!

I’d love to know what your plans are 2012 and how you plan to make it a great year. Please leave a comment below and fulfil your own Key 3!

How to sabotage your own recruitment process; a step by step guide…

My last two posts have primarily discussed things from the candidate perspective, so I thought it would be a good time to look towards the other side of the circle, the employer.

I’ve illustrated the worst case possible using a fictional company called Goode Idea Consult and its Directors, John Goode and Arthur Idea. I have a feeling we could be visiting their offices again in the future, probably in much the same manner as Stephen King does Castle Rock and Derry, but I’d expect with less surreal happenings…

As you would expect, the aim of any recruitment process is to fill a position and resolve a need within the business by employing the best person you can attract in terms of skills, abilities, attitude and personality fit. Some companies are very, very good at it. Others have leaders like Arthur who could take a few pointers from others.

We are joining Goode Idea Consult at the second stage of the recruitment process; Arthur and John have identified that they need extra skills and Arthur is taking the lead on the process with John happy to act as second opinion once Arthur has carried out first interviews.

Arthur is just compiling the Job Description and Person Specification and having heard the news that unemployment in the country has reached a new high with there being a mixed, but generally gloomy outlook in their industry, concludes that they will be able to broaden the scope of the role and raise their expectations of the candidate without increasing the package.

He also decides that anyone who has been made redundant is probably not going to be any good and therefore will not consider anyone with breaks in employment over the last 3 years or who has changed jobs for any other reason than their own volition.

They gather a number of CV’s from various sources and after several weeks of arranging and rearranging interview appointments meet with four people including a particularly keen individual called Percy Stent. Percy has not changed roles within the last three years, has been working for a similar outfit to Goode Idea and even sent a follow up email to thank Arthur for the initial interview. At that meeting Arthur painted a rosy picture of their current workload, the retained project list going forward and the investment in technology that had been made and was committed to in the future.

While Arthur gushes about Percy’s suitability for the role and the company, Percy’s email goes ignored for a week, as do the other candidates, as Arthur insists that anyone looking for a role should be glad to be considered in the current market. The other candidates he has barely discussed with John include someone who lost their job due a sister company in the group folding and the other two people have also been made redundant, each having survived two previous rounds within a much larger international practice.

John finally persuades Arthur that they need to arrange the follow up interview for him to meet Percy. They agree a package that John will offer Percy there and then if the meeting goes well. The interview takes place and John describes the company and their present situation. The description of the company and position varies somewhat from Arthur’s explanation, but Percy remains keen and John offers him the position informing Percy that the paperwork will be in the post the following day.

The offer is sent out three days later, but crucially, it is for a reduced figure for which Arthur blames an administration error for the discrepancy…

Percy accepts the offer once that issue is resolved, resigns his present position and being keen to build a relationship with the Goode Idea team before he starts, emails Arthur to see if it is possible to visit the office and join one of the bonding socials that Arthur boasted of happening most weeks. The email is not responded to (yet again), while as soon as Percy resigned, his present employer immediately started a charm offensive to persuade him to reconsider leaving.

After over three weeks of not hearing anything from Goode Idea, Percy contacts the office and speaks with John who knew nothing of Percy’s emails (or the weekly socials…) and confirms a start time of 9am the following Monday. As John is off that week, he briefs Arthur that Percy will be starting and asks Arthur to ensure everything is ready for Percy’s arrival.

Monday arrives, and so does Percy at 8.55am prompt. Unfortunately, Arthur is late and has also failed to prepare for Percy’s arrival by letting other members of staff know Percy is joining the company or even arranging a desk.

For the first few days Percy has to use John’s desk while Arthur struggles to put the most basic preparations in place and as the week progresses, it becomes apparent to Percy things are not quite as he expected.

Certainly the picture of the organisation and role painted by Arthur at that distant first interview was pure fabrication, while John’s was at least based in fact, but definitely best case scenario.

Towards the end of the week Percy receives a call from a friend at his former employer asking him to meet up for a drink and a curry. His ex-boss is going to be there and his friend tells him that she will make it clear he is more than welcome to talk about coming back on board at any time…

I’m not going to ask if you think Percy should or will go for that curry, I think I know what I would do assuming that I had not been put off much earlier during the catalogue of  disappointments. The problems that Goode Idea created can be summarised as follows:

-        Raising expectations of applicants without considering if the calibre of person they seek is part of the mass unemployment they perceive and therefore possibly going to be willing to accept a low package.

-        Making a sweeping decision about people who have been made redundant without looking at the big picture; in the present market, continuity of employment is in many respects more important than number of employers.

-        General disorganisation such as making arrangements for interviews.

-        Failing to communicate, either at all, truthfully or with a cohesive picture.

-        Delays and inaccuracy with the offer paperwork.

-        Lack of preparation, and therefore welcome for Percy on his first day.

-        Arthur appears to have assumed that while Percy has started, that he will not finish in a short space of time…

The last point is possibly the big one; even though Percy has ignored all the warning signs that this may well not a good move for him, Arthur could have taken that final step to pushing him out of the door.

So what do you think or have you had a similar experience in real life? Please let me know, or get in contact if there is anything else you would like to discuss. My email is simon.owen@calibresearch.co.uk.

Does your profile portray your confidence as well as your competence?

Does your profile portray your confidence as well as your competence?

I don’t know if it is something you have thought about while writing your own profile, or reading that of others, but for a while I have been wondering whether there is a link between the words on someone’s CV/LinkedIn/facebook profile and their current state of mind. More to the point, will those words have the desired effect?

It seems I am not the only one asking the question, in the Sunday Times (13^th November 2011) there was an article about women being able to spot unattractive men from just their profile, not photograph, on dating sites. The summary of that piece was that the more attractive men were confident in the language that they were using to describe themselves and their situation. Perhaps there is something in this…

Like it or not, when you are writing a profile for business or social networking, or just talking to friends you are selling yourself. At the very least you do not want people to think that you unhappy or unsuccessful.

We’ve all been there; you’ve had one of those days at work and a long standing arrangement to go out for a drink with some friends, one of whom is annoyingly cheerful when you feel like this, always positive about their work and their life in general. They don’t have bad days, only good ones at the bottom end of the scale and great ones at the top. How would you alter your description of your day to that person?

Alter the situation slightly and take the same day at work, but then instead of going out for a drink, you are about to sit down and update your CV or LinkedIn profile. Is it possible that the same frustrations can show in your words and affect your audience?

As a recruiter I’ve read 1000’s of CV’s and profiles in various places such as LinkedIn etcetera, but as someone who enjoys newspapers (old fashioned I know…) and browsing the web to see where I end up, I know it can. Certainly, if you are writing your CV without thinking you are selling yourself you are sadly mistaken.

A couple of weeks ago I was sent a CV with the following paragraph and I saved it with this blog in mind:

“While being unemployed and while looking for a permanent job I have used my time to find jobs such as project management of minor jobs such as fire alarm systems, burglar alarm systems, emergency light systems and electrical design work to keep my hand in so to speak, in effect do anything no matter how small just to keep busy.”

What does it say to you about the author? Take aside the style elements which tell their own story; what do you think was going on in the writers mind?

If you felt that there was a hint of frustration there and a lack of detail which left you wondering just how what work this person had undertaken and how enthusiastic they felt about it, you word the words which are OK on the surface, but was left feeling the same as me about the writer.

The writer had actually been made redundant 18 months ago from a fairly senior position and had only been invited to four or five interviews in that time so any of the emotions we felt on reading that one paragraph are understandable.

Before I submitted his CV to a position, I carried out some minor amendments with his blessing:

“Since being made redundant I have been actively looking for a permanent job and also carrying out a number of minor works for contacts such as project management of installations such as fire alarm systems, burglar alarm systems, emergency light systems and electrical design work to keep my hand in.”

I’ve kept in a similar style of writing and the majority of his words while alluding to him keeping in touch with old contacts and tried to ensure that there is an up-beat feeling to it.

The result of that submittal is that he has an interview secured for the role. I don’t know whether that can be attributed to that change specifically, but if you felt better about his situation, there is a good chance that the employer did too…

So what can you do to come over positively?

First of all, how do you feel? If you are only doing it now to get the task out of the way, don’t bother! Chances are when you re-read it in the morning you will want to start again…

Secondly, have faith in what you are writing. Using buzz words or phrases that you think an employer wants to hear, but you would never use to describe yourself, tend to come over as being flat and having been written without belief – particularly if everyone else is using them too!

Thirdly, think about specific situations when you have excelled. Writing “I am a great Project Manager” may be to the point, but there is no proof or substance to that statement. This may take up more space, but is worth the investment: “I took over the project management of a scheme that was 3 weeks behind schedule and £45000 over budget with just 9 weeks to run. Through working with the sub-contractors, design team and the client I managed to deliver it on time with just a £9000 deficit”. The reader is convinced you are a great Project Manager and the paragraph gives you both something to discuss at interview.

If you can have a few examples like this that show a range of situations and skills you will be creating a very powerful document that will achieve the objectives you have set for it.

Please feel free to let me know what your thoughts are, or share any tips that you have to portray a more positive mindset that others can see in the comments section below, or by email: simon.owen@calibresearch.co.uk

I should have written this in October…

Why? I’ve been looking at my plan for 2011; what I have achieved and what is still on the to-do list.

First of all, why should I have written this in October? Well as we are in the middle of November, it could be said that the year is effectively over and it is too late in the day to get on track.

My plan for 2011 was simple; to do something about everything that was making me unhappy and having a knock on effect on those around me. I did not say “solve” or “cure”, just “something” with the idea being that if I change key things, it will make a big difference for me and those around me.

The biggest thing that I was unhappy with was my job. I knew my career choice was sound; I thoroughly enjoy recruitment and the talking with people, helping them either address issues with their own careers or find the people their need within their businesses.

The vast majority of people that I speak to about changing jobs have various reasons for seeking a new role and I was no different in that respect. While a lot of people will say money is their main motivation to move, ultimately when you dig below the surface, money is an annoyance, the but the core feeling they have can be summed up as “I cannot continue to work for my boss” or “I have no faith in my boss”. What is interesting is that these reasons build up over time and then a specific event leads to the decision that the time is now; I guess for most you could say that there is a “straw that broke the camels back” moment of realisation.

I did not need to put up the façade of money, there was no point, my issues went much deeper and my moment of realisation was when I asked myself the following questions for the third time in 18 months and got the same answers as when I answered them the first time:

• Is the company I’m working for going in a direction that I want to go?Are my values and aspirations achievable within the organisation?
• Do I feel valued? If not, why not?
• Is there synergy between the future I want and what I perceive that of the companies to be?
• Is there the opportunity to change any of the above and achieve more than a short term fix?

Despite working to resolve what I could, ultimately I realised I was not getting anywhere, never mind where I wanted to be. I talked with my wife about it and she told me she had been waiting for me to come to that conclusion for some time! There is obviously a sweet irony here in that I have perfectly illustrated the story of the cobbler’s children playing the role of both cobbler and child…

So with the decision made, I then had to think what I wanted from the change; where I wanted to be and what I wanted to achieve. It is one thing to say “I want out”, but far more important to be able to say “and I am going to find…” immediately afterwards.

To help order my thoughts, this meant another list of questions in my minds eye; it was never written down, but can be summarised as follows:

• Do I want to go solo and form my own business?
• Is the ideal role for me with a small company or do I want to go back to working in a corporate?
• What do I want to do? Seek a role in managing a business, working as a recruiter or focus on something different such as business development or training?
• Are my skills and knowledge suitable for the direction I want to go?
• Does what I want exist and how do I find it?

The process of answering those questions, and finding a new role is a separate subject in itself (watch this space for that one), but in short I spoke with some friends and took advantage of my prime thinking time while I’m cycle commuting 18 miles a day to come up with the answers.

So here I am at Calibre, two months in and enjoying it. The business is a similar size to my last company with a completely different set up and focus. In the short term I am working on a different division to what I know, as I still have contractual responsibilities to my old firm to adhere to, and that has added to the excitement; using my current skills and knowledge while adding to it on a daily basis.

There has been a huge cultural change from what I’ve known, but that is what I was looking for and needed. In all, it has worked well for me and my family. As my colleagues keep letting me walk through the door in the morning and have not sent me home at any point, I guess it is working well for them too.

As for the rest of my list, that is progressing too; I’ve completed numerous jobs around the house that either needed doing or were causing annoyance. The garden is approaching being under control and I’ve tackled a number of projects I’d rather have avoided and successfully been doing so for sometime.

Of the remaining jobs for 2011 the stand out ones are sorting out my list for 2012 and to start repairing an old wicker chair that has been in need of some TLC for too long…

REC JobsOutlook reveals employer confidence at its highest for over a year as headcount freezes are lifted

Released on 18 May 2011

 

Confidence among employers has soared to its highest level in a year reflecting renewed optimism in both short term and long term hiring intentions, the REC’s May JobsOutlook has revealed.

Ahead of the release of the latest unemployment figures tomorrow, the survey has shown a major shift in employers’ attitudes over the past month. This has resulted in a total of 44 per cent saying they intend to increase their permanent staff in the next three months with 52 per cent planning to hire new staff over the next 12 months.

The proportion of employers applying headcount freezes continued to fall in April, reaching 20  per cent- a dramatic improvement on the 43 per cent peak figure in late 2010.

Short and medium term demand for temporary workers also remains strong as businesses look to build crucial flexibility into their workforce planning.  A total of 22 per cent plan to add to their numbers of agency workers in the next three months with the same percentage planning an increase over the next 12 months. Some employers plan to gradually reduce use of temporary staff over the coming year which reflects increasing willingness to start hiring permanent staff.   

Commenting on the figures, Roger Tweedy, the REC’s Director of Research, said:

“This is the first real confirmation that employers are feeling more confident and are taking a long–term strategic view of their workforce planning. Creating more permanent jobs and the lifting of headcount freezes are solid indicators of this increasing confidence. This is encouraging news at what remains a difficult and volatile time for the UK jobs market.

“The survey also confirms the emergence of a two tier jobs market with 60 per cent of public sector employers predicting a significant impact on their workforces as cuts begin to bite. The unexpected surge in business confidence gives hope that private sector employers can absorb further public sector job losses.

“However, this remains a big ask. Even if enough job opportunities are created, moving from public to private sector isn’t easy. Effective support and guidance will be vital if we are to help workers make this transition.”

JobsOutlook is based on a monthly survey of employers with results based on a sample of 600 on a three month rolling basis

Is your CV fit for purpose?

There are plenty of articles of how to write the perfect CV scattered across the internet which offer a huge amount of information, many of them contradictory. My opinion is that there are no set rules when writing an effective professional CV.  You are far better off thinking about the purpose of the document as a starting point rather than focussing on how to do it.

As people focus on the ‘how’, they often overlook the ‘why’; and create a document which is not fit for the job it is designed to do. Remember it is supposed to give an accurate representation of not just your historical career history, but also a route map of where you want to go.

Youth unemployment is a huge concern at the moment which means that there is massive competition for Graduate jobs. So a recent graduate will find that they may be applying for graduate and non graduate trainee schemes. So before you send ‘the CV’ ask yourself ‘who is reading this, and why?’. If your are wanting to demonstrate your interest in your vocation (such as Civil Engineering, Accountancy, Law etc…) then emphasise  your education, likewise if it is to work in a call centre, highlighting more work experience would be appropriate.  It is such a turn off for Graduate employers to read a page about working at KFC, and only a snippet on the degree!

You are now thinking….well they are young, I don’t do that!

Well I get plenty of CV’s from senior applicants with a wealth of experience who seem to think they can demonstrate all of this on one or two pages. There is no law which says it cannot be longer. Although I draw the line at an autobiography!)  If during your career you can demonstrate a range of experience then do so! Again think about what the CV is intended to do.

One of the most common faults I find is that people’s own perception of the role they are applying for and matching that to their own skill set.  I see many technical CV’s of senior level applicants who completely overlook  the business development and management aspects of their role. Ask yourself, is the potential employer more concerned with amount of business you can bring to an organisation  or the  technical expertise you possess. Answer that question and write your CV accordingly. Equally if you hate management and business development, then don’t feel pressured to highlight that on your CV.

Equally your CV should dictate the interview. Put information on your CV that you WANT to be asked about so you can demonstrate your best attributes. This is a simple idea, but it really works.  

A  final point is my war on waffle. A CV is not fit for purpose if the opening paragraphs are a list  of self descriptive adjectives which do not evidence anything other than your own opinion of yourself.  What I am saying here is that you need to back up any claim you make with specific examples. Simply stating ‘I am an excellent communicator, with the ‘ability to work in a team or on my own’ quite simply does not cut it!

So in summary think about who is reading your CV and for what purpose. Make that your starting point before putting pen to paper. Otherwise you will be guided by advice which may not be appropriate for your circumstances.

 Richard Robinson is a Director of Calibre Search Ltd