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Six top tips to keep you positive at interview

We all know that interviews can sometimes be daunting, particularly if you’ve been looking for a while and just haven’t quite found a role where there’s a perfect fit.

So how do you stay positive and motivated to ensure that you get the job of your dreams? 

Here are our top tips to help you.

  1. Prepare.  Make sure you’re confident you know all about the role by reading the brief, checking out the website and doing your own research.
  2. Give yourself a real positivity boost by checking out your skills and how they match the job.   Do an audit of what you can bring to the role; what makes you stand out and where you add value.  It helps here to think about what you enjoy as that’s normally what you’re good at.
  3. Beat the nerves by thinking of the interview as a two-way process.  It’s as much up to you whether you want to progress.  Think of the questions you’ll need to ask to make sure the job’s right for you and remember you have a choice.
  4. Only go for roles that you really want to do, because that way you can genuinely show your passion and excitement.
  5. Be enthusiastic.   This is the one thing that can make the difference, even if you don’t have all the skills or experience required.   Make sure you’ve identified the things you know you’ll enjoy and why you want to do the job, so you’ll go into the interview full of enthusiasm.
  6. Visualise a positive meeting and outcome.  Think ahead and see yourself enjoying the meeting, getting on well with the interviewer and being relaxed and confident.  Imagine yourself getting the job and looking back on this successful interview.

The team at Direct Recruitment have the experience and know how to offer you the advice that can make all the difference to your interview. Why not get in touch and let us demonstrate what a difference we can make for you.

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Direct Recruitment Ltd

6 top tips to make sure you’re on top form whilst looking for a new job

How to make sure you’re on top form whilst looking for your new job – 6 top tips

If you’re not working and you’re looking for a new job in marketing, staying positive and motivated is especially important. The longer it takes and the more knock-backs you receive, the harder it can become.  But with perseverance comes reward – and maybe the job of your dreams!

Use these tips to help you stay confident and motivated in your job search.

  • Visualise your perfect job – Write down the ‘must-haves’ for your new role; which of your skills do you want to use and enhance? How much responsibility do you want? Where would you ideally be located? Be prepared to be flexible about certain things such as your pay and benefits.  Your perfect job may not always come with the perfect salary –  initially, at least!  All of this will help you build a vivid picture of exactly what you want and give you something to aim for.  So when you see the perfect role, you’ll know straight away!
  • Identify your skills – Think about what you’re best at and what makes you stand out. Not only will this help you identify the right job for you, it will also provide a handy confidence boost throughout your job search! Ask trusted friends and family what they think you’re good at; this will also improve your confidence – and help you answer those tricky interview questions!   Although it’s also important to identify which skills you need to work on, focusing on what you can bring to the role will leave you feeling more positive.  Remember, if you believe in your abilities, employers will too.
  • Be proactive! – Even if it’s something small – making a phone call, sending an email – completing at least one task every day will keep up your momentum and create a sense of progression. That way you won’t get bogged down and will keep motivated.
  • Look after yourself – There’s no denying how stressful searching for a job can be and it really can take its toll, both mentally and physically. So it’s important to remember that to be at your best, you have to feel at your best. This means making time for the little things that improve your health, happiness and wellbeing.  Whether that’s taking exercise, meeting with friends or enjoying a healthy, home-cooked meal, just making time for the important things will help you face any challenges head-on and stay positive and motivated for longer!
  • Network – use your contacts to seek out new openings. The chances are that somebody you know can help you in your search and whether it’s a friend or an ex-colleague, networking can be a fantastic tool to help you in your job search. Attending career fairs and paid industry events can expose you to potential employers and industry experts; don’t be afraid to approach them and seek advice. Whilst being professional, do try and establish a rapport. This way, if they have a role that needs filling, you’ll be front of mind.  A ‘nice meeting you’ note afterwards never hurts either!   Keep your LinkedIn profile up to date and make it clear that you’re seeking a new role – you never know where opportunities might appear!
  • Keep in touch with your recruiter! ­ – Your recruiter can be the most powerful resource at your disposal. A good recruiter will always have time for you, so don’t hesitate to get in touch. With new briefs coming in all the time, it’s important that they know exactly what you’re looking for – your perfect role may be already on their books!

Ultimately, your perseverance and positivity are the most important factors that will help you find the perfect new job.  The more motivated you are, the more productive you’ll be and the more opportunities will come your way as a result. Motivation also breeds enthusiasm and this will come across in interviews. Do what you can to help yourself stay motivated and remember, at Direct Recruitment we’re here to help.

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Direct Recruitment Ltd

How to minimise stress in the workplace

A degree of stress can be extremely useful, allowing us to perform at our optimum. Unfortunately, however, excess stress dents productivity and engenders a negative working environment. In order to access your full potential, you first need to be in a positive mental space that’s conducive to success.

Now that we in the UK are clocking longer office hours than the vast majority of our European counterparts, with stress levels at a maximum, all senior management teams should be prioritising ways of working smarter, not harder.  Contrary to popular belief, being productive is not the same as being busy!

Feelings of being anxious and strained can arise from a huge range of concerns;  from the fear of being made redundant to nerves over an upcoming presentation. Thankfully, there are a number of steps you can take to help manage these emotions and improve your job satisfaction and general well-being – here are five of them: Read more

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Direct Recruitment Ltd

7 ways to boost your work place productivity

By Sarah Bloomfield on 09.11.17 in Your Career

Whether caused by a seven-year itch or a 3pm slump, the truth is that all of our productivity wanes at some point. The key to maximising your output in the workplace is understanding that it’s not about working harder, but working smarter. It’s about adopting certain practices and sticking with them until they become habit – I’ve listed seven of these which have helped me over the years below.

1.Create a conducive working environment

Considering most of us spend the majority of our week days at our place of work, it should come as no surprise that your office environment has a great effect on your mood and subsequent ability to perform to a high standard. There are many different factors which could affect your happiness in the workplace, from sufficient shrubbery to congenial colleagues. Conduct a full review of your space and, where possible, make recommendations to your human resources/office support team on how to improve conditions. Read more

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Direct Recruitment Ltd

Are you more suited to a larger or smaller business?

When it comes to making your next career move, big doesn’t necessarily mean better. The truth is that different sized businesses have a multitude of varying benefits, and it’s not until you’ve considered these benefits that you’ll know what size company you should be working at.

Size matters – understanding the benefits

Larger companies are often able to offer a better overall bonus package (including budget for learning and development, health insurance, bonus pay and so on), better opportunities for networking, greater job security, greater options for global mobility and more established ways of working (e.g. company expenses, new business processes etc.). Smaller businesses, on the other hand, are likely to offer more regular promotions, greater professional responsibility, more access to senior personnel and, a lot of the time, a more congenial atmosphere.

Which of these benefits most appeal to you? Consider the below five questions to help prioritise these benefits and, subsequently, bring some clarity to your career planning. Some of these questions are introspective, but those that aren’t should be central to the structuring of your job interview; while you should also weave in these killer questions my colleague wrote about previously. Read more

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Direct Recruitment Ltd

5 obstacles you’ll face as a new starter and how to overcome them

Most us experience nerves before starting at a new company, even those who have been a part of the working world for decades. Nerves are necessary to help you perform at your peak and in this instance are a positive force for making sure you’re fully prepared and alert on your first day.

Most of the obstacles you’ll encounter at your new job will in some way relate to time management. Your biggest quandary, and the one that feeds most into the below five points, is how to effectively balance learning as much as possible with getting stuck in and showing your new colleagues your worth. By addressing the specific obstacles listed below, I’ve broken down how you should manage your time; making sure you’re adequately prepared to not just survive in your first few months, but thrive. Read more

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Direct Recruitment Ltd

Make campaigning great again

Most of us have been involved with our fair share of bad campaigns. A few people would argue that there’s a couple taking place right now, concluding with the general election this Thursday.

Often, however, there’s not enough reflection done after a bad campaign and the same mistakes are made again the next time round. We’re all quite quick to pat ourselves on the back once one has been executed successfully, but when the opposite happens there’s a lot of finger pointing and shirking responsibility. One campaign should always help inform the next one; there are always lessons to be learned.

Use the below six pointers as an action plan to ensure your campaign runs smoothly – helping to avoid any Dianne Abott-type gaffes along the way. Read more

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Direct Recruitment Ltd

5 personality traits that will get you hired

Building a team that gels together is a tricky task which eludes many business leaders and managers. It’s relatively easy to recruit and throw together a bunch of high-performing individuals without regard to their different personality types, but this can often lead to internal discord and division later down the line.

That’s why many managers now prioritise personality in the hiring process, often over the candidate’s skillset and past accomplishments. All of your research, interview prep and written documents (CV and cover letter) could amount to nothing if you haven’t given proper consideration to the type of personality the employer will be looking for.

Not everything that a hiring manager needs to know can be communicated on two pages of A4, which is why it’s so important that you convey your full personality during interview. You can certainly hint at the below character traits on all your written documents, but it’s in a face-to-face environment that you’re really given the opportunity to bring them to life. Read more

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Direct Recruitment Ltd

Does self-promotion have to be shameless?

Shouting about your own success is uncomfortable for most of us, and understandably so. There is a fine line between being proud of your accomplishments and being brash and boastful, but it’s worth working on because it’s integral to your career progression.

It’s your responsibility to keep your boss updated with your ongoing projects and recent accomplishments; many managers are too busy to appreciate the minutiae of your day-to-day schedule and achievements. Also, if you don’t toot your own horn then who will?

Incorporating a few of these tips into your self-promotion strategy should help you get recognised Read more

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Direct Recruitment Ltd

How to create an effective team environment

While there is no ‘I’ in team, the success or failure of said team often falls to one person: the leader. It’s possible to have a bad team with a good leader but it’s almost impossible to have a good team with a bad leader; such is their influence on everything that happens within the organisation.

Therefore, none of the below will work unless you’re already a confident, commanding, conscientious leader. But even this isn’t a guarantee for success, as building an effective team environment is as much an art as it is a science.

The three below points, however, should at least serve as the sturdy framework from which you can build something bold and brilliant. Read more

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