JOE Delaney, Recruitment partner with BDO Simpson Xavier, is back with the latest installment in the “Expert Comment” series.
Enter the Boot Camp for job success. “A year can be a long time in politics but what a difference a year has made for job hunting. BDO recruitment has noticed a 60% increase in the number of applicants for roles compared to this time last year.
With this increase in candidate supply plus a reduction in the number of vacancies, it is understandable for people to feel they have limited opportunities for work in the short term.
“The change in environment has resulted in a need for more focus and preparation as the market has switched from a candidates market to a recruiters market. BDO Recruitment’s, Career Investment Program, has helped candidates get better control of their job search process by providing them with the necessary tools required to be successful in their search for employment.
“As the competition for jobs intensifies, our advice to candidates is that they now have to perform to a much higher standard than ever before to be successful in the jobs market. Similar to Boot Camp models used in the fitness world, the Career Investment Program gets people focused on their career with a structured agenda in an accelerated program over a 3 to 4 week period.
“The program covers the following areas which are essential in today’s market; Raising Self-Awareness and Improving Confidence; Professional CV Design; Thorough Interview Preparation; Presenting Good Interpersonal skills at Interview; Demonstrating suitability for the role and Developing and Implementing a Personal Action Plan.
“A boot camp approach would typically include the following combination of self-preparation, one on one meetings and interviews, online personality profiling and coaching. The program would be completed over a 3 -4 week period and is modified to the needs of the candidate.
Our experience as recruiters is that the majority of people do not perform well enough at interviews to stand out from the rest of the applicants. The interviews that BDO conduct as part of the program give people a chance to practice and perfect their interview techniques. Those who are best prepared for interview are now more likely than ever to get noticed by employers. They say that “practice makes perfect” however our experience is that “perfect practice makes perfect”!
