Employers Want Candidates with Potential

Employers Want Candidates with Potential Harvard’ or ‘Oxbridge’ are often mentioned in the same sentence as ambitious global business leaders and the political elite â€" most relevantly with current US President Donald Trump has earned an economics degree from the University of Pennsylvania and Boris Johnson, Great Britain’s 28th Prime Minister, having attended The University of Oxford. Ivy League schools and Russell Group universities are viewed as reputable educational institutes that produce bright individuals who are highly sought out by the best organizations. However, new data carried out by TopCV, our CV-writing business, and UK job board CV-Library reveals that employers have come to hold other traits in higher regard. When asked to choose between education, experience, and potential, 63% of UK employers cited potential to be the most important factor, substantially more than experience (35%) or education (2%). This sentiment appears to be universal: a similar study carried out by TopResume, our resume-writing business in the US, found that 45% of US employers also prioritize a candidate’s potential ahead of their experience (37%), personality (16%) and education (2%). I wasn’t surprised by these results. While earning a degree from a prestigious school can open many doors, it can only take an individual so far. When it comes to hiring great talent, it’s more important for employers to determine whether a candidate is genuinely interested in developing new skills and will take a creative approach to solving problems, rather than focusing on where a candidate received their education. In other words, a candidate’s potential â€" rather than education â€" is a better barometer for a successful hire.   Potential, which is defined as demonstrating the capacity to become or develop into something in the future, is paramount. Someone with high potential is a problem-solver who will bring value to the role. As a recruiter, you are effectively looking for the best return on investment for the organization â€" and it’s the determination and drive of a candidate that matters most. Candidates can always learn on the job, whether that’s hard skills such as coding, or soft skills like client relations which develop with experience. What they can’t learn is curiosity, determination and enthusiasm for the work. It is time to rethink our approach to hiring great talent. Rather than focusing on a candidate’s education, consider how they’ve previously tackled challenges to find creative solutions, how they’ve learned new skills and how they’ve utilized their work experience to provide value. The research reflects a change in attitude at companies like EY â€" a Big Four accountancy firm which, a few years ago, stated they would no longer consider degrees or A-Level results when assessing employees. Since then, other popular employers like Apple, Google and Netflix have followed suit by no longer requiring employees to have a 4-year degree. Don’t discredit a candidate just because they have never done a particular role before. Instead, ask yourself the following questions when going through their CV and interviewing them to determine their potential: Is this person a problem-solver? Have they provided examples that demonstrate their ability to take initiative, adapt or think creatively to find a solution? In previous roles, did the candidate take initiative to invest in their personal development, such as joining a course, because it opened up a new opportunity? Do the individual’s questions reflect a genuine interest in the opportunity, and are they seeking clarity to determine if this is the right role for them? Is the candidate able to draw a parallel between their previous experience and this job’s requirements? Will this individual fit in with the company culture? Recruiting the right candidate is crucial for a business, not just in monetary terms but for the cultivation and continuation of a company’s culture. It’s important to get it right, regardless if you’re recruiting for an in-house role or working in an agency. By considering the whole picture and understanding the fundamental workings of the organization at hand, you will be able to hire high-potential employees who will create value at the company for years to come. About the author: Jeff Berger is the CEO and founder of Talent Inc., the global leader in technology-enabled career services. Through its suite of brands â€" TopCV, TopResume, and TopInterview â€" the company helps professionals tell the best versions of their career stories, enabling them to stand out from the crowd and land the right job, faster.

Starting a Business The Only Things You Need To Think About For Success

Starting a Business The Only Things You Need To Think About For Success When it comes to starting a business from nothing and creating it into something that is tangible and successful, it will feel like a huge achievement. You work hard to make the business dream become your reality and you do what you can to ensure that it keeps moving in the right direction. The issue is, you can lose sight of the priorities as your begin to try and keep the plates spinning. It is understandable and happens to the very best of entrepreneurs and business owners.   It doesnt matter if you work from home and your spare room is your stockroom. It doesn’t matter if you have a whole heap of people working behind the scenes in various different departments. Whether your business is big or small, there are things that you can do to help you continue on the path to success and move the business forward. With that in mind, here are some of the things to think about.   You as a business owner   One of the first things that you may need to think about is you as a business owner. Do you not only have the idea but the ambition to move it forward and make it a success? A business owner and entrepreneur will take on a lot of pressure in those early days. Needing to handle things exclusively and being responsible for every aspect of their business. So as things move forward it it worth readdressing a few key areas.   Leadership style   Do you think your leadership style is up to scratch? Often as we focus too much on the business side of things we forget that we also need to be seen as a leader to move the business forward. You may only have yourself to think about still, or you may have one, two or a team of people behind you. A good leader is productive, motivated and ready to make changes when it comes to driving the business forward. Is your leadership up to scratch? You may want to think about how you present yourself when it comes to your business and how you do lead it forward. Whether that is positive or negative you can then make the necessary changes.   Business mindset Another thing to consider would be your business mindset and whether you have the right mindset to move the business forward. It could be that you may need to think about how you actively portray yourself when it comes to your mindset. A business mindset is no different than your mindset that you would want to have in daily life. You want to try and ensure that you have a positive outlook on life and how your business performs. Negativity breeds negativity and this is especially apparent if you have people working for you as well. It is time to be focused and ensure you change your mindset for the better.   Your business brand Your brand is a huge aspect of your business and one thing that should be focused on right from the start. Your brand can be considered many different things, and this is when you may become stuck as to how you keep up with the consistency. Here are a few factors to think about when it comes to your business brand.   Social media content   One of the biggest assets a business has these days is there digital presence and social media is a huge part of that. Without out, a business may not be as successful as it could be. Social media is all about marketing, content and strategy. This is where your business brand and brand voice come into play. You need to be consistent with the content that you share and the tone and style that you use. If you can do that, then you can ensure that you start to build an organic and engaged audience. It might be worth coming up with a marketing campaign that can be focused on your social media output.   Your brand and logo Your brand and logo are also big elements of your business, and so you may want to ensure that you do all that you can to try and keep this streamlined and consistent. It is a logo that needs to be recognisable, and the branding strapline that meet up to your business ethics and what you want to achieve. You also need to factor in things like colours and how they may work within your business, your logo and brand. This can then marry up to other aspects of your business such as social media content and your website.   Your business website   Last of all, while your branding needs to be apparent on your website, you also need to think about the type of content that is on there and whether it is serving as purpose to your business. You will need to think about things such as search engine optimisation and keywords. The website needs to be able to be presented when people search out things online, which is one of the quickest and easiest ways that people want to find out information.   The right team of people   Another thing to think about when it comes to your business is having the right team of people around you. This can be especially important when it comes to moving your business forward and expanding. There are a few different elements to think about when it comes to going from being it exclusively your responsibility to letting go of certain aspects of your business.   Placing a value on your time   You need to get to the stage where you may need to place a value on your time. As your business progresses, so does your need to be successful. With your business growing it can become impossible for you to do all of the tasks that are associated with it, and therefore you need to decide where your time is most valuable. That might be in sales and driving the business forward, it may be more behind the scenes and making strategic moves. Value your time so that you can then pinpoint where you need the extra help.   Making recruitment a priority Recruitment may become a big possibility for you as you start to see that you need a decent team of executives and experts with you to help move the business forward. It can be hard to initially find the right people for the job, and this can then cause more problems as you need to deal with high turnovers. However, enlisting the help of Executive Recruiters can be a great move to make and takes away some of the pressure that you may face in those initial early stages of meeting potential candidates.   Outsourcing when needed   Sometimes the role in your business is not something that requires somebody to be part of the team full time, and so you may need to think about outsourcing instead. This can be a huge asset to your business, and can help to move it forward when it comes to freeing up time for you to focus on aspects of the business where you can make the biggest difference.   The next steps   Finally, you need to start considering the next steps when it comes to your business and how you may want to move it forward. You may be ecstatic with the levels of success you have seen now, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t move the business forward and attempt to make further changes when it comes to making the right moves. There are a few different things that you can consider when it comes to taking the next steps. Here’s some suggestions.   New business location Maybe right now your business has always been one that has been run from home. But it could be the right time to make that change when it comes to a new business location. Perhaps a shop where you can sell items directly to customers. This could be a great asset to encourage more footfall and a different type of customer into your business. Or you could look at expanding into a location where you can hire staff and storage products away from home. Helping you to increase the amount of stock you hold and then subsequently sell.   Expanding products and services Expansion could mean that you want to look into expanding your products or services that you provide. It could be that there is a natural progression to make in this area and the ideal step to take to capitalise on success that you have already had. Enticing back previous customers and reaching out to new ones.   A focus on the local community Last of all, your expansion could mean a different marketing approach. It may be that you want to now focus on your local area and community. Many people want to shop and support local businesses these days, and so this could be the ideal way to promote your business. Using local social media pages, advertising directly in community magazines and getting involved in local community events. These things could be a great way to expand your customer base while staying local.   Let’s hope these tips help you to create and move your business forward.  

Podcast 43 If I Was Starting a Blog Now, Heres What I Would Do First - Classy Career Girl

Podcast 43 If I Was Starting a Blog Now, Heres What I Would Do First Welcome to Classy Career Girl’s Love Your Work and Life Podcast. I am your host Anna Runyan. I am getting a lot of questions lately on blogging so I decided to dedicate an entire one hour training all about it on Facebook live recently. Today you’ll get to listen to me share everything I have learned about starting a blog over the last 6 years since I first published my first post. We have over 1,500 articles now on CCG. Some written by me and some written by guest contributors. We’ve made mistakes. We’ve had some big wins and of course the whole blogging world has changed a lot over the last few years. Most importantly though, I am going to share with you today, what I would do if I started all over again. From what platform I would use, to how often I would blog if I was starting all over again and even to the plugins I would use to manage it all. If you are short on time but have a message to share with the world, you are going to love this. Grab a pen and paper and let’s dive in! Click play below or  right click here and save link as  to download or subscribe on iTunes  here on this link: If you are enjoying our podcast, please leave us a review on iTunes! It would mean the world. Thank you! CCG 43: If I Was Starting a Blog Right Now, Here’s What I Would Do First 1. Use Bluehost.com to purchase domain name (Cost: $10/year) and hosting ($150/year). 2. Download WordPress.org through Bluehost (Cost: Free). Find a free WordPress theme or search for a theme under $50. 3. Design my logo myself in picmonkey.com. (Cost: Free) 4. Go to Target and spend $25 on the prettiest office supplies, notebooks, straws and pink staplers I can find. Check out the $1 section for some great deals. You can also get a white posterboard at Target as well for $1 and use your iPhone or phone camera! (Cost: $25) 5. Create Pinterest images on picmonkey.com.  (Cost: Free) 6. Use Yoast SEO plugin.  (Cost: Free) 7. Create a personalized Leadbox on every article using Leadpages to collect emails. I would give away a checklist or cheat sheet on every blog post that is directly related to the content of that article. (Cost: $29/month) 8. I would write one incredible article once per week with a ton of great info (just like this one!). I would stay very consistent. (Cost: Free) 9. Promote my blog everywhere all week long. Over and over again. Use quotes from the article and different images from the same blog post all throughout the week. Make it a great post. Have a great lead magnet for that post with a cheat sheet that went along with that blog post. Schedule this all using a great social media scheduler called ViralTag. (Cost: Free) 10. Create a video for every blog post. Embed it onto the site and upload the video to YouTube and Facebook separately. Also, share 1-minute sections of the video on Instagram. Video on mobile is so popular right now and it’s only going to grow over the next few months. You can reach so many more people when you upload videos on Facebook right now than just posting a quote. (Cost: Free) 11. Partner with other writers and share each other’s content. Ask them to share their articles on social media so it drives traffic to your site. Your readers will love reading different voices on your site as long as the writer is sticking with the categories of your site. The more often you post, the more you can share on social media and the better rankings on Google. I think this is a better strategy than guest posting since it drives traffic to your site rather than you driving traffic to other people’s sites. I love this strategy because I love creating communities and sharing other people’s advice because I feel like it creates better content and more value for the reader. (Cost: Free) Total cost is way less than $500 to start. Just go for it, ok!? Some of the links in this post are affiliate links meaning I may earn a commission through clicks or purchases made using that link.

How To Advance Your Career

How To Advance Your Career Whether you are brand new to your job or if you have been there for several years already, chances are you are looking for ways to get ahead so that you do not stay stuck in the same place for the rest of your career. Though excelling in your career by learning how to manage finances or do proper protocols, it is certainly a good goal to have in mind, knowing how to do it can be overwhelming at best, not to mention disheartening, especially if you dont have a mentor helping you. Having a good grasp of money management is important. As you are working towards that dream job, save and be smart with money. If you are a veteran or active-duty military, you can get a Vortex military discount through expertvoice.com. Unlock perks based on your experience and knowledge. These are the types of money-saving ideas you need to watch for. Below are a few tips to help you advance your career that you can take right to the bank. Work on goals that actually make a difference You may be working your own dream job that you have dreamed of working from the day you were born, or you might be working a job that works fine but is only a place holder until your dream job opens up. Either way, there will be either personal or professional goals come up that you can tackle. When you set important goals for yourself and find ways to meet those goals it will impress your employers and show them that you are dedicated to making things happen which will, in turn, get them to give you more responsibility. Keep on learning If you are an effective employee, then you know that in order to continue moving in a positive direction instead of plateauing in one place, you will have to continue learning new things. Keep finding ways to gain new skills that pertain to your job, ask for more responsibilities, constantly set new goals. Keep pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone so that when a big opportunity with a big pay raise opens up, you are a qualified candidate that stands out to your employer as the person to use. Get mentored by powerful executives in your company and watch others often You may not want to be the next CEO of the company, but chances are that you do not want to stay in the same place that you are in now. If you want to move and have more responsibilities, watch and imitate people who already have those responsibilities. Find a powerful person in your company and have them mentor you on their methods. They will teach you how to make better decisions, how to prioritize your work, and how to carry the demands that come with a promotion. Watching powerful people and/or having them mentor you will help you learn how to relate to them better as well as get you mentally and professionally prepared for promotions down the road. Take care of your own personal health You may not think about your personal health meaning much to your career goals as it does not directly affect how you move up the corporate ladder. However, your physical health is a huge asset to your career. You need to be in top physical health in order to stay motivated and to be able to keep up with the demands of the job without burning out. Exercise regularly, eat right, and sleep well in order to stay healthy and keep from running out of all your provided sick days. Learn how to manage people through every type of scenario If you are set on moving up the corporate ladder, then you have to be ready for the fact that the higher up you go, the more people you are going to have to manage and take care of. This also means that the more people you manage, the more conflict you will run into, it is just an inevitable part of work. However, if you take the time to go to seminars or learn from your current boss, you can learn how to get all the skills you need for conflict management resolution techniques. Even if a conflict is something that you would normally turn away from, gaining these skills will make you a more confident person and will get you ready to deal with even the toughest of situations. If you value your career and wish to advance it, show up, work hard, value your time and yourself, and be the best you can be every time you show up to work. Your employers will take notice of your commitment and your career will begin to advance in no time.

How To Create A Resume Format That is Unique

How To Create A Resume Format That is UniqueThe first thing that you should know when creating a resume format is that it is not as simple as writing the resume word for word. As you probably know, there are four different sections to a resume. Since this process is quite lengthy, you should use a template.Templates are available for all four sections of the resume. The fact that they come in templates makes them perfect for beginning to create a resume for a new hire. A template can be altered to fit the needs of a different person.You will also find templates that were created specifically for writers to use and create their own resume. These are also excellent resources for people who want to continue to use the same format for the future. The fact that you can change the format of the template is helpful because this means that you can add or remove sections at any time in the future. This can save you from having to create a new template every time.There are many different templ ates available for these sections. The reason that these types of templates are so helpful is because you can use the information that you get from them and make adjustments to the format of your resume. When you are creating a template, you will find that the process is pretty easy.Templates allow you to customize the information that you want to include in your resume. The way you can use the template will depend on how much information you want to include and the number of sections that you want to fill in. For example, if you only need to fill in one section, then you will find that you can simply input the name of the section and the rest of the information in that section using the rest of the templates that are available.Once you have created a template for your resume format, you can simply save it and you will not have to worry about looking for the information again. When you are working with different resumes, this is beneficial because you do not have to search for the i nformation in each resume. It is also beneficial because you will never be without a resume.When you are working with the resume format, it is important to remember that it is only an important part of your job search. It is not the only thing that you should use in your resume, but it is a very important part. It is up to you to make sure that you do everything you can to ensure that your resume format is unique.When you are working with your resume format, it is best to do so from a place of confidence. Remember that you should be able to use it over again and create more resumes if necessary. By taking the time to create a unique resume format, you can eliminate a lot of the stress that comes along with your job search.

Winning, Losing and The Case For Composure

Winning, Losing and The Case For Composure Sports tournaments make for some interesting lessons on leadership and performance, and these apply equally to business and life overall. Last week, I had the chance to observe first hand the dynamics of winning and losing at the Women’s U18 European Championship Basketball tournament in Romania. Whereas the early rounds of competition were about separating out the more talented teams from the less, the later rounds were all about the differences in their ability to perform under pressure.   That’s where it got really interesting.   As we watched equally talented teams either wilt under the pressure or rise to the occasion, the word that kept cropping up from the players themselves to the coaches and also my fellow spectators was:   composure.   This seemed to encapsulate the difference between winning and losing at the top levels of the competition. So how to define composure?   The dictionary says it is a “serene, self-controlled state of mind; calmness; tranquillity.”   In the context of tournament level competition, it means the ability to keep a cool head and perform to your full potential under pressure; it’s about being able to make and execute on the same decisions in the same way when under pressure as when there is no pressure. We saw teams get frazzled and fall apart as the competition got tougher (“they didn’t keep their composure”) whereas they had played as a well-oiled unit earlier in the tournament.   We watched individual players work hard to get the ball up the court and finally break free for a lay-up only to miss (“she didn’t have composure”) while others seemed to revel in the intensity of the moment and make heroic shots against all odds. The star of the winning team is one such player.   A 5’6” point guard, she is a good ball handler but certainly not the best, and very athletic and fit, but at a notable height disadvantage to the rest of the field.   Yet she was the one who sparked the team and muscled her way through multiple defenders to score key points when the other team was trying to pull away.   She played virtually the entire final match and was the game’s leading scorer, making over 70% of her shots in contrast to 30% for the rest of the players combined. Interestingly, the semi-final and final games were her best of the tournament.   It was as though she was finally entering her comfort zone when the pressure was really on.   This young woman clearly loves to perform and openly embraced her chance to shine. What she has, her “special sauce”, is that she blossoms under pressure.   It was a joy to watch her play with such abandon, completely unfazed by bigger, stronger, and more talented (but less confident) competitors.   She trusted herself to rise to the occasion, and rise she did. Imagine what we could achieve if each of us could be so much in our element when the going gets tough if our environment could have no adverse effect on our performance at that crucial client meeting or when speaking in front of hundreds of our peers. So how do we improve our composure?   How can we sustain peak performance under increasing pressure?   Part of this ability is intrinsic, and some people are simply born with it.   But fortunately for the rest of us, much of it can be acquired through self-awareness, experience and training.   More on that to follow.

5 Ways to Improve Your Project Management Skills

5 Ways to Improve Your Project Management Skills Project management is as complex as it is crucial. Doing well in one aspect of the project has little benefit if the other critical path tasks aren’t completed in time. Conversely, upping your game in project management can truly allow you to do more with less. Here are five ways to improve your project management skills. Improve Your Communication Skills Communication skills are one of the most important skills a manager can have. This is what allows you to clearly communicate what you want done and when. There are fewer mistakes when everyone understands what to do and who is to do it. There are fewer delays, since everyone understands the timetable, task list and overarching vision. You’ll get the exact resources you need when you can effectively communicate with subcontractors and C-suite executives. Your customers will have reasonable expectations when they understand what they’re getting and when, and they will be more likely to point out issues before they become a serious problem. Communication skills are not just presentation skills or public speaking skills. You use communication skills when you’re sending emails, editing project plans, and sending status reports. Get Training in Project Management Sometimes the best way to improve your project management skills is to seek project management training. There may be areas that you identify as your weaknesses, such as time management or project estimation. If this applies to you, you could check here for training and consider getting educated in principles like leadership or the software you use on a regular basis. Or you could learn the nuances of particular areas like IT project management or dealing with stakeholders. For those who want to move up into project management, you can learn the specifics of managing small projects. Use the Right Tools Project management is not a one-size-fits-all thing and can look very different to different people. For instance, a local coffee shop won’t need the same types of tools that an ad agency who has to deal with multiple remote moving parts will. As a matter of fact, using a full project management suite could actually work to your detriment depending on your business. However, most industries will require that you have some sort of digital project management system in place, whether it’s to check supplies or schedules without having to check the board in person. The good thing is that most project management suites will have a free trial version that will allow you to check them out in detail and see if they work for you. Tools like Basecamp and Trello, for instance, allow various team members to assign tasks and make updates on their phones. Instead of using the hot new app everybody’s using, try a few for yourself, and pick the one that fits your team’s needs the best. Make Reporting a Daily Habit When It Cannot Be Automated You cannot remove obstacles if you don’t know that your team is facing them. The sooner you know about delays and issues, the sooner you can address them. The solution is to make daily reporting a habit for your team. At the end of the day, if you have found you can’t get it done or need more help to complete it, inform the manager who can. This is aside from team members tracking the time that they work for each project and managers comparing this to the time specific tasks are expected to take. If someone is going slower than expected, maybe they need help or training in how to do certain things better. Another issue is ensuring that team members update their work as they pass it along in the chain. If they are in the habit of updating documentation or reports before handing it to the next person, then you’ll have more accurate reports and better communications within the team. Take the time to review the project plan on a weekly and identify gaps. Monitor the scope, so that scope creep doesn’t end up killing your schedule. Monitor the costs so that you don’t end up running out of money too soon. Cultivate Leadership and Collaboration Management tends to focus on the details and the data. You are monitoring schedules, scope, and finances. However, project managers are managing people. Learning how to motivate and manage people allows you to get more out of them and get the best they can offer. When you become familiar with each person’s strengths and weaknesses, you learn what you need to know to delegate effectively to the people most capable of doing the task in the time frame allocated for it. Learn how to foster collaboration so that people work with each other more easily and effectively. Without the basics of good project management, software tools and management fads are irrelevant. Gain these key skills to be able to deliver projects on time, in budget and per expectations.