12 Things You Think at Your First Networking Event

12 Things You Think at Your First Networking Event Networking is important. We all know that sometimes it is not what you know but who you know, as the famous saying goes. This means you must take every opportunity you can to network. This includes  attending events, catching up with people on social media and even creating events or opportunities for yourself to meet new people in different industries. So what does a networking event involve? Your first networking event can be very overwhelming, especially as you are the new guy entering the complicated world of social circles and conversations. Overtime, networking becomes very natural and you start to enjoy the opportunities you are given and the new people that you meet. However the first time is often the worst. Here are the 12 thoughts that go through your head at your first networking event. It gets better, we promise! 1) I have absolutely no idea where this building is. Google maps isnt working and I am now going to sit and cry in the middle of the street. 2) I do not know a single person here. Why does everyone know each other? Why are they all hugging? SOMEONE HUG ME. 3) FREE WINE AND CHAMPAGNE. Do I look like an alcoholic right now? Probably. Do I care? No. 4) FREE FOOD! Do I look like a pig? Probably. Do I care? No. 5) I look extremely socially awkward. I am sitting alone. In the corner. Alone. 6) I am going to approach someone. This is it, this is the moment we have all been waiting for. 7) I lied, I am going to the toilet. I am going to my safe place, NO ONE WILL FIND ME THERE. 8) Suck it up and talk to someone. That man looks friendly. 9) Everything I just said to that man was inappropriate. No seriously, I should not of said that. 10) Okay conversation is flowing, Ive got this. Or is it the wine thats flowing? I just dont know anymore. 11) I cant remember anyones name. I also forgot to exchange details 12) I should really spend some time on improving my networking skills. Image: Shutterstock

The Best Way to Utilize a Recruitment Agency

The Best Way to Utilize a Recruitment Agency If you have never considered using a recruitment agency to help you find a job or even change careers then maybe you should. In March 2019 the unemployment rate in the UK hit a 44-year low. In an interview with The Guardian, John Philpott, the director of the Jobs Economist consultancy, noted: “Nobody seems to have told the labor market about the mood of Brexit-related economic uncertainty which has gripped the UK since last autumn.” Miners strikes, recessions, and political pandemonium, which included the worst parliamentary defeat in history, all compounded the unlikelihood of a four-decade-long economic depression turning itself around â€" but it did. Between December 2018 and January 2019, a further 222,000 heads entered the UK workforce, contributing to a record high employment total of 32.7 million. The same report drew upon commentary from a senior economic analyst at the Resolution Foundation Stephen Clarke, who insinuated: “the encouraging growth is benefiting women and those traditionally left out of the labor market.” The statistics are certainly there to back up the philosophy in regard to the gender gap. Take Scotland for exampleâ€" the tartan nation saw a 1.7 percent rise of women in employment from 2008 to 2018, rising from 68.4 percent to 70.3 percent. As of December 2018, the UK employment rate was the highest it has been since records began back in 1971, with 9.0 million women working full-time and 6.3 working part-time. That said, despite all the obvious positives in regard to employment, with fewer vacant roles comes increased competition. As of 2017, the UK boasted 14 million graduates in the labor market â€" more than a fifth of the UK population â€" with three-quarters of all graduates now achieving a 2:1 classification or above. For the twenty-something slice of the population who have finally said farewell to education, finding a job can be a rather tedious task and an often-fruitless endeavor. While the digital age has certainly made the job search easier, some online application processes can be difficult to navigate. With thousands of avenues to help refine your exact job search including job title, company, and location, one can become entangled fairly rapidly â€" enter the extensive aid of a recruitment firm. There’s no such thing as a little white lie We are all guilty of covering up or slightly exaggerating when it comes to our employer, however, when a recruitment agency asks questions regarding capabilities, happiness, needs, and wants, take the chance to be completely honest. Realistically, if you don’t want to work in certain area, tell the recruiter â€" they aren’t going to judge your preferences. Similarly, if there is a company you have set your sights on, speak up â€" this is your future, so it is important to be assertive. A study by iNews discovered that 55.6 percent of Brits are dissatisfied with their job. Contacts Upon entering the world of work, we are all taught the value of making relevant industry contacts, and some people even rely on these connections to help them to secure their next position â€" and making yourself familiar with a company can prove advantageous. Approximately 118 candidates apply for any given job in the UK, with 20 percent or less of these individuals advancing to the interview stage. If you apply for a role without any prior contact with the firm, your CV and cover letter will arrive with those other 117 applications and face a rigorous application process. Recruiters will often already have built a steady relationship with the line manager within the firm which you are applying to, therefore they will be able to communicate directly, promoting both you and your attributes. Likewise, Collingwood notes how 80 percent of all jobs are never actually advertised, however, if you had an ‘inside man or woman’, they would have an ear to the ground in regard to upcoming v acant positions. Responsive When applying for jobs, one of the most frustrating aspects is a lack of communication. One of many harsh realities when hunting for a new career is the fact you will often post applications and never hear from the company again. The role of a recruiter, however, is to get you a job, therefore they are likely to be far more responsive and determined when it comes to interacting with employers. On the other hand, you should also try to maintain regular contact from your end, as you’ll need to provide the recruiter with plenty of relevant information when required. Answer phone calls, reply to emails, and complete paperwork before the recommended deadline â€" this will show to both the recruiter and employer that you are keen. Trust You may feel that the recruiter doesn’t have your best professional interests at heart, however, they have a task to complete as well. Matching the right candidate to the right role is their overarching goal, so allow them to take the lead, unless, obviously, you feel genuinely unhappy about the vacancies that they are leading you towards. Whether you are a recent graduate, or in the middle of changing career, the above guide denotes some of the primary reasons why opting for a recruitment agency will help find the recipe for success. Courtesy of Zenith People Recruitment.

How to Find the Effective People to Network With - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Find the Effective People to Network With - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career By far the most effective way of getting a new job is by networking. When making presentations to large groups, I often test that tenet, and invariably it proves to be true. Therefore, networking is how people in transition should spend most of their time. For many, though, networking is a challenging task because they are introverts or they don’t know with whom to connect and network. If we took a quick look at all the possibilities, we’d see there are two broad groups: a group with which we have strong ties such as friends, family, or coworkers and a group with which we have weak ties. When asked, most people say that if necessary, they would work on improving their relationships with those in the group with which they already have strong ties. However, sociologists specializing in the field of social interactions have found certain interesting information: (1) although counterintuitive, networking with that other groupâ€"the one with which people have weak tiesâ€"is more beneficial; (2) more-novel information goes to individuals through weak rather than strong ties; (3) the reason for that is that because our close friends tend to move in the same circles we do, the information they receive overlaps considerably with what we already know; and (4) the quality or strength of interpersonal ties is based on a combination of several things such as amount of time th at the people know each other, the level of emotional intensity between them, the level of intimacy between them, the level at which they confide in each other, and reciprocal favors or services they perform for each other. The sociologists’ research revealed that most jobs were found through weak acquaintances. In fact, one study found that more than half of people who found jobs received the leading information via people with whom they had only occasional contact. This is both interesting and informative, because logic would seem to favor that such information would come rather from those with whom one has frequent contact. To support the empirical evidence, I’m reminded of an article I read that said two total strangers sitting next to each other in an airplane might end up disclosing to each other certain information that under normal circumstances would be discussed with only very close friends or family. So, the next time you go networking, don’t cling to your buddies, but start a conversation with a stranger. Who knows? It could lead to a new job.

Hurricane Sandy Business and Job Search Follow-Ups

Hurricane Sandy Business and Job Search Follow-Ups Hope everyone has stayed safe as many of us deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and the possibility of another storm this week. I live in northern NJ and can speak from personal experience how the Hurricane is impacting our daily lives. It can be challenging to think of maintaining business relationships when there are more pressing things going on. Many job seekers, recruiters and business contacts I know are still without power, or if the power’s back on, they’re probably inundated with follow-ups and hundreds of emails and phone messages. Patience is a virtue to be considered â€" and time may be needed to get back to a sense of normalcy. Realize that what you’re going through may also be the case with companies and small business owners who may just now be settling back in and looking at a week’s worth of catch-up. While I was fortunate to not have lost power, I did lose Internet access from home so my local WiFi spot of choice became a Dunkin Donuts. When I had the time to go, like hundreds of others in my situation or in a much worse one (no power), I found myself inundated with emails and voicemails which included potential jobs from recruiters. I actually checked and responded to emails while waiting in a gas line â€" as I told my son ‘on line’ meant something a lot different to those of us who remember the 1970s gas lines. I also wondered how to balance the urgency of follow-ups against respecting what others might be going through so I asked my colleagues for their thoughts which I wanted to share in a job support group I facilitate. They told me that if youre expecting further communication from a recruiter, you may be waiting a bit. If you have a phone number call it, and see if the call goes through. You may want to go through your e-mail and voice mail and discard or file away more messages than you normally do, so you can focus on those that are job search related. One person told me they also took advantage of several places that were open and were making WiFi access available to all (town library, church, etc.) and that person, like me, took advantage of every available minute to surf and clean up e-mails. No matter what your specific situation â€" whether you have power or not, the best advice I can offer now is this send a mass email to candidates, recruiters, business contacts and clients alerting them to your situation. Think of your email as an ‘Out of Office email’ but make it personal to your situation. Let your contacts know that you haven’t forgotten about them and will be in touch as soon as you can. Meantime, if your area has a volunteer group assisting those in need, seek them out on Facebook or by asking people you know. Bottom line people are more than willing to accommodate special circumstances as long as they are made aware of them. As for the fallout from Sandy, well probably have to develop a whole new definition for the term special circumstances, wont we? I’m happy to offer advice and guidance to anyone who needs some support. Stay safe everyone, Kenneth Lang

Tips For Writing Resume Summary

Tips For Writing Resume SummaryThis is a quick guide to tips for writing resume summary. Your resume summary is the 'wrap up' of your application package. A good summary should match the company's needs in a much more effective manner than an application filled with filler information.Employers have different types of needs when it comes to applications. Sometimes it is a personal need or it is a recruiter's need to fill the open position. There are also sometimes hiring freezes on resumes that you may not know about but will certainly benefit from applying. For example, if you are applying for a position as a part-time technical writer and you have applied and been offered the job. If you have been paid yet haven't had a chance to start yet, now is the time to apply!So, what if you haven't been paid yet and you are waiting for the offer letter? Don't worry; I am confident that it will come. However, if you don't get the job, you can always write a quick and easy resume summary to se al the deal.The first tip for writing resume summary is that you need to keep it short and sweet. You need to be able to summarize your application within one or two sentences. For example, your application package may say something like this: 'I have been offered a job as a part-time technical writer.' By writing 'I have been offered a job as a' you can simply skip over the details such as: details such as salary, benefits, working hours, etc.Now that you've laid out what the summary is, you need to be able to sum up the job in one sentence. This is how you'll make sure that your summary can fit on a single sheet of paper. Here are some tips for writing resume summary.You should include the basics: why you want the job and how your skills match the requirements of the job. It's important to show that you are an asset to the company, and that your experience and qualifications would add value to the position. It is important to highlight all the good qualities of yourself as a profe ssional.You need to provide any employer's needs that you might not know about. For example, if you are applying for a position as a part-time technical writer and you have applied and been offered the job. If you have been paid yet haven't had a chance to start yet, now is the time to apply!If you have not received an offer yet, you need to apply for a position as a technical writer, even if your resume summary does not contain the details that you need to sell yourself. You need to send a short, but accurate, CV to the company in order to quickly find out if they are interested in hiring you. It's important to remember that in order to get the job you need to show that you are someone who is qualified to fill the position.

A mind map for Happy Hour is 9 to 5 - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

A mind map for Happy Hour is 9 to 5 - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Billy Waters, a loyal reader, composed this mind map of my first book, Happy Hour is 9 to 5: Click image for full size Thanks Billy its much appreciated :o) Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Forbes Managers Should Spread A Little Happiness This New Year - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Forbes Managers Should Spread A Little Happiness This New Year - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog I was interviewed for this excellent article in Forbes. Heres how the article opens: Nobody needs telling that the years since the financial crisis struck have been tough. Across Europe, the United States and the rest of the industrialized world, employment levels are only just starting to pick up, while growth in emerging markets has not been as strong as many predicted. Even those in work have in many cases found life harder than it was before. With pay rises, promotions, bonuses and other incentives thin on the ground, going to work has been anything but fun. Alexander Kjerulf is one of a growing number convinced it does not have to be that way. The Danish entrepreneur is author of a book, Happy Hour is 9 to 5, published on New Year?s Day by Pine Tribe, in which he argues that if managers put more effort into ensuring employees were happy at work they would not only create more pleasant workplaces but also improve productivity, innovation, motivation, customer service and the ability to handle change ? in short, all the things that managers say are so important. Read the whole thing it also features Henry Stewart of the London-based training company Happy. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related