You can read the full article on workingmums.co.uk, Work Life Balance Nearly as Important as Salary, 15/2/2012.

Here at Square Mile Connections we also appreciate that achieving a good work-life balance is important which is why we are winners of the 2011 Workingmums Champion Award, an award to highlight our Managing Director’s achievements in not only promoting flexible working within our own office, but also within our client’s. If a good work-life balance is important to you in your next role please get in touch. We recently have helped many working mothers get their next step on the career ladder while at the same time promoting flexible working conditions in the workplace whether that be working part time, childcare assistance or flexible working hours.

A 2012 McKinsey report found that companies with women on their management boards performed 56% better than companies who did not have any women in management. The main issue for gender inequality in the workplace has been the role women play in the household. It is still traditionally held that women have a bigger part to play in the upbringing of children than men. Only three out of ten European entrepreneurs are women and only one out of ten board members of the largest companies listed in the national stock exchange of EU Member states is a woman.

The PM has hoped solutions could be found to encourage women into management positions but has not ruled out creating a quota system.

The biggest issue confronting jobseekers is Facebook’s new product, Timeline. Following a nationwide test in New Zealand and subsequent ‘opt-in’ option, Timeline will become compulsary for all users. Timeline formats your Facebook page into a magazine-like layout, easier on the eye but very dangerous when it comes to job seeking. Timeline divides your profile page into dated segments, 2011, 2010, 2009, right back to when you were born. This makes your profile easily searchable by month and year. Chances are you started using Facebook at a much younger age where you were probably a bit more irresponsible when it came to the consequences of posting those pictures of your Saturday night, the Hen/Stag party, and strongly worded posts about certain companies, products or people. Potential employers are able to search these with one click.

So how can you protect yourself? The key isyour privacy settings. Your privacy settings are left open by deafult. Make sure you set your privacy settings to limit who can see your pictures, posts and updates. Secondly, before your Timeline becomes ‘Active’ you have seven days to cleanse your facebook page of any unwanted posts that will be visable. You are able to hide unwanted posts and pictures.

There is nothing wrong with freedom of speech or freedom of expression but when it comes to your personal  information be careful what you leave yourself open to on the internet and remember what the www. stands for.

Hint #1: Preparation

Prepare yourself, interviews are two way meetings. They are both an opportunity for the interviewer to find out about you and whether you are a suitable candidate – and for you to find out about the organisation and if the position will provide you with the challenge and job satisfaction you are looking for.

Think about your skills, qualifications and experience and ensure that you can talk confidently about what is written on your CV. Particularly ensure that you can talk about the skills relevant to the position you are going for.

Prepare some questions to ask at the interview. At the first interview it would be wise to restrict your questions to the details of the job and the organisation. Salary and benefit discussions are best left until a second interview or a job offer is made.

Hint #2: Do your homework

Find out as much as possible about the company prior to the interview. A good starting point is to look up their website and find out about the products and services they offer, the location of the office/s, and the number of employees. Ask the consultancy if they have any extra information on them. You could also phone the company and ask them to send you an annual report.

Square Mile Connections is proud to have good relationships with our clients, many being previous candidates of our. We always prepare all candidates going to interview on the ins-and-outs of not only the company but also the specific team and any personality traits we know of.

Hint #3: Dress code and appearance

Smart business dress is a must.

Ensure you are well groomed with tidy hair, clean shoes and clothing. Do not wear too much perfume or aftershave and keep make-up, jewellery and nail polish simple.

Hint #4: Travel and timing

Plan your journey beforehand to ensure you arrive a few minutes early. Allow for possible travel delays. Just in case of a major hold up, make sure you have your contact’s telephone number so that you can call if you suspect you will be late.

Hint #5: What to expect

Interviews come in many forms – panel interviews, one to one interviews, group interviews etc. Ask your consultancy what form of interview it will be beforehand. You may be asked to take a test before the interview, depending on the type of organisation. These might consist of psychometric or aptitude tests.

There are many different interview styles and each interviewer will have their own personal style. Some interviewers will fire questions at you while others will start off with an open question such as “tell me about yourself” leaving you to do most of the talking. The majority of interviews will be somewhere between the two. Be prepared for any style of interview.

Square Mile Connections will always prepare you on the type of interview that you will be having.

If you are aware that some or all of the questions will be competency based questions e.g. Tell me an example of when you have been challenged at work, think about structuring your answer based on the STAR approach. Think of a situation, describe the task you were asked to do, tell the interviewer what action you took, and then the result of that action.

Hint #6: Two-way communication

Make sure the employer knows the benefits of employing you. It is important to sell yourself by telling the employer details of your relevant skills and experience that you have to contribute to the organisation.

Try not to monopolise the meeting – let your interviewer talk.

Find out what the key parts of the candidate specification are so you can show how you meet them.

Ask how the job contributes to the success, efficiency and profitability of the organisation.

Show that you have done some research.

Don’t give negative information or bad news if you are not asked for it and don’t criticise previous employers or jobs. The key is to turn negative information into positive information.

The next steps

Agree exactly what the next steps will be, such as who will contact you to let you know if you have been successful and by when. You should also find out whether there will be second interviews and who will conduct them. If you are really interested in the position make sure you tell the interviewer.

After the Interview

After your interview call your recruiter to let them know what you thought of the interview. Your recruiter will always go back to the employer and let them now you’re thoughts, if you are still interested, and any questions that you have.

Your recruiter will then collect the interviewrs thoughts and relay these back to you. Any further interviews will be arranged through us.

Negotiation

Everything is negotiable. If the final offer is not what you had hoped for, ask the consultancy to talk to the client. Say that you like the job but the package is not up to your expectations and ask if the company can be at all flexible

You can find the article, Successful Interviewing, rec.co.uk, here.

Read the full article here, Number of Househubands Triples, workingmums.co.uk, 30/1/2012

To read more on the issue, see French president Nicolas Sarkozy to bring in 0.1pc Financial Transaction Tax in August, Telegraph.co.uk, 29/1/2012.

If a career change is not what you are looking for temp and contract roles there are other reasons which make them so attractive:

• They get you in the door. There may possiblybe a full-time permanent position eventually. Even though there may not be a guaranteed permanent job at the end of the contract there may be other opportunities to pursue within the same organisation or your employer may be able to offer you other leads. In either case your skills and experience are made known to your employer which will open up a lot more doors.
• Temp and contract roles can make you money. Employers are more willing to pay above what you are expecting for your skills and experience especially if you are avaliable immediatetly. Because it will not be a permanent hire on their books there are no long term implications on the businesses budgets and headcount.
• It opens up your professional networks. You never know where a contact may lead you and who they are able to recommend you to in the future.
• Gets you great references for future employers
• Keeps your CV alive. It avoids you having to explain long gaps in your career. It is much more appealing to an employer if you can justify a role outside of your usual career path than justify a long stint out of the industry.
• Keeps your skills sharp. Many employers are looking for current knowledge and experience especially when it comes to the markets or if you are in a career where you have to keep up with constant changes to regulations or laws.
• Lets you get excited about a work project without the stress of long term implications.
• It helps build confidence in yourself and your skills. Being out of the job market for a long time can be soul destroying if you are constantly applying for permanent roles and being rejected.
• In no way will a temp or contract position hinder your ability to find a permanent role. Most temp or contract agreements have a notice period of only one week which makes you able to move more freely to a permanent job offer. Your employer will also be more sympathetic to your job hunt and you will be able to openly discuss other permanent job interviews and offers.

If you are looking for a temp or contract role, feel free to drop us a line on +44 (0)203 4404 133.

You are able to read more on this issue at Why Temporary Work is Worth It, Kerry Hannon, Forbes.com, 19/1/2012. 

For more information on our referral scheme, please call us on +44 (0)203 4404 133 or regina@squaremileconnections.com

TIP #1: Act naturally

Some people come across as unenthusiastic over the phone because they can’t use body language to show who they are. Just because you’re on the phone doesn’t mean you need to be still and quiet. If you’re an animated talker in person, use your hands while speaking. Stand up if you feel more comfortable, and don’t forget to smile. A smile goes a long way down the phone line.

TIP #2: Stay out of Starbucks

Make sure you’re in a quiet spot to conduct the interview. If you’re on your cell, be sure to have good reception. If you’re on a landline, don’t do the dishes or check e-mail. Focus on the call and questions. If you have the option of muting your phone so that the interviewer isn’t interrupted by static or background noise do use it while they are speaking but remember to take it off when you wish to speak!

TIP #3: Get off the computer

Have a hard copy of your resume in front of you. You may also want written copies of your questions and the research you did on the company. Paper documents may be “old school,” but clicking your keyboard during the interview will send a “not interested” signal. You may be checking the company’s service offerings, but your interviewer could think you’re updating your Facebook status.

TIP #4: Listen up

Since you won’t have the advantage of reading the interviewer’s body language, your listening becomes paramount. Focus on the questions and make sure you understand them before you answer. You may also want to wait a beat after the interviewer speaks so you don’t interrupt.

TIP #5: Play the part

When you pick up the phone, pretend you’re in a face-to-face interview. Even though you could be in your pajamas lounging on the couch, wear business attire and practice good posture. You can even sit in front of a mirror and watch yourself. Your professionalism will transmit through the phone

TIP #6: Practice

As like a normal face-to-face interview, you must always practice speaking and answering questions. Anticipate the questions you’ll be asked and rehearse your answers. If you’re usually chatty, practice curbing your responses. Typical phone interviews last 20 to 30 minutes. Use the time to impress the hiring manager with your skills, not talk about the weather.

The above hints and tips were derived from 6 Ways to Ace the Telephone Interview, 25/1/2012, boston.com which you can read by clicking here.

• Keep regular contact with them. Even if it is a friendly catch up phone call or a quick email just to keep them at the forefront of recruiters thoughts when a new role comes in.
• Give them all the information they need to make the job search easy. For example if you have a work visa which expires please tell your recruiter as we may be able to do some research on your behalf to find out information on other visas or how to extend your visa.
• Be honest with the type of job you are looking for and your salary expectations. Be sensible with your salary expectations, if you are currently on £20,000 it would be unlikely that we would be able to achieve a £100,000 salary for you.
• Tell them if there is a particular type of job you don’t want. Also tell them of any particular job or company that you would like to work for. If there aren’t any curent vacancies recruiters are able to target those companies or may have existing contacts that they can tap into.
• Keep your CV accurate and up-to-date. If you change phone numbers, email addresses or move house, please let us know so you don’t miss out.
• Consider any advice from your consultant about improving your CV (remember they are professionals and they want to help you get a job)
• Let your recruiter know if you’re CV has been submitted by another agency or directly by you to a company. If your CV has already been submitted to a company on your behalf another company is not able to represent you on that role.
• Talk to your agency if they are not finding your work. It may be because there isn’t enough of the type of work you want and you might want to think about other types of work you are willing to do.
• Don’t form your opinion of an agency based on their website alone.
• Be wary of posting your CV onto an open job board website without investigating the agency first. See our article on protecting yourself against identity fraud by clicking here.
• Think twice before disclosing personal information (such as your date of birth) that is not relevant to the job
• Learn to treat your CV as you would your bank cards and PINs

If you have any comments or questions about the above please get in contact with us on +44 (0)203 4404 133