What does having a dream job mean to you? Is it spending your day doing what you’re passionate about? Having a great work-life balance? Earning a lot of money? Or all of the above?!

The first step to finding your dream job is knowing what your dream job is. Once you have a clear idea of the role you want, you can take the steps you need to get it!

If you aren’t totally clear about what your dream job is yet, here are some questions you can ask yourself to work out what a dream job looks like to you. This involves a little self-exploration and being totally honest with yourself.

1. What do you really enjoy doing?

Think about what you value most and what interests you. Write down all the things that come into your mind - you can narrow your ideas down later. Having a job or career that aligns with your interests means you’re more likely to be happy and satisfied with your work.

2. What kind of person are you?

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? More practical than creative? Your personality traits will be a great fit for some jobs but perhaps not so much for others. There are lots of personality tests available online, like this free Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test, that could help you learn more about the specific qualities you have and the different types of job that would suit you best.

3. What skills and strengths do you have?

Write out a list of your skills and abilities. Include everything you can think of from formal qualifications to your ‘softer’ skills like communication and listening. It can help to ask a friend who knows you well to give you a different perspective and point out strengths you may not have thought of.

4. What experience do you already have?

Think about the work and life experiences you’ve had and note down some of them. If you’ve been out of the workforce for a time because you’ve been a stay at home parent or taking a career break, write down some of the experiences and skills you gained during that time. There are plenty of transferable skills that are adaptable to different industries and jobs.

5. What are your career goals?

Think about the kind of work-life balance you want, how much you’d like to earn and where you’d like to be in five years. This can help you select the industries and roles that will help you achieve your career goals.

6. What are your priorities and deal-breakers?

When considering your financial needs, ideal location, flexible-working and other requirements, write down the absolute deal-breakers.  Perhaps you don’t want to commute for more than an hour or want the option of flexible working. Be clear in your own mind about what you will and won’t compromise on.

7. What job opportunities and companies are out there?

When you have a clear idea about the type of job you’d like to do or the industry you’d like to work in, make a list of the companies you’d like to work for. Research their values and company culture and think about whether they would be a good fit for you or not. When you have a clearer list of the companies you’d like to work for, expand your options by listing companies very similar to them.

Find out if a company is a good place to work by looking at the company website and checking out reviews by employees online.

How to get your dream job

Now you have a clearer picture of what your dream job looks like, you can plan how to go about getting it!

1. Spruce up your CV

Your CV is usually the first thing a potential employer will see about you so make sure your first impression is a good one. It’s the document that represents you professionally and will ‘sell you’ (or not!) to a prospective employer.

2. Make sure your online profiles are spick and span

The majority of prospective employers will check out your online presence, so make sure all your social media accounts represent you in a positive light. If you have a professional blog relevant to your dream job, be sure to share it. Read more about online profiles and how they can help and hinder you getting your dream job.

3. Set SMART goals

Setting career goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timebound will help you keep on track and on schedule. It may not be possible to walk into your dream job right this moment, perhaps you need a year’s experience in a different position or to gain a skill, when you know what you need to do, you can work your way to your dream job.

4. Get interview-ready

Make sure you have prepared answers to common interview questions and industry specific ones too. Run through a mock-interview with a friend so you practise your interview answers out loud - it really makes a difference. Have a couple of interview outfits ready to wear in case you get called to interview at short notice.

5. Work with an experienced recruiter

Looking for any job can be a stressful process, looking for your dream job can feel even more so! Working with an experienced recruiter can remove a lot of stress because you’ll receive expert advice and support at every stage of the process including interview preparation.

At Priority Appointments, we know your CV isn’t your whole story so we take the time to get to know you before you meet with prospective employers so that we can recommend businesses where we know you’ll really fit in and thrive.

“I went to Priority Appointments to help me find a job that gave me more of a work/life balance. Remi, Tracy and the team were very professional and helpful, giving great advice and CV support and showing great understanding of what I was looking for. After only two weeks, Remi found me a position that suited my needs perfectly. I had an interview arranged and was given great support and confidence-boosting advice. Another interview later and I received a message to tell me I got the job! I thoroughly recommend these guys and wouldn’t hesitate to use Priority again. Thanks Remi, you were fantastic through the whole process.”  Christian

We’ll support you in preparation for interviews and share our expert advice and knowledge to help you achieve your goals and start your dream job.

If you’re looking for a job in Basingstoke, Surrey or Hampshire, we can help you find it! Get in touch today by email at office@priorityappointments.co.uk or call our friendly team on 01256 334 575.

Your thoughts have turned to mush, your carefully planned answers are now word salad and your hands are extra clammy. Sound familiar?

Job interviews can be nerve-racking and almost everyone feels at least a little bit anxious about them. But those nerves don’t have to be a negative! With a bit of planning and some tried and tested strategies, you can use your nervous energy to your advantage.

Prepare Well In Advance

Definitely prepare in advance! This is a must for any candidate, nerves or no nerves. Employers expect every candidate they interview to have prepped beforehand and it’ll be obvious to your interviewer if you haven’t.

Research? Check. Answers? Check.

If you’ve researched the company, prepared answers to your interviewer’s questions and reminded yourself of your CV in advance, you can go into the interview knowing you’ve done your due diligence and feeling confidently prepared.

Focusing your thoughts and energy on your interview prep can also help distract you from your nerves and reframe the interview process: you’re controlling what you can control and empowering yourself with knowledge.

Location, location, EXACT location

Make sure you know exactly where you’re going and how to get there. There’s no room for ball-park guesstimates on the day.

If you’re not quite sure of the exact location and how long it’ll take to get there, it’s worth doing a dry run before your interview day.

Look the part

Choosing your interview outfit and laying your clothes out the night before your interview can save time and worry on the day.

Check out the dress code of any office and go just a little bit smarter. Being smart and comfortable is key - it’s not the day to wear-in your new shoes and find out they give you massive blisters or squeak!

Snooze for the win!

It’s best to have all your interview prep completed at least a day in advance of your interview so you can have as relaxed a pre-interview evening as possible.

How much sleep someone needs really varies from person to person. Whatever your ideal bedtime is, make sure you’re snuggled up in time to get enough sleep to wake up feeling refreshed.

Calm Your Nerves On The Day

You know you’ve prepared as best you can, now all that’s left is the interview itself.

Be an earlybird (but not too early!)

Aim to arrive for your interview ten minutes before it’s due to start, this shows you’re keen and prepared. Ten minutes is plenty early, any earlier and you could find yourself inconveniencing your prospective employer.

Allow for your journey time to accommodate delays. A delayed train, a traffic jam, these all happen but you don’t want them to make you late to your interview.

Eat for positive energy

If you’re low on sleep and “hangry” after skipping breakfast, it’s unlikely you’re going to be able to showcase your best-employee-self. Make sure you fuel your body and mind with a good breakfast.

When you’re any kind of nervous it’s best to hit the decaf or skip the coffee altogether because regular caffeinated coffee will make the physical symptoms of anxiety worse.

It’s a two-way conversation

Although you’re being interviewed by your prospective employer, you’re also finding out if this is who you want to work for.

Asking pre-prepared questions about the role and the company when appropriate, will not only make you look keen and interested, it’s also an opportunity to discover more information about the company culture and the role you’re interviewing for, so you can decide if the job would be the best fit for you.

There are some topics you definitely shouldn’t ask about in your interview. Don’t ask about time off or holiday allowance, these are questions for further on in the process, not the first interview.

Remember, that this is a conversation and all the normal rules apply for what makes a good one. The difference is that a job might be waiting at the end of this one!

Quick calm down strategies

Despite all your planning and preparation, you may still find yourself a ball of nerves on the day.

To soothe yourself quickly before the interview, here are some strategies you can use:

1. Deep breaths

Take deep breaths in for a count of 5 and out again for another count of 5. This can help shift your focus and lower your heart rate.

2. Walk it off

A brisk walk will help burn off some of that excess nervous energy and reduce your adrenaline levels.

3. Chat to a friend

Talking to a friend before the interview can help reduce your stress levels and help boost your confidence.

4. LOL

Before your interview, watch funny videos  or speak to someone who properly makes you giggle. Laughing releases endorphins and reduces the stress hormone cortisol, making you feel more relaxed.

5. Shift your focus

In your mind, focus on an object you can see and describe it in as many ways as you possibly can - like the colour, texture and shape.

A combination of good preparation and stress-reduction techniques on the day will harness your nerves to your advantage so your skills and personality can shine!

For more Candidate advice and tips, follow us on Facebook and download ‘How to Wow at Interviews’ our short guide to securing your dream job!

Do you post on Facebook, Tweet on Twitter, or share on Instagram? Chances are, you have at least one social media account. Perhaps you have a blog or a YouTube channel that’s a sort of personal journal? Wherever you have a profile online, there’s a treasure trove (or perhaps a Pandora’s Box!) of information about you ready to be discovered by a prospective employer.

We’ve all posted something online we find a bit embarrassing or regret, and some things we definitely wouldn’t want our boss to see!

But there’s a difference between photos of your seven-year-old self with a cringey bowl-cut, and the images of the aftermath of a drunken night out littering your timeline - only one of these could cost you a job.

Yes, it’s the drunken pics.

Online profiles aren’t so private

Your online personal blog isn’t private like a diary hidden under your mattress, and your Facebook photos you’ve shared only with your friends aren’t necessarily accessible just to them.

However private you set your online profiles to be, there are no guarantees. Once something is on the internet it’s there forever, and how accessible it is to other people, is out of your control.

Would an employer really go to the trouble of finding your online profiles?

Absolutely yes!

An employer is investing a significant amount of time, work and money into recruiting the ideal candidate for a job. Then paying for the salary, training, pension and all the other expenses that come along with employing a candidate.

They will definitely take the time to Google your name and check out your online profiles and activities!

Research shows that the majority of employers check the social media content of prospective employees and some hire specialist agencies to research the online profiles of candidates. It’s now a normal part of the recruitment process and done as a matter of course.

Career Builder conducted a survey and found that 70% of employers use social media to research job applicants.

Remember, it’s not just during the application process that you need to be mindful of what your online profiles say about you, 34% of employers have reprimanded or fired an employee as a result of content found online.

Does it matter if a prospective employer can see your profiles, they’re personal profiles, after all?

Personal or not, if they’re in the public domain and would reflect on the company that employs you, they’re a prospective employer’s business.

But does it really matter that there’s a video on Facebook of you at a friend’s birthday party drunk dancing to Rihanna, because that was ages ago…? Or that rant you posted on your blog about how awful your old boss was - that was hilarious!

A prospective employer probably won’t see it that way.

They may be reminders of your teenage antics, and a well-written critique filled with funnies to you, but a potential employer will view them differently.

An employer doesn’t want to hire someone who appears to behave irresponsibly, shows a lack of professionalism or demonstrates disloyalty to a former employer. This looks like someone who could be a potential liability to the company.

If an employer is choosing between three equally qualified candidates and one of them has some questionable online profiles or activity, one of them has a neutral online presence, and the other has a professional blog, it’s more than likely an employer will select the candidate with the professional blog.

What employers do and don’t want to see in your online profiles

What you put online could cost you a job opportunity, but, it can also be a significant factor in a prospective employer’s decision to hire you!

Vlogging about a skill or passion, writing reviews of films or TV programmes, Instagramming the results of your painting or woodwork classes are all great things to share online for your prospective employer to see.

It’s about knowing what employers DO and DON’T want to see.

What employers DO want to see in your online profiles:

• Information that supports the professional qualifications and achievements stated in your CV - photos of your graduation? Great to share!

• Your personality would fit well with the company - applying for a job at a company that has an outgoing and activity-filled company culture? Share your videos of taking part in a charity fun-run with friends!

• You have a professional image and behave in a professional way - no drunk dancing here.

• A wide range of interests - do you have a passion for running or reading? Don’t be shy about sharing your best times or your latest read.

• Great communication skills - keep exchanges respectful and no swears.

• Creativity - love writing short stories or painting? Excellent! Share your work.

What employers definitely DON’T want to see in your online profiles:

• Photos or information about drinking or taking drugs - even if it was a long time ago, these are NSFW, or the application process!

• Inappropriate, risque photographs or videos - if you’re only wearing your undies or less, keep those pics to yourself.

• Lies about qualifications and achievements - an absolute no-no and this could get you in serious trouble.  

• Links to criminal behaviour - No, Absolutely not. No.

• Unprofessional screen names and email addresses. - @SeymourButz may have been funny at one time or another (questionable), but it’s definitely time to ditch it.

• Complaints or rude comments about a previous employer or company - keep it positive or keep quiet.

• Sharing confidential information about a previous employer or company - another absolute no-no. You could be in breach of your former contract and this will certainly put any potential employer off you.

Before you share anything online, think about whether or not you would mind if your boss or prospective boss sees it.

Should you have a spring clean?

If you're worried about what a prospective employer might find on your online profiles, have yourself a spring clean!

Give yourself a Google

Check what is most easily found and delete as necessary.

Profile pics and cover photos

However private you set your profiles to be, it’s likely these are still visible to the public. Make sure they create a good impression rather than a knot in your stomach at the idea of an employer seeing them.

Blogs, vlogs and status updates

It’s great to have a professional looking blog, particularly if it’s relevant to your prospective employer’s industry. But if it’s more of ranting, stream of consciousness, it’s probably best to take it down. Same for vlogs and it might be a good idea to delete any moany status updates too.

Bonus tip

Double check you’ve deleted that dormant MySpace account you set up way back when, and any other profiles you don’t use anymore.

Make your online profiles work for you and stand out from the competition

Your online profiles can have a big influence on your job prospects. Take advantage of having online profiles by using them to sell yourself to prospective employers. Make sure all your online profiles represent you in a positive light and you’ll be on the right track to ace the application process!

For more Candidate advice and tips, follow us on Facebook and download ‘How to Wow at Interviews’ our short guide to securing your dream job!

Find out How to Wow at Interviews by downloading our short guide to securing that dream job!

An interview is your opportunity to sell yourself, to find out more about the position you’re
applying for and the company as a whole. Priority’s guru Emma Chamberlain, Lead
Consultant for Commercial, shares her experience on what makes a great interview.

When you attend an interview with a prospective employee, they want to find out
about you: what motivates you, whether you will fit in with their team and, of course,
whether you have the skills they are looking for.

An interview is a two-way process and is as much about you finding out whether the
job and company are the right fit for you as it is about selling yourself to the employer.
So whilst it’s important to always be yourself at interview, there are some simple rules
that you can follow that will help you to wow the interview panel and stand out from
the competition.

We take a light-hearted look at the intriguing development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions for the recruitment industry

There is no doubt that a growing number of HR executives believe that Artificial Intelligence will transform their talent acquisition capability.

But what will this mean for recruitment consultancies that rely on human intuition, knowledge and skill to help them fill jobs?

Here at Priority Appointments, we have been having a bit of fun imagining a future where robots with artificial intelligence could take over the recruitment process completely.

Here are some pros and cons of relying on a machine, rather than friendly, human recruitment consultants, to help you find your next staff member.

Voice Recognition
If your robot recruiter had the same unreliable level of voice recognition capabilities as most of our mobile phones, its interpretation of your brief about the type of staff you’re looking for could result in some interesting interpretations! It’s one thing to end up with the wrong sort of pizza topping, but just think what could happen if it mis-heard ‘we need an experienced packer and picker’!

Interaction with Humans
Robots would probably need considerably less tea than some of our team members, just a squirt of WD-40 every now and then and a software upgrade once a week. But would they be as effective spending time on the phones and in face-to-face meetings finding the perfect candidate to suit your vacancy?

The Personal Touch
Artificial intelligence might potentially offer a higher level of consistency than the average human, but it seems like a high price to pay. We know that our clients would sorely miss our personal approach if they had to deal with R-74B-Z instead of Lucy, Emma or any of the rest of our friendly team!

Body Language Cues
An area that industry observers are watching with great interest is the potential for machines with AI to ‘interview’ candidates. An AI-based service could collect, process and analyse huge amounts of unstructured information from a job interview and compare thousands of applications in just a few minutes. However, without a real live human to pick up on subtle cues such as somebody’s body language, tone of voice or eye contact, it would be easy to get lured into choosing someone whose answers were spot on, but whose personality meant that they would not suit either the job or your working environment

Looking at the subject rather more seriously, there is no question that AI is a technology that is on the rise.

Research by Deloitte Human Capital Trends in 2017 showed that 33% of employees expect their jobs to become augmented by AI in the near future.

It could well make sense to include an element of artificial intelligence in the recruitment process as it becomes more widely accessible. For now, however, the best way to make sure that your new employees fit well with your team, business culture and values, is by having a friendly, experienced and human consultant to help you find new staff!

As a professional recruitment consultancy we’ll continue to be alert to AI opportunities within the recruitment industry, but for now we’ll just paraphrase the famous line from RoboCop:

“Excuse me. I have to go. Somewhere there is a new job vacancy happening.”

Priority Appointments is a professional recruitment consultancy based in Basingstoke, Hampshire.  We help companies find people and people to find jobs in Basingstoke, Camberley, Andover, Farnborough, Aldershot, Winchester and the surrounding areas within Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire.  If you’d like us to help handpick your next employee please call us on 01256 334575.

85% of HR decision-makers admit to having made a bad hire according to REC, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.

Of those, one in three who hired the wrong person as a manager, director, or in a senior official role think it cost their business nothing.

However, the true cost of hiring the wrong person is actually higher than you would expect.

REC have produced an infographic that shows that the aggregate cost of taking on the wrong employee at a salary of £42,000pa could actually lead to losses of over £132,000 to the business.

A single bad hire can create a domino effect: poor performance, coupled with strife within the team, will affect productivity and potentially damage your business’ reputation.

REC estimates the costs to the business of a bad hire are estimated as:

• £28,000 in wasted salary out of the total annual pay of £42,000
• £1,500 in wasted training
• £9,730 spend on recruiting and training the new employee
• £9,625 on lost productivity of the individual
• £29,160 on lost productivity of the wider team
• £54,000 in staff turnover as a result of dissatisfaction in the team

However, there are steps that hirers can take to ensure that the next is the right one who will contribute to growth and profit, rather than someone who seems like a square peg in a round hole:

1) Understand exactly who you need right now: Don’t just dust off the last job description when the time comes to recruit again. The job role may well have evolved and you need to regularly review the criteria for success to ensure you attract the right kind of candidate. Also, consider the overall balance of your team and build a flexible and inclusive workforce that can adapt as your business grows.

2) Check the salary band is correct: A professional recruitment consultant with good knowledge of employers in the local area will be able to advise you if the salary you have in mind is appropriate for the role you are recruiting for. 

3) Consider soft skills: No amount of technical ability will compensate for a lack of soft skills which are essential if a candidate is going to integrate with your culture successfully. Good communication, leadership and collaboration skills can often mean the difference between a good and bad hire.

4) Onboard new recruits effectively: If there are problems, they usually rear their head in the first few weeks of joining. By having a clear induction process and giving responsibility to other members of the team to show the new recruit the ropes, their chances of a smooth and trouble-free integration are much higher.

5) Partner with an experienced recruitment consultant: According to REC, 40% of companies state that their staff do not have the correct interviewing skills to find exactly the right people.

By choosing a local, professional recruitment partner, you can save time by relying on the consultancy to screen candidates and propose a short-list of people. They can also advise on the types of questions to ask in an interview.

With careful planning and the right support from an expert, professional team, you can face a future free from the cost of a bad hire.

To find out how we can help you find the Perfect Match for your team, call us today on 01256 334575.

As a leading recruitment consultancy in Basingstoke, Priority Appointments is proud to meet and exceed the Recruitment and Employers Confederation (REC) Code of Professional Practice and comply with all employment regulations.

There is a lot of talk in the media about the ‘gig economy’. It was originally hailed as a model of work that could deliver flexibility and freedom from red tape for both employers and those seeking employment alike.

Gig Economy Issues and Risks

The Office for National Statistics estimates that 15% of the British labour market is now self-employed, with almost 5 million people classified as ‘gig workers’ (2017).

Despite the numbers using online work platforms, there are negative aspects to this unregulated sector of the employment market. There have been high-profile court cases in the media about problems in the taxi, courier and delivery markets in particular which have taken much of the shine off this form of resourcing.

What It Means for Employers

‘Gig economy’ platforms are completely unregulated, with individuals inhabiting a grey area of the market outside conventional employment legislation. For sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, driving or healthcare, where safety is a key concern, using staff via unregulated ‘gig’ platforms poses a serious risk.

By contrast, employing temps through a professional recruitment consultancy offers both employers and workers a regulated framework. This market is overseen by the Director of Labour Market Enforcement and regulated by the Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate.

Under the terms of the regulations, consultants must:

• Provide written contracts for agency workers
• Not charge a fee to those seeking employment
• Not withhold any wages or monies due or make unlawful deductions
• Not stop a worker from seeking work elsewhere

Choosing a Regulated Recruitment Partner

Recruitment consultants like Priority Appointments, which are members of the Recruitment and Employers Confederation (REC), also have to comply with its guidance and can be investigated by the body and disciplinary action taken if they are found to be in breach.

For employers, the risk of using gig economy platforms is great. In addition to potentially breaching the Employment Standards Agency Inspectorate regulations, it is easy for employers to fall foul of anti-slavery regulations enforced by the Gangmasters & Labour Abuse Authority. You can read more about this important set of regulations and find out how to write a Modern Slavery Policy for your business in our Employer Advice article on Modern Slavery.

Making a Wise Choice

So whilst the status of workers in the gig economy remains unclear, it is a wise choice for employers to choose a recruitment partner which knows their market sector and local business area, and which can demonstrate compliance with all regulations.

Priority Appointments is a member of REC and adheres to all employment regulations, as well as following the REC Code of Professional Conduct.

If you are looking to fill jobs in Basingstoke and the surrounding areas of Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire, please get in touch to find out more about our services.

The new levels of the National Minimum and National Living Wage come into effect from 1st April 2019. The UK's minimum pay scales are governed by two different sets of regulation:

• National Living Wage regulations were passed through parliament in 2016 with the goal of ensuring that all over-25s will be paid at least £9 per hour by 2020.

• National Minimum Wage regulations have been in force since 1999 and apply to employees under 25.

The rates from April 2019 are:

• £8.21 for people aged 25 and over (rising from £7.83)
• £7.70 for 21 - 24 year-olds  (rising from £7.38)

Penalties for employers who flout the regulations are punitive. If an employee can prove that they have not been paid correctly, HMRC can issue a fine and insist that employers pay any arrears. If these monies remain unpaid, the employment tribunal could impose fines of up to £20,000. You can find out more about your reponsibilities as an employer on the ACAS website.

Voluntary ‘Real Living Wage’ Scheme

In addition to this mandatory scheme, there is also a scheme known as the ‘Real Living Wage’ run by the Living Wage Foundation, which is based on the cost of living.

There are currently around 4,500 accredited employers who support the scheme which, according to the Living Wage Foundation, helps them attract the best staff.

As a reputable consultancy with some 20 years experience, we understand the nature of the local job market, which means we can offer you guidance on the optimum hourly pay rates and salaries to attract the best candidates.

For more information about setting appropriate pay rates, please contact Tracy Welch at Priority Appointments on 01256 334575 or email us.