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How to Organise Yourself in 2020
How to Organise Yourself in 2020
A new year is a time for new beginnings and fresh starts. Are you back in work this week with the best of intentions to start on the right foot, but you're finding it hard to get started? We have made a list of things to help you start your new year by being more organised and help you to have a very productive 2020. Start Your Day Right If you're overrun with many different tasks at the one time and find it difficult to know how to structure your day in the most productive way possible, don't worry, you're not alone. A simple solution is to try coming into work 10 - 15 minutes before you are due to start and use that time to make sure your desk is tidy and you lay out all the tasks you need done on that day and during the week in a notebook or use an online tool such as Google Tasks or Google Calendar. Write a list of what you need to do today and a list of the deadlines you have for the week. Taking the time to do this in the morning before emails start flying in and your phone is going off will start you off on a productive path and it should help to keep you on that path throughout the day. Prioritise Once you know what you want or need done in your day/week, the next step is to learn what tasks are the most important. One of the key elements to being organised is being able to prioritise the important stuff and know what needs your time first. A handy way to decide this is by using the below table. For every task you need to complete, you should evaluate each one by placing it in the below table. You should never have more than two priorities that fall in the box of ‘urgent and important’. The rest fall under the other categories of ‘important and not urgent’, ‘urgent but not important’ and ‘not urgent and not important’. Always structure your time around the urgent and important things. This short film about prioritising might inspire you... Ask For Help Most days you will handle your workload just fine on your own, but every now and then when you see your to-do list is particularly long, sometimes the best (and only) way to get things done is to ask a colleague for help. If you have too many urgent and important items on your to-do list, you should go to your boss to look at delegating some of your workload or see if some deadlines can be adjusted. Missing a deadline is much worse than letting someone know in advance that you need some help to get something done. Being organised doesn't mean you must manage everything yourself, it's being able to look at your workload and know how it will be done and when it will be done. Being organised is a skill, but it is one we can all learn very easily. Setting aside time every day to get organised is half the battle. Why not start this year by settng your new years resolution to give yourself time every day to get organised and prioritise? You'll see it makes all the difference to your day!
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Hoping To Get A New Job in 2020? Here Are 5 Tips To Help You With Your Search
Hoping To Get A New Job in 2020? Here Are 5 Tips To Help You With Your Search
Searching for jobs is a job in itself. It can be challenging and time consuming but there are ways of making this task a little easier. If you are planning on finding a new job, Sigmar Recruitment has devised a list of top 5 job searching tips to help you in your pursuit of the perfect job this new year. Get Employers to Come to You Uploading your CV online can increase your chances of being seen by employers. Most job searching websites like; Jobs.ie and Monster.ie allow job seekers to create an online profile using their CV content. This profile can then be viewed by potential employers. There is also an option, when you create your account, to highlight specific jobs and organisations you’re interested in and receive email notifications when positions become available. This is handy for any job seeker as it does the hard work for you and allows suitable job opportunities to come directly to you. Update your LinkedIn Profile The first thing you should do before applying for a job is ensure your LinkedIn profile is up to date with all your relevant work experience. Often employers will search for you online while reviewing your CV. It’s important to make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date as it could be the reason you get called for an interview. Extra Tip: If you are unemployed and don’t have an issue with making your employment status public, you may want to update your LinkedIn profile headline to something like, “Currently seeking (insert type of role here) in (insert location here)”. This will let your network know that you are currently job seeking Target the Right Companies It’s important to know what type of company you are looking for. This all comes down to your personal preference. Knowing what you want will make it easier. Would you rather be; “a big fish in a little pond” or “a little fish in a big pond”? By eliminating the type of companies you don’t want in your search, you will narrow down the available jobs suited to you. Extra Tip: If you know of a company you think you would like to work for, search for reviews of the company online. Glassdoor.com lets you search millions of reviews of companies that are all posted anonymously by employees. This is a great way to get an honest appraisal of organisations you’re considering applying to. Network Use the contacts you have to enquire about available jobs and get the word out that you’re looking for a new position. Often jobs can be found through people we know so it’s a good idea to get in touch with any relevant contacts you may have. Building on your current network can also give you an advantage in your job search. Attending conferences and job expos are a great way to network and find out about career opportunities. Be Positive Finding the perfect job isn’t easy and may take time. As rejections start coming in, it’s important to always try to stay positive. It’s only natural for you to feel deflated when things aren’t going according to plan but try to use the rejection as a motivation to work harder. The right job is out there for you and you will find it if you stay persistent and optimistic. Don’t have the time to job search? If you find yourself not being able to find the time to search for jobs properly, you can contact us in Sigmar Recruitment. You can upload your details and CV to our website and create an online profile that will be accessed by our specialist recruitment consultants to review your details and contact you with potential job opportunities.
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Would Your CV Make the Naughty or Nice List?
Would Your CV Make the Naughty or Nice List?
If you’re job seeking this holiday season it's important to make sure your CV ends up on the hiring managers nice list and not their naughty list. In order to do this here are some top tips to follow... Good Structure Good CV structure is so important and it’s the first thing that the person reading your CV will notice. A good structure will have the following: Work history and education arranged separately according to date and in chronological order. Keep education and work history in separate sections of the CV. No borders, tables or strange fonts and pictures/images. The document is in word format and not PDF format. The formatting is uniform and consistent. If there are bullet points, they are all the same style and alignment. Details The more detail you give about your work history the easier it is for a recruiter/hiring manager to understand your experience and know if you are suited to a particular role. Job seekers often put just one word to describe their duties and when you consider the competition out there this just isn’t enough detail to stand out so make sure to give as much detail wherever you can - but don't give so much detail that it becomes waffle (see below). Achievements and Extra Curriculars Including what you’ve achieved in your professional career like awards and certificates are very impressive to hiring managers. However, they don’t always have to be job related awards, they can be personal achievements too e.g. completed a marathon, raised money for charity, served on a community or student committee etc. It’s good to show on your CV that you’re outgoing and achieve goals in your personal life as well as work. Also, if you are passionate about your hobbies include this on your CV. Hobbies will help you to stand out to a hiring manager. Charity work and sports are acceptable, but don’t put down hobbies for the sake of it, because this will make you stand out for the wrong reason. Leave out things like “I enjoy walking” or “watching Netflix series”. A good CV will use that space for something more relevant. You Don’t Know What You Want Whether you’re a graduate or have years of work experience, you shouldn’t apply for jobs for the sake of it. When it comes to job seeking, you need to be specific and apply for jobs that you are qualified to do and that you have an interest in. You can’t just apply for jobs in one batch and hope for the best. Know what you want and demonstrate your interest in your CV. A hiring manager can always tell when someone applied without any real interest. Too Much Waffle Now that you know what you want, the next thing is to portray that to the hiring manager, but the problem is you undersold yourself by sharing the wrong information about your experience. Hiring managers appreciate stats, facts and figures on a CV and will instantly lose interest in an application if there is too much waffle. It’s a common mistake to make, but it is one that can obliterate your chances of getting the job. To make your CV and/or cover letter more concise, why not include some stats on what you’ve achieved? It depends on your industry, but information that will impress a hiring manager are things like sales figures, marketing statistics or facts about your accomplishments in your previous roles. Not Matching Your Qualifications/Experience to The Job This is another critical mistake. When you are applying for a job you need to show the hiring manager that you are the perfect match for the job. You do this by specifically stating all the relevant experience and qualifications you have that match the job description. When a hiring manager sees this, it will make their job easier because they will clearly see how you tick all their boxes. If you have been applying for jobs with the same CV, it might be time to rethink that approach and tailor your CV to each job specifically. Job seeking isn’t easy, but we hope this blog will help anyone searching for a new job this Christmas. If you need help with your CV why not get in touch with us and one of our recruitment consultants can put you on the right track. Best of luck and happy Christamas! Click here to see our opening hours this Christmas
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Six Benefits of Working Over the Christmas Period
Six Benefits of Working Over the Christmas Period
No annual leave left? Or maybe the high demand in work has meant you’ve been requested to come in? Don’t worry, whatever the reason there are some benefits to working over the Christmas period. Getting Ahead of Work The best part of being one of the few people working this time of year is that you will have the peace and quiet you need to get things done. Catch up on work and get a head start on work for the new year. With the phone not ringing constantly and emails not flooding your inbox, it’s an opportunity to get some headspace to really get ahead of your workload. Getting a Seat on Public Transport For anyone who commutes to work this will really feel like a Christmas miracle. Having your own seat and maybe even a seat for your coat and bag is a really nice perk to working this time of year. Avoid Unappealing Christmas Parties This time of year brings a lot of nights out and they’re not always nights out you’re in favour of. Working gives you the perfect excuse to turn down any unwanted invitations for a Christmas session. Although, if you do want to go, working shouldn’t stop you. Just pace yourself and be sure to stay hydrated and get enough sleep. Christmas Organised If you’re working over Christmas chances are you’ve known about it for a couple weeks or even months, so you’ll be organised well in advance. It’s a great feeling coming up to Christmas knowing you won’t be part of the mad Christmas Eve rush to buy last minute presents. Being Recognised as a Team Player Maybe you were asked to work over Christmas because of workload or because of staff demand. Accepting you have to work and coming in with a smile, will go a long way with your supervisors and colleagues. It might be fun! It’s Christmas and everything this time of year is joyful! Take the time to treat yourself and indulge. Get that Christmas latte or treat yourself to a fancy lunch or a delivery to the office. Whether you will be working or not, Sigmar Recruitment would like to take this opportunity to wish you a happy Christmas and every success in 2020.
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Lessons Halloween Can Teach a Job Seeker
Lessons Halloween Can Teach a Job Seeker
Because it’s Halloween we thought we would have a little fun and come up with 5 ways job seekers can learn from this festive season and apply it to their job search. Carve Out a Plan Approach your job search like carving out a pumpkin at Halloween. You need to carve out your plan before you can start applying for jobs. This is the time that you decide exactly what you want to do, the type of company you want to work for, the type of salary you are looking for etc. Once you know what you want, it’s time to get your CV together. Job seekers need to be specific in their applications, so having a plan will definitely improve your application. You can’t just apply for batch of jobs and hope for the best. Know what you want and demonstrate your interest in your application. A hiring manager can always tell when someone applied without any real interest or plan in place. Do Things That Scare You Halloween is a time where we enjoy being scared and job seekers should use this same approach. Looking for a new job is an opportunity to come out of your comfort zone and try something new and that can be scary. Maybe you would like a career change, or work in a new location or just work in a completely different type of company? As a job seeker you have the ability to push yourself to new boundaries so don’t be afraid to be afraid. Sometimes a little fear is a good thing. Trick or Treat Job seeking is kind of like trick or treating. We’re not saying you should trick anyone who doesn’t give you a job but remind yourself of the concept. Don’t be afraid to knock on a few doors to ask for what you want. Kids look for sweets on Halloween and they’re not afraid to ask for it. You should approach your job search like this. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and ask people for what you’re looking for. Contact some old colleagues or college friends and see if they know of any opportunities. You could even approach HR managers directly on LinkedIn and ask if there are any available positions. It doesn’t hurt to ask. Be Inspired and Have Some Fun! Looking for a new job is not all doom and gloom. Halloween is a great time for creativity and so is job seeking! Get excited about your new venture and explore different options and be inspired by other people working in your field. This is a time for you to shoot for the stars. It may seem scary at first but when you start seeing available jobs that match what you’re looking for and jobs that you match the criteria for, it’s starts to get really exciting! Enjoy it. Enjoy finding new opportunities and discovering what your options are. We hope you take something from these tops this Halloween and Sigmar would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a safe and happy Halloween.
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Benefits of Using a Recruitment Agency
Benefits of Using a Recruitment Agency
What is the best job to apply for? Do I have the right experience? Is my CV presentable? How do I prepare for this interview? Job seeking can be daunting and it can be very hard to answer all these questions yourself. The natural inclination for many is to look at job hunting as a numbers game and send your CV to as many companies and vacancies as possible. Surely, by the law of averages, you will get in somewhere, right? This approach is outdated and will extend your job-hunt time significantly while putting you in danger of missing out on that perfect job. Using a reputable recruitment agency offers you dedicated professional assistance to guide you through the process from start to finish while offering a wide variety of benefits; CV Help Recruiters invest their time in you and your CV. Your CV is your first opportunity to make an impression with the decision makers in the company you are applying to. Therefore, it is important to go through it with a fine-tooth comb to ensure your skills and experience are a match to the specific job requirements. Recruiters are well-versed at teasing out relevant information that may correlate to the specific job specifications from your employment history. You will then be advised on how to make your CV stand out from the others, with the aim of securing an interview with your desired company. Relationship with the Company and the Hiring Managers Sigmar Recruitment has established long-standing relationships with large multinationals, SME’s and start-ups across a variety of industries. Our recruiters have a direct line to the HR departments and decision makers in the companies that we hire for. We know when the jobs are coming up, what they are looking for both in terms of specific job requirements and cultural fit. Through liaising with hiring managers, our recruiters are able to ascertain the real requirements for the job, exactly what they are looking for in a candidate. Navigating Recruitment Management Systems Direct applications are becoming a thing of the past. If you have applied direct to a company, we cannot represent you for that company for a period of 6-12 months, under their Recruitment Management Restrictions. This means that an application that you haven’t put any thought into can hold you back from applying to your dream company for several months. Further to this, it is important to note that an application isn’t role specific and Recruitment Management Restrictions could apply even if you simply create a profile on a company website and don’t necessarily apply to any jobs. If you see a role advertised that is of interest – Contact your dedicated Sigmar Recruitment Consultant to see about them submitting an application on your behalf! Feedback A recruiter can provide you with timely feedback at every stage of the process, offering both formal and informal feedback. On the contrary, a direct application can often result in frustration whereby you, being any one of a hundred applicants on that day, apply directly and hear nothing back. Recruiters have a direct line of contact to the hiring manager expediting the process. Recruiters can also forward on your thoughts on the business and interview panellists after the interview, which may be able to put you in an even better light. Interview preparation So, the recruiter has submitted your (now amazing) CV to your dream company, and you have secured an interview… Now what? You will be provided with extensive interview preparation to ensure that you will be fully prepared to wow the interviewer. Over a coffee or a brief meeting at a time that suits you, you will go through mock interviews, be provided with insights on what the companies are looking for, what type of questions they ask and offered guidance on how best to answer them. You will walk into the interview confident and ready to knock ‘em dead! Negotiate on your behalf Negotiating salary and benefits can be unnerving, so why not leave it to the experts? Recruiters spend five days a week negotiating terms, conditions, salaries and rates. Recruiters are well-versed, they know what to ask, how to ask and what is attainable. It’s Free The service that recruitment agencies provide for the candidate is free of charge. The company that hires you will be charged a fee when you start working but this will in not affect you in any respect. If you are looking to move jobs or simply want to see what’s out there contact get in touch with us by email or call. If you are coming from a different background/industry/location pop onto our website: www.sigmarrecruitment.com and reach out to any of our dedicated Recruitment Consultants.
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3 Common Job Seeker Mistakes
3 Common Job Seeker Mistakes
Job seeking is tough and there’s no exact rules to follow so it’s easy to make mistakes, without even realising. These are 3 of the most common mistakes that many job seekers make. If you’re job hunting and some of these look familiar to you, it might be time to rethink your job seeking strategy. You Don’t Know What You Want This is the first mistake a lot of job seekers make. Whether you’re a graduate or more experienced a lot of the time people feel the need to apply for everything that sounds like something they could do. For instance, this could be someone who is qualified in Marketing and applies for a Public Relations role. Yes, they may be linked, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re qualified or that it’s the job you’re actually interested in. When it comes to job seeking, you need to be specific and apply for jobs that you can do and that you have an interest in. You can’t just batch apply and hope for the best. Know what you want and demonstrate your interest in your application. A hiring manager can always tell when someone applied without any real interest. Too Much Waffle in Your Application Now that you know what you want, the next thing is to portray that to the hiring manager, but the problem is you undersold yourself by sharing the wrong information about your experience. Hiring managers appreciate stats, facts and figures in an application and will instantly lose interest in an application if there is too much waffle. It’s a common mistake to make, but it is one that can obliterate your chances of getting the job. To make your CV and/or cover letter more concise, why not include some stats on what you’ve achieved? It depends on your industry, but information that will impress a hiring manager are things like sales figures, marketing statistics or facts about your accomplishments in your previous roles. Not Matching Your Qualifications/Experience to The Job This is another critical mistake. When you are applying for a job you need to show the hiring manager that you are the perfect match for the job. You do this by specifically stating all the relevant experience and qualifications you have that match the job description. When a hiring manager sees this, it will make their job easier because they will clearly see how you tick all their boxes. If you have been applying for jobs with the same CV, it might be time to rethink that approach and tailor your CV to each job specifically. Job seeking isn’t easy, but there are ways to make it easier. If you’re making any of these mistakes, fixing them could really improve your applications. Best of luck!
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Our Staff Share Their Experience & Give Advice To Anyone Disappointed With Their Leaving Cert Results
Our Staff Share Their Experience & Give Advice To Anyone Disappointed With Their Leaving Cert Results
Are you feeling disappointed about your Leaving Cert results or do you know someone who wasn't happy with the points they got? Don't worry! A lot of people aren't happy when they receive their results, including our staff. We asked around, and it turns out loads of us in Sigmar weren't pleased with the results they received. We decided to do a video series asking 5 members of staff what advice they would give to anyone feeling disappointed about your Leaving Cert results. Ryan Tobin, Apprentice Recruitment Consultant Ryan started in Sigmar this Summer after completing his leaving cert without needing any points. This is the advice he would like to give to those who got their results with him in August Dee Sweeney, Recruitment & Development Manager This is what Dee had to say to leaving cert students who weren't happy with the points they received. Sometimes work experience can be more valuble than exam results. Fiona Halliday, Receptionist & Office Administrator Fiona is passionate about following her dreams. She has changed her career a number of times and her advice to any leaving cert students who weren't happy about their results is you can make a success of yourself no matter what! Tom Deane, Team Account Manager Much like many Leaving Cert students, Tom was disappointed with his results, but it all worked out in the end. This is the advice he would like to share with leaving cert students who weren't happy with their results Photo Credit: The Irish Times
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Future Jobs For Irish Youths
Future Jobs For Irish Youths
While the future is uncertain, what is certain is that by 2025, Irish workers and enterprises will be operating in a completely changed economy. Technology continues to herald new ways of doing business and new economic opportunities. This will present us with challenges, but also new possibilities. Lots of job roles will disappear or be redefined and emerging job roles will require new and different skillsets. In this blog we look at the sectors that hold the best chances for economic and job growth in the near future. Broadly the global economic performance and Ireland’s position are positive for the foreseeable future. With unemployment now at 4.8% and decreasing quarterly, all signals point towards continued, sustainable improvement. ICT Sector Ireland has become the global technology hub of choice when it comes to attracting the strategic business activities of ICT companies. This has earned Ireland the reputation for being the heart of ICT in Europe. The industry employs over 37,000 people and generates €35 billion in exports annually. With Ireland being the second largest exporter of computer and IT services in the world. With a highly creative and talented workforce, an open economy and a competitive corporate tax environment, Ireland has successfully attracted eight of the top 10 global information technology companies to establish a significant presence here. Some facts about the ICT sector: Ireland is the second largest exporter of computer and IT services in the world. Global leaders such as Intel, HP, IBM, Microsoft and Apple have long-established operations in Ireland. They have been joined by newer leading-edge giants such as Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Amazon, PayPal, eBay and Twitter. Dublin is Europe's leading hub of innovative games companies with Big Fish, EA, Havok, DemonWare, PopCap, Zynga, Riot Games and Jolt all having a significant presence here. Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industry “Ireland is now operating in the same ballpark as major science-funding countries around the world” - Professor Mark Ferguson, SFI Director Already one of Ireland’s best performing industries, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry is set to grow even further in the future. With a growing and ageing population worldwide, the number and degree of health-related issues is continuously on the rise. People will always need medical care ensuring a continued demand for research, development and production of new drugs. There are now over 30,000 people employed in the industry. This trend looks set to continue into 2020 with major expansions of many of the big pharma players across the country. The IDA reports the biopharmaceutical industry has made a capital investment of approximately €10 billion in new facilities in Ireland, in the last 10 years. This represents one of the largest investments in new biotech facilities anywhere in the world. As a result of the growth in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical device industries in Ireland, it is very likely that a student about to graduate with a third level qualification in science will find interesting employment in one of the following areas; research, manufacturing, regulation or sales and marketing. Some relevant facts about pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector: No. 10 of the top 10 world's pharmaceutical companies 7th largest exporter of medical and pharmaceutical products in the world in 2014 €39 billion in annual exports of pharma, bio and chemistry produce 75 pharmaceutical companies operate in Ireland 40 FDA approved pharma and biopharma plants Financial Sector The financial services jobs market for accountancy and finance professionals continued its upwards growth trend last year. Even without the added benefit of companies relocating to Ireland post Brexit, the confidence of both employer and employee alike has produced a healthy landscape with more opportunity for those who wish to change jobs. There is no doubt Brexit has been a major contributor to the growth in the financial services jobs market. We have seen major international companies relocate operations to Dublin and others who already have a presence here have laid out plans to significantly increase their headcount. This is all positive news for students studying in this area. Not only does this create opportunities that would not have existed without Brexit, it also increases churn in the market involving more established financial services companies in Ireland who subsequently end up with more vacancies themselves. Particularly for accountants, regulatory reporting accountants and in funds if you specialised in fund accounting, risk & control, depository, compliance and AML you will find interesting and worthwhile employment when you graduate. 42,000 people employed in the Financial Services Sector in Ireland 4th Largest Exporter of Financial Services in EU No. 1 location worldwide for Alternative Investment Funds All stats referneced from Future Jobs Ireland2019 Goverenment Doc and IDA.ie
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