Job Search Q&A
Job Search Q&A - Helping you get started on finding your next job
On the 20th of March 2024 I decided to sit down with a live audience on Instagram and talk about my experience of the job market as well as answer some of your burning questions. Some questions had been sent to me in advance and some were answered during the session. I thought it would be a good idea to write up the Live Session for posterity as there was such a lot of interesting information that came from it, and I believe it could be useful for you in your future Job Searches. Here it is:
In January this year I ran a super successful 5 Year Planning Masterclass online as well as two face to face classes here in my little village of Clara, one was a Life Coaching class, and one was an English language class. As a result of all this and my current client portfolio I have had an incredibly busy couple of months and now find myself suddenly in March! So, I wanted to get moving with some more social media and new offers. I wanted to do a Job Search Session for several different reasons:
A. It is good for me to challenge myself and doing a Live audience participation session definitely takes me out of my comfort zone.
B. For those of you where the Financial Year begins in April this is traditionally a really good time of the year to be looking for a new job. Any companies who were holding onto budget in the final quarter of the fiscal year might now be able to spend a bit of money and start recruiting. So, for anyone wondering if they should start looking now, it is definitely a great time!
C. I have been reading a number of interesting articles of late and working with some incredibly diverse clients which has given me excellent food for thought and I would like to share some of this knowledge with you.
As many of you will know from previous blogs and online sessions, most of my clients are based in Dubai or around the Middle East region. Nowadays I am working with more clients in the UK and Europe as I am based here in France. I have had clients from all over the world though and continue to talk to prospective clients internationally. So, I can only really speak about my own personal areas of speciality.
During the following blog I will go on to do the Q&A but before we begin, I would just like to give you a bit of an introductions which should kickstart your job search.
So, you’ve decided it’s time to look for the next job, perhaps like many of my current clients you have been overlooked for promotion for too long and you know it’s time to make a change. Perhaps you are in a job that doesn’t fit with family life anymore. Perhaps, like me, you have been out of the corporate world for quite some time now and you are thinking of getting back onto the hamster wheel. Some of you might have itchy feet and getting ready to do a big international move. Maybe you had a baby recently and feel completely disoriented when it comes to work/ life balance and how to handle a return to work. Whatever your circumstances, lower or higher-level positions, freelance, corporate, overseas or at home – no matter what, you are all going to follow roughly the same pattern and have the same concerns. So, what follows is quite general in nature and if you wanted to go into more detail on any particular situation, you can feel free to get in touch with me directly. I would be happy to chat more with you on the topic.
Step 1: Have a Plan – Know where you are going!
My general advice to all clients first of all is to have a long-term plan in place. This will usually be at least 5 years, ideally 10 if you can manage it, although I know how daunting this can be. Yes, we have all had to take a job to put food on the table and sometime the job move is an urgent one – this is obviously different. However, if you have the relative luxury of time to plan your next move, you must make sure you do it with your future goals in mind. Making the wrong move now could impact your plan. That being said, there are no real wrong moves in your career path, rather than being linear, your career path will often wind around and come back on itself. This is perfectly normal and during the journey you will be picking up skills, experience and working on your network.
Knowing where you are going and what you want to achieve will also pay great dividends for you at the point of interview. This type of knowledge inspires confidence, and this will also shine through at interview.
Step 2: Prepare your Documentation
This might seem obvious but requires discussion, nonetheless. You will now need to start working on your CV, Cover Letter, LinkedIn Profile (if looking for a corporate position) and Career Portfolio (Project overview, Case Studies, Research Catalogue etc).
Make sure you spend a good bit of time on this part. These shouldn’t be documents that you knock up quickly of an evening and start sending out. In fact, the biggest mistake I see is writing one CV and sending it out to everyone. You need to be using a new CV for each position for which you apply. This may not need a complete rewrite each time – but it will require significant tweaking. Now what comes next you may not like very much, it’s a little controversial but true…if you are applying for a job, the employer/ hiring manager is not at all interested in pages and pages of things that you have done in your life, or lists of your past responsibilities! They are ONLY interested in what you have done that is relevant to them and why you can do something in a way that will make them want to hire you. If you are listing lots of things which are not at all relevant to this position – they shouldn’t be in your CV. So don’t fall into the trap of sending out one CV to every man and his dog – be real, be genuine and address the right people. You will find that this is the primary reason for not getting responses to your applications.
The same applies for your Cover Letters. I get asked quite often if Cover Letters are still required ‘in this day and age’ which I find funny. I would say that Cover Letters are even more important these days. With all the different software systems that we use and the use of Automated Tracking Software for Recruitment, the humble Cover letter is your key to making a personal connection with the hiring managers. Without it, you are just another document in a queue. In France, they often tell me that the Covering letter – Lettre de Motivation- is even more important that the CV!
HINT: Go online, find a job that you would like to apply to, and print off the Job Description (JD). Highlight all the key language in the Job Description and then try to fit that language into your CV. You need to be speaking the language of the company you want to work for.
Once you have done all this, you can think about your Social Media presence and LinkedIn in particular. LinkedIn is your opportunity to expand upon your CV. Where you have limited space in your CV you can take full advantage of the space allowed here and really explain who you are. You have the opportunity to add in project details, charity work, associations and up to 50 skills for example.
This section is very general, but you will find lots of other blogs which go into greater detail on each topic on my website. I also run a super successful and reasonably priced CV Writing package starting at 199 Euros if you feel like all of this can be a bit overwhelming. Let me help you to know what to do, how to navigate it and be able to go on and do it time and again on your own.
Step 3: Research Research Research
· Know your Market
· Know your Industry
· Find the best job titles to be searching for and setting up notifications on
· Find the most specialised recruiters for what you do
· Who is doing what you do? What is their history? What qualifications do they have?
HINT: Once again, if you have the relative luxury of time, I would choose your top 5 ideal companies to work for and research everything about them. Find out their values and see if they match with yours. Look at what they are discussing on their social media. Check out the most recent financial reports and see how they are doing economically. Find out who works there and who used to work there – are they your kind of people. Why are people leaving? Then after doing all your research, do you still want to work there? Is it going to help you achieve your long-term goals? Do you want to send a speculative application?
Step 4: Skills and Standing Out
You need to be different from everyone else to be able to stand out in this current marketplace. Especially if you are thinking of making a big move abroad. You won’t be hired into a foreign labour market economy without something that makes you a little bit special. Why should I hire you?
Skills are one of my big ‘things,’ I have been banging on about them for years. It is something that most people don’t even consider because we are often so focused on past experience and qualifications. If you have a career gap in your CV, it can be explained, so don’t let that get you down…focus on the skills you have honed during this time. If you are a parent returning to work after having had time off to raise your family think about everything you have learned: organisational skills, multi-tasking, dealing with ambiguity, empathy and so much more. Highlight these skills in your Personal Statement, in a special skills section at the bottom of your CV, in your Cover Letter, in your LinkedIn Profile and at interview.
I read a really interesting article recently from Udemy – the Learning & Development people. It was the 2024 Skills Report and was based on what they call ‘The Skills Based Economy’. They state that the following 3 trends are going to be of key importance for the future of work:
1. Assessment, identification, development & validation of key skills in the workplace.
2. Adapting to the rise of AI and all automation.
3. Leadership including Development of Resilience.
In order to boost your skillset and add to your Education/ Training section in your CV do some Professional Development (CPD). It will give you a greater sense of motivation, a feeling of self-confidence and might just tick some boxes on your 5-year plan.
Step 5: Networking
Lastly and probably most importantly is to get networking. LinkedIn is essentially a Networking tool – use it. For those of you looking locally, get out there and talk to people. Don’t be afraid to tell friends and family and trusted people in your life that you are starting to look for a new position – they may just know somebody who is looking. Fishing in a very big lake, which is national or international recruitment, will make your chances of securing a new position much lower than if you know the hiring manager.
However, before you tell the whole world it is advisable to have a conversation with your line manager. Don’t let it come to them third hand and at least give them an opportunity to resolve any issues you may have.
Lastly before I begin on the questions – don’t be put off by rejections. Remember that there are so many reasons why you might not be successful. Persevere!
Q&A
These questions were asked of me in advance of the Live Q&A and answered during the session.
1. During an Interview I am always worried that if I ask a question it may go against me. So, are there good and bad questions to ask?
· This is an excellent question and to a certain extent yes there are. Firstly, you must ask questions, saying that they have answered all your questions already or that you don’t have anything to add isn’t really good enough. Secondly, you should be showing the recruiter that you have done your research and have been listening to everything they have been talking about throughout the interview. Therefore, you will have to prepare yourself to ask at least one question to expand upon this. If you build a good rapport with the interviewer and have asked some questions about them, then you might feel comfortable to ask something that is more personal to you. The general advice is not to ask about salary and benefits in the first interview. Although companies are more open about this from the outset these days, I would still take this as a rule of thumb.
2. What if you have sent out 100s of applications and you’re just not getting anything back?
· I would think it is time to change tactics. It is likely that you are not tailoring your CV to each application and that is one reason why. You are probably also casting your net too wide. It is better to be more strategic, do your research as described before and apply to realistic positions using the best methods.
3. How should I prepare for interview?
· Again, research, research, research! Find out everything you can about the company and those who work there, even your interviewer if possible. Follow them on social media and try to understand what they are discussing and putting out there. Read their Financial Reports if that is relevant to you. Then write out a list of mock interview questions and prepare by answering them. Have your CV in front of you when you do this and make sure you know it inside out.
· If somebody can do a Mock Interview with you even better – you will get a huge amount out of the face-to-face practice. I charge only 35 Euros per mock interview and have a 100% success rating!
4. I like my company a lot and have been there for over 10 years. I never get a promotion and they often promote others above me. What should I do?
· This is a tough one because it is often not only the ‘fault’ of the company. What are you doing to take on extra responsibility? What are you doing to show that you want to take that next step? Have you done some external training to prove that you are actively involved in your own professional development? Have you ever gone to your manager and asked what they do on a daily basis and find out how you can help? Have you discussed how you feel with your line manager? It is unfortunately not just a case of doing your job and doing it well to get that promotion. If, however, you are doing all of this and still nothing is happening, I would suggest it is time to make a move out and seek your next big challenge.
· I have a lovely Set for Success programme I run which is essentially targeted at helping you to get your promotion within 6 months. Let me know if you think this would be helpful for you.
5. I really want to move to Dubai but don’t know where to start. Can you help?
· There is a great deal to consider with this one and I have addressed some of this in past blog posts. At the moment, what I would say is that the labour market is quite saturated out there and not at all what it used to be. You need to be bringing a unique skill set and not be looking to make a big career change. There is a huge pool of talent in Dubai nowadays so all my recruitment agent colleagues will tell you that they are not recruiting from outside of the country at the moment. The days of huge salaries and relocation packages are gone. Do your homework, if you have a network out there use it and think about your unique skillset.
6. I took some time off to have a baby and now I feel like I need to return to work but I’m very apprehensive for so many reasons. What should I do?
· This is such a difficult one and one which I can fully empathise with. If it is a necessity to get back to work that is one thing, if you are just thinking that you should, I would say take your time and let your emotions decide when it’s time to go back. They say that it takes at least 2 years for a woman to feel ‘herself’ again after having a baby and I think that’s true personally. Try not to make any rash decisions and think about what will work best for you and your family to give you the balance you will need. You may need time to ‘grieve’ for the career and life you once had and that is normal.
7. I am not looking for a super high-powered position, just a part time job. But I do want something that fulfils me. It is fairly urgent- where do I start?
· This is excellent because you have a major advantage here – the advantage of being able to get out there and talk face to face to people in your local area. You don’t need to think about networking online and beating ATS systems. My advice is the same as for anyone, update a CV, do some research BUT get out there and go chat to people.
The following questions were asked during the Audience Live Q&A on the night:
1. Do you have any Software Recommendations for Job Applications?
· In terms of a particular software application that can help you get a job – there isn’t one that I am aware of that is a one size fits all.
· However, in the UK and Europe the big forerunner platform wise at the moment is Indeed. Use Total Jobs, Indeed, Glassdoor for example. In the UAE look at Naukri Gulf, Gulf Talent, Bayt etc.
· The possibilities are endless – don’t just rely on LinkedIn!
2. I have had to pay agency fees in the past, but you say that you shouldn’t be paying anything to be recruited – what is the truth?
· For a good quality ‘white collar’ recruitment agency you will never pay fees to go through them. They receive payment from the company for whom they are recruiting.
· However, if you are looking at overseas recruitment – including visa applications, medicals, flights etc – you will have to pay for this kind of agency.
3. What do you need to think about when you are doing job applications?
· Again, if you have a good CV which is tailored to the position and have a Cover Letter ready. If you have done your research and you meet all the obligatory requirements the application process should actually be quite easy for you.
4. How important is LinkedIn for your job search?
LinkedIn, once again, is useful as a networking tool and for finding out the market status. You may even apply for some positions from there. However, if you are expecting to only use this platform and get a perfect next job from it you need to think again. You should be looking to use a number of different tools to help you find your next position.
And there you have it! If you would like to know more about Job Searching or learn about what I do, if you think you may need a bit of help to make that big career move then please do get in touch. There is lots of information on my website, but I am also super happy to sit down and chat with you so please don’t feel shy to reach out.
Thank you for taking the time to read through this transcript and I hope you get a chance to watch the video on my Instagram page @cande_hr_consultancy