Jobs Ireland

Written by Yuki Noguchi, Correspondent, National Desk, NPR News

With the unemployment rate at 9.4 percent and ticking up, millions of Americans are in the job market for the first time in several years.

But the job market has changed in that short time. The paper resume is laughably passe, at least in some circles. Not having a profile on the social networking site LinkedIn is, for some employers, not only a major liability but a sign that the candidate is horribly out of touch.

“If someone sends us a paper resume folded in thirds, stuffed in an envelope, it’s hard to take it seriously,” says Glenn Kelman, chief executive of Redfin, an online real estate brokerage.

Kelman says he has friends in their 30s and 40s who just missed the social networking boat and now need coaching in how things have changed.

For example, he says blogs and Facebook pages have gone from mere kids’ play to essential for communicating with employers online. Someone applying for a job in marketing, for example, will do much better in an interview if he or she already commands an audience through a blog. People in sales look better if they can prove they have a broad network of contacts in their field.

These new rules especially hold true in the high-tech fields, where being up to the minute is considered essential. But even other industries are following suit.

Job applicants are required to submit their resumes digitally at UMB Financial, a bank based in Kansas City, Mo.

“We get very few paper resumes,” says Pat Cassady, the director of recruitment at UMB. Cassady says 10 to 12 percent of UMB hires come through LinkedIn, and she searches niche networking sites for active users who might be promising business leaders. She is even planning to use Twitter to reach out to new recruits.

Landing your Ideal Job – Interview Preparation Tips

I have talked to a lot of Job seekers over the past month and I have been amazed at how poorly many of them have been preparing for their interviews. In the current climate it hard enough to get to interview stage for a position, so when we do we need to impress the socks off the interviewers! We need to go into the interview confident, positive and prepared. Here are some key points you should consider prior to interview.

Do you know where you are going and how to get there?
I would suggest that you go out to the company a day before the interview, so you know exactly how to get there. I used to walk into the reception area to get a feel of the organisation prior to the interview.

Do you know the names and titles of who you are meeting?
Have you where possible researched those individuals? Use the internet or even your personal network to get as much information on your interviewers.

Have you researched the company?
Again the internet is a super place for learning about an organisation. However in addition to that – Do you know of any working or that has worked in the Company that you could talk to prior to your interview. You should know exactly what the company does, who their competitors are and what the company’s values are?

Do you fully understand the Job Description or do I have a detailed job description?
Always make sure you clarify any grey areas prior to interview. It will keep you from getting thrown at interview stage.

Did you write your CV?
Many people are getting their cv done up by Agencies or even CV services. Often the end result is that the CV is not written in your words and reads like a foreign document. So know your cv and make sure it represents you and not someone else.

Many interviews today are competency based interviews.
Practice answering competency based questions. Eg. Tell me a time you dealt with an awkward customer. Do “Mock” Interviews with friends or family prior to the interview and ask for constructive feedback.

I strongly believe good preparation will help quash nerves at interviews and ensure that you maximise your chances of excelling at your next interview. And who knows your next interview might be the last one you have to prepare for in a long time. Good Luck!!

Recruit Ireland offers Free Jobs Advertising for Ireland’s Employers.

Ireland Inc has not ground to a halt. Despite the current economic uncertainties of businesses across Ireland, new businesses are starting up, some are expanding and vacated positions do need to be filled. But doom and gloom prevails and confidence is low. RecruitIreland.com is combating this by taking immediate action and launching a campaign offering Free Advertising to Ireland’s employers in a bid to get Ireland’s talented workforce back into employment.

“By enabling Ireland’s employers to advertise jobs on our website free of charge we believe we will be providing a valuable service to businesses at a time when they need all the support they can get,” commented Emma Henry, Marketing Manager RecruitIreland.com.

RecruitIreland.com has a large talent pool of loyal, highly qualified and skilled professionals visiting the site on a regular basis. Employers who place their jobs on RecruitIreland.com will benefit not only because the service is now free of charge, but because it will also draw in highly skilled candidates who may not otherwise have seen those positions advertised.

“We also hope that this will bolster the confidence of those who find themselves unemployed, that they will see that there are jobs out there and that as a Nation we have not ground to a halt.”

By offering free advertising to every employer across Ireland RecruitIreland.com aims to create one central bank of all the available jobs in the country, thereby taking some of the strain out of the job hunt for job seekers.

RecruitIreland.com is Taking Action to Get Ireland Working Now!

Irish Recruiters Group on LinkedIN Event:
(note: this event is only open to members of the Irish Recruiters Linkedin group and for recruiters only not job seekers)

Irish Recruiters first conference: “The Future of Recruitment – Part 1: The Road Ahead”

This is the first of a two part series that will look at how technology is revolutionising the recruitment industry in Ireland and all around the world. This is a unique opportunity to bring social network, agency, job board and multi-national recruitment leaders together to talk about their particular companies and industries and give their opinions on the road that lays ahead with the recession we are currently in, the evolution of unified communication, the empowerment of individuals using social media, search engine sourcing through Google, Yahoo and Live, database mining, the expansion of cloud computing and the increasing number of business models entering the market through technical innovation.

The conference will include content on:

• Who exists in LinkedIn and how to use it effectively to recruit. How will it evolve and what is the future roadmap of the platform.
  
• What challenges the largest recruitment agency and job board in Ireland are experiencing in the current climate and their views on technology and the future of recruitment.
• How Microsoft recruits and what are some of the challenges it is currently experiencing in the global and Irish market place. As well as best case examples of sourcing, recruitment branding and the use of the Internet.
  
• How cloud computing is evolving recruitment and what skills, tools and techniques are needed to be a savvy internet recruiter.
• The future trends, techniques and technologies from around the world that are radically changing the way recruitment will be done in the future.
• Examples of Irish companies that are offering innovative recruitment products and services and connecting to job seekers in new ways.
  

On the day we have some excellent presenters contributing to the debate on what is the future of recruitment and offering very specialised views on what changes they are witnessing in their own businesses and verticals. I’m glad to say that some of the most impressive recruitment leaders in Ireland have agreed to take part. I’m hoping from them and the people who attend we will have a hugely educational and very interactive day which will allow all who come go away with a fresh new lens from which to review and improve the way technology is changing the industry.

As well as listening and learning the event will also be an excellent
opportunity for you to take part and voice your opinion by asking
questions at the end of individual presentations or during the panel
discussion.

Presenters:

Declan Fitzgerald, Global Sourcing Manager, Global Central Sourcing Team (GCST), Microsoft

Declan has over 13 years experience in HR and recruitment and is currently a recruitment evangelist and global sourcing manager in Microsoft. He currently  specialises in creating sourcing initiatives to support the companies move to distributive development in India, China, Israel, Denmark, UK and Ireland. He is the author of the Irish CyberSleuth blog and has given sourcing training to teams in Europe, Israel, China, Singapore, Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia and Australia.

Joe Ffrench, Recruitment and HR Senior Manager, Microsoft

Joe has over 15 years experience in human resources and recruitment. He manages the recruitment for Microsoft’s 1200 employees business in Ireland across a range of operations, sales & marketing and research & development disciplines.

Anne Heraty, Founder and CEO of CPL Resources PLC.

Anne is one of Ireland’s brightest recruitment minds and is CEO of CPLs recruitment agency portfolio and HR services business. She is a winner of the Ernest and Young Female Entrepreneur of the year and widely recognised as one of the most successful business women in the country.

Jane Lorigan, CEO of IrishJobs.ie

Jane has been CEO of IrishJobs.ie for over 4 years. She is a key member of the Saongroup which is an Irish company that is one of the fastest growing online recruitment companies in the world. The group has expanded quickly in the last 2 years and now has operations in the UK, USA, Canada, China, India, The Gulf, Caribbean, Central America and South Africa.

To Be Confirmed of LinkedIn

LinkedIn has agreed to fly over from the UK and take part and will be forwarding me the name of their representative soon.

Agenda

1.45 – 2.00  Registration

2.00 – 2.30  Intro - “Recruitment Darwinism. Where are we now” by Declan Fitzgerald

2.30 – 3.15  LinkedIn – “Some facts! Tips, Products and the Road Ahead” by TBC

3.15 – 4.00  CPL – “Challenges that exist and the future” by A.Hegarty

4.00 – 4.30  Break – Tea, Biscuits & Networking

4.30 – 5.15  Microsoft – “Challenges and innovation in a flat world“! By Joe Ffrench

5.15 – 6.00  Irish Jobs – “Challenges that exist and the future” by Jane Lorigan

6.00 – 6.15  Short Break

6.15 – 7.00  “Cloud Recruitment and what is an internet recruiter” by D.Fitzgerald

7.00 – 7.30  Q&A Live Mic Session

7.30 -         Finger Food & Networking

This is an invite only event for members of the Irish Recruiters LinkedIn Group. Tickets will be  reserved to 175 members and it will be a first come first served policy. In the event that the conference is cancelled a refund will be offered. No video or audio recordings can be used at the conference. If you have any questions you would like to have asked at the live mic session please send them to declanfi [at] microsoft.com. To kick off the discussion I will be asking some of the best to the panel. If interested in attending please book early to facilitate the organisation of logistics on the day. Thank you!