Rejecting Offers When to Call a Candidates Bluff

Rejecting Offers When to Call a Candidates Bluff I want to  let you in on a particular bugbear of mine, and one which afflicts recruiters  across numerous platforms. Its that of the great candidate who continually turns  down job offers. You know the type: perfect CV, looking for a new challenge (allegedly) and would fit well into a number of the roles  you’re trying to fill. Interviews are granted,  as he is the kind of guy the whole Sprocket Noodle World is crying out for. He has it all, the sexy beast; Sprocket Noodle 101, Widget Firtling and even a CSE in Fettling. So much promise So you speak to the candidate about your clients, the kind of jobs on offer and find out the exact package he is looking for, then proceed to arrange three interviews. Interview number one? SUCCESS!! The client loves him and offers him the exact package hes been harping on about  wanting. Flushed with false pride, and with commission figures running through your recruiter brain, you call him to tell him the good news. Oh, but wait!] So much disappointment Apparently he has changed his mind. He wants a company scooter and matching leathers now, instead of the company smart car. Ah well, back to the drawing board. Let’s call the other two clients you have interviews booked with and let them know his transport preference. Now by this time alarm bells should be ringing, but in reality, the only thing ringing in the recruiters mind is cash tills (all that lovely commission). The second interview is again a resounding success: “I am a recruiting GOD”. Without delay, you call Mr Fussy Pants to let him know that, not only are they offering the wage increase he wanted, but also the Scooter and Leathers. So when can he start? “Ah! You see, I have a review coming up at work and I think I will be offered a pay rise so I want to wait to see what they offer before committing.” So much warning Can we see a pattern yet? I’ve no need to tell you what happens at the third and final interviews as you will have already guessed. Yes, he turns it down because he would ideally like to cover an area about the size of Rawtenstall even though he is only 2 miles from the centre of London. You see, even though he is perfect for your many roles, he will not move. It seems he just likes the attention and people telling him how good he is. I used to make it my life’s work to place these awkward sods, but no matter how many times they get offered the perfect role (perfect in their words, not mine) they will still find an excuse not to take it, whether its from being scared of change or genuinely from enjoying serial time-wasting.   How many is too many times? I now have a three and out rule. If they are offered three excellent roles which included all they asked for and they turn them down due to salary, vehicle, alien invasion etc.. then they go in the bin. Even when his CV pops up when you search for candidates to fill your new role: I  don’t do it, I don’t give in and call even though I  know he will get the interview. Even though he will get offered, and even though he said he was definitely looking this time, I just don’t do it because it will all end in bitter disappointment. *Rawtenstall is a real place in Lancashire. *Sprocket Noodles are still made up. *As is Widget Firtling. *I’m pretty sure CSE’s in Fettling were available in both Lancashire and Yorkshire in the late 1970’s.

A Blueprint for Financial Success

A Blueprint for Financial Success Society says it’s okay to constantly toe the line of being broke when you are young. During our 20’s, it’s important  for us women to find ourselves, define our path, press forward, and advance our careers. At this stage  of the game, it really is all about learning and accumulating powerful experiences, both work-related  and personal.  Can YOU relate? HOWEVER, there comes a point, usually around the 30 year old mark, where being broke just isn’t cool  anymore. Bills add up, which leads to increasing stress, and the newness of adult life finally wears offâ€"forever! There’s good news, though. With a bit of planning and discipline, you can develop a blueprint for  financial success as soon you enter the working world, and if you follow the blueprint, you will be  establishing a lifestyle of financial health, which will only serve to spur you on to pursue your dreams  with great passion and energy. Begin With The End In Mind Your financial goal should be to create a passive stream of income that eclipses your monthly living  expenses. This is the definition of retirement! So, as we get into the nitty-gritty here, remember that the  ultimate goal is to build a reliable passive stream of income that eclipses your monthly living expenses.  Have YOU thought about doing this?   (Side note: if you need tips on how, just ask Nicole   the founder of this very blog!  There are infinite ways to monetize your passion and make a plan B!) Finance 101 In order to get ahead you have to spend less than you earn (easier said than done, right!?). Now, there are two variables in this  equation: income and expenses. The way to create true wealth and financial independence is to work  toward widening the gap between income and expenses as much as possible. Therefore, your personal  blueprint for financial success should focus on not only increasing income, but also keeping expenses in  check. Finance 201 It’s time to eliminate every penny of bad debt. Once you are consistently earning more than you are  spending each month, it is time to focus on paying down all of your credit card debts, school loans,  department store cards, etc. You may want to consider debt settlement as well. Debt cripples you  and it severely limits your financial freedom. As you begin to earn a decent salary, the temptation is to  increase your standard of living. This is fun in the short-term, but in the long-term it’s a real killer. Instead, you should direct every extra penny you can each month toward paying down your debts.  Forget paying the minimum monthly payment on your credit card. Pay as much as you can afford every  month until that thing is $0!! Finance 301 Once you are steadily earning more than you spend every month, and then directing all of that extra  cash flow toward paying off your debts, within a reasonable amount of time, you will become debt free.  This is a great place to be. Now, however, the fun begins. Now you can begin taking all of that extra  cash you have coming in every month and investing. Start a Business This is the single most powerful way to create real wealth. Do you have a passion or an area of expertise  where you believe you could start-up a small business in order to create an extra stream of income? If  you have a general business idea, but are afraid to launch out on your own, reach out to friends and find  a partner. Starting a business is not only a great way to create true financial independence, but it is also  an unparalleled learning experience. Remember, true financial independence is a process that takes time, but if you build your financial  future on a debt free lifestyle, you will be well on your way to achieving all of your financial dreams. What tips do you have for those who are trying to build their financial future?  What do you do to  guarantee  your financial security?

Upskill Your Career with Educational Online Platforms - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Upskill Your Career with Educational Online Platforms - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Upskilling is for everyone. Whether you want to expand your skillset or change your career completely, you need to continue improving yourself and keep your skills up-to-date. Thanks to the internet, nowadays anyone can gain knowledge on any subject they wish. There are many great educational platforms for this. Below you can find 5 of them. Udemy: Udemy offers both free and paid courses. It has a wide variety of courses in different topics including software development, business, marketing, photography, music, fitness and etc. Each course has series of videos prepared by industry experts and once you purchase a video, it gives you lifetime access meaning that you can learn the course at your own pace and revisit the classes whenever you want. Coursera: Coursera has partnered up with several universities all around the world and it offers online courses which lead to a certification, if completed successfully. There are also 4 Master’s Degree programs currently available online. These degree programs are paid because they are accredited. However, there are many free courses available that you can take online from the world’s best professors. Khan Academy: Khan Academy is a non-profit organization and the courses it offers are completely free. It is a great learning platform especially for students and focuses on more traditional subjects like math, science, arts and humanity. The best part about Khan Academy is that there is no set time limit on courses. Therefore, you can complete a course anytime you want. Lynda.com: Lynda is a platform by LinkedIn and it offers 6.278 courses in business, technology and creative skills. It has a free trial option for 30 days. After the free trial, it has different subscription plans. The great part about Lynda is that it includes learning paths, a selection of videos that are designed to boost your skills or get ahead in your career.  For example; if you want to become a project manager or a front-end developer, then you can take courses in these paths. Udacity: Udacity focuses more on technology courses. It offers both free and paid courses. If you want to be a data scientist or a mobile app developer, then Udacity is your go-to platform. You get classes from industry experts such as employees of Google, Facebook, Amazon, SalesForce, etc. These tracks are paid but if you want a serious career change, then it definitely worth a try.

Welcome to the Real World Finding Your Place, Perfecting Your Work, and Turning Your Job Into Your Dream Career

Welcome to the Real World Finding Your Place, Perfecting Your Work, and Turning Your Job Into Your Dream Career Lauren Bergers new book, Welcome To The Real World: Finding Your Place, Perfecting Your Work, and Turning Your Job Into Your Dream Career is absolutely perfect. For your young, clueless co-worker who just doesnt seem to get it. Do you work with someone just starting their career who cant figure out why merely meeting minimum expectations doesnt get rewarded? They need this book. Do you see young co-workers relying on habits and strategies that worked well in college, but dont see how ineffective those same methods are in the workplace? Or maybe they practice poor email etiquette, never take notes at meetings (or even pretend to), and are pretty much useless when they have to figure something out on their own? Buy them a copy. Maybe even two copies. Wisdom From The Intern Queen A career expert and founder of InternQueen, Berger opens with an engaging, self-deprecating story about being a major screw-up in her first real job: personal assistant for a talent agent in Los Angeles. And even though I was hooked on her entertaining writing style and her kind but firm honesty, I still couldnt help but think, Gosh, this advice is so basic. Which is exactly the point. This book was not written to benefit me, an experienced 44-year old with a variety of jobs and industries behind me, full of confidence, and somewhat savvy about the workplace its pitfalls. In Welcome to the Real World, Berger has created a manual that is essential for newbies in the workplace. She covers topics like the immense value your  network can provide if you invest in it, organizing your workplace creating systems to support you. She addresses professional email practices email management strategies, and illustrates how your actions today affect your personal brand even if thats not your intention. For every topic covered, Berger explains why you should care about it, and she provides actionable steps complete with helpful tools apps on how to manage it. My favorite chapter was Oops, I Did It Again in which she covers many of the basic pitfalls in a work environment. For each potential disaster she lists the possible mistake, provides a valuable example of it, and instructs you in detail on how to fix it. Its definitely the book I wish Id had back in {ahem} 1992, when I entered the Real World. And even though I dont expect to refer back to the book, Im very glad to have a copy of it. Because I know just who Im going to give it to. Welcome To The Real World: Finding Your Place, Perfecting Your Work, and Turning Your Job Into Your Dream Career  is scheduled for release on April 22, 2014. It is now available for preorders.

How to Get Yourself Ready for Graduation - CareerMetis.com

How to Get Yourself Ready for Graduation Source â€" Flickr.comIt’s been a long haul, but you can see the end of this phase of your academic journey; the light at the end of the tunnel is beginning to come into focus.It’s essential that you not wait until you are bathing in the celebration lights to prepare for your post graduation challenges. By then it’s too late.Your competition is already preparing their plans to do battle for the scarce jobs that will be available. You don’t want to be lost in their wake.evalThe period leading up to graduation is critical for you. It is a “finish and prepare” period where you can’t take your eye off graduating, but at the same time you have to get ready to hit the bricks running day one after you receive your piece of paper.Preparing your plan the day after graduation is a nonstarter; you will give others the advantage.What does the finish and prepare plan look like?1. Dust off your career path planMake sure it reflects your current thinking. To prepare for the interview t rail work on your answer to the question “Why should we hire you when there are so many others interested in the opportunity with us?”Create your personal ONLY statement as the way to express your uniqueness in the job hunting crowd.Let’s face it practically every job competitor will have academic credentials they can tout; you need to include much more if you want a recruiter to notice you and be intrigued with what you have to offer.2. Reach out to your networkEveryone is busy so don’t be surprised if you have fallen off some people’s radar since you last contacted them.You need to be top of mind for those you deem critical for support.evalYou should be active in associations or other groups in the business community and now is the time to be in their faces.3. Make appointmentsTime is not your friend as your competition will be out there knocking on doors; drumming up interest in who they are and what they can do.Decide on who you want to talk to and schedule an appointm ent with each as soon after graduation day as possible.There is little “play time” available time to enjoy the fruits of your academic labor.4. Revise your resumeevalCreate a killer resumethat stands apart from others. This shouldn’t be too difficult as everyone relies on boilerplate templates to do it. Think about your resume as your fingerprints that others will examine; it needs to tell your story and present what is special about you.Furthermore, since your career plan should identify the organizations you are interested in.Customize your resume for each to express your competencies in THEIR context â€" the unique challenges each faces. One resume does not fit all potential employers.5. Engage your mentorsIf you don’t have individuals in the business community you can look to for advice and guidance, get them fast! Successful careers are built around the experiences of others: what worked for them and what didn’t.Reach out to a handful of your “besties”; engage the m in your finish and prepare planning.Create a list of no more than six questions to probe the areas you need input on and take copious amounts of notes when they speak.6. Put your break on holdIt’s tempting to take a time out after graduation and delay active pursuit of your career.After all, you have worked hard for 4+ years and you rightly feel you deserve some time off to rest and travel.I’ve never seen this strategy work, really. While you’re exploring the world or hanging on the beach, others are active on the hunt to land a job and starting their career. The question you have to ask yourself is can you afford a late start and be in a catch-up mode?evalPost-graduation success depends on how you plan your launch and how much more you want it than your competition.Put in the time.Be prepared.