Get Connected Issue 1

LOOKING FOR A NEW JOB? AFTER BRILLIANT NEW STAFF? LET’S CONNECT. Connect Appointments’ consultants know recruitment inside out. Whether you’re looking for your dream job or in need of staff for your own business, just drop us a line. We’ll do the rest.

GLASGOW 200 BATH STREET, GLASGOW, G2 4HG

TEL: 0141 331 2719

LIVINGSTON SHAIRPS BUSINESS PARK, HOUSTOUN ROAD, HOUSTOUN INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, LIVINGSTON, EH54 5FD

TEL: 01506 449944

www.connectappointments.co.uk

WELCOME www.connectappointments.co.uk

Hello, and welcome to the first issue of Get Connected, the exciting new magazine brought to you by Connect Appointments.

We’ve worked in recruitment for decades now, and one thing candidates always note is how hard it is to find a job – and how pleased they are to have a service like ours to help get them towards their dream role. Which is why we thought it was high time we pulled all of our expert knowledge together into one magazine, acting as a guide to the job search and showcasing how Connect Appointments can help employers and job seekers alike create lasting new partnerships.

www.connectdriversolutions.co.uk

Because being prepared is half the battle when it comes to finding a job – and that’s where we come in. When you use an agency like Connect to find a job, or to recruit staff, our consultants look after all the tricky bits – finding a suitable job, identifying the right candidates, sprucing up CVs, offering interview advice and coaching and making sure the candidates we send to interview are the best they can be.

ConnectDrivers This magazine will offer some insider insight into the world of recruitment, and hopefully give you the head start to stand out from the crowd when it comes to applying for some of the exciting roles we have on offer just now.

GLASGOW 200 BATH STREET, GLASGOW, G2 4HG TEL: 0141 331 2719 LIVINGSTON SHAIRPS BUSINESS PARK, HOUSTOUN ROAD, HOUSTOUN INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, LIVINGSTON, EH54 5FD TEL: 01506 449944

Get Connected is published by DC Publishing Ltd (www.dcpublishing.co.uk)

PUBLISHER

Denise Connelly denise@dcpublishing.co.uk

EDITOR

Lindsay Cochrane lindsay.cochrane@dcpublishing.co.uk

Good luck with your job search, and we hope we can help you land your dream job soon!

William Sim Director, Connect Appointments

CONTENTS BEHIND THE SCENES 4 Let’s connect All you need to know about Connect Appointments and how we work.

6 The Connect family tree Meet the people making the recruitment magic happen.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Sophie Mead

8 Just the job An overview of some of the vacancies currently on offer through Connect Appointments.

DESIGN/PRODUCTION

NEWS

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Gillian Smith

gillian.smith@dcpublishing.co.uk Tel: 0844 2499 007 Fax: 0141 353 0435

10 Introducing…

Connect Driver Solutions Find out more about Connect Appointments’ exciting new venture in the transport industry.

27 Supporting Scotland’s young carers How Connect’s staff and workers will be supporting Carers Trust Scotland.

28 Connect Appointments golf day hailed a ‘huge success’ The team headed out to Dundonald Links for a friendly round of golf – but who took away the wooden spoon?

ADVICE AND TIPS 11 Why use a recruitment agency?

What are the benefits of using an agency like Connect? Wonder no more.

14 Skills, skills, skills There’s a lot of talk about transferable skills in the job seeking game – so what are they and how do you identify them?

©DC Publishing Ltd 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any way without prior written permission from the publisher. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of DC Publishing Ltd. The publisher takes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers within the publication. Every effort has been made to ensure that information is accurate; while dates and prices are correct at time of going to print, DC Publishing Ltd takes no responsibility for omissions and errors.

18 The ultimate CV How to put together a showstopping résumé.

20 6 Signs it’s time for a new job Stressed? Bored? Lost your motivation? It’s time to get back into the job market.

22 Ace that interview Hints and tips from the Connect consultants on getting through the recruitment process.

EMPLOYER PROFILES 26 Multi Packaging Solutions The international print and packaging company on how they work.

29 Broxburn Bottlers The West Lothian bottling plant’s HR manager talks shop.

BEHIND THE SCENES

LET’S CONNECT Connect Appointments is one of the largest independent recruitment firms in Scotland – and it’s our passion for the job, level of service and reputation which set us apart in this hugely competitive line of work. To help us get better acquainted, here’s a little bit of background on the company and what we do

RECRUITMENT FIRMS ARE two a penny these days – but finding one which treats both its clients and candidates well and really commits to the job is a much harder task. And that’s what makes Connect Appointments different.

Whether you’re looking for a new career path yourself or you need the perfect candidate to fill a role, the Connect team can offer a top class service to help you get what you want. It’s our job to help people find their dream job – and we like to think we’re pretty good at it.

MOTIVATED With roots dating back to the 1960s, we at Connect know recruitment inside out – and so do our staff. We’ve got a brilliant working environment and a motivated team with a real loyalty to the company – our consultants stay here, so you don’t have to worry about working with a different representative every few months, whether you’re a job seeker or an employer.

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“We’ve got a fantastic team,” says director William Sim. “Some of our staff have been with us for over a decade, others started out as candidates we placed with clients – they’ve got a real wealth of experience and knowledge that helps us meet our clients’ needs.”

As a medium-sized recruitment company, you’re dealing with people, not a faceless corporation. Our consultants move quickly, delivering a truly personalised service round the clock.

FLOURISH From our offices in Glasgow and Livingston, our consultants work tirelessly to help fill roles for big name employers across Scotland, the rest of the UK and even internationally.

No vacancy is too big or too small – and we’ll find the right person to flourish in the job.

We recruit for both temporary and permanent staff in the drinks industry, electronics, engineering, executive and management, transport, logistics and

distribution, manufacturing, office and commercial, marine and oil and gas.

We’ve got a vast bank of CVs waiting to be tapped into, and we’re constantly headhunting for new talent too.

HERE TO HELP We take a lot of the hassle out of recruitment, for employers and job seekers alike. We help employers by carrying out initial CV screening, pre-employment testing, interviews, making sure all the right training and certification is in place, assessing candidates’ right to work and collecting references, all while coaching candidates through the selection process to make sure they’re fully prepared.

“At Connect, we’re all about creating partnerships that last and work, which is why we put so much into the recruitment process,” William adds. “We know that the right people make a huge difference to a business and how it works – and we’re committed to making sure we find good people for our clients.”

www.connectappointments.co.uk

BEHIND THE SCENES

THE JOB SECTORS At Connect Appointments, we place candidates in temporary and permanent roles in a huge range of different industries every week, and we’ve got the expert knowledge to make sure we get the right candidate for each job. Here’s the lowdown on the areas in which we’re working just now

CONTACT CENTRE

EXECUTIVE AND MANAGEMENT

Call and contact centres are at the heart of many big businesses, whether they’re handling customer enquiries, complaints or offering advice. We recruit for service specialists, sales advisors, team leaders, operations managers, team coaches and more.

This is a great line of work as there’s the opportunity to work in a range of diverse sectors. We recruit for professionals in HR, marketing and accountancy, for a range of smaller and larger firms. We often headhunt for these roles, but if you have the skills and fancy a career change, drop us a line.

DRINKS INDUSTRY We’ve placed a number of workers in distilleries in Scotland, as general operators, machine operators, engineers, quality operatives, forklift truck operators and in spirit prep and processing. This is a great line of work to get into, offering the opportunity to develop and use transferable skills.

DRIVING Connect Appointments’ sister company Connect Driver Solutions launched in 2015 to help get Scots into the exciting, ever-moving world of transport. From HGV drivers to multi-drop van drivers, we’ve got something for everyone – and our consultants have worked in the industry themselves, so they know what both our clients and candidates want and need.

ELECTRONICS Working in electronics for over 30 years, our consultants have an extensive knowledge of the standards set by the military, medical, space, telecoms and marine sectors. We recruit for a range of roles, including test development engineers, software developers, project managers and maintenance engineers.

ENGINEERING AND TECHNIC AL We’ve got close links to businesses in manufacturing, oil and gas and power and energy, so engineers and technicians are a core part of our business. From mechanical to gas turbine engineers, test to CNC programming engineers, if you’ve got the skills, we could have a job for you.

LOGISTICS AND DISTRIBUTION For a career that really moves, what about logistics and distribution? We work with big names in the sector to place import and export clerks, transport admins, supply chain managers, auditors, packers, demand planners and more.

MARINE In the UK alone in 2014 the marine industry employed around 90,000 staff across 5,000 businesses generating over £10 billion turnover – so this is big business! The newly-established marine division at Connect are working with recruiters worldwide to fill a number of exciting jobs, and there’s a massive variety of roles on offer.

MANUFACTURING The manufacturing division at Connect is one of the most interesting, because it covers so many areas of work. We recruit for manufacturing talent in automotive component assembly, plastics, textiles and food production.

OFFICE AND COMMERCIAL Staff in office and commercial are often at the core of a business – and we’re experienced in finding talented receptionists, administration assistants, PAs and data input clerks for our clients across a range of sectors.

If your skills match up to any of the sectors we work in, get online and submit your CV at www.connectappointments.co.uk.

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BEHIND THE SCENES

THE DIRECTORS WILLIAM SIM Director Length of service: 11 years.

Area of expertise: Business/client

THE CONNECT

Meet the people behind the job matchin

development.

Best bit of the job: Working with people.

Fun fact: I went to a recruitment company

for an interview to find a job after leaving the Armed Forces 14 years ago, and the recruitment company hired me for their office instead!

DENISE CONNELLY Director Length of service: One year.

Area of expertise: PR and marketing.

Best bit of the job: Being involved in

various different industries – no two days are the same.

Fun fact: Brad Pitt once sat on my hand!

CONNECT DRIVER SOLUTIONS STUART STEVEN

GLASGOW TEMPORARY DIVISION GARY SLOSS

PHIL MOORE

Divisional Manager

Senior consultant

Length of service: 28 years – 13 of those, I was placed by Connect in an electronics manufacturing role as a candidate myself and I’ve been a consultant since 2001.

Area of expertise: Technical recruitment.

Best bit of the job: Helping candidates secure employment.

Fun fact: Every Friday night, I have an appointment with Stella (don’t tell my wife).

Director Length of service: Since August 2015,

but 16 years in the industry.

Area of expertise: Transport industry – I

worked in the haulage industry for seven years running a transport company.

Best bit of the job: No two days are ever the same. I love to give our clients a quality-driven service with excellent value for money.

Fun fact: I’m going to run my first half marathon in 2016.

COLIN AUSTIN Senior transport consultant Length of service: Since CDS’s launch in

September 2015.

Area of expertise: The transport

industry – outwith recruitment, I’ve held positions such as transport/site supervisor, driver trainer and driver CPC trainer.

Best bit of the job: Transport is my passion; I enjoy all aspects from meeting drivers to engaging with clients at all levels.

Fun fact: I ‘enjoy’, in my spare time, being bitten by very large dogs – I’m a member of a local working dog training group.

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Length of service: 13 years.

Area of expertise: Commercial recruitment,

auditing, quality management systems, psychometric assessments, candidate assessment/onboarding, security vetting.

Best bit of the job: The satisfaction you get placing the right candidate with a client, and the buzz of seeing someone happy with a new job.

Fun fact: I once won a WHSmith writers’ competition and had a book of poetry published by them.

PERMANENT DIVISION LINDA WHYTE

ARLENE HUGHES

Senior consultant

Recruitment consultant

Length of service: 14 months with Connect,

16 years in recruitment.

Area of expertise: Engineering, manufacturing and technical – previously investment and financial services.

Best bit of the job: Finding candidates a good job that may change their life, which means my client is happy and I will be too, as I’ll be rewarded for my efforts! And learning too.

Fun fact: It was terrifying and also absolutely amazing when I micro-lighted over the Zambezi River in Africa!

Length of service: 14 years.

Area of expertise: Industrial/

manufacturing/engineering.

Best bit of the job: Building relationships – getting to know your clients and candidates.

Fun fact: As a child, I auditioned for a role in the movie Loch Ness starring Ted Danson from Cheers. Sadly, I didn’t get the part!

KAREN GALLACHER

ANN MCC ARTNEY

Finance Manager

Payroll

Length of service: 11 years.

Best bit of the job: Working with a great

team of people.

Fun fact: I’ve run four half marathons, and I’m working to beat my best time of two hours and two minutes.

Length of service: Four years.

Best bit of the job: I get to keep the workers

happy by paying them on time!

Fun fact: Once a week, I volunteer at a local community centre, showing older people how to use Facebook.

www.connectappointments.co.uk

BEHIND THE SCENES

CT FAMILY TREE

atching process at Connect Appointments

LIVINGSTON KIM LAMBERT Senior recruitment consultant Length of service: Five years.

Area of expertise: Temporary contracts in

the engineering sector.

Best bit of the job: I love being able to fulfil clients’ needs.

Fun fact: I’ve just recently taken up golf – watch out Laura Davies…

COLIN DORAN Recruitment consultant

JACQUELINE LAWRENCE

LYNDA MCLAUGHLIN

Recruitment consultant

Recruitment consultant

Length of service: 11 years, and I’ve worked in

recruitment for 14 years.

Area of expertise: Account management.

Best bit of the job: Growing the account – getting more people into jobs.

Fun fact: Last year on holiday in Venice on the famous Renalto Bridge, my friend didn’t believe that I played the accordion. She approached a busker and asked him to let me play. The persistent busker and friend proceeded to put the said accordion on me! Many euros were thrown in my busker case! So I’m an official busker.

Length of service: 10 years, with 16 years

in recruitment.

Area of expertise: Industrial.

Best bit of the job: Sales! And interacting

with clients.

Fun fact: I’m juggling work with being the old lady who lives in a shoe and had so many super children she didn’t know what to do.

Length of service:

CRAIG AVERY

RICHARD WAN Recruitment consultant

KELSEY B AIN Administrator Length of service: Since September 2015.

Best bit of the job: Meeting and chatting to

people as they come in for interviews – there are so many interesting people who come into the office.

Fun fact: Although I work in recruitment, I have a passion for art. In my spare time, I love painting and sketching – particularly portraits.

LEIGH MCCOMISH Recruitment consultant

Recruitment consultant Length of service: Started with Connect in September 2015.

Area of expertise: Candidate sourcing and relationship management, specialising in the marine sector.

Best bit of the job: Successful placement of candidates and strengthening of client relations.

Fun fact: I’m a part-trained dog behaviourist.

Length of service: Since February 2015, having worked in recruitment for 14 years.

Area of expertise: Building long-term relationships with companies Scotland-wide.

Best bit of the job: Delivering and surpassing clients’ expectations.

Fun fact: Having lived in Northern Ireland, I have an Irish lilt, but apparently I tend to change accents.

Length of service: Started September 2015.

Area of expertise: Marine sector business

Since September 2015, having worked in recruitment for two years.

Area of expertise: Industrial and driving.

Best bit of the job: My working team!

Fun fact: I used to be cabin crew and used to fly Louis Walsh back and forth from Stansted to Dublin on a regular basis.

development.

Best bit of the job: Working in marine-based

jobs, we place a lot of candidates overseas – I enjoy helping someone relocate internationally, along with their family.

Fun fact: My Chinese name is pronounced “Hong-Jai” – it’s not a direct translation for Richard.

GET IN TOUCH

Our friendly consultants are only a phone call or email away...

GLASGOW

0141 331 2719 glasgow@connectappointments.co.uk

LIVINGSTON

01506 449 944 livingston@connectappointments.co.uk

GEORGE WOOD Recruitment consultant Length of service: Since April 2015, but I’ve

worked in recruitment for six years.

Area of expertise: Consultant support –

helping to source candidates and roles for our team.

Best bit of the job: Meeting people from different walks of life.

Fun fact: I moonlight as a stage hypnotist – I was lucky enough to appear on BBC2 last year.

STEPHANIE GRAHAM Administrator Length of service: Since September 2015.

Best bit of the job: Working with

a great team.

Fun fact: I taught myself to play piano.

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C U R R E N T O P P O RT U N I T I E S

JUST THE JOB Every week, Connect Appointments advertise dozens of vacancies, and we’re constantly on the lookout for the top talent to help fill them. But gone are the days of trawling job pages for exciting career moves – now, you’ve got a whole host of vacancies at your fingertips on the Connect Appointments website, www.connectappointments.co.uk. Here, we’ve got the details of some of the opportunities on offer online at present, and tell you how to go about applying

CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES PRODUCTION OPERATOR

FORKLIFT TRUCK DRIVER

Our client is recruiting for a temporary production operator, working in a state of the art production facility preparing materials, packing finished goods and inspecting for quality issues.

Experience desirable but not essential.

This temporary contract will see the successful candidate carrying out warehouse forklift truck operations, picking products, loading vehicles and preparing materials for manufacturing areas.

Hamilton, South Lanarkshire £6.70/hour

BOTTLING HALL OPERATOR

Broxburn, West Lothian £6.97/hour A temporary bottling hall operator is required by our client, a leading spirit bottling plant based in West Lothian. Working in a busy, fast paced bottling hall, packing finished products, lifting cased goods, labelling products and hand polishing high value products, this is a challenging job with tight deadlines and big rewards.

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Bathgate, West Lothian £7.00/hour

ORDER PICKER (3 POSTS)

Livingston, West Lothian £6.70/hour Our client has three vacancies for order pickers at their busy warehouse in Livingston. With two temporary and one permanent role on offer, the successful candidate will be working within a warehouse carrying out picking duties with voice-activated headsets. Must have high volume picking experience.

MAINTENANCE ENGINEER (FMCG)

West Lothian £33k + benefits This is an exciting permanent opportunity with a respected employer in the manufacturing industry in the West Lothian region. The maintenance engineer will attend to line breakdowns, carry out PPM, carry out changeovers and liaise with clients regarding product development and change parts.

PROCESS ENGINEER

Glasgow £45k + benefits Our client is seeking a permanent process engineer with experience in mapping out production areas, assisting with product continuous improvement projects and meeting with clients to discuss NPD ideas.

www.connectappointments.co.uk

C U R R E N T O P P O RT U N I T I E S

APPLY YOURSELF If you’ve spotted a job that’s up your street, don’t delay – apply today! If you like the look of any of the jobs to the left, it couldn’t be easier to put yourself forward.

Head to www.connectappointments. co.uk and use the job search function on the front page to find the vacancy you like the look of.

Take a look at the full job description and make sure your skills and experience match up to the brief.

Cast a glance across your CV (and turn to page 18 to check it’s up to scratch) and make sure all the relevant information is included.

Click the ‘apply’ button! From here, you can either log in if you’re an existing Connect candidate, or you can register – this is really easy to do, and will take all of five minutes.

You can either register through an existing social media profile, or input your details yourself.

REPAIR OPERATORS

Glasgow £8.50/hour Working with a high profile electronics client, this is an exciting role on a temporary basis with scope for progression. Previous experience of pin through hole soldering essential. IPC 610 qualification required.

QUALITY CONTROLLER

East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire £17.5k p/a This permanent post with our respected client in the pharmaceuticals industry will see the successful candidate carrying out line checks on production runs, preparing samples for lab technicians, collating client data for inspection and approving test runs.

ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN

Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire £35k p/a This is a permanent role. The successful candidate will be carrying out all electrical maintenance duties within a high volume manufacturing plant. Knowledge of electrical motors, drive belts and pulleys required – 17th Edition essential.

CASK HANDLER

Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire £7.00/hour Our client, a leading distillers, is recruiting for a temporary cask handler. Assisting with the emptying and filling of whisky casks in a busy distillery, the candidate will load empty casks on to the line, strap full pallets, plug sides and convert to vertical stacks.

Attach your CV, send it away and that’s it! The consultant handling the vacancy will be in touch to discuss whether or not we can put you forward to the employer for consideration. And the rest is down to them!

So get online, get looking at what we have on offer just now and start applying. It could be the best decision you make this year...

Haven’t seen a vacancy that suits you? Don’t worry – we have new vacancies every day.

Keep up to date with the latest opportunities on offer at www. connectappointments.co.uk, or submit your CV and we’ll be in touch when an appropriate role comes up. You can also register for job alerts, where we’ll email you with any relevant vacancies.

If you’ve got the skills, talent, drive and determination? We’ll find the job for you.

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NEWS

INTRODUCING…

This autumn, the Scottish recruitment sector welcomed a new organisation to its esteemed rankings – Connect Driver Solutions, specialising in recruitment for the transport industry. Director Stuart Steven took some time out of his day to explain what the new agency is all about THE TRANSPORT INDUSTRY in Scotland is a fast-moving, bustling place to work. With a huge range of different jobs, from long-distance lorry drivers to forklift drivers, it’s a sector that literally never stands still – and has plenty of job opportunities to offer.

With this in mind, Connect Appointments teamed up with Stuart Steven this autumn to launch Connect Driver Solutions.

SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE Stuart has over 16 years’ worth of experience in the field of transport recruitment, having previously worked as the Regional Business Manager at UK-wide agency Pertemps. With so much specialist knowledge, he was keen to join forces with the experts at Connect to launch an agency specialising in creating exciting new partnerships between employers and jobseekers nationwide.

“Transport is a marketplace I know well,” explains Stuart. “I’ve always been keen to head up my own specialist agency, and after meeting with the talented team at Connect Appointments, I knew the time was right. Together, I’m confident we can help match up more drivers with top jobs, and watch these companies move things up a gear!”

Stuart and his team are based in Livingston, recruiting drivers to work with respected employers Scotland-wide.

Only candidates with relevant skills and experience will be put forward for roles – Connect Driver Solutions already have a strong database of LGV drivers, multi-drop van drivers, forklift drivers and more keen to get into work – to make sure that solid partnerships are formed for the variety of temporary vacancies on offer.

COMMITTED “I know all too well how tricky it can be finding good drivers,” Stuart adds. “And we’re committed to creating employer-employee relationships that work and last. We’re 100% dedicated to delivering the very best customer service, for both our clients and candidates – that’s what sets us apart in this line of work.”

Connect Driver Solutions’ new website will be launching soon, where you’ll be able to find more vacancies across a range of different specialties in the world of driving.

For more information on jobs that really go places, get in touch with the Connect Driver Solutions team now – call 01506 449 944, or email bookings@connectdriversolutions. co.uk for more information, or keep up to date on Twitter @connectdrivers and on Facebook, facebook.com/connectdrivers.

CURRENT VACANCIES Here’s a taster of the type of roles Connect Driver Solutions have to offer…

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FORKLIFT DRIVER £7.00/hour East Lothian

HGV DRIVER £12/hour Ayrshire

PCV/LGV DRIVER

MULTI-DROP VAN DRIVER

£12/hour West Lothian

FUEL TANKER DRIVER

£7.50/hour Lanarkshire

£14/hour Dundee

www.connectappointments.co.uk

ADVICE AND TIPS

WHY USE A RECRUITMENT AGENCY? Keep seeing vacancies being handled by an agency and felt unsure of whether or not you should apply? They’re definitely worth considering. Agencies actually make the job-hunting process a lot easier – here’s how the process works with Connect Appointments TRAWLING JOB BOARDS looking for relevant roles, filling in application form after application form, nerve-wracking interviews…

It’s no wonder that job-hunting is often cited as one of the most stressful things we as humans have to go through.

Registering with a recruitment agency like Connect Appointments can, however, take some of the hassle out of the whole process.

“Agencies take the hard bits out of your hands,” explains director Denise Connelly.

“At Connect, we’ve got a bank of vacancies with respected employers, and it’s our job to find the right people to fill them. We never put people forward for any old role – we’ll match them up with the job that best suits their skills, experience and aspirations.”

GETTING STARTED To get started, head to the Connect Appointments website at www. connectappointments.co.uk. Here, you can check out the agency’s latest vacancies.

Whether you’ve seen a role you fancy or you’re keen to find out if we can help, click on the ‘register’ button in the top right-hand corner, input your details and submit your CV. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll be added to our database and you’ll receive job alerts straight to your inbox for relevant roles. If we find a job match, you may be asked in for an interview in our Glasgow or Livingston offices to get a clearer picture of who you are.

“Our consultants have over 50 years’ worth of experience between them, each specialising in a specific job sector,” Denise points out.

“The team are friendly, helpful and, above all, think positively about every new candidate – we want to get you into work, so we’ll go above and beyond to get you there.”

If there’s a relevant vacancy, you’ll get a call to talk through the role and see if you’d like to apply – and then we’ll submit your CV. For temporary roles, you’re often able to be sent straight to work, while permanent recruiters tend to go through the interview process.

ONGOING SUPPORT If they do want to see you, we’ll sort out the interview, and, if you think you need it, your consultant will talk you through how the process works and offer some advice to help you flourish. After the interview, you’ll get another call from your consultant to see how it’s all gone. You might have a second interview or an assessment – but don’t let this phase you. Your consultant is there for support throughout.

If you’re successful, Connect will sort out your contract for you, arrange your start date, and that’s it – you’re ready to go. And if you haven’t been successful? Your consultant will keep looking for roles that could work for you.

And the best bit? None of this costs you a penny. This is a completely free, high quality service. The big question now is: “Why NOT use a recruitment agency?”

Go to www.connectappointments. co.uk now to register and submit your CV to be considered for upcoming vacancies.

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BEHIND THE SCENES

RECRUITMENT Ever since the recession hit in 2008, we’ve been inundated with stories of employment crises, company closures and an all-round very bleak image of the world of work.

But now, as we creep towards a healthier economic position, how are things looking?

Scotland is home to

335,015

private firms – that’s thousands of potential employers!

The truth is that, while the job market isn’t in full health, things are getting better – and there’s still big demand for workers in a number of sectors.

Working in recruitment, we know that the opportunities are out there – so we thought we’d gather together some facts and stats to prove it.

Next time you reckon there’s no point in looking for a job, or you’re starting to feel disheartened in your job search, cast your eye across this. There’s more hope than you might think…

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Scotland’s a better place to be for women

71.6%

of Scottish women are working compared to 68.7% UK-wide

25%

of job vacancies in Scotland are a result of skills shortages – there aren’t enough trained staff to fill demand

74%

of Scots are in work – higher than the UK average of 73.5%

In 2013, just

9 sectors were experiencing a skills shortage – by 2014, this figure rose to 43

www.connectappointments.co.uk

BEHIND THE SCENES

T BY NUMBERS STATS: SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT, OFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS, BANK OF SCOTLAND REPORT ON JOBS, TOTALJOBS, UK COMMISSION FOR EMPLOYMENT AND SKILLS

Every single type of engineering, from mechanical to software, civil to electrical, is experiencing a skills shortage

Demand for permanent staff went up in September this year – but the number of available candidates went down

40%

Last year, Connect Appointments placed

of firms specialising in science, technology, engineering and maths have difficulties recruiting

In 2013,

an average of 16.5 applications were received per job vacancy across the UK

At the start of 2015, there were

700,000 job vacancies UK-wide – 127,000 more than in 2014

792 workers in their dream job

Sectors showing growth this year include food and drink, energy, life sciences and the creative industries

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ADVICE AND TIPS

STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD:

WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT We caught up with some Connect Appointments clients involved in the hiring process to see what makes a potential employee shine for them – keep it all in mind next time you’re redrafting your CV for that dream job YOU’VE READ THE job description, had a chat with your consultant and gone through your CV, but you can’t help but thinking: “What exactly does this employer want?” Job adverts can be bewildering at times, and in amongst the technical jargon and recruitment speak, it can be difficult to see the type of person an employer is looking for.

If you know you have the know-how and ability, it’s time to think a little bit wider and consider your personality and ‘soft’ skills – these are the added extras beyond your work history that’ll decide whether you’re a good fit for a company.

“Soft skills are often forgotten about when people start applying for jobs, but we can’t emphasise

enough how important they are,” explains Denise Connelly, Connect Appointments director. “If you’ve got two candidates with identical training, qualifications and work history, but one has taken the time to highlight their experience of working in a team, their time keeping, organisation skills and flare for communicating, they’re going to be so much more appealing to the companies we’re recruiting on behalf of.”

We asked some of our clients what makes candidates stand out to them when our consultants send CVs across for consideration.

Here’s what they had to say…

SKILLS, SKILLS, SKILLS We offer some advice on identifying the important transferable attributes that could make you stand out from the crowd in the great job race

IT’S A COMMON MISCONCEPTION that once you’ve got into a particular line of work, you’re destined to stay there for life.

The truth is that whatever job you go into, you’ll pick up skills and knowledge that could transfer to another sector, role or career path – and these are skills that the Connect Appointments consultants look out for on every CV that comes our way.

RELEVANT Transferable skills are, as the name suggests, the skills you pick up which can be transferred to another career path or job role. These can be related to previous jobs, or more general skills that are relevant to the work place. These tend to be ‘soft’ skills as opposed to

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technical skills – and as a result, they’re relevant to a number of different jobs.

Whether you’re changing career paths or going for a role you’ve already got experience of, it’s important to consider the skills you have to put on your CV and talk about in interviews.

The best way to identify your skills is to look at previous work you’ve done and projects you’ve undertaken, and see what skills you used to complete a specific task successfully. So, for example, an engineer who is considering switching to a project management role could talk about the team she led through a contract, resolving conflicts, delegating tasks and motivating the team to complete the work to deadline.

PICK APART Look at the type of jobs you’re aiming for, go through the job descriptions and

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ADVICE AND TIPS

“When considering candidates for vacancies within John McGavigan Limited, we are looking for people who are well organised, efficient and reliable; people who listen well to instructions and are not afraid to ask questions; people who are flexible in terms of time and workload and communicate well at all levels.”

HR officer at John McGavigan Limited, expert suppliers of engineered and decorative plastics.

“Because we’re a production facility, we really need reliability. If you’re starting up a line at six o’clock in the morning and one of your operators turns up at half past six, it’s very much a no-go. We look for reliability, a reasonable amount of focus and honesty. On the whole, we look for people who are willing to come to work and do a fair day’s work.”

HR manager at Broxburn Bottlers, a leading independent bottling plant based in West Lothian.

“I’d always look for someone who’s committed.

Our business is all about customer demand and meeting that customer demand. We need people who can help us do that. We look for someone who’s trustworthy, who isn’t afraid of hard work and who’s used to rosters, especially for the production area – that’s the way that our business operates.”

HR advisor, Multi Packaging Solutions, global print and packaging solutions company.

See below for how to identify the transferable skills that’ll make you stand out.

see what the employer is looking for – and pick apart your own CV to find examples of how you’ve displayed those skills. It can be helpful to dedicate a section of your CV to the hard and soft skills you have, to show our consultants and clients that you’ve thought this through. If you’re not sure about your own skill set, give us a call and have a chat with a consultant – talk about your experience, and they’ll be able to help you identify the skills and qualities that matter.

For some employers, soft skills are just as important as technical knowledge – it can be a great grounding for the more specialist part of the job. If you’re able to show the skills you have, and give examples, it shows that you’re adaptable, and could be really useful to their workforce. Take a look at the list to the right to see examples of some of the skills employers are after.

SAMPLE SKILLS Here are some potential skills that you can highlight on your CV, with examples of how you displayed them, to make sure you stand out to employers:

ORGANISATION

Meet deadlines Results-oriented Instruct others Organise people Problem solving Team player DATA HANDLING

Research Analyse data Keep records

DEALING WITH PEOPLE

Patient Sensitive Supportive Diplomatic Tactful Insightful Open-minded

COMMUNICATION

Articulate Innovative Negotiator Adaptable Outgoing LEADERSHIP

Plan Delegate Motivate others Get results Mediate problems

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ADVICE AND TIPS

BOOST YOUR CV Your CV is what stands between you and the job of your dreams – so what can you do in your spare time to make yourself stand out from the crowd? We take a look at the added extras you can take on to make your CV shine THE PROCESS OF researching and writing your CV can be very time consuming, so it’s important that the finished product is as good as it possibly can be. After outlining your relevant work experience, what will set you apart from other candidates is allowing your personality to shine through by mentioning the activities you do outwith the workplace.

Your qualifications may be impressive, but if you fail to mention elements of extracurricular life experience which make you interesting, you might lose out to someone who did. Employers will often see similar areas of experience between candidates, but it’s the people who go the extra mile that they will favour.

On your CV, you should always dedicate enough space to show off your life achievements, hobbies and interests too – it could be the difference between being just

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another candidate and someone who really stands out. So what can you do in your spare time to give your CV the wow factor?

EXTRA TRAINING It’s never too late to learn, and taking on a course which complements the job you are applying for shows a keen interest in the sector and determination to expand your knowledge.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) have a section on their website where you can select your sector from a list of 24 and see a list of related courses. Here you will find well-structured, sector-specific programmes which could give you the edge over other candidates who haven’t considered further learning. You might even discover a course related to your sector which you didn’t know existed and find a whole new area of enjoyment. Check it out at www.mysqa.org. uk/mysector.

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ADVICE AND TIPS

biking or making jewellery, each pastime demands a certain amount of concentration, funding and dedication. Whether or not it’s related to your job, taking the time to learn in your spare time makes you stand out from the crowd.

ACHIEVEMENTS Including significant achievements from throughout your professional career and personal life in you CV can enhance its impact.

If you were instrumental in the creation of a new product, procedure or process, make sure you include the details. This shows that you aren’t afraid to make bold suggestions and will go beyond what is expected of you. Similarly, if you have completed any major achievements in a non-professional setting, include them too.

Charity fundraising through activities such as skydives or sponsored walks show you are generous, daring and willing to contribute to a worthy cause. If you ever went backpacking in a foreign country or took part in an event like Tough Mudder, these show organisation and planning in order to be successful in new and challenging endeavours.

VOLUNTEER No activity is more selfless than giving simply because you can. Whether you have travelled abroad to help deprived communities, regularly help out in a local nursing home or completed a voluntary work experience post, any voluntary work should be noted on your CV. Volunteering for people in need in places like homeless shelters and charity shops allows you to meet new people living in difficult circumstances. This helps broaden your mind and understanding as well as your communication skills. Committing to a voluntary post shows you are a compassionate person and recognise the value of dedicating time to people who are less fortunate than yourself.

Boosting your training shows you’re proactive and dedicated to going above and beyond in order to further an interest or aspect of the job you are applying to. Of course, it’s not just the SQA which offers further education courses; colleges and distance learning institutions can provide fantastic, flexible further education options which you can complete in your spare time – sometimes even for free! Many colleges offer IT training free of charge in the evenings, so get in touch to see what’s on offer near you.

strong will, creative genius or dedication to pursue a sport or hobby. The employer knows absolutely nothing about you as a person apart from the information you present them, so what you include under the ‘interests’ heading should reflect the type of person you are.

INTERESTS

Taking part in competitive sports such as football, rugby or marathons shows discipline and commitment to training during the week and often getting up on Saturday mornings. Playing as part of a team demonstrates your ability to function successfully in a group which is often a big advantage in a professional workplace.

First and foremost, employers want to know about your relevant professional experience, but they’re also impressed by people who engage in interesting, character-forming activities outside of the workplace. Somebody who has perfect experience on paper may be cast aside in favour of someone who has the

Having active hobbies shows that you recognise the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, and a healthy mind is essential for optimum productivity in the workplace. Noncompetitive hobbies are also important; if you take part in dance lessons, enjoy mountain

Volunteering isn’t just about charity. If you choose to take on a voluntary role or work experience in an organisation in your target sector, you will gain invaluable first-hand experience you can talk about on your CV. It will give you the chance to speak to experts, keep abreast of industry news and make contact too.

If you have never volunteered, think about any charities or organisations which you feel merit attention or could add a valuable edge to your CV and contact them to see how you can get involved. Absolutely nothing bad can come of giving up your free time.

Although all of these aspects can boost your CV, it’s important to focus on the transferable skills you gained from them which you can bring to the role you are applying to. Be concise when you are describing what you did and only include information which is pertinent to the job description. Good luck!

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THE ULTIM

ADVICE AND TIPS

As a recruitment company, we at Connect Appointments want to do the best we can to represent you, and your CV helps us to do that. Your CV is the first impression the employers we work with get, so you’ve got to stand out from the crowd. Have a look at our ultimate CV for essential hints and tips

A P P LY TO W HOLE CV Triple check for typing mistakes. This is the first impression we get, and an inability to spell the job title could put us off.

Make sure the layout is clear and the font is legible (size 10-12) so it’s easy for us to read.

Highlight key headings too by making them bold.

Leave the fancy layouts at the door – when you’re applying through an agency like Connect, we may alter your CV into our house style to make it more readable, and this is easier for us to do if it’s in a more straightforward format.

When you email us your CV, we recommend sending it as a Word document rather than a PDF, so we can make any alterations before sending to the company that’s hiring.

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PERSONAL DETAILS

MAX STEPHENS Holton House 6 Ash Grove Perth Scotland PH1 8MX Tel: (01874) 833675 Mobile: 07843543090 Email: max.stephens@email.co.uk Driving licence: full, clean

EDUC ATION Bell College

Don’t write ‘CV’ at the top; we know that’s what it is. Instead, make sure your full name appears clearly at the top so we don’t have to go looking for it.

Sep 1986 – June 1989 HND in Electrical and Electronic Engineering

There’s no need to include date of birth, gender or marital status – recruiters legally can’t ask for this info, so don’t give it.

Sep 1984 – May 1986 OND in Engineering

Give an email address close to your name.

Informal addresses which mention food or football look unprofessional – mrs_styles88 and livi-fan58 need not apply.

Aug 1979 – June 1984 O Levels: English, Maths, Geography and Physics Highers: Maths and Physics

Perth College UHI

Perth High School

SKILLS Proficient in use of:

EDUC ATION Mention your most recent education first.

The amount of space you dedicate shows how much you value the experience. Don’t say more about school than university or college if you’ve been.

Include any training you’ve done in your own time or through work.

If you have international qualifications, check their grade equivalence at www.ecctis.co.uk/naric.

• • • • • •

PowerPoint Microsoft Word Excel Basic spoken and written German Antron S/Step card

INTERESTS DIY and cooking, five-a-side football once a week, going to concerts and the cinema. Currently training for the London Marathon.

REFERENCES Available on request

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IMATE CV

ADVICE AND TIPS

WORK EXPERIENCE Test Technician

IMS Monitoring, Dundee Aug 2010 – present • Fault finding and testing of PDM systems prior to customer visits or shipment.

• Assembling racks for the Electrical and Power Distribution Industry to customer specifications.

• Working from schematic diagrams to cable up DIN rails and PDM systems.

System Failure Analysis Technician

Scottish Microsystems, Perth Dec 1999 – June 2009 • Responsible for the verification and correct failure analysis to FRU level of High End Network Servers.

• The assembly to customer specifications of High End Network Servers.

• Quality Process Owner with responsibility for any quality issue with products on the line. Achieved 6 consecutive quarters without any fails being reported at customer’s premises.

Diagnostic Technician

Short Circuits, Dundee Jan 1995 – Dec 1999 • Diagnosed HP, Compaq and 3 Com network cards to component level.

• Skilled and trained in the use of various de-bug tools i.e. Antron and S/Step card.

• Conducted root cause analysis to support in the resolving of production line issues.

Electronic Technician

Easy PC Centre, Edinburgh July 1990 – Jan1995 • De-bugging IBM motherboards and Compaq boards to component level.

• Worked towards continuous improvement of manufacturing techniques.

• Successfully analysed fails and ensured timely returns to contractor.

Electronic Technician

Computer Control Systems, Perth Sep 1988 – Mar 1990 • De-bugging all IBM PS/2 boards to component level.

• Working at both FCT and ICT.

Temporary Landscape Worker

Complete Garden Company, Edinburgh June 1987 – Nov 1987

WORK EXPERIENCE

List your work chronologically – most recent position first and work backwards.

Depending on space, stick to relevant work only – you don’t have to include that weekend job you had at 16 if it’s not relevant to your target job.

Mention dates, your role and the company name.

Emphasise but don’t exaggerate – if you lie on your CV, we will find out!

Outline the activities which gave you skills essential for your prospective job.

SKILLS All computer-related skills are relevant. List all computer programmes you have used during courses, training or learned at home.

If you speak any other languages, include them – it’s a desirable skill.

INTERESTS Interests give an insight into your personality.

Some hobbies show you are disciplined and take pride in your work. Team sports suggest you will fit a team-based position.

Don’t give irrelevant or unprofessional information.

REFERENCES Your references should include managers you’ve had a positive relationship with and who will give you a glowing reference – don’t jot down the guy you fell out with after two days in the job.

You can also put ‘references available on request’ if you don’t want to specify – this also saves valuable space.

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ADVICE AND TIPS

6 SIGNS IT’S TIME FOR A NEW JOB When you’ve been in a job for a while, how do you know when the time is right to move on? We look at the telltale signs that you’re in the frame of mind to get working elsewhere

1. YOU’RE NOT LEARNING

2. YOU FEEL UNDERVALUED

3. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY

If you can do your job with your eyes shut, your learning curve is more of a straight horizontal line and you simply aren’t feeling challenged any more, it’s time to move on. If you’re not learning anything new, or facing new challenges, you’ll become complacent and not give as much to your job as you can – and not get as much back from it. It’s important that you find a job which helps you improve your skills while giving the employer what they want too.

If you feel like you’re knocking your pan out and getting nothing back, think about having a chat with your manager.

Feeling underappreciated at work is horrible – and unhappy workers tend not to perform as well. If nothing changes after you raise your concerns, it could be time to find an employer who values what you can contribute.

If your job is just a source of income for you, it might be time to rethink. While having cash is, ultimately, the number one reason to work, you should be looking for job satisfaction too – the feeling that you’re doing something you’re good at which is helping others and making a difference in some way.

Whether that’s the sense of pride you get from smashing targets, satisfaction from beating deadlines or knowing you’ve helped a colleague out, look for more from your work than funds.

4. MOAN, MOAN, MOAN

5. MONDAY FEAR

If more than half of conversations you have with friends or family revolve around how much you hate your job, you should consider jumping ship. You spend most of your time in work, so it makes sense that you’re happy there. If you’re not? Look for an employer where you feel the work culture fits your talent and personality instead.

We all dread a Monday after a weekend of fun, but when your Sunday night dread turns into headaches, suppressed appetite, panic attacks or other physical symptoms indicating anxiety or stress, your work is having a deeper impact on your health – and you have to do something about it. An appointment with your doctor, and a reassessment of your working life, is in order.

6. YOU’VE LOST YOUR B ALANCE It’s important to strike a balance between work and your personal life.

If you find that you’re taking work home with you on a regular basis and you’re starting to miss out on important personal events like birthdays or social occasions, reassess your career.

Whether you feel you need a change of direction or you’re after a job in a similar field, the Connect Appointments team can help.

Head to www.connectappointments.co.uk to browse current vacancies now.

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BEHIND THE SCENES

THE MATCHMAKING PROCESS Here’s a step-by-step guide to the processes our team go through to get the right person for the job

1. THE JOB ARRIVES

2. SEARCH THE B ANK

Employers from across Scotland, the wider UK and around the world will come to us with vacancies which need filling.

We’ll get a call or an email with details of the vacancy, we’ll have a chat with their HR team, get a briefing of the role and then get to work!

First of all, we’ll go through our own library of CVs to see if we have any candidates that we represent who might be suitable for the role. You can submit your CV online at www.connectappointments.co.uk and we’ll keep you on file so we can match you up with any relevant jobs that come in.

3.. EXPLORE OTHER CHANNELS

6. INTERVIEW

5. HEADHUNT

4. ADVERTISE IT

Once we’ve got a selection of potential candidates, we’ll contact them about the job in question, give them an overview of the role and interview them if they’re interested.

In some cases, we’ll do this over the phone, and for other candidates, we’ll ask them into one of our offices for a face-to-face chat.

If a client is looking for someone with a specific skill set, we’ll start headhunting and looking for people in a similar role elsewhere. We’ll use our industry contacts and research to try get in touch with the right people and contact them directly.

For some clients, we’ll advertise the job too. As well as our own easy-to-use website, we’ll get the vacancy onto major job boards like S1 Jobs and Totaljobs to reach as many job seekers as possible.

7. SUBMIT CVS

8. PREPARATION

9. AFTER THE INTERVIEW

Once we’ve got a shortlist, we’ll submit the CVs to the client. In some cases – mostly for temporary staff – we can send staff to start straight away without an interview, but permanent roles will want to see the candidates for themselves.

The client’s HR team will select who they want to see, and we’ll arrange interviews from there.

If candidates need it, we can offer some pre-interview coaching and advice to make sure they’re fully prepared before facing their potential employer. The interview itself is entirely down to the candidate’s talents!

We’ll always touch base after an interview to see how it went, and contact the client too for feedback. If you’re successful, we’ll share the good news and give you time to consider your options, then pass on whether or not you’d like to accept – then we’ll sort out your start date.

If you’re unsuccessful, we’ll always get constructive feedback to help you develop and better prepare you for the next job you go for.

Once we’ve searched our own talent pool, we’ll spread the net a little wider to see who else is out there. We’ve got access to a range of recruitment tools which help us find great candidates for our vacancies, including the Totaljobs network, LinkedIn and S1 jobs.

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ADVICE AND TIPS

You’ve been put forward for an interview for a job which matches your skill set, so now’s the chance to meet your prospective employer and show them why your consultant believes that you’re the perfect candidate. The consultants at Connect Appointments have come up with some guidance on how best to prepare for the nerve-wracking interview process

BE PREPARED Preparing for your interview is absolutely essential if you want to be taken seriously, feel confident and keep a cool head. Connect Appointments director William Sim advises: “Research the company and ensure you know a brief background to the business.”

You may be asked about the company history, locations, activities or to suggest improvements. Take the time to note down some background info as well as current operations so that you’re up to date. Knowledge of industry competitors is also an advantage.

If you know someone in the industry, it’s a great idea to grill them for information which could give you an edge in the interview. They may have insider knowledge which will help you come across as well-informed.

Your prep should include checking the exact location and time of the interview. If it’s in an unfamiliar place or requires a complicated journey, consider doing a practice run or add some extra time on to your journey just in case.

Aim to arrive on time or a few minutes early – don’t mess up your job prospects just because you got the wrong train!

Prioritise the interview by clearing your diary the night before. Aim to look your professional best – how you dress reflects the importance you attach to the interview. Wear clean, smart clothes such as a blouse and pencil skirt or shirt and tie. Freshly washed hair and face go without saying, and if you have facial hair, keep it tidy.

Lay out your clothes, plan your route and get a good night’s sleep. Nothing will make you stumble over your words more than fatigue because you stayed up late stressing for your interview.

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ACE THAT INTERVIEW www.connectappointments.co.uk

ADVICE AND TIPS

COMMON QUESTIONS… AND HOW TO ANSWER THEM “TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF.” This doesn’t mean tell us about your hobbies or family history. You’re being asked to recount your professional past, so talk about relevant experience which has led you to this point.

“GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF A TIME YOU OVERC AME A PROBLEM.” This question is very common and is designed to test your resourcefulness.

Describe a challenge you faced personally or professionally which demonstrates your ability to be resilient and proactive. Think of a scenario before the interview so you’re not caught short.

“WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT?” This is your chance to show off any special achievements, awards or successful projects you have worked on. If you’ve worked abroad or volunteered, these make you particularly interesting, so use this question to show off your life achievements and what makes you special.

“DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US?” This is a really common way to end an interview, so have some questions prepared beforehand. Base these on the research you did about the company. You could find out why the vacancy has come up, about the work culture and when the start date would be – all of this makes you look keen and interested in the company and position.

THE DOS AND DON’TS OF INTERVIEWS The Connect Appointments team offer some quick pointers to impress your interviewer

DO • Connect consultant Colin Doran says: “Know the job spec and match your skills to the role when you are describing your career history.”

• Take a copy of your CV or relevant certificates. The copy you sent may have been mislaid and you don’t want the interviewer to miss out on important info.

• William Sim advises: “Have good body language. Sit up, pay attention, don’t fidget.”

• Listen carefully to questions, wait until the interviewer has finished talking and respond accordingly.

• Practise. Whether it’s alone or with a friend, it’s good to vocalise your thoughts and improvise answers by doing mock interviews.

• Connect consultant Linda Whyte adds: “Know your CV – make sure you review it so you are ready to discuss your experience, achievements and qualifications.”

DON’T • Overdress. Garish makeup or a loud shirt will be seen as distracting and unprofessional. Don’t cut corners with dry shampoo and stubble, and don’t go over the top with fragrances – it’s not a date.

• Lie. If you don’t know the answer to a question, taking a moment to think is better than exaggerating or lying.

Don’t pretend to know something you don’t.

DIRECTOR WILLIAM SIM’S KILLER QUESTION:

“Let’s assume we both decide to move forward and you’ve been on the job for three months.

After 90 days, one or both of us decide it isn’t going to work. What is the most likely reason this happened?”

Be honest about your apprehensions about the job; show you recognise the challenges but explain how you fully intend to overcome them to the best of your ability. A good way to tackle this is by asking for a full description of the role so you know what is expected of you.

• Answer with a simple yes or no. Questions are designed to be leading so if you give a short response it shows a lack of resourcefulness and enthusiasm.

• Be afraid to look keen. Colin advises: “Ask what the next stage in the hiring process is – make sure you tell them that you are keen and want to work for them.”

• Enquire about salary, holidays, benefits, bonuses or pension. Show more interest in the role and professional development than a specific salary.

• William adds: “Don’t rush answers – digest the question properly and then answer. Don’t ramble on.”

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ADVICE AND TIPS

GET CONFIDENT The key to succeeding in interviews is appearing as professional as possible, but that’s easier said than done when your nerves are frayed from the pressure and expectations you put on yourself. Here are some strategies to keep you cool, calm and collected while preparing and on the day of your interview

KNOW WHAT’S EXPECTED

SPEAK TO PEOPLE

People are more likely to feel confident when they are fully aware of what is expected of them.

Make the job description your mantra and work from it to determine what you will be expected to know and the questions you might be asked.

If you don’t know about a certain aspect, do enough research so that you can respond appropriately. Adequately researching the company is also important. Try to find relevant publications which will help you understand their position in the sector and any industryrelevant events which are significant – that way, when the interviewer’s first question is, “What do you know about us?” you won’t be thrown completely.

It can be really useful to bounce ideas off friends or family members and get feedback on how they think you could improve. Draw up a list of questions you think you might be asked and practise. Ask your stand-in interviewer to include random questions too to challenge your ability to improvise responses. Rehearsing like this tests your knowledge and challenges how quickly you can respond. If there is some information you can’t find during the research stage which you think might come up, ask your Connect consultant for more details.

REST YOUR MIND

If you’re feeling stressed and anxious, one way to relax is by doing calming breathing exercises. This simply involves taking slow, deep breaths through the nose and holding them for a couple of seconds then exhaling slowly through the mouth. Six to eight breathing cycles per minute can help decrease feelings of anxiety. These cycles regulate the amount of oxygen you inhale which makes you less likely to experience tingling, giddy sensations associated with panic attacks. Gentle activities like yoga have also been proven to significantly reduce stress too.

It goes without saying that, mentally, you should be as sharp and on the ball as possible. That means minimum alcohol consumption the day and night before and a conscious effort to minimise things which could interfere with the day such as risky sports and activities. That said, if you have spent a long time researching and practising the answers to questions, it’s a good idea to do a calming activity like going for a walk, swimming or reading. This will give you a chance to distract yourself from feeling apprehensive and help you reflect logically on your progress when you return to preparation.

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PRACTISE C ALMING TECHNIQUES

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NEWS

CONNECT APPOINTMENTS SUPPORTS REC’S AGE OPPORTUNITY

CAMPAIGN

As you get older, the prospect of looking for a new job, whether that’s through choice or necessity, can be daunting. But your experience could be just what recruiters are looking for – which is why Connect Appointments have thrown their weight behind a new campaign backing the benefits of working with older, more experienced staff

AS THE UK ECONOMY continues to grow, businesses are seeking to expand their workforce – but coming up short when it comes to finding the right people for their vacancies. Fortunately, the solution to their problems could be simpler than they think – older workers.

According to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s Jobs Outlook report, 98% of employers have little or no capacity in their current workforce, and they’re reporting difficulty in finding suitably skilled candidates for every major sector area.

UK employers need to fill 13.5 million vacancies over the next 10 years, while only 7 million young people will leave education in that same time frame – meaning recruiters should look beyond fresh, young talent and start opening their eyes up to what older, more experienced workers can bring to their business.

NEW GUIDELINES With this in mind, Connect Appointments are fully supporting REC’s Age Opportunity guidelines, offering an

overview of best practice for recruiters employing older workers to combat age discrimination in the workplace. Produced in conjunction with Age UK, REC have come up with advice and information for recruiters looking to hire anyone aged over 50, highlighting the benefits of working with older workers and how to forget about stereotypes – and, most importantly, making sure no one is treated unfairly because of their age.

Kevin Green, chief executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, says: “The UK is suffering from skills shortages across the economy and at the same time businesses say they can’t take on more work without more staff. Older workers have a huge amount of experience, skill and knowledge to offer organisations.”

At Connect, we understand the value of a diverse workforce – and that the right person for the job is the person with the required skills. We’re dedicated to getting the best person for the job, whatever their background.

C AREER CHANGE With an ageing population and rising state pension page, people are working longer – and everyone’s entitled to seek out new opportunities and change careers. Whether you’re 16 or 60, looking for permanent or temporary work, we’re committed to working with all sectors of society to help our clients tap into the unique experience that every individual has to offer. So if you’ve got valuable skills, register with us now at www.connectappointments.co.uk and we’ll help find you the job that fits your background and interests.

“For us, age is irrelevant – it’s all about skills, personality and what you’ve done,” says William Sim, director at Connect Appointments. “As an agency, we’re not interested in stereotypes and misconceptions – some of our strongest candidates are more mature, and we know that these men and women can provide so much for employers.”

“We’re fully behind REC and Age UK’s campaign, and champion Age Opportunity to create a fairer, more diverse job market – a stance that both our clients and potential candidates value.”

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EMPLOYER PROFILE

MULTI PACKAGING SOLUTIONS Multi Packaging Solutions, the international print and packaging company, has used Connect Appointments to fulfil its recruitment needs for a number of years. HR advisor Wilma Logue took some time out of her busy day to tell Get Connected a bit more about the company’s work and what they look for in their staff FINDING A COMPANY which is supportive, understanding and rewards hard work can be trickier than you’d anticipate – but Multi Packaging Solutions is one Connect Appointments client who can offer all of this and more.

MPS is one of the most respected names in the branded packaging market here in Scotland – and it’s the way they treat their staff which sets them apart. With bases in East Kilbride, Hillington, Hamilton and Arbroath, the company employs over 650 workers in Scotland.

“Multi Packaging Solutions is a leading global provider of value added packaging,” explains MPS’s HR advisor Wilma Logue.

“We’ve got a diverse customer base across the healthcare and branded consumer markets. We provide customers with an extensive array of print-based speciality packaging, including premium folded cartons, labels, rigid boxes, leaflets and other speciality packaging.”

GLOBAL OPERATION Formerly Chesapeake Branded Packaging, the company underwent a merger 18 months ago to re-emerge as Multi Packaging Solutions. As part of the bigger organisation, MPS is now a truly global operation, with 60 manufacturing locations in 14 different countries across North America, Asia and Europe, with over 9,000 members of staff.

“It’s a company that’s really going places,” Wilma reflects. “We try to provide job security, our staff receive decent holidays, and we ensure they have a work-life balance.”

MPS has lots of opportunities for hard workers in a wide variety of roles. Connect regularly help with temporary roles, primarily shop floorbased production roles – but there is scope for progression and, in some instances, being offered a permanent contract.

DEVELOPMENT Many of the senior management team based in Scotland started out on the apprenticeship

programme, demonstrating MPS’s commitment to staff development.

“We’re very heavily involved in training and making sure people meet their potential,” Wilma explains.

“It’s not an easy job. Everyone has deadlines, it’s very hard – you need to have nerves of steel at times! But our staff are rewarded for that too. We make sure we look after them.”

With roles at management level, in manufacturing, production, HR, finance, customer service, supply chain, technical, design, reprographics, health and safety and beyond, MPS is a vibrant and varied place to work, with opportunities for people from all backgrounds with the right technical knowledge, skills and attitude to flourish.

So what makes a successful MPS candidate?

“In terms of what we look for, it depends on the role, but we’d need evidence of the skills that they need for the job,” Wilma points out. “Overall though, I’d look for someone who’s committed, trustworthy and not afraid of hard work.”

Connect Appointments regularly recruit for positions within Multi Packaging Solutions, both on a temporary and permanent basis.

For information on the latest vacancies, call the Glasgow office on 0141 331 2719. To find out more about MPS’s work, head to www.multipkg.com.

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NEWS

SUPPORTING SCOTLAND’S YOUNG CARERS Earlier this year, Connect Appointments made a commitment to fundraise to support the work of Carers Trust Scotland’s young carer projects. We take a look at why the charity’s work is so important

WHEN YOU’RE WORKING hard, day in, day out, it can be easy to forget about the people around you who are maybe having a more difficult time. Which is why Connect Appointments decided this year to do something to give back to our local community.

After a company-wide vote, the charity to support was obvious – it has family and opportunities at its core, helping young people who face big challenges get a better start in life.

ESSENTIAL SUPPORT Carers Trust is the largest provider of comprehensive support services for unpaid carers in Scotland – and this year, we’ll be working to support their young carer and young adult carer projects. A carer is anyone who cares, unpaid, for a family member or friend who needs support due to illness, disability or mental health issues.

There are an estimated 100,000 young carers aged up to 25 in Scotland. Carers can be any age and no amount of care duties define one. Duties can vary from household tasks like cooking and

cleaning to personal care, including bathing and dressing. This is a lot for anyone to take on, but it’s even harder for young people who might be juggling study and trying to be ‘normal’ teenagers at the same time.

Florence Burke, Carers Trust Director for Scotland, says: “Carers in Scotland are an unpaid workforce but they often neglect their own health, and the strain of caring can have a huge impact on their mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. Many find it a struggle to remain in work or education alongside their caring role.

We rely on donations to keep providing support, training and advice to help carers remain healthy and live a life of their own.”

ADVICE AND INFORMATION Carers Trust works in partnership with carers centres which deliver a range of support services by phone, drop-in or outreach schemes, including special sessions for young people.

They offer information and advice about things such as benefits, breaks, respite services, aids and adaptations. Trained volunteers and other carers provide an emotional support network

where young carers can discuss their concerns and opinions. The centres provide an oasis of calm where young people can have fun, learn about first aid and enjoy a social life, connecting with people in similar situations around staff who understand their needs.

To support Carers Trust, we’ll be making a donation on behalf of every temporary worker that we place through Connect. We are also planning fundraising events throughout the year such as a bake sale, raffle and fancy dress days.

“Family is really at the heart of what we do at Connect,” explains Connect director Denise Connelly. “We thought that this would be a great way for us to give back and help families across Scotland. We hope that our fundraising efforts this year will make a difference, and we’re really looking forward to working alongside Carers Trust Scotland.”

Find out more about Carers Trust Scotland’s work, and what you can do to support them, at www.carers.org/scotland.

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NEWS

CONNECT APPOINTMENTS GOLF DAY HAILED A ‘HUGE SUCCESS’

In the autumn, Connect Appointments’ staff and clients headed to Ayrshire for a day of relaxation, team building and, of course, a spot of healthy competition at Dundonald Links. Here’s how the budding golfers got on PART OF WHAT MAKES Connect Appointments stand out from the crowd in the world of recruitment is its strong client relationships. So back in October, the team decided to put on an event to thank the companies we work with for all their support over the last year.

A squad of 24 amateur golfers headed to Ayrshire to spend a day on the course at Dundonald Links, the Irvine-based course owned by the prestigious Loch Lomond Golf Club and host to this year’s Scottish Women’s Open.

The stunning setting was perfect for the annual Connect Appointments golf day, which won praise from Connect staff and clients alike.

GOLFING GODS “It was a fantastic day, I have to say,” says Connect Appointments director William Sim, who arranged the event. “We got a fantastic course, we had some great clients, great weather, and it was just a lovely venue overall.

The weather is a big concern at that time of the year, but I think the golfing gods were looking after us!”

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The 24 golfers – representatives from Connect, Broxburn Bottlers, Glen Turner, Norwex, Campbell Meyer, XPO Logistics, Servotech, Multi Packaging Solutions, BOC, ClickNetherfield and Inver House Distillers – took part in a stableford tournament, which involves being awarded points based on the number of strokes taken, meaning the aim is to have the highest score, rather than the lowest.

their bit to show their support for Connect Appointments’ charity partner, Carers Trust Scotland. “Inver House Distillers kindly donated a 26-year-old single malt, so we decided to raffle it for the charity,” William explains. “We did a game on the day too, where you could purchase a little bag with a rope in it for £10, which basically bought you some help on the golf course.”

The afternoon on the course was followed by an awards dinner where fi ve prizes were handed out. The overall winner on the day was Servotech’s Paul Lambert, with the Servotech team of four taking away the team prize too. ClickNetherfield’s Paul Logan won the prize for the longest drive, and Servotech’s Malcolm Vickers’ scooped the prize for closest to the pin. The lowest-scoring golfer didn’t go unnoticed, of course, with Inver House Distillers’ Alan Balfour taking away the wooden spoon.

William describes the day as a ‘huge success’ – and all the fun on the course has given them all more energy to put into their work when they’re back at the office!

FUNDRAISING As well as taking time to relax, the golfers did

“Out on the golf course, you get to find out more about the people you’re working with,” William reflects. “You get to know them as people as opposed to being a client. It helps our working relationship, and that’s important in our business – it makes us better at what we do. The feedback was that it was a stunning venue, great set up, well organised – and everyone’s hoping for an invite back next year!”

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EMPLOYER PROFILE

BROXBURN BOTTLERS As one of the country’s leading independent bottling plants, Broxburn Bottlers in West Lothian are constantly looking for new workers to join their ranks, both on a temporary and permanent basis. The Connect Appointments team have helped Broxburn fulfil their staffing needs for many years now – HR manager Dot Smith shares why the partnership works so well ESTABLISHED IN 1984 by John Grant of Glenfarclas Distillery and Peter Russell of Ian Macleod Distillers to bottle their own produce, the Broxburn-based plant has gone from strength to strength and now bottles spirits for a huge range of different companies, including Diageo and Edinburgh Gin. “We do every spirit now,” Dot explains.

“We basically bottle anything spirit-based that’s non-carbonated. We do flavoured gins, flavoured vodkas, cream liqueurs, whisky liqueurs, anything.”

With 120 staff based on-site, plus agency staff brought in to help with contract work and additional projects, the Broxburn plant is a hive of activity with a great working culture.

GOOD RELATIONSHIP “Obviously, there are stressful times, but on the whole, there’s a good relationship,” Dot says. “There’s a good bit of banter

and, provided it’s kept within reasonable parameters, it’s encouraged. If people are happy in their work, they’re more productive.”

As Broxburn work on multiple contracts with different distillers, the number of staff they need at any one time varies greatly – which is where agency workers provided by Connect come in. “Tonight, a supplier could phone up and say, ‘I can’t deliver these materials.’ And we’ve got to put a line down,” Dot says. “Or we could have an urgent order come in next week.

We need the flexibility to be able to do that, and agency staff enable us to do that. Connect Appointments are great from that point of view – they know exactly what we need.”

PROGRESSION There’s a real variety of roles available at Broxburn too. On the shop floor, forklift drivers, engineers and general operators working the bottling line are working hard to meet the deadlines and expectations in place –

and there are ways in which you can train and progress within the company too.

“I’d say we’re very good to work for,” Dot reflects. “We’re a very fair company – we treat all employees equally, they get the same conditions, the same rates of overtime. We never make any difference between agency and our own staff.

“Most of our workers have started as agency workers and have ended up being trained on machines, being taken on as temps and progressed. Opportunities for progression are definitely there.”

To find out more about current opportunities with Broxburn Bottlers, call the Livingston office on 01506 449 944. Find out more about the company at www.broxburnbottlers.co.uk.

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COMPETITION

WIN A ROUND OF GOLF AT FAIRMONT ST ANDREWS Scotland is home to some of the world’s most spectacular golf courses – and you could be enjoying one of them in the months ahead with our fantastic competition

HOW TO ENTER To be in with a chance of winning, simply answer this question:

How many golf courses are there at Fairmont St Andrews? a. One b. Two c. Three Simply send your answer, along with your name, address and daytime telephone number to: Fairmont Competition, Get Connected Magazine, 200 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4HG, or email competition@connectappointments. co.uk. All entries must be received by 28 February 2016.

For further information on the award-winning Fairmont resort, please visit www.standrewsbay.com

ABOUT THE COURSES THE TORRANCE COURSE

THE 520-ACRE FIVE-STAR Fairmont St Andrews resort encapsulates luxury, elegance and breathtaking surroundings in the ‘Home of Golf ’. A truly unique and special venue that makes your visit one to remember, with its lavish and stunning surroundings, peaceful setting and stunning cliff top views of St Andrews and the North Sea, this is one part of Scotland that’s well worth a visit.

The resort prides itself on its array of fabulous facilities including two championship golf

courses, The Kittocks and The Torrance, and excellent dining experiences for every palette, ranging from the new Italian eatery La Cucina to The Clubhouse serving the freshest of steak and seafood.

We’ve teamed up with Fairmont St Andrews to offer two readers the chance to enjoy an 18-hole four-ball round of golf with their friends, one on The Torrance course and one on The Kittocks.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Entries must be received by 28 February 2016. Prize is a voucher for a four-ball game of golf on EITHER The Torrance or The Kittocks golf course at Fairmont St Andrews Resort. Voucher is valid for one year, subject to availability, and must be booked in advance.

There is no cash or other alternatives. The publisher’s decision is final.

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Re-opened in July 2009 following a refurbishment programme under the direction of golf course architect Gary Stephenson and former Ryder Cup Captain Sam Torrance, The Torrance Golf Course offers a challenge to both amateurs and professionals alike. The Torrance is a Final Qualifying course for The Open and home to the Scottish Seniors Open. With eight holes redesigned, the course offers a great test and multiple risk/reward opportunities on many of the holes. The deep bunkers and links design makes The Torrance one of Scotland’s most dramatic and challenging courses, located in St Andrews, the Home of Golf.

THE KITTOCKS COURSE The award-winning coastal Kittocks course, designed by Bruce Devlin and opened in 2001, features 18 challenging holes with spectacular panoramic views of the Eden Estuary and the North Sea. Host to EuroPro Tour events in 2007 and 2009, The Kittocks course with its dramatic views and undulating terrain can be played from four sets of tees, with golf buggies available, making it ideal for players of all abilities when visiting St Andrews. Awarded Golf Club and Course Experience of the Year 2013 – Golf Tourism Scotland.

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Carers Trust is a major charity for, with and about carers.

We work to improve services, recognition and opportunities for anyone living with the challenges of caring, unpaid, for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems.

We do this with a UK-wide network of quality assured, independent partners. In Scotland, Carers Trust’s Network Partners are the largest provider of specialist carers’ support services, reaching more than 30,000 adult carers and more than 2400 young carers.

Caring is rarely something you can plan for – it could affect any of us at any time. Today, there are 759,000 carers in Scotland, that’s more than one in 10 of the population.

There are also an estimated 29,000 carers under 16.

Carers make enormous sacrifices, often putting aside their education, careers, social lives and even their health, in order to care.

Three in five people will become a carer in their lifetime, which means that one day either you, or someone you are close to, may need the support of Carers Trust Scotland.

What we do in Scotland • Provide support for the network of carers centres through training, meetings, learning exchange, and access to information and quality evaluation • Distribute grants and funding to carers and carers centres • Lobby the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament on behalf of carers and young carers • Organise the Scottish Young Carers Festival • We are a member of many national joint working groups concerned with health, social care, the third sector and policy influencing • Raise awareness of carers and young carers, and the work of carers centres • Contribute to research and campaigning work.

Visit our website for more information www.carers.org/scotland or call 0300 123 2008

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DON’T BE LAST IN LINE GET THE BIGGEST AND BEST VACANCIES STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Register for job alerts from Connect Appointments now at www.connectappointments.co.uk GLASGOW 200 BATH STREET, GLASGOW, G2 4HG TEL: 0141 331 2719

LIVINGSTON SHAIRPS BUSINESS PARK, HOUSTOUN ROAD, HOUSTOUN INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, LIVINGSTON, EH54 5FD TEL: 01506 449944