Job candidates ‘must be wary of social media posts’

People applying for a new job need to be very wary of what they post on social media websites, as this could compromise the application process, one expert has noted.

Charlie Ryan, director at Recruitment Queen and CMR Recruitment, said that those applying for new roles, such as sales recruitment candidates, could jeopardise their chances of success by posting something that a potential employer would frown upon.

The expert noted that it is "easy" to find jobs at the moment, with the main problem being finding the right candidates for the job.

He explained that people who fail to correctly use social media sites could find that their chances of recruitment are permanently harmed.

"They need to control their media profile. They need to be using the social media sites in a professional way and discussing their careers online," Mr Ryan added.

Another way of harming a person's chances of gaining employment is by lying on their CV, according to Peter Panayotou, senior consultant at the Write Stuff.

He recently noted that people who embellish their CVs could not only harm their chances of employment, but risk being fired if they are hired and the employer finds out at a later date.

Aaron Wallis offers one of the largest resources of interview advice and career tools available to UK jobseekers.

Posted by Nikki Barrister

Passion ‘the key to career success’

The best way people can achieve career success is by ensuring they have passion for their job, one career coaching expert has commented.

Carmine Gallo, founder of Gallo Communications, said that job applicants need to aim for a role which can enable them to develop and is something they have a genuine desire to be part of.

His comments followed the publication of a report by Accountemps, which found that 42 per cent of chief financial officers say employee morale has improved in the last 12 months, with just five per cent saying it has declined.

Mr Gallo noted that, although it is possible for people to be financially successful without being passionate about what they are doing, this does not breed job satisfaction.

"But I don't believe that's what people want, I believe they want more than financial success, they want to create some kind of meaning in their lives. I am absolutely convinced that following your passion is the key to career success," the expert added.

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Posted by John Oak

Additional skills ‘make a CV stand out’

Job candidates hoping to gain an advantage over their rivals for an employment position can help themselves out considerably by gaining additional qualifications, one sector body has pointed out.

Christopher Kinsella, acting chief executive at the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), said that young people weighing up their career options following GCSE, A-level and university exam results should think about gaining professional qualifications.

He noted that professional qualifications are available at all levels and can show employers how well the candidate is prepared for the workplace, as well as for a university environment.

"With youth unemployment now at over 20 per cent and record numbers of students fighting for university places through clearing, being able to prove additional skills on your CV or university application can really help you stand out from the crowd," Mr Kinsella added.

Meanwhile, Stephen Hoare, writing for the Independent recently, noted that volunteering is a great way to learn new skills which can add another dimension to a CV to set job candidates apart from the competition.

For some of the best CV advice and tips visit the career tools section of www.aaronwallis.co.uk. Stacked with hints, tips and advice the Aaron Wallis career tools section is the right solution for you.

Posted by John Oak

Students ‘need work guidance’

Better guidance is needed to ensure that students are given the opportunity to follow the career path they not only desire, but which is most suitable for them, it has been claimed.

That is the message emanating from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), which said thousand of UK students receiving their GCSE results today need to make the right career choices for the sake of their own lives and the future economic performance of the UK.

Kevin Green, the REC's chief executive, said that although getting good grades gives a student a good foundation on which to build, what happens afterwards that point is becoming increasingly important.

"The jobs market will continue to evolve and will remain extremely competitive. This is why we urgently need to raise awareness of the world of work and provide better route maps in terms of what the jobs of the future will be and the skills needed to access them," he added.

Today's GCSE results revealed that almost seven out of ten entries achieving a C grade or above this year, with a quarter of all exams graded A or A*.

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Posted by Nikki Barrister

Volunteering ‘can develop workplace skills’

Sales recruitment candidates hoping to give themselves an advantage in the jobs market may find that volunteering can help them to develop skills that can be utilised in the workplace, one expert has suggested.

Becci Newton, senior research fellow at the Institute for Employment Studies, said the major benefit, from a personal development perspective, of volunteering, is that people are doing something applied in the workplace.

She explained that there are differences between volunteering and work, particularly between volunteering and training, but young people are nevertheless gaining practical skills in the workplace and developing employability attributes, as well as skills, and building their networks.

"It brings people into touch with people who they wouldn't have met with previously, gets them working better within authority structures and better able to think about their relationships with older adults and think about their contribution," Ms Newton added explained.

She noted that many people do not appreciate the amount that is involved in volunteering and what comes out of doing it.

Recently, Stephen Hoare, writing for the Independent, noted that overseas trips or even projects in the UK give people the chance to help their community and enhance their chances of employment by giving them something different and impressive to include on their CV.

For some of the best CV advice and tips visit the career tools section of www.aaronwallis.co.uk. Stacked with hints, tips and advice the Aaron Wallis career tools section is the right solution for you.

Posted by Wayne Bly

Workers’ out-of-office smartphone use revealed

A new report has revealed the extent to which some staff members are going to keep up to date with work duties – including using their smartphones while on holiday to stay in touch with the office.

The poll, carried out by Spring Technology, found that almost a quarter of staff confess to checking their work emails once or more a day while on holiday, despite 70 per cent of respondents feeling that this activity can damage relationships.

However, the effect on personal relationships is not the only result of checking work emails while away, according Richard Protherough, director at Spring Technology, who noted that this also indicates a lack of trust in colleagues' abilities.

"For most, smartphones are intended to allow employees to remain productive when travelling between offices, not when lying on the beach," he added.

It comes after a recent study, carried out by Reed as part of its Social Networking at Work study, revealed that 33 per cent of staff admit to using sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube while in the office.

Of this percentage, 64 per cent accessed the sites through a smartphone and 36 per cent though their work computer, with 62 per cent claiming to use these sites only once or twice a day.

Aaron Wallis offer hundreds of sales jobs together with some of the most comprehensive sales tips and career advice available to UK sales jobseekers. Achieve the sales career you deserve.

Posted by John Oak

CBI identifies UK skills gaps

The skills gaps that need to be plugged in the UK in order to ensure economic recovery have been identified by the Confederation of British Industry, following the publication of the country's A-level results yesterday.

Dr Neil Bentley, CBI deputy director-general, highlighted the fact that more students are choosing to study maths and the sciences at A-level as a sign that young people are responding to the needs of the country's businesses.

However, he stressed that there is already a skills gap emerging in this area, with over 40 per cent of companies saying they are having difficulty recruiting people with science, technology, engineering and maths skills.

He added: "Those young people who choose to study degrees can be confident that businesses need their skills. CBI research shows that by 2017, 56% more jobs will require people to hold a graduate-level qualification."

Overall, A-level maths entries have risen by 40.2 per cent over the past five years, making it the second most popular subject at A-level.

Aaron Wallis offer hundreds of sales jobs together with some of the most comprehensive sales tips and career advice available to UK sales jobseekers. Achieve the sales career you deserve.

Posted by Wayne Bly 

Not going to university ‘isn’t the end’

School leavers who have not achieved the required grades to get into their university of choice will find that it is not the end of the world, one expert has pointed out.

Jason Borg, student engagement officer, notgoingtouni.co.uk, said that for those who will no longer be persuading higher education, there are plenty of opportunities.

He pointed out that there are plenty of vocational options for people who do not go down the degree route, such as apprenticeships and other opportunities to learn while they work and gain the skills that can help them gain permanent employment.

The expert explained: "You're working with someone who genuinely understands the industry so you're constantly learning relevant material and you're also doing some theoretical study as well. And you're earning money right from the start!"

It comes after Gaenor Bagley, head of people at PricewaterhouseCoopers, said it is not vital to go to university to enhance a person's career prospects, as there are many vocational options open to budding sales professionals.

Aaron Wallis offer hundreds of sales jobs together with some of the most comprehensive sales tips and career advice available to UK sales jobseekers. Achieve the sales career you deserve.

Posted by John Oak

Demand for Scottish staff improves strongly

Demand for staff in Scotland, including sales recruitment candidates, increased strongly last month, according to the latest Bank of Scotland Report on Jobs.

The data, compiled by analyst Markit, shows that there were faster rates of vacancy growth in both permanent and temporary labour markets in July, while permanent staff placements also increased at a sharper pace.

Donald MacRae, chief economist at Bank of Scotland, said that the jobs barometer reading of 55.0 was particularly impressive, when compared with the reading of 51.6 for the whole of the UK.

He elaborated: "There was a rise in the number of people placed into permanent work, bringing the current period of growth to ten months, while the rate of wage inflation remained solid, with the rate of vacancy growth rising to a three-month high."

Meanwhile, recent figures published in the Bank of Scotland Purchasing Managers Index showed that companies north of the border are reporting more orders and are also taking on more staff, including sales recruitment candidates, to cope with rising demand.

Aaron Wallis offer hundreds of sales jobs together with some of the most comprehensive sales tips and career advice available to UK sales jobseekers. Achieve the sales career you deserve.

Posted by Wayne Bly

Volunteering ‘a great way to boost a CV’

Many people fill their CV with academic accolades and achievements and, often rightfully, boast that their qualifications are excellent, but this is sometimes not enough to set them apart from other candidates.

This is where an experience such as volunteering comes into play, according to Stephen Hoare, writing for the Independent, who noted that overseas trips or even projects in the UK give people the chance to help their community and enhance their chances of employment by giving them something different and impressive to include on their CV.

"Whether you are in the sixth form, at university, or taking a gap year, volunteering is a good way of boosting your CV. The work is often highly motivating and volunteers develop confidence and skills you would not otherwise have acquired," he explained.

Mr Hoare added that people who fail to add something unique to their CV are unlikely to stand out and may therefore be hampering their recruitment prospects.

Meanwhile, Neil Taylor, language expert at The Writer, recently said there are many recurring problems in CVs – mainly silly and avoidable spelling and grammar mistakes, and these need to be addressed before anything else.

For some of the best CV advice and tips visit the career tools section of www.aaronwallis.co.uk. Stacked with hints, tips and advice the Aaron Wallis career tools section is the right solution for you.

Posted by John Oak

Going to university ‘not essential’

It is not vital to go to university to enhance a person's career prospects, according to one industry body, which has noted that there are many vocational options open to budding sales professionals.

As students around the country open their A-level results this week, many will be disappointed that they have not achieved the grades needed to go to university, but this is not necessarily the end of the world, according to Gaenor Bagley, head of people at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

She explained that many students have already begun thinking about an alternative to university, such as school leaver programmes and other vocational options.

Ms Bagley added that students, careers advisers, universities and the government should think about how they can provide options to school leavers who do not go on to university.

Denise Taylor, a career psychologist with amazingpeople.co.uk, recently said that there are many things that people who are not going to university can do to improve their career prospects, as long as they consider what their prospective employer wants.

Aaron Wallis offer hundreds of sales jobs together with some of the most comprehensive sales tips and career advice available to UK sales jobseekers. Achieve the sales career you deserve.

Posted by John Oak

New staff ‘need to be a good fit’

Organisations looking to take on a new member of staff, such as a sales recruitment candidate, need to ensure that the employee will fit in well with their organisation, it has been claimed.

That is the opinion of Marc Lawn, managing director of thebusinessgp.com, who said that companies which fail to identify a prospective worker who will not fit in during the interview process could encounter problems.

It is vital that a person has experience in the sector they are being employed in, he pointed out, but he also noted that an ability to fit in with the team is an essential trait which is sometimes overlooked.

The expert commented: "Depending on the role you want that individual to play within a team, you have to take a lot more consideration of not just the functional expertise that you're trying to bring in but also the role that individual plays within the organisation."

Recently, Mr Lawn said that the use of interim sales managers and other part-time leaders is continuing to grow due to a number of factors, including their availability at short notice.

Aaron Wallis offer hundreds of sales jobs together with some of the most comprehensive sales tips and career advice available to UK sales jobseekers. Achieve the sales career you deserve.

Posted by Wayne Bly 

Staff training ‘the key to maximising business’

The key to companies maximising their business is to stay on top of staff training and ensure that employees, including those in sales jobs, are achieving their full potential.

That was the message highlighted in a recent conference held by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), which noted that effective training and coaching can build, a "resilient, high-performing workforce".

Dr John McGurk, adviser of learning and talent at the CIPD, said that maximising value for business should be top of any organisation's agenda.

"Coaching aligned to business objectives can be a way to achieve this, through driving high sustainable people performance. Coaching continues to be important in maintaining high performance and developing more agile employees, work practices and organisations," he added.

Meanwhile, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation said it is aiming to highlight how frequent training of staff, including sales recruitment employees, will help to ensure the nation's workforce is skilled and equipped to maintain the country's economic recovery.

Based in Milton Keynes, Aaron Wallis are a recruitment and sales training business committed to sales excellence.

Posted by Nikki Barrister

Transferable skills ‘are highly desirable’

The UK's businesses are increasingly on the hunt for employees with transferable skills which can be utilised in a variety of settings, one expert has asserted.

Denise Taylor, a career psychologist with amazingpeople.co.uk, said that a candidate who has a varied skill set is likely to appeal to recruiters more so than one who is excellent in one field but does not have transferable skills.

She explained that there are many things that people who are not going to university can do to improve their career prospects, as long as they consider what their prospective employer wants.

"[Employers] want people that have really good communication skills, they need to be able to write, they need to be able to work as part of a team [and] they need to be willing to have a bit of oomph - get up and go," Ms Taylor said.

She added that candidates should be willing to suggest things in many cases and do "that little bit more" than their job description might say.

According to a recent poll carried out by Lumesse, 81 per cent of employees do not feel their skills are being used to their full potential, while one employee in three expects to leave a job within five years, including almost half of 18 to 25-year-olds.

Based in Milton Keynes, Aaron Wallis are a recruitment and sales training business committed to sales excellence.

Posted by Wayne Bly

Many staff ‘working through holidays’

Many employees in the UK are working through their holidays in order to stay in touch with the office and ensure their workloads do not become unmanageable, according to the latest industry survey.

Research carried out by YouGov, on behalf of Croner, reveals 52 per cent of UK staff who are not self employed do at least some form of work during their annual leave, with 20 per cent doing this on a regular basis.

Croner's senior employment consultant, Amy Paxton, said that younger workers appear to be far more likely to work while on holiday, with 14 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds always working while away.

However, she advised firms: "Poor management of the risks involved can be very costly to employers in a number of ways, including high levels of absenteeism, increased staff turnover, recruitment costs and low staff morale and productivity."

It comes after the Institute for Employment Studies principal research fellow Dilys Robinson said that extra holiday allocations are among the non-financial benefits which firms could offer to their workers to boost morale, loyalty and productivity.

Aaron Wallis are a Milton Keynes Sales Recruitment agency with a unique service offering that includes 12 months rebate. Psychometric profiling and online skills testing are also included within a fixed recruitment price.

Posted by John Oak

Flexible working ‘a genuine business benefit’

Flexible working can provide both companies and their employees with a great business benefit by boosting staff motivation and loyalty, it has been claimed.

Mike Emmott, employee relations adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said that extending the right to request flexible working to all employees is "long overdue".

He was commenting after the government's Modern Workplaces consultation, which recommended that all employees are offered the right to flexible working to help foster better relationships between managers and workers and increased staff happiness.

According to Mr Emmott, there has been a "mistaken assumption" among UK firms that flexibility is a perk that is good for some but not others.

However, he added: "Organisations have grasped the reality that an employee who gives everything they can within flexible working hours offers more than someone reluctantly working a 'typical' working day because that is all that is on offer."

Aaron Wallis offer hundreds of sales jobs together with some of the most comprehensive sales tips and career advice available to UK sales jobseekers. Achieve the sales career you deserve.

Posted by Wayne Bly

Survey reveals workers’ social network attitudes

A new poll of the nation's workers has shed light on how many people spend their working day using social networking sites and how employers feel about this.

The study, carried out by Reed as part of its Social Networking at Work study, revealed that 33 per cent of staff admit to using sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube while in the office.

Of this percentage, 64 per cent accessed the sites through a smartphone and 36 per cent though their work computer, with 62 per cent claiming to use these sites only once or twice a day and 24 per cent between three and five times.

The prevalence of social networking in offices has led to many organisations outlawing the practice, with 28 per cent of firms implementing a complete ban on workers' internet use and a further 40 per cent imposing at least some form of restriction.

Interestingly, two in three workers thought that firms were right to ban or restrict usage, suggesting that many employees have become as disillusioned with their colleagues using the sites as their managers have.

People working in marketing and IT appeared to be the biggest culprits, with more than four in ten workers accessing social networking sites in the office, though only 27 per cent of finance professionals did so.

However, companies looking at the figures which plan to follow the 68 per cent of firms who have imposed restrictions may want to note that 35 per cent of workers claim to have used the sites for business purposes and a further 55 per cent for a combination of professional and personal matters.

Facebook remained the most popular social networking site among workers, accounting for 45 per cent of total usage, compared with 20 per for LinkedIn, 18 per cent for YouTube and 14 per cent for Twitter with three per cent spent on other blogs.

Aaron Wallis offer hundreds of sales jobs together with some of the most comprehensive sales tips and career advice available to UK sales jobseekers. Achieve the sales career you deserve.

Posted by John Oak