Is the photo on your LinkedIn Profile possibly harming your job opportunities?  
If so, get it sorted or remove it.

This week I have seen some applicants on Linkedin whose photos were letting them down.
It's a minuscule part of the process but your complete profile is a box that needs ticking.

First example was an inappropriate photo 'on LinkedIn' of a young lady reclining on a bed in scanty attire.  I was surprised to see this as I was looking for candidates for a quite Senior Role in the Pharmaceutical sector.   It was not professional and more suited to Facebook,  if at all.

The second was of a Mother cuddling a baby.  Why could this be seen as a problem?  People could discriminate after looking at the picture.  Nothing wrong with the photo but it creates a risk that someone could discriminate against a perceived young Mother.  Yet it may even have been an auntie with a niece or nephew.
As an agent I would advise that she should have used a different photo on her profile to protect against the possibility of discrimination.

Finally, someone who looked liked they had just clambered out of a kid's dressing-up box. Also her face had a look of thunder that made her look hostile.  Again this was a person in a fairly highly qualified role. Why would someone put a photo like that on LinkedIn?

My point here is that no photo is better than a bad photo.
The advice is to get a photograph taken by a professional or someone who is competent.

Click here to access advice from Andrew Bradley (a social media guru, author and blogger) 

Generic CV's are bad for your career!

Don't be fooled by similar job titles because no two jobs are the same.
So why do people send in the same CV for different roles?

All too frequently we receive applications from people using the same generic CV for several job vacancies.   Often they have not read the job specification thoroughly and then they fail to adapt the CV to emphasise the relevance they might have.

For example, a QC Analyst applies for three QC Analyst roles.

• QC Stability Analyst
• QC Method Development Analyst
• QC Raw Materials Analyst.

Despite the obvious experience required one role might be working to SOP's and another working to Pharmacopoeia, the other may require both.  It is obvious that some amendment needs to be made to give the applicant a better chance of getting an interview.  
A person may have worked to both and wish to include them but really should place a greater emphasis on the relevant one.   This helps the hiring manager who is screening the CV's to see the relevant worth or a person.

To make the point imagine two scenarios:

1. An applicant sends in a generic CV for any and all jobs, it's the same CV, it never changes, it stays the same despite the sometimes subtle differences of job requirements.
2. An applicant amends the CV by looking in details at the job description.  He or she highlights the points, keywords, skills and qualifications in fact anything in the Job Description that he or she matches.  Then the CV is scrutinised by the applicant to ensure that the CV has all the relevant details in it.

So we have one person sending a CV to all jobs without paying any attention and another who selects the jobs he or she applies for and then amends the CV to better reflect their skills etc.

Who stand the better chance of getting through to the interview stage?

So.... now your generic CV is a thing of the past you have just enhanced your career prospects.

Telephone Interviews

HOT TIP for iphone users (possibly for other smart phone users too).

We all know to charge our phone before having a telephone interview.

However, if your battery is low and you suddenly remember you have a telephone interview coming in 30 mins then try this:

1. Turn your phone onto flight mode and it will recharge at up to twice the rate.
2. Don't forget to turn flight mode off again!
3. Get a glass of water and relax.

Good Luck!

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