You should think of a consultant as your own personal brand ambassador; a person tasked with the sole objective of helping you take the next important step in your career, who’ll support you in reaching your ambitions and goals. That’s what Inspired strive to do. Don’t believe us? Here are some of the many ways we are able to help:
Working with Inspired not only means that we have a good understanding of your skills, qualifications and experience, it also means we have our finger on the pulse in the industry. When an opportunity arises that fits your needs, background and aspirations, we will be amongst the first to know. What’s more, we’ve probably already successfully placed candidates in the companies you would like to work for, we have developed a trusted partnership with the hiring managers – something YOU can take advantage of.
Changing your job is one of the biggest things you can do – some say second only to moving house and above having a baby! Working with an Inspired consultant can alleviate much of the stress that’s associated with making the leap. Being the middle man, giving advice, counselling you pre-interview – that’s what we do; why wouldn’t you take advantage of our expertise?
Deciding to find a new job, you have committed to a big, life-changing decision. But what do you do next? Sit twiddling your thumbs while waiting for automated systems to ‘respond’? An Inspired consultant can help speed up the entire process. As mentioned above, that trusted relationship can get a foot in the door early – you’d be amazed at how fast things can happen from the moment you show interest in a role. What could have taken you weeks can be achieved in days or even hours. In some cases, the consultant won’t need to wait for a company to say they need new candidates, we will know in advance.
Interviews can be daunting, especially if it has been a while since you participated in one. Inspired consultants will help you to prepare for your big moment, sharing their insight and experience about the company, its culture and the role, instilling you with confidence to walk through the door, pick up the telephone or dial in to Skype and ace that interview! Whether it be body language, etiquette, dress code, travel logistics, cultural fit or how to answer those tricky questions.
When you got the job! Getting an offer of employment is always fantastic news, now all you need to do is make sure that the salary is fair. It’s an awkward conversation, but this is where your Inspired consultant shines! They are your chief negotiator, working hard to ensure you get the best deal possible when it comes to remuneration, bonuses, incentives and holiday entitlement. They will also help you understand the longer-term prospects – i.e. training, learning and development opportunities – that will be open to you. They’ll also help you construct your resignation letter and handle any obstacles which are thrown in your path, such as last-minute counter offers.
To get
the best from this candidate-consultant partnership don’t just sit back
and wait; there are myriad things you can do to help your recruiter better help
you.
Talk to your recruitment consultant not only about your expectations, but also about the longer-term career aspirations and ambitions you have. Be sure to tell them about your specific strengths as well as development areas. They want to learn about you not only as a professional but as a person, so they can place you in the right role, at the right company.
Let them know if there is a particular company that you would love to work for and similarly any that you would not wish them to pursue. It is also a good idea to share with them details of any current opportunities or offers that you may have, so they know not to approach them (unless of course you would like their help) – dual applications are awkward!
There’s a reason everyone knows the saying: ‘honesty is the best policy’. It’s because any fabrication relating to your skills and experience probably will be discovered. Which in turn could cause embarrassment at interview or force the hiring manager to withdraw their offer of employment, depending on how far the deception has gone. Be honest and realistic about your abilities, it’s not worth the hassle, quite frankly.
This is a huge bugbear for consultants – candidates not picking up the phone when a call has been arranged, or proving inflexible when trying to arrange interviews. We know how difficult it is to organise time off without the boss getting suspicious. However, if you’re serious about getting a new job, you need to bend a little. What is helpful is telling us when you can be available for interview in advance, we can then schedule times that are mutually convenient.
Without wishing to sound dramatic, recruitment consultants’ express purpose is to match the best candidates to the right jobs. Most of them get lots of job satisfaction at knowing they’ve helped someone’s life, and have identified their client’s next top performer. It makes sense to use one to help your job search; just make sure you help them to help you.
If you’d like to speak with one of our recruitment consultants about finding a new job or to identify the best talent, please get in touch for a confidential conversion on 0121 778 6999.
