Your Career Archives - Page 6 of 7

Inspired by watching the men’s 100 metre final in the world championships. It was fascinating to observe how Justin Gatlin won the race but the real winner was Usain Bolt. Undefeated in the last 4 years and holder of 3 world records, and 19 Olympic and World Championship gold medals, Bolt has owned athletics for the last 10 years. Last night Bolt came 3rd. The crowd made their winner known by booing Justin with all the TV cameras trained on Bolt. An electric moment…. This made me think.

Justin Gatlin, for those not guilty of watching men’s 100 metre races, was disgracefully suspended from the athletics arena not once but twice for failing drugs tests.

Usain Bolt. The people’s champion of Jamaica with a hairs breadth escape of the wrong tracks in society, successfully crafted through grit, determination and perhaps most important of all .. the rare gift of charisma .. to enchant the general populous.

The collegiate US All-star against the people’s champion. Who won? This is why I’m writing this. Not the winner of the race – Justin Gatlin. The true winner was Bolt.

Why?

Because he personifies grace, honesty, good humour and sheer hard graft in equal measure to show that anyone can be a world champion or at least be the best they can be without guile. Without dishonesty. Without cheating.

Not all of us can be a world champion. BUT what if each and every one of us just tried to be the very best version of who we can be? That’s the mark of a true winner and how each of us can be truly great.

Some really interesting statistics and analysis came to light following a survey concluded by CIMA at the end of January 2017. More than half (55%) of the qualified accountants who responded, cited flexibility and a greater work-life balance as their biggest motivations when looking for and considering a new job. This is a big increase from the 37% in 2015 according to research by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).

The 2016 salary survey conducted by CIMA utilised 3,460 student accountants, CIMA members and 4,467 qualified CIMA members. This report established that 52% of qualified accountants who responded were motivated by financial rewards alone.

Other key takeaways: –

42% of qualified accountant respondents cite a good working environment as their main motivator.
More than half (53%) of student accountant respondents are influenced by financial rewards when considering a new role.
36% of student accountants responded that they are motivated by a good working environment when considering a new role.

Here at Astute we feel that it is increasingly likely that finance professionals and their employers will place increasing significance on being able to participate in and offer flexible working hours outside the 9 – 5. Attracting and retaining talented staff is always key. In an increasingly competitive market, employers slow to adopt new, fresh flexible benefits could be missing out on hiring the best talent for their teams.

However what the research also indicates is the greater importance on career development rather than flexible benefits by CIMA Students. Their focus remains seeking career building opportunities offering the best and widest experience. In contrast the more experienced hire seems to be saying they need an employer who can flex around their personal and private commitments (e.g. childcare, elderly relatives etc.).

Mental Health – The 3 most important things you need to know.

May 2017 is Mental Health Month. Everyone from Prince Harry to Brad Pitt have commented on this but so have a lot of ordinary people like you and I. For years, this whole topic has been a silent taboo. Hardly anyone has dared to raise this, let alone admit to suffering from mental exhaustion or emotional problems lest they be ostracised by their fellow workers, bosses or even closest family and partners.

This is all changing now and it has become a signature topic that has captured the attention of the masses at long last.

What are the top 3 things to know about this?

1/ Recognise the signs. Are you finding it hard to sleep? Do you find it hard to focus and concentrate on one task at a time? Is your appetite affected?

2/ Admit that you need help. Accept that this is not a sign of weakness but the first step to making you strong again.

3/ Seek different types of help until you find the one that works for YOU.

There is not ‘a one size fits all’ cure. Everybody is different. I know from personal experience that while therapists and psychologists are the first people we are directed towards, for me, it was more about allowing myself to explore other avenues. Allowing myself the time to pause and reflect. Most importantly of all – allowing myself to accept that recovery from any type of mental and emotional stress is a ladder that you have to climb. One small step at a time with people that you totally trust to confide in.

This is an issue that is so important for everyone. SME business owners, Entrepreneurs, office workers, finance professionals, the mother, the uncle, the sister or brother. Each and every one of us, in every sector and walk of life knows someone directly or indirectly affected by mental health issues whether we care to admit or not. This is something I’ll be covering again soon from the perspectives of employers and their staff to highlight how everyone can work together and ensure that the momentum built up isn’t allowed to fade away again.

In the meantime, if you or someone you know is in emotional distress – remember the three points above: –

Recognition

Admission

Seek help.

If this issue resonates with you – whether you are looking for work, an employee or a business owner, please let me know your comments to help me post more relevant articles on this really important subject.

I watched a great documentary last night that followed Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko. They’ll be squaring up to face one another this Saturday night. Youth vs experience.

Whist I personally don’t place boxing in my top ten of sports, watching how Anthony came from humble beginnings, pulling away from the rough side of the tracks to embrace the rigours of sport and become so successful is really inspiring.

It was also brilliant to witness the impact and importance of having a great team around you. To inspire, laugh, encourage and support Anthony on his journey. He had a couple of great friends to lighten the mood pre-match and keep him from losing valuable adrenalin by keeping him relaxed. He also had trainers and physios to help keep him at his physical best while undergoing intensive training at ‘boot camp’. This made me think about the importance to all of us of having a great team around us to enable us to perform at our best.

Anthony’s first mentor was a key constant in his young life, pulling him in a new and better direction away from trouble with the police. At the end of the program Anthony showed just how amazingly grateful he was for this initial guidance by buying his early mentor a brand new sports car! It was one of the most heart-warming and genuine acts of gratitude I’ve seen. Especially as the whole thing was a complete surprise!

The boxing contest where Anthony and Wladimir will be fighting to win the 2017 IBF heavyweight world title sees the 41 year old Klitschko in his 29th world title fight against the 27 year old champion who is looking to defend his title in what will only be his 19th fight as a professional. If successful Anthony will win the WBA belt if he defeats Klitschko which has been his ultimate goal since he started boxing.

This match of ‘Youth vs Experience’ made me think of the challenges employers and candidates face. In an ever-tightening pool of talent, trying to secure the best employee is a constantly critical business challenge. Equally, it is really hard for candidates to secure the very best opportunities when they are up against more experienced professionals.

However, are some of us business owners missing a trick?

Over the last 25 years I’ve benchmarked providing business owners and hiring managers with a shortlist that embraces up and coming talent, people who are the exact match and more experienced options with extra skills than the client was initially seeking but who may be more costly. I always encourage employers to think about the hire they are looking to make. Are they looking for someone with the energy and potential to grow with their business or actually do they need someone who will be a credible more senior option to ‘hit the ground running.’

One of the most important aspects is the person themselves. I’ve come across and placed a number of candidates overlooked in the market by my fellow recruitment professionals as being ‘too experienced’. They are the lost and neglected candidates who don’t fit the first time mover from big 4 or high flying graduate profile that a lot of employers and recruiters generally seem to focus on.

If a more experienced candidate has the guile, desire and deft ability to still listen, learn and change to respect the processes of new employers – this is the sort of person who can always compete and win against a less experienced hire. The life skills and experience they will have combined with the attitude to learn and think fast will always mean that they make my shortlist.

Equally – less experienced candidates struggle to get the opportunity from a recruitment consultant to even get their CV in front of a company boss if they don’t have the exacting systems or qualifications set down on a standard job description.

Again it is all down to attitude, passion and desire to learn.

So – Youth vs experience? Don’t overlook either option – the ‘best fit’ option isn’t always the RIGHT option. Take a chance and consider potential staff who are over qualified AND underqualified. As a person – their character, work ethic and personality can be a winning formula that the most suitably qualified person can never compete against.

My team here are hosting our next business breakfast event on 21st July 2017 which will be on “What you need to know to scale up your business for financial success”. One of the critical four areas our guest speaker will be covering in this powerful workshop will be how to attract and retain the right talent in your team. To find out more please click HERE.

Astute Recruitment hosting 2nd event on Emotional Intelligence for business success

Due to popular demand, Astute Recruitment are delighted to announce our second event with guest speaker Lisa Spencer-Arnell. Our first event at the end of last year in Branston on Emotional Intelligence was so popular amongst attendees with those who couldn’t make it saying that they would definitely attend another event if it was to the north of Derby closer to Junction 28 of the M1. So we are all delighted to announce we have booked Lisa again!

Our event will be held at Alfreton Golf Club, Wingfield Road, Oakerthorpe, Alfreton, DE55 7LH on Friday 17th March 2017 and will commence from 7.30am with complimentary teas/ coffees and breakfast cobs. Emotional intelligence and wellness at work have become key topics of importance to business professionals.

What is more important to your financial success? IQ or Emotional Intelligence (EI)?
What has the biggest impact on achieving extraordinary results, building great relationships and being fulfilled in life?

Over recent years Emotional Intelligence and mindfulness have become recognised and acknowledged as key elements of business and personal success, outstanding performance, happiness and good health.

In this interactive session, you’ll hear about and experience the positive difference EI can make in your  business and team, including: –
·      What EI really is and the role it plays in work & leadership.
·      What the research tells us about IQ & EI.
·      How our amazing brain works and what we can learn from neuroscience to get the best out of ourselves and others?
·      How you can increase your self-awareness through EI.
·      Mindfulness and the impact on your focus, clarity, and effectiveness.
·      The most important question you can ask yourself.
·      3 ways to raise your game and impact your results.

Lisa Spencer-Arnell is ideally placed to explain Emotional Intelligence and Wellness at work through her highly successful career as an International Consultant & Coach – Inspirational Speaker and Published Author. Her work on Emotional Intelligence has been widely praised and recognised.
This is the third breakfast business event hosted by Astute Recruitment and follows on from the great success of our previous events: –
“Emotional Intelligence For Business Success with Lisa Spencer-Arnell” at Branston Golf Club
“Strategies to win in business” at Geldards on Pride Park with Neil Back MBE.

Again we only have a limited number of spaces to attend our forthcoming breakfast on emotional intelligence so please register HERE to register and confirm your place on our dedicated Eventbrite Page.

Lisa Spencer-Arnell speaking at Astute Recruitment’s first business breakfast event on Emotional Intelligence at Branston Golf Club

Lisa Spencer-Arnell: – Treasure Seeker, Leadership Consultant & Coach, Author, Speaker

Programme: –
7:30             Registration, complimentary tea / coffee and breakfast
7:45             Introduction
7:50             Lisa Spencer-Arnell
8:45             Opportunity for Q & A/ Networking
9:00             Close

Free car parking is available and if you have any special dietary requirements please contact Mary Maguire by email: – [email protected]

This week two moments made me ‘pause’ to reflect. At our event on emotional intelligence for business success. The speaker tried to cover lots of things on emotional intelligence but it’s such a huge topic she could only provide key insights.

One of these was on confidence. Not on the confidence we can gain – she mentioned how our individual reaction to something as simple as accepting a compliment can impact the compliment giver as much as the receiver of the compliment.

If someone says “What a great outfit/speech/ meal you cooked” How do you respond? Most people would mumble or shrug. How many would smile and confidently say “Thank you” straight out? Very few it would seem. This was from a room full of confident assertive business men and women who have achieved phenomenal success in their own chosen professions.

Why is this?

As a parent myself with a son and daughter under 10 it would be amazing to inspire each of them to achieve their full potential. I’m an aunty to nieces and nephews again in their formative years. I’m also a mentor and part of various networking groups. How can I, as an adult, help all of these people achieve their potential? What underpins the success achieved by the most prodigious entrepreneurs? These questions leapt to my mind during the business breakfast and embedded themselves in my subconscious so that I’m now putting pen to paper. I want to share a very powerful simple secret that I learned that Thursday morning.

reach-your-potential-astute-recruitment

Every one of us CAN achieve our potential. Yes, that’s right. The “How” lies in the way we train our brains to respond to life’s quirks, including something as simple as a compliment. Let us think about that.

If we stumble, mumble and yes even apologise to a compliment we’re given, we are not only sending a negative message to the compliment giver, we are also re-affirming and internalising a message to our own brain that we are not ‘worth’ that compliment. This is like a seed of doubt, an acorn of worthlessness that will grow into a sapling every time we shrug off or fail to acknowledge that compliment. What we need to do is stop and imagine that sapling in our head and visualise snapping it into two, before it becomes a towering oak tree in our mind. The effort to break that tree will require more than just our hands and fingers, it would need an axe at the very least.

So how to snap that sapling? We need to first say to ourselves EVERY DAY I am ok. I am fine. I am enough. From repeating this and allowing yourself just five minutes of ‘me time’ each day. Look at yourself in the mirror and say these words: – “I am a good person and I’m going to have a great day”.

This simple action, if allowed to become a habit, means your subconscious brain will eventually pour weed killer on that sapling of doubt in your mind. Picture that in your head. The sapling slowly withering then disappearing altogether. Got that? Good.

Back to compliments…

The next time you have someone say “well done” or “great work”, pause, smile and say “thank you”. I can just imagine that sapling withering as I write.

Have a great day!

I’ll be exploring this in further posts but would love to hear your comments. A journey to anywhere starts with a simple small step. I hope this post has given you that simple first step to achieving your true potential. Please let me know your thoughts as I always appreciate feedback.

I was asked to put together some words for Recruitment International and TheBusinessDesk.com a few months back. While adding some new content to my company website I chanced upon this article again. This advice is for anyone considering starting up his or her own business and is an important reminder for anyone currently running an SME.

Be positive and honest
If you have a great business idea, pursue it! You never know where it can take you. Remember to be a doer not a watcher. When we were made redundant in 2009 I was devastated for a couple of days before asking myself: “What am I going to do now?” I knew I was skilled in my sector and I knew I had a great reputation. It seemed clear to me that I should set up on my own and so I approached my now business partner who I trusted and had worked with for several years.

Surround yourself with talented people and keep hold of them
Staff recruitment, retention, training and motivation are all absolutely key to any successful business. Any organisation is only as strong as the staff it employs. Everyone in a business is important and needs to feel fully engaged, on board and valued by their firm. Remember that you need to have some fun too and always reward success. On this topic, we will be hosting a business breakfast event on Emotional Intelligence For Business Success on 13 October. This will cover key reasons why the emotional intelligence and wellbeing of employees is key in every workplace.

Remember that cash is king
It is a brutal fact that even if you have the best business, product or service in the world; without money in your bank account you are unable to pay your suppliers, creditors or staff – let alone yourself!
You need to have a firm but fair approach to cash flow management and a constant eye on your bottom line, all of the time, not just at the end of the month or quarter! You need to scrutinise your debtors and maintain a strong and clear line of communication with your creditors to ensure you and any business partners are always on top of your current cash position.

Truly understand your business
You have to know what makes your business unique and what makes your specific service or product stand out. You should have USPs, which set you apart from your competition such as our unique Triple Point Guarantee. Consider new USPs you can offer and constantly ask yourself: “How is what I am doing now benefiting my business? Is what I am doing now the most effective use of my time?” Remember to work on your business NOT just in it!

Engagement is key
Social media is constantly evolving alongside all methods of communication, branding and marketing. To support your business, you need to constantly and consistently engage with your target audience in a meaningful, educational and non-confrontational way. Your business needs to be synonymous with quality and professionalism. Think about what messages you, your team and your social media channels are communicating about the brand and business.

Here at Astute Recruitment we understand that the hardest part of the process can be getting the opportunity to have an interview in a competitive job market. So HOW can you maximise your chances when you have that all important interview opportunity?

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare!

- Get an early night prior to the interview we all perform better when well rested.
- Wear an appropriate outfit (suit or business wear).
- Arrive for interview around 10 minutes early.
- Research the company.

2. Go the extra mile.

- As well as researching the company website, explore other avenues such as social media/ LinkedIn/ company blogs so you can sound informed and up to date.
- Investigate whether there have been any news updates about the company recently.
- Ask around – try and talk to people who know the business (e.g. family or friends).
- Visit the store/ find the product in the shops as relevant. Mention that you have done this in interview.

3. Know your experience.

- Study your CV so you know your experience inside out and can discuss it in relation to the role/job description.
- Be prepared to discuss the journey of your career to date, your aspirations and goals for the future.
- Think about your strengths, weaknesses and your key achievements, so that you can highlight these in interview.

4. Explain ‘why you?’

Your interviewer will want to know both why you want to work for the company (a great opportunity to display your research) and why you are interested in this particular role. Think about this beforehand so that you can relay your thoughts at interview and let them know what appeals to you.
They will also be keen to know why they should employ you!
Let them know you are keen.

5. Ask questions!

- How is the business performing currently?
- What are the biggest challenges they are facing?
- What are the company’s plans for the future?
- What does the interviewer like about working there?
- With regards to this role, what progression opportunities might there be for the future?

I hope this has given some of you added inspiration and confidence to approach an interview!

Here at Astute Recruitment we are not afraid to show our mistakes. I’m sure you have seen our corporate videos on our website and we’re not afraid to show our human side. So we have included our outtakes from our corporate videos for your amusement.

Enjoy!

[featured-video-plus]

In the last 3 days I’ve personally witnessed the power of people to make things happen, create positive change, raise profile regionally and nationally and I’m going to share this with you.. and what made these things happen…

There are 2 types of people – WATCHERS and DOERS

WATCHERS read social media, news, current affairs often agreeing about the things they’ve read, heard or seen. BUT THAT’S IT.. THAT’S ALL THEY DO – OBSERVE…

DOERS will observe but then:-

Ask themselves “How can I help?”
Give their TIME
PARTICIPATE
BE the source of new ideas and share their thoughts
OFFER help then FOLLOW THROUGH and do what they say they will do
COMMITTING to ACTIONS and then DOING THEM!

My two examples from the last 3 days…

Serena Humphrey’s Survive and Succeed campaign to raise over 100,000 signatures on their petition by February so April’s 7.5% increase in dividend tax for business owners can be debated in parliament and a fairer solution reached

And

Nottingham Trent University’s annual £10 Student Charity Challenge in collaboration with the Institute of Directors (IoD) of which I’m a member

FIRSTLY – The Dividend Tax Rise … I first heard about this 4 months ago, logged the importance but I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING.

THEN a week ago:-

I decided I wanted to help as an SME business owner of an accountancy recruitment business who would be directly affected
Attended the next event
Actively participated and Shared some ideas
Met Serena the Campaign leader

Since that event with 35 or so other business men and women, MPs have been approached, extra support from myriad business organisations have pledged to help and one star managed to gain time with Mr David Cameron himself!

An extra 500 people have signed the petition since Wednesday’s breakfast meeting and the campaign itself has been re-energised.

THE DIFFERENCE? 35 people decided to DO SOMETHING – not just watch…

So are you a DOER? Do something – take that first step and find out!

To sign Serena’s petition and make change possible please click on ….

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/106525

SECONDLY – the £10 Challenge… Last year I’d read about this. “That sounds great” I said to myself – then forgot about it.

THIS YEAR:-

I put myself forward as a student mentor for the challenge
Met a super bunch of students who I’ve gotten to care about and will continue to support
Motivated, guided and provided encouragement to my team and others
Attended the awards night
Was proud to be part of an event that raised an EXTRA £10,000 from last year’s total for the John van Geest Cancer Research Centre in Nottingham.

The difference?

I changed from being a WATCHER to a DOER with 50 other Business Owners and Directors. I pushed myself from my snug, cosy comfort zone on the sofa ‘watching’ to actively DOING SOMETHING.

I hope this has inspired just one of you to do something. Let me know. I have other blogs on my website www.astuterecruitment.com

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Mike

16:04 13 Mar 23

Highly recommended! Josh and Sarah have been fantastic at Astute. They've found and placed me in 2 jobs now between them, both really responsive and excellent at keeping you up to speed with things. Very knowledgable about the roles and happy to talk to companies with any queries you have.

C R.

10:45 27 Jan 23

Great agency one of the best ones I've worked with! Liz has been a great help and support in helping me towards a new direction in my career life. She is very attentive and keeps me in the loop at all times! She makes the extra effort to work with my preferred requirements for work and even if it isn't completely attainable she meets me in the middle and does as much as she can to help! Also Liz is very funny might I add 😂 and I'm happy that I can now put a face to the name after all these years! Thank you again Liz for all your help and support! 😊

Christine

10:32 20 Dec 22

Josh and the Astute team was very swift to help me to find roles that matched my profile. They are really reliable and will help through every step of the recruitment process going out of their way to assist and follow up when needed. Could not find a better recruitment agency!

Helen Pinegar

16:19 18 Dec 22

Fantastic recruitment agency.. Josh was extremely enthusiastic, encouraging and clearly knowledgeable about what was needed from both the employee and the employers point of view. Extremely supportive especially in regards to interview preparation and endeavoured to procure feedback promptly. Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Astute in the future to both candidates and recruiting businesses particularly for the right fit for the role!!!

Lisa Leigh

11:56 30 Nov 22

I have worked as a candidate for Astute and they have been excellent. Super friendly service and professional agents keen to fit the right person to the right job. It has been a pleasure dealing with them and I would happily work for them again in the future. Highly recommend this agency.