Teryl @ Work

How accurate are CVs/Resumés? Once, a long time ago, I knew a young man who had come to South Africa from England.  He was a television technician who landed up sharing a house with two draughtsmen.  They were earning better salaries than he was, so he decided that it was an excellent career choice. They taught him the basics and off he went and got a job as a draughtsman.   He was fired at the end of the first week!  Undaunted, he tried again.   Six months, and 5 jobs later, he was a draughtsman and still is today. I am not sure if this would still be possible, nor if there is a moral to this story, maybe amoral is more like it.   He did work extremely hard to improve his skills, though, and shared his questionable career path with the final company.  They decided to take a chance, and the rest is history. The value of secure employment within challenging economic conditions creates an environment where people resort to...

Are you looking for a job in the new year and have the idea that the festive season and early in the new year are not the best time to find one? Its true to a point, however, there are companies that are keen to start the new year with a full complement of people and are proactively looking to recruit and fill vacant positions. It is possible to take advantage of this and position yourself as a front runner. Getting to the front of the recruitment queue Quieter periods may mean that you get the opportunity to meet directly with senior personnel and decision makers, instead of going through layers of interviews. A carefully constructed, well thought out and presented curriculum vitae can bypass many restrictions and competition and secure interviews. It is always best to remember that the small things count, especially when the rules of engagement are different. Follow up notes A post-interview ‘thank you’ mail or note will be a memory aid for the interviewer. Addit...