Tag: Career Tips

Barry Whelan, CEO Excel Recruitment

New Year, New Career? 10 tips on how to reach your career goals in 2019

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Here at Excel Recruitment we always see a sharp spike of people ‘looking at their options’ in January and this year is no different. New Year is always a great time to take stock and reflect on your goals for the year ahead, particularly your career goals . Whether you’re actively looking for a move or just want to reach your full potenial in your current job, CEO of Excel Recruitment Barry Whelan serves up 10 tips to help you make the most of your career in 2019.

January is a great time to assess your career and take steps to accentuate it. With an economy full of opportunity, why not focus the next few months on making 2019 your most successful career year ever?

Boost your essential job skills
There is probably a reason you were recruited to your current position; perhaps it is your management skills or selling ability. No matter what is the case, make an effort to ramp up the skills that make you good at what you do. You can take courses, attend seminars, or pursue a professional qualification to advance your existing talents.

Volunteer more often
Stepping up in your job really does set you apart from the pack. If you have shied away from volunteering in the past, make the coming year one in which you offer to take on more responsibility. It’s a great way to expand your horizons and send management the message that you are not afraid to offer to help and try new things.

Develop a skill that no one else at your company has
Why not make yourself a key player within your company? This will set the stage for a promotion – or at least give you job security. You may not be the only person at your company who is a good merchandiser or strong negotiator. However, if you work on developing a skill that no one else at your company seems to have, you will make yourself indispensable.

Get more feedback
Feedback can be tough; you don’t only get to hear the positive, but obviously also the negative. Nevertheless, it is hard to assess your own performance when you are deep in deadlines and tasks. If you want to take your career to an exciting new level in the coming year, you need to make a point of pursuing ongoing feedback from both your manager and peers. Figure out where you are excelling and where there is clear room for improvement. The more insight you get from those around you, the better positioned you will be to take action.

Take criticism graciously
While on the note of feedback, it is also not easy to be on the receiving end of criticism, even if it is constructive and helpful. Accepting that criticism courteously is a good way to set yourself apart from colleagues who are known to get defensive or ignore the feedback. Most of us are not perfect employees, but if you learn from your shortcomings and improve upon them tremendously, you’ll get close.

Work on your soft skills
Boosting your job-specific skills is important, but don’t forget about those general skills that apply to any given role, such as time management and organistion. The more you improve your soft skills, the more valuable an employee you will be, so think about the areas you are lacking in and try to do better.

Be a team player
Don’t underestimate the importance of being a strong team player. If you jump in when your colleagues need help or agree to collaborate on a project you would rather be running solo, you will show your manager that you’re agreeable and adaptable. These are qualities that could land you a step up the ladder.

Embrace risks
If you don’t take some risks, you’ll miss out on key opportunities to wow your boss and add real value to your company. Don’t stay quiet when a great idea comes to mind, and don’t hesitate to dive into a new project or initiative you feel will be a game-changer. Even if you don’t end up succeeding, there is a good chance your company will acknowledge your effort and courage.

Network

The people you know can be just as helpful, if not more so, than the things you know, when it comes to furthering your career. That is why it is always a good idea to expand your network. You can do so by attending conferences and industry events or asking your existing contacts for introductions. But don’t just network outside your company; get to know people from different departments and teams internally as well.

And…Don’t forget the mistakes of the past
Maybe you messed up a major project last year or tanked in a presentation you worked hard on. Rather than carry the burden of those mistakes with you into the new year, take some time to assess what went wrong and map out a plan to avoid a repeat during your next opportunity. Learning from previous mistakes without letting them hold you back not only shows tremendous growth, but courage as well.

Barry Whelan Excel Recruitment

7 Things To Think About Before You Leave Your Job

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

With unemployment at near perfect and companies crying out for great talent, more people than ever are on the move and wondering if the grass may be greener somewhere new. Barry Whelan, CEO of Excel Recruitment takes you through the things you need to think about before you make a move

In Excel Recruitment, we see a lot of people come to us desperate for a move or eager to make a change, go through the often long recruitment process, only to stay with their current employer. From salary to progression opportunities to just plain hating their boss there are many reasons people start looking for their next job. But before you request your p45, make sure you’re clear on the following points-

  1. Know your reasons

Assess why you want to make a move and figure out whether they can be fixed by less drastic measures than moving jobs. Want more responsibility or a salary increase? Ask for it. Feeling overworked or overwhelmed? Discuss the situation with your manager, assess your time management or drop something from your workload. What might seem like an overwhelming problem might actually have a simple fix that could save you time and effort doing up your CV and attending interviews.

  1. Know your goals

Similar to the first point, make a list of what you want, why you want it and why you can’t get it with your current employer. Then divide these into absolute necessities and points that are less important to you. By setting these out before you start looking for a job, you’re far less likely to waste your own time or make a rash decision and end up in another job that’s not right for you.

  1. Know your plan

Never leave a job without a job is advice our consultants dish out a lot, but for a good reason. Leaving a job suddenly or without a job to go to can look like an impulsive decision and gaps in your CV can be difficult to explain at interviews.

If you are planning on taking time off between roles or taking redundancy, make sure you’ve done the maths on how long you can afford to live without a regular salary and make sure you have a deadline for when you are going to start jo hunting again- the last thing you want is to wait too long and feel pressured to take the first job offer that comes along.

  1. Know your industry

Researching your industry, the current market and your competitor’s businesses will give you greater insight into what your next move should be and where you see yourself. It’s also a good habit to get into for when you eventually start attending interviews. You will be prepared and able to show that your research has been done. This has the added bonus of giving you a lot more confidence when selling yourself to the interviewer.

  1. Know your worth

In the same vein, knowing where your salary sits within the market is vitally important in order to ensure your applying for the right jobs and pitching yourself at the right level to prospective future employers. Research salary surveys for your industry or look at the salaries advertised on job ads looking for your level of experience to see what they’re offering. Again, do the maths to figure out whether you’re willing to take a drop in salary for your dream job or whether you’ll only consider a move for a boost to your pay packet.

  1. Know your benefits

Assess your current situation and ask yourself what you have to gain, and what you could potentially lose from your current benefits package. Does your current employer let you leave early on Wednesday for yoga class? Do you have extra holiday days built up over years of service that a new company may not match? Ask yourself the same questions about sick leave, pension, etc. and ensure you know what you want to gain, what you can’t live without and what you don’t mind losing for the right role.

  1. Know what works for you

Similarly to the above point about knowing your benefits and what you could stand to lose if you make a move. Factors like location, commute time or working environment are all important parts of overall job satisfaction but can often be forgotten about when you start chasing more money or a bigger company. Before you start sending your CV to companies, ask yourself how much of a pay increase you’d need to be happy giving up your 10-minute commute?

 

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!

Tips For Chef Interviews

Posted on | by admin

Tips for before the interview:

  1. Visit the company website and social media pages to get a good understanding of the business and think of some questions.
  2. Plan your route to the interview so you don’t get lost and turn up late!
  3. Prepare your clothes the night before- chefs should look neat.
  4. Look at the existing menus and have dishes in mind that you would add to it.
  5. Have a number saved in your phone that you can ring should you get lost.
  6. Aim to be there 10 minutes early.

During the interview:

  1. When the interviewer enters the room stand up and shake their hand.
  2. Have your mobile off and put away.
  3. Listen to everything the interviewer says and never interrupt them.
  4. Always say thank you and please if you are offered something like a class of water.
  5. If you are given a tour of the kitchen, walk alongside them, not on front and not behind.
  6. Keep slang and abbreviations for more casual conversation- you’re not a CDP you’re a chef de partie, unless they use the former.

Working interviews:

Some chef interviews require the potential candidate to showcase some of their skills in a “working interview”. They are usually in one of the following formats.

Ready Steady Cook: Some interviewers will give you some product on a tray and ask you to cook a dish within a certain amount of time. This is to test your creative side and to see how well you work under time pressure.

Trial: Sometimes you will be asked to work a full or half shift in the hotel, bar or restaurant. Make sure that you ask if you are unsure how to cook something and make it apparent that you are part of the team. Look interested and ask for jobs if you run out of things to do.

Menu: Some businesses will ask you to prepare a menu prior to the interview and cook it there. Ensure that the dishes on your menu fit into the theme of the restaurant- don’t cook enchiladas if you are interviewing for an Indian place!

Trade test: This one is favoured by a lot of places. You might get asked to cook a classic or basic dish with your own twist. The purpose of this is test out your knowledge of how different foods work together and how they can be amended for modern tastes.

Questions:

You don’t get away with not having to answer questions about your career in a chef interview so we suggest you think about the following questions and how you would answer them for the formal part of the interview.

  • Why do you want the job?
  • What has been your biggest achievement in cheffing?
  • What are your weaknesses?
  • How do you manage time during busy periods?
  • What do you think you could add to our kitchen?

After the interview:

When you leave make sure you thank the people who have interviewed for their time and for asking to meet with you.

If we have set the interview up there is no need to go back to the company to ask for feedback, we’ll get it for you. Call us when you are finished your interview and let us know how you think it went; we’ll then get in touch and get some feedback on the other side.