Meeting your Market Sector Specialist (registration)

At GPRS we appreciate how busy people are, and therefore we’ll go the extra mile to ensure we meet the best candidates in the marketplace. Your Market Sector Specialist will happily organise to meet with you at a mutually convenient time. To help us progress your case speedily we will often arrange to meet with you during the daytime at a place near you.

Please appreciate the effort we put in to creating opportunities for you, and help us to help you. Below are a few suggestions which will assist our Market Sector Specialist if you are seeking additional opportunities in addition to a specific role you may have contacted us about.

• Ensure you have completed the reference section on our registration form.
• Bring along any relevant certificates, along with proof of identification.
• Prepare a list of say 6-10 companies you would wish to work for.
• Take some quiet time out and make a list of your career achievements to date.
• Whilst doing this consider your attributes also, list them and let us know.
• Be open and honest with us regarding all information given.
• If you think you are unable to attend the meeting on time, please let us know.

Interview Checklist

Much of this information covers first time interviews, but even for those with extensive experience in these matters they’re still worth a read.

In today’s highly competitive job market, the candidate who knows the most may not be the one to get the offer. The prize typically goes to the candidate who interviews the best. Because people do not interview every day, most job seekers are pretty rusty when faced with the prospect. The job seeker needs to prepare and practice for each interview with enthusiasm and confidence.

Here are a few suggestions on how to approach the interview process:

• Research the company thoroughly.
The more you know about the organisation, the position and the person who may be your boss, the better off you
are. Match your skills and experience to the position.

• Give careful thought to your appearance.
It is claimed that people form first impressions in seven seconds and those impressions can be permanent. Projecting a confident and professional image is essential.

• Know the location of the interview and the time it will take you to get there in advance.
Rushing around trying to find the facility will only increase your nervousness.

• Know your CV.
Be prepared to explain and defend every aspect of your educational and career experience.

• Focus all efforts on building a strong case for being invited back.
Refrain from internal discussion evaluating the job and whether you want it. This will divert your attention and dampen your enthusiasm as the interview unfolds. You’ll have plenty of time to decide if you want the job if --and only if-- you are asked to return.

• Develop concrete examples about your contributions to your previous employer.
Most employers want to know how you made a difference. You must convince the hiring manager that you’re the answer to the company’s needs.

• Look for opportunities to sell yourself in the interview.
If you don’t tell the prospective employer how good you are, who will?

• Be concise and do not talk too much.
Most people only retain 20% of what they hear. Carefully select words and examples for the greatest impact.

• ‘Innoculate’ yourself against the fear of the interview by visualising the experience in advance.
What will you be wearing? What materials (if appropriate) do you plan to bring with you? Think about the physical presentation, including eye contact, body language and facial expressions.

• Polish your listening skills.
Pause briefly after each question before responding. Answer questions directly and concisely. Ask for clarification if necessary. Avoid stepping on the ends of sentences.

• Develop your own questions.
Remember, you are interviewing the company too. You will want to know if this is a job that you can do. Are these the kind of people with whom you would enjoy working? How will this position help you meet your shortterm and long-term career goals? Start with questions about the organisation, avoid the subject of compensation – your Market Sector Specialist will only present you with opportunities for roles with appropriate packages.

• Get The Facts Right.
Make sure you record, with correct spelling, all the names and titles of the people with whom you interview.

• Show Interest In Your Potential Employer
Ask for annual reports, product information and other pertinent information.

• Follow up immediately.
Make contact with your Market Sector Specialist and de-brief them fully on the interview.

Counter offers (and the dangerous allure of them)
"They'll be sorry when I leave!"
What departing employee has not had that thought? In fact, has it crossed your mind?
All too often, employers do seem sorry - suddenly offering the kind of salary, promotion or opportunity for recognition that they had refused to grant before.
Of course they're sorry. You're about to leave on your timing, not theirs. There is probably work to be done, which they were counting on you to complete. You have just fired your boss, when he or she would prefer to have the right to fire you. You have created a vacancy, which they will need to fill at some expense. And if you weren't a terrific person, they wouldn't have hired you in the first place.
They say:
"You can't do this to us." (Have a nice guilt trip.)
"We need you" (until the project is done, and we can find a replacement).
"We never realised you were unhappy." (Our employee communications are not the best.)
Surprisingly, the very best companies rarely make counter-offers. They believe they treat their employees fairly and wish them well if a better opportunity exists elsewhere. If you work for one of them, don't be disappointed if you fail to receive a counter-offer.

But if you do receive one, take a moment for a reality check:
• Our Market Sector Specialists know from long experience that there have to be strong reasons for leaving a job before most employees will consider taking a new one. If that is true in your case, have those reasons disappeared? Will staying with the employer solve them?
• If the counter-offer includes salary or job enhancement, what is the source? Are you simply getting your next raise or promotion in advance? And will you have to accept yet another job to get the raise or promotion after that?
• Your employer may appeal to your sense of loyalty. Ask yourself how loyal the employer has been to
employees.
• Statistics are not in your favor. It has been documented that four out of five people who accept counteroffers are gone within the year. Like Caesar's wife, you cannot flirt with another and still be considered virtuous. Rest assured that your employer will assume you'll look again.
• Finally, let's not forget that new job. Just as there are reasons for leaving your current company, you have seen significant opportunities at your new company - or you would not have accepted the offer of employment. These do not disappear the moment you receive a counter-offer.

The best way to avoid the messy, embarrassing situation of a counter-offer is to take charge of the situation.
Here are a few tips:
Resign in writing but hand the resignation to your boss. This helps you keep the initiative and stay in control.
Tell him or her that you've carefully weighed the merits of the two positions and have chosen the new one.
State specifically that you neither seek nor want a counter-offer and hope instead for an amicable departure.
Last but not least, avoid the temptation to recite a list of grievances. They will only provide your employer with ammunition for a counter-offer.
To quit or not to quit is often a gut-wrenching decision. It involves one of those "passages" in life that require abandoning the comfort of the old and assuming the risk of the new. Also, there may be guilt about leaving your tasks to others, not to mention the "buyer's remorse" that accompanies most big decisions.
Your employer likely realises the emotions you are going through and will use them in formulating and presenting a counter-offer, if allowed.
To ease the stress, stay in close touch with your GPRS Market Sector Specialist from the time you resign until you are actually out the door. GPRS have helped many professionals make the right decision.

Writing a winning CV
No matter what your specialisation is, and what stage your career has reached, a good CV is vital to your success.
A good CV can get you to that crucial stage - the interview!
Spend time on your CV, the effort will be worthwhile. Also, one CV will not always be suitable for every opportunity. Tailor your CV to the role you are applying for. Make sure you highlight any skills & experience you have that are relevant to the position you are applying for.
Your CV should create a picture of you and your background and career aspirations. It should make an employer
WANT to interview you!

General tips
Keep it simple! Black ink on white or cream paper, no borders, colours, or photos. Use a standard font such as Times New Roman or Arial, in size 12.
Your CV should ideally cover no more than two pages and never more than three. Aim to ensure the content is clear, structured, concise and relevant. Using bullet points rather than full sentences can help make your CV interesting and easy to read.
Check your CV carefully for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes, as these leave a bad impression no matter how good the content is! Ask your Market Sector Specialist to check it for you.
Explain any gaps in your employment history and be honest & accurate!