Are New Year's Resolutions Really Worth The Trouble?

Time flies doesn't it? This has been a really hectic year at Muovo. Oh, and we have been through the end of the world...rather flawlessly! We are looking forward to the coming New Year 2013!

With the end of the year so close by, most of us are likely to bring their reflection caps on and look back on what they have done (and haven't done) during the past year. Many of us will end up wondering on how to resolve those issues that we haven't changed throughout the year: oh, the New Year's resolutions. But are they really worth all the effort? Or do they serve to help set a positive attitude, filled with determination, ambition, and willingness for success? Well, probably it's a combination of both!

Muovo would like to share with you Simply Scott's views regarding the many resolutions that we might be doing for the New Year. In his opinion, these resolutions are rather flawed and frivolous which is why they tend to fail.

Click here to find out what he says

Courtesy of Recruiting Blogs

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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How to use the Holidays to Job Search

It’s the holiday season! Are you still looking for that job you have been  dreaming about for ages? Were you thinking about putting your job search on hold till the end of the holidays? If so, you should really think twice! Contrary to popular opinion, the holiday season is really a good time of year to find a job.

Muovo would like to share with you Alison Doyle’s article located at, About.com, where she explains why you should continue your job search even during the holidays. After all, employers are not likely to stop hiring just because it's the holidays.

Hiring Does Continue
In her article, Doyle cites Executive Dave Harshbarger who explains why hiring never stops regardless time of year. ‘For many of us, the holiday season is a time to sit back and relax, to take a break from business, to focus our attention on friends and family. For businesses, the needs that drive hiring throughout the year don't change just because the paid holidays are bunched up on the last pages of the calendar.’

Harshbarger further explains that at many companies, hiring and personnel activities continue all year round, because the needs that drive hiring mainly competitive pressures, growing markets, strategic initiatives, don't take a break.

Holiday Hiring
Harshbarger adds, ‘Hiring during the holidays is sometimes complicated because key decision makers are absent. In the case of hiring, arguably the most important decision companies make, it is common for key individuals to interrupt their vacations (where feasible) to meet with short listed candidates. In all cases, we understand that to meet our goals in the New Year, it is critical that we stay focused on our staffing plans even as we turn our gaze homeward’.

Tips for a Holiday Job Search
Doyle tells us that employers carry on focusing on hiring, even though there is a temptation to do otherwise. The same should hold true for job seekers. It can be easier to say, ‘I'm not going to bother, it's a bad time of year for job hunting’, than it is to move forward with a job search. However, for those who do keep on going, the additional opportunities are worth the effort.

Don't Slow Down Your Job Search
Some people give up job searching between Christmas and New Year. Do not be one of them. Employers are still hiring and there may be less competition from other job seekers at this time of year. In addition, companies that budget on an annual basis may have jobs that they need to hire for now.

Use Personal and Professional Events
If you are attending a holiday social event, it is definitely appropriate to mention that you are job searching. Accept all the invitations you receive, both personal and professional. You never know who may be able to help. Friends and family, as well as business acquaintances are typically more than happy to assist.

Finally, Sit back, Relax and Enjoy
During this time of year, it is important to take some time for yourself and your family. Do relax and enjoy the holiday season. After all, it only comes once a year!

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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How to Network Yourself During the Holidays

Give yourself the best gift this Christmas - a better job. Surely, most of you will be looking forward to spending some quality time with your family and friends, or simply, just relaxing at home. After all, don’t you need that well-deserved break? Undoubtedly so!

There are yet so many great opportunities that could strengthen your professional network, which you might be missing out on if you don’t attempt to stay on track over the holidays.

The following are some tips that Muovo would like to share with you as to how you should spend your holidays.

1) Send a card. 
Although e-mails are now highly popular and used by almost every individual on earth, a hand-written card can really stand out. Not only does it make the recipient feel valued and cared for, but you will also be solidifying a connection that could bring you opportunities in the future. Of course, the idea behind a card is to show that you are really thinking of that person – which is what you should really be doing - and not just seeing it as a means to an end!

2) Get ready to party!
Social gatherings are a great way to make new connections and expand your circle. Keep some business cards at hand and make sure you get them out at the right time, and distribute them to the right people.

3) Throw your own party.
If you are financially stable enough to host a Holiday gathering, be it a dinner, party, reception or whatever you feel like doing, do it this Christmas. Make all your guests feel cherished and try to include business and social guests for your party.

4) Stay healthy.
Don’t go overboard with the plum pudding and drinking. Keep yourself fit and follow a healthy lifestyle as otherwise you might hinder yourself from getting back on track – happily.

5) Thank your guests or hosts.
Always send an email or a note to thank your guests or your hosts after a social contact. If you have spoken to someone during the gathering who has offered some advice, thank them him or her for their mentoring, guidance or suggestions. Perhaps you could try to schedule a lunch or drink to thank them and continue the conversation.

And finally...don’t forget to have fun! Although this time of year can be socially, emotionally and financially challenging, don’t let this dampen your Christmas spirit.

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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Your Career Race - Run!

'Career race' is not a sprint. It is, really, a marathon. Many people get tired throughout the race and sadly, they never get to reach their full potential.

In our ‘career race’, we have to stay focused on finishing the course. You cannot waste time looking back or watching the competition.

People tend to waste time thinking about what could have happened or dwell on the past. The secret is to let it go – focus instead on continuing your race.
Muovo would like to share with you the following article, first published by Recruiter.com. In this article, Caroline Knight gives the following tips on how you should run your ‘career race’ to success.

1.    Perform at your highest level. 
Strive to do your best regardless of the circumstances of the situation. Stand out and be one of the engaged employees. Endure till the end!

2.    Define what the end of your 'career race' is.
The end of your race could be defined as retirement at 55, promotion to director, manager, vice president, or chief executive officer?  Only you can define the finish line of your “career race”, and of course, it may change as time goes on.

3.    Identify distractions. 
There will be numerous distractions including life changes, possible downsizing, denied promotions, and so on.  Prepare to overcome them. 

4.    Stay the course. 
Keep your mind on the finish line and give it your all.  Remember circumstances can alternate the speed at which you run but at all times give it your all. You must run your 'career race' as hard as you can or run the risk of being left behind.

Courtesy of Recruiter.com

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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5 Different Tips for Graduate Job Seekers

Although we are more than sure that as a job seeker, you are swamped by heaps of information regarding tips for job hunting - what you should do and what to avoid. However, Muovo has found the following five 'lesser' known tips that are bound to help you get ahead. We couldn't help not sharing them!

1) Identify what is unique and memorable about you.
It is not enough to boast about your excellent qualifications and achievements. More than anything, you need something that makes you stand out...in a good way.

Saying that you have reached a competitive level in an extra-curricular activity such as music or sport is definitely worth listening to.

2) Don't just research the industry you're targeting.
Also look at the sector it sells to, better known as verticals. This means that if you are applying for a job at a marketing agency, you would increase your chances by familiarising yourself not only with the company but also with the company's verticals.

3) Don't dismiss a company for being too small. Smaller companies offer great opportunities for career progression.
Start up companies may not be your ideal move for doubling your income, but they definitely offer good room for career progression. In a smaller company, you are likely to take on quite a handful of responsibilities, which all goes to make you all the more flexible.

4) Look for industries that are bucking the trend.
Remember there are a multitude of positions that you can do in an industry. You could be an in-house lawyer, an engineer or HR advisor.

5) Research your interviewers.
LinkedIn is a good place to start. Always do a quick find out about your interviewers to get an idea of what their background is, what their interests are, and perhaps, you could also find some connections that you have in common (such as, a university or a course that you have both attended or a shared interest).

Courtesy of GuardianWeekly

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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Your First Day at Work...Should be Fun!

Although it's the festive season, and many of us are up and about doing our Christmas shopping, some of us might be excited not only about the celebrations but more so on a new job they might be starting soon!

It is undeniable that the first day of a new job can instill a whirlpool of emotions ranging from sheer excitement to downright nerve-wracking anxiety. Anxiety is mainly derived from lack of control over the Unknown.

The first day is usually the day we get to meet a whole team of new faces, trying to learn as many names as we could, get round to the office colleagues and atmosphere and so on. But, the big question remains, what does the boss expect from you on the first day?

Luckily it's 'not as much as you think'. Day 1 expectations are usually low, although of course, you are expected to turn up on time and show that you're ready to learn the ropes...and quickly.

Muovo would like to share with you the following article, first published by Recruiter.com, which offers some    insightful tips on your expectations and what your behaviour should be like on your first day at a new job.

First things first...
Get ready to meet new people, experience a whole new work environment! Help yourself to make a good first impression among your new colleagues and employer(s). Even though the first-day expectations from aren't much, there are still some things that you should be wary of when entering your new workplace for the first time.

Secondly...
Remember that the higher you build expectations about your productivity, the harder it is going to be (for you) to keep pace with yourself. Most people over perform during the first several weeks at a new job. This sprinting speedy gonzalez mentality will soon die down. In addition, by working harder than you are capable of maintaining, and building expectations that you can regularly perform at that level, your productivity will eventually slip below the high bar and you will be seen as less capable than when you actually started!

Thirdly...
Pace yourself. No one is running after you to meet deadlines (at least, not for the first week or two). Take time to adapt to the company. Don't worry if you make a mistake here and there. This is the time where you are actually expected, if not applauded, for making a mistake. Because this is the time to learn. In this way, you can improve your performance and pace, and hence appear even more impressive than your initial days - that is, if employers can see some form of progress. 

And finally...
Don't worry too much!
In reality, most employers expect only a handful of basic behaviors when you start your job (and for as long as you wish to remain employed), namely, to be punctual, to use your mistakes to grow instead of punishing yourself or others, to be honest, to keep an open mind, to be motivated, and to genuinely care about your job performance and the quality of your work.
Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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Make The Most Of Your LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn is by far the world’s largest professional network. It has over 187 million members and continues to grow rapidly.

A LinkedIn profile is beneficial in many ways. First, it conveniently connects you to contacts with whom you can exchange ideas, sources, opportunities in view of a broader network of professionals.

The short clip below gives an introduction to the several imperative uses of LinkedIn.

As is evident, a LinkedIn profile helps you increase your visibility online, giving you the golden opportunity to showcase your talents, qualifications and experience online towards the right contacts and opportunities.

This is why keeping your LinkedIn profile up-to-date is essential. Update your profile from time to time, adding on the latest information regarding work and or qualifications. Interestingly, it has been noted that with updated and complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn!

However, keep in mind that your connections should represent your 'real world' network. When you have contacts that you do actually know, you can ask them for recommendations or introductions to jobs or opportunities that you are likely to be interested in.

To facilitate the process of building your network, adding contacts you already know, start by using the address book importer where you can import your address book directly from web-based email clients like Gmail or Yahoo! Mail; otherwise, you can use the Outlook address book importer. You can also make use of the 'People You May Know' drop-down box, which, similar to Facebook gives you updates of contacts that LinkedIn has identified to be in your network.

Update your LinkedIn profile and increase your job prospects!

Learn more about LinkedIn

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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What Does What You Write Say About You?

Technology has undeniably enhanced and facilitated communication over the last decade. The word 'facilitated' however can be taken to an extreme where candidates, sometimes, do not check their emails prior to sending it through to us, or even more so, to their employers. 

Muovo receives a lot of emails, resumes and cover letters every day. Some of these are littered with spelling and grammar mistakes, and sometimes, with incoherent or wrong personal information. As you might have already read from previous blogs, and as you may already know, an employer won't spend long on your CV or resume - this is why you should really strive to make that first, great impression. If you feel that you need someone else to check your spelling mistakes and other details, send it over to a proofreader who will look at it closely and meticulously and will make sure that your resume is completely error free and perfect.

Every time you send over your resume to an employer, think of a teacher (a strict one) who will be grading and judging your CV on all aspects. Make sure, then, that it is at its most, the best you could give.

In addition, when sending an email to an employer or to any other correspondence, make a note of the following steps:

1) Check the email address you are sending to.
Sometimes you may not hear from recruiters or employers because the email was never received. Double check your emails prior to sending. Check again after you have sent. Sometime you realise that you have made a mistake after you send your email!

2) Use the subject line.
Although this may seem obvious, some people are still bound to leave the subject line of their emails vacant. Apart from looking unprofessional, mysterious, and therefore futile, a lot of email servers will classify an email with no subject line as SPAM and will hence not deliver it to the intended recipient. 

3) Do you have the appropriate greeting?
Does your email start with 'Dear Sir or Madam', or 'To Whom It May Concern', etc?

4) Don't forget the closing.
Write 'Regards', 'Yours sincerely' or 'Yours faithfully', etc.

5) Create an e-mail signature.
This should include all your relevant contact information. Make it as easy as possible for people to get back to you.

6) Spell Check.
It is imperative that you check your writings for spelling mistakes and RE-READ it aloud to see how it would sound.

This is all part of the recruiting process or email etiquette that will go to making you a true professional in your field.

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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When You Should Keep Quiet During The Interview

They say that silence is golden. And there are instances during the interview when this is, really, true. Muovo would like to share with you the article below, first published by CV Tips, which lists a couple of moments where you should keep silent!

1) While negotiating salary.This is such an important part of the interview and also one of the areas where most job hunters fail. First of all, don't bring up salary at all. Wait for the interviewer who will normally hint in that direction towards the end of the interview.

2) Seeking employment process.

Even if you are really tired of job hunting and desperate to get the job, don't tell them. Employers want people who are in demand; by telling them about your long job hunting process, you are saying that no-one else wanted you. So why should they hire you? Rather focus on the positive aspects of your current job or what you have been doing while you were out of a job.

3) Stay silent in the interview rather than asking about the work hours.

You can ask what hours are expected from you, but don't mention that you want reasonable or flexi time. Rather have the interviewer provide information bout the hours. If the hours don't suit you at all, you can indicate so if you feel that taking the job with the particular hours is not worth the while. If you start demanding even before you are employed, the employer will be skeptical.

4) Stay silent in the interview about your personal information.Don't disclose your religion, sexual orientation and any specific beliefs. Although the law prohibits discrimination based on any of the above, there are ways for an employer to bypass the laws by stating you were not compatible with the company, or experience not relevant etc.

Of course, make sure you come across as confident and able to talk about whatever the interviewer asks you. Don't let them think that your secretive nature is due to some skeletons in your closet! Remember - Balance is key.

Best of luck!

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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5 Things Recruiters Hate

There will be a point in your life when you are likely to deal with a recruiter. Before we begin, it would be apt   to state that there are 3 types of recruiters. These are: in-house recruiters, retained recruiters, and contingent recruiters. We will give a brief explanation of each type below.

In-house recruiters are usually employees within a company whose job is to search for and hire suitable candidates for job openings. This recruiter may have other HR duties or talent management responsibilities - but their main role is that of recruiting.

Retained recruiters are specially hired to look fill a particular vacancy, perhaps one related to a field in which they are specialized or have had adequate experience. This type of recruiter is on a payment basis with one or several companies.

Contingent recruiters are rather different, and perhaps, the most competitive of the three. A company may distribute a role to several recruiters, where, only that recruiter who manages to fill the role gets paid. This means that contingent recruiters may tend to be a bit aggressive and, if anything, under heaps of pressure!

Muovo has found the article below of considerable interest which outlines five factors that tend to put most recruiters off, thereby creating tension between you and the recruiter and ultimately, endangering your chance of getting that job.

Keep in mind time is of great essence to recruiters; they are likely looking at dozens of candidates at the same time, and are usually working under extremely tight deadlines. Following the proper protocol with recruiters is hence essential in building a relationship and common courtesies (no matter what the circumstances) can go a long way.

To cut a long story short - avoid these top five recruiter frustrations:

1. Unreasonable expectations.  
Remember that recruiters are, in reality, working for the company to find the perfect candidate for their post. That being said, they will assist you through the hiring process only if they identify you as a good potential for the position!

2. Outdated resume.
As an executive who may have seen hundreds of resumes in your career, wouldn’t you find it annoying to look at a candidate’s resume only to find out that it is not up-to-date? It is a real time waster for the recruiter. Even if you submit an up-to-date resume originally, and down the road you need to add a newly acquired degree or certification, or additional recent accomplishments, be sure to send the recruiter an update.

3. Embellishing expertise.  
One way or another, experienced recruiters have a way of drilling down to the skills and talents of an executive candidate to verify them. Don’t oversell yourself and put you and the recruiter in a position where neither of you will win. After all, the real you will be showing up for the job and unrealistic expectations may set you up for failure

4. Poor phone reception.
Executives and most levels of job seekers are using cell phones as their main contact number these days. While this is very convenient and avoids the possibility of young children answering a home phone, lost messages, or even worse, use of an employer’s phone, it is important to consider cell phone reception. There is almost nothing worse than trying to conduct a conversation with a recruiter with every other sentence being 'Can you hear me now?' Be considerate to the recruiter and make sure you are in an area where you receive good phone reception.

5. Unethical practices.
If you are frustrated by a recruiter who does not return phone calls or emails, and think that by trying to connect directly to the company your possibility of being considered as a candidate is better, scratch that idea. Companies hire recruiters for a reason. They rely on recruiter expertise and may not have the time or internal resources to conduct a talent search themselves. So neither recruiters nor companies appreciate candidates trying to scale the wall to avoid the proper channels.

A recruiter’s job is challenging trying to match the perfect person for a job opening every single time. Understanding how to work with them can make it easier for you and ultimately could result in a new position.

Good luck!

Courtesy of CareerHub

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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Mistakes To Avoid When Writing A CV

Muovo receives several applications from candidates every day. Although there is an increased awareness with regard to the appropriate writing of a CV and covering letter (or resume), there are still a lot of mistakes that keep cropping up from our candidates' CVs. 

Always try to create a CV with a particular job in mind, and tailor your career objective, skills, and interests to that job. Remember that an employer is most likely to spend 15 or 20 seconds on your CV (especially if it's a large company). This is why first impressions are imperative, which gives you the task of attracting and grabbing the attention of your employer as quickly as possible. 

However, there are really no short cuts when creating a winning CV. Some of the most memorable, or rather unusual, job applications that have crossed our desks (some of which I had experienced personally), included:

• Candidate with a pink CV and white font in italics!
• Candidate calling his work 'state-of-the-art' (he was a Social Marketing Director) and inviting the hiring managers to interview him at his office.
• Candidate saying that one of his hobbies was 'to sleep when it rains'.
• Candidate applying for an accounting job saying that he was 'detal-oriented'.

Of course, these are not things that we see every day (and hopefully so!) and CVs of this kind are immediately dismissed from any consideration. However, there are other mistakes that we do see on CVs on a regular basis, and which also urge an employer to automatically dismiss the application. 

The following is a list of things that you should NOT do when writing and sending a CV:

• Don't do your CV in a rush.
• Don't leave gaps in your work experience.
• Don't send a resume or a CV with typos.
• Don't send a CV without your correct email address or contact number (mobile, phone or fax).
• Don't send a long CV. A good CV should be 1 or 2 pages long maximum.
• Don't decorate your CV. And don't use flashy or colourful font style and size either!
• Don't include a photo of you drinking, smoking, or wearing a see-through dress.
• Don't lie on your CV.

That's all for today. If you have anything to add, feel free to comment!


Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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Be Careful: You Might Be Killing Your Job Prospects!

Although there has been an increased awareness these days regarding appropriate etiquette and behaviour in a job interview, there are still a couple of mistakes that many candidates still make during the whole interview process.
Muovo believes that the following article could be of invaluable help to many of you out there struggling with the tedious job hunting process. The list below includes some errors, first published by JobSeekers, that many candidates do, which might kill your prospects for a future job:

1. Having errors in your cover letter or on your resume.This will instantly turn the employer off. The resume and cover letter review is the first screening that an employer does of the potential candidate. It would be a good idea to get someone to proofread your resume before it gets in your potential future employer's hands!
Read The Covering Letter and Your Job Application

2. Stumbling into an interview late.Of course, this not just rude, but it will also show that you are not punctual and probably not responsible enough to assume the role you have applied for. Of course, it might be the case that you got held up in traffic, or your car broke down, or had an accident...but make sure you will phone in at least 15 minutes before to inform your interviewers that you might be arriving a bit late.
Read 7 Things You Should Never Do During An Interview

3. Arriving for an interview unprepared. 
This is a major mistake that many and many candidates do. It shows a lack of interest in the job and a basic disrespect for the person interviewing you. Average preparation time for a successful interview is about six hours. Figure you are studying for the ultimate final, the one that makes all of that education pay off. What is involved?

First, you need to know yourself and your goals, ambitions, strengths, and weaknesses pretty well to make yourself get through the interview successfully. Do an inventory of who you are. Secondly, do some research on the company. Figure out what technical information you might need to study. Study old notes from past training and classes, and find current articles on the company and the industry. Finally, put it all together. Why are you qualified for the position and what do you need to share about yourself in the interview to get the job? Make sure you have the right answer that will send brights smiles over your interviewers' faces.
Read Are You Prepared For Your Interview?

4. Rambling on in the interview about irrelevant information.
This is a waste of the interviewer's time. Remember that the employer does not want to hear your personal life, from childhood up to the moment of interviewing, but is more interested in how you can are qualified enough for the post for which you are being considered.
Read

5. Failure to maintain good grooming and personal appearance. A sloppy appearance in an interview indicates to the employer that you are careless and unprofessional. It is absolutely required that you have a professional looking interview outfit and that you maintain it by having it dry cleaned regularly.
Read What Colour Should You Dress In For The Interview?

6. Failure to maintain a positive attitude.
This is perhaps the hardest one to remember after you have been rejected by multiple employers. It takes three to six months minimum to find a job. Looking for a job is a full time job! You will have to devote all of your efforts to the goal of getting a job if you expect to get results. You will have to be utterly positive for the entire search. If you walk into an interview with a dejected look, you have blown the interview before you even open your mouth. You must truly believe that you do not qualify to be permanently unemployed and that the perfect job will come along. It will help if you burn off stress with some serious exercise plan that you execute each and every day. And each and every time you walk into an interview, you must say to yourself: "If this job doesn't come through, something better will." And you must believe it!
Read Think Positive And Find A Job!

Any comments? Muovo would like to hear from you!

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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Be an Attractive Employee. Focus on the Future.

Are you about to renew your employment contract, or renegotiate some working conditions? You probably (and understandably so) would want to keep and improve your current conditions. If anything, why not increase the pay?

This might sound very plausible to you, but your employer may not be as eager about your ideas as you are. He or she will, of course, seek to minimize costs while increasing productivity. This being said though, the employer and the employee do not have to be at loggerheads, with one of the parties wanting more for less while the other wants to give less and get more.

On the contrary, both should recognize the need of each other, and respect the other’s place in the company. Any employer without good employees stands no chance at gaining the productivity they desire; similarly, an employee needs the employer not only for the job and the pay being provided to him, but also for the invaluable experience gained on the work, which he would need if he is to further his advances later on.

The challenge an employee could face here is the use of the past as support for their claim for better future conditions. The issue then is that the past is the past (for better or worse) and businesses operate focused on the future. It would be apt then for employees to bear in mind their past good performances, while considering the future needs of the business. 

By focusing on how they could help fulfill the future needs of their company, they are directly or indirectly fulfilling their own needs as employees. As an employee who focuses on the future problems of the business you will be valued and seen as 'attractive', which will most certainly assist with your job prospects.

And finally...seek to be a solution, not a problem!

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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2 Ways You Might Be Sabotaging Your Job Search

The following article is taken from a newsletter sent by Marc Cenedella, founder of TheLadders. He talks about ways you may be sabotaging your own job search (perhaps without even realising it).

1. Your e-mail address 

What e-mail address do you use professionally? 

More than 45% of new users, says Marc Cenedella at TheLadders, use gmail.com. Given the international recognition and widespread use of gmail, having it as your address is a smart move that also sends the message that you ae up-to-date with the times. 

What's before the '@' sign is important too. 

However, common 'household' or 'joint' email strategies such as 'jimandnancy@', 'smithhousehold@', or 'huxtablefamily@', are not good e-mail addresses to use for your professional job search. Professionals are accustomed to writing directly to other professionals. Requesting that they e-mail your spouse or your children when contacting you is discomfiting and unprofessional. 

The best email address is your first name, dot, followed by your last name, at gmail.com:

[email protected]

If that's taken, then for the purposes of your job search, add next year's number to your address:

[email protected]

You're probably going to be using this e-mail address into the New Year anyway and starting now makes you seem ahead of the times!

2. Can a stranger read your resume? 

Print out your resume. Take the top third and rip it off. Hand it to somebody you do not know. 

Can they tell you, without asking you any additional questions, what you want to do next? 

For a lot of subscribers (in this case on TheLadders), the answer is no. The reason is that you are trying to do the wrong thing with the top third of your resume. You are trying to tell people about your character and your abilities and your many, many different skills and your flexibility and too many things! 

You know what the person who is reading your resume is trying to find out? 

'Does this gal, or guy, want this job that I have to fill?' 

Having spent time on your review, they know that you want a job. But is it this job that you really want?

Make sure you highlight work experience that is relevant to the job you are looking for, and get rid of any other unrelated experiences that are only there to clutter your CV. 

Start by writing the position you are applying for, or the job you want, at the very top of your resume. 

If they cannot tell, by reading the top-third of your resume, what you want to do next, then you're never going to get to the next step. 

Good Luck!

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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5 Ways To Stand Out When Applying For A New Job

Hundreds, if not thousands of candidates have probably applied for the same role. HR managers are often faced with the difficult choice of choosing the ‘best’ employee in a selected period. The following tips could better your chances of getting an interview:

1. Apply For The Right Job!
Yes, this might sound silly, but you do have to start from somewhere! However, remember that clicking on “Apply” for every job you see posted isn’t getting you any closer to finding one. Check each posting carefully for the skills and level of experience required and ensure you have them or can explain why you are a viable choice anyway. Mention these items in your cover letter and resume so that recruiters will see you as a serious candidate.

2. Clean Up Your Resume
Keep the look of your resume simple and professional. Use active verbs, avoid using personal pronouns, and check for errors in punctuation, grammar, and spelling, since any one of these can turn off a potential employer.

3. Follow Up  Once you’ve sent in your resume, don’t sit back and twiddle your thumbs waiting for somebody to call. Most HR departments are so swamped with incoming requests and resumes that they may not give a second thought to yours. Use an email or a phone call to ensure your resume has been received and forwarded to the right people. Get in touch with the prospective employer and follow up again after a week or so. Doing so puts you ahead of the hundreds of others who don’t.

4. Be Interactive, Engaging, and Responsive
One of the best ways to stand out when applying for a new job is to have pleasant and quick interactions with HR and hiring managers. Be enthusiastic on the phone during phone screens. Reply to all email and communications sent by the company in a timely manner and avoid rescheduling and delays in replying.

5. Always Be Prepared
If your interview will be conducted by phone, be sure to schedule it far enough ahead so that you can prepare in advance and research the company. Write down common questions, job-related facts, and specific statistics you can present. Rehearse these with a friend or career coach. Although this may sound tough, remember that you are not doing the company a favour by being interviewed, so try to be as accommodating as possible to their scheduling requests.

Courtesy of Recruiter Daily

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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The Indispensable Employee

From a good to an irreplaceable employee...

You can find ample articles on how to become a good employee, perhaps one of the best in your company. Most of us do consider ourselves to be good, perhaps excellent employees. We do our job well, we know our stuff, we are loyal to our company and seek to do our very best.

However, how many of us are indispensable, really? An indispensable employee is not just a good employee, who is loyal to the company, knowledgeable, and ambitious: she or he is an employee without whom the company cannot work!

Muovo has found the following article a most fascinating (and an indispensable) read! The following 7 questions can help you determine whether you are, or can be, an irreplaceable employee in your company:

1. Are You Adaptable? Flexible employees can adjust and adapt as the company makes changes. They’re not stale or stuck in their ways; and employers know that they can count on these employees to make the adjustments necessary to keep the company running.

2. Are You Progressive? Do you come up with new ideas, new ways to save time or money, or promote the company so that it’s profitable and steadfast?

3. Are You Willing to Do Whatever Is Necessary? Employers want to know they can count on you to not only do your part and your job but pitch in when necessary, pick up the slack, or stay late if needed.

4. Are You Learning New Skills? Employees who learn new skills and apply them to their job are pretty valuable to the organization. If you’re constantly improving yourself and your performance, then you’re becoming an invaluable asset to the company.

5. Are You Processing New Information and Applying It? Are you applying the new skills you’ve learned or any new information you’ve gleaned about the business? What are you doing with the information that has been given to you by your employer? Some employees just take the information in and never do anything with it. Others are doers; they take what they’ve learned and apply it to make situations, circumstances, and organizations run better.

6. Are You Controlling the Information You Take in? Information can be distracting or empowering. Are you the type of employee who sends 100 e-mails a day but never gets any real work done or never takes action to resolve the problem? Don’t be controlled: use what you know to empower yourself to make changes and make things better.

7. Do You Solve Problems? Employees who solve problems are almost never let go—while employees who create problems are almost always terminated.

Consider these seven questions and take a good, hard look at your work ethic and how you operate within your organization. While not all-inclusive or the end-all, be-all of who gets cut and who stays, these seven steps can help you to make yourself an invaluable and irreplaceable employee.

Courtesy of Great Resumes Fast

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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Think Positive and Find a Job!

"They can because they think they can." 

Positive thinking is more than just a recent trend, and a subject dwelt upon in Emotional Intelligence courses. It is really our gateway to a better life, earned through our way of taking up new opportunities. However, it still is usually underestimated by thousands of individuals out there who feel that the world has forgotten them.

Of course, the world is not easy - but belief is the root of every success. When you go into something with a sense of belief - equipped with the necessary knowledge and preparation - you will almost always certainly be successful. A change can be instigated not just by saying positive things, but by actually having belief in what you say, which is a different matter altogether. If you are negative, you are likely to bring negative emotions and doomed circumstances in your life. 

Believe in yourself and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. While remaining (or becoming) realistic, don't be afraid to follow all the dreams that would have seemed 'impossible' just a little while ago. Don't let any kind of fear hold you back from reaching your dreams. Instead, be the fear that keeps you on track (and perhaps realistic). 

And remember... 

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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Improve Your Productivity At Work

Work Scenario: Timmy's typical morning at work.

8.15 a.m. Timmy enters the office.
8.25 a.m. Timmy switches on his computer (and is staring at it till it uploads).
8.30 a.m. Timmy makes himself a cup of coffee. He meets his colleague, Jane. He asks her about how her daughter's piano exam went the day before.
8.40 a.m.  (The exam was difficult) Jane narrates her daughter's exam to Timmy.
8.45 a.m. Katherine and Jim arrive. Timmy has to ask Katherine about her birthday, which was also the day before. Everyone listens as Katherine starts narrating her birthday, which was lovely...
8.55 a.m. The story goes on...Timmy serves himself a second cup of coffee.
9.05 a.m. The door bangs. The boss is in. Everyone goes to his seat and starts the day.
9.40 a.m. Timmy is smoking less now, but realized that he didn't take one this morning.
9.45 a.m. Time for a cigarette break. He realizes that his cup is empty so he pours himself another one.
9.55 a.m. Timmy goes back to his seat and does some work.
11.00 a.m. Timmy forgot to check whether his new iPod has arrived. So he takes a short break from what he's doing and checks the tracking order.
11.10 a.m. Timmy remembered that it was his best friend's birthday. How could he have forgotten??? He logs onto facebook and wishes his beloved friend a warm happy birthday. Timmy thinks to take a quick look around facebook for a second...and starts roaming about.
11.40 a.m. Telephone rings. Timmy is startled to see that it's 11.40 a.m. already! He needs to hand in a report by 12.15 p.m., before lunch break. Panic breaks lose. Timmy starts sweating....what  a stressful life, he grumbles.

This is a very common work place scenario, where, although the work is done, a lot of time is 'wasted' which can leave you burdened with stacks of files and things-to-do that never seems to end.

Muovo has found the article below from Career Builder, which mentions three important lists that you should set up yourself to ensure that you get your work done efficiently.

1. The not-to-do list
In an eight-hour workday, how long do you spend engaging in water-cooler gossip or surfing the Web to see what Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are doing? Odds are it is longer than needed. Stack suggests creating a not-to-do list which is a 'list of things you simply refuse to do'. It can be anything you waste time on during your day, from playing solitaire to having an in-depth discussion about 'Fifty Shades of Grey'. This list is meant to keep you on-task — to do what is necessary for work and nothing else. And yes, no Facebook!

2. The HIT list
The HIT list is for high-impact tasks that can be completed immediately. It is meant to guide your work every day, so you’re more effective with time management.  You should not include more than 10 items, but it can vary from person to person. A Web designer may have up to 20 tasks but only three that can be worked on that day. A writer may only have one or two articles due that day but gets a head start on research for five others. It is a good idea to take a look at your queue for the next day, so you can reorganize the HIT list according to importance and time needed for completion.

3. The master list
This list includes everything that has to be completed at some point, but not necessarily right away. This list should be a work-in-progress, with items shifting in priority due to deadlines or time needed to finish. Tasks can flow into the HIT lists as they become more urgent. Tasks should also be removed to eliminate ones you’ll never get to (cleaning the microwave in the break room) or are out of date (throwing a birthday for your cube mate when it was last week).

A constant flow between the master list and the HIT list is the best way to keep both lists up-to-date. How do you determine on which list you should have a task? Ask yourself: Does it need to be done today? If the answer is yes, it belongs on the HIT list, and if not, it belongs on your master list.


Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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Making the Big Move

First things first: find your passion.
Finding your passion can show you the direction you should be heading into, and where you want to go in life. Before you decide to embark upon your 'dream', make sure that you know your strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, as well as, what you’re good at and what you need more work on. If you're not sure what your dream job or career is yet, consider doing an internship. An internship may show you whether the field you are currently pursuing is what you are really interested in or whether you should start looking at something else. (Read The Benefits of an Internship, and How an Internship Could Affect Your Career) 

Without a clear idea of what you hope to accomplish and what your passion really is, you could find yourself diving into murky waters.

Taking action

Ask yourself the following questions which could help you in evaluating the job or career you really want:

•     What do you find yourself browsing online or reading in magazines or books moreoften? This could prove an indication of what you like. It's amazing how often people turn their hobbies to their dream jobs!
•      How can you use your current experience and skills to make you a desirable candidate in your dream field? What can you bring to the table?
•      How can you build contacts? Perhaps attending seminars or starting a blog online can help you in getting to know people already in the field who may eventually help you starting up your career.
•      Do any local schools offer courses that can help you gain expertise in your dream field?

A word of advice
Once you have found your dream job, and are eager to become a professional, gain expert knowledge in your field. The more you read, the more seminars you attend, the more knowledgeable and the more indispensable you become.

Good luck!


Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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The Benefits Of An Internship

Why is it so imperative nowadays for students to do an internship? 

The answer really varies from one individual to another, and of course, from one profession or field to another. For several professions, ranging from psychology to social work to pharmacists, nurses, among others, it has become obligatory for candidates to complete at least one placement or internship before they are able to graduate. The common belief is that the placement is, indeed, one of the most important experiences in a student’s life that is likely to have a direct impact on his or her future professional career.

The following article, adapted from Khas University’s blog, lists the essential transitions brought about in internships.

From theory to practice
What is learned at school is usually at the theoretical level, rather than application. The students do research and study on a subject, gaining an insight to the issue but usually they are not really capable to employ such knowledge in the working world. An internship, sometimes known as placement, would enable the students to implement, whenever possible, their theoretical knowledge into practice – while everything is still fresh and vivid in their minds.

From university culture to corporate culture
Juts like any university has its own rules, regulations and particular lifestyle or ‘university culture’, so does every company have a ‘corporate culture’ which defines life in this institution. Without any previous corporate experience, people may get tied up about how to act, what to wear, how to arrange personal relationships with others in such an environment. Students who make themselves acquainted with the ‘real’ working world are at an advantage to others who never had such an experience. Moreover, an internship could show the student whether the future corporate life is what he or she really is seeking for.

From student identity to worker identity
The major responsibilities of a university student are to attend classes, take notes, pass the exams. In this instance, one is responsible only of himself or herself. The working life, on the other hand, is not so self-ruled. An employee is equally responsible to the employer as to himself or herself. The work achieved belongs not only to the self but also to the department, even to his or her company. Therefore, it is necessary to accomplish assigned duties on time, effectively and in coherence with the other workers. This is the core responsibility of the ‘worker identity’.  

From internship to full-time work
An internship is more than just a preparatory step in gaining experience for work. In many cases, it is also the bridge to a good job. Several students who show a notable performance and were diligent in their work often end up gaining work on a full-time basis after they have completed their internship (or placement) successfully.

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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