Career Services from Measurability

 Interview Preparation for jobseekers in Ireland

 Below is a list of common interview mistakes you should avoid at interview. These mistake are feedback from interviewers as to why jobseekers failed at interview. You have been warned!!

Interview Preparation will help you avoid these mistakes

Poor personal hygiene or appearance
Lack of interest
Money orientated
Negative about past employers
Lack of eye contact
Limp handshake (my pet hate!!)
Not following directions
Late for interview
Lack of appreciation for the interviewer’s time
Not asking questions
Indefinite response to questions
Aggressive or “know it all”
Poor communication
Lack of career direction or goals
Lack of confidence
Lack of participate in activities
Not prepared to get hands dirty
Excuses AND evasiveness
Poor tact
Bad manners
Immaturity
Lack of vitality
Indecisive
Poor application forms
Impression that only shopping around.
Indication that the job is short time solution
Lack of interest in company or the industry
Low standards or morals
Cynical
Laziness 

Interview Preparation – Do you need help?

If you are seeking interview preparation support contact us for more information about how we can help you to success at interview.

Many jobseekers focus on the type of interview they will face and often neglect preparing how to deal with different interviewer styles. Just like there are different types of interviews you can face there are also different types of interviewers you can face. Below I have listed 3 types of interviewers:

Different types of Interviewers

“Absentee” Interviewer – You may get the impression that this interviewer is absent from the room and the interview. And yes they could be dwelling on something else.  Try to get you message across but it is difficult. Using the interviewers name can bring them back for important point you want to get across.

“Shotgun” Interviewer – This interviewer is firing questions all over the place. Changing and moving from different topics with ease. It is difficult to gauge where they are coming from. It is important to pay attention and try to relate back to the key requirements for the job.

“Silver Bullet” Interviewer – This is the one question wonder and your response to this gem will dictate that you are right for the job. “Who would you share your last role with?” Your answer will dictate if they feel you are right for the job. Your best approach is to just answer the question and move on.

Measurability offers expert interview coaching for all levels of the organisation and across all industry sectors. If you want to maximise your performance at interview then an interview expert can help. For more information about services visit our site.

Most jobseekers appreciate that we are now entering into a tighter job market in Ireland. The last 12-18 months has seen redundancies across most sectors in Ireland. Manufacturing, Retail & Construction have been the hardest hit but there have been job losses in other sectors including the Pharmaceutical Sector.

Whether you have been affected by redundancy or you are seeking for a new job it is essential to have a professional CV that makes an impact landing you those important interviews. The problem is that most jobseekers cut corners when writing a CV. In a buoyant market this may be fine BUT in a tight market you will suffer.

CV’s fail for a variety of reasons – poor spelling and grammar, poor format, bad layout, poor content BUT the biggest problem with most CV’s is that they lack focus and therefore do not make the required impact on the reader.

Get the CV right and you will notice an increase in your application to interview ratio. Some jobseekers benefit from the help of a professional.

Measurability offers an expert CV service to jobseekers across the country. I am regularly asked were we are based BUT it does not matter for CV design as most communication is via phone and email and we do not meet clients. CV design is unlike interview coaching or career coaching where face to face meetings are quite important. So we design CV’s for jobseekers in Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Cork, Waterford and other counties. Visit our website to read what other jobseekers have said about our CV service.
Measurability offers other Career Services and I have outlined the regions:

Career Coaching – Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Louth and other regions in Leinster.
Career Tests – Online career tests for jobseekers nationwide.
Interview Coaching – Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Louth and other regions in Leinster.

There are many views on CV’s but my view on CV format and CV layout is simple –“keep it simple”. I have seen many CV’s over the year with bells and whistles and fancy frills but a clean well formatted CV wins hands down any day. I am sure you have heard the saying that magnolia sells houses – well simple format and layout will secure interviews. The clean CV will offend no one and it will make it easier for the hiring manager to find the information they need. Fancy Dan CV’s can offend and paint the wrong picture. The only time I advice jobseekers to throw caution to the wind is when their content is light and they need something to catch the employer’s eye.

I have outlined some basic points on CV format & CV layout below.

Font & Font Size – It is essential to use uniformed font and font size. CV’s with different font and font sizes look untidy and rushed. If you use Times New Roman then use it throughout. If you use font size 14 headers and font size 11 for main text then maintain this throughout the CV.

Clear Headers – Clear bold headers will make navigation easy. This will help the reader and improve your chances of securing interview.

Bullet points – Bullet points are powerful on a CV. Again they assist the reader and are pleasing on the eye

White space – Trying to get too much information on the page will not work. I often see jobseekers cramp information in a bid to reduce the length of the CV. I would prefer a longer CV which has ample white space than a cramped one page CV.

Measurability offers a nationwide CV writing service for all levels of jobseeker Graduate to Executive. We work with jobseekers from all industry sectors in Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Galway & Limerick. If you would like more information about out CV service or career coaching and interview coaching visit our website or contact us.

There have been some positive jobs news announcements in 2008 BUT most of the jobs headlines have been dominated by redundancy and job loss.

Manufacturing Sector

Manufacturing has diminished over the last five years. It was once the pillar of the Irish jobs market but a number of factors have resulted in the relocation of manufacturing to low cost economies. Since the turn of the year we have had many closures in manufacturing – Jacobs in Tallaght, Sercom in Limerick and Grove Turkeys in Monaghan to name a few.

Construction Sector

Construction has been doom and gloom for about a year. There has been a lot of spin put on this sector but the reality of the situation is that 1 in 10 workers from the sector have lost their job. We may not notice it as much because if “Joe Murphy Engineering” lets go 25 staff it is not exactly front page news. But is there are a few hundred similar sized construction firms out there it soon adds up.

Retail Sector

Retail has suffered from job loss too. On the whole retail is still a relatively strong sector in Ireland but there was the Arnott’s announcement and Christmas and January trading wasn’t that great for retail.

Conclusion

These three sectors provide prime examples of situations where Outplacement Services and Consultancy can benefit employers and employees. BUT remember that job loss is not exclusive to these sectors – remember IT and the dotbomb.

Employers – In all cases outplacement services would help employers by appeasing the anger and emotion. In the case of Jacobs it would help paint a positive pubic image as they have been part of the Tallaght community for years. In the case of Arnotts it could help bring productivity and business back to normal as it is not completely closing. Also by Arnott’s looking after departing staff it will improve their image when attracting staff for the new store when it opens.

Employees – All of the above example could benefit from outplacement services which would support staff, help them cope with the event and transition into new employment as quickly as possible.

For more information about outplacement services and how they can help you and your staff contact us or visit out website.

Job hunting can be a frustrating business with many jobseekers falling at the first hurdle – unable to secure interviews. If you are struggling for to get called for interviews there can be a number of possible causes.

1. You are applying for jobs where you do not meet the requirements

There is a chance you are applying for jobs where you do not meet the experience, background or qualifications. HR and hiring managers will often put your CV on the PFO pile without further exploration. It is important to try different approaches and to get feedback. Some suggestions include phoning the client before you send your CV as this will tag your personality to the document. If rejected you can seek feedback to identify what you will need to do to achieve your goal or what other routes you can take. Rejection after rejection can be soul destroying so get creative.

2. You are not applying for jobs

I often receive phone calls from jobseekers seeking CV redesign. When I view the CV is often fine. Investigation often shines light to the fact that the jobseeker has been doing very little in the job market. If you don’t buy the ticket you can’t win the lotto. Job hunting takes time an effort. You must initiate action before you can get results.

3. Poor CV preparation

More often than not the CV is poor and not making an impact with the reader. I see some very bad CV’s that do not even get the basics right such as poor spelling and grammar, poor format, too much detail or lack of focus. Your CV is the 1st point of contact with the employer and perhaps your only contact if it does not make an impact. Spend some time creating a document that will do you justice and maximise your chances of meeting employers.

Measurability offer CV design services nationwide. We design CV’s that produce results and our customers agree. We also provide career coaching, career direction and interview coaching. If you need more information on any of our services feel free to contact us.

Are you having problems hiring the right staff? Made some bad hires, suffered the cost and do not want to do it again. Or are you recruiting a key role and cannot afford to make a mistake? If you are recruiting staff the psychometric assessment can assist you assessment and selection of candidates. Psychometrics provides objective information to help you make recruitment decisions. This information is often on skills and behaviours that are difficult to pick up on or assess with a traditional interview.

Who provides a psychometric service?

Measurability provides a psychometric assessment and testing service nationwide. Measurability offers a wide range of SHL assessment tools and we are a leading Irish SHL business partner. We have provided support in most counties including Dublin, Cork, Limerick. Galway and Waterford. The assessment solutions we have offered to date have been a combination of onsite assessments and online assessments. We have worked with companies for both recruitment and development projects. We have serviced and have clients in a variety of industries and sectors including, Manufacturing, IT, Public Service, Pharmaceutical, Retail, Leisure, Banking & Finance. You can view some of the companies we deal with and what they say about our service.

What types of psychometric assessments are available?

We offer the full suite of assessment tools. Ability tests and aptitude tests which can be accessed online or administered onsite. We offer a wide range of personality questionnaires including the leading OPQ32. We offer motivational questionnaires and competency based interview support. There are assessments available for all levels of your organisation from senior management to entry level.

If you require any additional information about psychometric assessment, cost or process. Or you would like to view some sample reports or perhaps avail of a discount trial. Contact us.

Most jobseekers do not realise that 99% of CV design is completed by phone and email. You do not actually have to meet the CV expert. In fact I will only meet clients for Career Assessment, Career Coaching or Interview Coaching. I find that meeting with individuals only adds time to the process – and time adds to the cost. I work with clients all over the country including Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.

I design CV’s for all levels of the organisation and all business functions. I design CV’s for Executives, Professional and Graduates. I have designed CV’s for sales, IT, production, engineering, materials, finance and management.

What does my CV look like?

I have worked in careers, HR and recruitment for 14 years. I have seen everything when it comes to CV’s and CV design – the good, the bad and the ugly. I am a career doctor with The Irish Independent and The Sunday Tribune and regularly write CV articles for a number of online sites including RecruitIreland. If you need an impact CV whay not check out my profile or read what other individuals had to say about my work.

Need more information?

I would be more than happy to provide more information about my CV service or my other services career coaching, career assessment and interview coaching. Feel free to contact me or visit my website for more information.

Redundancy is now part of everyday life in Ireland. All you need to do is open a newspaper or turn on the news to hear about more job loss. Redundancy affects all regions and all sectors. We have had redundancies in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway. All industries have been affected especially manufacturing and construction but also retail, banking and pharmaceutical. Redundancy is a difficult period for employers and employees alike. It is therefore essential that organisations implement a strategy to provide support. Outplacement Services have been available for years. I guess we did not take much notice about them as the Celtic Tiger was roaring for the last decade.

Measurability – Outplacement Services

Measurability offers a full outplacement service for organisations in Ireland. We have experience working with all sectors (manufacturing, pharmaceutical, IT, electronics, banking and retail) and we work in all regions in Ireland. We will work within your budget and tailor a service to meet your needs.

Measurability – What is on offer?

We offer a wide range of programmes from 1-1 coaching to group workshops. We cover a wide variety of topics including career assessments, career direction, CV design and interview coaching. We encourage and support participant and help them move on with their life and career.

If you require more information about our services contact us now.

Measurability will be commencing career workshops in Dublin City Center from April. 2008 has been a busy year to date so unfortunately there have been no workshops.

If you are interested in attending please email us for more information on provisional dates and location.

The Workshop will give you access to a leading career coach, interview coach and CV expert in Ireland. The topics covered during the workshop will include;

- Impact CV’s and Cover Letters.

- Job search strategies.

- Managing you job hunting.

- Interview preparation – the essentials

- How to handle difficult interview questions

- Competency Based Interviews and other assessments

- Body language and confidence.

The workshop will be run by Measurability a leading career consultancy. Paul Mullan is a career coach, interview coach and CV expert – view Paul’s profile. If you would like more information about the workshop please contact us.

Please note: We offer our normal 1-1 career coaching, CV writing and interview coaching.