recruitment

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.

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?

...And it's all thanks to YOU.

No, really, we mean it.

We were recently nominated in the upcoming Marketing & Advertising Recruitment Awards (http://www.ukmara.co.uk) and, thanks to your votes, we are now finalists across three categories:

Best Newcomer (we're 18 months young, but wise beyond our years)
Best Social Media Strategy (some would argue Twitter was invented specifically to spread the world about our fantastic jobs)*
Best Recruitment Website (admit it: it's gorgeous).

We've got this far because you voted for us. The fact that we're now finalists for three different awards, against stiff competition, tells us that the connections we've made - be they clients or candidates - have taken the time to lend their support, and for that we are seriously grateful.

And now?

We've been nominated for MARA 2011 in a number of categories including Best Newcomer, Best Recruitment Website, Best Small Agency and Best Social Media Strategy.

“NU Creative Talent is one of the most innovative and trusted Creative & Media recruitment agencies in London. In only 18 months, we’ve successfully sourced talented creative, marketing and sales professionals for a range of blue chip and SME clients, many of whom are global brands. As a result, we’re expanding at a phenomenal rate; we’ve outgrown our humble roots and are about to relocate, as well as increase our headcount. The secret to our success is simple: a cunning mix of cutting-edge solutions and good old customer service that ensures that everyone is treated as an individual.”

Please vote for us by clicking on the link below. Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.
http://www.ukmara.co.uk/nu-creative-talent
Thanks,

Subhan & Dan

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?