Common Job Interview Mistakes to Avoid.

Bring Zen to the interview, dress formal and give clear and meaningful answers! Here’s a list of some key things to avoid when heading off to your next interview!

Explaining gaps on your CV

For an employer seeing gaps on a job seeker’s CV’s can set off warning bells pretty quickly. Here’s some useful and sensible career advice about how to work with these gaps, and sometimes, use them to your advantage.

What to wear to your next interview

It takes less than three seconds for an interviewer to form an impression of us.

Interview questions you will probably be asked (and how to answer them.)

Whether you are being interviewed by an agency recruiter or the hiring manager directly, there are some key questions that you will likely be asked when you go into an interview.

What is your daily routine like?

Time and time again we see articles about how you should plan your day, what kind of routine you should have, how much sleep you need or how little sleep you can work on, when you can eat and when you should sleep. It’s all too much! Why don’t we peel things back a bit and look at things from a more simple perspective. In his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin wrote about how he would try living his life according to the simple schedule below. "I enter'd upon the execution of this plan for self-examination, and continu'd it with occasional intermissions for some time. I was surpris'd to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined ; but I had the satisfaction of seeing them diminish," One of the most important things Ben did was ask himself two key questions. In the morning ‘what good he would achieve that day, then at night ‘what good he had achieved.’ Perhaps most interesting is that he never stuck to this routine himself. In the style of perhaps one of the most narcissistic autobiographies ever written he explained that he was far too important to stick to such a schedule. “I found that, tho' it might be practicable where a man's business was such as to leave him the disposition of his time, that of a journeyman printer, for instance, it was not possible to be exactly observed by a master, who must mix with the world, and often receive people of business at their own hours," Nonetheless, if you are sick of reading all the different ways you can possibly make your day more productive and meaningful maybe just give this a go. Ask yourself what you want to achieve and what you did achieve, give yourself meaning and structure. For more tips and advice check out  talentpropellerjobs.com.au | talentpropellerjobs.co.nz

Are you overqualified or underqualified

Time and time again we get people applying for jobs who have experience and qualifications that they believe are perfect for the positions they are applying for.   However employer feedback repeatedly suggests they are either too qualified or under qualified for the position. A prospective employer may decline your application on the basis that you are ‘too overqualified’ for the role. When at the same time another employer may decide the calibre of candidates was incredibly high and that someone else was more suitable for the positon. Either way you simply don’t ‘fit.’ The truth is, if you keep getting told you are overqualified or under qualified then you obviously aren’t hitting the sweet spot of the business you are applying for. What we mean by this, is that you need to understand what you are good at, what you love to do and most importantly, how can you help this business or ease ‘business pain’. The moment you start asking yourself ‘how can I add value to this business’, rather than just work at this business, the more useful and contextualized your qualifications and experience are. Not only will this make you more appealing to hiring managers who are looking at your application or profile, it will help them to position you in their mind.   It’s important that employers can see your skills and aptitude. Not only does it make you stand out, but it helps them to have confidence you have what it takes to do the job. With every application on Talent Propeller Jobs, you can also submit a free skills test. This lets employers see you can actually do the job. www.talentpropellerjobs.com.au  | www.talentpropellerjobs.co.nz

3 MUST Dos on your Cover Letter

Your Cover Letter is literally the first impression you make when you apply for a job. Regardless of whether you submit it in physical form or electronically, your Cover Letter acts as an introduction to you and why you are applying for the job. For that reason you need do the following 3 things. 1. Don’t use a generic cover letter. If you are currently looking for a job and using the same cover letter for all your applications, stop right now. A stock standard cover letter means generic phrases and nothing specific to the company or role you are applying for. You could be including a whole lot of information that isn’t even relevant to the job, indicating that you are uninformed, uninterested and ultimately lazy. Cover Letters are about selling yourself as an asset to the business, how you will bring value to the organisation and what particular skills will benefit the business. 2.Cover Letter: Not Share and Tell Perhaps you’ve had problems with money recently, or you’ve just had a messy break up and want to leave everything behind, or maybe you’ve just had it up to here with Michelle from Accounts who is making your life a living hell and you need to get out. Well, ok we get it, sometimes life is hard. However, it doesn’t mean you need to share this information onto your cover letter. As a general rule, it’s not ok to discuss your personal life, or write about irrelevant details on what is supposed to be a professional document. There’s no point as it definitely will not improve your chances of being employed. Other topics such as reasons for leaving your current job, overly forced and detailed justifications for long career breaks or bad mouthing your employer fall into the ‘do NOT mention’ group. 3. Being Desperate Enthusiasm is great. Desperation, not so much. Your application alone is enough to tell your employer that you are interested in the job, there is no need to go overboard with unnecessary fluff and eagerness. Even worse  is begging for the job,. It is not going to make you sellable, quite the opposite, it will in almost in every circumstance put someone off hiring you. Think of it in economic terms. You’re the product and employers are the market. If it appears demand is low for you then, employers are going to assume that they should not hire you either. Instead, you should be excited about the prospect of working for the business, not dependent on it. Employers want to see positivity and ideas. Worth Mentioning: PROOFREAD YOUR COVER LETTER, don’t overuse clichés, don’t lie about your skills, experience or ability and don’t discuss how much you expect to get paid.

For more tips and advice visit 
www.talentpropellerjobs.com.au  | www.talentpropellerjobs.co.nz

Get hired in a competitive world through Talent Propeller Jobs.

With thousands of people looking at the same job as you on a weekly basis, getting noticed on a job board can be difficult. You’re up against everyone else, and though you might be perfect for the job, it can be difficult for businesses to see this.

Technology has changed the hiring process, allowing employers to look beyond your CV and cover letter, pinpointing the things that matter: skills and aptitude.

Talent Propeller Jobs is a great way to show employers just that. With every application on Talent Propeller Jobs, you can add a skills test of your choice. This includes typing, data entry and Microsoft Word or Excel. When it’s down to the wire and employers have to cut down their shortlist, a skills test can show them you have what it takes to actually do the job.  Plus it shows that you have the initiative to go beyond the CV, and put the effort in to do this. It’s not a lot, but it definitely helps you stand out.

Why not give it a go by adding a skills test or video introduction to your application on one of the many available jobs  www.talentpropellerjobs.co.nz | www.talentpropellerjobs.com.au

Create a CV that generate results.

In today’s world of LinkedIn, Facebook and real time information, it would seem that the humble old CV has become an anachronism, part of what is now an old era of rampant tree murder.  Though text has become digitalised and more of our communication has moved online, it hasn’t meant that CVs have become redundant in their use. The familiar A4 template has stuck.

To help you make the most of your application, here are some really useful tips for creating a CV that generates results:

1. Be Social: With technology becoming a core part of every workplace, it is critical that job seekers show off that they are aware of this to potential employers. Many people are active users on LinkedIn and Facebook. CV’s are the gateway by which people access a longer story of their career and work. Depending on your line of work, some social media may be more important than others. For example if you are a graphic designer, having an Instagram account that showcases images of your work may be important, along with LinkedIn. In other industries, it may be important to have a LinkedIn profile only so potential employers can see whether you have the right connections or experience.

2. Think Video: A video CV allows applicants to present a 3 dimensional view to an employer by showcasing creativity, personality and interests, while still communicating qualifications and experience. Not everyone has the skills to put together a ground breaking award winning video CV, and nor should they. However with www.talentpropellerjobs.com.au | www.talentpropeller.co.nz you can submit a video with your CV so employers can see a more 3 dimensional view of you

3. Visual Content and Design. You don’t have to be a Graphic Designer to make real changes that will help you with your CV. Keep it simple, some of us love Curlz MT, however a potential employer may hate it, keep it simple with a standard font, like Arial or Helvetica.  These are commonly used in professional circles. Also add a photo – people ALWAYS respond better when you add in a human element to communication, otherwise you’re an abstract piece of paper they can chuck in the bin. It’s a harder to do this when you’ve got someone on the page that looking at you!

4. Creating a Personal brand: You are a brand, regardless if you are a CEO or receptionist. You have the ability to build yourself a brand and create strategy to set you in the direction you want to go. Think about yourself like a brand; how do you want people to perceive you? How do your actions affect this? What’s your online presence doing to support your brand? Does the way you dress for job interviews send the same message, or are you sending mixed signals.

The strongest brands are those which are seamless genuine and believable. CV ‘Objectives’ are old-school. They have largely fallen away and have been replaced by strong branding lines and a strong summary capturing you and your career. Make sure that all communication you are sending is part of the strategy of where you want to go.

5. Real People: This doesn’t mean hobbies and interests. An employer isn’t going to be incredibly swayed by the fact that you like to scrapbook in the weekend, however the fact you generally keep fit or travel often may be information of use and of interest to them.

If you feel like you’re going round in circles try something different, choose any of these points and add them to your CV, you may be surprised at the results.

For more advice on job seeking and finding jobs, head to 

http://www.talentpropellerjobs.co.nz/tips-and-advice | http://www.talentpropellerjobs.co.nz/tips-and-advice

Explaining gaps on your CV

For prospective employers seeing gaps on candidates CV’s can set off warning bells pretty quickly.
Here’s some useful and sensible advice about how to work with these gaps, and sometimes, use them to your advantage.

1. Be Honest

Employers, especially HR mangers are experts in knowing when someone is telling the truth and when they are not. 

Though it may be tempting to pretend like those periods of time when you were not in work didn’t exist, or they were shorter than they actually were, in reality the person looking at your CV or interviewing you will find out. This will rule you out straight away. Take the safe bet and be honest. Plus, by telling the truth you can potentially work gaps to your advantage.

2. It is how you handle gaps

Don’t think you’re the only person an employer is reviewing who has gaps in their CV. An employer is going to ask you about the gaps in your employment not because they are out to get you or because they hate you, they just want to know what you were doing so they can get a rounded idea of you as a candidate.

It’s pretty logical.

For many people in professional life you may hit a point where you want to take a different direction. In that case it often can take time to figure out what that is, or work your way into a different industry. This often turns out to be a positive or even the best thing that happens to someone. It’s up to you whether you want to treat this as a blemish or a refocus in your career trajectory.

Form a strategy

·         Gaps are what you make them. If you take the time to understand where your skills lie, and what industry your personality fits best, taking a gap could be a blessing. Understand what your end goal is to avoid having another gap.

·         Once you know what your goals are, make sure you know what skills and training it will take to get there. Many businesses are now taking the time to understand the skills and personality of candidates in front of them rather than simply judging based off their CV.

·         It’s a wise idea to submit an application that allows employers to see your skills   and aptitude, such as on Talent Propeller Jobs. Employers would rather hire someone with gaps on their CV, but with the skills and aptitude rather than the other way round.

It’s a tough world out there, but if you put in the extra effort it will really help set you apart and create results!

 Talent Propeller Jobs | for more career tips and advice check out http://www.talentpropellerjobs.co.nz/tips-and-advice/ 

Knowing you’re successful – even when it might not feel that way

If you have ambition and expectation about the steps you take in life it is inevitable that you will experience moments where you feel defeated or that you are not living up to what you envisaged.  Emotional Intelligence Expert Dr Travis Bradberry argues that we live in a world that reinforces this feeling. Even though most people wouldn’t say it, we usually equate success with material possessions. He says that it is a shame that we fall into this mode of thinking, as a recent study from Strayer University found that 90% of people found that happiness was a bigger indicator of success than power or possessions. When it comes to success, it’s often hard not to be consumed by the image of fancy clothes, big houses and expensive cars. Regardless of this, it is important to put life into perspective. Remember that there is always someone with more than you, and this can make you feel like you are losing, or not as successful. If you worry about this, you are likely measuring yourself against the wrong criteria. What you need to do is take a step back and give yourself a reminder as to what is real achievement in life. Here are some key indicators that you should follow to help understand how successful you really are. 1. Positivity = Success Dr Bradberry explains that “Hope and optimism are essential components of a happy life.” He goes onto say that “If you dwell on the things that go wrong, you become bitter and resentful. When that happens, you fail—no matter what you may have achieved. Real success means always seeing the bright side and believing you have the power to make even the worst situations better.” 2. Failure isn’t forever Bradberry says the only people who fail are those who don’t try. “When you fail, you don’t automatically assume that you’re a failure. Instead, you embrace each failure as an opportunity to learn something—and then you move on. If you still struggle with this at times, know that you’ll never experience true success until you learn to embrace failure. Your mistakes pave the way for your success by revealing when you’re on the wrong path. The biggest breakthroughs typically come when you’re feeling the most frustrated and the most stuck. It’s this frustration that forces you to think differently, to look outside the box and see the solution you’ve been missing.” 3. Perspective is key “Sometimes bad things happen. It’s part of life. For most of us, however, our very worst day would seem like a vacation to somebody who has real problems—like not having enough to eat, or trying to survive a civil war. Locking your keys in the car—or even getting passed over for a promotion—aren’t that bad once you learn to develop perspective. If you’ve mastered the ability to keep your problems in perspective, mark it down as a huge success.” 4. Help is always there Asking for help will get you ahead. Bradberry says “refusing to ask for help, no matter how much you’re struggling, is a sign of emotional immaturity. Asking for help means that you no longer feel like you have something to prove by being perfect. It shows you aren’t afraid of people discovering your weaknesses and you understand no one succeeds alone.” 5. People have the same insecurities as you, only care what you think “You only worry about what other people think when you still feel like you have something to prove. Conversely, you know you’ve “made it” when you don’t worry about that anymore—when you’re true to yourself and your principles, and satisfied with your life. You know you’ve made it when you understand that other people’s opinions are just that—opinions. They have no effect on reality. They don’t change who or what you are.” 6. Accept what you can’t change and change what you can. “There’s a difference between pessimism and practicality.” Bradberry explains, “If there’s a hurricane headed your way, there’s nothing you can do to stop it. But once you accept that the hurricane is coming, you can start working to mitigate its effects. If your company downsizes and you get laid off, every moment you spend in denial just delays whatever is waiting over the horizon. You’re able to move on only when you start exploring your options and making plans to change what you can. Taking responsibility for changing the things you don’t like about your life is one of the biggest indicators of success.”

7. Bring it Together

Lastly Dr Braberry sums up by saying “There’s no sense in feeling like a failure just because you think you should have a better job, a bigger house, or a nicer car. Real success comes from the inside, and it’s completely independent of circumstance.”

Do Something Positive – Apply for a Job on Talent Propeller Jobs!

NZ: http://www.talentpropellerjobs.co.nz
AU: http://www.talentpropellerjobs.com.au

Gender Stats of Trade Me Jobs Applicants

This is a breakdown of the gender split of Trade Me Jobs applicants over the last six months. The overall gender divide is almost evenly split however industry breakdowns evidently present some pretty significant imbalances.

Job Category	F	M
IT	18%	82%
Engineering	19%	81%
Construction & roading	26%	74%
Automotive	29%	71%
Transport & logistics	31%	69%
Trades & services	33%	67%
Executive & general management	35%	65%
Architecture	37%	63%
Manufacturing & operations	40%	60%
Agriculture, fishing & forestry	40%	60%
Science & technology	42%	58%
Sales	45%	55%
Government & council	49%	51%
Marketing, media & communications	50%	50%
Property	51%	49%
Hospitality & tourism	53%	47%
Banking, finance & insurance	54%	46%
Other	54%	46%
HR & recruitment	55%	45%
Accounting	56%	44%
Retail	59%	41%
Customer service	59%	41%
Healthcare	66%	34%
Legal	67%	33%
Office & administration	71%	29%
Education	72%	28%
All Trade Me Jobs	49%	51%

What are your thoughts? Are certain industries gender bias or are me and woman simply not interested in particular jobs?


Talent Propeller Jobs | For Career Tips and Advice check out 

http://www.talentpropellerjobs.co.nz/tips-and-advice/

What to wear to your next interview

It takes less than three seconds for an interviewer to form an impression of us. That means, sometimes no matter how experienced or skilled you are or how perfect your interview technique is, It would be remiss of you to forget what you decided to wear to an interview. We have devised a 5 step plan for interview success the next time you make it to that promising stage. 1. What will the interviewers are wearing? Regardless of whether you like to dress preppy or like a punk rocker, when you are with a potential employer you don’t want to look out of place.   Imagine rocking up in a suit and everyone else is wearing a T-Shirt and jeans, it’ll probably make you feel really uncomfortable, and more importantly it will signify you have no understanding of the company culture. Check out your potential employer’s website or LinkedIn profiles, take a look at what they are wearing. This should give you a reasonable understanding on what to wear. 2. Keep it Together When you are going into an interview the interviewer is looking for someone is the package, someone who has it together. What this means in terms of your outfit is that all the elements need to add up.  Avoid wearing more than 2 to 3 colours. This is probably the key way to keeping an outfit together. You don’t want to show up looking like a tragic rainbow. Also don’t skimp on accessories, your bag umbrella AND SOCKS are all part of the outfit. Make sure these all go with your look. You don’t want odd pink and orange polka-dot socks running the entire situation. 3. Layer up Always wear at least two layers; a shirt and a jacket. You never know what the temperature is going to be like. What if it’s in a freezing cold air conditioned board room and you’re wearing a silk blouse. Make sure you’re prepared so the environment doesn’t distract you. 4. Iron! It’s all about the details people! Ladies, check out those nails, guys do the same but make sure you iron your shirt and pants the day before! Remember its about communicating to employers why you are the most suitable person for the job, so if you can remove as many distractions as possible you’re on the best track to being able to do this.

5. Don’t wear something you haven’t worn before

You want to feel confident and comfortable. Which means you shouldn’t wear anything you haven’t worn before.

Talent Propeller Jobs | For More Career Tips and Advice check out 


AU: http://www.talentpropellerjobs.com.au/ 
NZ: http://www.talentpropellerjobs.co.nz/tips-and-advice/

How to Manage your Time like a CEO

Many of us have that moment at the end of the working day when we wished we possessed the superhuman power to create more hours in the day. Unfortunately, this is not a reality.

5 Things you need to stop doing in your CV

Your phone not ringing off the hook with job offers? Your resume may be blame.

Your resume is incredibly important - it is the first impression that a Hiring Manager has of you and like it or not, they are drawing assumptions on you as soon as they open it. Your resume plays a crucial role in your quest to find the job you want make sure you’re not making any of the rookie mistakes listed below:

#1 - Not providing your contact details

It might sound simple but it is ridiculous the number of CV’s we receive that have no contact details. Double check that you have at least one phone number listed and an email address (always have 2 ways people can contact you). Alternative contact methods could be via your LinkedIn profile (if you do this ensure your profile is up to date) or the old fashioned post.

#2 - Mixing personal pronouns

Never talk in first person on your CV, it’s weird. – If you don’t know what that is Google it, or get a CV review from Talent Propeller. www.talentpropellerjobs.co.nz/jobseeker-tools/cv-makeovers/

#3 - You check your spelling but not your grammar

We call it spelling and grammar for a reason; awkward flowing sentences are a major deterrent for potential employers and demonstrate poor attention to detail and communication skills.

#4 - No covering letter

Or even worse, a cover letter addressed to another application. CRINGE.  Keep your covering letter short and to the point - it should not have the same information as your resume and should outline why the role appeals to you and what value you can add to the company. Think of your covering letter a movie trailer - just like a movie trailer is designed to excite you to go to the full movie, your covering letter should excite and entice a Hiring Manager to read your resume.

#5 - "I like books, films and spending time with family"

BORING! Employers want to know more about you than what makes you the same as every other human being in the western world. What’s your involvement in sports? The community? Really think about what your hobbies are and include these in your resume.

Don’t let a bad CV come between you and the jobs you want. Submit your CV for review at http://talentpropellerjobs.co.nz/cvreview