by admin | Jul 12, 2016 | Interviewing, Jobseeking, Recruitment
For many candidates, the interview process can be a very overwhelming experience with many fearing they will fail to recall important details and undersell their ability. The STAR technique is a method used to help candidates prepare for interviews, especially competency based interviews. This method will allow you to form your answers efficiently, focusing directly on the question being asked. What are competency based interviews? Competency based interviews are designed to make the job application process unbiased as each candidate is asked the same types of questions. This form on interviewing is commonly practiced in large organisations. An example of a competency based question may begin with “Tell me about a time when…” This may not seem difficult, however, during the interview it is common for candidates to leave out information and wander off topic, therefore, delivering an unstructured answer. It is important that you “sell yourself” during the interview while following the STAR technique to structure your answers. So what is the STAR technique? Your answer should incorporate the following elements: S – Situation T – Task A – Action R – Result Situation: Describe the background of a particular situation when you used the competency. For example, if the competency is budgetary control, you may answer; “In my last job I was appointed to lead a project involving a €800,000 engineering factory shutdown lasting 3 weeks, and I had complete responsibility for the budget for this project. I did face some challenges on this project which required careful management to keep to budget.” Task: Define what your particular task was in relation to this, i.e. “My duty was to ensure that the project came in on time and to budget, which required very close liaison with the discipline heads, maintenance managers and cost and planning team. As it was very important the project ran to timescale and costs were maintained as per estimates. This was my ultimate responsibility. Any overspend, delay or conflict had to be resolved immediately to keep the project to budget. One week into the project we were faced with unexpected delays due to unavailability of essential maintenance equipment which threatened the completion of the project on time and would ultimately have prevented the plant from becoming operational again on time. This would have obviously created a loss in production and so revenue.” Action: “I worked long hours with the buying and contracts manager, sourcing alternative suppliers and negotiating price, to keep to the original estimates. I worked closely with the planning team to reschedule some of the other work to ensure no time was lost. It was key that I kept in very close contact with the whole team throughout, as any delay would affect the budget. I examined all aspects of the project to ensure that there were no wasted costs and that, despite the tight budget, safety standards were never compromised.” Result: “I am pleased to say that through persistence and my determination to deliver on time and to budget, the long hours paid off and a new supplier was found who have since proved to be a new and more effective supplier for us. The project was finished to time and came in a little under budget, and the whole project was carried out without accident or injury.” It is important to note that the interviewer will probably score your response to each question. Being specific and providing background experience will allow you to gain more marks. You may also add your observations about what you learnt from the experience. It is important to be prepared by going over lots of examples that will highlight your skills. Practice your answers as much as possible; the better prepared you are the more confident you will...Read More
by admin | Jul 8, 2016 | Economy, General Interest, Industry, Jobs in Ireland, Uncategorized
Collins McNicholas has seen a 4.8% growth in registered job vacancies in the first six months of 2016 compared with the last 6 months of 2015. The number of candidates registering with Collins McNicholas has increased by 2.8% in the same period. The unemployment rate currently stands at 7.8% (MAY 2016), having fallen steadily from 9.8% over the last 12 months. The unemployment rate will continue to decline over the next 12 months, albeit at a slower pace than the previous 12 months. The Irish economy continues to grow and job creation should rise with it, but the consequences of Britain’s departure from the EU will have a negative impact on the Irish economy, slowing growth and job creation. A weakening sterling will hurt Irish exports to Britain, particularly in the agricultural sector. Tourism will also be affected as British holidaymakers will find it more expensive to visit Ireland. Issues surrounding the rights to residency of the roughly 400,000 Irish people living in the UK will also need to be resolved. This could benefit Ireland if even a small of number of skilled professionals choose to return to the country. “However, despite the uncertain consequences of Brexit on the Irish economy, foreign direct investment (FDI) is strong and should grow as investors seek to maintain access to the EU markets and avoid the uncertainty over Britain’s status post-Brexit,” said Niall Murray, Managing Director of Collins McNicholas. High technology sectors, in particular ICT, biopharmaceuticals and medical devices, are doing well. Graduate output has increased significantly in the STEM subjects and excellent progress has been made in retraining people for jobs in...Read More
by admin | Jun 29, 2016 | Career and Interview Advice, Interviewing, Jobseeking
One of the most stressful elements of looking for employment is the interview process. The following simple tips will allow you to prepare for a successful interview and perform well on the day. Be on time. It is crucial not to be late for your interview. Allocate plenty of time the morning of the interview and plan your route to minimise any problems occurring. If something unforeseen happens causing a delay to your journey, phone ahead and explain the situation while stating you will get there as soon as possible. Greet the interviewer with a firm handshake. A positive first impression is very important. When shaking the interviewers hand it is important to have direct eye contact while also smiling politely. You will come across as assertive and composed. Stay calm. This will allow you to think more clearly and therefore you will deliver better responses as a result. Feeling anxious and nervous is normal in an interview, the key thing is being able to control it. It is important to note that the interviewers where once in your position. Listen carefully and take your time answering. Take a moment after a question to think about what is being asked and how best to answer it before replying. Don’t get carried away. It is important to provide a full response to the question asked; however, it is also important not to speak for longer than is necessary or to go off topic. Ask for a question to be repeated or explained if necessary. This will give you both more time to think about your response while also getting...Read More
by admin | Jun 14, 2016 | Cork, General Interest
Collins McNicholas, the Recruitment and HR Services Group, has appointed Rory Walsh as the Regional Manager at the firm’s Cork office. A native of Cork himself, Rory joined the management team at Collins McNicholas in May 2016. “I am delighted to have been appointed to this fantastic role and I look forward to working with the team in Cork,” said Rory, who is graduate of University College Cork. Rory has over 10 years’ experience in recruitment, managing recruitment teams and specialising in technical appointments within the Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Industries. He has recruited across the Tech, Engineering, Scientific and supply chain fields. Rory will manage the Cork office, which covers the South and South East Region of the country. He holds a degree from UCC in Chemistry and is currently specialising in Science and Engineering recruitment across the South and South East. Collins McNicholas Managing Director, Niall Murray said: “We are delighted to have appointed Rory Walsh as our Regional Manager in our Cork offices. Rory has great expertise in managing recruitment teams and we looking forward to working with him in his new role.” With five offices in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Sligo and Athlone, Collins McNicholas is the only nationally-based recruitment company headquartered outside of Dublin. Collins McNicholas recruits across a wide variety of sectors, including Engineering, Medical Devices, Pharmaceutical, Financial, IT, Admin and Sales. For further information, please contact Martha Kearns at StoryLab on 087...Read More
by admin | May 11, 2016 | Career, General Interest, Work Life
Beginning a new job is always a little intimidating. Everyone wants to get off to a great start and impress their new boss, but nerves and uncertainty about a new work environment often stop us from settling into our new job as quickly as we would like. To help you make the best start possible in your new job, we are giving our top 6 tips for starting a new job: First Impressions Count The single most important thing you can do on your first day is make a good impression with your colleagues. The impact of a bad first impression can linger for a long time, and prove quite difficult to overcome. It is vital that you are punctual and enthusiastic. Show everyone that you are happy to be there. Learn Your Role Obtain a detailed job description from your boss so that you know precisely what is expected of you, and what you are responsible for. Having a clear understanding of your duties and responsibilities will help you prioritise how much time to give each task. In situations where you are working under a tight deadline, knowing what is the most important task to be completed will help you avoid making any costly mistakes. Understand the Culture Learn the culture of the company. Most employees will undergo a training period when they start their job. Use this time wisely. Learn everything you can about the company’s policies and procedures, observe how people interact with one another and how they go about their work. Talk to everybody, your new colleagues will be a great source of information on...Read More
