Tag Archives: Interviews

To look beautiful – go to sleep!

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Sleep is the key to beauty!

Sleep is the key to beauty!

To look beautiful – go to sleep!

If you want to look attractive and healthy, the best thing you can do is get a good night’s sleep, the results of a new study indicate.

According to Swedish researchers, their findings mean that for the first time, there is scientific backing for the concept of beauty sleep.

They investigated the relationship between sleep and perceptions of attractiveness and health. They insisted that such research is important in today’s 24-hour society, particularly as the number of people suffering from sleep disorders and disturbed sleep is on the rise.

The study involved 23 people aged between 18 and 31. Each person was photographed between 2pm and 3pm on two occasions, once after normal sleep and once after being deprived of sleep.

Smokers were excluded from the research and no alcohol was allowed for two days prior to the experiment.

The photographs were taken in a well lit room and the distance to the camera was fixed. During both photography sessions, participants wore no make-up, had their hair loose (combed back if they had long hair) and underwent similar cleaning or shaving procedures.

They were asked to have a relaxed, neutral facial expression for both photos.

Sixty-five observers, who were blinded to the sleep status of the participants, rated the photographs for attractiveness and whether the individuals looked healthy/unhealthy or tired/not tired.

According to the researchers from the Karolinska Institute, the observers judged the faces of sleep deprived participants as less healthy, less attractive and more tired.

The team concluded that the facial signals of sleep deprived people affect facial appearance and judgments of attractiveness, health and tiredness.

Details of these findings are published in the British Medical Journal

In summary – who needs to go to the expense of face lifts, Botox or facial Therapy when all you have to do is go to sleep?!

This is also important information for all those Job Seekers out there who are attending interviews – it has been noted the difference between a job seeker turning up for an interview tired and those who get a good nights sleep before their interview.

Assertive Job Seekers get pay off!

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Be assertive in your job applications

Be assertive in your job applications

For any job seekers out there, we have some recent evidence of persistence paying off!

Assertive job seekers are getting their pay off.

Job seekers are a vulnerable group as it is a worrying time for anyone, either you have recently lost a job or are not happy in your current job.

In today’s ‘Redundancy’ market, you are less likely to be choosy or assertive.

Do not drop your standards or self worth -

If you feel you match the criteria for a job and have all the Employer is looking for – stand your ground.

Twice this week we have seen evidence of amounts of job applications reflecting the lack of care and attention to individual CV’s or applications.

We had 2 rejections on behalf of our Candidates from Employers who did not think the Candidate – job seeker matched their criteria

When pushed and all relevant experience highlighted, both Employers reversed their decisions and agreed to invite the Candidate for interview.

One was offered the job today!

In this market, where numbers of applications are increasing and pressure is on Employers and Recruiters alike to get through the sheer volume of applications, mistakes can happen and people can be ‘missed out’

Do not always take rejection lightly – if you believe you have read and meet the job essential criteria – question why your CV has been rejected - you may be lucky and  get a second glance.

Persistence pays off – if you believe you are the right Candidate – you have every right to question why you have not progressed to interview stage.

In today’s market – with increased pressure, imminent budget and Redundancies  – there is no excuse for a drop in standards and carelessness due to high volume of job applications.

Be sure to stand your ground and at the very least find out why your application has not been successful – those who accept it with no question will not find out why or get a possible second glance – what have you got to lose?

Less is more!

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Less is more at interview

Less is more at interview

Never a truer statement was made than -

Less is More ……….

Anybody out there who is currently on the jobs market and attending interviews – a word of warning -

Easy on the perfume and aftershave!

There have been a number of comments made by Companies running interviews about the over powering scent left in the room after a number of excitable and nervous interviewees have vacated!

We all know it is important to sound, look and smell fresh and professional, but it is also too easy to over do the smells and this can be very off putting.

We also know many interviewees who would be nervous, smokers or perspiring who try to compensate – be careful, while you definitely want to leave a lasting impression – you do not want to leave a lasting scent!

Remember – Less is More!

The pre interview ‘Mirror Technique’

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Use the 'Mirror Technique' to prepare for your interview

Use the 'Mirror Technique' to prepare for your interview

The pre interview ‘Mirror Technique’ is a very effective way to prepare for an up and coming interview.

We are asked every day for advice and information on how to present yourself at interview.

One of the techniques we highly recommend is to sit in front of a mirror and interview yourself.

Another option is to ask a friend or family member to interview you, but this has disadvantages – you can become self conscious, giddy or the feedback may not be too honest! -

A mirror never lies!

This is a very useful exercise for the following reasons -

  • Do you smile enough
  • How much you fidget
  • How much you use your hands and gesticulate
  • To observe your general body language which is 84% effective, or not in an interview situation
  • Are you casual or professional
  • Do you slouch
  • Do you look to the left or right
  • Are you rigid or relaxed

By playing the role of both interviewer and interviewee, you can observe how you come across to others.

This is concentrating on Body Language and in an interview situation, this is all important

Content of your interview is another matter dealt with seperately, but this ‘Mirror Technique’ focuses primarily on how you come across

In many interview training sessions, videotape is used and played back and this is a similar method to see how you sound, look and come across at an interview.

Unfortunatley, many of us do not have the relevant equipment at home to do this, but we all have access to a mirror!

Remember, when attending an interview, practice the ‘Mirror Technique’ beforehand so you are aware how you come across and have given youself the chance to improve anything you are not happy with BEFORE the actual interview.

Good luck!

Jobseekers Wake up and Smell the coffee

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smell-the-coffee1Jobseekers, wake up and smell the coffee. It is about time YOU took control of your CV.

Here are a few tips:

1. When you apply on-line for a job, take the name of the contact person down and follow up with a call.

2. Do NOT allow  a Recruitment Agency send in your CV to a company without your full knowledge and full consent.

3. Do NOT apply for the same job twice. If you are not sure if it is the same job as it is worded differently in the ad, ring the agency to find out.

4. Be active NOT pro-active. If you see a job you are interested in, but are not sure if you are suitable, phone the agency to find out. Do not waste time applying for jobs that are not suitable for you.

5. Keep in touch with the agency/agencies that you are dealing with on a regular basis. Do not expect them to call you as they are dealing with dozens of jobseekers a day. By phoning the agency, you are showing that you are vigilant and you are also reminding the agency that you are available

By using the above tips, you are TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR CV.

By doing so, you are making sure that you are being represented in the marketplace in the most professional way.

Job seekers are suffering

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Take the time

Take the time

Good evening

I have recently undertaken a survey on over 1000 job seekers recently in the jobs market here in Ireland to find out how they are feeling and how they are being treated by their Recruitment Agencies.

The results have been disappointing from a Recruitment Agency point of view and have shown strong signs of frustration and a lack of communication between the Recruiter and the job seeker.

The following are the main points of note made by a clear majority of today’s job seekers -

  1. They do not feel they can fully trust their Recruiter as their CV has been sent out to Companies without their knowledge or consent
  2. They are not getting full and comprehensive feedback following an unsuccessful interview
  3. They are feeling the recruiter is treating them as a number to make money out of rather then a person in a vulnerable position who needs a level of care and attention
  4. Recruiters are generally not thorough enough in their searches of suitable jobs and will e mail the odd Job Description of non relevant jobs
  5. Recruiters are not following through on the whole interview process
  6. One of the requests for change was for the Recruiter to act like they care
  7. Not unlike the sale of a car, the recruiter can be attentive in the initial stages, but once a job is offered, they do not follow up with a good luck call or a call after the first week to see how the new job is going

I have been working in the Medical Recrutiment field for over 9 years now and my background is in Nursing, I do care very much for this very vulnerable and currently even more sensitive group of people and if we cannot show this in what we do every day by trying to take that extra step, then we need to be doing a different job.

Recruiters remember, we are changing lives for people and we need to take the time and interest to do that effectively.

For further information on recruitment best practice go to -

www.nrf.ie

The National Recruitment Federation is here to help the Recruitment Industry and it’s job seekers.

Being pipped at the post…..

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Interview successOne of my Candidates who was the hot favourite for one of my Medical Clients got pipped at the post today by a Candidate working for  my Client’s competitor. It was a real shame for my Candidate as he had done an excellent presentation in his second interview and was well liked by the Sales Manager.

Breaking that sort of news on the eve of St Patrick’s Day is not really what rocks my boat. My feeling after today’s experience is that the bar has been raised yet again for Candidates seeking Medical Sales  positions.

The message today is that if you work for a competitor of any of the companies you are seeking new employment with, you are in with a very good chance of getting the job.

For those of you who don’t, prepare your interview very well. We have a very useful link for Interview preparation on our website which will give you all the Interview tips you need. Follow this link: http://www.jackiebrownmedical.ie/advice/interviewtips.php?url=inttips

Most of all Good Luck to all of you going for interview. Believe you are better than the best and of course, Happy St Patrick’s Day for tomorrow!