Happy losing & how to make the most of rejection

My older brother spent 10 years in the armed forces and subsequently I spent a lot of time with soldiers whilst they wound down from stressful duties. In other words we’d go out and get drunk a lot. Drinking with the professionals means that they have many ways of keeping drinking fun, therefore a night out always involved drinking games of some description.

One of the best was a game called “I thank you Tink”. Essentially over time a number of silly rules are applied which become increasingly difficult to avoid. They are things like no pointing with fingers or calling people by the name of the person sat to their left. Failure to follow the rules results in a drinking forfeit.

There was also a rule called happy losing. After several hours playing Tink, being selected to complete a drinking challenge could feel like being asked to climb a mountain, and you hardly feel like celebrating when selected.  Happy losing means that you must celebrate and look happy regardless of how you feel, otherwise your forfeit doubles.

This means that when faced with disappointed you have to celebrate as though it were a good thing and only look at the positives.

Happy losing can also apply to the process of job hunting and the inevitable rejection that goes alongside it. The key to rejection is asking questions about why you were unsuccessful and using feedback as a gift, even if it feels negative.

So many people when they receive the dreaded call simply take the rejection and get off the phone as soon as possible. Do not do this. Instead take the opportunity to ask a few questions. Why not ask “what did I do well in the interview?” and “what didn’t I do so well?” Put the recruiter in your shoes and ask “if you were me what would you have done differently” and “how should I improve for next time?”

If you’re using a recruitment agency make sure that you set ground rules about feedback before you go to interview. Make sure they understand that either way you require detailed feedback, and therefore they must retrieve this for you. Too many agencies simply disappear when you’re unsuccessful so take control and make sure that each step is a step forward, even when it feels backwards. If the recruiter doesn’t call you after the interview, call them because they have an obligation to do so. It can also reflect positively at interview if you mention before you leave that any feedback, good or bad will be greatly appreciated. As strange as it sounds, a final demonstration of maturity may be the final element that convinces an employer that you are right for the job after all.

Remember “Smooth seas do not make skilful sailors”

http://www.cveasypeasy.co.uk – A professional CV at a price all job seekers can afford.

Interests are not interesting on a CV

A common misconception when putting together your CV is to spend time writing about your personal interests. I can see why people dedicate time and effort to this section as it appears a good opportunity to tell a potential future employer about what kind of person you are out of work and highlight positive traits. You can do things like paint a picture about being a family or sports orientated individual. For example, If you play football you can demonstrate team work or if you downhill mountain bike you can put across that you’re brave and not simply another couch potato who lacks energy.

Employers want energetic and outgoing people right? The answer to this question is that you do not know?

What if the job you are applying for has become available due to the previous employee having had a downhill biking accident and subsequently had to leave the post? What if your potential new employer is a rugby fan and stereotypes all football lovers as thugs?

An ex boss from my recruitment days once told me that “If in doubt, keep it out”. In my opinion this absolutely applies to the interests section of your CV. It is far more effective to offer a snapshot of your interests without giving too much away.

Why not go for “I believe in a healthy lifestyle that incorporates exercise around 3 times per week. I particularly enjoy the social aspect as it allows me to meet new people, furthermore it has allowed me to raise money for good causes in the local area.”

Either use something similar to the above or simply do not write anything as I do not know anybody that has been invited to attend an interview based on what they have written in the interests section of a CV. Above all though do not lie, you should expect to be questioned on anything that is contained within your CV and nobody wants to hire a liar.

Remember that a CV is simply a means to get you to the front door. Once inside you can begin to read the situation and tailor your answers much more effectively based on the interviewer. You also reduce the risk of contradicting yourself at interview and hindering your chances of success.

www.cveasypeasyco.uk exists to help people become better and happier job hunters, that’s why we say we make job hunting lemon squeezy, and all for only £10.

Why fill out application forms? Isn’t my CV enough?

One of the most frustrating aspects of job hunting is the application stage. Why? Well because every employer wants the same information but they want it presented in their own way. As a job hunter you want to simply write an individual covering letter and then send it over alongside your CV.

Unfortunately the employer wants you to fill out an application form and this takes time. Generally speaking all they require is the information that is on your CV, they just want it again in specific boxes and formats.

There are 3 things that you can do:

1)      Don’t apply – You can’t be bothered filling out yet another form so why bother.

2)      Do half a job. You rush through completing the form in the least amount of time possible. You do not double, triple check spelling or grammar and very little effort goes in to how the application form reads.

3)      You work smart and hard (well once anyway). The first time you fill out an application form make sure that you save a copy of it. Spend time getting it perfectly right the first time and then simply use this as a template to copy and paste the information in to the next application form that you are asked to complete. All the fiddly bits of information like specific dates worked, referee contact details and long winded sections like “why are you a good fit for the post” are already done, furthermore they are done to the best of your ability so you are giving yourself the best chance of becoming a happy job hunter with every application.

Do not be person 1 or 2 because you are kidding yourself into thinking that you’re being proactive. If you cannot be job seeker number 3 then do not make the application today. Go for a walk, have a cup of tea and only apply when you’re in the right mind frame to do the best job possible. The recruiter doesn’t know that this is application number 15 – they only care about what they see in front of them, so make them feel special.  

If you need help with your covering letter or CV visit www.cveasypeasy.co.uk and let us do the hard work for you – we make job hunting lemon squeezy!

Where does Education go on a CV?

So you’re relatively new to the world of work and don’t really have a lot of experience. You’ve worked in a pub, waited tables and spent 3 weeks helping your uncle renovate his garage – who care about that you say! The only thing that you think you have which stands out is your fantastic brain. This bad boy churned out 2 A’s at A-Level in English and History – so you focus all your attention on highlighting this!!

So what do you do when writing your CV? You use the first half of page 1 talking about your fantastic grasp of Hemmingways’ prose. Your proudly proclaim how writing a 2500 word essay has helped you to develop as a human and that you will be an asset to any business.

But what’s the truth? The truth is 99% of recruiters want to see what experience you have; real world, out of the classroom demonstrable evidence. Sadly your double A counts for very little in this situation.

The best advice that cveasypeasy can offer is that you start to think about the skills you’ve gained from these supposedly “worthless” jobs and write about them first on your CV. Waiting tables involves constant interaction with the public, you must be punctual and think on your feet as the public brings about interesting challenges – largely because they aren’t always so polite. You need to be presentable and honest, otherwise your job is going to the other 100 applicants who will happily jump in your shoes. Working in a pub offers free reign to demonstrate all sorts of positive attributes that employers want to see – it’s a busy, high volume environment that requires team work, punctuality, cash handling, health and safety and determination – after all you will generally be working long hours until late with drunken idiots.

The above may not provide a foot in the door to NASA’s aerospace programme but you will be showing the beginnings of a dependable, trustworthy and diligent employee – so use what you have and think how to manipulate your jobs in order to be a happy job hunter.

Work history comes first on a CV and education isn’t required until the end.

cveasypeasy make job hunting lemon squeezy.

Contact Centre Recruitment – what I need to know

Contact Centre recruitment is often a fast paced group assessment that takes place in the heart of the action; the call centre itself.

Here we offer a few tips on how to stand out from the crowd before you’ve even spoken a word.

You will be seen by everybody in the building so make sure you wear smart clothing. This means polished shoes (even if it’s just with a damp cloth), ironed shirt, tie and suit jacket (if you have one). Doing your shirt up to the top button makes a massive difference to your appearance!! You may look in the mirror and feel cool but ask yourself this. Are you going to this interview to make money or look good? If it is to make money then edge your bets on the side of looking professional.

What do I need to take with me:

• ID: The best thing to use is your passport as you can’t use a driving license, and if you use your birth certificate it must be the big one.
• Proof of address: This can be a pay slip, tenancy agreement or official letter. i.e. Bank statement or bill.
• National Insurance Number (NI): You need to provide proof of this so having it memorised isn’t enough.

cveasypeasy advise that you use a holder to store your stuff because it will safely hold your personal documents without running the risk of losing or damaging them.

Having these documents at hand from day one demonstrates that you are organsied and prepared for the interview  The holder highlights this and looks great alongside your polished shoes and shirt that is fully buttoned.

These few small steps will help you to stand out from the crowd. Remember contact centre recruitment is often done as group sessions so you’ll be sat side by side with your competition.

Good luck and please share.

cveasypeasy