by Michelle Murphy | Jun 21, 2017 | Career, Career and Interview Advice, General Interest
Q: I am a senior manager in a telecommunications business and have decided to take the plunge and move careers. I am excited but a bit nervous. My last interview was 20 years ago, as I was headhunted for my current position. I am concerned that – as a person in my late 40s – I am going to stand out among the younger candidates for the role. Do you have any advice on how I should prepare? A: I agree that you could stand out at interviews, as employers might consider you too experienced or expensive – even a little out of touch. However, don’t lose sight of the things you do have that others might not – including excellent work experience, a valuable skill set, a strong network of contacts and a solid track record. The secret is to be prepared for all those issues that might be considered weaknesses and could be brought up during the interview process. You are experienced enough to know how to create a good business case for yourself and highlight how you can move your skill set. Demonstrate your willingness to learn, to keep growing and take risks. Many candidates I meet have the same fear about their age – but I always say age should never be a factor. Focus on your strengths around your work experience and qualifications. Ask yourself truthfully ‘What value can I bring to this new role’ and ‘Can I sell myself as an expert’? Will they think I have less energy? We all slow down as we age. However, in the workplace, sometimes the less-experienced person can waste energy on finding a solution when a more seasoned performer may be able to offer solutions immediately. Efficiency is key, so you need to give examples of where you were able to sustain your energy levels for major projects and deliver the results. Am I less productive? Advancing years does not mean declining work productivity. Clearly you need to demonstrate that you are innovative, you are driven and have led projects to enhance productivity. Give examples of where you have brought improvements or suggested changes to the table that had a positive impact. Am I overqualified? If you feel they may question that fact that you are overqualified and may be using this as a stop-gap, then you may consider offering to take the role on a contract basis to bring your expertise and see how that contract works out before a permanent role is offered. Will I work with a younger team? This is a question that you will have to feel comfortable with. Along with the idea of you reporting into someone younger, they also have to get their heads around having someone nearly as old as their parents reporting to them. The important thing to remember is that success will come from your experience and technical skills rather than the age demographic of the team. Is my salary too high? I would not apologise for the fact that your salary now reflects the experience you have and the market demand for your particular skills. I have experienced employers asking candidates to justify the increased spend when it comes to remuneration. Ensure you can show the benefit you can bring by taking on additional responsibility, increase productivity, increase sales and drive improved results. Will I deal with change? Some employers may think you could resist change. But you can put the case that as a more mature employee you have already adapted to many change situations successfully, eg coping through previous downturns, implementing major system changes, making a complete career transition, etc. How will I dress? Your professional appearance is so important and you should not be trying to look half your age, as that could go against you. Look smart in up-to-date office attire. Am I out of touch? You need to ensure that you are on top of new technology. Be active on social media and build your brand on LinkedIn, use webinars in your field of expertise and be ready to discuss new trends and tech in the market, using current vocabulary in your industry. If the interviewer is younger, try not to sound condescending when referring to your experience. Be positive about your age and experience. Use it to your advantage, but be mindful how you approach the questions. Be sure to use contacts to open doors, give advice for your career move, or bounce ideas around for interview preparation. Michelle Murphy is director of Collins McNicholas, Recruitment & HR Services Group, which has offices in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Sligo, Athlone and Limerick. Michelle Murphy Director, Collins McNicholas Recruitment & HR Services Group This article was originally published in the Business section of the Sunday Independent, June 18th 2017. The original article can be found...Read More
by Michelle Murphy | Jun 15, 2017 | Career, Career and Interview Advice, General Interest
Question: I hold a senior role in a large software company and manage a team of 20 software developers. Managing a growing team can be a challenge but I enjoy it most of the time. However, I have a situation where two of my more senior team leaders do not get on. This has been obvious since the most recent hire joined the team. While neither has done anything that would cause me to discipline them, the morale of the team has definitely been affected by the tension between them. How do I resolve this? Answer: Conflict resolution is an issue a lot of managers have to face and it can be unsettling for everyone. You need to take the right approach as early as possible to ensure it doesn’t grow out of proportion. Conflict can cause a toxic environment within the workplace so you need to totally understand the situation and act responsibly. Management is not about popularity or avoiding a negative reputation but about ensuring you act in the best interest of the team and the organisation in an ethical manner. All managers and leaders must expect to have to deal with a conflict situation at some point so here are some pointers to consider. Timing is key Avoiding the situation or putting it off until another day will not wash. You need to take action where you have evidence that there is a situation, which is negatively impacting others – and that there is a pattern to it. Striking too early without proper information will lead to possible confrontation. But the other team members need to see that...Read More
by admin | Jun 9, 2017 | CIPD, Employment Law, General Interest, Industry
The long awaited General Data Protection Regulation is now set to be implemented on the 25th May 2018 across the European Union. The GDPR shall replace the existing Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC which has been in place since 1995 and will have a significant impact for all organisations doing business in Ireland and the EU. The aim of the aforementioned Regulation is to harmonise data protection across Europe and to make businesses more accountable for data privacy compliance. The GDPR will apply to both data controllers and data processors. The implementation of the GDPR introduces new elements and significant enhancements to European Data Protection law which will require detailed consideration by all organisations involved in processing personal data as there will be significant financial penalties for non-compliance. Some of the key changes introduced are as follows:- Consent There will be much stronger rules on consent. The GDPR will require a data subject’s consent to the processing of their personal data to be freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous. Reliance on silence, inactivity, or pre-ticked boxes will no longer be sufficient to constitute consent. It is also the case that data subjects will be permitted to withdraw their consent at any time. Broader Definition of Personal Data The definition of ‘personal data’ is now broadened to include online identifiers, location data, and IP addresses. Also, the term ‘sensitive personal data’ has been broadened to include genetic and biometric data. Reporting of Data Breaches The GDPR will bring in mandatory breach notifications. All breaches must be reported to the local data protection authority unless the breach is unlikely to...Read More
by Michelle Murphy | May 23, 2017 | Career, Career and Interview Advice, General Interest
I am a female in my late 50s and am enjoying my work at my job in the media sector. There are a lot of younger employees coming into the workplace with IT skills that are far superior to my own. While I am their manager, sometimes I feel like my lack of tech skills is putting me at a disadvantage. I wonder are there ways in which I can quietly upskill, without drawing too much attention to my own lack of knowledge to newer employees and bosses? It is important to be aware of the area you are working in, as many sectors change rapidly – information technology in particular. This requires employees not only to keep their skills updated, but also learn new ones. Upskilling is a personal endeavour, as everyone has unique interests and talents that align with certain skills. Tackle one skill or skill set at a time, instead of trying to build several skills in one go. Although many employers offer on-the-job training and the chance to take more formal qualifications, it’s still up to you to keep your skills sharp. This is particularly true for a manager or leader, as by keeping up to speed your team can see how committed you are to your role and the company will see you as a leader and expert. By refining and updating your expertise, you can ensure that you always stay relevant. It puts you in a more competitive position in your industry, makes you more valuable to your company, provides job security, and highlights your desire to learn and grow, illustrating a great...Read More
by Michelle Murphy | May 19, 2017 | Career, Career and Interview Advice, General Interest
Question: I am in middle management and have been passed over for promotion on three occasions. I am not in a position to leave the company but I desperately want to progress in my career and I feel that I am stuck in the role that I am in. Is there some way that I can approach my boss and find out where I am going wrong? Answer: I understand how frustrating it can be not to get a promotion. you are probably feeling a lot of emotions including disappointment, humiliation, resentment and, maybe, anger. It is impossible not to feel personally offended. However, it is important for our own sanity to understand why this has happened and, of course, leave you in a position to improve so you can go forward for future opportunities. It is important to organise that ‘dreaded discussion’ with your bosses promptly so you are getting fresh feedback. ask for specific things you could work on to improve your chances in the future. However, when you ask for suggestions, be ready to listen and be prepared ti make those changes. It Is Not Yours Because You Expect It Some employees feel entitled to be promoted because they have been in the organisation for a long time, but tenure is no longer a key consideration. Contribution will be the ultimate decision maker. Performance Is Not Everything Employees are often under the misconception that promotion decisions are based solely on performance in their role. Success in one area doesn’t always translate to another. You need to become familiar with the requirements and competencies needed. Could It Be Your Softer Skills?...Read More
by admin | May 18, 2017 | Accounting and Finance, General Interest, HR and Training, Payroll
I had the pleasure of attending the annual Irish Payroll Association (IPASS) conference on 11th May 2017 in Croke Park Dublin. IPASS is Ireland’s premier provider of Payroll and VAT training and certification. The conference included presentations from IPASS, the Revenue Commissioners and PWC. Here are some helpful key points that were discussed/highlighted on the day: 1. GDPR – General Data Protection Regulation – This issue is highly topical at the moment. The regulation will come into effect on the 25th May 2018. If you are a registered Data Processor or Data Controller you need to be ready to conform to the policy by this date. Please click this link for further information. This regulation will impact any information we hold on payroll, accounts, and any information on our database relating to clients, suppliers and candidates/temps. 2. New Revenue Website – During the first week in June 2017, the Revenue Commissioners will be launching a brand new website. Revenue have done research into how websites are generally used to ensure that their new look web pages are user friendly and easy to navigate. They have spent time removing jargon and converting technical speak into straight forward narrative. This should make registering employment, resolving tax queries etc. more simplistic. Revenue have acknowledged however that not everyone is IT literate and they will still need to be prepared to answer phone calls and postal correspondence. 3. Illness Benefit – There was a lot of discussion around the processing of illness benefit. The consensus is that the processing of this on behalf of Welfare and Revenue is problematic at employer and payroll processing level. Revenue...Read More
