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Why Do You Want This Job?
Interview Tips

Why Do You Want This Job?

Moving on from Brexit, this month's post returns to the series I started back in May. So far, I've covered two popular questions asked in interviews: 'What are your Weaknesses?' and 'Tell Me About Yourself.' I suggest you go and read those too, particularly if you're preparing for an interview. Now that you' ve come to terms with those two unpalatable questions, here is an even more unpalatable one: Why do you want this job? This is going to be asked at pretty much every interview, because for some reason, employers want to know that you know about their company.…

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October 1, 2017
Tell Me About Yourself
Interview Tips

Tell Me About Yourself

Before I begin, I just want to take a moment to congratulate England for voting to leave the E.U. My faith in humanity is temporarily restored.   Back to the blog: Following on from last month's 'What are Your Weaknesses' post, this discusses another popular interview question and how to answer it. Personally, I hate being told how to do things, and yet here I am telling you how to do things. Anyway, once you've got over your annoyance at being bossed around and given canned answers, it's time to consider the reality that interview questions in general can be…

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June 1, 2017
What are your Weaknesses?
Interview Tips

What are your Weaknesses?

This month will be the first in a series of posts dedicated to interview techniques. There are some questions that pop up in almost any interview. 'What are your Weaknesses?' is one of them. It's a ridiculous question, but for some reason interviewers love to ask it. Before I give you the platinum answer let me just vent a little about why this question makes my skin crawl: It's a trick question. This is what it's really asking: Are you humble? Are you TOO humble? Do you lack confidence? Are you an arrogant bozo? It's like some kind of Freudian dream…

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May 1, 2017
The Benefits of Approaching an Employer Directly
Applying for a Job

The Benefits of Approaching an Employer Directly

Hi again, readers. I have to say, writing this has been an eye-opening experience for me. I have been in the position before of being unemployed and camping out on the internet trawling through hundreds of job advertisements trying to find work. There is a tip in this post that I guarantee will change the way you see the job-hunting process and will result in a much more productive job-hunting experience. The writing that follows examines why approaching an employer directly in search of a job can be extremely beneficial. Below are some useful points to consider: Benefits to Approaching an Employer Directly: 1. Speculative…

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April 1, 2017
Top 3 Reasons You’re Not Getting the Job
Applying for a Job

Top 3 Reasons You’re Not Getting the Job

1. You’re over/under-qualified. This is the number one factor that determines whether you get to interview stage or not. It’s no surprise that if you’re under-qualified you don’t have a chance. If the job listing asks for five years experience in an office and you have three, don’t bother applying. It’s tempting to say ‘but I have three years experience, surely this is enough’. Granted, asking for this much experience for a relatively low-skilled office job is a bit much. I see ads like this all the time where the requirements are truly out of reach for the average job-seeker. I find it…

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February 28, 2017
Starting Your Own Online Business
Careers Advice

Starting Your Own Online Business

Hi folks! Well, this month’s blog is fashionably late as I was busy getting married to a wonderful man. Hence, January’s blog post is actually being posted on the first day of February! Our wedding was on the 24th of January and I have been in slumber-honeymoon mode ever since. Back to normality now, however. Posts will be on the 25th of each month as it was before Christmas, so you can expect the February installment on the 25th. It is actually part of the process of getting married that inspired this particular blog. I made my own wedding bouquet and…

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January 1, 2017
What is the Most Fulfilling Job?
Careers Advice

What is the Most Fulfilling Job?

Sometimes it’s essential to step back from the pressures of having to find work and consider the possibility that you might actually get to do a job you love. Sources all vary, but there are a number of jobs that continuously crop up on the lists of most satisfying jobs. It is interesting to note also that a lot of these jobs aren’t anywhere near the top pay bracket. Forbes has articles about the best jobs which are well-paid but I’m more interested in finding out the job which promises the most fulfilment even on an average pay scale. And here it…

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December 1, 2016
The Changing Face of Employment
Careers Advice

The Changing Face of Employment

Post-recession employment has changed drastically. Entry level positions have higher expectations, starting salaries can be very low, and the general requirements posted in standard job advertisements have become much more thorough and complicated. If we think of job candidates in terms of supply and demand, the recession created an upheaval in the balance. Pre-recession, candidate supply was roughly equal to candidate demand. Post-recession, however, candidate supply far outweighs candidate demand. As a result, employers became spoiled for choice. Pre-recession, you could expect between ten to twenty applicants for one position; lower for a specialised role. Post-recession, it isn’t uncommon to have over fifty…

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November 1, 2016
The Benefits of Using Recruitment Agencies
Applying for a Job

The Benefits of Using Recruitment Agencies

Last month’s post listed the benefits of approaching employers directly when applying for a job. The findings were clear: the second point in the post asserted that targeting employers is quite simply the best way to find a job. This is true if we consider the high percentage of unadvertised jobs. Recruitment agencies can generally only access jobs which are advertised on the open market. Therefore, using their services means that the job applicant is only applying for at most 40% of the actual jobs available. This seems to be a dreary forecast for this post. However, it must be…

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October 30, 2016
Part-Time or Full-Time Employment?
Careers Advice

Part-Time or Full-Time Employment?

This post examines the pros and cons of deciding whether to work part-time or full-time. The job market and other factors quite often make the decision for us; factors such as family responsibilities, household income or extenuating circumstances. However, most people will have to make the decision between part-time and full-time work at some point. This article doesn’t discuss the advantages for employers hiring part-time or full-time workers; this will be discussed in a later post. The pros and cons of part-time employment will be outlined first, then the pros of full-time employment. To conclude, I will provide some sound advice that will target specific living…

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September 30, 2016