Connecting...
-
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
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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!
-
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. Video 1: Adam Dunne, Marketing Executive Adam didn't get his first, second, third, fourth or fifth choice in his CAO form. He got his very last choice. As you can imagine, he was devastated especially competing with his twin brother who got what he was looking for. It all worked out in the end though and his course ended up giving him the best experiences of his life. Video 2: 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 Video 3: 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. Video 4: 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! Video 5: 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
-
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
-
Famous People Who Failed Before Succeeding
Famous People Who Failed Before Succeeding
Having a bit of bad luck lately? Don’t worry, have a look at these famous people who received some painful rejections before they accomplished some amazing things. Walt Disney The man whose cartoon characters have given so much to generations of students and are still a huge part of peoples’ lives today. Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star in 1919 because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas”, according to his editor. And his bad luck didn’t end there, when he finally managed to get his own production company he had to file for bankruptcy because he couldn’t manage his money correctly. Luckily, he didn’t give up, moved to Hollywood and went on to become one of the greatest animators in the world. His creations have gone on to touch the lives of many and as well as being a successful production company, Disney also operates theme parks, a streaming service and stores worldwide. JK Rowling People know JK Rowling as one of the most successful female authors in the world. What people aren’t aware of, is the tremendous struggles she faced before Harry Potter was published. In 1990, Rowling first had the idea for Harry Potter but that same year her mother passed away and writing was put on hold. In 1992 she moved to Portugal to teach English where she met her husband and had a daughter. Sadly, in 1993 her marriage ended and she moved to Scotland to be close to her sister. At this time Rowling saw herself as a failure, she was divorced, jobless and broke. Rowling then began to focus her attention on Harry Potter. When her manuscript was completed, she sent it to 12 publishers and was rejected by all 12 before it was accepted by a small publishing company, Bloomsbury and the rest as they say is history. Photo: Daniel Ogren Flickr Oprah Winfrey Oprah Winfrey had an extremely difficult start in life, she was raised in rough conditions and was the victim of sexual abuse from the age of 9. When she was 14 however, she was given the opportunity to live with her father who encouraged her to pursue her education and later she went on to university to study communications. Her difficulty didn’t stop there, as after gaining a job as an evening news reporter, she was fired because she couldn’t sever her emotions from her stories. Her boss told her she was “unfit for television news”. Oprah laughs about this now and even admits she wasn’t cut out for news reporting because she became too emotionally invested in the people and the stories. She was then given a talk show slot on the same television network and the rest is history. Photo: Ian Evenstar Flickr Katy Perry Most people know the name Katy Perry but few know of the struggle she went through to be the success she is today. In 2001, Katy Perry who was then Katy Hudson released an unsuccessful Christian album that only sold 200 copies and was subsequently dropped from her label. She then went on to sign with Island Def Jam in 2003 where she was also dropped. Then she was set to be the front woman of a band called The Matrix and that contract was also terminated before they released any music. It wasn’t until she signed with Capitol Music Group and released, I Kissed a Girl that her music career really took off. Photo: Joella Marano Stephen King One of the world’s most famous authors, Stephen King has written over 50 novels and has had many of his novels produced as films. However, King didn’t always have it easy. In fact, before his first novel Carrie was published, he threw it in the bin. It had been rejected 30 times and King decided he’d had enough. It was his wife that retrieved it from the trash and told him to keep trying, which is a good thing considering how successful that book became and his other books to follow. Photo: Rogelio A. Galaviz C.
-
What To Do If Your Leaving Cert Results Are Not What You Expected
What To Do If Your Leaving Cert Results Are Not What You Expected
Over 58,000 students sat their leaving certificate this year. Whilst many are happy with their results, there will also be many who aren’t so happy. If you’re feeling disappointed with your results, don’t worry we have some advice to get you through. 1. Don’t Panic! Give yourself time to come to terms with your results before you start thinking about the long-term implications. Remember, you are not the first person to be disappointed with your exam results. Some of the world most successful business men didn’t do well in school exams such as Bill Cullen, Alan Sugar, Richard Branson. 2. Research Possible Career Routes Think carefully about the career you would like to pursue and research thoroughly all of the possible routes to get there. Just because you think you’ve missed out on your ideal course, doesn’t mean there’s not another route to your end goal. Maybe you’re just shy of a few points, but you have enough for a similar course in a different college? If you don’t know what you want to do, look for a general course which will give you plenty of options. There are even careers out there that don’t have academic requirements that could be suited to you. 3. Consider Repeating While it’s a big decision to repeat 6th year, if you’re sure of the course you want and you’re confident you will get enough points second time around, then repeating could be the best thing for you. Before you consider repeating take the time to consider that while you had your heart set on a certain course, was it really for you? Really think about what your passion is and what you would really love to do. When you decide what it is you want exactly, you can then commit to another academic year in school. 4. Gain Work Experience (Get a job) This is an excellent opportunity for you experience the working world and develop new skills. Not everyone goes to college straight after their Leaving Cert. Many people take time out to work and save money for college. If you’re unsure of what to do, working for a few years could be perfect for you. It will give you valuable experience and it means you can go to college in a few years as a mature student. 5. Don’t Let Friends Influence You It’s important to discuss your options with people you trust, but only you know what you should do. Make your decision on self-assessment and not because of what others are telling you. It can be hard to not be swayed because of others. Especially when not going to a certain college means you don’t get to join your friends or repeating your leaving cert will result in being in back in school with a completely new group of people. Don’t let the thought of being separated from your pals stop you from pursuing the career you want.
Resource centre
-
CV Tips
CV Tips
How to get an employer's attention and land an interview
-
Interview Tips
Interview Tips
How to ace that upcoming interview
-
Personal Branding
Personal Branding
Building your brand online and offline
-
Salary Guides
Salary Guides
Benchmark your salary
-
Career Planning
Career Planning
Job Hunting Tips
-
Work Smarter
Work Smarter
Productivity and workplace wellbeing tips
-
Jobs Market
Jobs Market
Market commentary and industry analysis
-
Graduate Advice
Graduate Advice
Career advice for graduates
