jobs

Last week I met with a candidate who was looking for some advice. She’s in a permanent role and is considering going freelance, but wanted to discuss the market and what she can expect as a designer who’s never freelanced before. It got me thinking about the challenges that freelancers face, and weighing up the pro’s and con’s. What would I do if I were in her position?

Many people choose to freelance, and there’s no doubt that this style of working has its bonuses. Freelancers can expect higher pay, greater flexibility and more variety of work. You’re essentially running your own business, and can be your own boss. But as Eleanor Roosevelt famously said, ‘With great freedom comes great responsibility’.

We are recruitment CONSULTANTS

Securing a new job is a big step and we appreciate this. It has to be your decision and you should have as much information as possible.

If we think you’re suitable for one of our jobs we will…
• Tell you as much as we can about the job AND the employer including their name
• If we have a job spec we’ll send it to you
• Help you with your CV and portfolio
• We may also give you additional material that will help you find out more about the job and the employer
• In 99% of cases we will meet with you in person to further discuss the job, the employer, interview tips and answer any questions you may have

We will NEVER send your CV or any other information to a client without your permission.

What do you think about this? Could we do more?

If you've ever tried to write a cover letter you'll know it can be a pretty tricky business. There are lots of different websites out there giving lots of advice so I thought I'd have a go at simplifying things. It's important to get all the relevant information in your letter whilst keeping it as short as you can. Doing so will ensure that it's read, as people often have little time and lots of applications to go through. Here’s a really simple template that will hopefully provide the basis for a great cover letter -

1st Paragraph - Start by stating the job you’re applying for and where you found it.
2nd Paragraph - Explain why you’re interested in that particular line of work and what appeals to you about the company. Talk about your strengths/skills and relate them to those required for the role.
3rd Paragraph - Thank the emloyer for considering your application.

In Defence of Recruitment Consultants
By Ed Scrivener

In recent weeks there have been some rather scathing attacks on the recruitment industry. It is a vocation that most people hold only slightly higher than Estate Agents. Much of this vitriol is well deserved, however, the reality is that it is the minority giving the majority a bad name, but as an industry we are determined to shoot ourselves in the foot and not expel these thoughts. I would like to break the stereotype of a recruitment consultant and clearly communicate how an agency works, why you need them and how to use them to your advantage.

Firstly, before approaching an agency it is important to understand exactly what they do, namely:

An agency finds people for jobs, not jobs for people

The Importance of Enthusiasm at Interviews

It’s that time of year again when a fresh bunch of graduates leave education eager to enter the world of employment. I've compiled some basic tips for grads, please add a comment below if you feel there are any tips we should add.

1) Get your CV and portfolio up to scratch. Think of yourself as a brand and really take some time to get it right (check out our blog/CV tips further down).

2) If you haven’t already done so, try and get some professional work in your portfolio. Whether it be work experience in an agency or freelance work off anyone that’ll give you some. Any professional work will strengthen your portfolio, and experience in an agency environment is great to have.

3) Do some research. Have a look at what type of agency you'd like to work for and build up a knowledge of the agencies that are out there. What type of work do you want to be producing and for what kinds of clients?

Why are we using the “Apply with LinkedIn” button?

You can now “Apply with LinkedIn” at www.nucreativetalent.co.uk and get hired faster.

Are you on LinkedIn? If not, why not? LinkedIn has over 5 million users in the UK and over 100 million globally. There are over 136,000 UK companies and over 600,000 US companies on there and it’s growing on a daily basis.

LinkedIn can be a powerful professional tool if you use it in the right way. It’s not just about when you’re searching for a job.

If you don’t already have a profile then I’d recommend you set one up immediately. Don’t do it when you start looking for a job. It can be easy to spot someone who’s looking for a new job as they’ll be furiously adding to their network, asking for recommendations and getting recommendations from everyone you work with (colleagues, managers, clients, suppliers etc.). The best thing to keep adding connections and recommendations as you go.

Can it replace the CV?

Making a “SPLASH” with Barnet College and Working Knowledge

Working Knowledge is a Social Enterprise that has dedicated itself to “Bridging the gap between education and the workplace”. In 2008 they were awarded a National Training Award for their innovative approach.

They run events for 20 to 500 students at a time and each event is tailored to the interests of the student delegates, the requirements of the college and the expectations of local employers.

I was pleased to be able to attend the “SPLASH” event at Barnet College where I was a member of the expert panel.

“SPLASH” is a one day event aimed at giving students an insight into the business world. They’re put into groups and working together they need to come up with a business idea and then work through the operational, sales, marketing, finance and people aspects of bringing their idea to market.

We're committed to working for our candidates as well as our clients and you can help us by making sure we have the most up to date information possible.

How long ago did you upload your CV to our website? Do we have your most recent CV? Are the freelance/temp positions you could add (it all helps)? Do we know what your salary expectations are?

You can update your CV and your Registration Profile by following the simple instructions below.
Login to www.nucreativetalent.co.uk

Click on 'My Account'> 'Edit'> 'Registration Profile'> you can delete your old CV and add a new one as well as updating information on the profile such as salary expectations.

The more we know about what you want the better we can advise you and increase the chances of finding the job you really want to do.