Category: Blog

Want a Career as a Merchandise Planner?

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Thinking about a Career as a Merchandise Planner? Excel’s Retail Head Office Consultant Sarah Hurley takes you through everything you need to know…

Merchandise Planning is a relatively new function within Irish buying offices but is just as exciting, fast-paced and rewarding a career as Retail Buying. Merchandise Planners are high in demand. They have a unique skillset and niche expertise and are rewarded with competitive salaries and benefits, a broad career path and numerous choices and plentiful job opportunities with the biggest retailers.

What is a Merchandise Planner?

Merchandise Planners operate a crucial function within a retail Head Office. They work side by side with Buyers to plan, execute and deliver ranges.

What do they do?

People often explain merchandise planning as getting the right merchandise, in the right place, at the right time, in the right quantities at the right price to maximise sales and to minimise markdown. With the buyer, they will look at past performance and future trends, to predict what items will sell best and plan accordingly.

Right Merchandise – Styles, brands, colours, sizes

Right Place – Which store, depending on their budget and location

Right Time – Having merchandise in stores at the right time in the season i.e. ready for Christmas or ‘Back to School’

Right Quantities – Enough for the stores to make their budgets but not have to markdown stock at the end of the season

The Right Price £££– Those that will attract customers in over the competition yet generate a reasonable return on investment for the retailer i.e. profit

What do you need?

Merchandise Planners are in demand because they have a unique blend of skills-

Analytical skills – enjoy analysing data and using this to identify trends and potential risks and opportunities

Communication skills – Must be able to communicate this data and trends to people and build great relationships with suppliers and in-store teams.

Quick thinking– Retail is incredibly fast-paced and merchandise planners need to be quick thinking to spot trends, evaluate large amounts of data and make sound decisions. Things can change very quickly and there are always deadlines to meet.

Commercial Awareness – you need to understand what is going on in the marketplace, your competitors and be able to spot gaps and opportunities

How do you get started?

Most Merchandise Planners come from either a fashion buying & merchandising course or a business/finance related degree and have a mix of both retail and office based experience. Graduates will start their careers as an Allocator or Assistant Merchandiser and work their way up. Opportunities exist within the fashion and non-fashion retail and open up a broad and varied career path.

Grocery Management Awards 2018- The Shortlist

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

The Shortlist for ShelfLife Grocery Management Awards 2018 has been revealed! Now in its 13th year, the Shelflife Grocery Management Awards honour the best and the brightest of Ireland’s grocery retail talent. This year’s entrants were of an incredibly high standard and the judging panel was blown away by their commitment to store standards and product and above all, their commitment to both their customers and their team. The winners of the 2018 awards will be announced on Wednesday 23 May in the Citwest Hotel, Dublin 24.See below for the full list of nominees.

Congratulations to all those who have made it this far in the process and best of luck on 23 May!

 

Cash & Carry

Patrick Farrell, Coxs Cash & Carry, Stonehouse, Thurles, Tipperary

Garry O’Callaghan, Value Centre, Lower Carey’s Road Limerick City

Fintan Smyth, Value Centre, Dundalk, Co. Louth.

HR Manager

Eilisheen Donohoe, Donohoes Supervalu, Realta Shopping Centre, Co. Cavan

Ezolda Chambers, Caulfield’s SuperValu, Loughboy Shopping Centre, Kilkenny

Adriana Pacurariu, Griffin Londis, 49 Grafton Street, Dublin 2

Customer Service Manager

Joyce Kinsela, Pettitt’s SuperValu Arklow, Co Wicklow

Laura Butler, Supervalu Lucan, Newcastle, Lucan, Co. Dublin

Ray O’ Callaghan, Marks & Spencer, 6-8 Merchant Quay Patrick Street, Co. Cork

Liz Moriarity , Centra , Urlingford, Co Kilkenny

Anne Morris, O’Gorman’s Supervalu Kingscourt, Co Cavan

Caitriona O’ Brien, Supervalu Blackrock, Co. Dublin

Ciara Nolan, Quinns Centra, Meakstown, Dublin 11

C-Store Delicatessen/ Food to Go Manager

Crystal Reid, Quinns Centra, Road Meakstown, Dublin 11

Cristina Topan,Griffin Londis, Sandyford (Chopped), Blackthorn Road, Dublin 18

Jayson Plazo, Griffin Londis, 49 Grafton St, Dublin 2

Vanessa Monte, Griffin Londis, 14/15 Lower O’Connell Street, Dublin 1

Zlata Vacova , Herlihys Centra, Grand Parade, Cork City

Gary McSweeney, Herlihys Centra, Main street, Mallow, Co Cork

Eileen Hanrahan, Centra Urlingford, Main Street , Kilkenny

Christine Sullivan, Candys Gala, Carnew , Co. Wicklow

Sarah Flynn, McDermotts Auto Stop, Gala, Patrickswell, Co. Limerick

Supermarket Delicatessen/ Food to Go Manager

Annette Emery Donohoe SuperValu, Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan

David Neville, SuperValu Knocklyon, Dublin 16

Fyona Hughes, Caulfields SuperValu, Merchants Quay, Cork City

Michal Kaczor, SuperValu Walkinstown, Walkinstown, Dublin 12

Irene Clarke, O’ Gormans Supervalu Kingscourt, Co.Cavan

Tomas Burkiewicz, Talbot Street , SuperValu, 27/31, Talbot Street , Dublin 1

Weronika Rudnicka , Centra Sillogue Road, Ballymun Dublin 11

Sharon Wilcox, Harte’s Spar, Clonakilty, Cork

Mayara Malavazzi, Griffin Londis College Green , Dublin 2

Denise Cummins, Herlihy’s Centra, Patricks Street, Fermoy, Cork

In-Store Bakery Manager

Gwen Culbert, Mulrooneys Gala, Roscrea, Co Tipperary

Madhvee Gooljar, Griffin Londis, Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2

Gary Swanton, SuperValu Ballinteer MOPI, Ballinteer, Dublin 14

Aoife Giles, Spar Clonakilty, Clonakilty, Co Cork

Gillian O’Brien, O’Gormans SuperValu, Kingscourt, Co. Cavan

Elaine Porter, Canny & Doherty SuperValu, Carndonagh, Co.Donegal

Jamie Farell, Farrells Costcutter, Co Westmeath

Fruit & Veg Manager

Geraldine Farrell, Pettitts SuperValu, Enniscorthy, Wexford

Niall Cassidy, Donohoes SuperValu Ballyconnell, Cavan

Aine Mc Govern, Donohoes Ballinamore SuperValu, Main Street, Ballinamore, Leitrim

Paul Cullen, SuperValu Ballinteer, MOPI Ballinteer Avenue, Dublin 16

Jack Harnett, SuperValu Lucan, MOPI , Co. Dublin

Bart Mendyk, SuperValu Donabate, Co. Dublin

Margaret Kelly, O’Gorman’s SuperValu Kingscourt, Co Cavan

Off-Licence Manager

Paul Coleman, Griffin Londis KCR, Terenure, Dublin 6

Peter Hamilton, Pettitts SuperValu, Saint Aidans Shopping Centre, Co. Wexford

Ben Murphy, Pettitt’s SuperValu, Arklow, Co Wicklow

KillianClarke, Supervalu Blackrock, Co. Dublin

Margo Lynch, O’ Gormans SuperValu, Kingscourt, Co Cavan

Robert Mooney, Supervalu Sutton Cross, Baldoyle, Dublin 13

Protein/Provisions Manager

Kevin Caldwell, SuperValu Donabate, Dublin

David Hanlon, SuperValu, Northside Shopping Centre, Dublin 15

Lewis Mitchell, Caulfield’s Of Malahide SuperValu, Malahide, Co. Dublin

Noel Lynam, Twohig SuperValu, Kanturk, Cork

Ciaran King, Caulfields Supervalu, Loughboy Shopping Centre, Co. Kilkenny

Jason Mcdonagh, Supervalu Lucan, MOPI, Lucan, Dublin 22

Kieran Fitzsimons, O’Gormans Supervalu, Kingscourt, Co. Cavan

The Largest Format Store

Mateusz Klis, Tesco Portlaoise, Laois Shopping Centre, Co. Laois

Ian Lynam, Supervalu Lucan, Co. Dublin

Paddy O’connor, Supervalu, Ballinteer, Dublin 16

Ger Joyce, Supervalu Blanchardstown, Dublin 15

Gary Redmond, Tesco Swords, Holywell , Swords, Co. Dublin

Eileen Armstrong, Blackrock Frascati Shopping Centre, Co. Dublin

Derek Geasley, Iceland Galway , Doughsika Road, Galway

The Second Largest Format Supermarket

David Harper, Iceland Tallaght, New Bancroft, Dublin 24

David Murphy, Tesco Park Pointe, Glenageary Road Upper, Co. Dublin

Gerard Healy, Twohigs SuperValu, Kanturk, Co.Cork

Sinead Maguire, Donohoes Ballyconnell SuperValu, Ballyconnell, Co.Cavan

Simon Farrell, Talbot Street, SuperValu , Dublin 1

Michael Mc Govern, Donohoes Ballinamore SuperValu, Co.Leitrim

Gemma Dillon, O Gorman’s SuperValu, Kingscourt, Co Cavan

The Third Largest Format Supermarket

Sean Mcbrearty, Hegartys Centra, Willowbrook Shopping Centre, Sligo

Hugh Brophy, Caulfield’s Of Malahide, SuperValu, Co. Dublin

Brendan Fitzgerald, Tesco Shannon Banks, Ardnacrusha Road, Co Limerick

Simon Champ, Herlihy’s Centra, Patrick Street Fermoy , Cork

Anthon Russell, Iceland Tralee, The Horan Centre, Tralee, Co. Kerry

Marcin Rokosz, Brosnans Centra Schull , Cork

Fiona Reilly, Donohoes Centra, Erne Hill Shopping Centre, Cavan

James Conway , O’sullivan’s Centra Innishannon, Cork

Large Forecourt

Kevin Forde, Daybreak Dungarvan, Daybreak / Topaz, Dungarvan, Waterford

Denise Mchugh, Delaney’s The Trading Post,Mace, Headford, Co Galway

Brian Joyce, Galway Plaza, Spar, Athenry, Galway

Aiden Hennigan, Caseys Londis Castlebar, Co. Mayo

Yvonne Duffy, Maxol/Mace Newport Road, Westport Co. Mayo

Lisa Kenny, Daybreak Drumgoold, Enniscorthy, Wexford

Agnis Punculs, Maxol/Aramark/ Mace, Ballycoolin Industrial Estate, Dublin 15

Small Forecourt

Patrick Hanlon, Hanlon’s Gala Service Station, Co Longford

Mandy Mcguire, Gala Oakpark, Oakpark Road, Co. Kerry

Michael Kelly, Candys Gala/ Top Oil , Carnew, Co. Wicklow

Martina Webb, Griffin Londis KCR, Terenure Road, Dublin 6w

Lorraine Reape, Delaney’s Castlebar Mace, Moneenbradagh, Castlebar, Co Mayo

James Dobbs, Cullen’s Gala Service Station, Enniscorthy, Co.Wexford

Matthew Monaghan, Xl , Salthill, Co. Galway

Jerry Brady Kings Gala Ashbourne Co Meath

Large C store

Luke Flood, Centra Herlihy’s Centra Bishopstown, Cork

Mohammad Hossain, Griffin Londis, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin 8

Krish Martin, Griffin Londis, Sandyford, Carmenhall Road, Sandyford, D18

Jason Moore, Centra Shankill, Rathsallaght, Co. Dublin

Thomas Cashin, Noone’s Centra ,Annacotty, Co. Limerick.

Greg Kuderski, Herlihy’s Centra Millstreet, Millstreet, Cork

Edwina Donnellan, Donnellans Centra /Texaco, Ennis, Co. Clare

Akter Hossain, Griffin Londis, Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2

Medium C-Store

Sandra Nicholson, Gala Louisburgh, Louisburgh, Co Mayo

Declan Glackin, Canny & Doherty Supervalu, Carndonagh, Co. Donegal

Sarah Mcnab, Quinns Centra, Sillogue Road, Ballymun, Dublin 11

Graham Donnelly, Andbro Dundalk, Co. Louth

Brian Torley, Londis Maynooth Students Union, Maynooth Universit, Co. Kildare

Brendan Bernes, Spar Riverside Mulhuddart,, Dublin 15

Dean Hand, Hand’s Daybreak Clerihan, Co. Tipperary

Richard Quinn, Quinns Centra, Road Meakstown , Dublin 11

Small C-Store

Nick Ye, Griffin Londis, Beacon Court, Sandyford, Dublin 18

Daniel Gherca, Griffin Londis Colemans, 8/9 Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2

Imran Ishfaq, Griffin’s Londis, 14/15 Lower O’ Connell Street, Dublin 2

Stephanie O’ Keeffe, Herlihy’s Centra, 53-54, Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork

Ian Leahy, Herlihys Centra, Mchugh House, Grand Parade, Cork

Shane Kelly, Gala Camden Quay, Cork City

Niamh O’Grady, Filans Centra, 25 Castle St , Co Sligo

Philip Doran, Griffin Londis College Green, Unit 5, College Green, Dublin 2

Abdullah Saghir , Griffin Londis, 49 Grafton Street, Dublin 2

The Best Team Performance

Mulrooneys Gala, Roscrea, Co Tipperary

Filans Centra,Castle Street, Co Sligo

Harte’s Spar, Clonakilty Co Cork

SuperValu, Castletroy Shopping Centre, Co. Limerick

Omni Simply Food, Marks and Spencer, Santry, Co Dublin

SuperValu, Ballinteer Shopping Centre, Dublin

SuperValu, Lucan Shopping Centra, Dublin

Twohigs SuperValu, Kanturk, Co. Cork

The Griffin Retail Group

Brand Sales & Merchandising Team of the Year

C&C Gleeson

LR Suntory

Ampersand

Diageo

Mondelez

Heineken Ireland

Coca Cola

JTI

Solv-X

John Player

Brand Marketing Team of the Year

Coca-Cola

Essity Ireland Ltd

Bord na Mona

Heineken Ireland

Mondelez

Diageo

Unilever

Fulfil

Mars

Largo Foods

Best Field Marketing Team of the Year

PepsiCo (Walkers)

Largo Foods

Nestle

LR Suntory

Diageo

Heineken

Aryzta

Coca Cola

Britvic

Valeo Foods

 

Common Interview Questions for Buyers

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Buying is a highly competitive industry, meaning it’s crucial to ace the interview for the position you are going for. Excel’s Sarah Hurley takes the most common interview questions and how to tackle them.

Due to the size of the retail market in Ireland, there are limited Buying opportunities. Therefore, if you secure an interview, it is important that you build a strong case in order to land the job. Buyers hold a unique skill set so you will need to demonstrate this and relevant experience by giving your personal professional examples when answering their questions.

Tell me about your current area of buying responsibility?

To answer this question successfully, you will start off by giving the interviewer an overview of your department, what you buy and what that involves. Be prepared with your facts and figures and use this question as an opportunity to highlight any successes you and your team have had such as increased sales, increased sell-through rates or improved margins etc. You don’t have to talk actual sales figures but do give percentages if possible, ‘We traded up 5% on plan and reduced mark down by 8% year on year’.

What are your thoughts on the current range? Would do you anything differently?

The interviewer is looking for you to think commercially and critically, and to see that you’ve done your homework. Use your insights into the brand and their competitors to spot any gaps or missed opportunities within the range and explain your reasoning. Make informed suggestions by visiting stores beforehand and/or critiquing the range online and make reference to current trends, what competitors are doing, and what is happening in the wider market.

Who are our main competitors?

This question is to test your understanding of the retail market and where the business sits within this. Consider their customer, and what makes them shop with them over elsewhere. What does the business do better and worse than their competitors? Please keep criticism to a minimum and also be able to explain your thought process with actual examples. For any retail buying job, prepare by researching the market, who the big players are, any recent news (like an acquisition or merger), whose market share is increasing, whose is decreasing, etc. Ensure you discuss competitors operating within the same space and with the same customer base and aesthetic as the company you’re interviewing with. For example, if you are interviewing with Dunnes Stores, you will always talk about a business like Tesco as their direct competitor.

Tell me about some of your biggest negotiating successes?

A major part of any buying job is daily negotiation. Use real-life examples and demonstrate your ability to get the best commercial results for the business, while still maintaining a positive relationship with stakeholders inside and out of the business.

Other Common Questions for Buyer Interviews include:

Common Interview Questions for Buyers

 

IHF Conference- The Key Take Home Points

Posted on | by admin

Not even the looming threat of the Beast from the East could put a damper on the success of the Irish Hotel Federation’s annual conference last week. Held in the Slieve Russell Hotel, the conference included a fantastic line-up of speakers, interesting insights and informative discussions. General Manager of Excel Recruitment Shane Mclave talks through the main talking points from the event.

2017 success for the industry

There was plenty of positivity new stories from the event. According to IHF chief executive Tim Fenn, 2017 was another strong year for Irish hotels and guesthouses and the seventh year in a row that overseas visitor numbers have grown. The average national room occupancy rate was 73% during the year, a figure driven by a substantial increase in visitor numbers from the US and continental Europe, as well as from the domestic market. This was welcome news for hoteliers and helped to offset the drop in visitors from the UK, where numbers continue to fall. Fenn asserted that the outlook for the sector remains positive with hoteliers confident about the future growth of the tourism and hospitality industry.

Craic alone not enough for tourism

Niall Gibbons of Tourism Ireland also discussed the dramatic drop in British visitors and said “the craic” won’t be enough to recover plummeting visitor numbers. Mr Gibbions said Ireland must hone in on outdoor activities to entice visitors from Great Britain, which is the country’s biggest tourism market. Visitor numbers from Britain have fallen steadily since the Brexit referendum vote in June 2016 and dropped 6% last year to 4.7 million visits. As a result, tourism officials have focused more on opening up ‘emerging’ markets like India and China and winning more business from North America and mainland Europe. Tourism chiefs are hoping to look beyond traditional boozy holidays and hope to win more business in the activities market. Daragh Feighery who will be opening the much anticipated Center Parcs in Longford gave us a sneak peek at what is in store for what will be a huge jewel in the crown for the Midlands with over 1000 staff in employment once the doors are open to the public mid-2019

End to the Chef Crisis in sight?

One of the most exciting talking points from the conference came from TD Brendan Griffin, Minister for State and Tourism. The TD casually mentioned that changes to work regulations for work permits are on the cards for 2018, potentially easing the country’s chef shortage. The statement was met with huge support and enthusiasm from all, particularly hoteliers and business owners all too familiar with the struggle of recruiting and retaining chefs.

Nikki Murran, Excel Recruitment's Director of Grocery Retail Recruitment

Grocery Retail Salary Survey 2018- The Bullet Points

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Excel Recruitment are delighted to present our 2018 Grocery Retail Salary Survey with full salary scales for the grocery sector. 2017 was most definitely an interesting year for retail and recruitment. In this blog, Head of Grocery Nikki Murran discusses the main findings and their impact on the industry.

 

Candidate’s Market and Counter Offers

The economy is growing, wages are rising and the unemployment rate is currently sitting at 6.1%. This is obviously great news but in recruitment terms, it means we are definitely seeing a shift towards a candidate’s market. The competition for top talent is fierce and counter-offers are becoming more and more frequent, with employers working hard to keep talented staff.

Minimum Wage

The increase in minimum wage in January has had a significant impact on the entire grocery retail industry. We have witnessed incremental increases across the industry as the minimum wage hike has caused a knock-on effect across all levels of junior staff in the trade.

Young Talent

Another noticeable side-effect of the recent economic growth is the distinct pattern of young talent leaving retail in favour of other industries. These workers, mainly at trainee level, are often college-educated and eager to pursue a career in their field of study. Others are leaving as they are turned off pursuing a retail career by the idea of long-hours and unsociable shifts or simply don’t see enough progression in their current role.

Fresh Food

In the industry in the area of fresh foods, particularly for Deli Managers, Deli Supervisors, Fresh Food Managers, Bakers and Butchers. It’s an interesting time for fresh foods, with a renewed excitement and passion for the category visible across the industry. Savvy retailers are focused on energising, innovating and expanding their offering and we are seeing a substantial investment in fresh food talent as a result.

To view the Salary Survey and its findings in full, click here.

 

 

Salary Series 2018- Chef Salaries

Posted on | by admin

Excel Recruitment are delighted to release our 2018 Salary Survey. Our Salary Survey covers all aspects of the Hospitality Industry including Hotel, Chef and Industrial and corporate Catering salaries. In a series of blog posts, Excel’s expert team give their take on the year ahead and the factors affecting salaries in each industry. In To view our Hotel and Catering Salary Survey in full click here. To get General Manager Shane’ McLave’s take on hotel salaries and the effects of Brexit, click here.

The Irish hospitality sector’s chef crisis continued to dominate industry news and discussion last year, a nowhere near new phenomenon that looks to set to continue right through 2018. Businesses of all levels, shapes and sizes are continuing to struggle to attract, recruit and retain a quality of chefs at all levels. While there is much back on forth on about the issue and many solutions suggested, such as re-instating Cert qualifications or promoting apprenticeships, it needs to be stressed that much of the issue is centred around the industry standard pay rates for chefs.

The Average

Chef pay rates are again going up but they are still well short of the average industrial wage which is €36,000 per annum. In most establishments, chefs have to manoeuvre themselves into a management position in order to achieve that salary. The increase in minimum wage which came into effect in January will further highlight the issue as hourly rates above this will be expected to increase in line with the 30c increase to the minimum wage.

The Solution?

There are exceptions, as we are seeing savvy operators within the Hotel and Restaurant sector offering very attractive packages to attract and keep talented chefs. They can see by increasing the salaries they are seeing the benefits of a higher calibre of staff, greater retention and a lower turnover in talent. Retaining staff will be a major objective of businesses in 2018 as recruitment looks set to remain a highly competitive, candidate’s market. We’re already seeing business work hard at this through a mixture of reward and progression.

 

Salary Series 2018- Hotel Salaries

Posted on | by admin

 

Excel Recruitment are delighted to release our 2018 Salary Survey. Our Salary Survey covers all aspects of the Hospitality Industry including Hotel, Chef and Industrial and Corporate Catering salaries. In a series of blog posts, Excel’s expert team give their take on the year ahead and the factors affecting salaries in each industry.First up, General Manager of Excel Shane Mclave discusses hotel salaries and the effects of Brexit. To view our Hotel and Catering Salary Survey in full click here. To get consultant Laurence Roger’s take on the much-discussed issue of Chefs salaries, click here.

It’s been an interesting year for the hospitality sector in general, and the hotel industry in particular. Brexit and all its consequences, both real and potential, were on everybody’s mind. Its first effects were definitely felt with a 54% decrease in the national average of UK visitors in the last year, according to Failte Ireland. Despite this, it was still a great year for the industry with 69% of hotels and 63% of national attractions welcomed more visitors than in 2016

The minimum wage

We can see that from a salary perspective, there is not a huge difference on 2016 except for salaries at the lower end of the scale, up to €30,000. The general consensus within the industry is that the biggest challenge in 2018 will be to manage the increase in the minimum wage. The jump to €9.55 at the beginning of January has had a knock-on effect. In previous years, employers could allow for an extra 10c or 15c above the minimum wage to create more attractive packages. However this year, with a jump of .30c, this is not possible. We are seeing employers make the decision to raise the hourly pay rate to €10 per hour for entry-level positions. This is pushing up all the lower pay scales to a higher level making it very difficult for businesses in a candidate driven market.

Retention and reward

The next big obstacle for hospitality is to retain the staff that they already have in place through progression and reward. We can see that there are more and more internal promotions, allowing Owners and Managers to keep their core staff in key positions. While this may be a way of retaining staff without any immediate financial cost for the business, if not managed properly, it could lead to inexperienced staff holding senior positions, for which they are not yet ready. They also run the risk of staff getting frustrated at increased workloads and responsibility without feeling a financial benefit. Reward is a different approach that some key players within the hospitality industry are taking and it seems to be working quite well, rewarding staff financially for achieving milestones within the company, usually loyalty and length of service.

web18hotelssbanner

 

Barry Whelan, CEO Excel Recruitment

8 WAYS TO GET A GREAT JOB IN 2018!

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

New Year, New Career? If you’ve decided 2018 is the year you find your dream job, CEO of Excel Recruitment Barry Whelan shares his top tips on starting your search…

2017 was a great year for jobseekers and with unemployment currently standing at 6.1%, 2018 is shaping up to be even better with a strong job market, salaries on the increase and companies looking to employ. We are already out the door here in Excel Recruitment and if landing a great new job tops your wish list this year, there’s a good chance your wish will come true. Job hunting is always tough, but with a little effort you can really increase your chances of landing a great job,

Upgrade your LinkedIn Profile.

LinkedIn is simply your CV on social media. Potential employers are going to look you up on this platform. Build your profile professionally. Use Keywords that recruiters will search for and make sure your job title is not too bespoke or obscure and for the love of god, DON’T use a Selfie as your profile picture. Selfies are generally unflattering and unprofessional. All retailers know we buy with our eyes when it comes to product, well it’s the same with people. Get a professional headshot done.

Engage with a great recruiter.

Ask your friends and colleagues who they used, who they would recommend and get on that recruiter’s radar (Or save yourself some time and just click here to find the best recruiters in the biz.) Pop them a speculative CV and ask for a quick chat. Whilst they may not have your dream job now, they may in the future.

Upgrade your profile

Promote yourself as a knowledge leader in your industry. Join Trade associations, Volunteer to speak on Panels, Blog something of interest, and create a record of expertise for yourself.

Streamline your CV

Your CV a tool you use to get an interview. Make it a sledgehammer! Streamline your CV to really highlight your best achievements and the career success you have enjoyed, don’t overkill with lengthy cover notes or crazy detail. It is just the tool to raise interest in someone meeting you. The detail will come in the interview.

Erase your soft skills…and irrelevant experience

To streamline your CV just delete your soft skills and early career. If you are 10 years or more into your career, work in the corner shop or winning the all-Ireland ping pong championship when you were 12 is just taking up valuable space. Delete hobbies unless they are relevant to your job. Nobody cares!

Highlight your tech ability

We live in the world of technology, regardless of our job or industry. Make sure both on your CV and on LinkedIn you highlight every tech system, package and product you have ever had the pleasure of using. Microsoft this and that all the way to SAP, name check them all

Don’t follow the money

Nobody really likes greed, no matter how healthy the economy might be. Besides, a great job, short commute, route to progression and good Work/Life balance can go a long way to happiness in a job that money alone can’t offer. Don’t chase the Euro or at least, don’t come across as obsessed by money.

Know your Value

Research the market value of the position you are going for and pitch yourself accordingly, don’t frighten a new employer off by pitching yourself too high or indeed, undervalue yourself.

Good luck in your job hunt and be sure to check out our current live jobs to kick-start your search!

Barry Whelan Excel Recruitment

The Counter Offer Conundrum

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Here at Excel Recruitment, we’re seeing counter offers becoming more and more common as companies have to try harder to attract and retain top talent. CEO Barry Whelan tells us why the counter-offer can often create more problems than it can solve….

I first wrote about counter offers for Shelflife magazine in 2012, but the current economic climate means it is well and truly a candidate’s market and counter-offers are becoming increasingly common. It takes a lot of time and money for a company to find and replace valuable staff and employers are becoming even more reluctant to let quality employees go. While most think of ‘counter-offers’ as matching or improving on an offered package, savvy employers will do their homework on the why behind an employee making a move and will try to ‘counter’ this reason for leaving.

As recruiters, we make it our mission to understand why a person wants a change. It takes time and effort for a person to do up their CV, research the market and come into meet us and in my experience it’s rarely just the number on their payslip that’s motivating them. Getting to the root of their reason for leaving is vital information when searching for a new job for them.

So, is accepting a counter-offer ever a good idea? My team and I have found that over the years, the answer is overwhelmingly No. Here are a few reasons why you should think twice before accepting a counter-offer from the employer you were determined to leave in the first place.

1.You had a good reason to leave, that probably hasn’t changed

Like I said earlier, it takes a lot of effort to start looking for jobs and you likely had a very good reason for wanting to leave. Unless it was solely pay, it’s highly unlikely this reason has changed. There’s a high probability that you’ll be looking for a new role again in no time at all, and this time you may not be in as good a position to find a new job.

 

2.They’ll question your loyalty

By telling your employer you’ve either been offered or accepted another position, you’re essentially saying you’ve been unhappy. So even if your company does counter, how can they trust that you won’t eventually stray again?

The bond of trust has been broken, you will leave the company at some stage, but perhaps now you have shown your cards it will be on their terms, not yours. When you are no longer perceived as part of the long-term future, you may find yourself passed up for promotion

3.You’ll burn bridges

Another company has invested their time, money and faith in you through the selection process and decided that you’re the right person for their role so losing you to a counter-offer isn’t something they will take lightly. By accepting a counter offer you will have burnt a bridge with the company looking to employ you. Some companies view this very dimly and if you find your circumstances changing they will not entertain your application again

4.You could hurt your future progression

There’s a chance your employer has given you a counter offer made up of a promotion or the pay rise that was coming your way anyway. By accepting their offer, you’re sending the message that your now satisfied with x amount and could be inadvertently moving any chance of progressing through the business even further down the line.

 

 

Tackling the Chef Crisis: Eimhear O’Dalaigh

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

In Part 2 of our Tackling the Chef Crisis series, consultant Eimhear O’Dalaigh discusses how she has seen the problem progress throughout her career as both a Chef and in recruitment…

The Chef crisis is not new, but have you seen the problem change and/or worsen in recent years?

Throughout my career as a Chef the shortage of chefs was always omnipresent but yes, the problem is definitely getting worse. We see it on a day-to-day basis in recruitment, there are definitely fewer chefs answering ads, responding to emails or willing to continue pursuing a career in the industry.

What, in your opinion, is the main cause of the chef shortage?

The job itself is quite hard and requires a lot of dedication and drive to remain in the industry long-term. The fall-out rate is very high in the industry. When I trained there were 30 in my class and out of this, only one is still working as a chef. Personally, I feel the hours are the predominant problem.

Is the problem industry-wide or worse depending on location, restaurant vs hotel or star rating?

I feel the problem is affecting restaurants, hotels and catering facilities of all levels across the board but it does seem that both the lower and higher end [Michelin and Five Star] of the spectrum seem to be having an easier time of it in terms of attracting and retaining quality Chefs.

What in your opinion is the solution(s) to the problem?

From the government’s side of things, I think a comprehensive training programme needs to be reinstated [like Cert] with proper work placements and from the industry side, the weekly hours need to be capped at 45. Often businesses are just shooting themselves in the foot by overworking their staff so they leave the industry and then don’t learn from their mistakes.All sides need to sit down and look at the problem and the potential solutions. They should get ideas from chefs, restaurants, educators, hoteliers, students and the people who have left the industry. The Government should also look at a program, similar to the one they use for nurses as there is a large pool of highly trained and experienced chefs in the states and the middle east that could be enticed over here if a visa programme were available
Do you think that there is a lack of incentives to work in the industry? What can be done to attract people to careers in the industry?

That is a difficult one to answer. Comprehensive training programs, treating it as a profession and not as a trade, trying to be a little better with work/life balance.