What is the Future of Recruitment Agencies

What is the Future of Recruitment Agencies I’ve written a few blogs for the Undercover Recruiter on how companies can reduce their agency spend by focusing on direct hires. From speaking to other HR types and recruitment consultants that I work with, it’s an increasing trend. Social media, especially LinkedIn, is making it easier than ever for organisations to source their own talent. Hollowing out work Direct sourcing is only one aspect of recruitment, and the world of work generally, that is changing. I recently attended the London Business School Future of Work Consortium, focusing on the future of talent. One of the other key trends that we will increasingly face over the next decade or so is the ‘hollowing out’ of work. For years now we have been outsourcing work to the developing world, and replacing lots of work previously done by people with machines and computers. As this trend continues, we will end up with a labour market with a big gap in the middle. The result will be lots of highly specialised work, for which there is predicted to be a shortage of suitable candidates, and lots of low skilled work which needs to be done by people, such as care work. Other trends Other trends will also impact recruitment: changing demography, increased globalisation and continuously increasing technology. Talent will also become more distributed as technology will mean your location is no longer a barrier to you doing certain types of work. The middle manager is apparently an endangered species. Each of these topics is a massive subject in its own right I’d highly recommend ‘The Shift’ by Lynda Gratton for a detailed overview. From a recruitment perspective, this war for talent people have talked of for years is predicted to become real in the not too distant future, but what does this mean for the future of recruitment and recruitment agencies? Recruiters are going to have to be agile. The old methods of attracting people to your organisations just won’t cut it in the future. We may well need to create our own talent by engaging those leaving education and investing significantly in their careers through learning and development. Employer brand will become increasingly important, as will taking into account as part of your EVP the needs of five generations in the workplace. Benefits offering will need to be carefully considered and improved if you want to attract and retain the best. With regard to recruitment agencies, they will also need to adapt to this changing environment. All of these factors, coupled with the rise and rise of social media and direct hiring models will significantly impact their traditional operating model. At the same time, it may also present significant opportunity for those who are looking to the future. The demand for low skill work means that there still will be a need for temporary agencies supplying short term labour. This might be sending in warehouse staff to cope with temporary demand, or sending a temp receptionist for holiday cover, but these agencies can survive the future of recruitment. The predicted demand for highly skilled workers presents a real opportunity for agencies operating at the senior end, as well as retained search. These workers will be able to demand a premium in the future and will be highly sought after. I do believe however, that those agencies who supply permanent staff ‘in the middle’ will become increasingly challenged. The in-house recruiter is in the rise, and the jobs they hire for are on the decline. What do you think the history of recruitment is? Let us know in the comments below. RELATED: How Staffing Agencies Can Survive the Future of Recruitment

How Important Is a Professional Resume Presentation?

How Important Is a Professional Resume Presentation?In the end, what really matters is that you create a professional resume presentation and include important information on your personal details. This means that you have to think about your personal details with utmost care and accuracy. The main point here is that you don't want to appear silly, so you have to avoid being too forward or too direct on your personal details.Personal details are not just a way of getting personal attention; you also need to be genuine and real about what you are saying when giving them to someone else. You also have to consider that your personality should not be mistaken for your qualifications in the job market.Some people try to be too cute or too romantic to impress someone; they want to make a bold statement about their unique personality. But in reality, this doesn't make sense; it is a double-edged sword. If you portray yourself as too flamboyant and over-the-top, others may feel intimidated b y you and feel insulted.Remember that no matter how detailed you try to be with your personal information, your resume presentation is about getting a job interview. You have to be honest and accurate so that you don't appear fake or over-confident.Your resume presentation must look professionally done and informative. Remember that most employers can quickly see through a poorly done presentation, and may disqualify you as a candidate. This is why you have to make sure that you practice the presentation as often as possible and that you take enough time to put your all into it.Even if you are not good at making presentations, it does not mean that you cannot follow this advice. As I said, the purpose of creating a professional resume presentation is to appear professional and legitimate.Your personal information can be checked in many ways. If you do not want your personal information to be used against you, you can simply omit any information that you do not want. Also, ensure tha t you remove personal information when sharing it with others, especially when working with companies that you do not know.If you do not want to share your personal information with someone else, you should make sure that you don't give it to anyone. They should keep it all for themselves. It is their decision to not put it into the wrong hands.

How to Believe in Yourself and Become a Better Freelancer

How to Believe in Yourself and Become a Better Freelancer Venturing into freelancing can be a daunting prospect, especially if you’re fresh out of school or if you’ve worked your whole life in traditional 9 to 5 jobs. For one thing, you aren’t really sure if you’ll be able to find the projects you need to make a regular income. For another, you might actually still have some doubts about your own capabilities. Nevertheless, freelancing can be a very rewarding experience. You’re making the decision that henceforth, you’ll be charting your own career pathâ€"no more horrible bosses, no more being forced to work with legitimately appalling colleagues or clients. Of course, having this free rein over your career still comes with a lot of responsibilities. It is only by having a positive frame of mind and the right amount of discipline that you can hope to actually become a successful freelancer. How can you develop the right freelancer mindset and believe in your own skills and capabilities? Here are a few tips that you can follow. Develop your assertiveness One of the most important things that you can do to boost your confidence level as a freelancer is to learn how to be assertive. Assertiveness means having the ability to express your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs directly and honestly while still respecting the rights of the people around you. It means being able to stand up for yourself while knowing how to appropriately respond to others who might not agree with your views. Learning how to be assertive is important in advancing your skills in managing your clients, suppliers, or partners. Improving your assertiveness allows you to communicate your needs and desires with assurance. It also allows you to stand up to abusive treatment from others. At the same time, having the ability to respect others also means gaining the respect of these people. You can read this guide about being assertive as a creative professional to learn more about the subject.   Constantly update and develop your skills For a lot of freelancers, it is tempting to fall into the trap of thinking that you are not good enough. This is counterproductive and to be avoided. It’s impossible to avoid these thoughts completely so if you do have them   use them as a prompt to learn something new and improve your skill set. As a creative professional or freelancer, there’s always room for self-improvement and new things to learn. Whether you’re a writer, a designer, a programmer, or a virtual assistant, you need to find time to improve your existing skills. You can take classes, attend seminars and workshops, or go to networking events where you can learn from other people in your field. Before you start learning something new it’s always useful to think strategically about how that new skill fits with the rest of your portfolio to be sure that it will help to make you more marketable and allow you to bring more value to your clients’ businesses.   Take pride in your work As a freelancer, you should remember that you are working on developing your own brand, and the quality of your output will, in large part, determine the reputation that you build. It is not enough to accomplish your tasks halfheartedly or in a mediocre manner. Your clients have put their trust in you, so it is your responsibility to give them their money’s worthand give them your very best work. Be open to suggestions or criticisms, and be flexible in terms of making compromises. Of course, you should never be afraid to celebrate your talent and creativity either. Again, be assertive when it comes to offering your own suggestions and ideas on how you can make each project better. Also consider building an online portfolio where you can showcase your best work to prospective clients. It costs almost next to nothing to set up your own blog. Finally, when accepting new projects, always make sure that you are happy with the compensation you will be receiving. Never work for peanuts.   Edge out of your comfort zone Being a freelancer often means being able to thrive on unpredictability. For instance, you could be dealt with the challenge of not being able to find enough clients or projects to work on. On the other hand, you could also be proffered opportunities you may never have expected or imagined. Whether it’s getting a huge amount of workload, being invited to a speaking engagement, or being given an opportunity to work with a big client, be prepared to stray out of your comfort zone. Test the waters so that you can find out what else you are capable of. Believing in yourself is one big key to becoming successful as a freelancer. Although developing confidence can take some time and effort, it is perfectly achievable when you put your heart and mind to it. Get started today! Image Source; Image Source

A Reason To Hate . . . Or Not.

A Reason To Hate . . . Or Not. One of the first things I learned as a child was that there was no reason to fear those who were different just because they were different.  There was no reason to hate them when you didnt even know them. My mother worked in a liberal university, and I suppose that accounted for some of her behaviors and beliefs.   Still, I was able to witness her ease of interacting with and befriending people regardless of their color, religion, race, or sexual orientation.   In her eyes, they were just people doing their best to make their way in this often challenging world. Lessons From Life Early in my adult life, I had two experiences in particular that helped cement those same lessons.   The first was a potentially ugly and dangerous situation in which a stocky and verbally abusive young white man was harassing me. Out of nowhere, a hulking black rescuer appeared.   The would-be assailant was lifted off his feet and up against the wall, and delivered a quite forceful message:   “Leave her alone.”   Turning towards me, he reassured me with “don’t worry, I’ve got your back.”   I didn’t know this welcome saint, and in fact never even learned his name.   But I shall always remember his kindness and the goodness of his soul. Later, as a manager for a national semiconductor manufacturer, I had a chance to pay it forward.   In a particularly conservative city, it was discovered that one of my team members was both gay and HIV positive.   I had hired him.   While there were those who opposed me, I stood by him and his presence on the team.   I didn’t see a gay man, I saw another human being in need of a friend. Fear . . Or Understanding? The common threads here are clear: Most prejudice is based on misinformation and fear. The key to understanding and acceptance is to learn about that which we might fear. In our ever-shrinking world, it’s assured that you’ll be confronted with someone who doesn’t look, or worship, or have relationships that match yours.   Your choice is to stay in fear, or to learn.   Sometimes, life will deal out a lesson even when you aren’t expecting it.   That happened to me recently, when I was given a book to review that I might normally have passed on.    The title “Woman Incognito” wasn’t enough to disclose the subject matter.   I missed the subtitle “Transsexual Without Transition.” The author, Lee Schubert, recounts her life as a transsexual.   From childhood through mid-life, the reader is allowed to see the world through the eyes of someone unsure of the most basic elements of human identity one’s gender.  This is one of those books that makes you say, “wow, I guess my challenges aren’t so bad after all.”       For a journey to increased empathy, it’s a worthwhile read. It’s been said that we, as humans, are much more alike than we are different.   It’s my belief that the sooner you learn that, more full and at peace your life will be. . Image credits. Main.  Friend.

Resume Writing Lesson - What to Put in Your Resume

Resume Writing Lesson - What to Put in Your ResumeAre you looking for a resume writing lesson on what to put in your resume? I hope this article will help you out. Writing a resume is not easy. It requires your best skills, knowledge and attention to detail to craft a well-structured resume that will make you stand out among the crowd.When choosing a profession, there are many factors to consider such as how much education and training you have acquired, whether or not you are certified how much experience you have had in a particular field, what kind of experience do you possess, whether or not you have gone on to become a manager, or a high-ranking executive, and so on. With all these factors in mind, how can you make sure that your resume will be read and understood by your future employer?Resume writing lesson number one is to do your research. Make sure that you know everything that you need to know about the job you want, the career path you would like to take, and what qualiti es are most important in a certain job. A resume needs to catch the attention of your future employer, so it is very important that you clearly spell out what you do and how long you have been doing it.Find out as much as you can about the company you are applying for. Take a look at their websites and see if you can find anything that can give you an idea of what kind of person they are and what kind of job position they might be looking for. If possible, ask them for references or employment history, and let them know that you would be more than happy to give them a call when you get a chance. Getting a reference is always a good idea especially if they have the same qualifications that you have.When looking for job descriptions, keep in mind that not all companies will hire the same candidate. If you would like to get a higher salary than what is offered by your current company, why not look for other employment opportunities? You may find that you are the best candidate for a pr omotion or a raise simply because you have been able to earn more money than what was given to you.Try to be creative with your resume; most potential employers are looking for people who are different and can be a breath of fresh air to the corporate environment. This is a big reason why your resume is your first step to landing a job.If you have been laid off, your resume is still very important. Be sure to write a cover letter and a resume and other materials and send them to the prospective employer, because there are some job positions that require that your resume and cover letter be included in the application process.Resume writing lesson number two is to always be yourself and be as professional as possible. If you appear too nervous or anxious in an interview, you may be disqualified from the job.

Five great tips for successful success - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Five great tips for successful success - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Guy Kawasaki asks Seth Godin five questions, including What are the five things that enabled you to be successful?. Seth answers: No ulterior motive. I rarely do A as a calculated tactic to get B. I do A because I believe in A, or it excites me or it?s the right thing to do. That?s it. No secret agendas. I don?t think my audience owes me anything. It?s always their turn. I?m in a hurry to make mistakes and get feedback and get that next idea out there. I?m not in a hurry, at all, to finish the ?bigger??? project, to get to the finish line. I do things where I actually think I?m right, as opposed to where I think succeeding will make me successful. When you think you?re right, it?s more fun and your passion shows through. I?ve tried to pare down my day so that the stuff I actually do is pretty well leveraged. That, and I show up. Showing up is underrated. I really, really like each of these, and what we have here might as well be the beginnings of a manifest for honest business. What runs through each of Seths five points is a certain ego-lessness, a sense that business is not about me or what I can get but about what I can contribute. Being in business for the giving rather than the getting is a great approach and a sure path to a happier and more fulfilling work life. And success. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

4 Prerequisites For Starting A Career In The SEO Field - CareerAlley

4 Prerequisites For Starting A Career In The SEO Field - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Used to be the case that people mostly fell in to doing SEO as a profession. Someone building a friends website, a freelance writer that converted to full time SEO, the scenarios are endless. Nowadays its actually becoming more and more frequent that people will actually go into an SEO career on purpose. This is largely because of two reasons 1) theres no barrier to entry and 2) the demand for honest and ethical SEO practitioners cant come close to being filled. Unfortunately, these 2 factors have created a perpetual cycle that breeds less than credible providers. But since youre not interested in being one of those providers, Ive brought you some prerequisites. These qualities will help you start your SEO career and stay several steps ahead of the low quality providers. Know What Youre Doing There are plenty of self proclaimed experts out there that, I can assure you, dont know what theyre doing. This goes back to the no-barrier-to-entry factor I touched on earlier. Theres no governing body to say who knows what theyre doing and who doesnt, so they can basically say whatever they want and get away with ittemporarily. Because the methods that these types of providers employ are outdated and can even put a websites health in danger, they often have high client turnover and dont get many referrals. To make sure youre never pegged with this type of reputation, make sure youre knowledgeable enough to fulfill your promises and not over promise on capabilities. You should be able to show a record of strategies that you have implemented for clients, and what kind of results the campaign had. Make sure youre able to explain the roles of link building, site structure, content creation as it relates to search marketing. If you have a website make sure you have case studies of your results, or even your resume on your site for the world to see. Its ok to know only a little bit about SEO, just know that little bit inside and out. Being knowledgeable (and working towards gaining more knowledge) like this will lead to more referrals, more clients, and a growing business that is in demand. Work You wont get very far without money, and if youre going the self-employed route, then clients are a must-have. If you have a full time job, you might want to start building your SEO clientele while you still have a job. Otherwise, any rough patch along the way could spell disaster early. If youre in a position to jump right in then sites like oDesk or elance.com are good places to find leads. You wont get much for your first few jobs (probably lower than minimum wage), but as long as you do good work youll be able to charge more with each new project. One recommendation when dealing with these type of sites treat these sites as a stepping stone. As your skills grow youll want to break off on your own so you can work on your own terms. With that in mind, always keep an eye out for projects on these sites that offer recurring revenue. These jobs can be a useful springboard to get into a fulltime business of your own. Depending on your skill level and what jobs you take, this strategy can put you in fulltime career in under a year. Be Honest Because our industry is filled with a large amount of not-so-honest providers, you can automatically increase your worth by being one of the good guys. This single quality was the biggest reason I got referrals early on in my career (cause I wasnt the best salesman). Many of my first clients first came to me after they had already had bad experiences with 2 or 3 bad providers. They stuck with me because I was able to be candid with them about my services and explain to them how the methods I employed worked. Having this mentality when starting your career in SEO is extremely advantageous. For your clients, they are on the outside looking in, and this will be easily recognizable because of how transparent you are compared to other providers. Never Stop Learning Without a genuine enjoyment of this industry and what it has to offer, youll probably never be happy with your chosen profession. This is largely because you have to be constantly reading and experimenting with new tactics. Otherwise youll lose any competitive edge that you might have over other providers, and youll always be behind in methods that youre able to offer to your clients. For me personally, this is so critical that I set aside at least 1 hour of time everyday to go through my favorite blogs and see whats new. Again, if you enjoy learning about the industry and its community, this wont be hard to do. You should always be able to look back at your previous year and laugh at how much more youve learned since then. Keeping these things in mind should start you well on your way to becoming a great SEO provider. More A Surefire Way to Amp-Up Your Career Long before starting his own search marketing agency, Jared Carrizales had an entrepreneur spirit. He tries to spread that part of his personality by blogging about search marketing, startups, and entrepreneurship. Catch up with him on Twitter @JaredCarrizales. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Joey Trebif