10 Tips to Avoid Redundancy in 2012
TIP 1 Where do you really add value? - Start identifying where you can add value. Why should an employer pay you a salary with added benefits if you can’t even identify what your transferable skills include? Start thinking about how your employer receives a return on their investment (ROI) by employing you. If you find it difficult to recognise where you add value then ask the people who know you well, you might be surprise by their response!
TIP 2 Recognise your transferable skills – your transferable skills are what make you indispensable. They are essential to your career success and it’s important for you to reflect on these and to be able to develop them, add to them and speak about them confidently. More often than not we can take our skills for granted without recognising that they are in fact what make us unique. Being aware of our Transferable Skills can help us to identify where we add value to the work place. The greater your skills, knowledge and experience the greater the prospect of being indispensable.
TIP 3 Be aware of your Personal Brand - What does your name say about you? If you were to put your name into a Google search engine what information could your employer find out about you? Ensure that you’re creating a professional impression online. If you are a user of Facebook ensure that you switch on your settings so that only those you are connected to can see your posts. DO NOT allow anyone to ‘tag’ pictures of you on their page if they could be seen to be inappropriate!
TIP 4 Create a LinkedIn Profile - A 100% complete LinkedIn profile demonstrates that you take yourself seriously as a professional within your industry. Become an expert within your field by joining relevant groups, start actively taking part in discussions by sharing your industry knowledge.
TIP 5 Dress for success - Far too many people underestimate the importance of the way they look and how they are perceived by others. It takes only 5 seconds to form an opinion about an individual. It is an unconscious process and as much as it may feel unfair, image does matter within the work place.
TIP 6 Are you prepared for redeployment? With many organisations making redundancies, it’s common for employers to request for their employees to apply for their existing role. In the event that this was to happen to you, do you have an up to date CV? Many Internal applicants pay less attention to the content and presentation of their CV and fail to even update it on a regular basis. They believe that it won’t make a difference when applying for internal roles, however, what they fail to realise is that this is their first opportunity to make a great first impression
TIP 7 Build Rapport – It’s important that you build a good rapport with your manager, work colleagues and those you have yet to meet. Ask yourself "What do people really think about me when they meet me for the first time?”. Why not ask your partner, friends or colleagues that you work with?
TIP 8 Remain positive and enthusiastic – When times are hard and companies are making redundancies it’s easy to get caught up in the gossip and the negativity that everyone else is feeling. Yes, it’s depressing to hear of redundancies but remember to remain professional and encouraging to other colleagues within the organisation.
TIP 9 Who knows you exist? Building your network takes time and effort and means speaking with strangers, people who don't even know that you exist within the organisation. Utilise your existing contacts to help you to build new relationships and always show enthusiasm and willingness to help as you never know who might notice!
TIP 10 Become a sponge for information - Speak with your peers within the other departments to help you to develop a wider knowledge of the organisation. Having a familiarity with the various products and services provided by the company can only benefit you to become even more indispensable.
Nikki Hutchison, founder of Chilli Pepper Global http://www.chillipepperglobal.com/ advising you on every aspect of the job seeking process guiding you step by step whether you are looking to move internally or externally.
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
10 Tips To Get Ahead In 2012
Tip 1. Be aware of your Personal Brand - What does your name say about you? If you were to put your name into a Google search engine what information could a potential employer find out about you? Ensure that you’re making a great first impression.
Tip 2. Do you have an up to date CV? This is your most important job finding tool and for some reason a lot of people regard writing their CV as a chore to complete on a rainy Sunday morning every year or so. Yet this is the document that could decide how much you earn over the next few years. Don’t skimp. Work on it, review it, obsess over it – try anything you can to make it better.
Tip 3. Prepare and Practise - The key to a successful interview is the amount of preparation taken before the interview takes place. It's incredibly frustrating when an applicant looks better on paper than in person. It's an old cliché but...."fail to prepare, prepare to fail" You can't prepare too much for an interview, do your homework and find out everything you can about the company / department and the people you will be meeting. Practice your interview answers by writing them down or even record yourself until you feel confident with the answer you hear
Tip 4. Build Rapport - When attending interviews it's important that you build a good rapport and that you make a positive first impression as you won't get that chance again. Ask yourself "What do people really think about me when they meet me for the first time?" Why not ask your partner, friends and especially those friends that you've recently acquainted or colleagues that you work with. However, be careful not to criticise their point of view when asking for their truthful opinion!
Tip 5. Who knows you exist? When seeking new job opportunities we can sometimes forget to talk to those people who we already know within our existing network. Whilst I wouldn't suggest that you make contact and ask these people directly for a new job you can rephrase by asking who they might know that they can put you in contact with? Building your network takes time and effort and means speaking with strangers, people who don't even know that you exist.
Tip 6. Go Networking - Nearly 80% of jobs are filled direct via internal referrals, company websites and various job board sites therefore it is important that you're not relying solely on Recruitment Agencies. Strong job seekers are aware that networking is a vital part of the job seeking process and are always looking for opportunities to meet or connect with new people.
Tip 7. Create a LinkedIn Profile - A complete LinkedIn profile demonstrates that you take yourself seriously as a professional within your industry. It also helps you to optimise your position in LinkedIn search results and according to LinkedIn; users with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn.
Tip 8. Follow up - Without follow up then a meeting, interview or new contact is an empty hole. It is in your interest to ensure that you follow up every lead and interview. Send a note to say thank you to everyone who interviews you reminding the employer why you are the right person for their role. Even if the role is not for you still send a thank you note and make a good impression.
Tip 9. Dress for success - Far too many people underestimate the importance of the way they look and how they are perceived by others. It takes only 5 seconds to form an opinion about an individual. It is an unconscious process and as much as it may feel unfair, image does matter.
Tip 10. Where do you add value? - It's important for you to identify where you add value. What can you offer an employer in return for your salary and benefits? In this competitive market, it's important for you to stand out from your competition whether you are looking for an internal move with your existing employer or a new role externally. Once you've identified your key skills you can then provide examples to support your experience.
Nikki Hutchison, founder of Chilli Pepper Global www.chillipepperglobal.com advising you on every aspect of the job seeking process guiding you step by step whether you are looking to move internally or externally.
Tip 2. Do you have an up to date CV? This is your most important job finding tool and for some reason a lot of people regard writing their CV as a chore to complete on a rainy Sunday morning every year or so. Yet this is the document that could decide how much you earn over the next few years. Don’t skimp. Work on it, review it, obsess over it – try anything you can to make it better.
Tip 3. Prepare and Practise - The key to a successful interview is the amount of preparation taken before the interview takes place. It's incredibly frustrating when an applicant looks better on paper than in person. It's an old cliché but...."fail to prepare, prepare to fail" You can't prepare too much for an interview, do your homework and find out everything you can about the company / department and the people you will be meeting. Practice your interview answers by writing them down or even record yourself until you feel confident with the answer you hear
Tip 4. Build Rapport - When attending interviews it's important that you build a good rapport and that you make a positive first impression as you won't get that chance again. Ask yourself "What do people really think about me when they meet me for the first time?" Why not ask your partner, friends and especially those friends that you've recently acquainted or colleagues that you work with. However, be careful not to criticise their point of view when asking for their truthful opinion!
Tip 5. Who knows you exist? When seeking new job opportunities we can sometimes forget to talk to those people who we already know within our existing network. Whilst I wouldn't suggest that you make contact and ask these people directly for a new job you can rephrase by asking who they might know that they can put you in contact with? Building your network takes time and effort and means speaking with strangers, people who don't even know that you exist.
Tip 6. Go Networking - Nearly 80% of jobs are filled direct via internal referrals, company websites and various job board sites therefore it is important that you're not relying solely on Recruitment Agencies. Strong job seekers are aware that networking is a vital part of the job seeking process and are always looking for opportunities to meet or connect with new people.
Tip 7. Create a LinkedIn Profile - A complete LinkedIn profile demonstrates that you take yourself seriously as a professional within your industry. It also helps you to optimise your position in LinkedIn search results and according to LinkedIn; users with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn.
Tip 8. Follow up - Without follow up then a meeting, interview or new contact is an empty hole. It is in your interest to ensure that you follow up every lead and interview. Send a note to say thank you to everyone who interviews you reminding the employer why you are the right person for their role. Even if the role is not for you still send a thank you note and make a good impression.
Tip 9. Dress for success - Far too many people underestimate the importance of the way they look and how they are perceived by others. It takes only 5 seconds to form an opinion about an individual. It is an unconscious process and as much as it may feel unfair, image does matter.
Tip 10. Where do you add value? - It's important for you to identify where you add value. What can you offer an employer in return for your salary and benefits? In this competitive market, it's important for you to stand out from your competition whether you are looking for an internal move with your existing employer or a new role externally. Once you've identified your key skills you can then provide examples to support your experience.
Nikki Hutchison, founder of Chilli Pepper Global www.chillipepperglobal.com advising you on every aspect of the job seeking process guiding you step by step whether you are looking to move internally or externally.
Friday, 18 November 2011
‘Getting a job is a job’
“Britain stop feeling sorry for yourself” That’s the message from Nikki Hutchison Founder and Interview Performance Mentor at Chilli Pepper Global (CPG) as figures were announced this week that over 1 million young people in the UK are unemployed.
Is this statistic a by-product of the actions of a previous generation? Perhaps, but none the less with increased competition for roles and companies providing incentives to staff to recruit from amongst their peers, Nikki says we need to stop wallowing in self pity and “Start at identifying where you can add value. Why should an employer pay you a salary with added benefits if you can’t even identify what your transferable skills include? Start thinking about how an employer will get a return on their investment (ROI) by employing you.”
Nikki Hutchison who started Chilli Pepper Global in 2010 because she saw a gap in the market for a service that constructively ‘holds the hands’ of people looking for a job believes that the 2.62 million unemployed currently living in the UK, have to treat getting a job as a job if they want any hope of achieving success. “It’s time to take getting a job off the back burner and learn how to identify where you can add value to your CV and improve your prospects. If you are seeking employment then you have to treat it as a job, 8 hours a day.”
Chilli Pepper Global is a leading force in assisting people to get jobs. They’re not a recruitment agency as such more of a ‘creative hub’ which allows job seekers the opportunity to get expert CV Critique, CV Creation, Profile Creation to incorporate Personal Branding, LinkedIn, Interview Skills, identifying transferable skills and overall to be creative with your job search.
“8.3% of the economically active population is unemployed, that’s 0.4% up on last quarter. With no dramatic economic up turn on the horizon, people have to find a way to buck the trend by seeking advice on which of their skills are transferable to other industries, of what benefit can they be to a company and how to utilize life experience.”
CV’s aren’t the be all and end all of employment, but they are imperative in getting your foot in the door. As membership to the ever increasingly elusive 29 club goes on, the answer is simple. Getting a job is a job!
Nikki Hutchison, founder of Chilli Pepper Global www.chillipepperglobal.com advising you on every aspect of the job seeking process guiding you step by step whether you are looking to move internally or externally.
Is this statistic a by-product of the actions of a previous generation? Perhaps, but none the less with increased competition for roles and companies providing incentives to staff to recruit from amongst their peers, Nikki says we need to stop wallowing in self pity and “Start at identifying where you can add value. Why should an employer pay you a salary with added benefits if you can’t even identify what your transferable skills include? Start thinking about how an employer will get a return on their investment (ROI) by employing you.”
Nikki Hutchison who started Chilli Pepper Global in 2010 because she saw a gap in the market for a service that constructively ‘holds the hands’ of people looking for a job believes that the 2.62 million unemployed currently living in the UK, have to treat getting a job as a job if they want any hope of achieving success. “It’s time to take getting a job off the back burner and learn how to identify where you can add value to your CV and improve your prospects. If you are seeking employment then you have to treat it as a job, 8 hours a day.”
Chilli Pepper Global is a leading force in assisting people to get jobs. They’re not a recruitment agency as such more of a ‘creative hub’ which allows job seekers the opportunity to get expert CV Critique, CV Creation, Profile Creation to incorporate Personal Branding, LinkedIn, Interview Skills, identifying transferable skills and overall to be creative with your job search.
“8.3% of the economically active population is unemployed, that’s 0.4% up on last quarter. With no dramatic economic up turn on the horizon, people have to find a way to buck the trend by seeking advice on which of their skills are transferable to other industries, of what benefit can they be to a company and how to utilize life experience.”
CV’s aren’t the be all and end all of employment, but they are imperative in getting your foot in the door. As membership to the ever increasingly elusive 29 club goes on, the answer is simple. Getting a job is a job!
Nikki Hutchison, founder of Chilli Pepper Global www.chillipepperglobal.com advising you on every aspect of the job seeking process guiding you step by step whether you are looking to move internally or externally.
Monday, 14 November 2011
The Importance of Your Transferable Skills
It’s important for you to identify where you add value. What can you offer an employer in return for your salary and benefits? In this competitive market, it’s important for you to stand out from your competition whether you are looking for an internal move with your existing employer or a new role externally.
Your transferable skills are what make you marketable and they will provide you with an advantage over your competition. Your transferable skills are essential to your career success and will ease your transition into a new role.
Transferable skills are the skills that employers look for when they are interviewing you so it’s essential for you to reflect on these and to be able to develop them, add to them and speak about them confidently at job interviews.
What is a Transferable Skill?
A transferable skill is a skill that you possess which can be easily applied and made use of in a number of different situations, hence, allowing you to apply it to a new job opportunity.
Why are Transferable Skills important?
Transferable skills are the job seekers greatest assets and contribute to career success.
Greater transferable skills = greater choice.
How can you develop your Transferable Skills?
Everyone has transferable skills which are developed throughout a person’s life from starting school through to college and university, personal and professional experiences and life in general. Once you have identified your essential skills you can then take them with you and apply in any situation, you can also build on these skills by further experience.
"The more options you can offer in terms of skills, knowledge and experience, the higher the probability of being in demand"
How do you identify Transferable Skills?
We can sometimes take our skills for granted without recognising that they are in fact what make us unique. Being aware of our Transferable Skills can help us to identify where we add value to our friends, family and within the work place.
Whilst there are a number of self-assessment tests on the market that allow you to analyse your own personal strengths and weaknesses, I would recommend that you explore your skills with the people who know you best.
Approach your boss or peers at work. Speak to your close friends and family, you might be surprise by their response as to how and why you add value to their lives!
Once you've identified your key skills then provide examples to support your experience.
Nikki Hutchison, founder of Chilli Pepper Global www.chillipepperglobal.com advising you on every aspect of the job seeking process guiding you step by step whether you are looking to move internally or externally.
Your transferable skills are what make you marketable and they will provide you with an advantage over your competition. Your transferable skills are essential to your career success and will ease your transition into a new role.
Transferable skills are the skills that employers look for when they are interviewing you so it’s essential for you to reflect on these and to be able to develop them, add to them and speak about them confidently at job interviews.
What is a Transferable Skill?
A transferable skill is a skill that you possess which can be easily applied and made use of in a number of different situations, hence, allowing you to apply it to a new job opportunity.
Why are Transferable Skills important?
Transferable skills are the job seekers greatest assets and contribute to career success.
Greater transferable skills = greater choice.
How can you develop your Transferable Skills?
Everyone has transferable skills which are developed throughout a person’s life from starting school through to college and university, personal and professional experiences and life in general. Once you have identified your essential skills you can then take them with you and apply in any situation, you can also build on these skills by further experience.
"The more options you can offer in terms of skills, knowledge and experience, the higher the probability of being in demand"
How do you identify Transferable Skills?
We can sometimes take our skills for granted without recognising that they are in fact what make us unique. Being aware of our Transferable Skills can help us to identify where we add value to our friends, family and within the work place.
Whilst there are a number of self-assessment tests on the market that allow you to analyse your own personal strengths and weaknesses, I would recommend that you explore your skills with the people who know you best.
Approach your boss or peers at work. Speak to your close friends and family, you might be surprise by their response as to how and why you add value to their lives!
Once you've identified your key skills then provide examples to support your experience.
Nikki Hutchison, founder of Chilli Pepper Global www.chillipepperglobal.com advising you on every aspect of the job seeking process guiding you step by step whether you are looking to move internally or externally.
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