Utilise your cv profile to not only get a “swipe right” and make a career love connection, but a job match made in heaven GETTING a “swipe right” on your CV in order to make a true career love connection, will fortunately for you, be based on more than just a great selfie with good lighting. One you managed to post on your dating profile to gain attention or to get that favourable “swipe right” like on popular dating app, Tinder. And, in the hunt for that “dream job”, your CV serves as the first visual glimpse into who you might be or present as. WhEN TRYING GET A “SWIPE RIGHT” ON YOUR cv PROFILE, YOUR jOB HISTORY MATTERS MORE – Unlike on your dating profile, it’s your job history compared to a picture of you, that gets your CV shortlisted. Even if an actual photograph of you is displayed on your CV, your work credentials matter more. More than whether you have the look of a possible unsuspecting “Tinder Swindler” or the appearance of having the personality of a pea. Similarly, as you would venture online to find a potential love interest, finding that job that is a good…
Regular feedback: A critical tool to gain a competitive edge in business & strengthen hybrid/remote staff and client relations Utilising feedback sessions serves as a critical tool in post-pandemic business models to gain a competitive edge by strengthening staff and productivity. With more companies having adopted a hybrid or remote working environment, there is an obvious disconnect when it comes to the human element. With less physical interaction where mostly everyone is no longer collectively in the same space at the same time, video platforms are now where team chats, interviews and meetings take place. The provision of a communication channel or way to have regular catchups, is especially useful to maintain some sort of team synergy and ultimately, ensure that your company performs optimally with or without a concrete office. Bridge the gap with regular check-ins As a fully remote operation itself, we here at Datafin have become more aware of the effectiveness of having regular check-ins with our clients and candidates alike. Human connection is at the heart of our business, and we need to get a feel for the people we deal with. Since Covid, many candidates have more introspection and want to know aspects such as…
IN times of chaos, commit to Small gains to alleviate the stress of reaching big goals While working towards any goal, life happens, and stress can leave you feeling like throwing in the towel. But change your focus instead to commit to small gains chasing your dream job. Ask any fitness enthusiast or IT entrepreneur how they remained on track despite unforeseen hurdles, I’m sure they will tell you small wins are crucial to ensure you don’t quit your dream and keep eye on the prize. If the ultimate goal is making a career move, the ever-evolving landscape of work and life since Covid hit, may be feeling more daunting than ever before. Chaotic times amplifies feelings of stress and uncertainty It doesn’t take a magnifying glass to be aware of how chaotic life has been not only in South Africa, but across the world, ever since a certain pandemic entered our lives. There was the confusion when restrictions were apparently lifted around wearing masks (some of us still wondering about the absence of a formal “family meeting” announcement) and company vaccine mandates. Then petrol hikes fueling the rising cost of living. And let’s not forget, Eskom’s recent switcheroo of…
If there’s one pertinent aspect of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s that it has virtually left no person on this planet we call home, untouched in some way, shape or form. Even if you haven’t fallen ill or been an asymptomatic person who has actually had the virus or have had to live under the restrictions of several lockdown levels, you will know someone out there who has. Here at Datafin, one of our own colleagues, Michelle Roberts, is now thankfully on the mend and going through the recovery process after she became infected and was hospitalized. It definitely rings true when they say you don’t really become fully aware of the wrath of this deadly virus, until it hits home. Below is a reflective piece written by Michelle about her personal insight and fighting spirit as she takes it day by day to regain her strength to eventually fill the missing spot in our Recruitment Family. “As I sit in my hospital bed after a week here, with an almost clear mind for what feels like forever I reflect upon what this devastation means to all of us. The lives changed forever; the lives forever altered never…
Recently many of us, some reluctantly no doubt, took to the polls in the local government elections, to make our mark in what remains a powerful exercise in our fragile democracy and hopeful that your contribution will see your favoured political party govern your local municipality. The logistics and coordination at the voting stations was not merely as smooth as hoped. Many of us had to endure hours of queuing and for those in Cape Town, even getting wet during sporadic bouts of rain. But people continued to wait to ensure they did their bit. There’s a level of trust you have when voting in the hope that the party at the helm will meet their rhetoric of promises for better service delivery, or at the very least, that our refuge bins get collected on the day it’s supposed to. Much like voting, applying for a new job too requires an allowance to trust the process. As a Recruitment Agency, we deal with people and people have their doubts. But our Recruitment Consultants have expertise in the waging war of minds battling uncertainty, confusion and, the often-daunting emotion and hesitation to take a leap of faith when changing careers. Delivering…
As a Recruiter, you play a crucial role between candidate and client, wading back and forth to try and marry the two successfully and send them on their hopefully blissful and lasting work marriage. Being in the middle often means a “tug-o-war” trying to meet the pressures of ensuring culture fits, salary negotiations and making that career match in heaven. And any Consultant would attest to the fact that this process also demands a humungous dose of patience and constant feedback between the two.Sometimes it requires only one interview like that perfect first date, for the employer to decide the person we presented them, is indeed “The One”. This is of course, any Recruiter’s dream placement when no further dates for second or third interviews or technical or psychometric tests would be required. But for the most part, this scenario does not happen. Instead, it involves numerous emails, phone calls or Zoom’s or WhatsApp video chats, as you screen the candidate and liaise with the client to reach your end goal of them tying the knot of a loving working relationship.And as with every date and every job, there are disappointments and let downs. You have found that amazing CV…
If you’ve been at the shops recently, I’m sure you have been unable to ignore the sea of red paraphernalia strategically placed to remind you of that certain day in February some of us might not be so fond of. Yes, the Valentine’s Day fever is upon us and it got me thinking about the idea of romanticism but not the “lovey dovey” kind. Instead, how can we apply this philosophy when it comes to the daily grind of our jobs, something I’ve touched on before in a prior blog.According to Wikipedia, the term Romanticism originated towards the latter part of the 18th century in Europe and was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement. Not much ado about chocolates, flowers, heart-shaped eye emoji’s, and mugs with phrases like “One in a Melon”. It came up on Google, you can go verify for yourself.I stumbled upon this call to action to jumpstart and rejuvenate our every day while perusing YouTube, when I should have been sleeping of course, on one of these motivational videos titled “Romanticize Your Life”. It suggests that you tackle your day-to-day activity with renewed enthusiasm. You must believe your morning commute is “cute and fun” and…
There’s no doubt that almost every person who has felt the strain of the year that has been 2020, when a deadly pandemic mimicking the age-old Flu virus made its appearance and left many impacted by its wrath, perhaps feeling only too relieved that we will soon embark on a new year. We cannot however fool ourselves into thinking that things are going to drastically improve. Restrictive state measures and masks may well stick around for quite some time to come – the “new normal” – an existence we have now become accustomed to. When it comes to business, the economy was brought to its knees. Many industries including our specialist service of recruiting, took a hard knock. We have had to adapt around remote working, MS Teaming, Zooms and WhatsApp video calls, as we embrace our ever-changing way of work and world alike.Many of you had to continue braving it out there and going into the office either on a rotation basis or still the daily commute as before lockdown. My heart went out to parents who had to juggle homeschooling and kids now more homebound. It has been a rough year. But equally so, a deeply significant one,…
It’s no secret that when certain jobs come to mind, whether it be an electrician or rugby coach, some of us still have a stereotypical picture of it being something only men are engineered to do. This has long been the case when it comes to the sphere of IT. The IT guy – donning a messy or intentional bedhead of hair, bearded and trendy spectacle-wearing man from those long hours in front of the PC, is typically what pops into many of our heads when we think of those working tirelessly writing complex code which breathes life into the websites and apps we in this day and age, virtually cannot live without.And, even more so now during this trying time of Covid-19, all things technological have become so crucial to our daily existence. From working remotely to having groceries and other deemed “essentials” (like curly hair detangler or non-alcoholic beverages, each person’s necessity to their own) delivered to our homes. But most importantly, tech has allowed us to stay connected – that phone call, WhatsApp or video call – instantly giving you that fuzzy warm feeling when you get to hear or see gran or your parents, “cuzzies” or…
As with most jobs, there are often tedious tasks to wade through before getting to the exciting bits that challenge and motivate you to be a more productive worker bee. Recently I was tasked with compiling a list which felt like it went on for days. Its completion haunted my every waking moment and I vowed to do whatever it took to get it done. I told myself like some of us do, even exclaiming out loud for extra effect, that there was purpose to this list aka “method to the madness”. With that front of mind, I “slayed” that list. And eventually, as I drew closer to the finish line, all initial feelings of “why me” was pleasantly replaced with a real sense of accomplishment.Anyone whose had actual success on a diet or perhaps changed to a vegan lifestyle or made a drastic career change, let’s say from Accountant to Fitness Guru or perhaps from Teacher to Web Developer, will tell you it wasn’t easy at first. They will probably also profess, that consistency is key. Intentionally choosing to eat mostly leaves or get up at 5am to do squats, must if you ask me, entail a good scraping…