Archive for the ‘CV Help’ Category

6
Jul/10

Graduate Market Becomes Even More Competitive

Unemployment among recent graduates has risen significantly, with men worse affected than women. The Higher Education Policy Institute has estimated that unemployment among graduates aged under 24 rose by 25% from 11.1% in December 2008 to 14% in December 2009. It went on to say that at the end of 2009 17.2% of male graduates were out of work compared with 11.2% of women. Intense competition for graduate jobs means that more than three quarters of employers require at least a 2:1 degree grade - a survey conducted by the Association of Graduate Recruiters also says there are more graduates chasing fewer jobs – with vacancies down by 7%.

Applications have soared, with an average of 69 people chasing each graduate job. In response, 78% of employers are now filtering out applicants who have achieved lower than a 2:1 degree. About two thirds of students achieve either a first class degree or a 2:1 – so this means the remaining third, who will still have passed their exams and paid their tuition fees, will not even be considered by these employers. These two reports, published in July 2010 (sources BBC 7th July and BBC 4th July), show how much more competitive the graduate recruitment market is. How does a graduate respond?

He/she must rise to the challenge of marketing themselves better than other graduates. It’s what has to happen when competition increases. This happens in all markets and is a natural response. In detail, you must ensure that your CV is perfect – get professional help with it. Every small improvement is worth having.

Use a video enhanced CV – by adding a short (very short 0 30 – 60 seconds) video you can make your CV stand out. But it does much more than just that – a thoroughly practiced video transmits a lasting impression to the viewer, it allows you to control and manage first impressions, and finally, it extends by more than threefold the time a recruiter spends on your CV when doing a first screen.

Use a Career Website to be found easily. A survey run by Microsoft found that 7 out of 10 employers took online references up before meeting candidates. They googled applicants and all they found was rushed profiles placed on LinkedIn and Facebook etc. By creating your own career website via a structured service like AccendoCV you can manage this uncontrolled branding by projecting a positive career image. A career website is ‘always on’, which is essential in a competitive market.

Feel free to look at the product family offered by AccendoCV

• CV writing service
• The Video Enhanced CV (securely hosted on a career management site)
• The Career Website – personal to you, professionally designed to be visually attractive and secure.

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27
May/10

Is Your Degree Worthless?

Leaving university and entering the job hunting world is a daunting proposition today. With more budget cuts and redundancies on the cards, competition for work is increasing, and the value of a degree has become questionable since graduates are struggling to find work in the field in which they studied.

More and more students are applying for postgraduate degrees to avoid the recession’s scarce job market. Postgraduate study has reached record levels in elite universities such as Oxford, as candidates strive to raise their level of qualification. Does this mean that an undergraduate degree is worthless in the current climate?

Now more than ever, the importance of an outstanding CV and interview skills are paramount. According to a study by the Centre for Higher Education Research and Information, only 49% of British students believed their degree prepared them for future work. This suggests that the “soft skills” of communication, networking and working under pressure are what graduates are relying on.

So why are they struggling to gain employment? An employer has to sift through sometimes hundreds of applicants for any one job. If your CV shows your abilities, experience and drive clearly and succinctly, and suggests a flair for innovation, it is more likely to be noticed. Recent developments in social media and networking have brought the Video Enhanced CV to the forefront of candidate showcasing. Most CVs are sent via email these days, allowing you to take advantage of internet technology. By including a link to a professional Career Management Website, your prospective employer can view an essential first impression of you, before you even meet. Eye contact, a smile, enthusiasm and energy are integral parts of appealing to recruiters. In a rehearsed and polished Video CV, you can give them all the information they need to know with just one click of a button.

Visit AccendoCV for all aspects of Career Management, including CV writing and editing, Cover Letters, Interview Skills and to create your own Video Enhanced CV.

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9
May/10

You don’t get a second chance at a first impression

There are lots of reasons you should have a video enhanced CV, and one of them is to control the first impression that an employer has. With a short video (30 – 60 seconds of you outlining the profile section of your CV, about 40 or so words) you can take control of that all important first impression. We have all heard the stories of candidates making gaffs in the first few minutes of an interview and recovery then being impossible, but fewer of us appreciate that recruiters are known to spend less than ten seconds on the initial scan of a CV. If we can increase the time the recruiter spends on your CV we increase the chances of your getting to interview and winning the job. A link on your CV, under the profile which invites the reader to see you briefly, is something that no hiring manager will resist. By hosting your video on a Career Website you remove another of the recruiter’s issues – of not wanting to be seen in a corporate environment of viewing YouTube or similar sites. But what we achieve is the recruiter spending 30 – 60 seconds on your CV, reading on through the document as your short video plays on his/her screen. That’s x3 or x6 the time he/she spends on other candidates CVs.
If that is not sufficient to convince you of the value of a video enhanced CV, consider in more depth that all important first impression. To make a 30 – 60 video needs care and attention and you should view our training video to learn many tips, such as to use a free download teleprompter to make you look fluent on screen, dress as you were at an interview, smile, and mare techniques. A short video isn’t difficult to make (long ones really are) but it does need structure and beginning and thank you to end. But its value is immense as it gives you control over that first impression. Because you have practiced your video and are aware of its content, you have taken control over the first impression. When you meet the recruiter for interview you already know his/her impression of you, because you created it. This is a new situation in the interview dynamic, where you have the initiative.
At AccendoCV we have put together a training video together with secure hosting of your video on a major Career Website (which itself shows to interviewers that you are serious about your career). This is in addition to our CV and Career Website services, all of which are aimed at helping you make the very most of your career.

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