Remote Working in Recruitment: Abrivia’s Journey and Insights
There are many sources available to help you when you are applying for jobs with a significant move in recent years away from print to online media options.
Online
Many companies hiring directly themselves along with recruitment companies advertise their vacancies on their own website in addition to recruitment focused job portals (also known as job boards). Some recruitment websites cater for many industries whilst others are industry specific.
As well as posting job adverts on recruitment websites many companies and businesses that use these sites will also use CV databases to help them find candidates to fill roles.
For both the job hunter and employer alike the CV database is very good job hunting resource. In essence you could potentially be headhunted for a particular you were unaware of by simply having your details on a CV database.
Most people know that one of the most effective means of finding and a job is through networking. Many attend networking meetings, tap into their own personal network, or ask friends who they know if they know someone who may be interested in their skills and experience.
There are similarly many ways to use social media in order to network, and eventually find a job.
One of the most effective social media tools in this regard is LinkedIn. If you are not already on LinkedIn, you definitely should sign up promptly. Basically, LinkedIn is a site that allows you to connect to people you know and to people who could be instrumental in finding your next job. It also allows you to see profiles of anyone else on LinkedIn who is linked to your connections and gives you ways to connect to them. There are a variety of ways you can use LinkedIn in your job search:
- Company Search-You search on LinkedIn companies you are interested in working for. Then you check to see if there are people working for a particular company who are connected to one of your own personal connections on LinkedIn. Then, you can ask your personal contact to introduce you so you can connect directly with them. LinkedIn allows employers/recruitment companies to post jobs on the site. The jobs are usually high quality, professional jobs.
- Email – You could send an Inmail to everyone in your LinkedIn network, letting them know your situation, and asking for any help or people they could put you in touch with. However a more focussed approach would be to focus on connection who have a similar profile to your own and ask for advice to commence with and in a follow up mail you can ask about potential referrals.
- Recommendations – Try and get as many recommendations on your profile as possible as others will want to read about what your previous colleagues and peers thought of your performance.
- Status Updates – Similar to Facebook, LinkedIn also has status updates. It’s a good idea to update your status, to better inform your connections what you’ve been up to.
- Headline – LinkedIn gives you a place to add a professional headline. Ensure that this headline is optimised for keywords related to your profession
Below are some good blog posts relating to LinkedIn:
To read about recent LinkedIn enhancements, please click here>>>
To read about what and what not to do in regards LinkedIn profile photos, please click here>>>
To read five tips on how to get your LinkedIn profile right prior to interview, please click here>>>
Print Media
The Print media is still used by many companies to advertise their roles. Most of the Sunday newspapers have job sections and the Irish Independent has a section devoted to jobs each Thursday with the Irish Times doing so on Friday. Jobs can also be advertised on daily newspapers such as the Metro and the Evening Herald.
Jobs can also be found advertised in industry specific publications such as Tech Pro, Irish Tax Review and Accountancy Ireland.
Recruitment Companies
Introduction
Recruitment companies are an extremely useful resource when looking for a job.
Temping through a recruitment company is a useful way to fill work gaps or gain skills.
Some recruitment companies have a better reputation than others, so ask around for recommendations.
What is a recruitment company?
A recruitment company fills vacancies on behalf of an employer. Some recruitment companies offer a wide range of vacancies locally; others specialise or have branches all over the country (or even in other countries).
Recruitment companies may specialise by:
- Area of work, for example, IT, accountancy, sales, insurance or legal jobs
- Type of work, temporary, contract or permanent
- Level of job, such as unskilled or executive.
Why use a recruitment company?
Recruitment companies give you access to a range of permanent or temporary opportunities, with an experienced consultant looking for suitable positions on your behalf that not only match your core value adding skills but fit in with you core values in terms of the culture of the organisation.
Some recruitment companies may also give you advice on how to write a CV or prepare for an interview, for example. They may be able to help you brush up on your skills, such as using computer packages, touch-typing or data entry speed.
Temping through a recruitment company is useful if you want to work for a short period of time or find out what it is like to work in a particular industry. It may even lead to a permanent position.
How does a recruitment company work?
Before you decide to use a recruitment company, you need to consider what type of work you are looking for. Are you looking for permanent work or something temporary to fill a gap? Have you got a specific area of work in mind or are you quite flexible? Are you looking for work locally or further away?
The answers to these questions will influence the type of recruitment companies you should focus on.
You can find a list of recruitment companies by searching online. You should also be able to locate some just by walking down the high street of most towns and city centres. Many recruitment companies post current vacancies on their website. The majority of recruitment companies will post positions on the main job portals. The main job portals in Ireland are Jobs.ie, Irishjobs.ie, Indeed.ie and RecruitIreland.com
If you’d like a recruitment company to find work for you, firstly you will need to register with them. This involves sending them your CV or filling out an application form. You may then be invited to a pre-screening interview with the recruitment company. You will be asked about your background and the type of work you are looking for. If relevant, your skills might be tested, for example, in certain computer packages or touch-typing.
The recruitment company will be able to tell you about suitable vacancies they currently have with their clients, or they may outline what steps they will take to find a job for you, such as calling around potential employers. Before you are put forward for a vacancy, the recruitment company asks your permission first.
If you secure a temporary role through a recruitment company, you will need to detail the hours you work through weekly timesheets. The recruitment agency pays you and also organises your tax and PRSI contributions.
If you gain a permanent position through the recruitment company, you get paid by the employer.
You don’t have to pay a registration fee with a recruitment company. They make their money by charging the employer for their services.
Things to consider…
- Always choose a recruitment company with a good reputation. Ask friends or family if they know any. Find out how long the recruitment company has been running and check to see if they are a member of the National Recruitment Federation. Look at the accreditations a recruitment company have and what other say about them. Have they received Irish Jobs or Google reviews or testimonials from actual candidates on LinkedIn?
- Have they ever received or were shortlisted for an award with the NRF (National Recruitment Federation)
- Make sure the recruitment companies you sign up with offer the type of work you are looking for; otherwise, you could be wasting each other’s time.
- Don’t think that just because you’ve registered with a recruitment company this will guarantee getting work. Some recruitment companies are better than others at finding work for you.
- Don’t feel obliged to accept being put forward for a role if it doesn’t feel right. Some recruitment companies work on a commission basis and may not be totally objective.
- When you go for an interview with a recruitment company, treat it like a normal interview and dress smartly.
- Keep a record of all the recruitment companies you have visited and registered with.
- Don’t just rely on them calling or emailing you – visit their website frequently and call them if you’ve not heard from them for a while.
- Make sure you are easily contactable. If a recruitment company needs to fill a temp role immediately and they can’t get hold of you, they’ll contact somebody else.
Abrivia has 10 specialist recruitment teams focused on the following markets
- Accountancy
- HR
- Banking & Financial Services
- Actuarial
- Insurance
- Sales & Marketing
- Compliance & Risk
- Technology
- Office Support
- Poland
