Tag Archives: job searching

The timing will never be just right..

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Life is never going to offer the “right” time to take decisions, especially around big decisions like changing jobs / employers. There will never be the perfect time.

Being prepared and being ready are two different things. You can be prepared as all get out, but, if you’re doing things that matter, things that push your limits, things that are seemingly impossible, it doesn’t matter what you ever do. You’ll never be ready.

You can prepare as much as you want, but you won’t be ready to do the impossible until you decide to actually take the steps to do it. None of us are.

If you’re constantly considering your next career steps and doing nothing about it, then you’ll never feel ready or achieve what you want to. The chances are you are being pulled by excitement, achieving goals and being pushed by confusion and fear at the same time.

It’s natural to feel uncertain and experience the fear of the unknown when considering moving jobs, but you have already overcome that in your current role.

Let me assure you of this: how will you ever know if you don’t make the first step and test your skills and experience within the job market.

You can plan, delay, make excuses, but trust me unless you make that step in making the decision to commence your new job search & engaging with professionals like Daly Recruitment (who can assist you and guide you) you won’t move forward to achieve your new job / career development goals..

To leave a little food for thought, I will summarise the habits of successful people into one phrase: successful people start before they feel ready.

 

“Don’t wait. The time will never be ‘just right’. Start where you stand and work whatever tools you may have at your command and better tools will be found as you go along.” — Napoleon Hill

Be realistic with expectations.

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CANDIDATES: 

When applying for a job do you always look at their essential criteria? This will always indicate whether you have the skills and requirements the employer is requesting.

Set realistic expectations of roles you are hoping to develop into, look at jobs and opportunities that will lead you to your chosen destination.

Be practical on the requirements of the role, for example seeking a food and beverage manager position within a hotel that is 9-5, Monday – Friday is not reasonable nor is it reflective of the requirements of that role.  By doing this you are setting yourself up for disappointment as these requirements truly don’t exist.  You most certainly will have to go through this journey if you wish to reach the Hotel General Manager position.

Very few jobs are 9-5 anymore, and definitely not in hospitality. One of the main elements of working in the hospitality sector is the flexibility the hours provide flexibility in work means flexibility outside of work also.
If you don’t like to work a 9-5 job and do the same thing every day, then this is the sector for you.  Your hours will vary, and no two days are ever the same.
You will struggle to find a 9-5 in this industry, it’s not impossible but don’t restrict yourself to this as it will pay off along your career path as you learn and develop.

A huge benefit of working in the hospitality industry is that you can expect no two days to ever be completely the same. This makes a position in this sector particularly exciting, as you are likely to always be kept on your feet, often working in a fast-paced environment, but you are rewarded by the fact that it always remains interesting and dynamic.
We can’t forget the great industry perks it brings!

Career progression opportunities

One thing most candidates look for when deciding on a sector to work in is how good the potential is to progress over time. Luckily, as the hospitality industry is increasing, this means that the chance to work your way up the work ladder is both very feasible and very likely. We recommend to have a look at some of the linkedIn profiles of industry leaders, and you will see the path they made to get where they are today.

Think of the bigger picture. Many candidates who switch from shift work to 9-5 find that adjustment difficult.

EMPLOYERS:

This is also crucial for employers too, asking for ‘x’ years of experience in a role will depend greatly from each individual and size of properties a person has worked in.

Read your job description throughly and ensure you are not being unrealistic as you could be eliminating good candidates from applying and joining your team.
For example: in a hotel setting, many managers after 2/3 years as a department head will want to move up the ladder, not take a side step. Consider this greatly as we all work together to open and attract and retain talent into out much loved industry.

Is your salary really reflective on the experience you are seeking? This is a crucial time for all businesses as they begin the recovery journey, working together as an industry to attract and retain staff is a role for everyone in management.
Salaries must be in line with your expectations or you will not attract the calibre and talent you are hoping to achieve. Daly Recruitment are here to provide guidance on any market rate salaries to any employers.

Candidates are now seeking perks which are more than free lunches, uniform – work life balance is now key to all successful recruitment and retention, and more so as we emerge out of lockdown.

Remember the recruitment process has to be right from job advert through the interview process.  Interviews are now a two way street, both sides are accessing the other for suitability! Try and create a relaxed environment so you both can evaluate this.

 

Always be realistic on expectations on roles you are applying for and advertising! The recovery journey is beginning as are career paths and aspirations. 

 

 

 

Managing COVID-19 gaps on your CV

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As reopening dates are in the horizon, many individuals are working on their CV’s and one of the main concerns is having gaps on their CV’s as a result of COVID-19. My advice is, don’t be worrying! 2020-2021 will always be remembered as the year the world was put on hold. All career aspirations and businesses were halted as a result of the global pandemic.

Here are some tips to manage this and build your confidence:

Important to note: If you’ve been furloughed, you have technically still been employed as you remained on the payroll.

Always be honest:
The simple most important thing to remember, is to always be honest when dealing with a gap on your CV should it be due to COVID-19 or other. Honesty is always the best policy, and I would always recommend you apply that thought and principle on CV, interviews & LinkedIn.  While you may be tempted to leave out your employment gap on your CV or make up an excuse as to why you were out of work, always be honest with potential employers about your employment gap.

Include a note on your CV / Cover letter about your job due to COVID-19:
Potential employers and good recruiters can quickly identify gaps on CV’s. It’s always a good idea to give them the information they’re looking for, rather than leave them to speculate the reason behind your gap.
Many people have been affected by redundancies throughout the pandemic, and recruitment managers are aware of this. We recommend you include a small snippet in your CV regarding your job loss due to COVID-19 and clarify it with complete transparency and honesty.
Own it and take the worry away. It’s nothing to be ashamed about!

Remain focused and positive:
Being made redundant is a daunting experience and can leave people feeling discouraged and impact their confidence about job searching again. Many won’t have ever experienced a gap on CV’s before this. It’s important you remain focused and positive throughout this time and not let this experience dishearten you on your job search. You are not on your own and employers, will be aware of the impact the recent pandemic has had on our industry.

Put emphasis on your skill set & experience:
The best way to approach any job application is by painting a good clear picture of your skills and experience to match the job you are applying for. Potential employers and recruiters will be interested to hear about the value you will be able to bring to the job – so focus on your skills and accomplishments, not your employment gap.

The better you demonstrate your skills, the more you are creating awareness of your best assets and attributes that you can bring rather than forcing on the employment gap.

Your LinkedIn profile:
Ensure your LinkedIn profile reflects your CV, remember it’s your online CV presence and can lead to multiple opportunities as recruiters and potential employers search for potential candidates. Check your LinkedIn setting is set to ‘open to job opportunities’. Let your connections know you are open to discuss opportunities and are ok to be contacted.

A top tip is to indicate that you have been laid off due to COVID-19, you can put “The Coronavirus Job Gap” to your LinkedIn profile as a ‘company’. An anonymous user created this so that employers would be aware of this employment gap.

Set goals and look after yourself throughout the job search: 
Set a daily or weekly application goal to stay on top of relevant opportunities, read jobs descriptions in depth ensuring you match all essential criteria before applying, you don’t need more knock backs, that will make you question your ability.
Look after yourself and mental health along the job search journey.

It’s important to stay patient and positive by taking breaks, practising self-care and investing in skill development as you search for jobs. There are many online courses being delivered by Spring Board Charity & colleges (many fully funded) other industry bodies to help assist upskilling throughout these times.

Finally, remember that one CV will not fit all roles or company cultures, always tailor your CV to the company and role you are applying for!

Best of luck and remember to believe in yourself, the past year has been a year which many have used to stop and reflect, now it’s time to start putting those goals back in place and looking to restarting the career journey!