This a record of my life, work and play as a Serial Entrepreneur, raised over £150 million and founded / co-founded six companies, listed one on the AIM and made trade sales of three others.
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Job Hunt Tool Box
Tool box for assting with your Job hunt
*Top 10 Sites for your career:*
1. LinkedIN
2. Indeed
3.Careerealism
4. Job-Hunt
5. JobBait
6. Careercloud
7. GM4JH
8. Personalbrandingblog
9. Jibberjobber
10. Neighbors-helping-neighbors
*Top 10 Tech Skills in demand in 2019:*
1. Machine Learning
2. Mobile Development
3. SEO/SEM Marketing
4. Data Visualization
5. Data Engineeringj
6. UI/UX Design
7. Cyber-security
8. Cloud Computing/AWS
9. Blockchain
10. IOT
*Top 10 Sites to learn Excel for free:*
Search for these on Google:
1. Microsoft Excel Help Center
2. Excel Exposure
3. Chandoo
4. Excel Central
5. Contextures
6. Excel Hero
7. Mr. Excel
8. Improve Your Excel
9. Excel Easy
10. Excel Jet
*Top 9 Sites for Free Online Education:*
*Search for these on Google:*
1. Coursera
2. edX
3. Khan Academy
4. Udemy
5. iTunesU Free Courses
6. MIT OpenCourseWare
7. Stanford Online
8. Codecademy
9. Open Culture Online Courses *
Top 10 Sites to review your resume for free:*
1. Zety Resume Builder
2. Resumonk
3. Resume[com]
4. VisualCV
5. Cvmaker
6. ResumUP
7. Resume Genius
8. Resumebuilder
9. Resume Baking
10. Enhancv
*Top 10 Sites for Interview Preparation:*
1. Ambitionbox
2. AceTheInterview
3. Geeksforgeeks
4. Leetcode
5. Gainlo
6. Careercup
7. Codercareer
8. InterviewUp
9. InterviewBest
10. Indiabix
Monday, June 24, 2019
JOB HUNT 103
JOB HUNT 103:
I mentioned in my previous post 102, ATS "applicant tracking system", and I have been asked a few questions about it, have a read at the jobscan web site and you will get a better understanding of the system and see how you can use it for your own benefit.
https://lnkd.in/gyRHRYk
www.jobscan.co
I mentioned in my previous post 102, ATS "applicant tracking system", and I have been asked a few questions about it, have a read at the jobscan web site and you will get a better understanding of the system and see how you can use it for your own benefit.
https://lnkd.in/gyRHRYk
www.jobscan.co
Friday, June 21, 2019
Job hunting 102
Job hunt 102:
When you are looking for your next job, urgency can drain your strength, as the bank account drains and you spend resource on your job hunt, everything becomes more urgent and desperate. I will not talk about how to conserve your hard earned money you will know well enough about that, but I have a few points that may help your job search and mines.
- Applying for roles, start with the roles that closely match your own previous job, common sense but many people try the shotgun approach, it does not work that well.
-Cover letter needs to be written to address the role you are applying for, you can cut and past, but make sure it does not carry over parts relative for a previous role.
- When you can not find roles that matched your previous role, you need to look at roles that you have specific transferable skills suitable for that role, these need to be highlighted in your cover letter. -Companies and recruiters using ATS, usually, through job boards, website applications, if at all possible avoid an email directly, search for the email address or phone number to contact directly many good candidates get lost in the ATS system if you have to use the online application rewrite your CV and make it full of words directly from the job description.
Research ATS to help you defeat that bucket that swallows up your changes before it even gets to a human
Have a good weekend
Update:
I had a few questions regarding ATS: Applicant tracking systems see below for a better understand and hop over to www.jobscan.com
By over-customizing your resume headings (for example, using “About Me” and “Accreditations”), you make it more difficult for Applicant Tracking Systems to parse your resume. ATS are typically unable to recognize nonstandard headings, and as a result they’re unable to sort the content appropriately in their databases.
Making sure your resume is formatted correctly will only increase your chances of getting through applicant tracking systems.
Check out Jobscan’s 20 ATS-friendly resumes. Get a bonus template here.
Headers and footers are best left empty (leave your contact information out of there!) with standard 1-inch margins. It is always best to let your experience and skills set you apart from others.
For all job seekers applying to creative positions, such as web designer or architect, save the color and creativity for the in-person interview and times (for example, a job fair) when you’ll use a paper copy of your resume.
However, simply using any form of these keywords will not win over an ATS: keywords must be formatted to echo the original job description exactly (to an ATS, there is a difference between “Microsoft Word,” “MS Word,” and “Word”).
Jobscan is an excellent online resource to make sure you have included all your resume keywords and formatted them correctly.
Any typeface that is not conservative (such as Helvetica, Times New Roman, Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, or Calibri), or that is not a standard size, runs the same risk.
Even if an acronym is well known (for example, BMW or IBM), it may not be recognized or categorized correctly by an ATS.
To avoid misunderstandings, always spell out the acronym first before including the acronym (if necessary):
When you are looking for your next job, urgency can drain your strength, as the bank account drains and you spend resource on your job hunt, everything becomes more urgent and desperate. I will not talk about how to conserve your hard earned money you will know well enough about that, but I have a few points that may help your job search and mines.
- Applying for roles, start with the roles that closely match your own previous job, common sense but many people try the shotgun approach, it does not work that well.
-Cover letter needs to be written to address the role you are applying for, you can cut and past, but make sure it does not carry over parts relative for a previous role.
- When you can not find roles that matched your previous role, you need to look at roles that you have specific transferable skills suitable for that role, these need to be highlighted in your cover letter. -Companies and recruiters using ATS, usually, through job boards, website applications, if at all possible avoid an email directly, search for the email address or phone number to contact directly many good candidates get lost in the ATS system if you have to use the online application rewrite your CV and make it full of words directly from the job description.
Research ATS to help you defeat that bucket that swallows up your changes before it even gets to a human
Have a good weekend
Update:
I had a few questions regarding ATS: Applicant tracking systems see below for a better understand and hop over to www.jobscan.com
1. Use standard resume headings
There are several different acceptable ways to phrase headings within your resume (for example, “Professional Summary”, “Career Summary,” “Work Experience” and “Work History”). Whatever titles you decide to use, be sure to stick to these standard headings in order to keep your resume clean, professional and ready for ATS.By over-customizing your resume headings (for example, using “About Me” and “Accreditations”), you make it more difficult for Applicant Tracking Systems to parse your resume. ATS are typically unable to recognize nonstandard headings, and as a result they’re unable to sort the content appropriately in their databases.
2. Choose the correct resume format
Many qualified resumes have been rejected because their format was not optimized for an ATS. There are three main resume formats: chronological, functional and hybrid. While chronological is the most popular, it might not be the right fit for you.Making sure your resume is formatted correctly will only increase your chances of getting through applicant tracking systems.
Check out Jobscan’s 20 ATS-friendly resumes. Get a bonus template here.
3. Don’t touch headers and footers
While it is tempting to make your resume stand out, colorful, eye-catching images (including tables and graphs) and fancy typefaces often confuse Applicant Tracking Systems.Headers and footers are best left empty (leave your contact information out of there!) with standard 1-inch margins. It is always best to let your experience and skills set you apart from others.
For all job seekers applying to creative positions, such as web designer or architect, save the color and creativity for the in-person interview and times (for example, a job fair) when you’ll use a paper copy of your resume.
4. Echo resume keywords exactly
If anything on a resume can beat Applicant Tracking Systems, it would be those trusty resume keywords. Resume keywords are the skills and qualifications in the original job description that should be included in a resume (e.g., communication skills, Microsoft Word, and academic degrees).However, simply using any form of these keywords will not win over an ATS: keywords must be formatted to echo the original job description exactly (to an ATS, there is a difference between “Microsoft Word,” “MS Word,” and “Word”).
Jobscan is an excellent online resource to make sure you have included all your resume keywords and formatted them correctly.
5. Left alignment and conservative typeface
Use left alignment for your resume text. While right text alignment might appear to give your resume a formal or edgy appearance, it won’t actually boost its chances of beating Applicant Tracking Systems. In fact, it could prevent the system from parsing content correctly.Any typeface that is not conservative (such as Helvetica, Times New Roman, Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, or Calibri), or that is not a standard size, runs the same risk.
6. Write out all acronyms
You may have thought your parents and grandparents were terrible at deciphering texting slang such as “LOL” and “OMG,” but compared to them, Applicant Tracking Systems are stuck in the Stone Age when it comes to acronyms.Even if an acronym is well known (for example, BMW or IBM), it may not be recognized or categorized correctly by an ATS.
To avoid misunderstandings, always spell out the acronym first before including the acronym (if necessary):
- Companies and Associations: International Business Machines (IBM); American Cancer Society (ACS)
- Products: Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
- Brands: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M)
- Years: 2015-2016 (never 2015-’16 or ’15-‘16)
Monday, June 17, 2019
Whats the point of being on Social media if you don't use it to help each other-The great Job Hunt
Those of us who are looking for jobs, if we don't help each other on these platforms, Linkedin, Xing, Facebook etc then it is pointless spending your resource, i.e Time on these sites. There is a misconception that we are jobless, unemployed, some people are maybe looking for a change but the majority are looking for a job, maybe not the perfect job, but a job that will pay our bills, put food on the table and keep our families well, and also to keep our minds healthy. I am looking for a job, but I am not unemployed, I am a "Job Hunter" my aim is to hunt down a job, if I am not successful I will be like my predecessors who failed to bring home the dinner if you are looking for a job so are you. I start at 7:30 am and continue up to 5 pm, then maybe even later if I have a lead. I do this 6 days a week, on the 7th I rest.
Some pointers.
- Chase every lead.
- Apply for every possible role- even if you have to use transferable skills.
- Email the hiring manager directly if you can.
- Phone the hiring manager even better.
- Chase up every application, be relentless.
- Help others where you can.
- Pass on job leads that you are not following up.
- Take online free courses to keep your mind active and to strengthen your skill base.
- Be relentless, ask for help, and keep your own balance.
Gordon
Thursday, June 13, 2019
The art of dishwashing
The art of dishwashing :
Our dishwasher stopped working a while back, as I have some time on my hands (not for long I hope), I wash the dishes by hand and I have a process, I prepare the water, sort out the dishes in order, and then get started, when I have a back upon the drying stage, I stop washing and dry off the dishes and cutlery, and so on. My wife does not have a process, she throws them all in the basin, I get perturbed, how can I wash the dishes if you don't follow the process, you need to do it my way, oops. So in business, there is a process, you turn resources into cash if you are good, there are many stages in between, and you do it your way. I suggest that you should review the processes that you have on a regular basis (CI) and you may find someone has a better way than your way (human resource utilization) it maybe you keep using the manual process or move to an automated process if you can, you may get someone to review for a different viewpoint, get the HR Manager to walk the process or the FD, and vice versa. It can be enlightening and you may make more money in the process.
Personal request also
I need some help, I was made redundant two years ago, over 50 and struggling to get back to work, I have been getting interviews, even progressing to last two, but never getting it over the goal. I am a senior manufacturing/operations manager, I have experience across a wide variety of technologies and I have worked in Europe and America with strong networks in China. I have included a brief summary of my experience if you know a company that is looking for my experience please get in touch, I am open to location.
Monday, June 03, 2019
How healthy is your company
Company health:
It is reasonably easy to tell if your company is performing well, sales are up, the margin is good and the customers are not ringing your phone with complaints(generalizing). These are the typical KPI's we used to use for business performance and some companies still do, but it does not tell you if your company is healthy and will continue to perform well. I like motorbikes, I have had my fair share of used bikes in my past life as a biker and my favourite method of engine diagnosis back then was a length of wooden dowel, I could hear the engine and diagnose most problems. Your business is the same, the one thing a good consultant can gauge is the chatter and through that, you can tell a lot about the health of your business, don't pay the fees for that service, but learn to diagnose the business through the chatter, it will give you a good organisational indicator of the business's long term health. There is also another area you need to look at, any outside agency that you use to conduct business, reps, distributors and recruitment agencies etc. I have my own blacklist of recruiters that I would never give business to, the same with distributors. I will close here by saying know your businesses hard metrics of success but also understand the chatter.
It is reasonably easy to tell if your company is performing well, sales are up, the margin is good and the customers are not ringing your phone with complaints(generalizing). These are the typical KPI's we used to use for business performance and some companies still do, but it does not tell you if your company is healthy and will continue to perform well. I like motorbikes, I have had my fair share of used bikes in my past life as a biker and my favourite method of engine diagnosis back then was a length of wooden dowel, I could hear the engine and diagnose most problems. Your business is the same, the one thing a good consultant can gauge is the chatter and through that, you can tell a lot about the health of your business, don't pay the fees for that service, but learn to diagnose the business through the chatter, it will give you a good organisational indicator of the business's long term health. There is also another area you need to look at, any outside agency that you use to conduct business, reps, distributors and recruitment agencies etc. I have my own blacklist of recruiters that I would never give business to, the same with distributors. I will close here by saying know your businesses hard metrics of success but also understand the chatter.
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