Graduate Jobs? Tips to stand out from the rest.

If you’re new to the workforce or a recent graduate, you have reason to celebrate. This group is experiencing a wave of the best job prospects in decades. Though the future is looking bright and jobs are booming, the question arises; how can you make the most of this sunny period and take advantage of these career opportunities? Here at New Force, we are the experts in the graduate employment sphere.  We hope the following tips will help you bring out the in your job search and applications. 1. New Force Profile New Force is a platform developed to work for entry level and graduate job seekers. Rather than be assessed simply based on your CV and experience, you can present employers a much more 3 dimensional view of yourself as a candidate. Your New Force profile allows you to fill out your details and bio, and upload a video introduction so employers can see you right away. Plus adding unlimited skills tests to your profile lets employers see that you can hit the ground running, and actually do the task at hand. 2. Social Media presence. There is a big difference between having social media profiles that simply exist and social media profiles that act as a promotional tool  to aid your job search. It is a ritual for many employers now to conduct an informal audit of a potential employee’s social media presence. A Google search, Facebook search, Twitter LinkedIn….. etc Be creative, brand yourself, and keep your personality consistent over all your social platforms. Giving the impression that you are one thing on your Twitter feed can send mixed signals if you are something completely different on your LinkedIn profile. Though they are completely different social networking tools that serve different purposes, it will act to serve your personal brand better if you can maintain a sense of connection between them all. 3. Don’t Hide This is something we don’t believe that entry level job seekers hear enough: Give potential employers as much opportunity to see you from as many angles as possible. If it’s your CV, add a photo, if it is your social media profiles let employers see information that portrays you in a positive light. We know that entering the job market after uni can be tough. Landing your first job is not just about the qualification or degree you have, it’s about your knowledge, skills and attitude you’ve developed.  Personality counts for a lot!

Match with employers who are looking for graduates and entry level workers. 
Register on www.newforce.co.nz

What employers are really looking for - And how they are finding it on New Force

Finding your first job can seem impossible: experience is almost always required, but to get experience, you need a job. That’s all set to change with the introduction of New Force. This platform rapidly qualifies grads with jobs that match them. As a result, the trusty old job board, with in all its endless scrolling glory is set to become a thing of the past. New Force, gives you the opportunity to showcase your skills, aptitude and abilities to potential employers – and enables those employers to quickly choose suitably skilled people like yourself to join their organisation. In your profile you can complete a set of online tests skills assessments and can even upload a video introduction. This information is used to match job seekers with employers looking for staff. The best part is; New Force is free for all candidates, you can start building a profile at anytime! www.newforce.co.nz

New Force June Employment Hacks

After years in recruitment, hiring across a range of exciting (and not so much) industries, including advertising, marketing, customer service, finance and engineering, the team at New Force has seen THOUSANDS of cover letters, CVs and job interviews. Whether you’re applying for your first job out of school or uni, or you’re ready to become the next Prime Minister with your own private crown limo, we hope you find the information below helpful!

The Secret to beating Procrastination

Right amount of time, physical space, equipment, optimal lighting and temperature....

Do you find yourself finding any excuse to stop you from doing the task in front of you?

Do you think you work best under pressure (or maybe that’s all you know?)

Are you taking care of everything else you’ve been putting off, so technically, (but ironically) productively procrastinating?

Video Interview Tips for Student and Graduates.

Your CV Video Introduction is one of the most crucial parts of your New Force profile. It allows your potential as the perfect candidate to come across,  beyond an A4 piece of paper.

1.       Position the Camera

If anything position the camera so it is looking down on you. Having the camera looking up is often unflattering and can be confronting.

2.    1.  Eye level contact

You want to be looking into the camera and making eye level contact. Imagine you are in a boardroom with an interviewer – this is the context that we want to be creating.

3.       Don’t read from a prewritten script

It’s the easy route, but unless you have a teleprompter, you’re going to look a bit stilted. Just think about the broad topics that you want to discuss and maybe have a friend hold up cue cards behind the camera.

∙         1. Who you are and your life stage

∙        2.  Skills

∙         3. Why this makes you suitable for the role

So for example ‘Hi I’m James, I’m 23 Years Old and I’ve recently graduated from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Science majoring in Psychology’

That gives a good introductory context as to where you are life. Next, Skills

‘I am fully proficient in the Microsoft Office Suite including Word and Excel, and have a typing speed of over 60 words per minute’.

This is brief and to the point, however offers some rudimentary skills that employers are always looking for in entry level jobs. (Plus you can back this up by taking our skills tests, that show employers where you shine.)

‘I’m really keen to use my skills and take on my next challenge, I like to work hard to get a head and am willing to put in the hard yards to get there’.

This lets employers know that you are a driven and skilled person, that would be an asset to their organisation. Remember, employers will only hire someone if they can clearly trace how that person adds value to the business. To put it simply, how do you help your employer make money, or achieve similar goals?

3. Dress to the occasion.

You want to be presentable and seem like a fit in an employer’s organisation. Basically dress neatly, but don’t go over the top. You don’t expect to be wearing a tuxedo to your first job, however a T‐shirt and jeans is often not appropriate. The rule of thumb to go by is what would you wearing at a job interview face to face. Something you think is nice, yet appropriate for the workplace.

4.  Check out your background.

It is important that the location, setting or environment doesn’t detract from you or what you are saying. Look for a reserved, light and quiet space, such as an empty room or office. Make sure you face is well lit and there is nothing dramatic or out of the ordinary which may draw attention to it.  For example, it’s not great to film a video when you’ve got a huge moose head in the background.

5. Body language

Body language gives you a huge insight into what peoplle are thinking. According to a recent study by UCLA, only 7% of communication is based on that actual things we say, whereas 38% is made up of the tone of voice we use, and the remaining 55% comes from Body Language.  In your video intro avoid things like excessive nodding or sharp movement as this indicates anxiety. Be honest and chill. (https://www.psych.ucla.edu/faculty/page/mehrab)

The Force is strong in you, however to make this known to potential employers, check out our advice to make sure you match with the jobs you want! www.newforce.co.nz/advice

Tip of the Week: Be more than a just a name on a CV.

When a hiring manager is looking at a stack of resumes, what is it about you that stands out?

Video CV introductions are becoming a popular way for job seekers to showcase their personality and presentation skills in a way that is just impossible on a piece of paper. 

Making a quality resume video isn’t difficult, just keep it short and professional.  Check out the suggestions below and let your inner Director shine!