5 Ways Networking Can Benefit Your Career
Networking – a word that can make even the most seasoned professional nervous. Whether you love it or hate it there’s no denying that networking can be a big benefit to yourself and your career.
Attending networking events is a great way to build lasting relationships with other driven and ambitious people and it will help you grown both personally and professionally.
- Raise your profile
By regularly engaging with others in your industry you can help boost both your own and your businesses profile. Offering useful advice and tips can also help you build up a great reputation as a credible member of the business community and will help you stick in people’s minds. Remember you never know who you might be talking too!
- New opportunities
Attending networking events can bring an abundance of opportunities your way, you may come across individuals or businesses that you can collaborate with, new client leads or even find out about new job –the possibilities are endless!
- Increase your confidence
Networking forces you to talk to people you don’t know, and although this may prove difficult at first, like most things it will become easier with practice. Having confidence in yourself and your business is vital to success; by pushing yourself to regularly network with others it will not only help you make lasting business connections within the industry, but also help you grow personally.
- Build relationships
Everyone at networking events is there for the same thing; to meet new people and build new business relationships. When you’re in a conversation with someone make sure you listen carefully and engage – be careful you don’t go in for the “hard sell”; no one likes being stuck talking to the pushy guy. Remember not only can networking help to form new relationships but can also help you strengthen your relationships with current clients and associates.
- Advice
Networking events are great places to get advice; you’re going to be surrounded by people who will have years of invaluable industry advice and experiences to share. Perhaps you have a new business idea and want a fresh point of view- make the most of the opportunity and get advice from people who will have been in your shoes.
Why now is a great time for business in Birmingham
Birmingham has often been overlooked by many as England’s second city in favour of Manchester, but in the past few years the city has seen a significant regeneration which doesn’t show any signs of stopping soon. No longer just known for having ‘more canals than Venice’, Birmingham’s star is definitely on the rise. A New Era…
This month alone will see the much anticipated Grand Central open its doors, which includes the biggest John Lewis outside of London and will also see the new £600m redevelopment of Birmingham New Street reach completion. Along with the proposed HS2 railway, new HSBC UK headquarters and the brand new Paradise Circus Scheme all due to come to fruition in the upcoming years, Birmingham is set to go from strength to strength.
Business is booming…
With 33,000 businesses, Birmingham was named the most entrepreneurial city in the UK outside of London by StartUp Britain– 18,337 companies were started by Brummies in 2014 alone, that’s 5000 more than Manchester.
The Birmingham technology scene, commonly referred to as Silicon Canal, is thriving with over 6000 technology firms in the city employing over 38,300 people and delivering £768m into the local economy.
The Midlands area has seen a 20% growth in the IT jobs market this year. Kevin Moran, Associate Director – IT, for Robert Walters believes “The decision by several high profile financial services clients to relocate much of their back office operations to the region, as well as the construction of HS2 will likely see Birmingham become a major IT employer.”
Introducing ESA Technology...
ESA Group is pleased to announce that we have now launched our new division ESA Technology which covers roles throughout Birmingham and the Midlands area. Our experienced consultants are specialists within their respective areas of IT and cover the following roles;
- Microsoft (C# & Vb.Net)
- Open Source (Java & PHP)
- Front End (HTML, CSS & Javascript)
- Designers (UI, UX & WordPress)
- Developers, Designers, Architects, Directors
- IT Support
If you are a business looking to recruit for technology roles, please don’t hesitate to contact us here.
Alternatively, if you a candidate looking for a new role, then head over to our vacancies page.
Why lying on your CV is never worth it
Little white lies…
We’ve all told a white lie; “my bus was running late” or “yes that dress really suits you” – they’re usually harmless and said to avoid hurting other people’s feelings.
But did you know lying on your CV, no matter how small the lie, can have serious consequences? Classed as fraud, not only could it lose you your job but in extreme cases you could also find yourself landed with a prison sentence.
According to a recent survey by CV – Library more than a quarter of UK job seekers admitted to lying on their CV’s, with almost ten percent of these admitting their lie was a significant one.
Although your CV might get your foot in the door in terms of getting an interview, this doesn’t guarantee you a job offer, with many candidates getting caught out through interview questions, previous job references and social media.
Don’t get caught out…
Even if you do manage to get past the interview stage and get the all important job offer, it still doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. Take the example of Dennis O’Riordan; a high flying City lawyer who lied extensively about his qualifications. After qualifying in 1993 as a barrister Mr O’Riordan then claimed he had received a first class degree from Oxford University and had completed a Masters at Harvard, when in fact he had graduated from the University of East Anglia. These ‘achievements’ then lead to him gaining senior positions at a number of banks and law firms, where his lies went unquestioned for almost 5 years. It was only when Mr O’Riordan applied for a new job role that his CV began to arouse suspicion and he was subsequently banned from practicing law for 6 years.
While this may be an extreme case, it goes to show that your ‘little white lie’ can come back to haunt you, potentially damaging your professional reputation and future career prospects. If you are caught lying on your CV by an organisation registered with CIFAS – The UK’s leaders in fraud prevention, your details are then accessible on their database for 6 years and available to all organisations that are members. So while you may think lying about that work experience is OK now, if caught out it may cost you a job offer in the years to come.
Improve your CV without lying
Career Coach John Lees believes that candidates may not have to tick every box, as companies often ‘over-specify jobs, asking for unrealistic levels of experience or suggesting that candidates need to cover every requirement - in reality they often only get a 75 percent fit.’
He goes on to say, ‘It’s far better to be honest and sell yourself against the 75 per cent that does match their requirements than lie in an attempt to make yourself appear perfect.’
Rather than making false claims, use your CV to present the best possible version of yourself to your potential employers. Corinne Mills of Personal Career Management says: 'Always make the most of any relevant experience you have and make it sound important. Your duties may have been to "keep the store tidy" but you could write this as "ensuring the merchandising was impeccably presented" without bending the truth.’
Our promise to you…
To summarise, lying on your CV no matter how small the lie is never worth it. Even if you do initially get away with it you are then under constant risk of being found out and being dismissed from your job. It is always better to be honest and start your new role in a positive way.
At ESA Group we meet with all our candidates to ensure we get to know the person behind the CV, making sure we only put forward the most suitable and qualified candidates for a position. If you are a business looking to recruit, please don’t hesitate to contact us here. Alternatively, if you a candidate looking for a new role, then head over to our vacancies page.
Could your social media be costing you a job offer?
With the rise of social media in our lives it’s not surprising that 52% of employers say that they search a candidates social media channels before screening them for final interviews. But could your social media be costing you a job offer?
Whether you are currently employed or actively looking for a job, it’s important to make sure that you’re not inadvertently sending out the wrong kind of message over your social media profiles.
If you're concerned about this,the best thing to do is Google search yourself - this way you will be able to see what others will be able to see when they type in your name. Are there things on there that you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see?
Why should my social media matter?
Your social media is exactly that; yours and of course you can write whatever you like on your pages. However if a potential employer does search you and then comes across something they find inappropriate it may jeopardise your job application despite it having nothing at all to do with your skills or experience. As the old saying goes “it’s better to be safe than sorry”.
Privacy settings..
On social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram you can change your privacy settings so that only those you are friends with can see what you post, but remember things you write on friends’s walls and your tagged photos can be seen on other people’s profiles as well.
Its good to remember that even if your security settings are already pretty tight, people will more than likely still be able to see your profile picture so make sure there’s nothing inappropriate in there that you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see.
A recent Jobvite survey showed that the following are not surprisingly on a list of what employers do not want to see in a candidates profile..
- 83% of employers say they are turned off by references about using illegal drugs
- 71% are turned off by posts of a sexual nature
- 65% are turned off by use of profanity
- 61% are turned off by bad spelling or grammar
- 51% are turned off by references to guns, and
- 47% are turned off by photos of consuming alcohol
Top tips
Here are our top tips to make sure you don’t get ‘caught out’ on social media;
- Make sure your privacy settings on your page are so that it is only visible to your friends and family
- Make sure your work history and education match your CV
- Don't post or share offensive content
- Don't post negative comments about your boss, colleagues or place of work
- Don’t post online during working hours
With all this said there's no need to feel uneasy when posting on your social media, just make sure that you are aware of your online image an how you may come across to potential employers.
If you are looking to make a change in your career then we have a wide range of jobs throughout the West and East Midlands, why not check out our vacancies here.
Cultural Fit and What It Means For You...
A recent survey showed that more than 80% of employer’s top priority when hiring is cultural fit - but what is cultural fit and what does it mean for you? Cultural fit is defined by TechTarget as “the likelihood that a job candidate will be able to conform and adapt to the core values and collective behaviours that make up an organization.”
What is my companies brand identity? 
If you have a clear outline of your business culture you can establish a sense of the type of employee that would flourish in your company.
Think about these points;
- What is your company’s mission?
- What are its values and beliefs?
- What mind-set are you looking for?
When interviewing potential employees it is important to ask questions which enable the candidate to illustrate how they reflect these attributes.
An example of this is the Campbell Soup Company, recruiter Sabrina Ramirez says "We embrace certain themes: helping others, diversity, and working in the community. So a candidate who has done community service or participated in diversity events looks, to us, like a good fit over someone who hasn’t”.
Why is cultural fit important?
Howard Stevenson of Kissmetrics believes company culture is important as it “sustains employee enthusiasm”. Better moods are proven to aid better performances in the workplace which in turn is beneficial to both the business and employee.
A recent meta-analysis by Kristof-Brown (2005) reported that employees who fit well with their organization, co-workers, and supervisor: - had greater job satisfaction;
- identified more with their company;
- were more likely to remain with their organisation;
- were more committed;
(Source: http://good.co/blog/2013/03/22/cultural-fit-in-the-workplace-what-it-is-and-why-its-important/)
When it goes wrong..
In her recent New York Times article “Guess Who Doesn’t Fit In at Work”, Lauren Rivera writes that although selecting new employees in this way can be “more productive and profitable for organisations", some hiring managers have shifted to making rash decisions based on who they would rather socialise with outside of work instead of individuals who possess qualities that will benefit the organisation.
Taking this approach can be detrimental to the recruiting process and also to the business. Hiring someone purely on the basis that they share common interests with you instead of whether their skills and attributes can make a positive contribution to the organization, can be a costly mistake and cause negative ripples throughout the business. This is validated by a study conducted by LeaderShipIQ has shown that 89% of hiring failures are due to poor cultural fit, so getting it right is vital.
What does this mean for candidates?
For candidates it is important to research your prospective company and their values. You can utilize this information to prepare examples of how you personally possess these attributes that the company value. For example, you may find the company has a large focus on community or charity volunteering. If this is something you have had involvement with then if relevant, try and draw upon these experiences in your interview. Details like this might give you a competitive edge over other candidates.
Is cultural fit more important than experience?
With many recruiters and hiring managers placing importance on cultural fit, does this mean that experience is no longer as relevant? Experience will always be fundamental in job progression, there’s no point a candidate having the right fit for the company but then not actually having the skills to do the job and vice versa. The key is to strike a balance.
Diana Martz gives this example; “If Candidate A is slightly less qualified than Candidate B, but more closely shares your vision, values, and passion. According to Feld and Rivera, an argument could certainly be made for hiring Candidate A, even if his or her previous experience isn’t as ideal as Candidate B.”
Many believe that although one candidate may be slightly less experienced that another that if they possess a strong cultural fit within the company they are more likely to work harder to develop their skills within the business.
Our promise to you..
At ESA Marketing we meet every candidate to make sure we get to know the person behind the CV and ensure we understand skill sets, passions and career aspirations to achieve the highest level of both organisational and cultural fit and provide recruitment solutions that help achieve greater performance.
We only place marketing candidates in a role and organisation we know they will thrive in, providing a quality experience for both clients and candidates.
If you are interested in talking the next step in your career then browse our vacancies of marketing jobs in the West and East Midlands here or alternatively you can upload your CV here .
5 Pieces of Marketing News You Need to Know This Week - June 12th 2015
Here’s our round up of the top five pieces of marketing news you need to know about this week…
1. Danone focuses its new campaign at “lads”
Danone is on a mission to change the public perception of yogurts with their new #HungerCry campaign will target men in the 20 to 35 age bracket who don’t see yogurt as a viable snack option. The campaign will consist of content created from an experiential event in London. Voice activated vending machines will be placed in several locations and yogurt will be dispensed to passers-by who prove their hunger by shouting loudly. The campaign will also be pushed by social influencers such as Ben Phillips and Anto Sharp, who are “well-loved across the LadBible demographic” who will also film themselves publicly performing 'hunger cries' and then share via their social media platforms.
The main objective of the #HungerCry campaign is for Danio to branch away from being seen as a female orientated product and be seen as an answer to male '4 o’clock hunger pangs', which according to research is the time most people are hungry. The firm believe unlike brands such as Pepperami or Snickers, yogurts are not considered a snack option for males due to how they have been previously marketed within the UK. The campaign will be running through until 20th July.
Read more about #HungerCry here..
2. Manchester United has become the first BILLION dollar football brand
Despite two trophy less seasons it was announced this week in the Brand Finance Football survey that Manchester United had become the first billion dollar football brand with a huge 63% increase on the clubs 2014 figure.
David Haigh, of Brand Finance, said: “Manchester United’s success has been masterminded by Ed Woodward, the Ronaldo of football’s commercial sphere.”
The boost has also been aided by their seven year sponsorship deal with Chevrolet believed to be worth £47million, plus another £750million over a 10 year deal with new kit provider Adidas worth almost triple than their previous deal with Nike. Another €12m minimum is expected from broadcasting income next year if the team make it through the play offs to play in the Champions League.
Find out more about Man United's news here..
3. The launch of Apple Music
This week (8th June), Apple launched its music streaming service ‘Apple Music’ which is promising to rival Spotify, Pandora and Tidal.
Available from the 30th June to iOS 8.4. users, Apple Music is offering 30 million tracks at a price of £9.99 a month, exactly the same as their closest rival Spotify who already have more than 60 million users worldwide after already being on the market for five years.
As well as their streaming service, Apple Music will also bring Beats 1 a 24 hour radio station with shows hosted by former BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe in LA, Ebro Darden broadcasting from New York and Rinse FM's Julie Adenuga from London.
The final new feature unveiled was Apple Connect allows, which allows artists to share content with fans and connect on a one to one basis.
Want to know more about the launch of Apple Music? Check out Mac World's extensive article..
4. Virgin Money launch new Sex Pistols card designs
To celebrate 38 years since their signing to Virgin Records, Virgin Money has launched an exclusive range of Sex Pistol themed credit cards. According to the brands marketing director Paul Lloyd the move is part of their quest to “shake up UK banking”.
The new cards let the design take centre stage with personal details on the back of the card as opposed to the usual lay out.
However Virgin Money doesn’t believe this just to be a ‘cool’ promotion, they believe that their bank and The Sex Pistols actually share similarities.
Paul Lloyd added, “Virgin Money identifies with punk rock. The Sex Pistols challenged the established ways of thinking and we are doing the same today in our quest to shake up UK banking”.
You can read more about Virgin Money's new launch here..
5. Vita Coco launch 'Stupidly Simple' campaign
On Monday Vita Coco launched it's £2million 'Stupidly Simple' campaign. The key aim of the campaign is drive the 100% pure ingredients of Vita Coco with social, digital, outdoor and retail activity including 21 ads around London's Waterloo Station.
“We want to keep things simple, remind everyone what Vita Coco is all about - natural hydration, no messing around - just like sticking a straw into a green coconut", says Giles Brook, CEO of Vita Coco EMEA.
Pip Brook, Vita Coco’s EMEA marketing director, told Marketing Week: “Our positioning is all about being an everyday, natural lifestyle drink."The brands target audience is the 'healthy active influencer, aged 25-39'.
After a successful launch in the US the company is going from strength to strength with global sales of Vita Coca hit $420 million in 2014 up from $267.5 million in 2013 and in 2014 it was the UK's fastest growing non alcoholic beverage.
Read more about the Stupidly Simple campaign here..