Yes – you can question your recruitment consultant

by K B , updated on November 11, 2020

Questions to ask the interviewer

I was asked a question this morning about what to ask recruitment consultants in interview. The answer is as much as possible. If you are in the hands of a good consultant, they should have anticipated your questions with the client.  However you can often find that recruitment consultants will be in sales mode. They can have a high commission at stake plus pressure to present any candidate quickly. You want a chance to cut through the sales pitch to find out more about the job and whether you are actually in with a realistic chance of success. So fire away.

1.  Why has the role been created? You want to get an understanding of the challenges you may face. Stepping into a newly created role is completely different to stepping into an existing role, with pre-defined measures of success.

2. How would you describe the working culture or the challenges? I emphasize asking “you.” That brings the question back to their opinion, not what is written down in a job description. You may get a deeper insight that way. A consultant who is not familiar with the client, will probably refer you back to the job description. This should serve as a warning sign to do your own due diligence on the information they provide.

3. Why did the last person leave? This gives you a sense of what may be available within a company. If the last person in the role was promoted, that’s probably a good sign.

4. How does this company define success, and how long will I be given to succeed?

5. What interview process can I expect with your client? What’s their role in the hiring decision? Sometimes there will be two or three people interviewing you at various stages. Each has their own role to play. You need to establish what that is so you can prepare properly.

6. Will you present me to the client? Sometimes consultants will not present you and will not tell you why. A good consultant will tell you why they won’t. A poor one will leave you hanging.

7. What would get in the way of you presenting me to the client? This can open up a franker discussion about your quality as a candidate.

8. How can I improve my interview skills? Ask for feedback. Consultants interview hundreds of people. They should be able to give you one or two pointers, and, if they are presenting you to their clients, it’s in their interest to do so.

9. How many other candidates will you present to the client, and how does my experience compare to theirs? With these questions, you get a sense of your worth in this equation plus how long it may take for them to make a decision about you.

10. Have you worked with this client for a long time? A good consulting relationship takes time to build. So you will want your consultant to at the very least have visited the client. If a consultant works for a long time with a client, they should know more about what makes the organization tick. However, sometimes the consultant’s dealings with the client may be speculative. They may have called the client and suggested they have good candidates, then advertised. If you get a sense that this is the case, then you will need to ask more questions of their client before you make up your mind about a job.

If you’d like help navigating the job market, email me directly on karalyn@interviewiq.com.au, or post a question on the comments section below and I’ll answer it.

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What Emma did next – part 1

by K B , updated on November 11, 2020

First Day Freak-out

The first day of school was tough. On went the uniform, the squeaky new shoes and the oversized backpack. Time to let go – a bit!  Five days a week, six hours a day, he was off learning without me; my life was about to change.

What shocked me was that I could let him go! He was happy and I was nervously ready for something new.  Now there was pressure to earn some dollars, find a career and come back to the ‘adult word’. I didn’t know that world. It had been so long. And I had never found a career to call my own, until now. And now that I wanted to do something specific, I was terrified. What if I’m too old? too far behind? not good enough?

FREAKOUT!

I had friends telling me to get any old job just for some cash flow and everything inside me yelled “NO”. I didn’t know if I was being a spoilt brat, but for the first time in my life I knew what I wanted to do, so why would I do any old job just for the money? So, I didn’t. I dug my heels in and followed my gut.

Where to start.? I looked to people with contacts. I thought, I would just try doors and if nothing happened, then I would get the ‘just for the money’ job. I had some coffees, took some advice and started networking. I also applied for a job as an experiment. The next day I received a phone call to arrange an interview. Butterflies! I had not been to an interview for at least six years.

I decided to fake it until I made it without being fake, putting my acting degree to good use. I researched the company, brainstormed ideas and rehearsed questions and answers on the way to the meeting.

It was a fun experience. It was a long experience. I threw around ideas and chatted like I knew what I was talking about. The one part that was tricky was when he asked about my experience. I am a chronic truth teller, so I found it hard to twist my slight lack of experience into something both truthful and impressive.

I am still waiting to see if I’ve got the job but I’m pretty philosophical about the whole thing. Everything is an experience, you have to try doors to get them to open. And at the end of the day, I know that my kids will love me whether I’m a dismal failure or a roaring success and that’s really all that matters.

Emma Watson

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Graduate resume tips: get active with action words

by K B , updated on November 11, 2020

Graduates take action on your resumes!

Many of my graduate clients seem to use the passive voice on their resumes. I don’t know whether it’s a hangover from writing academic style where nobody claims responsibility, but a resume and interview are two places where you strut your stuff, so to speak.

If you’re confused, ask which of the below sounds more powerful?

“The stuff was strutted by me” = passive

“I strutted my stuff” = active

To give you a more formal example that you might read on a resume:

“The report was written by me” = passive

“I wrote the report” = active

Technically there’s nothing really wrong with the passive  voice on a resume. It’s just a little dull. It’s also a bit wordier and when you are trying to cram every last word into an online resume or application with a strict word limit, the “by” and the “the” add up.

If you’re still not sure what the active voice is, “Word” gives you the option to add “readability statistics” which will come up when you check your spelling and grammar. This will give you the percentage of passive sentences. You can then run the spelling and grammar check over each paragraph on your resume and pick out the offending sentences.

Here are some action words for graduate resumes, or for any resume, really:

Assist
Able
Action
Analysis
Achievement
Accomplished
Advanced
Conduct
Consult
Committed
Conducted
Contributed
Coordinated
Develop
Deliver
Design
Defined
Diversified
Devoted
Distinguished
Encourage
Earned
Enhance
Evaluate
Examined		 Extended
Facilitate
Formulate
Fulfilled
Forecasted
Generated
Gained
Gathered
Gave
Headed
Hosted
Identified
Implemented
Improved
Improvised
Influenced
Launched
Lobbied
Maintained
Managed
Marketed
Maximized
Mediated
Modernized
Motivated		 Negotiated
Observed
Obtained
Operated
Organized
Originated
Oversaw
Participated
Performed
Pioneered
Planned
Prepared
Presented
Promoted
Provided
Published
Pursued
Quantified
Ranked
Received
Recommended
Redesigned
Reengineered
Reorganized
Represented		 Restructured
Revised
Safeguarded
Secured
Selected
Specified
Spearheaded
Standardized
Strengthened
Structured
Suggested
Superseded
Supervised
Targeted
Taught
Tested
Trained
Transformed
Transcended
Unified
Upgraded
Utilized
Validated
Valued
Wrote

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Stand out from the crowd in graduate group exercises

by K B , updated on November 11, 2020

It’s graduate interview season and if you’ve nailed the online test or the telephone interview, it’s highly likely you’ll face an assessment centre where you’ll probably go through a group exercise. You may have seen them. Typically, you sit in a group talking about how to survive as a ship wrecked boat crew on a deserted island, with only a box of matches, a rope and a can of sardines at your disposal.  Or you solve some sort of work related problem.

As someone who’s assessed many group exercises, some of the behaviour I’ve seen, has left me scratching my head. My biggest tips for tackling these are, that you do not try to be a superstar single handedly saving the team. If you just try to get the basics right and remember good manners, you’ll be alright.

What are you assessed on in a graduate group exercise?

Primarily, you are assessed on your team work skills and leadership potential.

For team work this includes your ability to listen to others, how you work with others to come up with a solution and the respect you show for others’ ideas.  For leadership you are expected to be able to facilitate a discussion, perhaps to suggest ways to solve a problem or to move things forward.  You are also expected to encourage others to join in, work with weaker team members and to ask people their ideas. If the group loses focus (as always happens) you will show leadership skills if you bring the group back on track.

On top of team work, you are also expected to show problem solving skills. It is not necessary that you come up with the most perfect solution, but you do need to have good ideas to contribute and you do need to be able to explain your reasoning behind these ideas.

Finally you will need to show good communication and interpersonal skills. So you speak clearly, and you use appropriate body language. Your tone is encouraging and pleasant. You speak neither too softly nor too loudly. Your language is appropriate and people want to listen to you.

Common graduate group exercise mistakes

Here are the most common mistakes I have seen:

1. You have your idea and you are determined that this is the best idea. What happens from here is that you end up blurting it all out, dominating the group and not inviting others to comment on it

2. You dismiss others ideas.  Part of team work is to make others feel part of the group. If you don’t think other people’s opinions are intelligent, then either don’t comment, or ask them to explain in more detail how that would work.  Remember, you can dismiss people in a variety of ways either verbally, by blocking them out, turning your back on them or raising your eyebrows. I’m sure you get the gist of what I’m saying. These behaviours are all equally bad and your assessor will notice

3. You don’t listen. Your assessor knows this when you do not acknowledge what other people are saying,  you do not build on others ideas or you have tossed your idea into the conversation and not followed the line of argument

4.  You cut people off or talk over the top of people.  This is bad. Enough said 😉

5. You barely speak.  This is almost as bad. Enough said about not enough said 😉

6.You only talk to half the group. See the point on dismissing ideas

7. You have a side ways conversation with another person while the rest of the group is discussing something else. (I’m not a fan of this at dinner parties, so if I as an assessor see this in a group exercise, I become a little cranky)

How to prepare for a graduate group exercise

There are so many scenarios that you may face, that it’s difficult for me to be prescriptive. However before you face the assessment day, think about teams you’ve worked in, or discussions you’ve had where you’ve solved a problem in a positive way. Think about what you’ve done and the process you’ve followed. You could suggest that same process in the group exercise.

On the assessment day, read and re-read the instructions, jot down your ideas to solve the problem and your thought process behind them. Remind yourself to mind your manners.

There is a lot more to this than the tips I’ve just given you. If you’d like more targeted help with handling graduate interviews, role plays and group exercises, contact me at karalyn@interviewiq.com.au

Have a read here for graduate resume tips

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How to find a job in Australia with no local experience

by K B , updated on November 11, 2020

How to find a job in Australia – if you’re new here, you need to read this

You’ve filled out the forms, jumped through the migration hoops and arrived in Australia with your skill in demand. Now come the job offers, or not? You may hear from employers and recruitment consultants, that the only experience that matters is “local experience.” While some professionals need an understanding of local practice and law, the obvious question for anyone else is – where do you gain local experience if you can’t get your first break?

“No local experience” can mean that you don’t have knowledge of local laws and regulations, but it also can mean that an employer or recruiter has no idea about how the work you have done, or the organisations you’ve worked in, have any relevance to them. They may make judgments about you and your experience, based on what they think they know about your country, good or bad.

Make it easy for employers to understand your resume

The first thing to do is to make it easy for employers. Any sort of stereotyping comes out of ignorance. Put context on your resume. In a paragraph above where you list each job, include succinct lines about the places you’ve worked, the markets you’ve worked in, or the competitiveness and demands of the working environment. Make some comparisons to well known Australian companies. Depending on what you do, it may help if you start your job search with organisations that are similar to places where you’ve worked previously.

On all your applications make sure your spelling, grammar, phrasing and expression are more than perfect. Potential employers will see your name, country of origin and can make assumptions about your communication skills. Adopt local expressions. Even if your English is text book, often an employer can hear someone’s accent by the way they write and the expression they use. So if you have any doubts about your English, ask someone who was born here (and whom you trust) to review your resume.

Find a professional to review your resume

An even better idea is to hunt through the websites of professional resume writers. You’ll see that many offer a free 20 minute review of your resume. I do this also. If there’s no obligation attached to use the professional writer’s services, then take advantage of this. It’s also one way to test that the resume writer knows their stuff.

Be persistent in your job search

In searching for a job online, you will need to be more persistent and curious than you may think is necessary. Don’t just email an application and hope for the best. By doing that you are allowing assumptions about you to go unchallenged, when what you really want to be doing is picking the brains of your recruitment consultant or potential employer. Build a relationship. If you find someone helpful at the end of the phone you can refine your knowledge of re-training you may need or experience you may need to gain.

If you do not feel confident over the phone, call someone you trust to practice. Ask them whether they can understand you and want to have a conversation with you. The way you ask questions and the tone that you use in asking questions is important. Australians are often less direct in their questioning style than other cultures. Also slow down. Body language contributes to a great deal of meaning in communication. All you have over the phone is your tone and your words.

Be creative in the way you find your job

Be more creative in your job search. If you are not finding the ideal role then you will need to be pragmatic. Find a job that lets you socialise with the “locals.” I’ve been helping one person from Korea. He worked casually at a gym, made friends with one of the patrons and told him about his experience. It turned out this person needed help in his accounting firm. Opportunities pop up if you are looking for them but put yourself out there.

Register with agencies for temp work. Often consultants are less fussy with finding someone with the perfect background if it’s just for short term assignments. These can lead to longer assignments, particularly if you’re reliable. This is a great way to build up your networks. Again you’ll need to be pleasantly persistent with the agency and keep in regular contact. Often speed is the essence in filling temp assignments and if the consultant knows you are easily available, you’ll be the first person they think of when they’re trying to fill an assignment. They’ll love you more and want to help you if take on the harder to fill jobs.

Meet the locals

Create some networks through volunteering, sport or hobbies. First make some friends, then ask around for who may know of a job. Many jobs are found this way, where someone hasn’t been a perfect match on paper, yet the employer has gone on the recommendation someone. It saves them money on recruitment and advertising. Be warned with this approach, though. Asking people for a job immediately when you meet them can be off-putting. The friendship is the most important thing. An offer to help you will often come afterwards.

Do some quality research. Find some people in your profession whom you can ask for advice on how your overseas experience translates, and where you should start your search. In my experience few people do this. Yet explaining how your skills translate is a great way to overcome the objection “no local experience.” By doing this you’re showing some great research and networking skills that even many locals don’t have. There are plenty of professional networking sites and forums out there that make it easy to contact people.

Finally be patient. You’re not alone in your experience and taking it personally will impact your self confidence. And that’s a success killer in any job search.

For more information on resumes, read this:

Why a career objective on your resume is important
Watch out for these resume red flags
How long should a resume be?
Seven things you don’t know I know from reading your resume
Don’t make these top 10 resume mistakes

Graduate application, resume and interview tips

by K B , updated on November 11, 2020

9 things to do if you’re serious about a graduate job

Applications are now open for graduate roles. You may be feeling overwhelmed and slightly panicky. In no particular order and because I’m feeling kind, here are 9 preparation, resume and interview tips which will help you stand out from the graduate crowd.

1. Go to graduate information days. Do this not just for information, but to get a sense of what the company is about. Often an organisation will put their most polished team members in front of the audience at these things. You can see the standard of communication you’ll need to aspire to, if you want to succeed.

2. Look at graduate online forums. Often these are staffed by recruiters themselves. They’ll give good advice if you ask them.

3. Visit the graduate recruitment pages of the major employers and watch the online clips where graduates speak of their experience. When you want to explain why you want to work for company abc, instead of saying “You offer great training opportunities,” you can say: “I watched five of your graduate clips online. Each one of the graduates spoke about the great mentoring program you offer. That’s important to me as someone who is fresh out of university.”

4. Speak with recent graduates of the graduate program. They’ll be able to tell you about the application process and what it really takes to succeed in the organization. Again use this as part of the “why” you want to work for the organization and to help you prepare for the interview and recruitment process.

5. Practice with the online aptitude tests. You can’t memorize answers, but you can get your mind prepared for the style of questions you’ll see.

6. Keep up your day job. You know, the job that you’re doing to fund your way through university. Now’s the time to be “self aware.” Many of us are unconsciously competent. That is we do things well, without thinking about what we are doing and why we are doing it. But you’ll need to talk about these skills in interview or act them out in a role play. Here’s an example to show you what I mean. In an interview you may be asked to give an example of when you worked as part of a team. If you’ve consciously observed what makes your team perform well at work on a particularly busy day, and looked at your contribution, you’ll then have a great example to present about how you work well in a team under pressure.

7. If you’re working, ask your manager what they think are your strengths and weaknesses. Three reasons. You’ll surprise them. You’ll get to find out what they really think of you. You get to start an interview question on your strengths and weaknesses, with the research you’ve done on yourself. That’s a much better answer than pulling some cliché from the internet.

8. Call me. I’ve worked on graduate campaigns, worked as an assessor in an assessment centres, recruited graduates and for the past five years have been helping people successfully navigate graduate recruitment campaigns. I can help with your applications, prepare you for your assessment centres and polish up interview skills. Think of me as an investment into your professional future.

9. Post a question below and I’ll answer it.

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