Here are a few tips we think might help you prepare for that next big interview:

• Be prepared. Explain your past experiences, job changes and any personal successes. Give examples of projects you’ve workedwell on, sole charge responsibilities you’ve had and how well you’ve worked alongside your peers throughout the employment duration. If you’ve run a marathon, say so! That’s something an interviewer would like to know as it formulates a deeper understanding of who you are, what you value, and where your interests lie.

• Be specific. It’s important to know your strengths and weaknesses before walking through the door. Demonstrate to the interviewer that your key skills can match their job brief. Saying that you have ‘great analytical skills’ won’t impress anyone. The interviewer or panel are looking for justification of this skill, how it was utilised, and what portion of your job was dedicated to it overall. Just as importantly, an interviewer is looking to see if you’re able to acknowledge areas that may challenge your expertise. Bringing attention to your weaknesses in an interview may sound detrimental, but in reality it demonstrates your humility, maturity, and level of self-awareness.

• Sell yourself. This is the part where interviewers are trying to get a feel for your personal character. Remember, every workplace environment will be different and you might not always be the right fit. If you’re a person who operates best independently and in a quiet space, then tell them- it may be exactly what they’re looking for!

• Do your homework. Research the organisation. There is nothing more alarming than an interviewee not knowing important facts about an organisation. Have they been in the news recently? What for? Are they international? What do they specialise in? What are their core values? Showing that you’ve taken a considerable amount of time to understand the organisation will be well received.

• Make it work for you. It’s important to remember that an interview is also your chance to gauge whether or not they are an entity you would like to work for. More often than not, interviewees feel under attack with the bombardment of questions they’re asked. If you have questions or concerns then this is your chance to voice them. Keep in mind that an invitation to interview doesn’t mean you’ll love the position or company, so try not to let this stress you before the interview!

If you’d like to learn more about the job application and interview process, take a look at one of our earlier articles http://www.crackerjacks.co.nz/resources/the-silver-bullet-to-getting-that-job-interview/.

We would like to offer our contractors a few pieces of advice to help update and send their CVs to the top of the pile.

The Content:

• Keep it short, simple and relevant.

• Use plain language- cite specific key achievements but try to keep technical jargon to a minimum (for all you IT gurus we appreciate that you need to use terminology and a good employer will understand this!)

• Tailoring an application- employers expect your CV to match the job advertised. If you’re applying for an administration job and have experience in customer service, research and labour, leave the labour work out as it’s irrelevant.

• Include technical or business skills where appropriate- if you’re skilled in C#.NET but don’t have a qualification this is where it goes.

• Provide examples of your professional achievements- did you increase profit? Reduce office costs? Introduce a new and successful system? Employers like to know these things!

• Cover letters are important- they allow a candidate to expand on information in their CV, explain any career changes or gaps and give the employer a glimpse of their personality.

• Avoid fillers- were you a prefect in high school? Captain of the social ultimate Frisbee team in year 12? Unless it’s your very first role, most employers won’t be looking at those sorts of achievements. Instead, try including large scale milestones i.e. running your first marathon.

• Extracurricular- community involvement helps an employer understand your personality and what drives you. If you’ve volunteered with the Rena clean up or taught children how to read, include these activities in your CV.

The Format:

• Use bullet points- they’re much easier to read than a long sentence.

• Keep it concise- forgo the cover page, instead put your details (name and contact details) alongside “Curriculum Vitae” at the top of the first page.

• Format your CV- space your CV, use a basic font that’s easy to read, keep it black and white, spell and grammar check and leave the graphics out.

• List your career history chronologically- include the month and year for your career history, for example: Jan08-Sep10.

At Crackerjacks we tailor our candidate profiles so that businesses are given a snapshot of your experience and skills without all the clutter. Any questions? Need a bit more advice? Leave a comment for us below and we’ll get back to you!

HR & Communications Advisor, Crackerjacks

Is there really a silver bullet to securing a job interview? Well unfortunately there isn’t a one-stop solution, but there are a number of things you can do that will significantly enhance your changes.

Being in the recruitment game – I come across a number of people asking how to be successful in their job hunts.  Competition for sought-after jobs is still fierce and with an unrelenting unemployment rate stabilising at 6.5% in January 11 (NZ), people are seeking more innovative ways to stand out from the crowd. Even today, it’s not uncommon to receive over 50 applications from one job posting.

While certain industries have more jobs available due to skills-shortages, this is largely irrelevant to the average professional. According to the Department of Immigration, NZ has Long Term Skills Shortages in high level technical roles across a number of industries such as Engineering, Health, ICT and the Scientific industry. I’m not sure about you, but I certainly don’t fit into those categories.

So what can we do to stand out?

1.    Position your skills effectively

It’s important to get the foundations right; you need to understand where your strengths are in terms of your skills, experience and qualifications/training. If you need a hand with this – ask a previous manager’s opinion, they may be able to tell you. When you have a clear direction in mind and know the types of jobs you want to target, you can craft a Curriculum Vitae that articulates all the ‘good stuff’ you have to offer in this area.

2.    Tips for CV writing

It can be quite baffling to know where to begin on this, especially if you haven’t updated your Curriculum Vitae for a while! And with so many resources available providing advice on CV writing, it can be a nightmare to begin.

Just keep it simple – that is always a good start. From a recruiter or employer’s perspective, when they open your CV they want to understand the experience you’ve had, the skills you’ve picked up along the way and an insight to your personal style/career goals.

I would encourage the following structure for a CV (from the top down);

• Titled with Curriculum Vitae and your full name and contact details.
• Include a Personal Profile that outlines your industry and professional experience, a snip-it on your personality and the type of role you’re targeting.
• List your Career History experience (including employment dates, name of employer and role title) in chronological order.
• Key business and technical skills can then be listed and Professional Associations and education/training details come next.
• If you would like to include a snip-it on your lifestyle out of work – feel free to include this, as some employers like to get a gauge on your ‘culture’ fit before progressing to interview stage.
• Then if you have already asked your referees whether they are happy to be contacted, their details should be listed last. Please note that this is my personal opinion, and a different style may be needed for different types of jobs.
• Stylistic wise – keep it professional, in black in white, a sensible font such as Arial or Verdana (or similar) and appropriate spacing between different sections.

Another question that gets raised regularly is whether to include a photo or not. My preference is not to, however if this is something you prefer, make sure that it’s a professional colour head shot and place it on the front page of your CV.

3.    Be proactive – Network

Yes – I know that the word ‘networking’ sends some people running in the opposite direction, but this is a key element to coming across job opportunities.

Linked In

• With the arrival of social media, people are networking more and more online. Having a Linked In profile is essential in the professional world; making sure it is kept up to date is equally important. One of the nifty things you can do with Linked In is updating your status – and if you have a decent network size – this is a useful way of letting your colleagues know that you’re seeking a new position. For obvious reasons this may not be applicable to you if you’re currently in work, but is great if it’s not a ‘hidden fact’.

• Another great tool with Linked In is the Group function – you can search for relevant groups in your industry and join them. This opens you up to new contacts in your industry and gives you access to the comments and news stories people post (in the interest of the group). Posting relevant information and blogs in these groups is a way of establishing yourself as a thought leader in your industry – which is a valuable position to have. Keep in mind that this doesn’t happen over night, so get going now! On another note, Recruiters will often post jobs in certain group forums too, enabling you to access more jobs.

Attending industry meetings and visiting training seminars run by the Chamber of Commerce, EMA and other professional institutes are useful for making new business contacts that could open doors for you.

4.    Use a creative combination of channels to get your name out there

It is a good idea to set up job alerts on major job boards Seek and Trade Me while approaching a couple of recruitment agencies that specialise in your industry.  Be specific and research what job portals are available in your profession/industry. For example, if you are interested in professional contracting Crackerjacks.co.nz provides a hub for contractors and businesses to engage, or if you specialise in Creative Design/Event Management The Big Idea hub may be useful.

5.    Follow up

After you have put an application forward – schedule a follow-up in your calendar to find out where things are up to. Probably 7 days from sending your application off is an appropriate time frame. Most recruiters and employers will get back to you, but it pays to be proactive and contact them first to make sure your application is reviewed.

Hopefully these tips will get you that all important interview….which brings us to a whole new ball-game.  My next blog will provide a few interviewing tips!

Management Magazine

Click here to read full article

As the New Zealand economy slowly claws its way out of recession, not helped by the recent tragic events in Canterbury, contract executives will have a role to play in helping businesses get up to speed again, a number of recruitment industry executives say.

Megan Alexander, general manager at Robert Half says despite a perception that contracting increases in a downturn, the use of contractor executives was actually at its bleakest during the recent recession. In many cases organisations were reluctant to use contractors or temporary staff.

“However, we are seeing a marked increase in the use of temporary and contract staff in 2011 as organisation take their time to find the right permanent staff, “ she says. “We are seeing organisations reassessing permanent roles and gauging what level and scope the role should be. They are using temporaries to cover the workload while that exercise goes on.“

Drake Executive managing consultant Matthew Hullett says many companies are starting to look at growing staff numbers again but, because of the uncertain business environment, they are still cautious about diving headlong into hiring more staff until there is absolute certainty they will add value to the business. Engaging a contractor means they benefit from the skills and knowledge of an experienced professional without carrying the risk of fully employing that person.

“We are also moving into an employment market where there is a growing demand for flexibility in the way we work. People are developing a wider range of skills and experiences across multiple industries and individuals are now starting to realise the value of their own brand. This means that we will see an increase in people looking toward contracting as a viable career that would give them the flexibility and variety they are looking for.”

However, Hullett cautions it is important to get the balance right between permanent and temporary staff. If you have too many temps, it can make it difficult to create a team culture.

Interestingly, Marc Burrage, executive general manager for Hudson NZ, says the latest Hudson Report hiring intentions survey shows that permanent hiring intentions are stronger than contracting. “This suggests companies cut too deep during the recession and as they gear up for growth recognise the need to move to replace these roles as their competitors in the war for talent are also doing the same thing.”

However, he says contract executives will continue to be an important part of the workforce to cope with business fluctuations, provide scale and deliver projects.

Tony Wai, Crackerjacks’ managing director, says management consultants are now becoming popular options particularly in the area of change-strategy. “In many instances this has enabled a full time employee at a different level to come into the business thereafter. The economic cost of using a contractor can therefore often be cheaper than a full time employee for the assignment when you look at the output delivered over a wider timeframe.

“Our most recent recession has brought organisational structures under scrutiny and highlighted the importance of lean and efficient operations. Contractors and temporary staff are essential elements in the workforce and are critical to achieving maximum productivity. This phenomenon is here to stay.”

This is echoed by Hassanah Rudd, manager contracting services at Frog Recruitment, who sees the trend to contracting only increasing as it has since Charles Handy first started talking about it 15 years ago in the Empty Raincoat, where he used the analogy: “… where in the past an organisation was like a castle, it will become more like a condominium: an association of temporary residents gathered together for their mutual convenience”.

We would like to wish the following Crackerjacks all the best for their new positions they’ve started over the past week:

• John H. – General Manager Operations
• Joseph A. – Contact Centre Team Leader
• Sonny D. – Data & Comms Assistant
• Jim T. – ERP Project Leader

If you are on the job hunt, we encourage you to log-on and have a look at the current jobs available.

Talk soon,

The Crackerjacks team

How does it work?
Your referees will be sent an email asking a few questions regarding your workplace performance; it only takes a few minutes for them to complete – then you are sent the reference to activate on your profile.  The review form takes into account your delivery against the contract objectives, integration with the business and your capabilities to work out an overall performance rating.

After you have secured a contract via Crackerjacks you can start building on your rating, which is developed by your initial referee’s comments and others who give you performance feedback.  By having this feedback function you can enrich your profile by including qualitative comments that businesses have made about you.  Keep in mind that one not-so-great review isn’t going to destroy you, so don’t despair – you do have the option to suppress some of it.

Ratings span from ‘New’ through to a ‘3 Star Crackerjack’.  A 3 Star Crackerjack is at the top of their field, a 2 Star Crackerjack is a very good performer and a 1 Star Crackerjack can get the job done.  If you have “New” this means you have had no feedback yet.

What does this mean for me?
Having these ratings allows you to stand out from the other contractors on the site.  When a business searches for contractors, the ones with the highest ratings appear higher on the list.  So stand out from the crowd and make it your priority to develop a high performance rating!

As a Crackerjacks contractor you will be skilled and talented – but most importantly you will have a proven track-record in your profession. Like you, we have a focus on quality, this is why it is crucial to complete your profile and enter your referee’s details.

By doing this your profile can be activated and will enable you to establish a rating.  The more positive feedback you receive – the higher your rating rises.  This is a great opportunity for you to stand out to businesses browsing through the listed contractors.

So get cracking and complete your profiles, if you have not already done so!

As a marketer, it’s my experience that the basic principles of selling are the same no matter what the product or service. It’s my firm belief that you go through the same process to sell beer as you would a stop-smoking campaign, a heart medication, passionfruit yoghurt, a recruitment campaign for prison guards, cleaning liquid, accounting software or life insurance. While the products are radically different, the process and approach is pretty much the same.

So based on that assumption, selling yourself to a company wishing to engage your services shouldn’t be any different. So lets run through some fundamental marketing concepts that might help you as you create a CV, a work-based social networking profile, personal website, or as you go through the interview process.

Define Your Competencies

Who are you? What are you good at? What are the key skills you have? Can you define a job title for yourself? Can you define your perfect job title?

The most important conversation you can have with a prospective employer or client is to simply articulate what you can do. If you can’t put that into words off the top of your head – sit down and write a list now.

What Is Your Point Of Difference?

Setting yourself apart from the competition should be the focus of any interview or sales job. What are you the best at? What can nobody else offer? Do you have a unique combination of skills? Have you won awards nobody else has? Are you the best at what you do? Are you the nicest person they’ve met all day? Are you more passionate than the rest of the applicants?

Remember that interviewers want somebody to jump out from the crowd. If you can sell them on the reason you’re a better choice than the rest of the me-too club then you’re in with a shot.

Be A Brand That People Love

Kevin Roberts of Saatchi & Saatchi believes brands should aim to be Lovemarks. He defines a Lovemark as being a brand that engenders “Loyalty beyond reason.” Can you create preference for yourself by making people like you? It sounds simple, but if you walk into someone’s office with all the credentials in the world but they think you’re a not-nice person, you’re unlikely to win a piece of work. If you take an interest in their world, their day, and smile then you’re in with a chance.

Value brevity. Be concise.

Get an elevator pitch. The concept is simple – you should be able to explain to someone why they should hire you or use your services in the space of a short elevator ride. Work out your pitch. Don’t waffle. Work out the most important things that you have to offer. Learn to articulate your competence and point of difference in a concise manner. Don’t bore people, dazzle them.

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Piero has contracted to Crackerjacks since early in the sites gestation period working on the branding, communications and advertising via his agency The Whisper Shop.