In the fifth and final week of our careers makeover series the three participants, and the Right Staff's senior recruiting consultant Jason Stockdale, review the experience and the lessons learned from it.
A Papamoa jobseeker is celebrating after her participation in the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend careers makeover landed her full-time employment.
Christine Atkinson had spent seven months without regular employment before becoming one of three participants in the five-week series run in association with the Right Staff.
"I am really pleased, it's been a long time," said Ms Atkinson. "I've had a few bits and pieces of work but I'm so happy to have full-time work again. It's like a new start, a brand new beginning."
The 42-year-old has been taken on by CCH Business Fitness NZ, a Mt Maunganui firm specialising in systems development for accountants, as a Client Services Executive. She began work on Thursday.
"It's similar to the type of work I was doing 13 years ago, PA-type work, but at the same time going way beyond what I was doing then," said Ms Atkinson. "It's very different to being involved with house building and design (her last long-term employment)."
She said she was nervous but simultaneously excited by her new role. It was a role which owed much to chance, and the fact that CCH Business Fitness NZ's general manager Julie Benton is a Bay of Plenty Times Weekend subscriber.
"My husband and I were reading the Saturday newspaper and I had noticed Chrissie's profile," said Mrs Benton. "Something about her just stood out and really appealed. I didn't say anything though and a while later, when my husband Andy was reading that section, he said you should ring this person. I said I'd been thinking the same thing.
"We are owned by a global company and our recruitment is handled by an Australian firm in Sydney. We hadn't been having a lot of luck filling this position and when I saw Chrissie something just seemed right."
Ms Atkinson's personality soon won over her future employer.
"The following week I rang the Bay of Plenty Times and got put in touch with Chrissie. We met each other informally for a start but when she came into the office the first time I was stuck in a meeting. By the time I got out Chrissie was laughing and joking with two of our team. That sort of thing speaks volumes to me.
"I'm a great believer in attitude and someone being the right personality fit for the team. Chrissie fits both of those criteria. She lights up a room and has got a great sense of humour."
The attitude shown by those involved in the makeover series had impressed Mrs Benton.
"The interesting thing for me is that I don't know if I had seen Chrissie's CV whether I would have necessarily interviewed her. And vice versa, I'm not sure if Chrissie had seen the job advert if she would have applied.
"The fact that she, and the other two participants, were willing to be profiled in a very public way shows great character and guts. If someone has put themselves out to find employment, gone that bit further in search of a job, that shows something in itself. I hope the two remaining applicants find work soon as well. Chrissie's story should certainly give them hope."
Mrs Benton said she had also learned lessons through the process.
"It's very hard to articulate what makes a person right for the company. I think what this has shown me is that it's very difficult to transmit that sense of personality in a CV. I would say to employees and employers to think outside the box. Don't just go down normal avenues."
Ms Atkinson will be joining a team of seven at CCH Business Fitness NZ.
"The role is not just accounts payable and receivable," said Mrs Benton. "As part of our business we run a lot of webinars online and I definitely see Chrissie taking a prominent role in that. I really feel Chrissie could develop and grow here. We are a growing organisation, she has a really good skill set, and I think she could have a big future with us."
Jason Stockdale, senior recruiting consultant at the Right Staff, offered his congratulations as well.
"It's great news for Chrissie. The HR department was doing the recruit from Australia and Julie and Chrissie would never have met each other if it wasn't for the makeover series. It is an example of the market at the moment, where the opportunities are out there but they take time to happen. Also if Chrissie had never allowed herself to be part of this opportunity it would never have happened."
Jason Stockdale, senior recruiting consultant at the Right Staff, has played an integral role in the five-week series.
"I hope people can take away one or two ideas that give them that slight edge when looking for work," he said. "It is not an easy market in Tauranga however there are no excuses for bad, boring CV's and unprepared interviews. I received a lot of emails from people saying they changed their CV's and they now know why they haven't been getting any interviews, since the article we ran on it.
"That's great but the advice I would still give though would be to read through your CV and ask yourself "Would I hire this person?" and "Is this describing who I really am?". Also, prepare a lot for your interviews! If you get one you are doing better than quite a few others out there at the moment and the employer is saying to you I think you can probably do the job but I just want to hear it from you."
Mr Stockdale said attention to detail and expert advice was just as important for employers.
"Quite a few of the clients that come to us have just been through an unsuccessful in-house hire or have ended up hiring the wrong person. It is not that the timing is wrong or there are no good people out there it is simply they do not have the experience, time or process to attract, screen and compare. If you attract great people at the very beginning and all your filtering processes are watertight then you end up with a great person at the end.
"Recruitment is not a quick fix or a short-term solution."
Karolyn Timarkos
What Karolyn said:
How has this process been for you?
Very good, with some great advice from Jason.
How have you benefited from it?
Exposure of course, but lots of tips for tweaking my CV as well. I also gleaned some good advice from reading through Kunal and Chrissie's experiences.
What advice would you give other candidates out there?
Keep at it!
How will you approach things differently?
I will definitely change my CV and make my cover letters much more effective.
What would the 'Do's' be?
Make sure your grammar and spelling is correct!
Have you had any job offers or publicity?
Unfortunately, only from con-artists approaching me, with stories of great financial gains if I was to join their business. Invest $5000 and make a huge sum by the end of the year, or you can earn so much each month. If it's too good to be true then it isn't real.
What would you say to any potential employer out there?
The biggest challenges I'm having with interviews lately are that potential employers think I am either over-qualified for the position or that I will probably go travelling again soon and am therefore a risk. Just to set the record straight I am staying in Tauranga and am committed to the first company that will take me on board.
I have good common sense and can teach myself if the position requires some independence. I am a stable employee looking for a long-term position with a stable company. I am probably suited to a small business that is looking for someone multi-skilled. With me you get an administrator, design experience, marketing ability, and someone who is personable and well-presented.
What Jason said:
If you want to have someone in your organisation that will go the extra mile and think outside the square, Karolyn is for you. Not only do you get an effective administrator, she also brings graphic design experience, marketing and web design. When Karolyn took on board the CV feedback I gave her she came up with two versions well over and above my expectations.
I think Karolyn would suit a small business that relies on an administrator to put many hats on throughout the day, wants someone who will be passionate and proactive about their business and has the initiative to try new and creative ideas.
Kunal Narsey
What Kunal said:
How has this process been for you?
This has been really refreshing and very positive.
How have you benefited from it?
It was great to get some feedback from other companies as well as Jason; learning what to do and what not to do. The CV advice was a big help, to cut down what isn't needed and what could be taken out. I have changed my CV and made sure I continue to improve. The interview help was great as well, not being shy to ask some straight up questions and really show more confidence.
What advice would you give other candidates out there?
The main thing would be, never be happy with what you have in terms of your CV or your cover letter. Have multiple versions if you are applying for different industries or if you have lots of diverse experience. There is always room for improvement, make some calls get as much information as possible, keep improving, tailor the CV to the position, put in specific detail for the cover letter, and give some practical examples of your experience. Definitely put more effort in for each application. It is worth your time! Don't throw it out into the ocean and hope it lands in the right place.
How will you approach things differently?
Self-promotion and research keeps it all changing, don't just stagnate keep moving forward.
What would the 'Do's' be?
Change your interview style and CV depending on the role. Spend time on each new position and really find out about the job and the company.
What would the 'Don'ts' be?
Don't be too laid back during the process, especially the interviews. And don't be lazy when it comes to the CV's.
Have you had any job offers or publicity?
I may get some casual work from a friend of a friend who heard about me. I am working on developing my mobile Apps for Android platform but am very keen to start with a company.
What would you say to any potential employer out there?
I am highly technically skilled and a real out-of-the-box thinker. I'm passionate about my work and have experience in both systems administration and desktop support. I would be happy in either of these positions and with me you are getting a broad range of skills and experience. I now want to further my career in desktop support and systems administration. I have a desire to work for a company that will provide me challenges as well as allowing me room to further advance my responsibilities and position.
What Jason said:
It has been a pleasure helping Kunal through this process and he has been very proactive taking on new ideas and implementing them. I chose Kunal for this experience because he impressed us during an interview and we felt he has the potential to add value to a local company. He is an effective communicator and very personable, with all the values one would want when hiring good IT support. Kunal is still waiting on 12 applications to come back, including three he sent out since the process started. Information regarding Kunal's Android Apps can be found on www.kunemobile.com.
Christine Atkinson
What Christine said:
How has this process been for you?
It has been a positive experience with a good outcome.
How have you benefited from it?
A job and some good feedback about changing my CV.
What advice would you give other candidates out there?
Be yourself especially in the interview stage and your CV should reflect your personality as well.
How will you approach things differently?
Except for my CV I probably wouldn't change a lot. I'd like to see newspapers run a page article a month for people like me looking for work. It could be the only way some people will find employment in this market.
Have you had any job offers or publicity?
Yes, I started with CCH Business Fitness NZ on Thursday.
What Jason said:
Finally someone saw what what I had seen in her. When I first looked at her CV I noticed that she was very honest about who she is. Most people try to play it safe with their CV's and describe themselves as the safe option for the employer. I am loyal, trustworthy, motivated, reliable, and have good attention to detail. When I go through a pile of applications sometimes it appears they are all describing the same person.
Chrissie stood out and described herself as an individual on her CV and that got her through the door. The lesson she leaves us is it's ok to be the safe option but don't forget to tell employers who you really are and what makes you different from the crowd.
Any companies wishing to interview Kunal or Karolyn are advised that the Right Staff will waive any fees in connection with them. Potential employers should email: info@therightstaff.co.nz