Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Undercover Recruiter

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Undercover Recruiter Hello there, hope you have had a good year and looking forward to the holidays! Here at The Undercover Recruiter weve had a fantastic year and the blog is going from strength to strength. What started as my little side-project whilst being a recruiter has grown into the UK Europes no. 1 recruitment career blog. Milestones in 2012: Over 1 million visits from around the world, most our readers are in the US, the UK, Canada and Australia Some of the worlds best recruiters and HR pros writing monthly columns, including Stacy Zapar, Greg Savage, Aimee Bateman Lisa Jones Over 40,000 (and counting) followers on the @UndercoverRec Twitter account Over 8,000 email subscribers Over 3,000 LinkedIn group members Almost 4,000 Facebook Likes Almost 600 +1 on Google Plus The Undercover Recruiter was mentioned in the Wall Street Journal, Mashable, Mens Health as well as numerous blogs I also want to add a big THANK YOU to Danielle our community manager and Laurence our editor, the blog wouldnt be where it is without your great work. And tune in tomorrow when we publish the most popular blog posts of 2012!

5 Things to Remember While Writing a Dubai Resume

5 Things to Remember While Writing a Dubai ResumeDubai Resume Writing Service or CV Services is flourishing in these days. They offer a variety of services to clients and it is really useful for students who want to become a professional in their chosen field. Any one looking for a good CV writing service must go through the list of services offered by various companies as per his needs. Here are some of the important things that can be followed for writing a good CV.First of all, you need to remember the name of the company that you have selected. Ensure that you include all the contact details of the company. You should include your personal information like name, address, email id, telephone number and any other relevant details related to your qualifications. The address of the company should be included in the cover letter also.Another important thing that you need to remember is the CV format. You must ensure that the format of the CV matches with the requirements of the compan y. The first CV Writing service is generally used for students. This is an easy CV format which makes it easy for students to write a decent CV. You can make your CV informative by including skills like communication, organization and English ability.After the career change, if you are going back to your old job you must ensure that you include the experience, which will give a message to the company about your capabilities of handling the job in a long time. There are many people who do not like to write a CV as it is a personal statement. You must be aware of the importance of your CV.You need to ensure that the CV is clear and concise. This will make your opportunity of applying for a promotion in your current job. The CV must be updated regularly, so that you will be able to bring some fresh ideas. These CV writing services will help you with all your job related issues.It is essential that the CV reflects your personality and a professional record which show your capability. Th ese CV services come with professional, attractive and easy to read CV which is well written for students and professionals. Your CV will show all your relevant experience and educational qualification.Always remember that you must include your previous work experience in your CV. The professionals should highlight all the achievements of their employees and they should also include the achievements of their company's employees. For students, they need to highlight the merits of their academic record. The good CV writers will highlight all the strengths of the applicant.Always ensure that you include extra information in your CV to the customer such as links to any articles, conferences and classes attended by the applicant and any related achievements. The client can choose the most suitable CV Format according to the requirements of the company.

LinkedIns Most Overused Resume Cliches

LinkedIns Most Overused Resume Cliches LinkedIns most overused resume terms include team player, motivated and dynamic. LinkedIn, the social networking site for professionals, has compiled a list of the 10 most overused terms and phrases within the profiles of its 85 million members. We wanted to reveal insights that help professionals make better choices about how to position themselves online, DJ Patil, LinkedIns lead data analyst, said in a statement. Find the full story as reported by CNN here: http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/12/13/linkedin.resume.cliches/index.html?ir

How to Boost Your Business through the Power of Employee Engagement

How to Boost Your Business through the Power of Employee Engagement Employee engagement is a workplace philosophy which aims to make employees focused, motivated, and happy, rather than just treating them as expendable worker drones. The principle is that by improving work conditions and prioritizing staff happiness, employees will be more committed to their job and therefore become higher performers. This means a business runs more effectively as staff members put their best foot forward. The benefits of an engaged workforce can’t be overstated. Get your employees on board with your business’s goals, and you’ll reap the rewards tenfold. Engaged employees are: Motivated Productive Satisfied with their jobs and less likely to leave it Innovative Less likely to be absent A more profitable hire The problem is that engagement has long ceased to be the norm. How many people do you know who dread every single Monday morning? It turns out 78% of people report suffering from the Sunday Night Blues, meaning they spend most Sundays feeling gloomy and full on dreading the next day. The Disengagement Crisis Disengagement around the world has reached crisis levels, with just 13% of employees globally saying that they’re actively engaged. This means the vast majority of staff are either not fully engaged or worse, they’re actively disengaged. The first group aren’t particularly motivated by work and just want to get through their hours and leave. The latter group hate their jobs so much they’ll do nothing all day and might even try to sabotage the wider team’s projects. The following table shows some of the characteristics seen across these different levels of engagement. It’s easy to see why it’s worth getting your employees engaged Indeed, actively disengaged and not engaged employees are basically an economic sinkhole. Employers pay their salaries but get very little in return, slowing down business and reducing profits. It’s estimated that £340 billion is lost every year in the UK as a direct consequence of this disengagement epidemic. Even one miserable employee can put a dent in your finances, with the average cost in lost salary per disengaged employee estimated at £16,000 a year. What’s making employees so unhappy? Worried about your staff’s engagement levels? Here are some of the top causes of staff unhappiness: Bad management We’ve all had a bad manager at one point or another, but with 3 in 4 claiming their boss is the worst and most stressful part of their job, something is clearly amiss. Staff is suffering under incompetent managers around the globe. Some don’t communicate or support their team. Others turn into micromanagers and insist on closely monitoring every tiny stage of a project, driving their staff up the wall. Often, it’s not necessarily the manager’s fault. It’s common for management roles to be the only way that an employee can progress and secure a higher salary. But management jobs require a very different skill set to junior roles. For example, an exemplary programmer or content writer doesn’t necessarily make a great manager. Often you end up wasting a talented employee’s technical expertise by giving them responsibility for a team they don’t know how to handle. By offering alternative paths for promotion and providing managers with adequate training, this can be tackled to create happier managers and employees. Poor training A chronic lack of training has sent employee ineffectiveness skyrocketing. Traditional training periods have been replaced with on-the-job style learning and shadowing existing staff. However, longer-serving staff might not have the time or resources to train new-starters and get their work done, so this training ends up haphazard and badly managed. The end result is an inefficient and unhappy workforce. After all, how can employees understand their responsibilities when reasonable levels of training are no longer offered as standard? Sure you’re cutting costs, but how can you make money if no one knows what they’re doing? Offer new staff comprehensive training as the company standard. You’ll build a less frustrated and far more capable workforce as a result. Low salary The tradition of the annual pay rise is slowly fading away. But with less than half of employees happy with their salary, and employees everywhere making less and less money every year, this can turn into a major cause of employee resentment. Is a job worth it if you’re barely paying your bills and living paycheck to paycheck? This has bigger knock-on effects. If you start at a new company, you’ll likely get a bigger pay rise than if you stay where you were. In fact, it’s been shown that if you stay at one company for longer than two years, it can cut your salary in half over the course of your life This effect means people hop between jobs more often to get more money, so the traditional lifelong commitment to one employer no longer exists. This then reduces engagement. Offer fair salaries that match industry standards, with pay scales in place to ensure everyone gets the same treatment. On another note, frequent career jumps are also making people lonelier. Lifelong friendships with co-workers have disappeared alongside the concept of a job for life. Promote a positive work environment with plenty of social events and support to remedy this. Harness the power of employee engagement It’s pretty clear that something needs to change. Take a look at our infographic which tells you even more about the causes, impacts, and solutions for employee disengagement. It’s time to bring your workforce back to life About the author: Becca Armstrong is a freelance writer for MadMax Adventures, a purpose build outdoor activity center near Edinburgh, Scotland.

Writing a Press Release Resume

Writing a Press Release ResumeSo you have written a great press release and now you want to know how to write a resume for the person who wrote it. While there are probably not as many people who know how to write a press release as there are people who know how to do it, some people still need a press release resume just the same. You can still submit a press release resume for anyone in any capacity that would be a good fit.Anyone in sales, marketing, the press and public relations can get a press release resume written for them. The beauty of doing this is that if they were looking for someone to write one for them before, they would be more likely to hire someone to do it.There are a few simple things that all press releases should have, and one of those is good press release writing. Good press release writing is a necessary part of any press release, and it is in your best interest to write one properly or your company will end up getting no business.Most press releases these d ays are posted on blogs or websites because people want to read them. If you write a press release for someone that reads them on a blog, chances are good that they will keep coming back to read more.If you have a good press release for a company and they post it on their website, the chances are good that other people will be interested in the content of the release. Once they are interested, they may also pass the link to their friends, so they may then see your press release on other blogs and websites.This means that if you want to send out a press release, you will want to make sure that it is original. You want to make sure that the information about the company and the press release itself is interesting enough that people will be interested enough to click on the link to your site. You want to make sure that you are getting people interested in the press release first, and then you can let them know about the company and the products or services that you offer. This way you will increase your traffic, which will lead to an increase in sales and your overall profits.You can also send the press release resume to press release directories so that the person you are sending it to will get more people interested in your company. This way, when the person you are sending it to does read it, they may see something they like, which will lead them to actually purchase a product from you.

How to Pass the Australian Police Officer Tests - Different Types of Test

How to Pass the Australian Police Officer Tests - Different Types of Test If you want to know how to pass the Australian police officer tests, the best place to start is to learn what the tests are. Here, we’re going to take a look at the following three types of test you might face in your application process:The Reading Ability Test;The Summary Writing Test;The Extended Writing Test.The Reading Ability Test â€" How to Pass the Australian Police Officer TestsThe Reading Ability Test is used to determine how well you can read and interpret information. Simply put, you will need to show that you can understand written information, since this is a vital skill for working in the police force.This test is rather straight-forward. You will be provided with a series of questions. Each question will contain a short passage which is usually no longer than 4 or 5 sentences. Then, you will be asked a multiple-choice question based on the passage. You need to choose the correct answer option based on the information in the passage.Here are some tips for passing the Reading Ability Test:Make sure to read each paragraph fully before attempting the question.Some questions might be deceptive, so make sure you carefully read them as well to make sure you understand what they’re asking from you.For further practice, try reading a newspaper or some other kind of article. Take notes on the key details that you read, and then compare your notes to the original articles.The Summary Writing Test â€" How to Pass the Australian Police Officer TestsFor this test, you will be given a piece of text that you will have to summarise. This involves reading the text carefully, picking out key information, and summarising it in a way that a reader could quickly understand. Bear the following in mind for the Summary Writing Test:The material you have to summarise may vary, so be prepared to face a range of different topics.Key details aren’t always obvious, and might require a second or third read through of the text. If possible, underline or highlight any key points.Don’t worry about writing in full sentences. However, make sure that the notes make enough grammatical sense to be comprehensible.It is advised to limit your summary to around 100 words. Any longer, and you risk creating an over-complicated piece of material.How to Pass the Summary Writing Test â€" How to Pass the Australian Police Officer TestsThe key to success in the Summary Writing Test is to be concise and articulate at the same time. You want to get across as much information as possible, in as few words as possible. Here are some tips for making your notes easier to read:Make sure that your summary has a title. This title should introduce the central idea of the piece (e.g. ‘Train Station Robbery’).Use bullet points and numbered lists. Where appropriate, place these under headings and sub-headings.Make sure your spelling is correct, but feel free to use commonly accepted abbreviations (e.g. ‘HGV’ instead of ‘Heavy Goods Vehicle’).Make sure the language i s appropriate. Slang, and vulgarity must be avoided.Ensure that the bullet points are laid out in a logical manner. Remember that this order of details might differ from that of the original text!Remember that you don’t have to summarise every single detail. Some things will be irrelevant. It’s up to you to decide what’s relevant and what isn’t.The Extended Writing Test â€" How to Pass the Australian Police Officer TestsThe Extended Writing Test (or Extended Writing Task) is an exercise which assesses your ability to create a coherent piece of writing. It tests a number of different skills which are important to the work of a police officer. These include:Awareness of spelling, punctuation, and grammar;The ability to logically structure a piece of writing (with introductions and conclusions);Use of appropriate language;The ability to interpret information and contributes one’s own ideas;Effective and efficient formulation of ideas;The time limit for this test is 45 minutes . During this time, you will read two passages. These passages will be have the same subject, but will express different points of view. Once you’ve read the text, you will have to contribute to the discussion. The test wants you to give your own opinion, but you may also comment on the ideas in the other two passages. For example, you might argue that a claim made by one of the texts is, in fact, false. You may also include relevant knowledge in order to support your argument.Here are some tips for passing the Extended Writing Test:Make sure you write properly, in full sentences. The examiner wants to see your ability to use the written word to communicate ideas effectively. The best way to get better at doing this is to read lots, and then write about what you’ve read.Make sure to take some kind of stance! You don’t have to agree with either of the texts, but you do need to present some kind of position. Don’t sit on the fence.If it helps, spend a little bit of time planni ng your response. You can quickly jot down the main ideas for your argument, and then use that as a road map. This is also a great way to plan your time, so that you avoid running out of it.Read both of the passages carefully, since you’ll need to comment on what they’re saying. Stick to the point! Avoid going off on tangents by strictly writing about the subject matter.Conclusion â€" How to Pass the Australian Police Officer TestsWant to know more about the Australian Police Officer Tests? check out our guide: How to Become an Australian Police Officer. This entry was posted in 'How To' Help, Testing. Bookmark the permalink. Jacob Senior English Speaking Skills: Body Language, Tone, and More!Pass the Australian Police Officer Tests â€" More Types of Question

3 simple ways to hack your to do list for happiness - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

3 simple ways to hack your to do list for happiness - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Do you keep a to-do list at work? And if you do is it a source of happiness at work or an endless source of frustration, overflowing with unsolved tasks as it is for many people? One blog post sums it up like this: I hate my to-do list because I feel so overwhelmed when I see this long list of to-dos. Items not crossed off on the to-do list are a reminder that I didn?t finish what I set out to do and that I could have done more with my day. If you feel the same way, here are 3 simple tips to help you use your to-do list in a way that creates happiness at work rather than frustration. 1: Change your to-do list to a could-do list We got a tip from a reader who had been feeling the pressure of an endless to-do list and had come up with a simple but brilliant hack. She wrote: This is something I?ve been doing for several months now when I noticed my ?To Do? list was generating a sense of frustration. Now, I write a ?Could Do? list, instead of a ?To Do? list. When I draw up my daily lists of tasks I refuse to see it as stuff I have to get done. When I did that in the past, I?d feel a sense of dissatisfaction at the end of the day when I didn?t have everything ticked off, despite the fact that I knew when I wrote it, it was highly unlikely I?d get to everything. It?s a tiny shift, but by viewing it as a list of things I could do today, I?m relieving the pressure to get them all done. It feels like there?s more of an element of choice around how I spend my time ? I don?t have to do x today, I could leave it till tomorrow and focus more attention on y today instead. Now, at the end of the day, I don?t mind how many ticks I do or don?t have against the items on my list, and I feel better about my day?s work because there is no shadow from what I should have done and didn?t. I think thats a fantastic idea. Its a subtle shift inside your own mind that is likely to help you get started. In my experience, taking the pressure off yourself makes you more likely to get stuff done. Which is of course a sharp contrast to traditional business thinking which holds that greater pressure = greater performance. 2: Add everything you do to the list Lets face it, most of what you do during the day probably isnt on your to-do list. Many tasks just arise during the day in an ad hoc manner. So add those to the to-do list as well. For instance, after writing this blog post (which was NOT on my to-do list, inspiration just suddenly grabbed me) I will add an item to my list that says Blog about to-do lists, set the deadline for today and immediately cross it off my list. It may seem redundant, but there is actually a sense of accomplishment (and a release of dopamine, the brains own motivation drug) from crossing it off the list) even if Ive just now added it. This also makes sense in light of the third tip: 3: Once a week, look at all the tasks youve completed In my opinion, the major problem with most to-do lists software is, that they only show you what you havent yet completed. As soon as you finish a task it disappears from the list forever. One of the major sources of happiness at work is getting stuff done and seeing the results of your work. A to-do list that only shows you everything you havent yet done, is likely to make you less happy at work. But theres an easy hack for that: Once a week go into your to-do list and look at everything you got done in the last week. This may be a good thing to do on a Friday afternoon. If you have trouble remembering to do it, you could even put this on your (yes) to-do list and then cross it off once youve done it :o) The upshot To-do lists are an effective tool to make sure you remember to do everything you need to do at work. However, they tend to make people unhappy at work because they only focus on what we have not done. Fortunately, we can hack that. Update Heres a bonus tip: When youre deciding which task to do next, dont necessarily pick the first one on the list or the most important one. Instead, pick one you feel like doing right now. This is not always possible and sometimes there are critical tasks that you simply need to do right now. But often you have the choice of what to do first and in that case, go with the one you want to do. That will make you much more likely to get it done and give you more energy to apply to the less fun tasks. If you start with the hardest, the most important or the most boring task, that may steal your energy and motivation completely. Your take What do you think could any of these tips work for you? Do you have any other good ways to effectively and happily use to-do lists? Please write a comment, Id love to hear your take. Related posts If youre still not getting your could-do items done, you can also read my previous post on How to procrastinate effectively. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related