An International HR Consultancy for Moldova - Areas of Support

My previous reports outlined some of the areas of concern I had in my mind about the possibility of launching an HR Consultancy for Moldova. There are barriers, of course, but they're not

insurmountable and with a good following wind and a professional approach there is a potential for a business.

Language barriers need not be a problem. Businesses prepared to establish a link with an international HR professional are around and willing to take that chance. 

A lot of this is on the back of Moldova looking West and not relying on intervention or support from Russia. Indeed, the economy and politicians and business people all point to integration with Europe and financial support from Europe as being an important strategy in developing Moldova into a sustainable economy, growing and vibrant.

So what do the businesses want in terms of HR support? The Top Areas were as follows:

Recruitment and Selection

Training and Development

Coaching and Mentoring

Performance Management

Reward and Recognition

Succession Planning and Talent Management

Employee Engagement

For the full report "An International HR Consultancy for Moldova" and a commentary contact me at iain@iwhrconsulting.co.uk.

If you would be interested in utilising an International HR Consultant contact me at iain@iwhrconsulting.co.uk. 

(c) Iain Williamson 2015

Would you use an International HR Consultancy?

Thanks for reading the recent blogs on the potential for an International HR Consultancy for Moldova. From the previous publications you'll have seen that speaking only English is not necessarily a barrier to establishing a business in the country; indeed, English ranked alongside Russian and Romanian as business languages.

So far so good. But that's not the question. Clearly, as in all countries, the question comes down to a simple statement. Would your business use an International HR Consultant? If you don't ask, you'll never know!!!

The answer was quite conclusively Yes with 59% in the affirmative. Is that enough on which to make a decision?

If the Conservative Party can plough ahead with its vision for the next five years for the United Kingdom with only 36.9% of the popular vote then a 59% result is surely a landslide vote for a go-ahead decision for an International HR Consultancy.

Even with the 59% result, there still has to be a modicum of reticence. On the other hand, it means 41% of the community would not use an International Human Resources Consultancy. Or is this just the usual British way of reacting to avoid a big disappointment. snatching defeat from the jaws of victory?

Maybe the real decision point can only lie in what the customer wants? A-ha!!! That's it, there lies the solution and in the next instalment I will tell you what the survey responses said would be most needed.
If you wish to contact me, then please leave a comment on here or alternatively send me an email to iain@iwhrconsulting.co.uk

Thanks for reading and as always please visit one or other or both of my websites.

www.iwhrconsulting.co.uk                             

www.abespokecv.co.uk

Alternatively view my LinkedIN profile

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/iainwilliamsonfcipd

(c) Iain Williamson 2015

A Language Barrier to Business - Добрый день Good afternoon

Despite enjoying the marvels of the Scottish education system (many moons ago now!!!), I am still very much like the rest of the population of the United Kingdom where we expect the rest of the world to understand and speak English. Yes I can speak and understand French and can read Italian but that's about it.

When I visit Moldova, I am in a bubble of non-comprehension. I don't speak any Russian, apart from a few words - and certainly not joined up in a sentence that makes any sense to anybody. As for Romanian, well I don't speak or understand that either. The only plus point is that Romanian is written in the Latin alphabet and I can guess what a lot of the words mean when I see them written down. As for Russian!!!!! Помоги мне

I am so glad and delighted that my wife speaks fluent Russian - a Godsend.

So when thinking about the potential of operating a business in a country where you don't speak the language there is an immediate hurdle to overcome. So an important part of my survey was to try to understand how big of a hurdle is that and is it surmountable.

The conclusion surprised me very much. The result to the question "What languages are used in your business?" was:-

1. Russian 29%
2. Romanian 29%
3. English 28%
4. Moldovan 12%
5. Other 2%

So there you have it, the news is that English would be used. The challenge, and unanswered piece, is how prevalent is the use of English. Is it used at all levels of organisations?

Certainly the people I spoke to had an excellent command of the english language. Admittedly these were senior professionals in their business but they didn't see that my lack of speaking another language as a problem. Indeed, the Moldovan push and move towards the European Community enhances the need for involvement of professionals from other countries. Moldova certainly has a bright future - it just needs that support to get there.

In my next posting, I will give you another section of the survey and my interpretation of what it said.

If you wish to contact me, then please leave a comment on here or alternatively send me an email to iain@iwhrconsulting.co.uk

Thanks for reading and as always please visit one or other or both of my websites.

www.iwhrconsulting.co.uk

www.abespokecv.co.uk

Alternatively view my LinkedIN profile

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/iainwilliamsonfcipd

(c) Iain Williamson 2015

Real Option or Cloud Cuckoo land? An International HR Consultancy for Moldova?

It's been quite a while since my last post because I've been rather busy but that's no excuse really. I hope you haven't missed me too much and your anticipation of reading Iain's words of wisdom has not waned.

A lot has been happening and my work has kept me away from spouting forth. Plus, of course, I have had to try and keep my golf handicap to a certain level - without much success I should say, but that's a story for another day and time.

Over the past few months I have been steadily building connections, via LinkedIn, with lots of people in Moldova across a multitude of business sectors with a view to testing the water to see if there was an appetite for using an international HR Consultant within their business.

I sent a comprehensive Survey to them to gather responses and the next step was to meet a few selected participants when I was in Chisinau (capital of Moldova) and see if there was really any opportunities. Remember I speak English only and not Romanian or Russian, the predominant languages in the country. My knowledge of Russian is extremely limited, to the extent that you'd probably agree it is non-existent. And my Romanian is even less - but at least Romanian is written in the Latin alphabet so I can get the gist of what is written but don't speak it.

Over the next few posts, I'm going to give you the results so keep reading as all will be revealed. If you want an advance copy of the Executive Summary and the results then contact me on EMAIL .

In closing, I'd like to remind you of how to contact me:-

Web sites:-

www.iwhrconsulting.co.uk   iain@iwhrconsulting.co.uk

www.abespokecv.co.uk

Twitter

@iwhrconsult

@abespokecv

(c) iain williamson 2015

Online Job Search Security

It's coming towards the end of 2014 and already thoughts turn towards the Christmas and New Year holidays. For some it's also the time for a new role and serious job hunting gets underway. Not many of us are Premier League managers who will probably be well compensated for losing their job but even they need a CV to help them source their next challenge. 

Job seeking is difficult at the best of times and is a very competitive business. Just ask any job seeker how many jobs they have applied for without even getting a sniff of an interview. The importance of a current, powerful and selling CV, full of your achievements and contributions to previous employers success, cannot be underestimated. But be careful with your CV and its contents. 

It's a necessary evil that you need to spread your CV as widely as possible and get it into the in-boxes of recruiters and executives. You can control where it is seen to an extent because you have placed it there; namely, with trusted recruiters or on recruitment websites that ask your permission for it to be there and also ask you what information you want to be available for viewing by external persons. 

Very often the website will ask you if you want your CV to be searchable. That means that people (sometimes) pay the website to search for jobhunters. The vast majority of these will be perfectly legitimate individuals but some will not be. 

The message then is threefold:- 

1. Minimise the amount of personal information you have on the CV. Consider just having your name, mobile number and your email address. When somebody accesses your information and makes contact you can then check their authenticity before you give any more information away - such as home address, current salary, date of birth, etc. 

In fact minimise your information on all platforms (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) but give enough detail that people can find you and get to you

2. Always ask them to send you an email before you get into any discussions of any description. This way you can search for them on Linked In or Google and do some due diligence on their authenticity before you exchange any further information. 

I know this because only today, exactly this happened to me. I sensed something wrong with the approach via Linked In from somebody who was not a connection. There were spelling mistakes in the online profile and then doing a search for the recruitment business could not find it!!! 

3. Never give out Bank Account details and NEVER, NEVER pay for this until you are absolutely sure the website and/or recruiter is genuine. 

Your online presence is a necessity in today's digitised world so manage it as securely as possible. Stay safe and stay secure. And find that job soon - working with people you trust and have built a relationship with always works in the end.

If you need help or support in your job search contact me at www.abespokecv.co.uk or email sales@abespokecv.co.uk. I promise all contact is in strict confidence and I never send or share your contact details with any other individual or business. 

IAIN WILLIAMSON (C) 7.12.14

How do you learn to ski jump? Or how do you learn to job search?

I was sitting watching TV tonight, relaxing after a hard day at the office and waiting for my dinner to be brought to me, when is struck me.

How do you learn to ski jump? Who first thought of sliding down a 120 - 130 foot hill and land some 476 feet away still (hopefully) intact? And how do you practice?

Fortunately job hunting is much easier and less dangerous. Albeit it can be just as nerve racking with a much softer landing normally.

These guys that do the ski-jump plan meticulously for the few seconds that they skid down the slope and throw themselves into the air. Their tools are the best. They have to be ready for the unexpected. There might be a gust of wind. The skis might go wider than anticipated. Landing might not go as predicted (think of the last time you were in a plane and think of how you felt when the wheels touch ground).

Your job search has to follow the same rigorous criteria. Plan, plan and plan again in all the areas of your job search and be meticulous. It's spring time so revisit your CV. Does it really showcase you? Have you added your latest achievements? Have you included as much relevant information in there that will get you an interview? 

And the simple things - make sure your CV has the correct and up to date contact details. The other week I was trying to contact somebody and they had an old mobile on their CV. Not surprising they never got any invites to interview!!!

You need to give yourself your best CV so that you can get interviews. Check out www.abespokecv.co.uk for detail on how we can help.

Of course, when you are job seeking you need to use the widest possible search activity. Don't restrict yourself to one job board, or one contact, or the local press. And use Linked In to do your company research.

Got the interview in the bag? Prepare what your answers will be to the main questions that will be fired at you. Why have you applied for this role? What do you know about the company? Give real life examples of your competences against the job description. One tip is to use evidence from your most recent role(s) and not from ten years ago!!! Think about what you bring to the company what they need - the fact that you are at interview suggests they believe you might be able to do the job. You need to convince them!!!

And ask relevant questions of your interviewer. You also need to be convinced that this company is where you want to develop your career. It's never an easy decision to leave a job so you have to be sure that the new organisation is the right move.

So like the Ski Jumper, your final destination can be successfully achieved. It can be a tortuous journey to a new job but by planning and dedication you can get there. Good luck and call www.abespokecv.co.uk if you need help, support or advice. Get your Gold Medal - your new job today.

(C) Iain Williamson 2014

Pleasure or Pain

It has been such a long while since I wrote a Blog for you but my pen is back!!! This is a different blog as a one off experience for you all and I promise to return to HR and business topics soon. I have been on holiday for the last couple of weeks and wanted to give you the highlights and/or lowlights of my time away. This will be an unputdownable, laugh-out-loud blog for you. I dare you not to comment and say it never happens like this. All of what you are about to read is true. Of course it is my version and maybe others might interpret it differently - the decision is yours.

The purpose of the blog is my travelogue over the last couple of weeks and you have to decide Pleasure or Pain. 

1. Pleasure or Pain

My journey started at 0330 one morning just before Christmas, as i left the house to travel to Manchester Airport. A minor miracle happened. I travelled all the way there - M62, M6 and M56 - without any other vehicle passing me and I did not break any speed limits. Honest!!! There was hardly a car, van or lorry on the motorway and certainly no police cars. So Yippee, since it meant a good start to the trip.

All of this meant that I would be under starters orders for the G-trail at extra early time. What? You don't have G-trail? It is the ritual of having at least 2 pints of Guinness before embarking on any plane. Magnificent way to start the day. The only problem is that you never know when the next Guinness might be. So it inevitably brings pain, wondering when  the next might come, and there's normally somebody asking me when I will stop drinking.

All flights on time but not much time between transfer so it is not a major surprise that my suitcase failed to appear on the carousel. Problem Number One. I don't speak a word of Moldovan, Romanian and barely any Russian - other than Da and Piva. (Yes and beer).

So i just followed the queue. Actually it wasn't a queue at all but more like a scrum down at Twickenham or Murrayfield. And in true fashion, when i eventually got to the front of the queue, actually because i was the last one there all i did was point to a coloured piece of paper illustrating my lost suitcase and then go to the next queue!!! A queue of one now, obviously, to tell them where to send my suitcase when it arrived!!!!

You decide - Pleasure or Pain?

2. Pleasure or Pain

I have previously blogged on this topic but want to reiterate to you how good Moldovan wine is. There are probably very few of you who have drunk it unless you've been to the area or been to Russia. The bad news for Moldova, already the poorest economy in Europe, is that even Russia has decided not to buy its wine. But for me and my wife give us Purcari, or Cricova or Vartely or Milestii Mici any day of the week or even weekend. Indeed, I will go so far as to say that I might even give up drinking Guinness. Well, ahem, maybe not.You know how it is.

I will forever champion their wine making and this is not due to any overindulgence apart from drinking every day!!!! No more than you are obliged to do with fine food and company I assure you.

On the other hand let me turn to the customer experience apparently known as breakfast in most parts of the world. And before you ask - no wine was involved in this report!!!

It is true to say that the hotel was not busy despite it being amongst the best around - in the old days the elite from Moscow used it as their hotel of choice when in town. On three days we had a full choice of breakfast options but on the other days.........  I hated cheese before. Most days we had a choice of cheese, the like of which Jerry, of Tom and Jerry fame, used to eat with all those holes in it, plus others too many for even my wife to eat. In fact she didn't like most of the offerings either. 

The there was the choice of salami or salami or salami. No bacon for me then. I lived on fried eggs and omelette's.

As for the waiters and waitresses. I think they had been to the Basil Fawlty school of serving food. Whenever we entered the dining room area, they disappeared Red Arrow like to all corners of the room or into the kitchen; i.e, as far away as possible.It was almost like this was the training because they did not speak English.  

On day two, we changed our tack, and decided to use the pincer movement on them. Firstly, I complained in English, which they did not understand apart from me wanting to speak to the manager. Then when the manager arrived, I complained in English and my wife pounced in Russian!!! Would it work for the following day?What do you think? Should I start to write a Lesson Plan for them? It would look good on My CV.

Yes - you guessed correctly. Our concern for their inability to serve breakfast proved fruitless. For all of the following days, they still flew in unison to all corners of the building. In fact, I am sure one of them did no serving of any description all the time we were there. 

One day, Subbuteo 1970 World Cup like, I positioned us at a table where I could monitor all their moves (or rather lack of moves), and i was able to see that they did sod all but the coup d'etat in this was that I could also now see that the Reception area spent most of its time on the internet. The Alan's, Hansen and Shearer, would have a great time describing that master goal movement by me.

By the end of the holiday, we were getting the eggs brought to us without even ordering.. Sometimes bread might appear. Sometimes even more cheese with the odd appearance by peppers. One day we even saw milk!!!  I will start crying if you ask me to describe what happened on our last day - so don't ask.

You decide - pleasure or pain?

3. Pleasure or Pain

One of the pleasures of going abroad is to enjoy the different cultures and languages. Normally I can understand, either reading or hearing, something about what is being said in most languages but for Moldovan and Russian I don't have a clue!!! Fortunately there's always the BBC to rely on wherever you are in the world. But there's only so many times I can put up with hearing the same news about somewhere in the world. I can now pass myself off as an expert in the South Sudan emergencies and the politics of Turkey and Egypt.

I didn't spend all my time watching TV but Moldovans definitely like the music of their country (I don't!!!) and the Russians like a good discussion or a piece of nostalgia television. When it came to the celebrations for New Year, things were a little overshadowed by the occurrences in Volgograd, but there were excellent fireworks in the main square along with music. We even saw a very young Rod Stewart interviewed in English with subtitles and he never mentioned Celtic or Scotland. Back to the TV, I longed for the warm noise of Kenneth McKellar, Moira Anderson,Andy Stewart or even my dad singing "I Belong to Glasgow". I would have loved to hear the Rev I M Jolly. So click on this for your delight.

You decide - Pleasure or Pain?

4. Pleasure or Pain

And now it's time to go back to work. I wonder what the M62, M6, A50 and A38 will be like.

I'll tell you about that some other time!!!

PS. I still don't know where my suitcase is - somewhere in Europe I guess, but certainly not home.

5. Pleasure or Pain

I hope this was a pleasure for you to read. Share as wide as you want. I'm going to write an HR or Business related blog at least once a month for you. So keep tuned for the latest updates.

All the best for 2014 to all my readers.

(C) Iain Williamson 2014

Talent Management - The Fergie Way

It's been one seismic football week. What with Wigan plundering the FA Cup and Celtic retaining their Scottish Premier crown in addition to Sir Alex Ferguson announcing his retirement from the management of Manchester United.

What can HR professionals learn from Sir Alex Ferguson? One of the areas is Talent Management. Let's make it clear I'm not a United supporter particularly but you have to marvel at the achievements over the years since he took up the reins at Old Trafford. Not much of an impact really!!!! 

One of the most difficult things to do in any business or otherwise is to build a winning team and keep it successful. It is no fluke that United have continued to successfully implement talent management - it was all part of the Alex Ferguson strategy right from the start of his career in the deepest recesses of Scottish football through to the momentous events of today. 

In fact you might even argue that Celtic played a big part in his success with the art of building teams and managing talent. This is despite the fact that you would normally expect that he would have been more likely to learn from Rangers but not so. He did not take that route. 

Many of the readers will not know the name of Sean Fallon who recently sadly died. He was a stalwart of Celtic football club and although highly tipped to become a Celtic Manager he never did - Jock Stein took the role and proudly led the team to be the first British team to win the European Cup. At Mr Fallon's recent funeral, the main eulogy was delivered by Sir Alex who fondly remembered that it was Sean who showed him the route to success was to bring young talent to the fore and build from inside. And upon that he started his plan for success. You can't avoid its returns - Leagues and Cups aplenty and the introduction of "Fergie Time" and "Squeaky Bum Time" to the football vernacular.

Yes of course he has spent money to bring players to the club, but there have been many players brought through the ranks.

For an HR professional, it is always a challenge to recruit and retain the best staff. In order to do that your business has to utilise strong and resilient approaches to managing its cohorts of employees and build up sound training and development strategies as well as comprehensive performance management regimes. Always be looking to stretch staff and reward them well for their work. Establish your benchmarked salary positions and stick to it. Recognise that your business doesn't always need to pay the highest salaries. Often providing development challenges and planning internal career moves and opportunities will show staff that they can have the career they want with your organisation; so no need to move to other businesses.

And importantly tell them often how much they contribute. People like to be praised and thanked. 

Sir Alex got this down to an art. His business doesn't always pay the highest salaries. But he was always resolutely setting objectives for the individuals and the team and getting the best out of them. He knew how to get the best out of them and was always willing to move them to new roles to support the bigger objective of the overall business. He might give them the "hairdryer" but in public there was always a solid team ethic.

Follow Sir Alex's road as an HR professional and you won't be too far off.

New HR Consultancy Launch and Job Search Procrastination

Launching IWHR Consulting

I hope you'll forgive me. Apologies for not blogging for a while but I've been rather busy with my new interim role, getting my teeth into some interesting challenges and activities. Over and above that I've also written and launched a new HR Consultancy website, showcasing the full range of Human Resource activities that I can undertake - whether that be on a long or short term interim arrangement, one off project support or a call off type arrangement.

Please look over the website - www.iwhrconsulting.co.uk - and contact me for a confidential discussion to see where and how I can add value to your business. I'll be happy to have those discussions either on or off site and at a mutually agreeable time and date.

Job Search Procrastination

It's the Bank Holiday weekend and hopefully wherever you are the sun is shining. Your other half is either asking you to cut the grass or take a trip to the local garden centre or put the kids and the dog in the car and visit the local beach for a picnic.

And all you're thinking about is either what can you watch on Sky Sports or I should be looking at job boards. You decide to take another cup of tea and flick through the channels to see when those live games start and how you can manufacture being sat down at the most opportune of moments to catch the game - not pre-planned at all!!!

But if you're out of work or looking around for your next role make good use of this "spare" time and get yourself ahead of the game. In the days of the Internet, new roles are constantly being uploaded to job boards 24 hours a day and remember it's not a Bank Holiday all over the world.

So use the time to get your Internet presence refreshed. Use the following tips:-

• Review the content of your CV - does it still reflect you and does it include powerful relevant achievements? If you need some help with a review or a new CV then contact me for your professional help and support - ABespokeCV
• Refresh your CV on the job sites where you are registered - this way it brings your CV to the top of the recruiters virtual inbox of applicants
• Review and adjust the email alerts you have set up. Either make the parameters wider or narrower depending on the returns you are getting
• Review the job boards with whom you are registered. Do they give you valid returns? Turn them off and don't waste your time. Some job boards trawl them all and give you the aggregated returns. Try Indeed

Don't forget though that your family is important to you. So negotiate a time when you can do these things over the weekend. Spend valued time with them and set aside time for your job search that doesn't interfere with their needs.  Don't let job search activities run your life and overwhelm you. You will get that job some time soon.

The End of Contract Scenario and Your Actions

It's that time again. My current interim contract is coming to a close soon so I need to be making plans. All in all not an easy time and anxiety creeps in. No matter what happens bills need paid and not being in employment is not good on either the financial or psychological front. 

For me it's not a new phenomenon, so I know the timetable of recruitment into roles and I have been proactive and already found another contract. So all is good, fine and dandy.

But even so it has been a frustrating time and again a reminder to me of how volatile the recruitment industry can be. I believe that I have an excellent record of achievement in my career to date, across a number of business sectors, both private and public, in local, national and international organisations. My CV and my Linked In profile speak highly and positively for me (in my humble opinion). I have an extensive list of achievements to be proud of across that time and have many personal recommendations.

In these days of the Internet being all pervading and so powerful in its reach it is still the case that just following a path of applying for jobs via this route is the road to madness. Firstly, there are still a major number of roles that never get to the advert stage. The power of Linked In and your connections will be a help. I got this new role via a connection remembering me and asking me if I'd be interested. In addition, some other HR contracting work that I undertake also came about through an old, in the nicest way, connection.

Secondly, when a role is advertised there is the likelihood that literally there will be hundreds of other suitors applying as well. And if you play the lottery or gamble in any way you will see that the odds are stacking up against you. You do well to get even to interview stage. So my advice here, is that you must not rely on the advertised roles as your only tool in a job search.

When you are getting into the job market again, whether it is because of the end of a contract or as a result of redundancy, it is important that you review your CV and its contents. Make sure that it sells you well - because that is what its task is. Check spelling and even the simple things such as having the correct telephone contact numbers on there. You need the recruiter or the recruiting organisation to be able to get you to invite you to visit them. 

Review again your achievements in your roles. Are they still appropriate or have you more powerful and recent ones that can really sell you? Be ruthless with yourself on this, hard though it might be. Use a friend or colleague to critique it. Remember you probably only get the one chance to impress enough to get the interview. Don't lose it.

You may wish to use the services of a professional CV writer to craft a powerful and strong document for you. Clearly it won't guarantee interviews and job offers for you but it will give you an advantage. Have a look at my website for ABespokeCV .  I'll be happy to help you with your job search activity, whether it be writing a CV, redrafting your current one or supporting you through the interview and selection process. It will be an investment in you that will be well rewarded when you secure the job and career prospects you deserve. I'm happy to have no commitment discussions with you so that you can fully understand what I can do to support you in your employment endeavours.

One of the other frustrations in your job search will be your interactions with Recruitment Agencies and their representatives. It always feels like they return your calls when they need you, but when you need them they are slow to respond. There are very many of these folks who are fantastic at their job and will be excellent allies to you in your job search. Make them your friend and ally and also find the ones you will be happy to represent you to companies. if you don't like them, then don't use them!! Simple really. But you would be foolish not to use them for their range of contacts which inevitably because of the animal that they are will be much wider than you will have.

One of the irritations will be that multiple agencies may well be handling the same job. Sorry but that's business!!! They'll tell you if they have exclusivity, or just ask them. Make sure they have you in their mind when they take a brief from a potential client so they will then call you first. 

Remember though, you must also behave professionally towards them. I had a situation only this week where a potential placement was lost by somebody who mislead the agency. It didn't reflect well on that individual and now I am sure that agent will think twice before considering that person against any roles. Don't cut your nose off to spite your face!!! That individual has lost the respect of a rather large and widespread national organisation.

Let me ponder a bit on the power of Linked In as a support for you in your job search. In my view the jury is out at the moment in terms of what it can do. 

Absolutely it can help your job search in terms of finding out about companies and, indeed, individuals who work there. But as yet I have not experienced a positive outcome to any applications I have made directly to a role, permanent or interim, that has been advertised there. Indeed, I've only ever had one interview as a result of a direct application.

On the other hand, my profile has generated a lot of interest from recruiters. And as I said earlier, these folks are an important strategic tool in any job search. Grow your connection list and one day it will be a fruitful outcome. It only needs one of those connections to come through and as I said earlier my latest venture has come about via that particular route.

As always, thanks for reading my blog and please share it widely. I'm happy to talk further to anybody on future roles or any HR support you or your business may need. Have a read of my Linked In profile and get in touch. All requests for connection will be gratefully accepted.

Happy job hunting.

(c) Iain Williamson 2013

The Spiral of Despair and The Way Out

It's been quite a distressing few days or so in terms of redundancy announcements or companies choosing to go into administration.  You will have read about Jessops, Honda and HMV and I'm sure there are other sad  and disappointing news stories of that ilk around. Any time that somebody loses employment is bad but just after Christmas and New Year when optimism for the future should be at its highest, is even more badly timed.

It's also difficult for somebody who is job seeking when they read these stories. If you're unemployed, all these stories shout out to you that the competition for jobs has just become even more competitive - and that can be even more depressing. Will I ever find a job?   

This is the time when you need to maintain positivity because I am absolutely sure that negativity will show itself through. So when you speak to a recruiter or you're at an interview then you'll not be displaying the vibes that showcase you well - and so you don't sell yourself and don't get that job offer. And you feel that there are no jobs around for you. A spiral of despair.

What can you do? Well the first thing to do is to maintain the confidence in yourself and the skills and competences that you have. Remind yourself of what you achieved in previous roles and use those accomplishments in your job interview.

You should also take solace in the economic reports including this recent one from Reed Global. It basically says that the job market is good for 2013 and should get better. It's the light at the end of the tunnel syndrome and might feel like journalistic licence but it does have substance.

Keep your eyes open for free opportunities on the Internet for help in your job search. There are lots of it around - look on YouTube, look at the main job boards  -  use their free advice. I've recommended him before but I don't apologise for doing it again, but Steve Nicholls is a great fountain of knowledge for you. Here's a link to one of his recent publications  http://www.stevenichollscareercoaching.co.uk/staying-motivated-job-hunting/

The other thing you need to do is to make your job hunting tactics much more refined. Setting up automatic job alerts can be time consuming, but it means that you can get quick access to your job, rather than having to trawl through each job board on a daily basis.

The next thing to do, which saves even more time, is to use a job board such as Indeed. Why Indeed? Well it trawls the Internet and gathers all the adverts into one place. If you're confident enough in it, you can almost even think about just relying on this alone!!!

Of course, you also need to keep in touch with your connections. Massage their ego and remind them you're around. Otherwise, somebody else is doing it and they get that call before you do.

I'm still in my interim role and continuing to look and follow my own preachings. One day it will work, I am sure. There are a few things bubbling along including an opportunity to provide consultancy opportunities which has come via a previous manager I had. There you go, keep up your connections. It does work!!!

As always, thanks for reading and please circulate as widely as possible. My Linked In address can be accessed here and I'd be happy to discuss any potential opportunities at any time.

(C) Iain Williamson 2013

It's not Blue Monday yet but set your goals for 2013

It has been fantastic travelling on the motorway network over the past few weeks. Britain has been on its annual closedown but, being stoic, I've been going to work apart from my birthday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and NewYears Day and enjoying the free flowing journey both to and from work. If only ............ 

But just when you thought it was over - that is Christmas and New Year - I've read that "Blue Monday" is with us. No it's not today which will be the first day back on the commuting trail for most people. It's actually on the third Monday on January 21st. We've not been paid for ages, all the bills need paying and we're still in dark days with the next bank holiday at Easter time. 

There are times in your job search when you feel like every day is a Blue Monday but that's not the way to react or feel. In job search time there feel like lots of knock backs - no matter how often you review job boards, there aren't any jobs for you, recruiters aren't returning calls, it feels like your CV is not working, no interviews are on the horizon, you feel like your skills are stagnating... And you can add to that list as well I'm sure.

The start of any New Year is seen as a good time to review your life in general. People set themselves resolutions and by the second or third week those resolutions have gone by the wayside. Drinking has recommenced, cigarettes are back on the agenda and that diet and the idea of a more active life has skeedaddled off down the road.

For a job seeker though there is really no such thing as a New Year. Reviewing your CV and job search outcomes should be a constant activity. I'm not saying that you change your CV every day but sit back and consider what you have done well. Think about what has brought success. Think about what hasn't worked well. Revise your Linked In profile or get on there if you haven't done that already. Consider whether you want to use other social media outlets.

I might be mad but over the holiday period I was still on alert for my career options. I attended a webinar on job seeking. I'm never complacent - even though I know and understand a lot about the recruitment process, I never stop learning. And importantly for job hunters, there's a lot of free support available for you out there. Just invest the time in yourself and the rewards will come. 

Now that first Monday on the year has arrived and I have no "Blue Monday" reactions. It's just another day for me. But my job search continues and I'll keep up my resolutions for my job search. I'll also remember that if I don't always do what I say I will do in this search, I can start again and never give up till my goal is achieved. For you it needs to be the same. Don't be a failure in your job search, because you can only blame yourself. Set your levels high and go for it.

2013 will be the year when I find the role I want. Absolutely convinced of that. And for you it will be the same. Make it your goal and achieve it.

As always, I ask all readers to share this blog widely and if you want to know more about me then look at my Linked In profile. I'd be happy to talk further with anybody on job opportunities for permanent or interim appointments. My contact details are via Linked in or this blog. Thanks

(C) Iain Williamson 2013

MERRY CHRISTMAS. MERRY CHRISTMAS. MERRY CHRISTMAS. MERRY CHRISTMAS.

This is the educational bit of the blog.

Merry Christmas to you all. No it is not late!!!!!! The Russian Christmas takes place on Monday 7th January so these wishes to all my blog readers are well in time.

(I can't be bothered explaining the difference between UK and Russian Christmas dates for those of you who are confused with all of this).

Suffice to say, me and my Russian wife have yet another bout of celebrating to do. And, I can tell you, Russians know how to celebrate!!!!! Food and drink aplenty.

And then there's the Russian New Year. Sore head or what!!!!

(C) Iain Williamson 2013.

It's that time of the year again

Well 2012 is nearly finished and the New Year of 2013 will soon be upon us.The last few scraps of Christmas turkey are being consumed and the tinsel and the lights are looking a bit tired now. High streets and on-line e-commerce retail outlets are full of consumers scavenging for the best bargains in the sales.

For many people this time of the year is also a time to think about their job and their prospects. The British economy, dependant on who or what you read, is either showing some signs of recovery or is in for the proverbial double dip. And all this leads to unease for the job hunter. 

For those in employment, there's the question "Should I stay or should I go?". (Thanks here to The Clash) For those not in employment, there's the question, when will they say "Heigh Ho". (Thanks here to Disney and very topical don't you think. Don't get Grumpy). 

This time of the year is great for taking the time out and reviewing your options for your career. Read and revise your CV. Update your LinkedIn profile and commit to making contact with your connections. Consider how else you promote yourself on social media. Do you have a presence on Facebook? Do you indulge on Twitter?

All of this comes with a warning. Remember that once information is on-line about you, it can be seen by others - including potential new employers. So be careful and mindful about what is published by you and even about you. Your on-line presence can affect your job opportunities - so be aware of that playful moment in a drunken moment of madness at the Christmas party getting you a history you'd prefer not to have.

Nonetheless, use the new social media opportunities to their utmost. Get your name known widely for positive reasons by actively participating with your professional networks. Use your LinkedIn presence and build knowledge of potential employers and grow your connection list. Write a blog!!!! Use Twitter to get access to roles. Review the recruitment websites you use and invest time with recruiters directly - even be as bold as to massage their ego!!! (You know they love it!!!).

As for me, well I'm coming to the end of my current interim role shortly so will be looking for my next assignment, either permanent or interim. Already, I've secured a HR consultancy role (not full time) but will be looking to add to my portfolio. I'm aware that my background in both private and public sector organisations is highly valued and my strategic and operational competences add fantastic value to my employer and/or clients.

But it's always a difficult time when you have to get on that treadmill to find the job that'll help pay the bills, etc. and so I'll try to follow my own road map to a successful conclusion at an early point in 2013. I need to stay ahead of the game so although I've shared some tips with you, I'm already doing them and more. 

In closing, I'd just like to remind you that I'm happy to speak about any potential opportunities and look forward to working with you. My LinkedIn profile can be seen here and gives you a flavour of my capabilities and where I will add value to your business. Please, circulate this blog widely to your connections and, before I forget, HAPPY NEW YEAR (when it comes).

(c) Iain Williamson 2012

Merry Christmas

Best Wishes to all my Blog readers and 

to all my Linked In Connections 

for the Christmas period and for the New Year.

May 2013 bring you what you wish for you and your family.

Good things come to those who wait

It was a spectacular turnround at Medinah when Europe won the Ryder Cup 2012. Many of us were awake till the early hours watching the celebrations after the unbelievable, but true, outcome. Yet another victory for the Europeans despite all looking like it was lost.

This is a lot like your job search. For hour upon hour, day after day, week after week, you scour the job vacancies and all seems lost or very difficult. But you have to take the spirit of Seve Ballesteros and be sure that it will come right in the end. Never give up. Keep trying and your reward is round the corner.

I've recently heard of several of my connections finding roles after considerable lengthy periods of not much success in their job hunt. And why did they get jobs? Because they never gave up. They believed in themselves, knowing that eventually somebody else would believe in their competences. The spirit of Seve was alive for them.

As for me, well I'm doing an interesting interim role within a public sector organisation which is facing unprecedented levels of change. Its a fascinating role at this time, trying to keep Business As Usual, while the challenges are constantly being posed. 

Of course, my aspiration remains for a full time permanent role and so I keep up my connections with recruiters and trust that one day my Ryder Cup moment will come.

As always here's a link to my profile, so if there's a role you want to discuss then please give me a call or drop me an email. And please feel free to circulate this blog. Thanks.

(C) Iain Williamson 2012

One delay after another - be patient

The start of the 2012 London Olympics is still a few days off but already the news is full of traffic delays and athletes complaining about how long it takes to get across London from Heathrow to their accommodation in  Stratford. They're the lucky ones - at least they'll be in vehicles that can use the Olympic Road Lanes without fear of fines.

Waiting to hear the outcome of an interview is a bit like that as well. It seems like an eternity before you find out whether you have the job or not - indeed sometimes you never find out at all and have to assume that you have been unsuccessful. Talk about customer focused!!!

And it's the same when you're job seeking as well. There are never enough opportunities around at the time you want them. And 2012 has been a bumper year for the normal excuses - Christmas and New Year fell at the wrong time this year, lots of people took an extended holiday around Bank Holidays and the Jubilee celebrations and now summer holidays are upon us so the slow down (did it ever get out of first gear?) will also be upon us.

Delays in recruitment processes are common place and as a job hunter you just have to face up to the fact that although it's a number one priority for you, for others it is less so - even if they say different.

And you must never get despondent about it all. There are roles around, it's just a matter of finding the right one at the right time. 

You might need to reconsider your strategies. My preference is for a permanent role, but until that happens I'll take on interim roles with the view that they add something to my CV. For others, there might not be the willingness to take on interim appointments but then you are restricting yourself and may wait even longer with no finances being added to your bank balance. Very much a balancing act and a personal decision on this one.

Constantly badger the recruiters, and constantly be checking the job boards and ALWAYS keep up your networking, either via LinkedIn or in person. 

As always, please circulate this blog widely and review my LinkedIn profile. All comments on this blog welcome.

Never a quiet moment in job seeking

Well that's the end of the European Championships and all we have to do now is wait for a few weeks and the new league season will be on us. It's the close season and things are supposed to be quiet, but daily there are reports of new potential signings and transfer rumour follows transfer rumour. So really never a quiet moment and never time to stop.

Job seeking is like that as well. You cannot turn off for one moment. Every day there are new opportunities arising and you need to set aside time on a daily basis to review all the new vacancies that have arisen. It becomes a bit of an art after a time but when you are looking for a role you need to find ways to quickly get to the roles you want to review. Missing a few days means you can fall well behind and miss the opportunity.

The job board review is important but don't forget that you also need to keep in touch with your connections. Obviously they're not expecting to hear from you every day, or maybe even every week, but you need to find a way to keep you on their radar.

I use my blog. I use my Linked In profile. I use phone calls. I use email. I use Twitter.

And also think out of the box. Are there other ways to earn a living other than what you have been doing? Obviously we would all prefer to stay in our profession, but sometimes there's an opportunity to cut the cake in a different way. Often, you hear of somebody who has completely changed direction and made a success of it. So constantly review your options and don't be obstinate to sit and wait for your perfect role to come rolling round the corner.

I'm currently doing a part time role which has evolved into more hours than I started with, but still part time and still on an interim basis. There are a few other things bubbling away and one is a little bit of a change of direction but seems like a good potential. Over the next few weeks, I need to speak further with the person who has raised it as an option for me. So watch this space.

As always, please share my blog as widely as possible. To jog your memory, my preferred option is a full time, permanent senior generalist HR role, although I will consider interim roles. I have no specific inkling for a particular business sector; indeed, my career has encompassed both the private and public sector environments. Please review my LinkedIn profile and see what I can bring to your business. Call me on 07722447847 or email me via this link for informal and no commitment discussions on how I can support you and your business. 

Unemployment, self esteem and positivity

It is little comfort to read the somewhat positive news that UK unemployment has fallen by 51000 when you are not in work, or your contract is about to run out, and the future looks bleak with nothing on the horizon.

This week I have been picking up quite a lot of the feeling from my connections in the recruitment world that the job market in my particular specialism is still very difficult and there's not a great future ahead. Indeed, some of them have even said this is the worst quarter for quite a while and although there had been an expectation of green shoots of recovery, nothing had happened.  Now that might seem like bad news but it is not!!!

For me, as a job seeker I fully understand that the market is slow but that is where I have to translate that to my benefit. I still believe that there is a role for me and that being busy with actions, such as the blog and maintaining and growing my connections, will bear fruit. Recruiters remember me when I call and more often than not, they return my calls - Thank you to those of you who do that - rather than the normal refrain I hear from other job seekers that they don't get calls back. Of course, it could all be down to the fact that people want to talk to such a likeable character as me anyway!!!

And I have also seen an increase in people contacting me with discussions about other options for me to consider. Its not protocol to discuss them here but I've got things to consider as alternative avenues.

On the other hand, I've had some disappointed job seekers getting more and more frustrated at how the market is at the moment. They find it difficult to see how things can get better and their self esteem is getting lower. Indeed, it feels like they might never work again despite a long and predominantly successful career to date.

I have a profound belief that my positivity in these difficult times is a bonus. A recruiter likes to hear and feel the infectious wish to work and the positive approach rubs off. I am sure that they can feel negativity and that doesn't help a job seeker. Getting down on yourself does you and your family and friends no good whatsoever.

I like to try to surround myself with good things and good positive people, even at these difficult times. My wife especially is always positive and supportive of me. I try to see the best out of others and what they do for me and others without me even asking. And you can use that spark as well.

One of my positive learning points has come from my contact with a great coach called Steve Nicholls. I'm not here to sell him but all my contacts with him have made me more positive about myself and my targets . You can use him as well. Contact him at http://www.stevenichollscareercoaching.co.uk/ There is free information on the website via the podcasts and blogs but you may wish to invest further. A free career assessment is available as well. 

The stuff I've used there has been really helpful for me and, even if it was reminding me of some things I already knew, it reassured me that I was and am on the right tracks for delivering my role for me.

I should add, and Steve won't mind me saying this, there are other career coaches around as well  so use the one with whom you can get the best rapport. 

From my other connections there have also been many messages of support and offers of help. Thanks.

In summary, its about being positive about your career and its current temporary holding position. It will sort itself out. Don't lose your self esteem. It is not your fault but you can do things about it. Don't wait for the job to come to you -  you need to go after it, but get help wherever you can. People will be only too glad to help.

As always, a reminder for you. My LinkedIn profile gives you details of my career. Please circulate my details as wide as possible. 

I'm a senior HR generalist professional with a demonstrated track record of achievement in operational and strategic roles in both the private and public sectors.  If you have a role, or know somebody who could use that background get in touch via Linked In or call me on my mobile. I'm happy to discuss any business opportunity as long as it is legal.

(c) Iain Williamson 2012