Last week saw an indifferent start to the year. For some companies, the cold weather has put recruitment on ice – mandates being delayed until conditions reach relative normality and the travel chaos recedes.
However, in the main, I found a lot of recruiters were working from home and getting the ball rolling on various requirements from their PC.
The internet has changed the way we network and jobseekers have to adapt and use it to their advantage. Interviews can now be conducted on video conference calls via VOIP providers such as Skype, which is becoming increasingly reliable and easy to use, and Vonage which seems to have extremely competitive call rates.
I must stress that it’s always best to meet contacts in person if you can, however if all else fails this can serve to open up your and, if your contact has a busy diary, their availability and exhibits some initiative ahead of the rest.
This leads me onto a question raised last week during one of my consults: “Do you think I should include a photo in my CV?”
I used to be against including a photo however the increased popularity of online networking has altered my view, slightly, my view is now fairly indifferent.
Of course, it could prejudice your application and by that I mean that people can react to photos in different ways, however they are much more commonplace these days and are becoming the norm on networking profiles.
If you are unsure whether to include your photo then excluding it won’t do anything to hinder your suitability to a job however if you do decide to include it then I think a small, subtly placed professional photo can only serve to add some personality to what can be a dry document.
Just try to avoid passport photo or police station guidelines!
I hope you have a productive week…