We've all sat in management meetings playing Buzzword Bingo, or tried to have a quiet drink in a bar over-populated by noisy execs braying out their favourite cliches and laughed at them. We all hate hearing the same overused, somehow popular phrases over and over until they become meaningless. But - as much as we hate to admit it - we do all find ourselves, from time to time, giving in to the lure of the magic words and using them ourselves. Not you? I don't believe you. However, fear not. It's time to grasp the nettle, folks - because, in Jobseeker Land, buzzwords are not always dirty words.
Job seeking has changed immensely since the days of buying your local paper and sending off your CV and cover letter by snail mail. Nowadays, applications are made with the click of a mouse, and job websites hold huge databases of CVs that candidates have uploaded for viewing by recruiters. So, your CV's up on Monster (for example), now all you have to do is sit back and wait for the phone to ring, right? Sort of. Recruiters search for CVs using key words specific to the roles they are looking to fill. We use a Boolean search string to sift out any CVs that don't list the requisite skills or words. An example of this is a string we might use to find a Marketing Analyst who needs to have experience in using SAS or SPSS. So the string is: marketing and (sas or spss). The location is specified elsewhere in the search form, for anyone interested. Or, the analyst may have to have Excel as well, so we'd add this into the search (marketing and (sas or spss) and excel). Recruiters have to scan through hundreds of CVs a day, so by filtering out ones that don't contain key words is a must. If they're not in the CV, the CV doesn't reach the recruiter.
The same rule applies to job applications. If you apply for a role that states you must, for example, have skills in SEO, PPC and social networking, then you must make sure they are all mentioned on your CV. Sounds obvious, but I have seen plenty of applications where the boxes on the cover sheet are ticked (e.g. Do you have social networking skills? YES), but there is nothing on the CV to back this up. The candidate genuinely has the skill, but hasn't mentioned it as it may not be a "proper" or "major" part of their job role. If the CV is good, we will call candidates to check on the "missing" skills, but many recruiters don't have the time - or inclination - to chase it up... after all, there are other candidates out there who have made sure their CVs are properly matched to the roles they are applying for. Even if the recruiter is happy that you do have the skills, if the employer can't see them listed on the CV straightaway, then they have to spend their time following it up - or worse, just completely overlook you for shortlisting.
It goes without saying that you should only write on your CV things that you CAN do - there's no gain in using buzzwords for effect rather than an enhancement. However, don't overlook some of the things that you do that you may assume everyone does... and so don't bother listing. Excel is one, as is some of the other MS packages - Projects and Vision for example. Don't hide your light under a bushel - if you've got it, flaunt it! So then, what are going to be the buzzwords for 2010? Logicalis have listed Web 2.0, cloud computing, social media, virtual desktop, security, Microsoft and Twitter as some of their top technical buzzwords for 2009, and these are set to grow in popularity in 2010. Inflecto say that SEO, custom CMS, mobile web development and frameworks (e.g. .net MVC) are being looked for in techie CVs. Technical people tend to use a lot of key words in their CVs anyway - listing programming languages, applications, frameworks, databases etc, so they are already ahead of the game. Brand Republic have reported that social media is overlooked in marketing CVs - of 4500 CVs looked at over the past 2 years, only 6% referenced social media, 9% Twitter and 2% blogging. There is also a shortfall in SEO (4.7%). These skills are some of the most sought after at the moment - so make sure you tell people if you can blog, Tweet or socially network! Jody at Marketing Jive has compiled a list of 100 top marketing buzzwords... I'm not going to list them all, but some may be worth thinking about - mobile, microblogging, lean, ROI, real-time.
Obviously, using buzzwords in your CV can't guarantee you get a phone call, an interview or a job offer - but it does help! The flip side of this is, people being people and all, some of them can get a little carried away and write their CVs almost completely with buzzwords. Watch yourselves... this may attract recruiter phone calls but if there is no substance in the CV to back up your claims of "online evangelism" or "augmented reality", then you won't get far. Everything in moderation, I say.
Anyway, I'm off to polish up my CV. Now, where can I fit "low-hanging fruit" into it?
Friday, 19 February 2010
Friday, 12 February 2010
Police recruitment cops out...
And you thought it was tough applying for jobs in your industry! According to BBC News, North Yorkshire Police's recruitment phone lines crashed on Monday, after receiving 20,000 calls during the first day of their recruitment campaign. Following a new number being issued, they have since taken over 200,000 calls from interested parties. And the number of vacancies available? 60. Last month, Lincolnshire Police had to close its recruitment drive after running out of application forms - 1000 were requested in the first 2 hours of a campaign expected to last a week. Their number of available jobs? 60. Seeing a pattern here?
Public sector jobs have become more and more difficult to get into, the most notorious being the police force. It can take years from the initial application to be offered a position. It seems amazing to me that there is such demand for police work, especially in these times when we hear so much about poor police relations, sexual and racial discrimination cases within the force, and the worsening risks of attacks on policemen and women in the rougher areas of society. But it's a good thing that people DO want to keep applying - after all, someone's got to look after the rest of us! And, police work does offer a stable salary, the chance of some overtime, and a great pension. Plus a uniform.
With this immense demand for a place with Britain's finest boys and girls in blue, how ironic then that many forces are implementing recruitment freezes - meaning that applicants who have already passed through the recruitment process successfully are now put on a waiting list for the next available job. West Midlands Police have 240 officer applicants currently in this position, with another 500 waiting to be assessed. In Gloucestershire, almost 100 successful candidates have now been told that their job offers will be put on hold until 2011. And the Met have 2000 applicants hanging around in the system waiting for a job offer and start date. Apparently, recruitment drives have been more successful than anticipated, and less officers left the force last year, leaving fewer vacancies. Greater Manchester Police have announced a complete recruitment freeze from April, as have other forces. Avon and Somerset Police, though, are still advertising available vacancies and it is possible that candidates put on deferral from other forces may apply to them instead.
All down to economics, unsurprisingly. Retention of staff is higher as people haven't been prepared to leave their roles in times of such economic instability. And of course the government are all about cost-cutting wherever they can - all 43 police forces in England and Wales are expected to find combined savings of £545m by 2014. So we need more police, and more people want to join the police, but nobody wants to pay for it. And seriously, who in their right minds would be happy to apply for a job, undertake a rigorous recruitment procedure, be offered the job and accept it and THEN be told that they will have to wait 12-18 months for the position to be available? Because that's what the police force are doing. It's like winning The Apprentice only to be told to sod off back to your crappy old job (or your unfulfilling million pound turnover business if some of the previous candidates are to be believed)and wait a year before Siralan will take you on. Although, personally, I think I'd prefer a 12 month cooling down period to give me time to think of an excuse not to bother turning up in the end.
So, the moral of the tale is this - if you need a job this year, forget the force and look around for acceptable alternatives. Perhaps consider applying for The Apprentice... After all, it's a solid 12 month contract, by which time your police application might even have been looked at.
That, or move to Bristol...
Public sector jobs have become more and more difficult to get into, the most notorious being the police force. It can take years from the initial application to be offered a position. It seems amazing to me that there is such demand for police work, especially in these times when we hear so much about poor police relations, sexual and racial discrimination cases within the force, and the worsening risks of attacks on policemen and women in the rougher areas of society. But it's a good thing that people DO want to keep applying - after all, someone's got to look after the rest of us! And, police work does offer a stable salary, the chance of some overtime, and a great pension. Plus a uniform.
With this immense demand for a place with Britain's finest boys and girls in blue, how ironic then that many forces are implementing recruitment freezes - meaning that applicants who have already passed through the recruitment process successfully are now put on a waiting list for the next available job. West Midlands Police have 240 officer applicants currently in this position, with another 500 waiting to be assessed. In Gloucestershire, almost 100 successful candidates have now been told that their job offers will be put on hold until 2011. And the Met have 2000 applicants hanging around in the system waiting for a job offer and start date. Apparently, recruitment drives have been more successful than anticipated, and less officers left the force last year, leaving fewer vacancies. Greater Manchester Police have announced a complete recruitment freeze from April, as have other forces. Avon and Somerset Police, though, are still advertising available vacancies and it is possible that candidates put on deferral from other forces may apply to them instead.
All down to economics, unsurprisingly. Retention of staff is higher as people haven't been prepared to leave their roles in times of such economic instability. And of course the government are all about cost-cutting wherever they can - all 43 police forces in England and Wales are expected to find combined savings of £545m by 2014. So we need more police, and more people want to join the police, but nobody wants to pay for it. And seriously, who in their right minds would be happy to apply for a job, undertake a rigorous recruitment procedure, be offered the job and accept it and THEN be told that they will have to wait 12-18 months for the position to be available? Because that's what the police force are doing. It's like winning The Apprentice only to be told to sod off back to your crappy old job (or your unfulfilling million pound turnover business if some of the previous candidates are to be believed)and wait a year before Siralan will take you on. Although, personally, I think I'd prefer a 12 month cooling down period to give me time to think of an excuse not to bother turning up in the end.
So, the moral of the tale is this - if you need a job this year, forget the force and look around for acceptable alternatives. Perhaps consider applying for The Apprentice... After all, it's a solid 12 month contract, by which time your police application might even have been looked at.
That, or move to Bristol...
Friday, 29 January 2010
Marketing Society Awards following trends...
The annual Marketing Society Awards (held this year on June 7th), are closing their voting for 2010's "Best Of" one week today.
In an interesting twist, and in addition to previous years, this year the awards are ushering in some new, more inspiring categories. In a move to keep people positive even though we are still in recession (although some pundits would have us convinced we are out of it... house prices rising, Amazon reporting a 70% Christmas profit etc), new categories have been introduced to show how companies have coped in these difficult times. Categories such as marketing communications on a shoestring and e-commerce show a move towards rewarding "cheaper" methods of marketing. Other categories have also been announced, keeping in line with the top trends of 2009 and 2010 - new brand, digitally-led communications and employee engagement.
Interesting stuff, and showing an industry recognised move away from traditional marketing in favour of newer, technology driven methods. It seems that marketing agencies are changing the way they work - or at least adding to it - and opening up opportunities for digital and brand marketeers who can effectively take existing marketing channels and expand on them to reach a new market. All good news for recruiters who work within this arena - like us! - and who are already recruiting digital and online marketing professionals for their clients.
Especially encouraging is the marketing communications on a shoestring category, which will hopefully go a long way towards assuring small and medium sized business - or larger ones suffering budget cuts - that they can still carry out a successful campaign without spending a lot.
It will be very interesting to see who comes out top at the Awards for Excellence ceremony. Last year's winners included Thomson Reuters, McCann Erikson and WCRS, so the competition is high. With these new categories announced though, will it be new companies blagging the awards, or will previous winners have changed strategies to come out on top again, just in a new area?
See www.www.marketing-society.org.uk for more information.
In an interesting twist, and in addition to previous years, this year the awards are ushering in some new, more inspiring categories. In a move to keep people positive even though we are still in recession (although some pundits would have us convinced we are out of it... house prices rising, Amazon reporting a 70% Christmas profit etc), new categories have been introduced to show how companies have coped in these difficult times. Categories such as marketing communications on a shoestring and e-commerce show a move towards rewarding "cheaper" methods of marketing. Other categories have also been announced, keeping in line with the top trends of 2009 and 2010 - new brand, digitally-led communications and employee engagement.
Interesting stuff, and showing an industry recognised move away from traditional marketing in favour of newer, technology driven methods. It seems that marketing agencies are changing the way they work - or at least adding to it - and opening up opportunities for digital and brand marketeers who can effectively take existing marketing channels and expand on them to reach a new market. All good news for recruiters who work within this arena - like us! - and who are already recruiting digital and online marketing professionals for their clients.
Especially encouraging is the marketing communications on a shoestring category, which will hopefully go a long way towards assuring small and medium sized business - or larger ones suffering budget cuts - that they can still carry out a successful campaign without spending a lot.
It will be very interesting to see who comes out top at the Awards for Excellence ceremony. Last year's winners included Thomson Reuters, McCann Erikson and WCRS, so the competition is high. With these new categories announced though, will it be new companies blagging the awards, or will previous winners have changed strategies to come out on top again, just in a new area?
See www.www.marketing-society.org.uk for more information.
Thursday, 21 January 2010
David Cameron wants "brazenly elitist" approach to teacher recruitment...
As much as I like David Cameron, I am somewhat ambivalent to read reports that he intends (if and when, of course, the Tories make it back into power this year) to make entry into teacher training more difficult. Promising funding to the brightest graduates, Dave wants to make teaching a "noble profession" (his words, not mine), and only allow those with a 2:2 honours degree or higher access onto the PGCE (teacher training) course. I say funding, but that is probably too much to hope for. I believe financial incentive is the phrase used. Trainee teachers already receive a small tax free bursary worth between £4,000 and £9,000 depending on the subject, so how much more financial incentive is Cameron intending - or able - to offer to get the "best" graduates on board? Why don't those undertaking a B.Ed degree receive financial support, such as those on NHS degrees do (currently funded places plus bursaries for some courses)? Surely by making teaching specific degrees free, we won't be left with hundreds of newly qualified teachers struggling under huge amounts of student debt possibly choosing to work in the private sector as a way of affording to live. We already have a long list of shortage subjects that attract the highest bursaries for trainee teachers, so surely by restricting the number of eligible wannabe teachers all that will happen is that the list will grow... and grow... and grow...
As a parent with two school age sons - one at primary and one at secondary level - I am all for ways to improve the quality of teaching. I have generally been happy with the teaching my boys have received over the years, although I have had some minor complaints. My worst bugbear is teachers who spell words wrongly, or - even worse - have poor grammar. These people are teaching my children to read and write, so should have to undertake at least a National Literacy test at level 2 (used for adult learners) to make sure they know how to spell and to use apostrophes correctly, even when teaching Key Stage 1 learners! It is a sad fact, and one I see every day when reading through CVs and wincing at the numerous spelling and grammar mistakes, that having a degree no longer means you have a high level of literacy. I have seen CVs from degree-educated professionals who can barely string a coherent sentence together! I am a teaching assistant for an adult literacy class one night a week - and incidentally HAD to take my own level 2 Literacy test before I was allowed to practise (I passed, thanks for asking) - and spend time tutoring them in the use of commas, full stops, apostrophes etc. I certainly don't expect a paid, fully qualified teacher to have the same problems with the English language as my students.
That aside, the quality of experienced and child-oriented teachers is generally high. And therein lies the crux of the matter - experience. Yes, we shouldn't allow the educationally challenged to train and teach our precious children, but surely experience and aptitude should mean more than merely a number on the bottom of your degree certificate? If Cameron really wants to recruit only the creme de la creme into the profession, why not target those holding a 2:1 or above? Or even only a First? Back in the old days, teachers didn't even need formal qualifications. Nobody would dream of suggesting a return back to this practice, but surely Cameron has to consider bringing those with at least some experience of working with children in an educational setting (e.g. teaching assistants) into the profession without the need for a 2:2 degree, or even a degree at all. We were discussing this at my Tuesday morning college class, where we are all studying to work with adults in the Skills 4 Life programme (teaching literacy, numeracy and ESOL courses). As a group of mainly middle-class, intelligent women who give our time for free to help tutor adults, it seems unfair that only a couple of us would be eligible to enter teacher training courses, even though it is something that a high percentage of the class want to do in the future. So any of us considering teaching under-16s have to consider applying to undertake a degree course. But none of us can afford to pay the fees, or the childcare, or to give up our jobs to study full-time.
It seems there are a whole raft of people who would love to teach, yet are excluded under current guidelines, and this is set to be even worse under possible Tory rule. Now, I dispute the idea that I am less intelligent, less able and less "noble" than a 21-year-old graduate whose only teaching experience is theoretic or under a controlled placement as part of a course plus the year's PGCE/ training. Experience, age and having my own children doesn't make me MORE qualified or suited to teaching than everyone else, but surely this must count for something? At secondary level, of course those who excel in their specialist subject are best placed to teach - personally, nothing in this world would make me able to teach science or maths (unless Stephen Hawking offers to be my brain donor).
Yes, Dave - there must be a process put in place to ensure that the best teachers are picked out and trained to give the next generation the education they deserve, but is this the only way? If the Tories really want to improve the education system, they could give it a damned good overhaul. If teachers didn't have to spend hours filling in paperwork to prove that they are following the ever-changing National Curriculum, or to pander to the whims of the Ofsted inspectors, or dealing with troublesome pupils, they could get down to the real job at hand - actual teaching! If the pointless bureaucracy was removed, if headteachers got the support they needed to deal with problem children and received funding for more specialist teachers then surely this would go a long way towards solving the issues.
If Cameron really wants to make teaching a prestige profession, then the way teachers are treated and supported by government needs to change. Fast-tracking professionals who are looking for a career change is one way that he has mentioned (although, correct me if I am wrong, but isn't this already in place?), which is useful, especially for those who have business or industry based people and communication skills. But he shouldn't forget the people who DON'T have the requisite degree to prove their intelligence and diligence - the dedicated and experienced teaching or learning support assistants, or the unpaid mums and dads who volunteer their time in the classroom to help educate our children - the people who are sometimes the backbone of the education system that won't fund enough paid teachers or classroom assistants, or even enough educational materials. Surely these people have a great deal to offer, but without having "proven" ability - although personally I disprove that a degree proves the ability to do anything rather than study a subject at a high level - they will never be given the opportunity to teach as a career.
Although I'm sure Dave will be quite happy for them to carry on teaching our children for free.
As a parent with two school age sons - one at primary and one at secondary level - I am all for ways to improve the quality of teaching. I have generally been happy with the teaching my boys have received over the years, although I have had some minor complaints. My worst bugbear is teachers who spell words wrongly, or - even worse - have poor grammar. These people are teaching my children to read and write, so should have to undertake at least a National Literacy test at level 2 (used for adult learners) to make sure they know how to spell and to use apostrophes correctly, even when teaching Key Stage 1 learners! It is a sad fact, and one I see every day when reading through CVs and wincing at the numerous spelling and grammar mistakes, that having a degree no longer means you have a high level of literacy. I have seen CVs from degree-educated professionals who can barely string a coherent sentence together! I am a teaching assistant for an adult literacy class one night a week - and incidentally HAD to take my own level 2 Literacy test before I was allowed to practise (I passed, thanks for asking) - and spend time tutoring them in the use of commas, full stops, apostrophes etc. I certainly don't expect a paid, fully qualified teacher to have the same problems with the English language as my students.
That aside, the quality of experienced and child-oriented teachers is generally high. And therein lies the crux of the matter - experience. Yes, we shouldn't allow the educationally challenged to train and teach our precious children, but surely experience and aptitude should mean more than merely a number on the bottom of your degree certificate? If Cameron really wants to recruit only the creme de la creme into the profession, why not target those holding a 2:1 or above? Or even only a First? Back in the old days, teachers didn't even need formal qualifications. Nobody would dream of suggesting a return back to this practice, but surely Cameron has to consider bringing those with at least some experience of working with children in an educational setting (e.g. teaching assistants) into the profession without the need for a 2:2 degree, or even a degree at all. We were discussing this at my Tuesday morning college class, where we are all studying to work with adults in the Skills 4 Life programme (teaching literacy, numeracy and ESOL courses). As a group of mainly middle-class, intelligent women who give our time for free to help tutor adults, it seems unfair that only a couple of us would be eligible to enter teacher training courses, even though it is something that a high percentage of the class want to do in the future. So any of us considering teaching under-16s have to consider applying to undertake a degree course. But none of us can afford to pay the fees, or the childcare, or to give up our jobs to study full-time.
It seems there are a whole raft of people who would love to teach, yet are excluded under current guidelines, and this is set to be even worse under possible Tory rule. Now, I dispute the idea that I am less intelligent, less able and less "noble" than a 21-year-old graduate whose only teaching experience is theoretic or under a controlled placement as part of a course plus the year's PGCE/ training. Experience, age and having my own children doesn't make me MORE qualified or suited to teaching than everyone else, but surely this must count for something? At secondary level, of course those who excel in their specialist subject are best placed to teach - personally, nothing in this world would make me able to teach science or maths (unless Stephen Hawking offers to be my brain donor).
Yes, Dave - there must be a process put in place to ensure that the best teachers are picked out and trained to give the next generation the education they deserve, but is this the only way? If the Tories really want to improve the education system, they could give it a damned good overhaul. If teachers didn't have to spend hours filling in paperwork to prove that they are following the ever-changing National Curriculum, or to pander to the whims of the Ofsted inspectors, or dealing with troublesome pupils, they could get down to the real job at hand - actual teaching! If the pointless bureaucracy was removed, if headteachers got the support they needed to deal with problem children and received funding for more specialist teachers then surely this would go a long way towards solving the issues.
If Cameron really wants to make teaching a prestige profession, then the way teachers are treated and supported by government needs to change. Fast-tracking professionals who are looking for a career change is one way that he has mentioned (although, correct me if I am wrong, but isn't this already in place?), which is useful, especially for those who have business or industry based people and communication skills. But he shouldn't forget the people who DON'T have the requisite degree to prove their intelligence and diligence - the dedicated and experienced teaching or learning support assistants, or the unpaid mums and dads who volunteer their time in the classroom to help educate our children - the people who are sometimes the backbone of the education system that won't fund enough paid teachers or classroom assistants, or even enough educational materials. Surely these people have a great deal to offer, but without having "proven" ability - although personally I disprove that a degree proves the ability to do anything rather than study a subject at a high level - they will never be given the opportunity to teach as a career.
Although I'm sure Dave will be quite happy for them to carry on teaching our children for free.
Friday, 15 January 2010
Social media in recruitment - a Twitter virgin's guide...
With the second Social Media in Recruitment Conference booked for April and boasting speakers from both Google and LinkedIn, it is only a matter of time before recruiters who don't become involved with this newfangled idea will start to miss out. Who would have thought that networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook would provide such great opportunities for recruitmenting, whether it is collecting candidates or getting in touch with past and potential clients? LinkedIn has always been the professional face of social networking, as has Ecademy, but now recruiters - both agency-side and internal - are starting to reap the real benefits of getting their backsides in gear and jumping on the more social side of the social media bandwagon.
I bravely volunteered to become the Mobilus social media guru, ignoring the fact that I have only ever used Facebook before to spy on people I went to school with, and make myself feel
a) superior because I have a better life/ job/ pair of children than them, or b) envious because they have a better life/car/ looking partner than me. That's what it's for. But it is also for the serious business of developing candidate pools, and promoting your consultancy to clients. In order to get MY backside into gear, firstly I had to start my blog. What to write about, how to write it, would anyone want to read it? - these kept me awake at night. Then I decided just to jump straight in, see what was going on in the high falutin' world of recruitment. But that would be a bit one-dimensional, so I decided to try and write about the markets that we recruit IN, namely marketing and I.T. Ignoring the fact that I am no expert in either, I realised to my surprise - though not to anyone
else's - that I could manage to find an opinion on anything. So the blog you read now was born.
My next step was to discover Twitter, then work out how to use it. Luckily, I have a 12-year-old, so he showed me. Then I had to figure out how to follow people, and who to follow. I didn't want to follow friends, or bands, or anything that would Tweet unsuitable content to me (marriage problems, binge drinking, swear words etc). Keeping in touch with the industry we work in as well as for is an obvious, as is following publications and professional groups. Amazingly, I have collected some followers, and fingers crossed, will continue to do so. It might be my fascinating Tweets, or my lovely picture, or even this blog, or just that people will follow anyone. I haven't quite got the hang of working it all out yet. Where's my son?
(For more information on social media and recruitment from actual, proper, qualified people, check out Peter Gold at Hire Strategies http://www.hirestrategies.co.uk/ or the training course from Recruitment Matters http://www.recruitmentmatters.com/)
I bravely volunteered to become the Mobilus social media guru, ignoring the fact that I have only ever used Facebook before to spy on people I went to school with, and make myself feel
a) superior because I have a better life/ job/ pair of children than them, or b) envious because they have a better life/car/ looking partner than me. That's what it's for. But it is also for the serious business of developing candidate pools, and promoting your consultancy to clients. In order to get MY backside into gear, firstly I had to start my blog. What to write about, how to write it, would anyone want to read it? - these kept me awake at night. Then I decided just to jump straight in, see what was going on in the high falutin' world of recruitment. But that would be a bit one-dimensional, so I decided to try and write about the markets that we recruit IN, namely marketing and I.T. Ignoring the fact that I am no expert in either, I realised to my surprise - though not to anyone
else's - that I could manage to find an opinion on anything. So the blog you read now was born.
My next step was to discover Twitter, then work out how to use it. Luckily, I have a 12-year-old, so he showed me. Then I had to figure out how to follow people, and who to follow. I didn't want to follow friends, or bands, or anything that would Tweet unsuitable content to me (marriage problems, binge drinking, swear words etc). Keeping in touch with the industry we work in as well as for is an obvious, as is following publications and professional groups. Amazingly, I have collected some followers, and fingers crossed, will continue to do so. It might be my fascinating Tweets, or my lovely picture, or even this blog, or just that people will follow anyone. I haven't quite got the hang of working it all out yet. Where's my son?
(For more information on social media and recruitment from actual, proper, qualified people, check out Peter Gold at Hire Strategies http://www.hirestrategies.co.uk/ or the training course from Recruitment Matters http://www.recruitmentmatters.com/)
Monday, 11 January 2010
Call centres with conscience...
Call centres have gained a bit of a bad reputation over the past few years. From cheesy music when on hold for what seems an age, untrained or rude call handlers, silent marketing calls and automated call handling that you never manage to get the hang of, to the biggest gripe amongst UK users - offshore call centres, and the associated problems (which I won't go into now!)
All things considered, altruism isn't the first thing that pops into your head when you think "call centre". So it is heartwarming to read about ways in which this industry does give something back to the community. Sports Relief, for example, is asking call centres to volunteer their time and resources to handle their telephone campaign during this year's TV show (Friday 19th March). In 2008, over 70 call centres across the country helped raise £28m for UK and International Projects. This year, Sports Relief are looking for call centres who are willing to commit to offering at least seventy staffed lines for the night (from 7pm-2am). It seems likely that the call centres will step up again this year, after the phenomenal success of last year.
I have also read in Call Centre Focus that social enterprise has hit the industry, with the launch of a new £1m call centre business, Call Brittania. Founded by Karen Derby, it aims to open ten UK call centres in the next 7 years, creating 10,000 jobs for the unemployed in some of the country's worst economic areas - as well as offering them training, skills and work experience. Karen says, "We're passionately committed to providing sustainable work opportunities for those who need it most," and I'm sure I am not alone in wishing the venture huge success for 2010 and beyond.
And so, whilst the UK has been hit by the crippling recession, and ensuing redundancies, perhaps there has been at least some small rays of sunshine to come out of it. Social enterprise - businesses with a conscience - have been growing steadily, with new ones being formed all the time. The New Year Honours list this year included several awards for social entrepreneurs, including an OBE for Nigel Kershaw, CEO of Big Issue Invest, finally recognising the contribution social enterprises make to the wider community as well as the economy. Let's hope this trend continues, and with call centres well placed to offer support to social enterprise, and showing willing to, perhaps they will gain a new reputation. We can only hope.
All things considered, altruism isn't the first thing that pops into your head when you think "call centre". So it is heartwarming to read about ways in which this industry does give something back to the community. Sports Relief, for example, is asking call centres to volunteer their time and resources to handle their telephone campaign during this year's TV show (Friday 19th March). In 2008, over 70 call centres across the country helped raise £28m for UK and International Projects. This year, Sports Relief are looking for call centres who are willing to commit to offering at least seventy staffed lines for the night (from 7pm-2am). It seems likely that the call centres will step up again this year, after the phenomenal success of last year.
I have also read in Call Centre Focus that social enterprise has hit the industry, with the launch of a new £1m call centre business, Call Brittania. Founded by Karen Derby, it aims to open ten UK call centres in the next 7 years, creating 10,000 jobs for the unemployed in some of the country's worst economic areas - as well as offering them training, skills and work experience. Karen says, "We're passionately committed to providing sustainable work opportunities for those who need it most," and I'm sure I am not alone in wishing the venture huge success for 2010 and beyond.
And so, whilst the UK has been hit by the crippling recession, and ensuing redundancies, perhaps there has been at least some small rays of sunshine to come out of it. Social enterprise - businesses with a conscience - have been growing steadily, with new ones being formed all the time. The New Year Honours list this year included several awards for social entrepreneurs, including an OBE for Nigel Kershaw, CEO of Big Issue Invest, finally recognising the contribution social enterprises make to the wider community as well as the economy. Let's hope this trend continues, and with call centres well placed to offer support to social enterprise, and showing willing to, perhaps they will gain a new reputation. We can only hope.
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
Demand for business oriented IT professionals high for 2010...
Happy New Year to you all! Assuming the snow hasn't dampened your fervour for work, I hope 2010 will be a good year for you career-wise, whether you are happy to stay where you are or preferring to move off to pastures green(er). If you are thinking of (or have already started) looking for a change of scenery in the IT sector, then you may find things have changed - it seems there is a shift in the types of skills employers are now seeking from their technical experts going foward into 2010 and beyond.
According to an article in Computer World, technical skills are no longer the be all and end all of a techie's experience and abilities. Whilst security, virtualization and cloud computing are in the most highly sought after skillset, there is now the real requirement for industry specific knowledge. Following last year's recession and the impact on IT jobs, businesses are again taking on staff and rebuilding their departments. What's changed is that they are now seeking business-facing people - IT and business are no longer separate entities of the same organisation, and IT professionals are expected to use their market expertise to boost the all important bottom line. Vertical industry knowledge, especially in healthcare, finance and insurance, will be especially useful, as will experience in business processing and re-engineering. The most important skill, it seems, is to have a combination of deep technical skills combined with project management and business knowledge. Sounds like companies are looking to combine three roles into one, and as competition is high, they will probably be able to attract candidates with the desired depth and breadth of experience. The question is, will they be prepared to pay a premium for it? Only time will tell.
According to an article in Computer World, technical skills are no longer the be all and end all of a techie's experience and abilities. Whilst security, virtualization and cloud computing are in the most highly sought after skillset, there is now the real requirement for industry specific knowledge. Following last year's recession and the impact on IT jobs, businesses are again taking on staff and rebuilding their departments. What's changed is that they are now seeking business-facing people - IT and business are no longer separate entities of the same organisation, and IT professionals are expected to use their market expertise to boost the all important bottom line. Vertical industry knowledge, especially in healthcare, finance and insurance, will be especially useful, as will experience in business processing and re-engineering. The most important skill, it seems, is to have a combination of deep technical skills combined with project management and business knowledge. Sounds like companies are looking to combine three roles into one, and as competition is high, they will probably be able to attract candidates with the desired depth and breadth of experience. The question is, will they be prepared to pay a premium for it? Only time will tell.
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