Tag Archives: job

People Who Were Fired For Tweeting: Why We Should Be More Careful On Twitter

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The importance of social media training was highlighted by Labour MP Emily Thornberry tweeting a picture that many found condescending and classist. Many people tweet without thinking and those in a position of power routinely get themselves into trouble because of this. Reputation is everything in business and it can be destroyed with a single tweet. Twitter is a great resource but many forget how powerful it is and that tweets are not private. Clicking ‘tweet’ can ruin careers.

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Thornberry’s infamous tweet featured the St George Cross flag, draped from a suburban home which had a white van parked in the driveway. The now ex-shadow attorney-general for Labour lost her job because of the tweet which not only damaged Thornberry, but also the Labour party as a whole. Ed Milliband was said to be ‘furious’. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: “We should have pride in flying the Cross of St George – don’t knock the national flag of England.”

Prime Minister David Cameron also said the Labour MP’s actions were “completely appalling” and made a suggestion that she was “sneering at people who work hard, are patriotic and love their country”.

After the incident Twitter founder Jack Dorsey was asked if the reaction to Emily Thornberry’s tweets made him frightened at the power of his creation. He said: “I don’t think it’s any different from what we’ve been doing as a humanity – it’s just faster.”

Other people who have lost their jobs because of inappropriate tweets include:
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CNN Middle East editor Octavia Nasr wrote a controversial tweet regarding Lebanon’s deceased Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah. Nasr wrote of her “respect” for Fadlallah, who was very anti-American and was also linked to bombings that killed more than 260 Americans. She later said she had been referring to Fadlallah’s “attitude” and apologised for trying to discuss a complex figure on Twitter.
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Politician Stuart MacLennan was fired by the Labour Party after making a number of offensive tweets. He referred to Commons Speaker John Bercow as a “t**”, David Cameron a “t***” and Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, “a b******”.” He also referred to elderly voters as “coffin dodgers”. He apologised for the tweets and was removed from the party’s ticket.
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Former MLB pitcher Mike Bacsik lost his job as a radio producer after drunk tweeting racist comments during a Mavericks-Spurs game.
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Comedian Catherine Deveny was fired from a job writing for Australian newspaper The Age when she tweeted about her hopes that Steve Irwin’s daughter gets laid.

Her former boss, editor Paul Ramadge, said, “We are appreciative of the columns Catherine has written for The Age over several years but the views she has expressed recently on Twitter are not in keeping with the standards we set at The Age.”

 

TV extra on Glee, Nicole Crowther, tweeted about some plot spoilers she had heard on set. A big no-no in the entertainment industry. She was then fired via Twitter by the show’s producer, Brad Falchuk, when he tweeted in response: “Hope you’re qualified to do something besides work in entertainment.”

 

Comedian Gilbert Gottfried was the voice of the Aflac duck and made jokes about the Japanese tsunami. “Japan is really advanced. They don’t go to the beach. The beach comes to them.” He tweeted. Unfortunately for him Aflac is the largest insurance company in Japan and he was fired.

 

A woman called Connor Riley got a job offer from Cisco and tweeted: “Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.” Cisco employee Tim Levad then replied: “Who is the hiring manager? I’m sure they would love to know that you will hate the work. We here at Cisco are versed in the Web.” Oops.

 

 

Seven Steps To Job Seeking Success

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madetomeasuresuitThe New Year is traditionally a time when we take stock of our lives and strive for change. For many people, that means a new job. However, with competition for that dream role at its fiercest in January, Arran Stewart, director at MyJobMatcher.com, offers jobseekers a head start with his seven top tips for success:

Make sure your CV will make the ”yes” pile

Your CV is still one of the most important tools you’ll ever have to clinch that job.  It’s your responsibility, and no one else’s, to make sure that you maximise your chances of catching the eye of employers and recruiters.

It sounds obvious, but take the time to ensure that your CV accurately reflects the required skills of the job you are applying for.  Bring out your relevant experience and relate it to the job – also craft a quick, clear and concise covering note to accompany your application.  All it takes is a little bit of effort to tweak your CV and it could be the key to opening the door to your next job.

Put yourself in the shoes of the recruiter and ask yourself what they want to see and how your CV will get them excited about you?

Tread carefully online – without a traffic cone on your head.

Most employers and recruiters will have a look at your digital footprint – sometimes before ever contacting you about your application. If you have a million selfies sporting a traffic cone on your head as your Facebook front page what conclusion do you think someone will draw?

 

It is both positive and negative that our digital footprint impacts first impressions of who people really think we are – the best candidates use this to their advantage and tailor their online profiles to the sector they are targeting.

Get your personal “in the pub” profile locked down to your mates on Facebook, don’t be a twitter twit and keep your professional profile on LinkedIn in tip top shape as. The latest industry research suggests that 50% of Fortune 100 companies hire here.

Job seeking can be a numbers game but don’t get trigger happy

You won’t simply apply for your dream job one day and get it the next.  Unquestionably, job seeking is about setting a number of good horses running and making sure you get the right ones home!

 

By all means apply for the jobs you think are best and most relevant to you, but be mindful not to simply apply for everything and anything you find as you can ultimately end up reducing your chances of finding a job.

 

You don’t want to devalue yourself by landing on every desk at the same time or, even worse, the same desk more than once.

 

Nothing puts an employer off like the smell of desperation.  Stay proud in your search; remain sensibly selective in your job applications and never devalue yourself by getting trigger happy and firing your CV out everywhere.

 Be careful of recruiter jargon and buzzwords

Like it or not, online jobs have inevitably been written by recruiters who are working in sales-driven environments and who are rightfully desperate to fill roles for their clients.  As a result of this they quite often succumb to the desire to, shall we say, “over-egg” a role as highlighted in this recent quiz in the Guardian.

The danger here is that although you may consider yourself, say, a “Marketing Manager” and not a “Growth Hacker” – you need to invest the time to understand some of the en vogue terms being used by recruiters in order to ensure that you open yourself up to the best and most relevant roles.

 

It is also sensible to mention these terms in the content of your CV – even if only in the summary.  The reason?  Well a lot of recruiters search for people online and obviously key words drive a lot of databases – and after all, if it’s a great job with the right package do you really care if you are called a “Growth Hacker”?

Let technology shorten your odds

Always let technology shorten your odds and do the leg work for you – you wouldn’t go out to get 15 separate insurance quotes in order to find the best one – so where it exists, use technology to make your job seeking simpler.

 

Remember that when you search a traditional search engine such as Google or Bing you will only find what is rated and ranked by that search engine – this is often affected by clever SEO and the amount of budget someone can spend on PPC or adwords to “get found”, so the results are invariably biased.

 

Take the time to go through to pages three and four, rather than just the top ranked page, as you normally would. Even better, let technology do all the searching for you.  Sites like MyJobMatcher.com receive hundreds of thousands of jobs from all the best job boards and then match your CV to the most relevant, eliminating bias and sending you daily alerts with relevant new job matches.

Don’t forget, it’s all about people

At the end of the day, people hire people.  Your CV will only take you so far and where applications are flying in thick and fast a quick phone call to a hirer to confirm receipt of your CV and willing to answer any immediate questions will find you elevated to the top of the list. At the very least they will be aware that you are willing and able to become their next great hire!

Don’t ever give up!

Finally, job seeking can at times be a dark and depressing place.  But, like all things in life, don’t give up – not ever, and always keep true to your motives.  In the end, perseverance, savvy and helping hand from technology will get you there – happy job seeking!

For more information on jobseeking follow @MyJobMatcher for helpful tips via Twitter.

Two-thirds take less than an hour to apply for a job

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Two-thirds take less than an hour to apply for a job.

A new survey has shown that  two-thirds of people applying for jobs take less than an hour to fill in the application forms.

 

The survey of over 1,000 jobseekers undertaken by recruitment specialist staffbay.com showed that the days of taking a whole day filling in forms and writing covering letters to try and impress prospective employers could be at an end. Less than 10 per cent of respondents to the survey said they spend a day on a job application, with a mere 5 per cent saying they take more than a day.

 

According to staffbay.com co-founder Tony Wilmot, employers shouldn’t be alarmed at the figures, and should recognise that, these days, quality is better than quantity when it comes to jobseekers showing off their talents.

 

“I’m not surprised by these results at all,” he said. “These days, HR departments don’t have the time to plough their way through hundreds of pages of paper CVs. What they want is to be able to see if the person applying for the job is worth bringing in for an interview, and that’s why social media and video CVs have become so popular amongst jobseekers.

 

“It takes just ten minutes to build a profile on staffbay.com, and what we say to people looking to show off their abilities is: focus on what will truly set yourself apart from the competition, and don’t just concentrate on the quick and easy options or resort to box-ticking. Using the power of social media and video CVs, it should take less than an hour to make a prospective employer sit up and take notice, in which time you can leap to the front of the interview queue.”

 

The simple things work best, says Tony: “The message we hear from employers is that staff don’t have to be qualified to the hilt, just that they’ll invest some time and effort in their new job. However, not everyone has a strategy in place to identify good talent. Small businesses in particular don’t want to wade through hundreds of applications.”
According to Tony, now is the time to act if you are looking for a new career. He said: “There are definitely green shoots of growth in the employment market. At staffbay.com we have the ability to see behind the scenes, and we’re aware that employers are being very proactive at interacting with candidates and building a network and a rapport for when the economy truly recovers. Furthermore, the number of job applications via our website has doubled over the last six months.”

 

Slamming that Summer Job Interview

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Whether you are earning spare cash in the local supermarket this summer or applying for a once-in-a-lifetime overseas temporary job, you’ll need to know some crucial techniques for smashing that summer job interview.

First impressions count

It may be your first time in an interview but don’t let this rattle you. Wearing the right clothes will boost your confidence and tell your future employer a bit about you. Remember to match your clothes to the job.

So for girls who are going to be spending summer supervising children in an American camp denim skirts are fun yet smart. If you’re a guy hoping for a temporary office job, a suit, shirt and tie tick all the right boxes.

Be open and friendly

In the 21st century, no employer is going to object to a summer temp being open and friendly, which is his is by far the best approach to take. They know a young person won’t have years of professional experience behind them so won’t be expecting a seasoned pro. Instead, the most they are hoping for is a happy and outgoing young person who’ll be a positive and enthusiastic addition to their workforce for the short amount of time they’ll be around.

Let your personality loose

The interviewer will likely have lots of people to see both before and after you. You’ll want them to remember you, so try to stand out from the crowd by letting them know who you are.

This doesn’t mean going over-the-top and being informal to the point of inappropriate. Instead stay relaxed, let them talk and lean forward to show engagement with what they are saying. When it’s your turn to speak be bright and positive.

Facts not fiction

Be careful not to oversell yourself, or feel the need to resort to outright lying. You may be so keen to make the right impression that you talk yourself into a corner you can’t get out of. Instead, when you’re asked questions about your experience, concentrate on what you have done and confidently talk about it.

Once you’re into the flow remember to keep what you are saying relevant and exciting. If you’re enthusiastic about what you’ve achieved, the employer will believe you can do an equally great job for them.

Seal the deal

Now you’ve made a great impression and made it clear to your future boss that you can do the job, it’s time to leave them with the right memory: stand-up, make eye-contact and shake hands firmly in a business-like way. Say goodbye as if you’ll be seeing them soon, while remaining upbeat and confident.

When it comes to an interview, the parting impression you leave can be just as important as the first one.

 

Stand Out In An Interview

During your job interview, you will probably get asked: “What makes you different?” Take this opportunity to highlight the skills that would make you stand out from the dozens of applicants also trying out for the job. Keep your composure and talk about your strengths to impress your interviewer

 

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KOBO and Curtis Brown Announce Scholarship

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KOBO AND CURTIS BROWN CREATIVE INTRODUCE. KOBO WRITING LIFE 2013 SCHOLARSHIP

 

Any readers of Frost magazine who are interested in a writing career may be interested in this new scholarship from Kobo and Curtis Brown. Companies make tuition at London’s premier writing school accessible for three up-and-coming authors

 

Kobo, a global leader in eReading, and Curtis Brown, one of the UK’s premier literary and talent agencies, have announced that together the companies are introducing the Kobo Writing Life™ Scholarship to advance opportunities for three aspiring writers this year. The Kobo Writing Life Scholarship provides tuition fees for a writer in each of the following course: the three-month novel writing course, three-month writing-for-children course, and six-month novel-writing course. Each course is offered by Curtis Brown Creative and held at their London location.

 

“Kobo Writing Life is dedicated to supporting authors and is committed to allowing them barrier-free access to readers anywhere in the world,” said Mark Lefebvre, Kobo’s Director of Self-Publishing and Author Relations. “Excellence in writing is critical and at the heart of an author’s success and we are thrilled to be able to work with Curtis Brown Creative to help writers hone their craft.”

 

“We are very excited to be partnering with Kobo on this initiative to open up our courses to writers who would not otherwise be able to study with us,” said Anna Davis, Director, Curtis Brown Creative.  “Kobo is an energetic supporter of new writing and a generous sponsor of this program.”

 

Applications are now being accepted for the three-month Writing for Children course held April-July. Applicants must complete the online application form and provide the first 3,000 words of their novel in addition to a synopsis. Details of the scholarship for the three-month writing-for-children course starting in September and the six-month novel writing course starting in February will be made available at www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk.

 

Curtis Brown launched its creative writing school in May 2011 as a way to reach new writers and foster their development as authors. In-depth courses are taught by industry experts including bestselling authors, agents and editors from Curtis Brown.  Kobo, through its self-publishing platform Kobo Writing Life, and Curtis Brown Creative are dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in writing and have partnered to develop strategic initiatives that foster the development of authors around the world.

 

This is the second project Kobo and Curtis Brown Creative have developed together. The companies also created the Jeffrey Archer Short Story Contest which resulted in a thousand, 100-word submissions to be judged by the author. The finalists will be announced on April 15 at London Book Fair.

Super Secrets of the Successful Jobseeker by Simon Gray

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 Keeping ahead of the competition in 2013 From ‘Super Secrets of the Successful Jobseeker’  Author

Getting yourself to market

“Knowledge is power” might be a cliché these days, but the stark fact of the matter is that it’s never been more of a truism. When you know more about the environment you’re about to enter, then the better you can market yourself, and adapt.

I have interviewed a number of people recently who have been in secure jobs but have been thrown into the hustle and bustle of the jobs market because of redundancy. To be frank, some of their expectations have been unrealistic. They often think that the jobs market is exactly the same as when they last looked for a position –  but times have changed.

I often equate this to a prisoner who has been newly released from prison after serving a 10-stretch. Their surroundings are unfamiliar, and time, people and technology has moved on. It’s no wonder they’re confused.

In my experience, jobseekers react to this in two different ways: they bury their head in the sand and try and pretend nothing has changed; or they take a more enlightened approach and try to gain more understanding of the modern job market and how best to place themselves within in it.

It’s no secret that there are now more people applying for the same job than ever before. With this comes a downward pressure on salaries, and, as far as employers are concerned, it’s most definitely a “buyer’s market”.

Employers are under the impression that they don’t have to try too hard to find great candidates with the skills they need because there appears to be so many out there looking for jobs. They’re also in no rush to make snap decisions when it comes to appointments – nor will they hire unless completely necessary because of the cost risk that taking someone on incurs. In short: employers believe they sit in the seat of power.

Jobseekers, meanwhile, are going into the jobs market believing it’s going to be tough to land a role. They’re thinking to themselves: “I’m going to have to work really hard to find a job and I’m not guaranteed to find one – is there any point?” They also believe they should be grateful for any job that’s offered to them at whatever salary. But the main thing they believe is that they have absolutely no power in the jobs market at all.

I think this is misguided. Why? Because you simply can’t control what is out of your reach. The mindset of employers is beyond a jobseekers capability to alter, and so trying to do so will only waste time and lead to a dead end. The jobseeker would be better spending their time and effort trying to understand what their future potential employer is thinking, and how you can tailor your skills and experience to meet their requirements. In doing this, you’ll be instantly rebalancing the relationship.

The first thing any jobseeker should do is remember who their competition is. Make sure you differentiate yourself from other jobseekers; instantly falling in-line with what the competition is doing will put you at a distinct advantage. Arm yourself with the weapons you need to make you stand out from the crowd.

This can seem like a daunting task, but it needn’t be. Research is vital, and this can be done at a local level rather than trying to ascertain what’s happening nationally.

The local press is a good place to start. Find out what’s happening in the regional economy, and basic steps such as measuring the thickness of the local jobs paper is a good place to start if you want to take stock of hiring activity in the market.

Recent figures show that as many as 20 per cent of people online at any time are looking for a job. Use this time to take a look at jobs boards and search for skills that employers are looking for.

Talk to the professionals – set up meetings with local recruitment businesses. Ask their advice on what’s happening, skills sought after and salary levels.

Do your homework on your local business scene; who are the larger businesses and who are the up and coming SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises)?

By undertaking these simple steps, you the jobseeker, will have a more realistic handle on the jobs market and a better of the times on the times your are living in.

With a clear picture of how things are, you are far better informed and more empowered to plan your attack and find your next position.

How To Deal With The Boss From Hell

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It’s the nightmare scenario. You love the job, you love the company, you love the people, but you have the boss from the hell.

Someone who delights in making your life difficult, and who is unpredictable, moody and generally ranges being from a tyrant to a terrorist, depending on what day it is.

You don’t want to leave and the prospect of a transfer is as remote as this character becoming an angel overnight.

Well, don’t despair because there are things you can do to turn some of this to your advantage.  As long as you keep your cool and pick your approach carefully.

It’s Not a Boss, It’s a Baby

Seeing things in a new light is a good way to preserve your sanity and can often be quite funny if you can develop the right language in your head.

Revisualise your boss as a child with a rather large nappy and a toothache.  Because in reality, that’s what they may be.

Angry or aggressive people are mostly insecure because they are not doing something to their own satisfaction, like growing up.  So if you can see this person as a rather irritable toddler, the chances are you’ll start managing the irritation with soothing tolerance and compassion.

And the success with all howling children, distraction is often the key. This may perplex your boss when they realise their tantrums are effectively being turned against them, especially if you can pull it off with a sweet smile and a bar of chocolate or a new toy.

See It Coming

The calmest people know how to manage the angriest bear because they can see the signs a day before it happens.

Terrible bosses are usually quite predictable, in that they have their drama moments set out in their head, often without realising. These are usually excuses that they program themselves with, so get to know them. It may be that the start of the week sets your boss off, or having to present some numbers that turns them into a raving lunatic.

Throw Water On Them

Please note, I don’t mean literally.

Bad bosses often like to exercise control in front of an audience.

So it can often leave them speechless if you can calmly and unexpectedly walk away when they get the megaphone or sarcasm gun out.

Just walk away, closing the door behind you to let them stew.

Feed Their Anger

In other words, play the distraction game.  When you can feel the balloon about to burst, give the devil a cup of tea, or even better, a sandwich. It’s hard to be angry when you’re eating something nice.

Write The Wrongs

Make a list of the all the things your boss does that drives you bananas. Then schedule a meeting.

Be calm, but definitely be prepared for a meltdown. Show him how many of them were shouted, were sarcastic or just rude.  And then let them know that this note just may find its way unto hands of someone higher up the food chain if the hell continues.

Find An Escape Route

If all of the above fail, it may be time to consider that Plan B. After all, no one deserves to be in workplace where they feel like they’re treading on eggshells.

Ending the work torment can be a lot easier than you think, and you can find a workplace where you are appreciated – believe it or not, there are nicer bosses out there!

By searching by location on local job boards, for example, ‘jobs in Peterborough’, allows you to find a comprehensive list of the many different jobs available within your area, which can all be refined by keyword and position-type.

Who knows, you may find a better job, better pay AND  a better boss all in one go.
This article was written by Ella Mason, an experienced careers writer. Ella specialises in providing job and money advice for individuals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Entrepreneurs encourage young people to become economically active

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As the latest unemployment figures spike to a 17 year high, two young entrepreneurs prove that a disastrous job market is no obstacle

Unemployment in the UK has hit a 17 year high this month, putting pressure on the government to come up with a better economic strategy. The number of young people out of work is close to the million mark, with 991,000 16-24-year-olds out of work. The new figures, which take into account the last three months, are the worst since records began in the early 1990s.

Kevin Flood and Mike Harty, despite the doom and gloom of the employment market, have set up a unique online company straight out of university as an alternative to getting lost in the crowded jobs scrum. What’s more they are setting out to topple the online giants in the price comparison site arena.

Shopow.co.uk, their Social Shopping start-up, is a new type of shopping search engine that aggregates thousands of retailers and millions of products across all areas of consumer goods. Not only does this allow users to compare goods by criteria such as price, retailer, service and delivery, it also integrates various social functions so shoppers can find all the information they need to make the right decisions when buying online.

Kevin Flood, CEO of Shopow, said, “Our novel idea has meant that we were able to compete against some of the long established names from the outset. All budding entrepreneurs wishing to succeed shouldn’t underestimate the importance of a strong concept. We coupled this with our hard work ethic, detailed research and willingness to take the odd calculated risk in order to get our business off the ground and gathering momentum quickly.”

This momentum has resulted in the pair winning a Young Guns Business Award. Since the launch of Shopow in May 2010, the business anticipates revenues of over £3m in the first year of trading. The pair are confident they can achieve a ‘critical mass’ in the UK this year, and are looking to expand into the USA and mainland Europe imminently.

The message from Kevin and Mike is that business savvy individuals with a great idea can be masters of their own destiny and bypass the busy job market. Recent measures to tackle unemployment such as the Government Work Programme have generated optimism for some bright sparks, and opened other avenues so that they might create companies of their own.

Kevin Flood, Co-founder and CEO of Shopow, said, “We set up Shopow because of our love of business. There were so few opportunities in the job market that we opted to take a risk and move in a new direction, one which we would strongly encourage other young people to pursue.”