FIND OUT WHAT YOU LIKE DOING BEST, AND GET SOMEONE TO PAY YOU FOR DOING IT!

NEED TO JOB HUNT BUT STRUGGLING TO GET STARTED?

It's a big decision to job hunt and unfortunately it's not always one that you make yourself, sometimes circumstance forces it upon you. There are things you can do to make your job search more successful. Below are my recommendations for what to do to kick off your job search.

WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM YOUR NEXT JOB?

It may seem stupid or simplistic, but the very first thing you need to do is to figure out your career goals. What are the priorities for you in your next job. Is it the responsibilities of the job? Is it the salary? Is it the industry you focus on? The ability to lead or mentor others? It is the location, or a 100% remote or a travel based job? Understanding your careers goals now, and also how those may impact your future - is the first thing you need to figure out. I recommend you reflect on your career so far, what you loved, what you didn't love 'quite' as much (I am always a diplomat!) and where you have the most fun professionally. What do you enjoy? Which aspects of your skills or education do you want to do 'more of'. Get that all identified, and write it down somewhere.

UPDATE YOUR CV OR RESUME

Learn how to present your skills, expertise and what you offer to employers on paper. Have a friend, colleague, or mentor (or us) review your CV. We offer a number of CV tips here, and encourage you to take advantage of them. Writing a great CV is a skill, and it's always good to check in and review if your CV is compelling, well written, and most importantly gets your career goals across to whoever is reading it.

NETWORK - NETWORK - NETWORK

The power of your network should never be underestimated, and do not feel embarassed or nervous about asking for help. Consider contacting prior employers or colleagues that you have worked with, who know your work-style and ethos, and ask them if they can recommend you to anyone in their network, or if they know of any applicable job openings that fit your skills, where they could put in a good word for you. They may not have anything now, but who knows what next week will bring? Often one of the most effective methods to advance your career is to bounce off the people you already know.

START APPLYING FOR JOBS

It sounds simple, and in todays tech savvy world it often is, but make sure of a few things.

1. Make sure you apply to jobs that you truly have the skills and competence to succeed in. I do not recommend a scattergun approach of applying to every 'easy apply' job you find on LinkedIn. If you carefully tailor your job search, to roles and careers that match your work trajectory - you are far more likely to avoid the inevitable disappointment of multiple (automated - yuk!) rejection emails.
2. When you find a job you love, make it clear! Sometimes you'll find a job that immediately has 'you' written all over it, it matches your professional background, provides you with the focus and challenges you want, and seems to be for a firm you'd be proud to work for! Great! If you apply online, make sure to try to find out who the hiring manager or recruiter is and aim to call them or send a personalised email. It will help you to stand out and also make it clear that this particular career opportunity is of importance to you. 
3. If a cover letter is needed, ensure it's personalised and tailored to the job. I have read way too many cover letters where someone has saved a version and sends it out without adjusting it to the specific role they have applied for - and honestly it's awful! It creates a poor impression, and will also make the recruiter or hiring manager wonder what you actually want in a job. If you are applying for an enterprise data architect role, and your cover letter refers to your love of DevOps and software skills, yet makes no mention of any architectural skills - why will a recruiter even bother to read your CV or resume? Think before you send!

CONSISTENCY IS KEY

Be consistent in your job search! The job market is hot right now, and it is not to your advantage! Hundreds of people are applying for each open role, which means you need to get in early to have a better chance of catching the attention of the recruiter or talent acquisition professional who is reviewing all the applicants. You should aim to job hunt and apply for jobs, every single day. At least then if you have 3-4 job search sites you regularly use (there are many) you will always be applying within the first 24 hours of a job being posted, so do aim not only to review vacancies and apply daily, but aim to do so at the same time each day. Set the time aside or make a calendar reminder.

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Anyone who has ever interviewed with me, may well have heard me joke (not really a joke to be honest!) that websites are like dating profiles - they only tell you all the good things and none of the bad! Before applying to a role, have a quick check on sites like glassdoor.co.uk for reviews to better understand the company's reputation. Have a quick look at their LinkedIn page, and click on 'employees on linkedin' and see how their staff retention is? This is just a couple of examples but a career move is a big choice, some jobs appear too good to be true, and sometimes they are. Do your due diligence and your future self will thank you!

PREPARE YOURSELF FOR INTERVIEWS

• Are you ready to talk about yourself?
• Do you understand your value?
• Can you articulate and give examples of the benefit you have provided to your employers?
• Are you able to explain your motivations and goals to a stranger?
• Can you sound confident in discussions?
• How do you handle situations that are by their very nature, hard to prepare for?
• Do you trust yourself?
• Will an employer trust you?

Ensure you are prepped for the myriad of interview questions that you will be asked during the job search process. Many are done nowadays via zoom video call, so you can't always just hide away on a phone call, the interviewer will also be judging your body language, eye contact, hesitation and repetition as well as what you actually say! 

ASK FOR REFERENCES

Contact prior employers, mentors or colleagues for professional references. This could be via for example, linkedin, or they could write a nice letter-headed reference that you can save to share with future employers or it may just be them agreeing to support you if a potential employer contacts them wanting to speak about you. Have this prepped, as it's often required.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TENACITY

Keep at it, job hunting can feel like a full time job, but put your best foot forward and treat it with the seriousness it deserves. By using your network, prepping a great CV or resume that accurately reflects who you are, what you have done, how you have positively impacted prior employers or projects, and what you are looking for - a recruiter or hiring manager will far more easily be able to imagine you working with them, and want to have a conversation.

BE READY TO PIVOT!

Be prepared to change up your job hunting approach if required. Might you need to alter your CV? Do you need to change the types of roles you are applying for? Are you being realistic about your skills and fit for the positions you're interested in? Be ready to make little tweaks to your search and what you share in that search, to get closer and closer to the job you want. It will be worth the time you invest, to get it right!

THE RIGHTS AND WRONGS IN CV DESIGN, CONTENT AND LENGTH. GRAB SOME TOP CV DESIGN AND FORMATTING TIPS HERE

What is the goal of a great CV or resume? It's to start a conversation with a prospective employer and to secure a job, typically to improve your skills and / or income.

So how should you go about this process? The first thing to consider is how most recruiters and hiring managers evaluate CVs. With 100s of applicants for open vacancies, it is increasingly difficult to get the attention of recruiters and talent acquistion professionals. Here are my top 15 tips for mastering the art of CV writing.

1. Your CV should include full contact information (name, phone and email).
2. Make sure your core expertise and career goals are clearly defined at or near the top of your CV.
3. Choose a font format which is easily readable. Whilst unusual fonts are eye-catching, they can be frustrating to read through and you may lose a recruiters attention and interest.
4. Ensure any hyperlinks to your website, linkedin profile or portfolios are current and working. Often these provide valuable additional information so ensure the links are not broken.
5. Use consistent formatting. Your CV should have only one or two font formats, and headers, bullets, and paragraphs should be consistently formatted throughout the document.
6. Clearly document your work or volunteering experience in chronological order, with your most recent experience uppermost.
7. Education, certifications and awards or accolades should be included, with the most senior qualifications listed at the top of your education / certification section.
8. Do not make paragraphs about each career position too lengthy.
9. Summarise your achievements in each role, at the bottom of the paragraph about that work or volunteering experience.
10. Check your CV or resume, for grammatical or spelling errors.
11. If you convert a CV to PDF, open the PDF and make sure all the information has converted correctly.
12. Make sure to highlight experience with software, technology, equipment or machinery for each role you have had, employers needing niche skills will look for specifics.
13. Avoid saying 'have knowledge of' (this could mean you read about something on wikipedia). Be clear and proud of your specific expertise.
14. If you are seeking particular accommodation in your work due to a disability, or travel restriction, make this clear. Companies are increasingly seeking a more diverse workforce, and this will enable future employers not only understand the parameters you're seeking, but may also help them in selecting a more vibrant and varied workforce to join the team.
15. Double-check everything before you share your CV with future employers, this may include not only the standard spelling or grammatical checks, but also asking a mentor, trusted colleague, friend or family member to review your CV and provide you with feedback.

ARE THERE EFFECTIVE WAYS TO JOB SEARCH BEYOND LINKEDIN AND JOB BOARD APPLICATIONS? YES! LEARN HERE

Modern job hunting is conducted heavily online, whether that is via LinkedIn, Indeed, CV-Library, TotalJobs, Reed, Monster, Glassdoor or others. But are online applications the best way to job search? Not always.

If you have the opportunity to directly approach an employer, we are strong advocates for this. Many jobs have been secured by simply visiting a company, asking to speak to a manager, human resources professional or owner. You can enquire about any job vacancies and let them know why you are interested in working with them, and the skills and experience you have that they could leverage.

Use your network! People often say 'it's not what you know, it's who you know' and relationships do matter. Don't be shy about approaching your professional and personal network to let them know that you are job hunting, and to be specific about the type of position you are looking for. When successfully done, these relationships can help open doors, but you have to be willing to walk through them and then prove that beyond any relationship, you have the skills, qualifications and drive to succeed.

What about improving your chance of being hired online?

With the prevalence of ATS systems in use today by talent acquisition specialists, breaking through the hundreds of applications to secure a prescreening interview is challenging. Don't be afraid to approach the company or job poster directly. Sometimes applying directly to the company website can be more effective than via a job board, and equally, recruiters generally welcome direct contact to learn more about their job openings and opportunities.

LEARN HOW TO MAXIMISE CHANCES OF YOUR CV GETTING NOTICED 

Modern recruitment and talent acquisition practices heavily leverage Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to help to speed up the review and assessment process of applicants for open positions. Whilst this can make life easier for recruiters, it's important for candidates to understand how these systems work to increase the likelihood of recruiters personally reviewing your application.

So what can you do, to improve your chances of your CV being reviewed?

ATS systems rely heavily on the analysis of keywords that match criteria the recruiters use to refine a shortlist of candidates they are more interested to speak to.

When writing your CV, it is important therefore to be specific about particular experience, technology, programs, processes and methodologies you have trained in or used in your career. This will increase the likelihood that keywords in your CV match the ones the recruiter has specified in their search for matching candidates to the job.

For example, instead of just writing that you have 5 years of bookkeeping experience, you should specify experience you have in managing General Ledger, Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable data, and which technologies (such as Quickbooks, FreeAgent etc) you have used to support your work.

Remember also, that ATS systems use not just individual words, but also key phrases that match the needs of the hiring organization, so consider this  when writing your CV to ensure phrases which highlight your skills, and expertise are specified in your CV.

GREAT TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF PASSING RECRUITER ASSESSMENTS, AND MOVE FORWARD TO FORMAL HIRING MANAGER INTERVIEWS

1. Review the job description before your prescreening interview with the recruiter, we know it's common to apply for multiple positions when you're job hunting, but there's nothing more offputting than you thinking you're being interviewed for a different position than the one the recruiter is discussing with you.
2. Jump onto the company website, and read up about the company, and in particular the division or group you want to work with.
3. Be prepared to clearly articulate how your current or prior experience, fits with the expectations outlined in the job description. Speak confidently and use specific examples.
4. Expect to be asked to explain results! I.e. If you are seeking a sales role, bring the statistics about quotas you had, and revenue you were responsible for in your prior sales positions. Data matters. Alternatively if you have been working in Marketing for years, explaining all the types of marketing you have worked on is great, but being able to produce and walk a recruiter through metrics, that showcase the impact on leads and sales that your work generated, is immensely more impactful.
5. Write down questions you may have, in advance of your prescreening - it's easy to forget all your questions at the end of the interview.
6. Whether the interview is in person or via zoom, be professionally dressed. Be well groomed and wear smart attire.
7. Make sure you are prepared, engaged and express interest in the position, no-one will want to hire you regardless of your skills if you appear half-asleep or disinerested in the role.
8. Do not dismiss the importance or impact of recruiters. Recruiters are gatekeepers to the hiring managers, and have the power to move your application forward, or to reject you. Take prescreenings as seriously as you would any other interview.
9. Be yourself and explain your goals and targets. Recruiters do not want to hire a 'version' of you that you create for the interview, they want to hire who you are, day in and day out - so be yourself and proud of it.
10. Don't be afraid to ask about next steps, or to directly request feedback from the interviewer before the interview ends. This allows you to understand what to expect, expresses further interest to the recruiter, and also makes them more accountable to give you feedback - regardless of whether the prescreening call was successful or not.

 THE GOOD

1. A concise and acutely focused personal summary.
2. Clearly defined professional goals
3. A well formatted and well structured CV
4. Emphasis on specific skills, technologies and qualifications
5. People who apply for positions they are qualified for, after reading the job description

THE BAD

1. Lack of candidate confact information
2. A summary that does not match your career history or educational achievements
3. Inconsistent information
4. Work-breaks which are unaccounted for
5. Overly casual email addresses
6. Broken URLs, linkedin or portfolio links

THE UGLY

1. CVs with multiple, inconsistent fonts
2. Poor spelling or grammar
3. Disorganized layouts
4. Poorly structured paragraphs
5. Unprofessional language
6. Images or photographs which are fuzzy (wrong DPI)
7. Large gaps between sections on the CV

Consider the good, the bad, and the ugly when prepping your CV

SECURING YOUR DREAM JOB IS ONE THING, BEING PAID FAIRLY FOR IT IS ANOTHER

LEARN NEGOTIATION TIPS HERE

If you are negotiating your salary with a current employer

1. Review your employment contract, there may be terms in the contract that outline how often performance and salaries are reviewed. You can use this information to jump start a conversation with your manager.
2. If you have received written feedback, work-related awards or accolates, use that information in your negotiation discussion to emphasise the value you bring, which should help you to secure a higher salary.
3. Benchmark your salary against industry and company norms, and use that information to your advantage as you discuss a raise. There are various websites available online including Glassdoor where you can view public data about salaries at specific companies, which has been posted directly by company employees.
4. Sometimes the most powerful thing to do in a salary negotiation is to keep quiet! It is not uncommon for people to feel guilty for asking for a payrise. This can result in asking for a lower payrise than we may otherwise have been offered! Sometimes, it's better to wait to see what your boss offers. If necessary, you can then suggest an alternative salary amount along with reasons that justify your salary request.

If you are negotiating a salary package with a new employer

1. Before you start negotiating a salary, review and document the work you have done that showcases your skills and that has offered tangible benefits to your employers.
2. If you are negotiating a salary with a new employer, be prepared to outline the skills and experience you have that back-up your salary request.
3. You are perfectly justified in asking an employer whether they have a budgeted salary range that they can share with you.
4. If the salary range doesn't meet your financial expectations, you can ask the company if they have flexibility on a higher salary - often firms will have 'targeted' salary ranges, but regularly have some flexibility in offering a higher salary package than what they have advertised or budgeted.
5. Don't forget to consider other benefits like pension contributions, number of holiday days per year, private medical, dental or vision benefits, and other benefits apart from salary,  that add value to you as an employee - these can also be negotiated! If you are unable to negotiate a higher base salary, you may be successful in negotiating higher bonuses, commission, or improved company benefits.

In all salary negotiations, be prepared to walk away and reject an offer that does not fairly compensate you for your skills and experience. However, if this is done with a current employer we strongly recommend you have an alternative job offer in hand!

 POSITION YOURSELF ON A PATH TO SUCCESS WITH THESE HELPFUL TIPS

1. Remember that everyone can get nervous in interviews, so you are not alone, so try to relax in the job hunting and inteviewing process. Even recruiters and hiring managers are also, often, candidates and applicants.
2. Trust yourself, your skills and your experience.
3. Think about work, school, or volunteering opportunities you have had, and the impact of your work or involvement. Be confident in discussing those skills and outcomes in a positive way in interviews.
4. Understand that everyone started somewhere, there is nothing wrong with starting at the bottom, the only way is up! (i.e. A phenomenal salesperson was most likely once a brand new business development representative with no experience and no prior job to rely on to prove their capability to sell effectively).
5. Understand the value your personality can have in the work that you're targeting. For example, if you are gregarious, chatty and friendly - you may be perfect for retail or hospitality work. If you are detail oriented, tend to view things in quite black and white ways and love numbers, maybe a bookkeeping or finance focused career is for you. Be prepared to leverage the skills and personality you have, in new and exciting career opportunities.
6. Understand that hard work has real value.
7. You may not be the perfect candidate for a job on paper, but you may have more hustle, drive and 'hunger' to succeed than an alternative applicant and that may make all the difference in being selected for a new position by an employer.
8. Believe in yourself and your skills, and potential employers are more likely to.

RECRUITERS ARE NOTORIOUSLY POOR AT UPDATING CANDIDATES

LEARN WHEN AND HOW TO FOLLOW-UP

Many recruiters will receive 100s of applications for open jobs, so it can be tough for them to reply and respond to every applicant. What can you do to improve your chances of feedback? When is an ideal time to follow-up?

After Applying to an Open Job

There is nothing wrong with following-up directly with the job poster as soon as you have applied. Let them know you have applied, provide a quick summary of how you fit with the role, and let them know you are keen and flexible to move forward with an interview to discuss the opportunity in detail.

After Your Prescreening Interview

Our recommendation is that you don't wait until after the prescreening interview to follow-up. Before your meeting ends, ask the recruiter if there is anything else they need to know about you, and enquire directly what to expect regarding feedback and follow-up. You can specifically ask 'what next steps can I expect'?

After Your Hiring Manager Interview

Thank the interviewer(s) for the interview, and feel free to ask them about next steps directly. In addition after the interview finishes, it's always good practice to email the interviewers to thank them for their time and to let them know you are looking forward to hearing about any additional conversations or assessments they want, as they make their hiring decision.

In a nutshell, don't be afraid to request feedback and updates directly from the interviewing team. There is never a wrong time to ask, and you don't have to wait a certain number of days before you follow up. You have questions? Ask them. You want feedback? Request it.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TENACITY, TRUST AND BELIEF IN YOURSELF

WHEN THE JOB SEARCH GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH DON'T QUIT

Job hunting can be hard work, feel relentless, and comes with lots of rejection.  I think anyone who has ever job hunted knows this, and should be prepared for it. There are a few things to consider if your job search has been going on for an extended period of time. We are massive advocates for tenacity, not giving up, and trusting that in time the right role will come along.

But is there anything you can do differently to re-energise your job search?

We believe wholeheartedly that the answer to this is 'yes'.

1. Make sure you are targeting job opportunities that align closely to your experience and goals.
2. Do you have unrealistic expectations in terms of salary? You may simply be getting rejections from recruiters because your salary expectations are too high. We encourage you to benchmark your salary expectations against industry standards, or, to go to sites like glassdoor to review publicly available salaries at the companies you are applying to.
3. If you are sending cover letters with your job applications, make sure they are tailored specifically to the role and company you are applying to.
4. If you have the opportunity to call, or contact the individual who has posted the job opening - go ahead and contact them directly. This not only shows initiative and keen interest in the position, but it also means the recruiter is more likely to respond to your application. (too many recruiters provide no updates, or feedback).
5. Use your network, reach out to people you know, prior employers and colleagues for recommendations of related open roles, or new opportunities for work.
6. Get feedback! Speak to family, friends and colleagues if applicable, and have their help in reviewing your CV to see if there is anything you can or should do differently, to secure the role you are seeking. 
7. Do not give up! Be organized and diligent in your job search, and we are confident that you will move from 'applicant' to 'employee' much faster.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ARE INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT IN THE WORKPLACE, NOT ONLY FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY HAVE FELT EXCLUDED, UNDERAPPRECIATED OR UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE PAST, BUT ALSO FOR A WEALTH OF EMPLOYERS

Finding truly diversity friendly organisations though, can be a challenge. 

Here are some tips on what to look for in identifying inclusive workplaces.

1. Visit sites like LinkedIn to review the employees at the company, reviewing the profiles and postings of employees can give you a good indication of the diverse nature of the workforce. Or lack of it!
2. Read employee feedback online.
3. Visit the company website and review the executive / management team.
4. Explore what types of diversity and inclusive employee initiatives the company supports and implements, this will often be clearly outlined on their website.
5. Review posted job advertisements. How they are written, can give you an indication of whether the company is open and inclusive. 
6. Speak to employees! If you know people at the company you are thinking of working with, ask them how varied and diverse the workforce is, and what their experience has been like. Do they have a cross-cultural workforce? Are there employees across all age brackets from early-career through to people in the 60s, 70s or beyond? Are they disability and LGBTQ+ friendly? Do they hold any regular, inclusive events, job fairs or similar?

No-one wants to feel less than in their workplace. We have to remember that a major portion of our waking adult life is spent at work. It's imperative that we can be our authentic selves in every aspect of our life, and appreciated for the unique skills, perspectives and experiences that we bring to our career.

HOW TO MAXIMISE YOUR CHANCE OF LANDING YOUR FIRST 'PROPER' JOB

Job hunting is hard, and feels more-so when you've not got a ton of 'prior work experience' to fall back on.  There are however, various things you can do to increase your chance of success. My recommendations are below:

BE CLEAR ON YOUR GOALS

1. If you are not sure what you want in your career, a future employer is less likely to see your potential. Do what you can to clarify your goals by considering careers you admire, hobbies you have had, and part(or full-time) jobs you have worked in so far. 
2. What have these taught you, about you?
3. How do you handle stress?
4. Do you prefer working in a bustling team? Or having a goal and working away at it solo?
5. Are you keen on an office / corporate job, or would you rather be doing research, or working in nature, or doing a care focused position? 
6. Where do you have the most fun? Harnessing what you love into your career, is a great way to start exploring positions that match your personality.
7. Figure out what you want, or at least narrow down the list - and then you're ready to start

START SEEKING OPPORTUNITIES

1. These may be in the form of volunteering, joining clubs, societies, organizations or meet-up groups that are focused on the career or field, you would like to explore. The more experience you start to obtain in your field of choice, the more 'relevant' experience you can put on your CV or resume.
2. Reach out to experts - Leverage your professors (if at Uni), teachers, mentors, or community leaders that can help to guide your path, advise you of potential pitfalls, and help you with networking.
3. Be prepared to start slowly - if required. Depending on the career you're looking for, you may need to start at the very bottom of the ladder. Be prepared for this, it will set a strong foundation for growth, and gives you the opportunity to hopefully rise through the ranks. I can assure you that despite a great education, it is unusual to leap straight into a high paying job - expect to work your way up.
4. Be picky about your employers - Do your research on the organizations you target. Do they do good work? Are they at the top of their game, or focused on groundbreaking innovations in the field? Do they have a good reputation? (This can be easily discovered with some simple google searches)
5. Be somewhat shameless in your outreach. Often seasoned experts are happy to mentor, support and guide people coming into their field, this is even more common in fairly niche or unique fields of work. The worst thing that can happen is that they ignore you. But if you hadn't reached out to start with you would still have nothing - so give it a go.

BUILD A SOLID CV OR RESUME

1. Often the first step in getting the job you want, is to pass the dreaded 'job application' process. In starting your career, everyone realises you will have limited experience.
2. Ensure your CV showcases your passions, what you want, and why you want it. When hiring graduates it's important to realise that primarily employers are hiring based on your potential, not your current or prior traction - so a well written CV or resume, should have your personality front and centre. 
3. Showcase your strengths, academically or in extra-curricular activities
4. Explain clearly, any related volunteering, part or full-time work that overlaps or matches your career goals - this will help an employer to understand your passion for the area they specialise in, and see more of your potential to grow with them as an employee.
5. Be prepared to share character references, and try to have ones available that are not your 'aunt' etc, they should be from respected professionals. 
6. Ensure any flexibility that will make hiring you easier, is clear to employers. If you're open to relocate, state it. If you're happy to travel nationally or internationally, then mention that you've got a valid passport and look forward to learning and growing in a travel-based role. If you only want to work remotely (Maybe you're introverted? Maybe travel is difficult for you? Etc) then state it on your CV, it'll help you and a future employer avoid wasting time if those core 'needs' don't match.

BUILDING TRUST WITH POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS IS CRUCIAL, LEARN SOME GREAT TIPS

The skills and experience you bring to your future employer are obviously important, but it's not the whole picture. In addition to specific hands-on experience, technical or functional skills, and roles and responsibilities you have had, how you think, work and communicate is key.

If you jump onto LinkedIn (for example) and review recommendations on people's profiles, or think of feedback you have had in prior performance reviews, your personal behavioural characteristics are often assessed just as much as specific job knowledge and experience.

People like working with good people. Positive characteristics highlighted by individuals may include things like:

1. They were always there when I needed them
2. I knew I could rely on her to get the job done
3. He is one of the hardest-working members of the team
4. Their communication skills are second to none
5. People gravitate towards her, especially in meetings or group tasks
6. He will often go above and beyond what is expected for the role
7. They are incredibly innovative, always exploring different, better and fasters ways to complete the tasks that are assigned

Unlike work 'in the past', employers are increasingly seeking individuals they can trust both from a skillset and personality perspective. Micro Management is mostly (thank goodness) a thing of the past, and it's a wonderful thing to be left to get on with the job, knowing that you can deliver quality work, consistently and be trusted to complete tasks at least to the expected standards, if not exceeding them.

Be sure to emphasise in your CV and job applications, the different types of responsibility and task ownership you have had (however small) in your prior work, as these are building blocks to greater responsibility, trust, and hopefully, a higher income. Emphasise personal characteristics that are at the core of you as a person, independent of specific roles you have held, and make sure when interviewed, that you take the time to mention these, with examples.

WHAT DOES AUTHENTICITY HAVE TO DO WITH RECRUITMENT, FOR CANDIDATES OR EMPLOYERS?

People who know me, realise that the 'Charlotte at work' and the 'Charlotte at home' are very much the same person (we'll ignore the fact that I regularly work ridiculously long hours for a second!).  I am my true self, as much as I can be, in everything I do.

Can the same be said for recruitment? Hmm, not so much.

Companies have entire divisions dedicated to what is effectively 'spin', for simplicity's sake, we'll just call this 'the marketing team'. Day in and day out creating what really amounts to a very one sided perspective of an organization.  It's flashy, and slick, uses great buzz words and likely includes a handful of lovely white papers or customer testimonials - but how real is it? You may find this as frustrating as I sometimes do. But we are all to blame.

As a job seeker, when was the last time you debated embellishing your skills? Exaggerating your impact or inflating your job title to try to secure a better position at your next company? It happens more often than you think.

Employers and candidates are both to blame for this type of behaviour and honestly it should stop. Some of my thoughts are below:

1. If companies need a massive amount of spin, to promote themselves externally, they probably should invest less in marketing and PR, and more in evaluating their weaknesses and actively addressing them.
2. Just like great leaders in business, a good company that delivers what you pay to receive, and works with integrity, requires minimal marketing. In our modern era, 'everyone's a critic' but equally, everyone has the power to elevate, lift up,  and give kudos to firms that do incredibly well.
3. Customer experience, matters. This applies not only to companies offering services or products, but also to us as individuals in how we interact with other people (see the the 'the journey to trust' post I wrote). 
4. If individuals falsely exagerrate, or promote their skills - they are at risk of 'winning' a job they are wholly incapable of retaining, resulting in damage to their reputation, damage to their employer, and a poor employment track record. Who wants that anyway?

I personally recommend, and certainly advocate for honesty, integrity and ethics all the way. As a recruiter, I am incredibly candid with people I work with, whether it be colleagues, a boss, hiring managers, or candidates. The advantage to this approach is that everyone involved, knows exactly what to expect from me, and why.

Companies would do well to follow the same process when hiring. Absolutely shout out your strengths from the rooftops, be proud of your achievements, market growth, supportive team and so on, but if there are areas of improvement, don't shy away from talking about those either. For example, if an employer has struggled with staff retention in a particular region, it may have been to do with a lack of governance, or poor leadership - so address it! "We've had some challenges in XXX location, but have recently added a very dynamic, person-centric leader that the team are really jazzed about working with, and we can't wait to continue to grow the team and watch them flourish". Honesty is key.

The same applies for job hunters and candidates. One of the joys of understanding yourself well, is to be able to lean into your expertise, and know your weaknesses, but even more importantly, have methods or approaches to overcome them. For example, if you are brilliant at sales, but can be disorganized, then you may say in a discussion with an employer "I have crushed my sales goals for the last 3 years but find logging my work data in Salesforce annoying, I just want to sell. I've drastically improved this by setting myself reminders and booking a 30 minute 'updates' slot just after lunch each day, and at the end of the day - which has been a massive help and now I get real value from looking at my sales dashboards".

The key to success, in business and as a job hunter, is to acknowledge your strengths, and manage and adapt to your weaknesses. Maybe a real super power is just being authentic. Then everyone knows what's on offer, and can make informed decisions every step of the way.

WHAT IS SUCCESS?

I watched a video today that has been ruminating in my mind about values, communication, and people in general. In my field, as a recruiter working in global IT recruitment for well over a decade in the US and UK, I have met many people who would certainly be termed as 'successful' by outsiders, looking in. But what is success anyway?

• Is it money?
• Is it your job title?
• Is it professional accolades?
• Is it beauty?
• Is it the size of your house?
• Is it the holidays you take?
• Your financial investments?
• Your beautiful spouse?

For some of you, it certainly may be - and if you immerse yourself online in just about any form of social media, it probably compounds that assumption.

NOT FOR ME

Those are all just 'things', at least I think so.

FOR ME - SUCCESS IS THE FOLLOWING

• Loving well, and being loved in return
• (this could be a spouse, child, friend, or your crazy cat)
• Going to sleep happy, and waking the same way
• Being appreciated, and knowing I have value
• Living a life free of anxiety or stress
• Being fully at peace
• Not hunting for the next, best... whatever it is
• Trusting myself, and knowing others do too
• Being authentic
• Bringing my true self, to every part of my life
• Not hiding

SO WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH JOB HUNTING?

Well, on paper 'not alot' but in practice, it's everything.

Success for many seems to be focused on accumulation of status, money, homes, friends, and 'things'.

But no-one, if lucky enough to know when the time comes that they're dying, lies on their death bed and thinks 'gosh, I had a really fat bank account'. They remember picnics with loved ones, in-jokes with family or friends, experiences, wonder and joy that was shared.

Make sure, I encourage you, to find a career, a field of work, and a purpose, that makes you whole. That fills your soul, brings you joy first thing on a Monday morning, and where you can be you. I believe much of the stress in modern life comes from the constant striving and competing against others. It's not worth it. Enjoy your life, get yourself into a job you adore - and then, practically by accident, all the things that matter to you will fall into place.

And maybe you'll fall asleep as peacefully as I do every night.