5 Red Flags to Look for in a Candidates CV

5 Red Flags to Look for in a Candidates CV As a recruiter, it’s essential that you are able to screen CVs effectively and shield hiring managers from any potential disaster interviews (or even hires). In order to ensure that you are only sending the very best candidates through the application process, you must be able to quickly spot red flags in CVs that identify unsuitable candidates. These common CV irregularities can be great early indicators that a candidate might not be suitable for your role or brand, so spotting them early can save a lot of time for everyone involved. So, what should red flags should recruiters be looking out for in CVs to avoid forwarding unsuitable candidates to hiring managers? 1. Sloppy Formatting If a candidate submits a CV that has poor formatting it can highlight a number of issues with their suitability and professionalism. Firstly, it can show that they take very little care in what they do and how they present themselves. For any hiring manager, this is a huge red flag because every job or task regardless of its importance or size will require a level of care and attention. Along with this, a CV that has messy formatting will make it almost impossible for a hiring manager to pick out the important information that they need, in the short time they have available to review CVs. And as you probably know, hiring managers have to focus on running their business, and not deciphering CVs. 2. No targeting Every job is different and that means that a general CV will not cut it when it comes to applying for a broad range of roles. As hiring managers are looking for very specific skills, qualifications and achievements for people to perform in their roles, it is crucial that the CVs contain targeted information. This makes it possible to determine whether an individual has the required skills for the job in question, as opposed to just being a good general all-around candidate. A CV has to be focused towards the role that the individual is applying for and so it has to show exactly what they offer and how it relates to the job. If a CV fails to contain this level of focus, then there is every possibility that the individual is not suitable for the job. 3. Lack of achievements Responsibilities and duties are an important part of a CVs role descriptions, but they are almost meaningless if they are not backed up with the results achieved by these actions. A candidate’s CV must be packed with achievements, with facts and figures to back them up. They might have managed a team, but ask these questions too: How did that team perform? Did they meet deadlines? Save money for the business? Did they reach financial targets? Perhaps an individual managed a project, if so, how much was the project worth? Was the project completed on time? What benefits did the projects deliver for the business? If a candidate has failed to include such achievements in their CV, then you should be very reluctant to pass them on to a hiring manager. 4. CV is too long A lengthy CV can not only be a horrible reading experience, but it can also demonstrate that the candidate in question has poor written communication skills, and doesn’t understand their audience properly. If a candidate doesn’t understand the need to keep their CV short and sharp in order to hold the attention of busy recruiters and ensure that their CV is read properly, you have to question their general communication abilities. A candidate who delivers a 7-page CV with chunky unreadable paragraphs of text and huge quantities of superfluous information, might not be able to deliver concise reports to stakeholders or send brief update emails to clients. If you are reviewing a lengthy CV, you should certainly carry out some due diligence into the candidate’s communication skills before considering to put them forward for any roles. 5. Unexplained gaps in employment Gaps in employment are not necessarily a red flag in themselves. Many successful candidates take career breaks to travel, study, spend time with family, and plenty more positive constructive reasons. However, unexplained gaps are in instant worry for hiring managers because they provide no explanation as to what the candidate has been doing during the time in question. For hiring managers, this throws up all sorts of worries, “have they been sitting around doing nothing?”, “are they hiding something?” As a recruiter, you need to clarify what the candidate has been doing during these gaps before you think about shortlisting the candidate â€" or you may face some very awkward questions from hiring managers. In any case, candidates really should have the foresight to pre-empt this situation and give a detailed account of their time away from work. About the author: Andrew Fennel is an experienced recruiter and founder of CV writing service StandOut CV. He also contributes to a number of leading career pages such as The Guardian, Business Insider, and Huffington Post.

Dear 20-Somethings Stop Saying Youre Old!

Dear 20-Somethings Stop Saying Youre Old! I consider myself to be a very calm, cool, and collected person.  I have a few pet peeves that drive me insane, yes.  But there is one in particular that grinds my gears like no other: I absolutely HATE it when a 20-something year old says that they are old. Why? Because they graduated college and now have a job.  Because they work 9-5.  Because they dont go out as often as they used to.  Because they now have more responsibilities.  Because they dont go crazy and party it up every Thursday-Sunday night.  Because they now do old people things like read books, stay in on weekends, and go to sleep at 9am. NEWSFLASH: You are NOT old.  In the grand scope of things, you are actually young (yes, really). I remember having a conversation with someone who was 24 years old.  Her 25th birthday was coming up and I asked her what her plans were. Im going to dig a whole in my room and cry. UhhWhy? Because Im turning 25. ..So? IM SO OLD!!!!! Heres another example.  My boyfriend, Clint, is turning 26 this Saturday.  Every time I ask him if hes excited to turn 26, he gives me a cold glare and tells me not to remind him.  Why? Because to him, 26 is considered old. Since when did being in your 20s considered to be old? Is 25 the new 95? Image via verychloe.wordpress.com So, my fellow 20-somethings, here is what I have to say: You have GOT to stop saying that you are old.  You have GOT to rid yourself of the mentality that life gets less exciting as the years roll by.  And, most importantly, you have GOT to stop thinking that getting older is a negative thing. Sure, you arent attending the most epic party of your life every weekend anymore.  Youre not waking up whenever you please anymore. Youre not taking exciting vacations every Spring Break any more.  Youre not spending 90% of your time having fun with your BFFs anymore. The good news is there is way more to life than that.  There is much more excitement, more happiness, and more knowledge that comes with age. Just think of the many wonderful things that lie ahead:  Mentoring someone who is younger and watching them succeed.  Making a name for yourself in whatever industry youre in.  Marrying the love of your life.  Being promoted.  Starting a family.    Being more confident in yourself.   Being wiser than you were 5 years ago.  Achieving your big goals.  Creating knowledge instead of consuming it.  Having a better sense of yourself. Doesnt all of that sound amazing? So instead of complaining about the fact that another year of your life has passed, celebrate it.  Embrace it.  Never forget that there will be many people who will never be able to experience growing up.  Getting older is a privilege that is denied to many. You are not old.  You are simply moving into a different stage of life.  Take advantage of this exciting time in your life and dont waste a second of it complaining. it just gets better and better as the years roll on. -Steve Jobs   Featured image via dailyglow.com

How to Start Your Own IT Recruitment Agency

How to Start Your Own IT Recruitment Agency Do you build extensive plans? Do you want to start your own business, but don’t want to retry an experiment of many startups that died within the first five years? Indeed, the market today faces hard times. Even in high-end spheres such as IT, the risk of failure is quite high. And, nevertheless, if you are a fan of technology and you have an excellent set of soft skills, then IT recruiting can become a profitable and exciting business format for you.   In our experience, IT recruiting is a rather obstinate business with its own pitfalls. There are no magic recipes for success, if you are eager to know how weve managed to create a successful IT recruiting agency solely because of our intelligence and hard work, then lets go, we are glad to share our experience! What is the feature of an IT recruitment agency? Agencies specializing in IT recruiting are narrow-focused. Unlike general-purpose recruiters,   we are well-versed in the tech field, have well-established networking and our own candidate base, we are fluent in English; know where to find a TOP professional and how to hunt them.   IT recruitment agency: how to start one and how much will it cost? To start an IT recruiting business you need to do two common things: decide on the form of ownership (self-employed entrepreneur or OOO) and the form of employment (office or remote work). Next comes what no recruitment agency can work without â€" access to recruiting services and a special CRM system. These tools will be the main cost pool. In addition, our fixed costs include mobile communications, site maintenance, and advertising. According to our calculations, it turns out that to run an IT recruiting business you’ll spend more than $40,000 a year, and this doesnt include taxes, payroll, office rental and working facilities for employees! Success Principles of IT Recruitment Agency   Be well-versed in the tech sphere  It is simply inconceivable to claim that you run an IT recruitment agency without a basic knowledge of IT. To be successful in the market, you need to at least: Understand the terminology. This will help you to be on the same page with clients and IT specialists, as well as determine the level of candidates knowledge correctly.   Learn fast. New technologies in the tech industry appear almost daily. If you dont follow the trends, read a lot and communicate with IT specialists, your agency wont be able to compete with others on the market. Know the rules. IT recruiters must understand which specialties are in demand, and know their real salaries. According to our observations, 30% of our customers need a good reality check. They are not always well oriented in the market and offer non-competitive working conditions. Our task is to help the client understand what is real and what is not, and give advice on how to attract one or another specialist. Understand the psychology of an IT specialist. The profile of a typical cool specialist looks like this: he works according to a non-standard schedule, is not in an active job search (because he is employed), regularly receives several job offers and has a unique CV writing style. Another important point tech people dont like test assignments. Have work experience in recruiting  It is impossible to become a recruiter in a week after taking a short course. Real experience is gained in real headhunting. Therefore, without an appropriate background, its quite impossible to “blend in” the market and become a powerful player in it. Work hard  At Lucky Hunter, we describe ourselves as lucky ones in the recruiting world. However, this isnt an empty pretentiousness: the key to success lies in perseverance and hard work. For 434 business days and 3620 business hours, weve filled more than 300 difficult positions for 40 companies. And the more we work, the more we are lucky.   Be flexible and stress-resistant  If you are dreaming of a comfortable routine, then we honestly warn that IT recruiting is not about that. “Instability and risk” this is how we can describe this business in a nutshell. Negotiations are often postponed, requirements for candidates are constantly changing, and you might not even dream of a standard nine to five schedule. But where does this instability come from? The specificity of the IT-sphere. Many IT-talents work flexible hours, so it’s okay for them to schedule negotiations at a time when all ordinary people already sleep. If you work with foreign companies, youll have to adapt to their time zone, so negotiations at 5 a.m. arent uncommon. Our guarantee. If “our” candidate leaves the company before the end of the probationary period, we guarantee a free single-time replacement. This guarantee attracts many customers, but there is naturally the risk of double work behind it. Even trying our best every time, we cant be sure that there will be no candidate replacement. In 99% of cases, this is not our fault. Misunderstandings. In my practice, there was a case when a client refused to accept a suitable candidate, whom we motivated enough to consider a job offer. The reason lied in the fact that the specialist’s CV was once published on an employment website (like Indeed). So the client decided that he could take the candidate without paying for the agency services and send his CV to the companys in-house HRs. We had a feeling that we werent partners who worked for the common cause, but competitors. The client needs to be constantly informed that: a) Recruiting is a partnership. We dont compete with in-house HRs but work together to fill the position. b) If youve found a candidate’s CV on the open Internet, this still doesnt guarantee that you can motivate him to consider an offer without the agencys assistance. A professional recruiter knows how to “sell a job vacancy. c) To find a candidates CV in the database is only part of the story. The main difficulty is to “sell” the vacancy to a candidate. To do this, youll need a highly qualified IT recruiter. d) Employment websites like Indeed or Monster ( in Russia Headhunter) are only one of the tools that IT recruiters use in their work. Most often, we find candidates through our unique closed channels. Love your job I don’t want to sound corny, but a simple question: would you work as an IT recruiter if you weren’t paid for it? If you didnt feel your heart skipped a beat, dont start. Passion for your work gives strength to cope with difficulties and stress, as well as to grow professionally. The Golden Age of IT Recruiting Digitalization and the implementation of new technologies into a business causes the high demand for IT specialists, and, consequently, for IT recruiters who can provide companies with clear heads.   Lucky Hunter has existed since 2017 and now confidently stands at the market. Over two and a half years of work, our team has grown to 13 people, and the cost of services has risen by 4%. In addition, we are opening an office in London. It means that we enter an international market. Within this period, weve developed a huge customer base, as well as managed to establish steady partnership relations with our regular customers. If IT recruiting â€" is not for you… The sun of IT recruiting is reaching its zenith, and only the lazy ones dont want to bask in it. Many entrepreneurs have a stereotype that IT is a bonanza business, and they have nothing to do to win this summit. I’ll disappoint you. You provide a very specific service, and not only your reputation will depend on your choice of candidate, but also the career of that candidate, the business processes of the client hiring him, and even the state of the market. Therefore, without a background in recruiting and basic knowledge of IT, it is unreasonable to take such a responsibility. You may have thought that we are discouraging you so that we have fewer competitors. Alternatively, every day we fight for the quality of our recruiting services, and it is beneficial for us that our competitors do the same. After all, the more quality recruiting is in the market, the more business trusts us. So if you are going our way, welcome to IT recruiting! About the author:  Tatiana Melnichuk  is the head of the international IT recruitment agency Lucky Hunter. For more than 10 years she’s been recruiting staff for IT companies all over the world, holds lectures and training courses. She knows how to recruit the best IT specialists, where to find them and what to do if you need to relocate a specialist to your country.

Having a Resume is not Enough for Job Seekers

Having a Resume is not Enough for Job Seekers Many professionals come to me in tears, thousands of dollars in debt, sending out resumes only to hear radio silence from employers. I am here to help clarify some aspects of why job seekers need to stop relying on their resume. The resume can’t accurately capture the total sum of a job seeker’s personality. This think piece applies to those that have graduated as well as the most senior level professionals.“Why Is This Happening to Me?”Do try to understand nothing is personal when it comes to searching for a job.Job search results are what a job seeker puts forth in an effort to attain new or improved employment. The job market is about industry supply and demand and your own personal marketability. Having a media marketing resume without any relevant experience in media marketing is of little value.Job seekers that don’t take the time to market themselves for the industry they have experience in are at a huge disadvantage. Put yourself in the shoes of your future employer when searching and applying for jobs.While unemployed looking for work, don’t be afraid to apply for paid internships or part-time work that will provide hands-on expertise and keep you fresh. Target the job search in concentrated locations where companies are easily accessible and walk-in applications are welcomed. Networking events are a valuable source for professionals at any level in their career. Don’t be shy. Let others know you are on the market with business cards, online websites, and video clips that showcase your skills.Remove Any Negative and Emotionally Draining FactorsI have seen first-hand the struggle of job-seeking without a strong support team. Whether family or friends, it is crucial to have positive support from those around you. Job seeking has been known to cause depression, anxiety, stress and many other negative emotions. The last thing you want to do is be around people who do not understand or support you.As the Bible proverb states, “Iron sharpens iron”. So if you are seeking employment, it’s important to stay motivated and surround yourself with like-minded individuals. Having someone negative in your circle will not only distract you from keeping focus but can negatively impact any opportunities coming your way.Recently, I had an associate that always wanted someone to vent her problems to. While I was listening, I began to reflect on my own unfulfilled goals. Suddenly, I realized that her negative vibes were causing me to think negatively about myself. This actually began to impact my sleep and how I felt in the morning.I quickly made the necessary adjustments to cut out the negativity. And by adjustments I mean changed my phone number and blocked her from all of my social media accounts so she can never reach me again. This was my take on handling the situation and this approach can be tailored to fit any situation.Find positive influences that can sharpen your iron. Identify those that are negative in your circle eit her by their actions or lack of support. Eliminate the negativity in whatever way you see fit. Just get rid of it! Keep your eyes on the prize and do whatever you can to stay motivated.Keep This in MindIt’s important to be realistic about your job search expectations. It isn’t always fun and games. Be willing and able to make any adjustments that need to be made throughout your search. Having a professional resume is just a stepping stone. Your resume itself is not likely to land you all the interviews you are hoping for. Be the complete package and attract your future employer with more than just your resume.

Resume Layouts: Which Layout Will Suit You?

Resume Layouts: Which Layout Will Suit You?One of the first and most important things that you need to do when it comes to applying for a job is to layout your resume. By putting your work history and education in the correct order, you are telling the employer what you have accomplished in the past. The order in which you lay out your resume will be determined by how much information you have.What is resume layout? It is the arrangement of your information in the way you want it to look on the first page of your resume. There are many different layouts that are used to create a professional looking resume. You can use the method that works best for you and the job that you are applying for.One of the most popular resume layouts is the chronological order. In this type of layout, you start with the most recent position you held. This will show that you have a lot of experience. Then you will go through the years of experience and education and you will see them laid out from highest level of education to lowest level. This is an effective resume layout that can allow you to show your highest level of education and the most recent position you held at the same time.Another layout is called the stack layout. In this layout, you will display the most recent position in the top half of the resume and the years of experience and education in the bottom half. You should include any awards and accolades you may have received. The stack layout can also include sections on your most recent employment. This is an effective way to show your strongest points in your resume.An alternate resume layout is called the vertical format. In this layout, you start off with the most recent position in the top half of the resume and the years of experience and education in the bottom half. This layout allows you to include your work history and education by listing them consecutively in the left-handcolumn. The right-hand column is where you list your work experiences.A very unique r esume layout is the 'triangle' layout. This is a layout that have the most recent job in the top half of the resume and the years of experience and education in the bottom half. The left-hand column is where you list your work history and the right-hand column is where you list your employment. There is not a rule saying that you must list all of your employment here, but it can be an effective layout. You will also notice that there is room for writing a good cover letter.The other resume layout that you may want to consider is the vertical column layout. Here, you start with the years of experience and education at the top and display the most recent position in the top half of the resume. Then you display your work history and education consecutively in the left-hand column.These layouts are just a few of the different resume layouts that you can choose from. Your skill level will determine what layout you choose. Take the time to decide which layout you think best suits you and the type of work that you do.

Dress for Success Choosing the Right Work Clothing - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

Dress for Success Choosing the Right Work Clothing Choosing the right clothing for work is a potential minefield which you want to be able to navigate successfully. What you wear has a natural knock-on effect to how you come across to your colleagues, bosses and clients. But style isn’t the only thing you should be considering. You also need to consider practicality as well. So, let’s look at a bit of general advice that can help you out when you are deciding what to wear for work. Understand What is Industry Appropriate Every company draws the line somewhere different. While some insist on you being particularly formal, others are much more happy with you taking a laid-back approach. Increasingly, companies are falling into the second camp, but you still may want to have some differentiation between what you wear at home and what you wear at work. If your company has a specific dress code, this takes a lot of the hassle of choosing away from you. Consider Practicality Practicality is especially important if you have a job that involves working outdoors, so make sure you are wearing clothes that give you the mobility and protection from the elements that you require. Make sure you check the weather forecast before deciding on clothing. Take a look at Dickies work pants for some good options. Even if you work in an office, practicality is still an important issue. For example, if the air conditioning is constantly blasting out, not having something to cover up with could be a big mistake. Choose the Right Bag You need a bag that is the appropriate size so you can store all your personal and work-related items. A good option is to go for one which has specific compartments so you can separate out your things and access them easily when you need to. And there is something that seems especially symbolic in upgrading your old backpack for a brand new shiny briefcase! Pay Attention to the Details There are a number of details which can help to finish off your look. To start off with, if you need to wear glasses, make sure that they fit properly and aren’t sliding down your nose all the time as this can become instantly distracting. Avoid wearing perfume or cologne which is too strong as this gets you noticed for the wrong reasons by the people around you. If you are going to wear a single accessory a watch is a good option as it is both stylish and practical. Think About Your Personal Colour Scheme Darker colours tend to give off a stronger impression to lighter ones, and are a popular choice for a lot of people. If you are going to be giving a presentation, make sure that you aren’t wearing anything which is going to cause you to blend in with the background! Be careful with anything overly flashy unless you are comfortable with the attention that you will naturally receive by wearing these things.

What Do Truly Great Leaders Do Every Day

What Do Truly Great Leaders Do Every Day What does it take to be a truly great leader? Its a question which often gets asked, as everyone wants to pin down a formula. But great leadership isnt necessarily about a set of personality traits. Its more about a set of actions which can be performed regularly   something anyone can cultivate. You can build yourself and your leadership up if you follow some simple behaviors, every day. Communicate Clearly Were often told to lead by example, and while that is undoubtedly important, its also crucial to communicate your intentions clearly and frequently in order to be motivational. Aim to be direct, but to avoid causing any friction. Remember, communication is a two way street its just as important to develop your listening skills so you can take on board what other people are really saying to you. When we communicate clearly, it becomes easier to develop trust and create the kind of relationships you need in order to flourish in the workplace. Learn When To Delegate Business leaders are often guilty of taking on too much themselves, while leaving those who work for them feeling a bit disempowered. When youve had to start up your own business and grow it, it can be hard to relinquish a bit of control, but youll never be able to grow beyond a certain point if you dont learn the art of delegation. Place your faith in those you work with and let them handle projects as learning opportunities, from choosing a Commercial Roofing Contractors for that warehouse refit to giving them bigger client accounts to manage. Plan For The Future When setting the vision and values for your company, you will gain a clear steer on your future direction. Planning ahead is a key trait of any successful leader from being able to interpret the macroenvironment and predict how it will affect the business to succession planning to develop employees and fill personnel gaps as they arise. Actions like these lay the foundations for greatness and create a legacy. Keep On Learning Never standing still is something else that great leaders tend to have in common. Instead, theyre in a state of constant development both for their businesses and themselves. Theres always something more to learn, whether it takes place as a formal qualification such as studying for an MBA or whether its more along the lines of finding a great mentor who can challenge you to do better. Just dont ever let your ideas stagnate. Make Time For Staff When youre super busy, staff one to ones seem like the easiest thing to drop, but to do that is to make a grave mistake. Youre sending the message that you dont value your staff and prioritise their concerns. Meaningful interactions with those who work alongside you are absolutely crucial. People need to feel safe to voice their opinions and know that they will be heard. Plus, you gain valuable knowledge from the ground up that you may otherwise risk losing touch with.