How to Turn Your Recruiting Failure into Success

How to Turn Your Recruiting Failure into Success There is a lot of great debate at the moment about the value of failure. Why it is important for businesses, managers and team leaders to promote the importance of failure in moving forward and why individuals need to embrace the concept of failure. What I see through each of these, however, is that there is still a challenge in individuals feeling comfortable with the concept of failure. The concept that they will not achieve or succeed in something that they have been working so hard towards completing. The acceptance that this not only may happen but that it should happen. The realization that we need to work with our next generation to understand the benefits of failing at something. We have really pushed against failure and the acceptance of the value of this for a long time. But let’s look at the reality of what failure means. We watch our children as they grow, in learning to roll over, learning to crawl, learning to walk. We watch over and over again as they try, but fail. This failure doesn’t stop them, they just try again. Eventually, they will succeed. When they do, we are the first there to congratulate them, to hug them, to promote to them what a great outcome; after all of these attempts they finally achieved what they set out to do. So why do we stop promoting the importance of failure? Many people would argue this point and say that we do this when we enter into mainstream education. In to an environment where a score, measured against a benchmark, is used to predict our success. Where the score is used to determine how good or how bad we went. I don’t actually agree it is just in the education, but it is in the way we handle the conversation of the score that starts to teach us that we can’t fail. So what if the conversation was changed? How can we change the conversation? Let’s use an example of when a parent sees a child’s report card. Many parents without realizing focus only on the positive, and then get frustrated with the negative. They say things like “why didn’t you try so hard in this subject?”, “Why didn’t you get a better result?”, “Did you not try hard enough?” All negative conversation points. Have you ever considered what would happen if a parent you took a different approach? Asking the question in a way that promotes learning from failure? This could be as simple as “so you went really well in this subject, what was the difference in that subject to the one that you didn’t go as well in” or “what made this subject better for you than this one”? Depending on the answers, you then open an opportunity to learn from the failure. Learn what it takes to succeed. If they didn’t have the fail, they wouldn’t have the opportunity to learn more about who they are. How they like to learn, what they are interested in, what motivates them. Isn’t this what we all want in life anyway? Now move to our roles as recruiters. What if we turned all of the processes on its head and wanted to see the challenges, wanted to hear about the negatives? What if we changed our expectations so that when someone came to us for a role, they provided their true career narrative, the one warts and all not the one about the wins and successes? We do get to this in an interview but imagine if the honest person came to us at the point of application and not after. Wouldn’t this allow us to understand how this person can contribute to a very changing work environment? Demonstrate the key attributes of resilience and adaptability? How will this work in our own careers? I will admit that failure doesn’t come easily to me and if I want anything to change we need to really know how to walk the talk. I personally struggle with the concept of failure and am the first to admit that this really challenges me. But this does not mean that I don’t consider the options of failure, nor that I am not willing to accept failure. I know that from something that fails in my career, I will find an answer to how I might succeed, how I want to succeed. I will be able to assess against the foundation of what makes a successful career â€" what I am interested in, what work environment I want to work in, what responsibilities I want to have and what is the type of role I should be considering to achieve my career goals. For this reason, I have to consider failure. I am not going to set out to fail just for the sake of it, planned failure does not provide effective learning and development opportunities. I am going to consider that when something goes wrong, I have to ask myself what I can learn from that opportunity. What value has this provided me â€" and I have to be vulnerable and honest with myself to get the true benefit from it. Then I can do the same for my clients and my candidates Where do you start? The good thing about failure is that it doesn’t need to start, you just need to be open to the value of it if and when it does happen. Failure should not be negative and as a leader of your own success, and potentially a leader of others, talking openly about how people can learn from failure will create a culture of acceptance in having the conversation and being vulnerable. Think about where you can bring this into the conversation early so that you can make a difference to someone’s future by using everything that they have learned throughout the process. When we are open to failure we are open to looking at something in a new way. We are open to doing things differently, learning something a new way, trying something that we previously may not have been open to trying. When we are open, then others are also open to accepting the value this has for their own success. All of these experiences will build adaptability and resilience, which are necessary traits we all need for a successful future. In turn, this will also build a culture of innovation and a willingness to accept alternative approaches, experiences, and opportunities. All you have to do is let yourself be open to the positive side of failure.

Plagiarism alert! The consequences of dishonesty in the graduate recruitment and selection process.

Plagiarism alert! The consequences of dishonesty in the graduate recruitment and selection process. Plagiarismthe act or practice of taking someone elses work, idea, etc., and passing off as ones own.You may have come across plagiarism within the context of academic work. However some graduate recruiters have also found a very small number of applicants to be guilty of plagiarism through their recruitment and selection processes. This post describes what plagiarism looks like in the context of the recruitment and selection process and the risks involved in committing it. It’s worth being aware that large recruiters have sophisticated mechanisms in place to detect plagiarism so it is highly likely you will be discovered at some point through the process. What does plagiarism look like? Multiple e-mail addresses: ‘enterprising’ students may attempt to make more than one application by using a different e-mail account through which to submit an application in the hope of increasing their chances of selection. Recruiters use software to check CVs and applications to check for duplicate/very similar applications so you will be discovered â€" and this is likely to lead to an automatic rejection Identical application form or CV content: if you and other students you know are applying for similar roles it may be tempting to borrow/share content to save time. After all, applying for graduate jobs is a time-consuming process. Don’t be tempted to do this; text-checking software will find you out, which will lead to rejection. If you have started a job and your recruiter discovers you have included inaccuracies in your CV or application, be aware that falsifying information is a sack-able offence Scripted and copied video interviews: one recruiter discovered that not one but several students had produced virtually identical responses to a number of video interview questions. Whilst it’s impossible for recruiters to prevent applicants from sharing interview questions and aspects of recruitment and selection processes they have experienced through sites such as Glassdoor, it is ill-advised to pool responses in this way. Unsurprisingly rejections followed for all applicants who were discovered Same answers in the panel interview:   it’s perhaps hardest to ‘game’ this aspect of the process- but why would you want to? Presumably if you’ve come this far you would genuinely want to get the job and will have done the necessary research to ensure you are well-prepared, able to engage authentically with prospective recruiters and discuss your achievements with confidence. The consequences of deception Rejection and humiliation: those applicants who cheated through the video interview were all subsequently withdrawn from the applications process.   Several of those students were advised that they were banned from ever re-applying to the organisation. Damage to your institution’s reputation and fellow students: your University is likely to take a dim view of your activities and we will be informed by the recruiter of your behaviour. We meet with and speak to graduate recruiters constantly and so are made aware of such incidents. When these do occur recruiters do notify us and with permission will share details of students who fall foul of their procedures. We in turn notify the relevant Heads of Department to discuss what steps will be taken to deal with students. The University may choose to sanction you by pursuing the disciplinary procedure. Disciplinary action:  Warwick’s Major Offences of Misconduct within the Disciplinary process states:  â€˜Conduct which, by whatever means, interferes with the normal operation of the University’s business or which is likely to bring the University into disrepute’  and  â€˜False pretences or impersonation of others, within or outside the University, including but not limited to in connection with academic attainments or financial awards’ You may receive a formal reprimand and be expected to apologise to the recruiter.  You will therefore not only have brought humiliation upon yourself but inflicted reputational damage upon your university.    Many large graduate recruiters provide generous funding to sponsor student clubs and societies in order to attract high calibre applicants. However they may think twice before continuing to do so where students have behaved in this way. This could therefore also have negative consequences on your fellow students. In conclusion plagiarism is a risky strategy and highly likely to backfire. If you are making applications, recruiters will be looking for unique and authentic documents and responses from candidates, not standardised, scripted responses. While some candidates may belong to the same clubs and societies or have had similar work experiences, the learning you’ve taken and presented in your applications will be different. There are no perfect model answers. Copying others’ work also calls into question your integrity. Presenting the best version of yourself on paper and throughout the recruitment and selection process, investing the time to research, prepare and tailor your application remains the best way to increase your likelihood of success in the search for good graduate jobs. In short, there are no shortcuts to success. ‘I would prefer even to fail with honour than to win by cheating.’ Sophocles

About Lessons, Learning, and Legacies

About Lessons, Learning, and Legacies My mom rarely gave answers.  As early as I can remember, her way was to ask questions.  Questions that allowed me to find my own answers.  She was my greatest teacher, and a living example of my favorite definition of what a great teacher is: A teacher is one who inspires, motivates, and provides vast knowledge and insight to others.  (author unknown) Short of stature, thin, and quiet, my mother was a most unassuming person.  Of German ancestry, she had an unenviable childhood, and was thrust into the roles of an adult at an early age.  While she was never able to finish a formal education, she was well-spoken and well read.  The school of hard knocks had taught her well about life and people, and she was full of wisdom.  Yes, her life was all about lessons, learning, and legacies. 7 Lessons:  The Legacy of My Mother By example and by word, these are the lessons she taught: Hard work is good for the body and the soul. Never ask anyone to do that which you are not willing to do yourself. Treat others with respect.  Who they are matters more than what they are or their history. Deal with others fairly, as youd like to be dealt with. Complaining gets you nowhere.  Taking action and being responsible does. Theres always a way to live within your means.  You just have to decide to do it. People always matter more than stuff. These are the same valuable lessons that I try to teach my own children.  While I may leave them worldly possessions, that is my real and only legacy. The eyes of our parents and grandparents may grow dim.  They may move slower and with more caution.  But inside, they contain a wealth of wisdom.  That is their legacy. Perhaps someday I will write my own mothers story.  For the present, if youd like to engage in a wonderfully inspiring read about the insights our elders have to offer us, youll want to pick up a copy of Legacy of Wisdom by Gabrielle V. Taylor.  It made me smile and cry as I read of the authors Grandma Valentine,  whose story paralleled my own mothers story in many ways.   Youll feel the loving lessons and wisdom of those who know that their greatest calling is to teach us.  Because we are their legacy just as our children are ours. . Image credit. Main.   Pixabay.

Working for a not for profit University of Manchester Careers Blog

Working for a not for profit University of Manchester Careers Blog The not for profit industry is a popular area and covers a huge range of organisations from giants like the UN to small community groups and charities.   I talked to Amanda about her work with a small community group in the local area. Didsbury Dinners is a not-for-profit community interest company that makes it easier for people to save money and eat green. We produce and distribute a fun educational resource called Didsbury Dinners: The Low-Carbon Community Cookbook. We work in Didsbury, Burnage, Old Moat and Chorlton to create more community food gardens, orchards and landshare opportunities. We also offer free 6-week learn to cook courses, teaching people to cook in a way that saves them money, improves their health, and also helps the environment. We give priority to people in financial need. How did you get involved in Didsbury Dinners? I started out as a volunteer for Manchester charity Action for Sustainable Living, who were looking for people to set up new projects in their local areas. Before I knew it, I’d published Didsbury Dinners: The Low-Carbon Community Cookbook [I have a background in editing] that was generating funds for the community. What  do you do on a day to day basis?   As Didsbury Dinners project director I help to set and meet the organisations goals. This involves: planning, organising, recruiting volunteers, directing (leading people in a way that achieves our goals), controlling (detecting deviations from our plan) fundraising/budgeting. I get involved with everything, from planting trees and working in the community gardens, finding land to grow on and venues to teach in, through to writing funding bids, media releases, interviews and social media. I even personally door-drop to over 6,000 (of 12,000) homes when Didsbury Food Trail comes around!  No two days are the same, but project management and community engagement are constants. A recent project involved recruiting 12 committed volunteers with a specific skill set, devising a weekly training syllabus for them, and finding trainers and funding so that they can go on to teach in the community. It’s amazing. You know that you’re in the right job when you’d happily do it for free. Being your own boss is truly liberating and varied, if hard work. What was involved in setting up and getting funding? With any new venture, I think that networking is key to success. Introduce yourself to lots of people â€" social media makes this easier than ever â€" and chat enthusiastically about your plans. Try to see things from their point of view: what’s in it for them and how would they benefit from what you have to offer? There are people out there, be it the local Council, individual residents, volunteer-supporting organisations or businesses, that will be chomping at the bit to buy your services or to help you on your way.   This is what I did to get funding for our first project, producing Didsbury Dinners: The Low-Carbon Community Cookbook, which generated an income stream for our community growing and learn to cook projects.   I approached businesses and organisations that I believed would be potential sponsors, and applied for a cash grant from the local Council. Since then we have sought income from other sources, including other grants and sponsorship, trusts/foundations, major donors, membership, events, trading, corporate giving and advertising. GMFunding.net is a free service to help you search for sources of funding. For free or subsidised training for small charities or not-for-profits, try the FSI  (Foundation for Social Improvement)  or KnowHow NonProfit. What are the financial realities of working for a small charity? Obviously we’re in a tough financial climate, but it’s one that’s in favour of going back to basics and taking action against climate change, which is what Didsbury Dinners is very much about. We’re all about saving people money and helping them to ‘eat green’. As such, there’s a growing demand for our services, and lots of funding is available (though of course it doesn’t come to you, you have to go and find it). Self-employment means that you can’t rest on your laurels about your income. But it does reward hard work. Have you worked or volunteered for other charities yourself? I’ve worn many volunteer hats over the years, from a Saturday job at a charity shop in my student days and 4 years as a citizen advocate for a lady with MS, through to helping to set up and run a few community groups, and being a trustee of a national charity.  You learn such fantastic new skills through volunteering that I can’t recommend it highly enough. In your experience would you have been able to get a paid position in a charity or voluntary organisation without having that voluntary experience first Doing voluntary work for a charity that you love is a great way of demonstrating your skills and enthusiasm to employers. In 2005, a national charity held a roadshow in my nearest city, which, at the time, was 22 miles away. I volunteered behind a stall for the day and had lots of fun. A few months later I received an email from the charitys director, saying that the perfect vacancy had arisen for me, and inviting me to apply! Needless to say I got the job (and moved over 100 miles to take up the position). What do you look for in a  volunteer? Key qualities in volunteers are a passion for the cause, willingness to learn new (or to share existing) skills, reliability, and hard work. With that, you can move mountains. What do you think people thinking about this sector should know? The not-for-profit sector is full of some really dedicated, hardworking people, who’re pulling together to make a real difference to society. The realities are long and often antisocial working hours, and it can be easy to burn out because your belief in the cause compels you to act! Starting salaries are often relatively low, and dont expect the huge perks associated with working in the corporate sector. But in terms of feeling like you’re doing something worthwhile and making a difference, it’s second to none.           All Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted Not for profit Volunteering

Lessons I have learned in my first year after graduating

Lessons I have learned in my first year after graduating This post was written by an external contributor. If youre in post-graduation panic mode, let Lucy Skoulding take you through her advice for surviving the first year of post-university life. If only my current self could use a time-turner to return to Lucy on the day of her graduation, who felt ecstatic at being awarded a great degree but also mildly terrified of what the world had in store. I’m not professing to be some kind of wise owl; I still have a lot of figuring out to do and I admit that I still can’t drive and I have never cooked a roast dinner. However, I feel so proud of what I have achieved in my last year and I honestly put a lot of it down to my attitude. I knew that my first year in the adult world would be scary, and I had a choice either to let that get the better of me or stay optimistic and get on with it. Here’s what I have learned. There is no replacement for hard work I have a confession to make. Hard work is vital if you want to follow your dreams. As cliché as it sounds, no-one who you think of as inspiring got there through luck or sitting on the sofa. You need to work hard if you want to achieve your goals. Hard work can come in many different forms. You might enjoy the job you are currently in, have a progression track in mind, and know how you plan to get there. Equally, you might decide to work hard on your side hustle or your hobby. You may work hard to meet other people who share your interests, to learn a new skill, or to train your body physically. All are equally valid. You can’t compare yourself to your friends Please. I repeat, PLEASE, do not measure your success against other people’s. There will always be friends who have a seemingly perfect job or a solid life plan after they finish their degrees. Apart from the fact that you might not know their whole story, you cannot compare your life with someone else’s like that. Making comparisons is natural and we are our own harshest critics. The way I have dealt with this is by setting myself goals. This way, you measure your success against something achievable, rather than aiming to attain what someone else has. There are so many techniques for goal-setting that it may as well be a degree, but I recommend reading Creating Your Best Life by Caroline Miller for tips. There’s no harm in practicing what you love It can be easy to leave your hobbies behind at university, thinking you should focus on your career, but this can be a mistake on many levels. If your hobby is where you eventually want your career to be, don’t give up on it. If you pursued an interest simply because you love doing it or enjoy meeting others through it, then try to continue with it, it will be great for your mental health. Depending on what your hobby is, you might feel concerned about fitting it in alongside a full-time job but there is always a way. If it’s a sport, you could reduce your training sessions or if it’s learning a language you can teach yourself by following online tutorials in your own time. Allocate time in your week for your hobby and prioritise it over everything else.   Start to form good habits now Starting work is a good time to begin forming some habits for life. Unlike university, you will fall naturally into a routine. You will learn details about yourself, like how much sleep you need, what energises you, and how to stay healthy and happy while still working hard. Take note of these details, and develop habits which are best for you and your health. Habits can span all aspects of your life, including planning, keeping the house tidy, staying in touch with people, looking after your health, developing your career and learning new skills. Habits are about choosing how you want to live your life then adjusting your behaviour accordingly. For example, if staying in touch with old friends is important to you, schedule regular time for phone calls or meet-ups. Shopping for house furniture is actually quite fun This one seems a bit jokey next to my other points, but what I’m really trying to say is that entering adult life does not have to be boring. You can continue socialising with your friends, having fun with your family, and organising fun nights out and day trips. You might decide to go travelling after graduation, or save up for some memorable holidays. You can continue to lead a life that you love. You might even find that the best time of your life is in your twenties, when you can continue to have fun and have the money to do so. New aspects of life will become exciting and important to you. And, honestly, furniture shopping for your own place is a pretty good feeling. You genuinely don’t need to decide what you want to do yet And you certainly don’t need to be there already. If you’ve been to university then life, until now, has followed a clear pattern. You have only known what it is like to be in or working towards education. There is a natural feeling within us to want to know what our future looks like. But like Baz Lurhman said, “the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives.” You might go to university already knowing what career you want to follow, or maybe you will discover that and secure a graduate job while you’re there. If you do, that’s an amazing achievement, but be mindful of people that aren’t in your position. If you graduate and have not sorted out a job yet, just stay calm and figure out a plan. My best piece of advice is to be in work while you look for what you want to do. Having a job will add structure to your day, motivate you to get applications done, and ensure you have no unexplained gaps in your CV. There are actual techniques for time management Who knew? I probably should have learned some of these at university so I wasn’t always running into my lectures late, but better late than never. Life in full-time work will feel very different to uni at first, especially if, like me, you only had around seven contact hours a week. But you can continue doing what you enjoy, you just need to get organised. Time management is an individual choice; it’s what works best for you. I have personally found that an action diary works well for me, which divides days into hours and includes space for writing to-do lists and objectives. Dividing my day into sections and always having daily goals helps me to focus. For example, if my aim is to write an article after work I will complete this before doing anything else. Once you hack time management you will feel like a god, trust me. Enjoy the confusion Ok, here’s the big one. If you take one thing from this article, please let it be this: enjoy not knowing what lies ahead of you. Enjoy the confusion, enjoy trying things out, enjoy moving to a new place and meeting new people and learning new things. If you start a job and don’t like it, sit tight, apply for new ones, then run for the hills as soon as you’re successful. When new worries creep into your life, like actually trying to save money, look at them as learning curves. You don’t want to look back on your twenties and see yourself as a ball of stress, so just enjoy it. Connect with Debut on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for more careers insights.

How To Achieve Greater Success In The New Year (part 2)

How To Achieve Greater Success In The New Year (part 2) This is a great time to figure out how to make this new year an awesome year. Last week, we took a look back and thought about building a foundation for the year ahead. You thought about the year that you’ve just had and rated it on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being lowest, 10 being highest. Now, you want to take a look forward and think about: how are you going to make this year a 10? I want you to leave this time together energized and excited about the year ahead, and not blocked and locked into old patterns that didn’t serve you well. To do that, I’m going to share with you three steps. The first one is, I want you to think about What does a 10 look, sound and feel like for you? Maybe there are elements of the kind of person you want to be at work, at home, in the community. Perhaps you want to think about the kind of areas that you want to invest in, whether it’s in your personal and professional development, in your health, or in your relationships. Perhaps you want to include some key accomplishments that you want to have this year. To use myself as an example, here are the answers that I came up with. The three things I would like to have for making the year a 10 for me are: A feeling of wellbeing, both for myself and for my family. I want to have, in my work, the ability to serve more people. That means creating great content that will serve more people and then reaching them. The third thing that would make this year a 10 for me is to be bold and fearless; you know, stop playing it so safe and put myself out there. The second thing to do is Figure out what stands in your way What stands in your way could be something that’s internal, or it could be based on external circumstances, or a combination. So in my case, I thought about that and realised it’s the following three things: My drive, energy and stamina. Yes, I know, it sounds like a good thing, right? But our strengths taken to extremes are our weaknesses. In my case, my wellbeing can really suffer because I can go a long way and work really hard for a long time before I realise that, like those cartoon characters that are running, and they’re running so fast that they’re over the edge of the cliff already before they realise, “Oops, there is no earth beneath me and I’m going to drop down.” So that’s my problem. I am really easily distracted by what I call ‘shiny objects’. I love the new and innovative, and that makes it hard for me to focus on just getting one or two or three things done in the year. The instinct to play it safe. I tend to want to do things perfectly, be right and, above all, not offend anybody and that makes it hard to be bold and fearless. So think about what are those things that might be holding you back. Then third Put together a plan for addressing those obstacles and remove them For me, those are going to be about putting together a set of guiding principles. So the guiding principles I’m going to use for the year are the following: I am going to leverage my team. I’ve got a great team and I’ve got to stop doing their stuff for them. And, frankly, they have better ideas than I do half the time. I’m going to focus on doing what I call ‘90 day sprints’. I’m going to split the year up into four 90-day chunks. I call them sprints because I like challenge and it sounds like I’m really focused. In those 90 days I’m going to focus on doing just three things, accomplishing three major things in my business. I’m going to be guided by my fear. I’m going to follow my fear. If I’m afraid of doing something then I’m going to know that I’m on the right track. Those are the three guiding principles for me. What are they for you? Take action So, think about those three steps and take action on those three steps. What would a 10 look, sound and feel like for you for the year? What stands in your way? What kind of guiding principles can you form together as a plan to really address those goals and obstacles? Now I want to leave you with this question: what obstacles stand in your way for having a year that is a 10? Scroll down and leave a comment so that we can all help you unblock them. If you want more ideas for making this year your best year yet then you’ll want to get my 10-Point Guide for doing just that. You get this 10-Point Guide for free when you sign up for my Career Mastery™ Challenge, which starts January 11th. Join the FREE Career Mastery™ Challenge 2016 and get the FREE 10-Point Guide For Making 2016 Your Best Year Yet

Making Free Resumes

Making Free ResumesMaking free resumes is the easiest way to get a job today. When I first started out in the world of employment, a career counselor would get me to fill out a job application on the spot and I would never hear from the company again.Making free resumes has changed the way we work today. No one can tell me that I will not get called for an interview. People are smart enough to figure out ways to get around the system and use the internet to their advantage.There are many places online where you can find free resumes. Just search Google for 'resume writing' and you will be presented with many websites where you can make your resume. I recommend using the sites that offer content in HTML format, so that you can make the resume as simple or as fancy as you wish.Before you begin, take a few minutes to do some research about the company and the position you are applying for. The more information you have, the better your resume will look. Then you can take the most import ant information (name, email address, title, address, etc.) and list them on your resume.After you have the most important information on your resume, write in bullet points as best you can. By listing the information in the order that they should appear on your resume, you will not confuse the reader.After you have made your free resume, it is time to format it. At this point, take the best parts of the free resume and create your own unique job description. While the free resume was meant to get you an interview, your resume should match the job description perfectly. After you have your resume formatted, you can go out and look for job openings.As I said, there are many websites that offer free resumes. Do not try to apply at these places, but instead get on the internet and research different companies. Sometimes, free resumes are really just trying to use you as an advertisement.No matter how bad the resume is, don't give up. There are plenty of employers that are willing to hi re anyone who is qualified. This is especially true for the newer job market.