Harrison Sands

Category: Advice

  • A recession is coming – what now?

    A recession is coming – what now?

    This year there have been many indications that there is a recession looming. Whether it has already started, or is fast approaching is up for debate, but nonetheless, we all need to be mindful of the approach we should take in terms of our role as a recruiter and in terms of our own career development in the industry over the next year or so.

    One of the key indicators that a recession is on the way is that earlier this year, the Bank of England announced that it expected GDP to fall by 1% in Q4 2022 and a further 0.25% throughout 2023. This, in addition to inflation reaching between 7-10%, would typically mean that the labour market will see increased unemployment, reduced labour churn, and a reduced wage growth. It can be fair to say that that UK companies should expect it to be more difficult to cope with a slump in sales and growth due to the rise in interest rates over the next year, with further research suggesting the economy is expected to be in a recession until summer 2023.

    There are many trends that have taken place recently that affect the economy such as the need to grow the UK labour post Brexit and consequences of a post covid workforce, such hybrid working. On top of this, the government was planning on transforming the UK into a high-wage, high skill economy and it is yet to be decided what significant changes will be carried out and how this will affect businesses and the job market.

    So, what should you do – if anything? Is it a good time to change jobs? If you’re worried about not receiving the development or salary increase in your current role, there are things that you can do to put you in the best position possible to keep all your options open when it comes to deciding on whether you want to look for a new role or not. 


    Review your current salary, skills, and responsibilities
    The first place to start is to do you research around your current role. Unless your current employer has a good progression plan in place, you won’t know what skills or experience other companies expect if you want to develop in your role and beyond. When you know how your current roles compares to similar roles in other organisations from job adverts, you’ll gain a good understanding of any gaps in your own skill set and which areas you are strong in. This will also be a good exercise for you to see how your salary compares to other roles.

    Update your LinkedIn profile
    Once you’ve done your research, you can then update your LinkedIn profile so you can make sure you’re including any skills and responsibilities on your profile to be in line with the direction you want your career to be going in. LinkedIn is the most popular networking platform for recruiters and is very much the first port of call for you to be headhunted. As a recruiter we understand that it is especially important that you don’t want your current employer to discover you’re looking for a new role. Which is why LinkedIn is a great place for you to attract recruiters who have relevant job opportunities, instead of you signing up to multiple job boards and worry that you’re going to get caught out!

    Our main suggestions to ensure your LinkedIn personal profile look great and stand out include:

    • A recent, appropriate photo
    • Update your Headline and About section
    • Update your current role and responsibilities
    • Review your Featured section
    • Add any relevant skills
    • Ask for recommendations (and give them!)
    • Grow your connections


    Chat through your options with a recruiter
    You will then want to have a chat through your options with a recruiter as they will have excellent insight into what the market is like now and whether you’ll be able to find progression in your career right now or when will be the best time to do so. A recruiter’s advice will be invaluable when negotiating the best package for you, so when discussing your expectations, especially salary wise, be realistic about knowing your worth but also don’t overshoot as you don’t want to put yourself at risk of redundancy when your employer considers what your return on investment is.


    Look after yourself
    And finally, perhaps one of the most important things to prioritise whilst working through a recession, is to look after yourself, mentally and physically. At the end of the day, your job is your job, and nothing should come before your health. So, make sure you’re spending your personal time well, whether that means spending more time with family and friends, going out for more walks at lunchtime while it’s light outside, eating well, and prioritising your sleep. There are lots of ways you can manage stress, worry, and stay positive when working through a recession, so don’t bury your head in the sand and please do reach out to someone if you need support.

    If you’d like an informal chat with one of our recruitment specialists, get to know the team and reach out on LinkedIn HERE or use our contact form HERE.

  • Presentation tips for a job interview

    Presentation tips for a job interview

    The interview process can be a nerve-wracking time, especially if you’re asked to do a presentation. Many presentations at an interview for a recruitment role will involve the presentation topic to be about yourself. At this point you will either be excited about the fact you get to talk endlessly about yourself with someone’s undivided attention for 10 minutes, or you will be full of dread. Either way, don’t wing it!

    There are ways to prepare so that you come across as the best version of yourself and not the most nervous or cocky version of yourself. The presentation is there for the employer to get to know you better and to see how you will work with candidates and clients. It is also a good opportunity to showcase your communication style and how you handle pressure. So we’ve included our top tips below about how you can best prepare your presentation for an interview.


    Ensure to answer the question
    If the brief was to give a presentation about yourself or why the company should hire you – make sure you are clear, concise, and confident in your answer. If you usually don’t feel comfortable talking about yourself, now is not the time to be shy. Now is the time to ‘fake it until you make it’ and execute this presentation with confidence!

    Less is more
    When creating your presentation, remember that less is more. You don’t want slides full of long sentences or paragraphs. The presentation is just there to support what you’re talking about, so practice what you’re going to say but don’t write a script. Just make a few notes if you need to and just practice then practice again so that you will be able to talk comfortably and confidently.

    What to include
    Here are some key aspects to consider for a presentation about yourself to make sure you answer the question and stand out from the crowd:

    • Why you should hire me
    • Use company colours
    • Use personal photos (a recent one not one from 5 years ago!)
    • Don’t be too corporate
    • How do you think on your feet
    • How you work with clients e.g. how do you get them to sign with you exclusively
    • How you build trust and a relationship with candidates
    • Make sure you know your sector

    Reflect your own language
    They don’t want to see a copy and paste from the internet, employers have seen so many presentations by this point that they will know if you have duplicated work. So don’t overcomplicate it and be authentic. 

    Give real life examples
    The employer wants to know that you’ll be able to handle real life situations appropriately. So where possible, try to talk about some situations where you might have spoken to a client and picked up a job at a moment’s notice. Or if a candidate is having a meltdown, how you have supported them through that.

    Be yourself and get your personality across
    Although we think you should ‘fake it until you make it’ if that helps with your confidence, try to do this authentically. When talking about why a company should hire you, the most important piece of advice we can give you is to just be yourself. We know this is more easily said than done, so the best way to reinforce this is to make sure you use your language and that your slides reflect you. For example, don’t try to project a false narrative and be someone that you’re not. If you say you’re very professional, this might come off that you’re too corporate as opposed to being friendly and personable. 

    As well as checking your competent and confident to do the job you’re being interviewed to do, the interviewer will also want to understand how you’re going to work with candidates and clients as that is all part of doing the job. So try not to hide your personality and let it shine!

    And whatever you do, don’t cancel!

    Good luck!

  • How to change your recruitment specialism

    How to change your recruitment specialism

    So, you’re thinking about changing your recruitment specialism from one industry to another? Well don’t worry, Recruitment Consultants change sector specialisms more often than you may think. However, it’s not super straight forward and you can see why – candidates need an expert in their sector with in-depth knowledge, so they know exactly what they’re up against and what to do.

    If you’re looking for a new Recruitment Consultant job that is in a different sector, it’s essential that you consider what changes you will need to make and the amount of research you will need to do. So how do you change from one recruitment specialism to another? Here are our top tips below. 

    Consider your options
    Consider why you want to make a change – what is your main motivator? As with any change of direction in your career, you will need to understand why you’re looking for a change and what a successful change would look like, this will help you decide what direction you want to go in.

    Before making such a big decision, you need to make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. If you are just looking to increase your client base or you’re not as busy as you would like to be, then it might just be that you need to take a fresh approach, review your tools/processes, or just need a break! But if you feel you are ready to take on a new challenge, then make sure you have clear and realistic expectations for the change.

    You should also consider exactly why you think you will work well in the new sector so that you have some basis for the change, for example it might be that you’re interested in programming so IT is a good transition or that you did a scientific degree so Life Sciences is an easier transition.

    You can seek advice from your rec2rec about what you like and don’t like about your current market and how you like to work, and they can advise you on which sectors are the best transition and operate in a way best suited to you.

    You will want to consider what pace of work you like, whether you want hybrid working, and if you prefer recruiting for temps or perms, for example. It might be that you feel you are at a saturation point with your current market or want to consider breaking into an emerging market. Whatever your priorities are, create a checklist of your wants and needs, in order of preference, to help remind you of your non-negotiables when deciding on your new market. You can then use that to compare jobs and markets to see which one will work best for you.

    Do your research
    Research the markets you are interested in to gain a better understanding of what that industry is like and whether it aligns with your checklist. It is important to understand that not all recruitment sectors operate in the same way. Every sector is different and will have its own niches, eccentricities, peaks and troughs. For example, medical/healthcare recruitment can be quite admin heavy whereas hospitality and retail are very fast paced and constantly busy.

    We recommend researching what the current industry trends and predictions are so you can understand if it appeals to you, but also so you can then articulate your understanding when discussing your sector change with your manager or interviewer.

    You will also need to consider the pace that you want to work at. Some industries will be more fast paced than others if there is a higher turnover or if they are expanding due to growth, or it might be that you’d prefer a more consultative approach.

    At interview stage
    Make sure you have carried out extensive research before attending an interview for recruiting in a new sector. It will look very unprofessional if you just expect them to talk to you about the sector. You will want to be able to talk confidently about your thought process about changing sectors so that you can convey your motivations and expertise. You should explain that you have considered the implications of leaving your current desk and what draws you to a new one.

    If possible, speak to a recruiter who operates in the sector you are interested in. That is one of the very best ways to gain valuable insight and an opinion of what it’s really like.

    If you do have a personal interest in the market, some sort of affiliation or in-depth knowledge of the sector, then make sure you use this to your advantage and portray this in the interview.

    Taking the leap
    If and when you make the change, make sure you invest your time in your continuous learning and keep up with the new sector by paying attention to relevant news and articles. Take time to really get to know you clients that bit more to understand their experience in the industry and build a good rapport with them to make sure they know you can be trusted to fill their next role.

    The Harrison Sands team works with a wide variety of recruiters from all different backgrounds. If you are looking for advice on moving into a new market or considering a new recruitment role, then get in touch with the team for an informal chat.

  • How to position yourself for a management role

    How to position yourself for a management role

    Are you an aspiring leader? Getting your first management position can be a tricky one. Many management roles require management experience, yet you somehow need to get the experience in the first place. So, how do you get that first step into management? Well, you won’t be able to step up until you’ve proved you can handle the responsibility. 

    Consider whether you’re currently enjoying your current role and responsibilities to understand if it’s the right time for a change. You will also want to consider whether you’re excelling in your role and what your feedback and goals were from your last review. 

     

    Ask
    It’s always a good idea to have a meeting with your line manager to understand how to get promoted in your current role, and if so, whether there is a company wide progression plan to make sure you are performing at a certain level to become management. Sometimes it’s more straight forward to go for an internal promotion than a role elsewhere, especially if it’s for a big step up, as they know you and trust whether you’re ready for the increased level of responsibility.

    If you are considering working your way up to management in your current company, it might be worth speaking to HR or the relevant person who will be able to notify you as soon as a relevant role becomes available. However, bear in mind that if you don’t like the company you’re in but you’re hoping that a promotion will make things better, it won’t. It will be hard to perform at a higher level if you don’t enjoy your job as it is. So consider all aspects of what you are looking for before putting a plan into action.

     

    Review your skills
    Management positions require a certain set of skills that not everyone is equipped for. However, don’t let that stop you. A lot of skills can be learnt if you are willing to learn, you just must have the confidence and initiative to learn how to develop them.

    It would be no surprise to you that you probably need to manage people to qualify for management and many management positions require leadership skills to progress. If you have taken the lead on a project, planned a new initiative, or executed a new campaign, these are great examples to highlight how you have demonstrated leadership qualities.

    If you don’t have any experience in managing a team, a good start is to mentor a colleague. This is then a mutually beneficial relationship where they will receive more support and you will gain tangible proof of leading others. We’d recommend asking them first before you start giving out unsolicited advice!

    There are many other skills that you will need to develop and emphasise when applying for a management position. You will want to consider how you can highlight skills such as analytical, delegation, problem-solving, interpersonal, and decision making.

      

    Prioritise your development
    It’s always a good idea to consider whether there are areas within your skill set and knowledge that you could build on. It can be easy to put your development aside and focus on your daily 9-5 tasks, but that will only get you so far in terms of you progression.

    Your current department should have a training budget for staff, so if you’re unsure if/how much is available, this is another aspect worth asking about.

    If there’s nothing available in the training budget, there are many free courses online that would help you gain a certificate, or you could consider investing your own money into some paid courses. There are leadership qualifications you can get if you’re struggling to develop your leadership skills in your current role.

     

    Review your LinkedIn profile
    Whether you use it or not, hiring managers do. It’s the best place to highlight your achievements and shout about your success to help you stand out amongst your peers.

    If you haven’t already, make sure it’s up to date. Assuming you’ve got all the basic sorted like a decent profile picture, up to date location, and impressive headline, to further enhance your profile, you can ask your colleagues and peers for recommendations. All you need to do is email or send them a message to say you’re looking to improve your profile and would happily give one back in return.

    If you really want to be pro-active about seeking a new role you can turn on your search visibility to let hiring managers know you’re looking for a role. That way it will be easier for hiring managers/recruiters to search for you and then contact you if they find a role suitable for your skill set. You can do this by checking your account settings and ensuring your profile is public.

    Be strategic about which skills people can endorse you for. If you now know what sort of management role you’re seeking, make sure you have the relevant skills in this section which make you more searchable. Tip: Make sure the most important skills are on top by reordering them.

     

    Say goodbye to your comfort zone
    Once you’ve got that management role you’ve applied for, then make sure you’re set up for success. Be confident (even if you don’t feel it!), positive, and ambitious. The best way to succeed is by continuing to use those skills that have got you this far, but make sure you leave that comfort zone and push yourself to live up to this new level of responsibility. Good luck!

  • Quick tips for contacting candidates

    Quick tips for contacting candidates

    A day in the life of a recruiter is a busy one, that’s for sure. Trying to juggle your schedule around booking in new candidates that aren’t always responsive can be tricky. And on top of that recruiters need to adapt to the ever-changing market, from dealing with a candidate short market to an increase in demand for flexible working. So, we’ve put together some quick tips for getting the most out of your day and organising your time well to reach candidates and get a response.  

    Mid-morning InMails
    LinkedIn data has found that not only are 87% of professionals open to new job opportunities but they are far more likely to reply to a LinkedIn InMail as opposed to a traditional email. The data also found 9am to 10am is the most optimum time to send InMail on a weekday as this time is reported as having the highest response rate.

    Weekend activity
    Saturdays have been found to be the least popular day to contact candidates as this is when the lowest response rate is. However, Sundays might be a good option to reach out as there have been studies to show that the weekend can be a better time for candidate outreach with the idea being that there is less competition than during the week. Another study from Yesware found that when monitoring 500,000 emails, the weekend was also the better time to contact candidates.

    Calling
    If you don’t fancy reaching out at the weekend, it has also been found in a study that monitored over 20,000 calls, the best rate to connect was on Tuesdays and the worst day being Fridays. The best time was found to be between 10am and 11am but the connection rate dropped slowly until 4pm and then significantly dropped for the rest of the evening.

    Wondering whether you should keep calling? Bullhorn also found that after the first attempt connection rates drop by 33%, so always be prepared that the first attempt is the most likely time to reach candidates. But apparently persisting does pay off, after 10 attempts recruiters did connect almost 5% of the time, but that is a lot of time to spend for a small likelihood of a response. So, if you have bigger fish to fry, we’d suggest moving on after the second or third try.

    Content
    LinkedIn survey data also revealed that the top reason professionals move jobs is for career advancement. So, if you’re going to pitch a job to someone, make sure this is one of the top selling points.

    You could also reference a former employer as this has been found to increase your chances of getting a response by 27%. This highlights that you have taken an interest in them and not just created a copy and paste message to half of the country. 

  • How to get promoted at work

    How to get promoted at work

    Positioning yourself for a promotion comes down to a few things. One, are you ready for the next step and added responsibility? Two, are you good at your job? Three, are you prepared to ask your boss? If the answer is yes to all of these, then read our 10 steps on how to get promoted.

     

    1. Do your research and set a goal
    • Pay attention to who else has been promoted.
    • Consider what position the company is in at the moment, it might be that they are making layoffs which means it might not be appropriate.
    • Consider what you have achieved in your role, especially over the past 12 months. Think about how you’ve positively impacted the company and any additional projects and responsibilities you’ve taken on.
    • When asking for a promotion, is it clear what role you would step into, or do you need to research what your new role would look like? It might be that promotions in your organisation are scarce and so you want to be confident in exactly what you’re asking for and if it’s possible to achieve.
    • Let’s talk money – if you’re asking for a promotion just for a higher salary you either need to justify both or consider whether you should just be asking for a salary raise. Not all promotions will secure a significant pay rise if you’re already near the top of your current job pay band, so it will be worth researching the average pay for your role and for the role you want to be in.
    1. Discuss your ambition with your boss
    • You might already have a development plan in place with clear goals, or you might have one coming up that you want to prepare for. Whatever the reason is for wanting a promotion you need to have that discussion with your boss so they can support you and ensure you’re on the right path.
    • Ask for feedback on your current performance and role. It might be that your opinion and your boss’s opinion on your performance is slightly different, so double check this first.
    • Show you have done your research and communicate your worth.
    • Agree what your new role/responsibilities will look like, you don’t want to go to all this effort to find out that the promotion isn’t what you hoped for. Make sure you clarify, or at least ask, what the promotion would involve if you’re unsure.
    • Confirm whether it’s something that can be agreed now or if you’ll have a review in an agreed timeframe. If you arrange a follow up review, agree this timeframe now.
    • Find out if there are any micro goals which will help achieve your overall goal and establish an updated development plan that will demonstrate your leadership skills and route to promotion.
    • When explaining that you are looking for feedback in order to progress and be promoted, you can use phrases such as:
       

      “I feel confident that I am ready to take on greater responsibilities.”

      “I have consistently demonstrated my desire to grow in this role and would love to discuss my progress with you.”

      “I am eager to continue contributing to the success of this organisation in a more senior capacity.”

      “I have successfully completed several key projects and have consistently exceeded performance targets, demonstrating my ability in this role and my readiness to progress.”

    1. Do what you say you’re going to do – and more
    • Once you’ve agreed your development plan with your boss, make sure that you actually do what you say you’re going to do.
    • Be proactive about how you tackle your work and find ways that you can go above and beyond expectations. You really want to make sure that you’re a person of action.
    • If you’re unsure how you can go beyond your job role, just ask. It might be that you could support a colleague with a project or piece of work in some way. The little things don’t go unnoticed.
    1. Work smarter and harder – demonstrate your skills and hit your targets
    • Yes, you could just work smarter, but never take your foot off the pedal. You need to show your prepared for more responsibility and the next step.
    • Being goal-orientated is important to keep you on track, so if it means writing them down and checking in with yourself at the beginning or end of every week, do it.
    1. Have a strong work ethic
    • Prioritise your work and key projects. If you’ve agreed to take on more work, you need to be dedicated to getting it done.
    • This also includes looking professional. This doesn’t necessarily mean wearing the latest designer clothes but keeping yourself looking sharp and tidy makes a good impression.
    1. Don’t forget your long-term goals
    • Make sure anything asked of you is in-line with your long-term ambitions. If you’ve been asked to learn new skills or work in new territory, you don’t want to veer too much off course. You can easily get sucked into the idea of a promotion and more money but if it is at the cost of what you really want to do, take a minute to check if it’s taking you where you see yourself in 5-10 years’ time.
    • Also remember that a promotion won’t fix a bad job, if you’re hoping a step up will make your life better, it might just make it harder in the same company. So, make sure this route will give you what you need to pursue your career goals.
    1. Work on your relationships and networks
    • Collaborate with your team and help others where you can. Even if you aren’t greeted with the same courtesy, how you react and treat other people will always speak wonders and show them that you’re ready for a more senior role.
    • Ask other successful people who have achieved what you want to achieve, how they did it. Don’t be hesitant to ask, you might be surprised how flattered they would be that someone wants their advice.
    1. Have the meeting
    • Have a persuasive argument ready which highlights exactly why you should be promoted.
    • Make a note of everything that you’ve made a success of in concise points. If you can, include key stats or figures.
    • Be clear on what you expect. For example, if you’re asking for a salary raise, you could say something like: “in line with my new responsibilities, I’d like to talk about increasing my salary by 15%.”
    1. Be prepared for a “no” or “not yet”
    • Even if it’s a “no” or “not yet”, hopefully it doesn’t mean no forever. Either way, despite your best efforts, your boss might explain to you why it’s not possible for a promotion right now. Hopefully their reasoning will be understandable but be cautious of false promises.
    • If they’ve given you constructive feedback on where you still need to improve, take that opportunity to continue to prove yourself if you think it’s worthwhile. Otherwise, it might be time to look elsewhere and consider plan B.
    1. Stay positive, patient, and professional
      • If the answer is yes, congratulations – you did it!
      • Follow up with a thank you note and bring up anything else appropriate such as next steps and turnaround times.
      • Don’t get impatient if they haven’t come back to you straight away, you’ve done everything you can, you just need to remain patient and professional.
      • Put together a plan of how you will tackle your next steps and transition into your new role.

    Now, put these tips into action and go get your promotion – good luck!

  • CV Tips for Graduates

    CV Tips for Graduates

    So, the time has come to put that degree to good use and get a job in your area of degree specialism. We have put together our top tips of what you should and shouldn’t do and what to include. We’ve also included some CV templates at the end for you to download and use as you wish!

    Do’s

    • Include all education and work experience chronologically, starting from the most recent.
    • Ensure your CV is at least 1 page long but keep it to a maximum of 2 pages.
    • There’s no need to write long paragraphs as it can take up too much space and recruiters and employers will have a lot of CVs to look through. You want to summarise by bullet pointing everything, except your introduction.
    • Proof-read and spellcheck. These are the most underrated aspect but probably the most important as any incorrect spellings will stick out like a sore thumb and you want it to look as professional as possible.
    • Review the job description and consider the essential criteria.
    • If possible, tailor your CV to the job you’re applying for. For example, review the job description and relate as much of your skillset to each point.
    • Be transparent. If you have taken additional time to complete your degree or have taken a gap year since now applying for a job, recruiters and employers will notice, but it’s nothing to worry about. Just be sure to include a simple explanation and what benefits it gave you.

    Don’ts

    • Don’t include a picture of yourself.
    • Don’t include your age or date of birth.
    • Don’t include your full address. Really you don’t need to include it at all due to data protection reasons, but some employers might prefer to know where you’re based. If you’re applying for a remote job, it might be better to leave it off and discuss logistics with the recruiter/employer when being interviewed.
    • Don’t put ‘CV / Curriculum Vitae’ as the title, recruiters and employers will know what the document is. Use your name as the title.
    • Don’t use a fancy font – keep it simple, clear, and professional. And whatever you do, don’t use comic sans.


    What to include on your CV

    Contact information

    • Include your first name and surname, email, and mobile phone number. Make sure your email is relatively professional, if it’s something like [email protected], we recommend changing this ASAP!
    • We recommend setting up a LinkedIn profile and including a link. LinkedIn is a great way to show you mean business, so make sure it looks professional and highlights your achievements.

    Introduction

    • Don’t spend time writing your life story here. You don’t need to include a list of buzzwords such as ‘team player’ or ‘hard working’. Instead, write a concise professional summary in just a few sentences which include your career objectives.
    • Make sure that whatever you put here is relevant for the role you’re applying for.
    • We recommend 2-4 sentences maximum.

    Education

    • Clearly highlight your qualifications, starting with your degree.
    • Include the name of the educational institution, degree title, the type of qualification, when you studied, and what grade you received or are predicated.
    • If your work experience is quite limited, this is where you can expand on your transferable skills from your degree. For example, highlight a particular module or topic you covered and explain the value of it.
    • Do include details of your A Level (or equivalent) qualifications but don’t worry about going into loads of detail for anything further back unless it is specifically required.

    Experience

    • Include details of your most recent work experience. Don’t underestimate the value of all work experience too – if you have been working in retail or hospitality whilst studying, this is great real-world experience which has many transferable skills such as customer service and teamwork. This is where you can quantify those skills.
    • Volunteering and internships can also go here.

    Achievements

    • If you have any additional certificates or academic prizes/awards, put them here.
    • You can also include any sporting achievements or any competitions you have won.

    Skills and interests

    • Skills and interests can include things such as societies you took part in at university.
    • Use this space to talk about your transferable skills, especially if you don’t have much work experience, this is the place to expand on your skills and how you’ve developed them in university and through any other activities.

    References

    • You only need to include a simple ‘References available on request’ at the bottom of the page.

    And that’s pretty much it! This isn’t an exhaustive list, and you can adapt it to suit your education, experience, and skillset so that it highlights your most relevant qualifications and skills.

    Good luck!

    Looking to start a career in recruitment?

    Find out more about a career in recruitment and view our graduate jobs here
    Click Here
  • How to find and remove your CV online

    How to find and remove your CV online

    Everything you need to know about how to find and remove your CV online

    As recruiters, we frequently interact with candidates who may not realise their CV details are visible on job boards like Indeed, Reed, CV Library, TotalJobs, and others. By default, when you apply for a job, employers and recruiters can search, view, and download your CV. So, let’s explore how to find and remove your CV online.

    CV Privacy

    Understanding CV privacy

    When a recruiter contacts you, it’s common to worry about your current employer seeing your CV online. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t panic.

    To protect your privacy, take control by reviewing and adjusting your CV visibility settings on your job board accounts. Some platforms enable recruiters to find you through keyword searches in your CV. If you prefer not to be found, switch your profile to private mode through your account settings.

    How to manage your CV privacy

    Ensure your CV isn’t visible on popular job boards with these steps:

    Reed

    • Sign in to your account.
    • Navigate to your Profile and click on CV.
    • Ensure your CV Visibility toggle is set to ‘No’ to keep it private.

    CV Library

    • Sign in to your account.
    • Go to your profile settings.
    • Select the option to delete your CV and authorise with your password.

    Indeed

    • Log in to your Indeed account.
    • Navigate to your profile settings by clicking on the person icon.
    • Review your CV visibility status under the CV section and adjust it to private if necessary.
    • Ensure your privacy settings are configured to your preferences.

    TotalJobs

    • Log in to your account.
    • Access ‘my profile’ and go to ‘profile privacy options.’
    • Choose ‘not searchable’ and save your preferences.

    LinkedIn

    • Access your LinkedIn profile.
    • Go to settings and privacy.
    • Review Job seeking preferences under data privacy to manage your CV visibility and updates.

    Finding your CV online

    To maintain control over your CV’s presence on the internet, consider these steps:

    • Conduct a thorough search using your name and relevant keywords from your CV to locate where it may be published.
    • Check your email for registration confirmation messages from job boards where your CV may be stored.
    • If needed, contact customer service for assistance in removing or updating your CV details.

    Optimising CV visability

    While managing privacy is crucial, maintaining visibility can aid your job search. Including relevant keywords in your CV increases the chances of being found by recruiters for suitable roles.

    If you decide to update your CV, keep track of where it’s posted online. This proactive approach helps maintain accuracy and control over your professional profile.

    Linkedin Envelope Phone-alt
  • Celebrating 10 years of Harrison Sands

    Celebrating 10 years of Harrison Sands

    We are delighted to announce that this week marks 10 years in the recruitment industry for Harrison Sands.

    To celebrate our tenth year in business, we decided to give our brand a bit of a refresh. If you know anything about the team at Harrison Sands, you’ll know that we have some colourful personalities that aren’t afraid to put ourselves out there (literally – you may have heard us in the street with a speakerphone!). Which is why we want our brand to reflect the energetic bunch that we are.

    Our new branding and website are bolder, brighter, and more vibrant than ever before and should pack a punch for next 10 exciting years.

    Managing Director, Katie Coates has said:

    “I want to thank everyone over the last decade who have chosen to utilise the services of Harrison Sands. Over the last 10 years we have listened to our market and delivered. We thought it was the right time to freshen up our branding and make our website much more user friendly.”

    On the new website, we have a dedicated space for our clients, recruiters, recruitment jobs, and recruitment advice. We wanted to make it as easy and simple as possible for you to understand what we’re about and how we work, which is why you won’t see a lot of fluff and faff on our site. It’s just clear and colourful so we can concentrate on the most important task – recruiting recruiters. Click here to find out more about the team or click here to contact the team for a confidential chat about your recruitment needs.

  • Damage limitation in December

    Damage limitation in December

    December is our favourite time of the year at Harrison Sands. As soon as the month began, we had the Christmas tree up and were at the Christmas markets sampling mulled wine and bratwursts. Whilst getting ourselves Christmas-ready we shared with each other our top tips for ensuring that December isn’t a complete business disaster and we have an incredible January. Here are our top curated tips.

    Reflect
    Now is the perfect time to reflect on what you’ve achieved for the year, and also what you may need to do to improve your desk next year. If you feel that there’s a skill or technology you need to brush up on, now’s the time to work on it. These days there are plenty of free and low-cost online resources, from the likes of Lynda.com and Udemy, to name a few. It’s a great idea to ask a mentor or someone in the office for some informal training or support while they’re quieter than usual too. Here at Harrison Sands, we’re using the time to implement Sourcebreaker into our daily searches!

    Candidate tracking
    Keep a candidate tracker for anyone you have spoken to in November or December who has mentioned they’re looking for a move in the New Year. They will appreciate you remembering to catch up with them after the Christmas break and it’s a good time to discuss new opportunities.

    Don’t let up
    Keep chipping away even though the recruitment market may feel like it’s slowing down; the more you do the more you come back to in January. It’s very easy to fall off the wagon but keep up to date with adverts, keep making approaches and book calls in for January.

    Prioritise
    It’s sometimes hard to say no but you can’t be everything to everyone. Think about your own personal goals that you want to achieve. At this time of year, you get multiple invites from clients to go out however don’t spread yourself too thinly and remember you can only be in one place at one time. If you can’t make it don’t stress.

    Job hunting
    If you’re looking for a new role, it’s tempting to shelve activities while you launch yourself into the festivities. But this can be a big mistake. Recruitment never really stops, and applying for roles in December means you’ll typically be up against reduced competition as less well-advised recruiters ignore advice such as this. Hiring managers and recruiters still want to fill roles, so applying for positions in December may mean you’ll be prioritised in any shortlisting that takes place, with the ultimate outcome being securing a new role or an interview in early January.

    For further advice
    For further Rec2Rec advice please contact the team at Harrison Sands: