Online Business Blog

You have poured through the recruitment adverts and have finally found a suitable job, now you have to face the tricky task of getting through the interview. Job interviews can be a potential stumbling block for anyone so it’s always a good idea to practice your interview technique, not only will it help you prepare it will also give you a well timed confidence boost.

Here are some potential interview questions to help you practice.

• What do you consider your greatest weakness?
• What do you consider your greatest strength?
• Describe your typical work week.
• Do you take work home with you?
• How many hours a week do you normally work?
• How would you describe the pace at which you normally work?
• How do you deal with stress and pressure?
• What is your motivation?
• What are your salary expectations?
• What decisions do you find are the most difficult to make?
• Tell us about yourself.
• What has been the greatest disappointment in your life?
• What are you passions in life?
• What annoys you most?
• What do most people criticize you for?
• When was the last time you were angry? And what caused it?
• If you could relive your life, what would you do differently?
• If your friends and family were asked why you should be hired, what would they say?
• Do you prefer to work on a team or independently?
• Give some examples of teamwork you have been involved in.
• What sort of work environment do you prefer?
• How do you evaluate success and failure?
• If your boss is 100% wrong about something how would deal with it?
• Describe a difficult situation or project at work and how you overcame it.
• Describe a time when your workload was heavy and how you managed it.

You may not realise it but your email address could be seriously hindering your chance of getting a new job.

A funny email address might have seemed like a good idea at the time, indeed when you were younger all your friends probably had one too, but now when entering the world of work your humorous or cheeky address might seriously put you at a disadvantage in a highly competitive jobs market.

Try putting yourself in the position of an employer who had just employed a recruitment services company to advertise your vacancies. If you have had many applications back for the position, all of which are equally qualified, who do you think are more suitable, someone with a standard email address such as firstname.lastname@gmail.com or something like chunkylover53@aol.com. The chances are you would, even if it’s wrongly, assume that the applicant with the first email would be a more appropriate candidate for your company.

It is perhaps then a good idea to cerate a more professional sounding email to put on future job applications, you don’t even have to use the email address long term simply just use for any job related situations. Though if its not your regular email account make sure you remember to check it often, you don’t want to miss an email inviting you to an interview!

2008 saw the financing world dramatically hit by global economics, subsequently leading to a market where employees in banking jobs chose to stay in their current roles and jobseekers opportunities were reduced with hiring volumes greatly diminishing and supply far outweighing demand.

As an employer this provides you the opportunity when recruiting for finance jobs to pick from a highly competitive and meticulous job seeking market where more than ever before the demand for highly skilled, experienced professionals is expected and needed. 2009 has been a year of recovery and whilst job volumes have stayed relatively low, the financial sector has stabilised with permanent and temporary recruitment particularly in the financial control sector. Studies have shown that in spite of the economic downturn, there is still a skills shortage so finding the right candidate can be testing. Choosing a specialist professional recruitment consultancy to fulfill your recruitment project should provide you with a solution to meet your needs.

The right recruitment consultancy will help give you a competitive edge and find the right candidate for areas covering financial control, product control, audit, systems projects, treasury, tax, compliance disciplines to name but a few. They should be able to identify a candidate that will optimise your business performance and achieve the job role required of them. They will also be able to advise you on a range of market issues including salary surveys, organisational planning, payroll, contractual matters and training support. A good recruitment consultant will be trained to understand their market fully and their clients recruitment objectives and create and deliver a personalised service.

When choosing a recruitment consultancy it is wise to find out some key information. Consider their experience, how long they have been established, what their core values, vision and mission are. What benefits they can offer you as a client?  What their recruitment solutions are and how do they generate the right candidates? Ensure that you choose one that is expert at placing accountants at all levels of business from part qualified to finance directors to ensure you are paying for a service that will greatly reward you with the candidate you deserve.

I have often considered leaving the UK. There have been numerous times, as I sit at my work desk looking out of the window watching the rain pour down that I have felt slightly depressed at the reality of the winter season. But I am not alone, we all have our cross to bear and being a UK resident is often one of them. This doesn’t have to be the case though, as more and more people are deciding to move abroad the opportunities are increasing and becoming more tangible, especially if you have a skill set that is transferrable and in demand. Moving abroad not only provides you with an opportunity of a lifetime, gaining cultural experience and a diverse lifestyle but can also provide you with strong career development opportunities if you choose wisely.

Many employers regard candidates who have gained experience with international jobs as highly employable due to the experience and versatility they can demonstrate, so when the time is right to move back to the UK (if ever) your overseas credentials will work in your favour. Jobs abroad can be difficult to locate, so one of the best ways to find them is to contact a UK recruitment agency that specialises in your field of work. Many reputable companies abroad source agencies in the UK for them to find talented personnel through international recruitment. The agency will be able to present you with a range of choices and advise, from opportunities across countries and continents, market conditions, how to maximize your international experience to further your career and help you to prepare for the move. They can also identify job opportunities for your partner if this is a consideration.

Many misconceptions surround the opportunity of working abroad; one of the leading myths is that you have to be senior in your field of expertise. This is not necessarily true, international job opportunities can exist at all levels from newly qualified to Director/Partner. The main attributes an agency will look for is a confident personality, excellent interpersonal skills along with some international awareness and understanding of cultural and business practices.

Most of us are aware of our own strengths and weaknesses and it can be frustrating knowing we aren’t specialists in every field of business. The key thing to remember is no one is and it is increasingly common for businesses small and large to enlist the services of an external advertising agency to help expand and diversify their business. But how do you find one that you can trust to work hard for you and get you results? When choosing the right one for your business it is critical to consider the following factors:

1.      Are they going to meet all of your requirements? Not just now, but in the future too. An agency that only specialises in one discipline could be quite limiting and you may find yourself having to deal with multiple agencies for different projects. For example, you may enlist the services of an agency that specialises in web design, they create an all singing, all dancing website but they have no expertise in optimizing the site, so know one ever finds you in the search engines. If you were to opt for an advertising agency that specialises in all disciplines, the optimization of the site would be considered during the design stage and the ongoing SEO would be offered to you as an additional service they can provide: One agency, covering two critical (but interlinking) jobs. Look into full service advertising agencies to cover all disciplines.

2.      Look at agencies that are well established and are specialists in your field. It will give you the peace of mind that they understand your business and have the experience and expertise to get you the best results.

3.      Shop around. Don’t just go with the first you find. Make sure you have a list of potential agencies and let them compete for your business.

4.      Arrange for them to present to you. Pick 3 or 4 agencies that you think will match your criteria the best and get them in for a presentation.

5.      Pick one. Once all have presented to you, you will get a feel for which one you think understands your business the most, has identified areas of growth and are going to be the best to work with.

Remember, advertising agencies are there to make a positive difference to your company and should work closely with you at all times to ensure they are meeting with your brief.

There are two things that mean a lot to an employer: dedication and innovation. If you can show these traits when applying for a job, then it will work to your advantage. The problem is that if the only opportunities you have are in an interview, where the employer is asking the questions, and an application form or CV, then you’re limited in what you can show off.

The answer is surprisingly simple, and surprisingly effective: make your own opportunities.

Over the years, a number of strange approaches have been tried and met with success, even when dealing with international recruitment. There’s no reason that anybody couldn’t try one of these tactics, or even come up with something new.

Meeting the Employer

If an employer has met you outside an interview, and you’ve demonstrated your strengths in a more casual and friendly environment, then you’ve already got a lead on other candidates.

Seizing the initiative if you run into a potential employer on a train, waiting at a bus stop, or anywhere that you could conceivably spark up a conversation can be a great tactic. It shows off your dedication to getting the job. You might also learn some useful information that you can use in a more formal interview, or find out about another opportunity that the employer thinks you’d be perfect for.

Meeting the Staff

Find out where the staff of an organisation during their lunch breaks or after hours. Listen out for opportunities, get to know them, let them know you’re looking for work, and they could pass on a positive word to their employer.

This has the double advantage of alerting you to new opportunities (you might be chatting to lawyers and hear about accountant jobs) and showing your dedication. It’s also a rather innovative approach, which will bear weight with employers.

Put Yourself Out There

Try and make opportunities for yourself. If you can convince somebody that you’d be an asset to their company, even if they hadn’t considered employing at the time, then you’re in with a chance. Show what new ideas you’d bring in.

Even if they don’t take it further at that time, they could be in contact later. Once again, this shows a level of dedication and innovation that few will match.

The Ultimate in Dedication

Work for nothing. If you can show that you really want the job, and then demonstrate that you’re good at it, employers will be very impressed. Offering to work unpaid is one way of doing this, but of course you must be sure you don’t get taken advantage of.

Be Truly Innovative

We’ve given you some ideas, but if you truly wish to innovate, then you’ll have to come up with something even fresher. Be bold. Show that you are the best candidate for the job, whatever it takes.

For years, people across the UK have wanted to break out of their business mould and start something new and fresh, something where they hold the reigns and can make important decisions for themselves, something where, maybe, they could earn more.

As far as business opportunities go, there are a number of ways somebody can stake their claim. Some are bizarre and risky, some are safe and profitable. We’ve presented a number of them here from both sides.

One avenue that people go down is invention. If you can create a novel product that would be useful to people, or that people don’t need but want, then you have a big head start on making your own business and drawing in profits. Weird enterprises that have come out of this are the Ottimat, a mat made from human hair that’s used to soak up oil spills, and Smartgrow, another mat woven from human hair, but this time used to aid in plant growth.

The fact that there are two successful products based entirely on waste human hair might be surprising, but it just goes to show the variety of places innovation can come from.

Another option might be to offer a new service, either by combining two or more already existent services into one, a coffee shop, a bar and a beauty salon, for instance, or recognising an opportunity created by the emergence of a new hobby or invention, such as training for video games.

However, these all require you to recognise the gap in the market and hope that nobody else has beaten you to it. They are not safe businesses, nor do they give a guaranteed profit. Because of this, many people opt to buy in to a franchise. With a franchise, you’re offered support from people with experience in the trade, and can use an already established brand.

There are many more options to consider when looking to strike out alone. This post should have presented a few ideas, but independent research is an important part of any business plan.

If you are planning to use international recruitment services for accountancy jobs and banking jobs and move abroad to the Netherlands, you will probably be working for a business where English is the main language spoken, but it would be handy to know some simple Dutch phrases to help you get by once out of the office. If you are planning to stay for a long time, it will be worth taking lessons and learning it so you become fluent, but these phrase will help you get by in the beginning.

English: Yes - Dutch: Ja

No - Nee

Please - Alstublieft

Thank You - Dank u wel

Thank you very much - Hartelijk Dank

Good Morning - Goedemorgen

Good Afternoon - Goedemiddag

Good Evening - Goedenavond

Hello & Good-bye - Dag

Do you speak English? - Spreekt u Engels?

May I ask you a question? - Mag ik u wat vragen?

Where would you like to go? - Waar wou je naar toe willen gaan?

That would be great! - Dat zou prima zijn!

Where do I have to sign? - Waar moet ik tekenen?

What is today’s date? - Wat is de datum van vandaag?

I need to telephone England. - Ik heb nodig England te bellen.

See you soon - Gauw tot ziens

Please - Alstublieft

Excuse me - Neem me niet kwalijk

I’m sorry, but… - Het spijt me, maar…

I would like to see the menu, please - Ik wou graag de menu zien, alstublieft.

I would like to order now. - Ik wou graag nu bestellen.

Could I have the bill, please - Mag ik afrekenen, alstublieft.

For more Dutch Phrases, click here

If you are advertising a position within your organisation it could well be tempting to slightly embellish the role to make it sound more exciting or glamorous than it really is, after all you want to attract a lot of good people to apply. However this can easily backfire on you if the person you have employed decides that their new job does not match up to what was advertised and decides to leave. That’s why it’s always good to be honest about the job and the kind of skill you will be requiring.  You aren’t allowed to discriminate in your advertisement either, but you are allowed to talk about the skills, traits and education you are searching for from a candidate.

Targeting the right people with your vacancy advert is essential in recruiting the right person. After all there’s no point spending a lot of money placing an advertisement for a senior manager in a magazine read predominantly by people in there twenties, as the readers are not going to have the skills or experience necessary for the position. This will mean you have wasted hundreds or even thousands of pounds on an advert which returned no suitable applicants.

This is where a recruitment advertising agency will often provide invaluable expertise in targeting the right outlets to attract the right people and not wasting you money by placing expensive ads which don’t attract suitable recruits. They will have detailed knowledge and data to be able to target the right advertising opportunities to bring the right candidates to your business. Marketing recruitment agencies can also be great time savers as a simple phone call or two could result in your vacancy being placed in a number of different places via different medias, a task which completed by yourself could take hours if not days to complete.

Most people will spend time preparing answers to common questions you will be asked during and interview, but what questions should you ask the interviewer. These will not only impress and show you are keen but will also help you understand the job role better and if it is in fact a career move you want to make.

Questions you should ask

What responsibilities does the role have?

What would the typical working day consist of?

Would I be working alone or part of a team?

How many people work in the company/office?

What is the management style of the department/company?

Does the role require travel?

What are the typical hours?

Is overtime expected of me?

What are the benefits of working here?

What would you change about the company if you could?

Would you like any references?

What is the start date of the role?

Are there any other questions I can answer?

Questions you shouldn’t ask

So what do you guys actually do? (this will put them right off as you should have done some research before the interview)

How many cigarette breaks do I get?

So what are maternity packages like? (This will make it sound like you are planning to start a family soon and may put them off you)

Are there any bonuses involved?

How much holiday will I get? (This is a valid question but will not promote the right impression)

What is your sickness policy? (This will make it seem like you are fond of making sickies)

So if you are heading to an important interview for an accountancy job or a banking job, why not ask some of these questions when you get the chance.