Australias Freelance Revolution (And How To Join It!)

Australias Freelance Revolution (And How To Join It!) Australias Freelance Revolution (And How To Join It!)Posted March 16, 2015, by Marni WilliamsWith the jobless rate climbing and the workforce more casualised than an explorer's CV, we could be excused for imagining that professional stability was a thing of the past.But consider the possibility that I revealed to you that a developing number of us don't really mind. Of course, we as a whole need to have fruitful professions, and there are those agonizingly normal things called bills, however it appears that increasingly more of us are assuming control over issues of work. In the event that you haven't heard, there's an outsourcing upheaval on, and it's the greatest thing since every one of those manufacturing plants fired springing up in the 1760s.Australia's in, get among it!Studies have indicated that 33% of Americans were outsourcing as ahead of schedule as 2005, and the United Kingdom saw 12.5 percent growth in outsourcing somewhere in the range of 2008 and 2011 alone. With such solid development abroad, it's most likely nothing unexpected that the pattern is well and genuinely grabbing hold here in Australia. The ’Freelancing in Australia’ study, distributed toward the end of last year by Edelman Berland in the interest of online independent entryway Elance-Odesk, makes it understood: they gauge that 33% of Australians are as of now discovering approaches to turn into their own boss.Whether we're discussing the ascent of 'portfolio vocations', 'the gig economy' or 'autonomous specialists' the significance is simply the equivalent: it's tied in with unshackling from the limits of 'work', and building a lifelong piece-by-piece. Be that as it may, unquestionably this sort of boundless change is simply due to legitimate need, correct? With the GFC despite everything posing a potential threat in our back vision, it is anything but difficult to accept that when perpetual occupations evaporated we basically adjusted â€" however there's significantly more to the story.It's worldwide, and trackableCommunications advancements have enabled autonomous laborers to connect with bosses anyplace on the planet consistently of the day, opening up a worldwide independent market that didn't exist previously. Furthermore, on the recruiting side of things, businesses are progressively finding that online venture the executives stages permit them to follow their consultants' advancement, while easy to use work sheets help them to quantify their worth. Specialists today accompany LinkedIn suggestions, star evaluations, online portfolios and much more rivalry than they utilized to.It's a generational thingIn the past we were completely forced to hop straight into a long lasting profession at the mature age of 18, work our path step by step through workplace issues and fit inside the limitations of our picked business. Maybe work fulfillment inhabited the finish of a long, straight line.These days it's substantially more satisfactory to wander o ur way through a couple of courses, units, and particularly employments before working out where our abilities lie. The capacity to proceed to single out occupations, build up a forte or grow aptitudes as and when we like, is speaking to the present specialists, and particularly to Gen Y.This bid may even be reflected in Australia's business figures. The Guardian's Greg Jericho recently looked underneath the outside of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ work details to discover exactly who is being casualised. It turns out that while low maintenance work has been becoming throughout the years, the general extent of easygoing work has stayed consistent for all socioeconomics aside from one: the under-30s. Obviously, the trouble of getting newly qualified youth into work in Australia's transitional economy may have something to do with it, however imagine a scenario in which easygoing work is likewise what the cutting edge wants?I would prefer not to minimize our childhood jo blessness figures, yet it appears to be careless to overlook a move in perspectives â€" numerous youthful specialists today are centered around curating their professions and evaluating their aptitudes. It's in excess of an instance of exploring every available opportunity before settling down: youthful experts don't simply plan to be legal advisors, they're legal counselor PR supervisors who distribute music and fiddle with an online retail fire up in their extra time.In certainty, 58 percent of those overviewed in Australia said outsourcing was 'decision' over 'need'. This proposes there are critical way of life factors affecting everything here. Who could censure us for adopting another strategy? Research directed in the United States even found that 90 percent of consultants reviewed were more joyful now than they were before going performance, with about half inclination no effect from the financial downturn.The other enormous gathering of specialists in Australia is the Baby B oomers who, when they realize how to advertise themselves, can be all around compensated for hard to-track down abilities and one of a kind degrees of experience.Let's not overlook flexibly and demandA upheaval can't be uneven, and this sort of a purge surely wouldn't be conceivable if organizations weren't likewise changing their mentalities towards recruiting on an undertaking by-venture premise. What's more, that is unquestionably borne out in the figures: Australian unspecialized temp job board Airtasker saw the quantity of assignments posted on their site twofold in simply the main quarter of a year ago, and Elance-oDesk says it has grown 235 percent in the course of recent years. Nowadays you can recruit anybody on the web: a visual architect, jack of all trades, IT master, home and office cleaner, web engineer, SEO master, videographer, advertiser â€" the rundown is endless.This blast of access to â€" OK, in some cases excessively modest â€" work has additionally pushed Austr alians to work at the furthest edge of the range. A higher finish of the independent market appears to be developing, with littler helpful outfits like The Copy Collective and independent center points, for example, Rachel’s List vetting their consultants and tailoring their administrations to explicit customers and markets. Rachel's List directs its own yearly review and most of hourly rates were inside the section of $25 to $150 an hour.While the worldwide idea of online occupation sheets has brought the cost of certain employments down, there has additionally been an observation change happening locally, where managers presently perceive that specialists can offer hard to-track down abilities â€" something that has been progressively critical to organizations who need to remain on the ball in the present frequently disturbed condition. This capacity to pay for explicit aptitude on a momentary premise when required, combined with the way that business would now be able to discover, oversee and track their specialists better, has changed outsourcing in Australia into a $51 billion economy.Thinking of joining the revolution?Keen to get a bit of that $51 billion? Longing for adaptable hours and telecommuting? While I may have persuaded you that the independent insurgency is genuine, as a specialist myself I believe I have to offer you some counsel: don't bounce the blockade at this time. What, you didn't think I was going to disclose to you it was all tasting lattes in a bistro and working a three-hour day, did you? Making a triumph out of outsourcing is much the same as whatever else advantageous: it takes difficult work, and a ton of conviction. On the off chance that you're not kidding about curating your profession, at that point you may very well need these main 10 tips.Prepare yourself for the transitionPrepare yourself for the transitionTempting as it might be to exit the workplace entryway once and for all, you must be reasonable. You have to pr epare your item for dispatch. This incorporates getting the correct capabilities, constructing a site, a touch of working two jobs to develop your portfolio, and becoming your contacts.Get these things set up and you will hit the ground running!Find your nicheNo matter where you've originated from; your remarkable experience will be important to somebody. For me, it's knowing quite a bit about visual craftsmanship and some not too bad research aptitudes. Regardless of whether it originates from a pastime or appears to be inconsequential to your primary gig from the outset, make sense of what makes you remarkable and work this into your independent profile.Then differentiate your skillsWhile you need to feature the things that will make you stick out, how about we not overlook this is outsourcing: never fence yourself in! Organizations are going insane over 'T' laborers who have a profundity of information in one territory and can stretch out into others varying. Having numerous gift s implies more surges of work â€" a key factor in your outsourcing a triumph. So enhance your abilities with cutting-edge specialized information, web-based social networking aptitudes and a touch of venture the board ability. Cast your net wide with a scope of undertakings and you will see your abilities profile develop in no time.Work a portfolioWould you get a designer to manufacture you a house without seeing their

How to Accept and Move Past a Job Rejection Find Your Dream Job

Step by step instructions to Accept and Move Past a Job Rejection â€" Find Your Dream Job Step by step instructions to Accept and Move Past a Job Rejection - Find Your Dream Job On Day 29, you figured out how to either acknowledge or dismiss a proposition for employment. Be that as it may, consider the possibility that you apply to your fantasy employment, meet, and don't land the position. Being turned down for an occupation is rarely simple, however you don't need to let it disturb your pursuit of employment. The following are a couple of tips on the best way to acknowledge, and proceed onward from, an occupation dismissal. Be Upset After acknowledging you didn't find a new line of work, it is entirely ordinary to be disturbed or irate. Permit yourself some an opportunity to feel those sentiments. Locate a powerful method to process those feelings. Converse with a strong relative or companion about the circumstance, scrub down, or take a walk or run outside. Set aside some effort to feel and manage your feelings. Addition Some Perspective Invest energy with loved ones to recall what is generally significant in your life. Consider chipping in; offering back to others will enable you to recollect what you bring to the table outside of your activity (it will likewise assist you with continueing to increase new contacts). Proceed onward In the long run, you need to release the dismissal and come back to your pursuit of employment. Try not to consider it going back to the point where it all began. By composing a resume, leading enlightening meetings, and working on composing introductory letters, you have just built up various apparatuses and systems to keep on helping you with your pursuit of employment. Reconnect with a portion of your contacts, let them realize you are as yet searching for a vocation, go to another activity reasonable, and proceed with work looking through on the web. Ponder Your Job Search As opposed to harp on a vocation dismissal, attempt to gain from any errors you made. In the event that you think your resume is sloppy, converse with a lifelong mentor to learn systems for improving your resume. In the event that you understand you had some syntactic missteps in your introductory letter, have a companion or relative altogether read over your next letter. On the off chance that you battled to respond to specific inquiries in the meeting, practice your meeting abilities with a companion before the following meeting. By gaining from botches as opposed to harping on them, you can improve your odds of finding that fantasy work. Do whatever it takes not to be excessively disheartened - work looking is difficult work. Remain positive, admirably well, and the correct activity will go along. It probably won't be as fast as youd can imagine, yet it will occur!

How to Create A Resume that Shows You Have the Right Experience

The most effective method to Create A Resume that Shows You Have the Right Experience Thus, you have an incredible resume that features every one of your accomplishments and your instructive foundation. Be that as it may, is it applicable to the position you are applying for? Significance essentially implies an association between what your identity is, the thing that you need, what the position you are applying for is, and what the organization offering the position needs. Is Your Resume Relevant? On the off chance that you have the experience requested by the organization, and you have demonstrated it on your resume, that is important. On the off chance that you have chosen catchphrases to use in your resume that are identified with the position, that is significant. On the off chance that your resume doesn't pressure the necessary experience, and doesn't contain the correct catchphrases, you have to chip away at significance. For what reason Does Your Resume Have to Be Relevant? It's straightforward. Except if the organization can see an association between your experience, your character, your objectives, and what they need, at that point your resume isn't significantâ€"and businesses won't believe that you are suitable for the position. You can no longer get by with a one size fits all continue, where you list each and every activity you have ever had, and all your training directly back to middle school. In the event that you are going after a HR position, for example, your potential boss couldn't care less that you paid your way through school by working a frank standâ€"it isn't relevant. If you are going after a business position, at that point it is pertinent. So on the off chance that you are going after the HR position, leave the wiener stick out. In the event that you are going after the business position, stress the frank stand. Making Relevance The main way that you make pertinence in your resume is by utilizing catchphrases that identify with the position. The second is by utilizing CAR explanations. This is essentially an abbreviation for Challenge, Action, Results. So you need to discuss circumstances that tested you, the move you made, and the outcomes that you accomplished. What Information Is Most Relevant, and Where Should It Go on My Resume? Generally, the most important data should start things out, so once you know which catchphrases most intently apply to the position you need, use them at the highest point of your resume and in your vocation synopsis. Likewise, place them anyplace in your resume that you are utilizing visual cues. What's more, obviously, use them in your CAR proclamations. Is Your Resume Relevant? At this moment, do you glance through your resume the way things are and see significance? Would a business consider you to be the ideal fit for the activity? Or on the other hand does your resume need work? The vast majority would state that their resume could in any event utilize a touch of tweaking. On the off chance that you have not been getting interviews, consider pursuing my e-adapting course, What's Wrong With My Resume? 10 Questions to Ask Yourself and How You Can Fix It. In the course, I give you the devices and strategies you have to make an applicable resume. The present employment advertise is exceptionally serious, and you need each conceivable bit of leeway.

Why Start-Ups Need to Have a Talent Community

Why Start-Ups Need to Have a Talent Community Lets face it, start-ups have 99 problems and surely employer branding aint  one of them? Ive spoken to Erin Wilson of Hirepool.io, who says au contraire; start-ups have to double down on employer brand, or talent community as he prefers to call it. Have a listen  below or keep reading for a summary of our chat. And dont forget to subscribe to the Employer Branding Podcast. Do start-ups really need a talent community? Its no doubt they absolutely need it. They need to start early and they need to talk about it often. I think that the technology, as they say, is a blessing and a curse, and one of the by-products there is that we all live online. Its a digital world, its an extremely noisy world that we live in. So if youre building a company today, if youre part of a start-up and you want to see that company succeed, you essentially need to grow continuously. And in order to do that youre going to need to attract talent. In order to do that youre going to need to tell an authentic story that people can relate to and find. Its really hard to do that if youre not putting effort into it. Meanwhile, companies like Facebook, Google, Twitter, Salesforce, Amazon, they will gladly do it and continue to hire the best of the best if you do not. Is employer brand more a corporate concept? Yeah, absolutely. And Id add that while they may not be start-ups, youre competing with them for real-estate online, so as a start-up its something you have to think about. And I think employer branding can be associated with a corporate in a simple sense the idea that this employer brand its something you can do after the fact. It almost feels transactional. But from a start-up perspective, I tend not to use the term employer branding, I tend to lean more heavily on the concept of talent community. And the reason although branding has tremendous value, this resonates with me as more of a transactional initiative, as transactional as a job or in many cases a company, they will come, they will go. But the idea of talent community is much deeper, its the authentic storytelling, its the share of your cultural values, and its continuous. Youre building these communities altruistically, and youre doing it with people in relationships that will persist far beyond any one company. How do you extract and define values? Ive had the opportunity to speak with quite a few start-ups at this point, and the good news is many more are thinking about values earlier in their life-cycle today. A couple of thoughts Ill probably throw out there is, one, keep it simple, really focus around three or four key values that you have, they typically come from the top but ideally you have buy-in from your early teams to help clump those values. You know any more than that it becomes really hard to turn those values into actionable assets which they become in time. So starting with the three or four values, important buying from the team. And then the piece that I would throw out is just its really important to continuously calibrate around those values, so as you grow in scale your company, your community It is not safe to assume that the word used for your value means the same to all people as you continue to grow. So weve got the values which allows us to begin developing a narrative, and we are giving first in this scenario to the external community. We are a group of people who value acts, who operate in a specific way and who interact with each other based on this set of values. And you really have to understand how that narrative plays out in your environment, and be willing to share that, and be willing to receive feedback as well on those values. But I really view that narrative as just the true story that you tell the rest of the community around what its like and whats happening inside of your company. What are some of the mistakes that start-ups can learn from? I think the two biggest mistakes that I see are: The brand just is not authentic. And I dont think thats intentional or malicious. Its a decision to jump into the employee branding game, and then you try to do it through a collective or divide and conquer. And Matt Charney  and I were talking over Twitter recently about whether or not you need a dedicated person or a function to do this type of work, I would argue, absolutely do. Its a deep, three dimensional job, it takes time, effort, and focus. So I think one is just if youre going to be serious about it, you have to invest in it, build a team. The second mistake that I see most often is, its good in theory, it begins, but there is a ton of long-term thought behind it. And so what you end up seeing is this reactionary employer branding. And I think Glassdoor is a good example of that, someone posts a review, lets address it. Someone just quit because of that, lets change it. And thats certainly a good start. But pushing yourself to get to a place where you have a framework in place where you really facilitate that feedback and integrate that feedback into your future actions rather than just react to it. How can we measure ROI from talent community  at a start-up? I think that this is a phased approach, and part of the challenge right now is were still in the early days of employer branding and talent community. And so there arent as many folks out there who have had the experience to forecast this to your CFO, but more will come. Then certainly being able to explain what it will look like over time, and so I would say that in your first year its very likely that you will have almost no ROI to prove. Certainly some anecdotal feedback, you may be able to point to the progress or the consistency of your impact, but in terms of a bottom-line ROI its tough, nearly impossible. That being said, Ill make you stick with it, you get into year 2, year 3, you will have the ability to do a few things. One, you can always measure it from an advertising standpoint. So you can run through concepts like outreach, page views, clicks, and then push the conversion. How many applicants is that turning into? How many referrals does it generate? And of course in the end I think people are looking for, How many hires do I generate from these efforts? So I wouldnt necessarily put that as the most important metric, but it is certainly a way to measure ROI over time. What start-ups are doing it right? So recently Ive been spending time with a start-up out here in San Francisco called HoneyBook, and Ive been spending time with their founders. Theyve already done a phenomenal job at building a community around their product and their vendors which they call the Rising Tide Society. And they really sit out to me because even the t-shirts they built for the community suggest community over competition, which I really appreciate. But theyre beginning to channel all those efforts into their talent branding, and youll see them continue to share the stories of creative entrepreneurs and women leaders in tech, and things that are very important to their core values. And so very quickly youll see if HoneyBook is the place for you where you want to work. So Im really excited to see what they do in the upcoming months. Follow Erin on Twitter @techmatchmaker and be sure to subscribe to the Employer Branding Podcast.

Develop an Abundance Mentality

Develop an Abundance Mentality Quick quiz: You learn that someone you work closely with has received a promotion and a raise. What’s your first reaction? Good for her!   I’m going to start putting together my own case for a raise. I’m so envious â€" I wish that would happen to me. Rats â€" there goes my chance for any raise this year. If you answered B or C, you may be someone who labors under a scarcity mentality. People who think this way think that the world has a finite amount of whatever you value: money, promotions, credit for your work, respect, even love. Scarcity believers think that life is a zero-sum game; whatever someone else gets takes away from what I can get. If Mom loves you more, she must love me less. If you get a raise, I probably won’t. If the boss pays attention to you, he must be paying less attention to me. Scarcity people believe that the slice of pie you get means the rest of us get a smaller slice. Abundance people believe you can simply make more pie. Envy is one of the seven deadly sins, and feeling it is a sure sign that you are living with a scarcity problem. Scarcity thinking can be destructive to your work and personal relationships; it makes you competitive and petty; other people’s success makes you bitter or unhappy. You start viewing each situation as win or lose. Stephen Covey is credited with coining the term “Abundance Mentality” in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. He says that Scarcity people are always comparing and competing, and calls it a sure recipe for unhappiness. Abundance as a mindset frees you up from petty competition. You can relax, because you know that good things are not necessarily scarce, even if they feel that way at the moment. Abundance thinking allows you to be patient and serene â€" you don’t give off the tension-filled vibe that makes people uncomfortable. Abundance thinkers feel rich, even before they become rich. Why should it matter if you feel abundant? Covey says that Abundance as a mindset comes from a deep inner sense of personal worth and security. Abundance people are happy to help others succeed, because they know there will always be more pie (or money, or love) in the future. If you’re not born feeling abundant, how can you develop an abundant mindset? One proven method for developing abundance is to spend time with people who have less than you do. Volunteer at a homeless shelter or food bank. Donate items you don’t use often or don’t value and allow them to bring happiness to someone else. When you’ve mastered this (did you even miss these items after they were gone?), start donating things you care about. There’s a theory of attraction that says you must rid yourself of old things in order to make room in your life for new things. You may also find that having fewer things make you want fewer things- another way to feel abundant. You can also feel more abundant by keeping a gratitude journal. Take time to jot down the things you are grateful for before you go to bed every evening. A 2007 study tracked three groups that made weekly journal entries: one wrote down things that had annoyed them, one wrote down things they were grateful for, and one group simply recorded weekly events without context. The gratitude group showed measurable differences in their level of optimism, wellbeing and health over the other two groups. Lastly, you can change the way you talk to yourself. Instead of saying, “I can’t afford to do [whatever it is you want],” say “I can afford to do this instead.” Look for examples of abundance and renewable resources: light, air, water and grass in your yard, and for that matter, the weeds in your yard. Noticing abundance where it occurs will make you more likely to seek it â€" and see it â€" in other parts of your life.

Building and Maintaining a Celebrity Brand in Hollywood - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Building and Maintaining a Celebrity Brand in Hollywood - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Fame is fleeting in Hollywood. It’s a sad reality, but for every personality with staying power there are dozens of others who fade away into the dark abyss of “Oh yeah, I kind of remember that guy.” So what makes the difference between becoming Will Smith and becoming what Ronnie from Jersey Shore will inevitably be in two years? Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Adam Havener, an accomplished television producer, writer, entertainment host and reporter with credits on E!, MTV, NBC, BET, and The History Channel. I was interested in understanding the characteristics that make him successful, and some of the media branding techniques that he uses to continue growing his celebrity. Getting your start Breaking into the entertainment business is certainly a daunting task. Some people will go their entire career without ever getting their ‘big break.’ But as Havener points out, luck is what happens when persistence meets opportunity. “I’m a firm believer that if you want something bad enough, it will happen for you,” he says. “The most successful people in this business are the ones who work the hardest.” Essentially, it doesn’t matter how you start, all that matters is that you dive in head first and don’t look back. According to Havener, he knew he wanted to have a career in this industry when he was just 5 years old, and he credits that passion to old reruns of “I Love Lucy.” In college, studying Journalism, he took as many internships as he could, just trying to make connections. Internships are a great way to get your foot in the door, even though many of them in the entertainment space are likely to be unpaid. The old adage, ‘it’s not what you know, i t’s who you know,’ may hold truest in the world of entertainment. So, take on any opportunity to make a connection, and realize that it may not pay off until much later, but that doesn’t make it any less valuable. After many internships and auditions, Havener got his break in 2003, when he was hired as a production coordinator on a TV series called “Style Court.” Since then, he has leveraged each opportunity to find the next one, and his accomplishments speak for themselves. He emphasized his relationship with the executive that hired him for that first job, interestingly enough she has become a very close friend and mentor for him. In entertainment, as in any industry, it’s helpful to have a mentor (or multiple mentors). Someone who has been through the same process as you, who knows the industry and the problems that you will ultimately face. If you are reading this as an aspiring entertainer, make that your first priority. Most people who have lived and learned don’t mind sharing their experiences, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find someone willing to fill that role. Building your network As we discussed earlier, building a strong network before you need it is the key to success in any industry, but it’s especially important in the media/entertainment vertical. According to Adam, his job isn’t one of the nine-to-five variety. “I’m out ALL of the time at different events, meeting and connecting with other people.” He notes that it’s not at all uncommon to work on a project with someone that you meet at a social event rather than an event strictly meant for business. In entertainment the line between your personal and professional life is extremely blurred, and if you recognize (and embrace) that, it could help you tremendously. Understand, however, that to build a strong brand you have to work at it 0% of the time, and your personality should reflect your brand whether you are on a job, or at a birthday party. As I learned from Adam, you never know where you will meet your next business partner. When asked about what he considers to be the prominent elements of his brand, Havener paused. “I would have to say being likeable, accessible, and being EVERYWHERE. People will always say to me ‘I recognize you,’ even if we’ve never met, because I go to a ton of events.” This ‘accessibility’ allows Adam to stay relevant, and it makes for an easier and more comfortable introduction to those who he is meeting for the first time. Taking the right opportunities For someone breaking into the industry, it will likely behoove them to take on pretty much any role or offer that comes along (within reason). However, once you have started to build a name for yourself, it’s important to take the right opportunities, and avoid the ones that will negatively impact your brand. The saying, “Any publicity is good publicity” can prove entirely false depending on what it is you are looking to accomplish. I asked Havener what types of opportunities he tries to avoid. “I turned down an opportunity earlier this summer to be on a ‘Bachelor’ type of show, because when I thought about it, that wasn’t the direction I was trying to take my career in. As I get older, I’m going to streamline and turn down opportunities that aren’t in line with my goals.” Still, he was quick to add, “Usually, you don’t have to just turn down a project, you can try and take it in a direction that is more fitting to your goals, and meet somewhere in the middle. ” As Havener notes, the entertainment industry has a high amount of fluidity, and collaboration is the key to success. When multiple minds come together and compromise, it yields the best result. So be open to opportunities that aren’t exactly what you were looking for, they may take you down a path that you didn’t even know was possible for yourself. Being a good person It may sound trite, but one of the best things that you can do to build your brand, and your success, is to simply be a good person. By that I don’t mean that you have to donate all of your money to charity, or volunteer 40 hours per week at the homeless shelter (Note: Those things would absolutely make you a good person though). Just being easy-going, personable, and fun to work with will go a long way in building your success. If an executive, or a talent scout, or anyone with power to make a decision has a choice between two comparable talents, they will almost exclusively go with the one who they actually like spending time with. Havener recalled two of the people who he really enjoyed working with: Sean “Diddy” Combs and Kendra Wilkinson from E!’s “Girls Next Door.” “Kendra was so fun to work with, she was just carefree and was way more down to Earth than I would have expected without meeting her. Sean Combs was super professional. He really gets the business, and had no ego or attitude even though we needed to shoot a ton of “B-Roll” with him. I really feel that is why he has gotten so far and built such a massive brand.” Certainly, it also is important to remain professional when working with those whose company is not as enjoyable.  But just like in sales, people buy people, not products. “People want to work with someone who they would like to have a beer with,” Havener told me. I couldn’t agree more. Special thanks to Adam Havener for this interview. Be sure to look for him, his star is sure to shine for a long time. Check out his reel here: Author: Bill Connolly is the Sales Director for Millennial Branding and a media branding expert.

Why to Avoid the Trap of Client Familiarity

Why to Avoid the Trap of Client Familiarity Now bear with me on this; I’m just as culpable as you on this one. We all have clients we deal with who we get on with like a house on fire, knowing exactly the kind of candidate they need for their numerous roles. Were guilty of  taking  half-arsed job specs for them because, lets face it, we know the client and we know what they want right? This is a trap I fell into many times and it’s one I am trying my damnedest to climb back out of. You see, it’s far too easy when ‘Dave’ from ‘Global Sprocket Noodles’ calls and says “hi Paul, how was your weekend? Listen I need a fella for the Ramsbottom branch, you know the kind of guy I want”. The reply 99 times out of 100  is “no problem Dave, I’ll get some CV’s across as soon as”. Now we may have somebody in mind that fits Dave’s idea of the perfect candidate but how the hell do we really know that, with only 2 pertinent pieces of information;  Ramsbottom and Sprocket Noodle? Understand the  role What we need to do is ask the right questions (I know, I sound like a bloody recruiter). The right questions asked at the start of the conversation will make your life a hell of a lot easier in the long run. So this is how it goes. “You know the kind of fella” needs to be addressed with “yes Dave, but can I just get a few more details from you, such as….” Then take a proper job spec. Youll likely find the Sprocket Noodler needs not only to have a HND in Sprocket Noodle 101, but also at least a CG in ‘Widget Firtling. The CV you thought was a call-off-the-search was in fact a back-to-the-drawing-board. Sell the job A good job spec  can also make your life easier when calling Brian ‘King of Widget Noodles’. For example when Brian asks “does that job come with a company car or do  I need to have my own  wheels”? you have in front of you a plethora of information to dazzle him;  â€œBrian, not only does it come with a company vehicle, but it also has a fuel card with it so you won’t be out of pocket when filling it up”. Incidentally, Brian is a good Yorkshireman, hence the accent (you will now go back a read the paragraph in a Yorkshire accent). Don’t Alienate your core business By this I mean both your best client and the candidates you work with. No matter how well you get on with Dave, sooner or later he is going to get annoyed at the amount of CVs coming his way which don’t fit the bill. Candidates will not thank you for wasting their valuable time being interviewed for a role which you pitched as ideal, but is actually  about as ideal as (insert stock chocolate fireguard or similar analogy). As a recruiter your reputation rules, so if you get a bad one (and I don’t mean  that time at the work do with Debbie from accounts) then your work and ultimately your billings will suffer. When that happens you are on a hiding to nothing, which leads me on to my next point. Dont get  too  comfortable Were all guilty of getting a little too comfortable with clients at times, resting on our laurels. I too fell into the all-too-easy trap of client familiarity, but with the help (for help read shouting) of my line manager I can honestly say my job is now infinitely easier. Dave is even happier and Brian loves his shiny new Mazda. To dazzle Brian, please Dave and make your job easier, a good job spec is quite literally gold. *Sprocket Noodles are made up (sorry again) *As is Widget Firtling (I know it sounds plausible) *Ramsbottom is a real place in Lancashire   About the author: Paul Murphy has been working for SER Limited in Engineering Recruitment for over 11 years specialising in the intelligent buildings sector â€" especially BMS (Building Management Systems). He is also it seems a part time keyboard warrior on behalf of recruiters everywhere.