Agency Blog

Job hunting can be a daunting and stressful process. You need to stand out from the crowd and impress potential employers with your skills, experience and personality. But how do you prepare for this challenge and perform well during the recruitment process? Here are some tips that are not commonly discussed, but can make a big difference in your job search and application: Research the company and the role.  Before you apply for a job, you should do some background research on the company and the role you are interested in. This will help you tailor your resume and cover letter to match the specific requirements and expectations of the employer. It will also help you prepare for the interview, as you will have some knowledge of the company’s culture, values, goals and challenges. Find information about the company, such as its history, mission, vision, products, services, competitors, customers, achievements, awards, news, reviews and social media presence. Use keywords and phrases that match the job description.  When you write your resume and cover letter, you should use keywords and phrases that match the job description and highlight your relevant skills and experience. This will help you pass the initial screening. A web search will quickly yield examples of resume and cover letters that are similar to the job you are applying for but always take the time to personalise them to capture your unique skills, experience and personality. Highlight how your expertise is increasingly relevant based on current trends and issues in your industry and profession to help your application stand out. Create a personal brand online.  In today’s digital world, employers often check candidates’ online presence to get a sense of their personality, interests, values and professionalism. You should create a personal brand online that showcases your skills, achievements,…

Four hiring trends in 2023 + four predictions for 2024   Market trends in 2023  The great slowdown When this year began, there seemed a disconnect between the gloomy outlook forecast by media and the amount of work we were engaged in with clients. Despite what pundits were reporting, the financial services industry labour market was busy in the first half of 2023. Things changed around June/ July when activity slowed and redundancy programs rolled through the bigger financial institutions.  We saw projects in specific industries begin to stall because of uncertainty, and firms begin to take a closer look at hiring spend across all role types. As we wind up 2023, this shift has caused employers to be more hesitant. The aggressive hiring environment of 2022 has now been replaced by a slower hiring process and much more layers of approval. Partly as a correction to high turnover rates since the start of the pandemic, hirers are more cautious about securing the right candidate and are doing so with less confidence around decision-making. It makes for a more inefficient hiring process as hirers are meeting more candidates, conducting more rounds of interviews and involving more people in the process. As a result of this more drawn-out process, roles can change, be pulled, or employers lose out on preferred candidates to faster processes. We’ve seen role profiles change during campaigns as budgets shrink, downgrading requirements in experience with plans to switch focus to  in-role development rather than new talent acquisition. Our advice to employers is that while the right fit is essential, especially as many organisations rebuild their culture after the disruption and disconnection of recent years, the old adage “time kills deals” holds true as good candidates will be snapped up fast in any market.   Internal development  As…

With everyone working remotely, the written parts of your job application are essential for getting your application over the line. Here’s some tips on making your CV/resume shine. With the world becoming more digital and less personalised, a strong CV is more important than ever for landing you that next role. Many places are back in lockdown, we’re relying less and less on face-to-face interactions and more on communications via email. We tell candidates every day that their CV and cover letter needs to be as strong as it can be. People are consuming more written content since the pandemic – so it follows that they’re reading that CV/resume of yours. Your resume/CV is a chance to show yourself in the best light, so it’s worthwhile investing time into making it stand out. This means being aware of what to put in – and what not to put in. Here’s a guide we’ve put together to help. Five steps for crafting a solid CV/resume 1. Start with your name and contact details This might sound obvious, but it’s a really important step that candidates sometimes forget. Include at least two methods of contacting you – both email and phone. Not only does it give employers the means to get in touch, but it shows you in a professional light and demonstrates attention to detail. 2. Move to career summary Under the contact details should be a career summary including your key career accomplishments so far. This should show the prospective employer you can provide what they need – not just outline your experience. Do not be shy about highlighting your achievements as you want them to help you stand out from the competition. Also, make sure to tweak this opening paragraph to suit every role you apply for. Beneath the…