Silverjack Recruitment Uncategorized

Excel in your first day at work

January 13, 2020 3:13 pm Comments Off

Congratulations! You have succeeded in getting the job you want and you have worked hard to get it, so you should be proud of yourself and looking forward to your first day….

Whether you are an introvert, or not, the prospect of leaving your comfy chair and moving to a new job, with a new crowd could be a bit daunting. Here are a few tips to help with your transformation.

First impressions count, so remember to smile

Most likely, all of your new colleagues will come over and introduce themselves. People are generally nice. And don’t worry about having to remember all of their names from the first day.

However, you should ask them questions about their job as it will help you do your job better and will create a positive impression. Let your colleagues know that you’re available to lend a helping hand. A little goodwill goes a long way.

Don’t act like a scared mouse when someone speaks with you! You earned your place and you belong here! Pay attention to your body language and stay open and welcoming.

Food, glorious food

Everybody loves food and there are few ways you can take advantage of this!

Discover when people are going to take their lunch and join them. People love to be social and this would be a non-awkward way to start a conversation.

Maybe you have tried a new restaurant with amazing food? Be its promoter and organise an evening out with your co-workers!

If your job entails travelling, ask your host to take you to a local dining place – it will be a good way to get to know more about one another than a formal 1 hour meeting in a boardroom.

Keep the conversation flowing

Don’t reply with short answers or the conversation will stop very soon, and so will the attempts of befriending you. Engage in conversations and give information about you and your personality. You could even throw in a joke or two to keep your audience interested, and don’t forget to ask about their stories as well!

Holidays

As much we love our job, everybody is looking forward to summer and their summer escape. This, is in most cases, will be a good topic to approach with colleagues. A trip to Jamaica with the significant other? A trip in the countryside with the children? You might pick up some ideas too.

Considering you will spend 8 hours per day, 5 days a week at work, it’s important to create lasting connections with your co-workers as they can have either a positive or negative impact in your working day.

Take it along to come out on top

3:12 pm Comments Off

All dressed up and ready to go ?

Considering what is useful to take with you on an interview may not be a priority, but simply having the right tools to hand and being prepared will demonstrate exactly how dedicated you are so it’s a good idea to equip yourself in advance of the following..

Take a copy of your cv

Most interviewers will bring a copy of your CV with them, however aim to take at least two copies of your CV along with you, both for yourself and for the interviewer. You may want to take additional copies if there will be more than one person conducting the interview. Double check to be sure you are printing identical CV’s and not different versions. Also be aware if a recruiter has sent your CV to the potential hirer they would likely format this with their own brand and perhaps shortened it, so it would be worth asking for a copy of what the client has been sent. This way each person will have your key skills and information to hand which could potentially influence questions, and will be a great resource tool for you if you get stuck with dates or need reminding of any key figures.

Some previous examples of your work

Although not always necessary this is sometimes an ideal way to show off your skills and achievements, it can be a way to reinforce your cv and prove your ability. It may be a small presentation you created to demonstrate your abilities to communicate with key people within an organisation. Or it could be charts, spreadsheets, your university dissertation, essays, or any other form of written structure which could be a blog post, article, or story or portfolio.

Additionally if you’re looking to work in an industry where you have little work experience, providing some examples of how you’ve gained the required skills and abilities outside of work will show enthusiasm and could be a great way to make yourself stand out.

A note pad and pen

Take your own pen and paper in preparation of writing any important information about the role or interview and generally is a great way of jotting a record of names, dates or numbers and figures. This demonstrates your commitment, focus and that you are interested in the job and organisation. It can be a great way to reference back on facts following the interview and review how it went.

Be mindful of your body language and resist temptation to fiddle about, fidget and shuffle papers and bang and tap – or even worse chew the pen, this will not leave the right impression.

Prepared questions

Towards the end of the interview you will be given the opportunity to ask questions and the worst thing you could do is to not have any prepared, and for there to be an awkward silence. Throughout the interview they may have answered lots of your potential questions however having a couple of questions prepared for the end of the interview is vital as it isn’t just a great way to gain more information it is a way to demonstrate your interest in the role and could even determine you to be the right fit for the opportunity and company.

A smile

Turn that frown upside down. Smiling is powerful stuff. It benefits you on the inside and the outside. Apparently tests have confirmed you can even fake it and still get the same results! So there is a science behind a smile. The mere act of smiling can lift your mood and lower stress considerably. People who smile appear to be more likeable, courteous and even competent. This is a great reason to smile at every person you potentially want to do business with.

Its true a smile can be contagious. If you smile and they smile, everyone in the interview room becomes a little happier.

Do you have spring fever? some useful advice for your CV

3:11 pm Comments Off

Spring is here at last and bringing with it new and exciting possibilities and opportunities plentiful. With the full onslaught of the season upon us we tap into a deep human desire to invigorate our minds and bodies, we seek ways in which to renew and refresh and create space in our lives. We shed the dull winter skin, we vigorously spring clean our cluttered lives, and prepare ourselves for the big renew. And we don’t necessarily stop there with the ‘spring fever’. We take stock and look at our working lives and careers and ask ourselves if the current job we have dedicated ourself to is actually giving us the interest, rewards and fulfilment which we crave.

Our proven top tips on writing your CV will enable you to unleash your unlimited potential elsewhere.

The Layout

Firstly its important for the CV to look neat and structured at first glance. As a general rule, two or three sides of A4 in portrait style will be perfectly sufficient. Create your CV in Microsoft word and send a Word version of your CV to recruiters you partner with as they may need to format to their own branding or upload onto a portal for a client. Use a simple clear professional font that reads well. Use your name as your heading and not ‘curriculum vitae’. Don’t include a photo as this adds no real value and could encourage quick judgements.

Match the Opportunity

Adapt and tailor your CV to match the opportunity you are applying for, highlighting the key areas of your relevant expertise and experience and match up your strengths. If necessary making a change to the CV layout and removing or shortening any experience that is simply not relevant for the role would be better than leaving it in and hoping it will be unnoticed or overlooked. It won’t and potentially this could take away the focus of your suitability.

Achievements

There is no better way of showing off your skills throughout your CV than by detailing your achievements. To demonstrate your proficient capabilities could give you a major advantage in making your CV stand out. Bullet and define each achievement in some detail to reflect your accomplishments. Include more detail for the recent roles, and for roles that are not so relevant or more than 5-10 years ago, simply list your key achievements.

Gaps in CV History

A CV reads best in chronological order and should be checked thoroughly that it is correctly dated along with any unexplained gaps in your CV. If you had a career break or spent time travelling clearly add detail so all dates are accounted for. Don’t leave Gaps in your history as this can reflect badly.

Useful information to keep and irrelevant information to discard

Certain details are simply not relevant to have on your CV and will add no value whatsoever to your application. For example -Don’t state your date of birth, or age as this will be removed by HR Professionals and recruiters for it could potentially lead to discrimination accusations. Also don’t include your marital status, place of birth, religion, children or even pets. These details are not relevant. However do add your drivers’ licence and any other relevant licences, security clearance /CRB/ Disclosure Scotland status with your personal information. List your VISA information at the top of your CV with detail of which type and expiry dates.

Qualifications and Certifications

If you’re in the early stages of your career then do list your qualifications at the start of your CV after your profile. If your qualifications aren’t very relevant or recent you can put them after your career history. Make sure you list the dates for subjects you have studied and the name of institutions. A brief overview will suffice for course content. If you have an Honours degree then list the classification. Remember to include any medals or distinctions as this could differentiate you from other candidates. Make copies of any certificates so you can easily include if required for applications.

Use Spellcheck

Finally, your CV is your personal introduction and will be the first gathering of information a potential hiring manager will know about you. Make the right impression with a well-written CV and be sure to eliminate any spelling or grammatical errors. Reading a clear and brief personal statement, followed by a detailed history of your work experience and education is much preferred over the CV of a candidate who has submitted a rush job with numerous spelling mistakes and poorly described their work history.

Are you secretly longing for a new challenge or perhaps seeking a new/improved role? If so please contact us here at Silverjack for an informal and confidential discussion of your career requirements.

Becoming an Accountant really is an exciting career path to take

3:10 pm Comments Off

Accountancy offers a wide variety of environments, people contact, a professional qualification, high salaries and opportunities to work internationally.

Accountants work in all areas of business and in the public and voluntary sectors, for employers such as banks, manufacturing companies, local authorities, charities, publishers, film companies, hospital trusts, insurance companies, and universities. Many accountants work in firms of chartered or certified accountants or use their qualification to move into general management or to set up their own business.

The job of an Accountant is a very interesting, rewarding and essential role within the Business function. Being part of key decision making and recommendations which is often vital for success. The main function of an Accountant is to prepare accounts and keep records for a business or organisation which could be used to give an overview of the financial status of the company. By keeping accounts of all financial transactions, and examining and analysing this information any irregularities or risks which could be reported for the business to plan and forecast for improvements moving forward.

The role of an Accountant is broad and could include tracking the income and expenditure, Audits, Payroll, Financial and Management accounts, credit control, calculating tax owed and filing tax returns Budgeting and forecasting, analysis, reporting and presenting.

You will ideally have a natural passion for Mathematics and strong organisation skills and have very close attention to detail. You will be able to focus under pressure and work to tight deadlines. It will be imperative you are capable of meeting financial deadlines throughout the month and year.

You don’t need a degree to become an accountant although its best to start with a course to embark on becoming qualified. An AAT Qualification could be considered essential by most employers and is a good starting point.

You can then choose to take a higher level qualification like the ACA, ACCA or CIMA, which will allow you to become a chartered accountant and specialise in different area’s of accountancy

Professional bodies and qualifications

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) – ACA, FCA
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) – CA
Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI) – ACA, FCA
The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) – ACCA, FCCA
The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) – ACMA, FCMA
The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) – CPFA

Social Media Tips to assist you with securing your next career move

3:08 pm Comments Off

Adopting a professional approach with your Social Media is a key attribute and could make that all-important difference in securing your next job.

In today’s digital age it is essential for you as a candidate to take the right precautions to ensure your online social profile actually represents your professionalism. Here are a few helpful pointers to use your online presence to increase your chances of obtaining that role.

Begin by googling yourself

The best way to find out exactly what a potential employer could find is to conduct a search yourself. Filter through at least the first few pages of a Google search, in doing this you will familiarise yourself and be more prepared to address any possible surprises before they crop up. Additionally, this will provide you with good key insight into your online appearance in order for you to begin any digital refining for your professional profiles.

Check your profile picture and cover photo

Whilst you may love that holiday snap of you with your favourite tipple in hand, it certainly won’t scream out ‘ hire me I’m a professional’. A big no-no for professional profile pictures and cover photos would be showing you drinking alcohol or obviously drunk, pouting in swimwear, loafing about taking a selfie, or most obviously, doing anything tasteless, vulgar or offensive. Simply having a decent profile picture of yourself online is imperative and a headshot on a plain background or a business setting photo of you in action would be ideal.

Update privacy settings

As you are most likely aware, the social media giants; Facebook, Instagram and Twitter frequently change their settings therefore even if you think your privacy settings are up to date things could have recently changed, along with your options and you may not know it.

On Facebook, the easiest way to check what other people can see is the ‘view profile as’ button which is hidden in the bottom right-hand corner of your cover photo.

Again conduct a search and filter through your Instagram profile to check back on any pictures that could appear compromising to a potential hirers eye. If there are such pictures, and you don’t want to delete them, switch your settings to private.

You can download your Twitter feed to your archive by going to your settings. It has a record of every single tweet you’ve sent out, which you will be able to sieve through to delete any tweets you wouldn’t want your boss or colleagues to see. This includes any previous complaints or grumbles about any of your previous companies. Nothing will ring an alarm and leave a bad taste in an employer’s mouth more than company criticism and bitter employees. Companies might also conduct their own online search of your various channels to find out if you’ve adhered to company confidentiality agreements.

You can also make your profile private by ‘protecting your profile’. This allows you to control who is following you and hence, who can see your tweets.

Improve your LinkedIn profile

All recruiters will check a candidates LinkedIn profile whenever they apply for a role, commonly looking for further insight into your career. Therefore, it’s vital to ensure your profile is as current and professional as possible.

Review your professional experience to make sure that all your job responsibilities, achievements and qualifications are up to date. Going forward, it’s also worth considering adding information regularly as this is far easier to do when fresh in your mind, rather than in mammoth quantity when looking for a new position.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning any volunteering experience and if you can speak any additional languages – these could be the very qualities that will set you apart from other candidates when it comes to hiring.

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