• It’s no longer enough to go to a job interview with your CV. A growing number of employers are checking a candidate’s credit history before making an offer. Employers see it as a way to determine the job seeker’s character.

 
• Are you trying to retain staff? Its often assumed only money talks but according to a recent survey, a simple thankyou or pat on the back can be even more effective. A survey of 1000 workers by UK consulting firm White Water Strategies found an “ego boost praise'’ often has the same impact on job satisfaction as a modest pay raise. A third of employees were not thanked at all when they did well, while a further third said they were not thanked enough. Praising staff had the same motivational kick as a 1 per cent pay rise.

• Nearly half of all Australians believe Richard Branson would be the ideal boss to work for, new research shows. According to Talent 2’s survey Mr Bransons appeal is in the impression he creates that in his businesses theres an element of fun, employees are generally well trained, well looked after and the environment they are going to work is not going to be overly bureaucratic or boring.
  

• Rising interest rates aren’t only having an impact on homeowners, but if your looking for a job in the finance industry you might be having quite some trouble. The Aussie banking sector job market is floundering, according to the most recent monthly instalment of the Olivier Job Index.

• www.seek.com.au will go black this Saturday night, 29 March, as part of its commitment to Earth Hour. Recognizing the significance of Earth Hour to do something visual to convey its support. The black screen, which is a way of aligning with Earth Hour supporters worldwide who are switching off their lights for an hour, also uses less energy on some computer screens.

• We at Logic Recruitment urge all of you to help out with Earth Hour too. We ask that you turn off all your lights on 8pm-9pm March 29^th. This Australian idea has reached out across the globe with 24 countries participating this year. For more information goto:
                 http://www.earthhour.org/
                                                                                                

                                   

                                           

          

          

Logic Recruitment are proud to be supporters of Eberius Princess Margaret Hospital Book Run.

Inspired by an episode of Oprah, Jodie Eberius has decided to attempt to make a difference to local children’s lives.

The idea: This particular episode Oprah spoke to a executive from Microsoft (John Wood - he has written a book about his experiences) who had taken some leave and  trekked through Nepal.

Along the way he had visited local schools where he discovered that they had very limited books for the amount of children attending. Some of the schools had books left over from tourists but as you can imagine they were highly unsuitable for children.

He decided to go home and do a book drive and went back 4 months later with over 3000 books. He has now left Microsoft to do this full time. He now has a foundation called Room to Read, (www.roomtoread.org) and as well as books he is now building schools and libraries across 3rd world countries.

Jodie inspired, then asked herself what could she do? The Eberius Princess Margaret Hospital Book Run was born.So we want YOU!  Take on this mission if you dare!

The mission: For each and every one of you could donate a new children’s book!Don’t be shy though recruit all your friends/work colleagues and family members to do the same. 

The briefing: The children’s age groups range from newborn to 18 years old. Once all books are collected they will be delivered to PMH for all the Kids. Contact with PMH has been made and they are very excited about this mission.

Jodie’s message: I know it’s not schools in Nepal but depending on the response, we may try for bigger and better things next time.Delivery Address: Unit 5/19 JCA Logic Outram Street West Perth.

I would love a response on how many you have collected and when you are due to deliver them just to give JCA the heads up.

Due Date: April 21st 2008 The reward: I guess it’s a little something we can do to give something back to sick children and bring some joy and happiness to them.

So please accept your mission jump on board and let’s make this an annual occurrence! And check out John Wood’s website its amazing, what an idea can turn into!
We wish you a Happy and safe Easter from all of us at Logic Recruitment.

Survey results
More than 50 per cent of Australian employees are either actively or passively looking for a new job, according to a new survey released this week by Hudson Recruitment. The large amount of job hunters can be put down to the current tight job market due to the lowest unemployment rate in three decades, says Gary Lazzarotto, managing director of Hudson Australia/ New Zealand.Ideally, this should be a time of bosses tailoring engagement with employees in a bid to hang on to them,”Employees are finding themselves in a position where they have more negotiating power than ever before,'’ he says.
So chances are employees find themselves in a position that job satisfaction can be a major trigger to start looking for employment. If a person’s job satisfaction starts to wane, they will more than likely start browsing through the job boards and see what’s available.
Passive into Active
50 per cent + of the Australia job market is passive…So with this now in mind Logic Recruitment Recruitment have thought up of some ways you can change that passivity into action and secure that new job!
Many people will troll through the job boards and send out hundreds of resumes never getting a call back or an interview. Well its one of the most obvious but often looked over tactics. Be proactive, chase the application. Keep record of the roles you apply for and make contact after submitting your resume. Show that your interested, look at the companies web page, and call asking some questions related to the role. Be active not passive.
Are you getting through to the right person
However often no matter how active you are sometimes it’s the person whom receives the resume that is hindering the progress of your application…
Passively sending out resumes – regardless of how well-written they are – to employers or recruiters won’t necessarily get you an interview or job. You must get your resume to the right person, which requires creativity and work. Before you send out resumes you must know the following:.  The Type of job you want.
Identify the industry, title, function and organizational level, specialty area, type of company and location.
Don’t select a job because it’s in demand, select one that appeals to you. What’s your passion? What skills and other attributes do you want to use?   If it the position doesn’t excite you, don’t apply move to the next one.
Resume Care
Many large organizations use computers to scan resumes for key phrases or buzz words mentioned in job descriptions.  
Your resume should be widely spaced out, easy to read, and concise (Don’t mention job descriptions for every role you have ever done) Use standard fonts such as Times New Roman or Arial in font sizes of 11 to 14 points.   
Since most employers prefer chronological resumes, use this format if you’re applying for a similar type of job in a related industry.   
Most importantly spend a bit of time to ensure that the resume you submit highlights the attributes and requirements specific to the position you apply for. Your resume should work for you not against you.
Ask someone to proofread it.

Network.
Networking  enables you to increase your contacts and get useful information, such as unadvertised positions and companies that are hiring.    
Identify people who can connect you with decision makers in the organization. Personal referrals to hiring managers increase the likelihood your resume will be read.    Increase your contacts by joining professional or trade groups. Attend career fairs, trade shows, and seminars.

Let others do the work for you.
If your serious about your job hunting, let others do the work for you. Recruitment companies will help to take the guess work about the sorts of positions your after.
Its shameless plug time! Logic Recruitment Recruitment are more than happy to organize a time for you to come in a talk to us about your recruitment needs.      

Related links
1. Ultimate resume guide
2. Job search tips
3. Five star cover letters
4. Top interview mistakes

A résumé is one of the most important elements in any job seeker’s armory. It’s a chance to sell you, and get a foot in the door.

In simple terms, a résumé is a document that summarises who you are, what you’ve done in your career and how well you’ve done it. Remember, it will be used by recruiters as a tool to screen and cull. So, to increase your chances of being called for an interview, here are the top10 mistakes you should avoid.

1. Having a one-size fits all résumé
You can’t just presume a one-size fits all résumé will work. Just as you would tailor your cover letter to the job you are applying for, you need to do the same with your résumé.

Don’t give the hirer a reason to turf your application — make sure you address the key selection criteria and clearly show how, and why, your experience/skills fit those of the position on offer.

2. Too long or too short
A résumé should give the reader enough information to understand your background and how it relates to the position your applying for.

According to Meredith Fuller, a Melbourne-based psychologist and career change specialist, résumés should be kept short and concise at two-to-three pages in length.

‘’Most employers or recruiters only spend two minutes casting their eye over your résumé, so make every point count.'’

She said the exception would be résumés for university positions or government roles which usually require more comprehensive information.

3. Not selling yourself
In your résumé, you need to sell yourself wherever you can. Here are three key opening tactics to get off on the right foot.
• Capability statement - This acts as an introduction to your strengths, relevant expertise and key skills (in three-to-four lines).

• Career summary - This provides a quick snapshot of your job history.

• Key achievements - Choose your top three or four career achievements to highlight. It’s great if they can relate to the position’s key selection criteria.

In short, by highlighting the above on page one of your résumé, you’re hitting the hirer immediately with ‘’what you can do'’, ‘’how you would perform in the job'’ and ‘’what effect your contribution would have on the bottom line'’.

4. Failing to highlight achievements
In any résumé you send off, you must provide your achievements along side your responsibilities. Employers don’t care so much about what you’ve done as what you’ve accomplished in your roles.

Fuller says whatever you do ‘’don’t list boring job duties — outline your significant achievements and provide behavioral examples to help the employer get a picture of you doing the job'’.

‘’Show them how you operate, how you add value, and how you measure and evaluate goals.'’

5. Choosing wrong format
It’s vital that you choose the format best suited to your circumstances. (A sample resume is coming soon to the Logic Recruitment web site)
• Chronological - The most common way of structuring a résumé. It lists your work experience and achievements in each job, beginning with the most recent.
• Competency or functional - This type of résumé groups your work experiences according to your skills and abilities rather than specific positions.

6. Poor presentation
Whether you’re sending via e-mail or hard copy, look carefully at the presentation of your résumé.

Do
• Use good quality white or off-white paper
• Keep fonts plain and simple (and around 12 point)
• Use bold for headings (and usually 14 point)
• Use bullet points where appropriate (ie to outline achievements)
• Use page numbers
• Run your résumé past another pair of eyes — do they find it easy to read and visually attractive

Don’t:
• Use a tiny font size or lines of italic
• Mix fonts
• Use illustrations or fancy borders
• Waste paper on a cover sheet
• Use coloured paper or text
• Including irrelevant data

7. Unnecessary Information
Research shows it’s not necessary to provide the following when it comes to résumés:
• gender
• age
• martial status
• nationality/religion
• health, weight, height etc
• photos

By including this information, you run the risk of making your résumé look dated or having your application thrown out based on personal attributes (ie age or physical appearance) which are not relevant to your ability to do the job.

8. Omitting action words
Be sure to include adjectives and verbs to create ‘’energy'’ in your résumé.
Fuller says it’s imperative that you use active words. ‘’Think descriptive words like streamlined, spearheaded, and evaluated … and so on.'’

9. Spelling mistakes
There’s no excuse for spelling mistakes on a résumé. Always run your document through the spell checker and have it read over by someone else before sending.

10. Incorrect contact information
You would be surprised by the number of candidates who get their contact information wrong. As it’s one of the most important parts of the résumé (what’s the point of having a winning résumé if the recruiter can’t get through to you?) make sure you double-check your personal details.

By Hannah Nicholas, December 2007