Career Club - Week 7 - The Finale
Wednesday 1 December 2010
Robert Mac Giolla Phadraig, Director , Sigmar Recruitment
Karyn Sutton
Sean O'Halloran
Cora Mc Crystal
It's the final day of our Career Club after 7 weeks of grueling training we catch up with out three Career Club candidates and see how they're doing in the search for a job.
First we'll go to you Cora, how did you find it and what were the 3 main things you learnt?
1. Increased confidence and motivation. Learning the over all recruitment process. From knowing where to look to professional networking.
2. The CV - to include as many contact details as possible. Also to outline my skills and my point of difference on the CV.
3. To view my experience as a strength rather than a limitation. I now understand that i have a good story to tell and it's just a matter of how I tell it.
And where are you now?
I am currently working on a temporary assignment. I have registered with a number of recruitment companies and applied for a number of role. Sigmar have submitted my CV to number of their clients and have a couple of interviews set up for next week.
And to your Karyn, your biggest challenge was getting back into the workplace after a break to look after the kids how has the Career Club helped?
1. The Career Club gave me clear direction and support form the beginning.
2. I got very practical tips and techniques from the CV overhaul
3. The mock interview also allowed me to brush up on interview techniques and gave me more confidence going for interviews.
And Karyn has the Career Club helped you in the search for employment?
Yes I'm delighted to say I've secured a Sales Support role with an indigenous On Line company, due to start the second week in January - NUBIE.com - online software support for start up business support.
And Sean you were made redundant and started applying for jobs since June but weren't even getting replies to your applications - what have you taken from the Career Club?
1. I am now in a better position to compete for a job, understanding that I need to overtly "sell" myself.
2. I have some good ammunition now to use at interview - knowing how to structure answers to competency based questions, using the SAR formula.
3. Being introduced to Linked In gave my job search a whole new dimension and I have found it to be very effective.
And particularly in your field there are very few jobs out there at the minute so you weren't too hopeful - whats your situation now?
Well I'm absolutely delighted to say I've just signed my contract for a US multi-national organization based here - I made the connection through the LinkedIn networking website which I didn't even know about before the Career Club
And finally to you Robert what has the response been like to the Career Club?
We were inundated with queries and questions and have received widespread support from business groups and employers. We received huge interest in the interview preparation advice and in social networking such as Linked in.
It's just brilliant now that after the 7 weeks of the Career Club the 3 guys here have got jobs out of it - its brilliant and it just shows that tightening up the job search, CV's and interview techniques really pays off.
And while our Career Camp might be coming to an end on the show - it is on going on our website and all the information from the past few weeks
Unemployment:
. Currently 443,000 people on the live register
. 2008 saw a significant reduction in new jobs, falling by 70%.
. 2010 saw slow steady growth in job placements over the past 9 months
. Ideal time to get motivated about getting back in workplace
Biggest obstacles:
. Supply of jobs vs. demand
. Knowing where to start
. Not understanding the recruitment process
. Not competing within the process
. Not being self aware
3 basic steps
. Competency & skills
. Attitude
. Desire to do that job in that company