The latest unemployment figures released this week show that despite the previous trend towards higher unemployment there are some signs of improvement in the UK jobs market.

The new figures show that there has been a rise in the number of people doing part time work to a record of 7.9m which has helped to reduce the overall unemployment number to 2.67m, down from the previous high of 2.68m which was the worst figure in the past seventeen years.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics however showed that there was a rise in the number of people losing their jobs with an additional 48,000 people becoming unemployed.

Despite this setback commentators were quick to point out that this was a welcome easing in the unemployment figures overall and that it did signal that there were some bright prospects for the UK economy as a whole. The hope now is that the Private Sector will be able to absorb the additional jobs which are needed following a contraction of the Public Sector, which will continue to lose workers over the next two years.

Whatever job you are looking for then you should register with DATS jobs as we are  looking for good candidates to fill a wide range of jobs in the North West, across the UK and worldwide. Call us today on 01925 403800 and ask us how we can help you get the job you really want.

DATS asked The Heath School in Runcorn if they could help with the design of their 2011 Christmas Card…

…and they came up trumps!!   In fact the standard was so high, we found it very difficult to judge which was our favourite.

We knew we did have to choose a winner and we are delighted to announce that Jessica Elyse White (10HWR) festive picture of a warming fireplace scene was the one selected to be made into a greetings card to be sent to our customers.

2nd Prize was award to Liz Taylor with her picture of Santa’s feet sticking out of a snow capped roof and the 3rd prize was given to Michael Moole for his fun Jingle Bells design.

Thank you to all the children of The Heath School who took part in the competition.

Merry Christmas from all at DATS and we wish you all the best for 2012

Carl Quinn joined the team in September in an Administration & Payroll support role

Carl had just completed a 6 month graduate scheme at Halton Council where he worked within the Marketing and External Funding divisions.   He graduated from Lancaster University in 2010 and is continuing his studies with an accountancy night school course.

Liverpool Daily Post’s Alistair Houghton visited the annual Warrington Rotary Oktoberfest with Stephen Nickson to try out the DATS sponsored beer recently, all in the name of networking!

Read about their experiences in the LDP Business Magazine

Research has shown these to be some of the most frequently asked questions of people applying for jobs. You may find them useful when drawing up a list of questions to ask an interviewee.

Don’t forget, the real skill of asking questions is the way they are asked and how relaxed an interviewee is in answering them.

1. What are your long-range and short-range goals and objectives? When and why did you establish these goals? How are you preparing yourself to achieve them?
2. What specific goals, other than those related to your occupation, have you established for yourself for the next ten years?
3. What do you see yourself doing five years from now?
4. What do you really want to do in life?
5. What are your long-range career objectives?
6. How do you plan to achieve your career goals?
7. What are the most important rewards you expect in your business career?
8. What do you expect to be earning in five years?
9. Why did you choose the career for which you are preparing?
10. Which is more important to you, the money or the type of job?
11. What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
12. How would you describe yourself?
13. How do you think a friend or teacher who knows you well would describe you?
14. What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
15. How has your school or college experience prepared you for a business career?
16. Why should I hire you?
17. What qualifications do you have that make you think you will be successful in business?
18. How do you determine or evaluate success?
19. What do you think it takes to be successful in an organisation like ours?
20. In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our organisation?
21. What qualities should a successful manager possess?
22. Describe the relationship that should exist between a supervisor and those reporting to him or her.
23. What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
24. Describe your most rewarding college experience.
25. If you were hiring someone for this position, what qualities would you look for?
26. Why did you select your college or university?
27. What led you to choose your university subject?
28. What college subjects did you like best? Why?
29. What college subjects did you like least? Why?
30. If you could do so, how would you plan your academic study differently? Why?
31. What changes would you make in your college or university? Why?
32. Do you have plans for continued study? An advanced degree?
33. Do you think that your grades are a good indication of your academic achievement?
34. What have you learned from participation in extracurricular activities?
35. In what kind of a work environment are you most comfortable?
36. How do you work under pressure?
37. In what part-time or summer jobs have you been most interested?
38. How would you describe the ideal job for you following graduation?
39. Why did you decide to seek a position with this organisation?
40. What do you know about our organisation?
41. What two or three things are most important to you in your job?
42. Are you seeking employment in an organisation of a certain size? Why?
43. What criteria are you using to evaluate the organisation for which you hope to work?
44. Are you willing to travel?
45. Are you willing to spend at least six months as a trainee?
46. What major problem have you encountered and how did you deal with it?
47. What have you learned from your mistakes?
48. What were your biggest learning experiences at school?
49. What kind of boss do you prefer? Why?
50. Describe a typical day at the company for which you worked?
51. What are some important lessons you have learned from jobs you have held?
52. What type of books do you read? What was the last one you read?
53. What kinds of things cause you to lose your temper?
54. Are you a leader? Give an example.
55. What examples of initiative have you shown in your previous jobs?
56. Give me an example of how you turned around a bad result?
57. How have you dealt with an angry customer or a difficult colleague?
58. Are you a creative person? Give an example.
59. Are you analytical? Give an example.
60. What are the most important books in your field?

1. You must make notes of the questions you intend to ask – otherwise you’ll forget.
2. Decide the essential things you need to learn and prepare questions to probe them.
3. Plan the environment – privacy, no interruptions, ensure the interviewee is looked after while they wait.
4. Arrange the seating in an informal relaxed way. Don’t sit behind a desk directly facing the interviewee – sit around a coffee table or meeting room table.
5. Clear your desk, apart from what you need for the interview, so it shows you’ve prepared and are organised, which shows you respect the situation and the interviewee.
6. Put the interviewee at ease – it’s stressful for them, so don’t make it any worse.
7. Begin by explaining clearly and concisely the general details of the organisation and the role.
8. Ask open-ended questions – how, why, tell me, what, (and to a lesser extent where, when, which) to get the interviewee talking.
9. Make sure the interviewee does 90% of the talking.
10. Use ‘How?’ and ‘What?’ questions to prompt examples and get to the real motives and feelings. ‘Why?’ questions place more pressure on people because they suggest that justification or defence is required. ‘Why?’ questions asked in succession will probe and drill down to root causes and feelings, but use with care as this is a high-pressure form of questioning and will not allow sensitive or nervous people to show you how good they are. Think about how your questions will make the interviewee feel. Your aim and responsibility as an interviewer is to understand the other person – not to intimidate, which does not facilitate understanding.
11. High pressure causes people to clam up and rarely exposes hidden issues – calm, relaxed, gentle, clever questions are far more revealing.
12. Probe the cv/resume/application form to clarify any unclear points.
13. If possible, and particularly for any position above first-line jobs, use some form of psychometric test, or graphology, and have the results available for the interview, so you can discuss them with the interviewee. Always give people the results of their tests. Position the test as a helpful discussion point, not the deciding factor. Take care when giving the test to explain and reassure. Ensure the test is done on your premises – not sent in the post.
14. Give interviewees opportunities to ask their own questions. Questions asked by interviewees are usually very revealing. They also help good candidates to demonstrate their worth, especially if the interviewer has not asked great questions or there is a feeling that a person has for any reason not had the chance to show their real capability and potential.

Stephen Nickson

Alistair Houghton, Business Reporter from Liverpool Daily Post & Liverpool Echo met with Stephen Nickson, MD of DATS

The profile was printed in the newspaper on 19th October 2011, see a copy of the article online

DATS CAD Drawing Office has been awarded BSI ISO 9001 accreditation

The CAD division of DATS opened in May 2010, employing one full time Manager and a team of Designers, providing 2D and 3D drawing services to clients.

Stephen Nickson, Managing Director comments “at DATS we have always endeavoured to provide a high quality service to our clients, we feel this accreditation shows our commitment to formal certification and the initiation of a frame work for repeatable quality and process improvement”

The Recruitment division of DATS has held the ISO 9001 (BS 5750) accreditation for over 15 years.

Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at DATS?

In the first of our series of ‘A week in the life of..’ we asked Neil Ewart of Dixon Stewart (the Logistics recruitment arm of DATS) to keep a diary so we could have a peep into the life of a Logistics Recruiter.

Monday

One of the first tasks of the day is to review and acknowledge the applications received over the weekend. We had a particular large number of applicants this weekend so I do spend a large proportion of the morning assessing the applications against the position requirements and identifying those for a telephone discussion.

In the afternoon we have the monthly sales meeting with the recruitment team; a good opportunity to catch up on last week’s activities and review targets for the week. I finish the day speaking to clients about future recruitment opportunities and gathering background research in preparation for a meeting tomorrow.

Tuesday

This morning I’m meeting a new client; a leading third party logistics company at their offices for an introductory discussion which results in bringing back to the office a brief for the position of a Health & Safety Advisor.

At my desk, I go through the process for setting the client up on our system and composing an advert for the new role. Next I successful negotiate on behalf of a candidate changes to a salary package offered by a client. Finally I finish the day off reviewing and acknowledging applications received throughout the day.

Wednesday

I spend a good part of the day on the phone; firstly to search our substantial database to identify suitable candidates with the relevant health & safety experience and make contact with them to discuss further. Next I speak to selected candidates who have applied for other positions exploring their experience, skills, motivation, salary and commuting distance. Finally I arrange for CV’s to be formatted in readiness for submission to clients.

Thursday

I try and allocate a proportion of my week making contact with prospective clients; introducing our specialist recruitment services to ascertain their interest and send information as appropriate.

Later I have more discussions with candidates applying for outstanding roles including the Health & Safety position.

The relevant reformatted CV’s are emailed off to the clients for their consideration.

Friday

First job this morning is arranging candidate interviews with the client and emailing confirmations.

I catch up on coding new CV’s for inputting onto the computer by our administration team to allow for easy and appropriate retrieval against future opportunities.

Next I speak to clients who have received CV’s yesterday to discuss their thoughts, timescales and decisions on who they would like to call for interview.

In the afternoon I make follow up calls to the prospective clients to set up face to face meetings.

Finally, we have our weekly internal meeting to discuss actions taken during the week and what action plans are in place for the coming week.

Overall, a good productive (and typical week) for me with some good successes and looking forward to a new week at DATS

DATS have put together a handy downloadable Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document for their clients and candidates on the new Agency Workers Regulations, coming into force from 1st October 2011

The FAQ covers the new leglisation in detail and gives information on the required changes those affected companies and individuals need to be aware of including:

• What are Agency Worker Regulations
• Who is an Agency Worker for the purposes of the regulations
• What is a temporary agency worker for the purposes of the regulations
• When does an agency worker qualify for equal treatment
• What does equal treatment mean including Day One Rights
• Who is liable for establishing equal treatment
• Pregnant agency workers
• Are their legitimate ways to derogate from the Regulations?
• Anti-avoidance measures
• What are the financial penalties for breach of the Regulations?

Agency Worker Regulations – FAQ

If you require further information contact your DATS Account Manager on 01925 403800

Congratulations you’ve been offered a new role, now its time to hand in your resignation

Some people can find this an uncomfortable experience so here’s our guide to making it as painless as possible:

Feelings

Many people feel uneasy about resigning; they recognise the company may have helped them progress professionally but now feel the role no longer offers the potential to grow and develop.  It’s also sad to say goodbye to friends and colleagues, though remember there will be opportunities to keep in touch socially and you will meet new acquaintances in your new employment.

Follow Procedure

Look at your employment contract or employee booklet, many organisations will detail their procedure for contract termination, including the notice period you are required to give.  It’s likely that you will need to discuss your intention to resign with your line manager or HR department and then submit a formal letter of resignation.

What to write

A resignation letter should include the following; your name, date, notice of termination of employment, effective date and signature.   You may also want to take the opportunity to emphasise the positive i.e. thank the company for the opportunities and resist the temptation to let off steam or badmouth anyone in the business.

Counter Offer

Have you considered how you will react if your current employer offers you a pay rise or promotion to stop you leaving?  It’s very flattering to receive this kind of reaction, but before you make a decision, ask yourself the following; ‘would they have made the offer if I hadn’t resigned’, ‘will I need to resign the next time I think I’m ready for a rise or promotion’, ‘if I stay will my loyalty be suspect and affect my chance for advancement in the future’.

.. and finally, remember to stay professional at all times, you may need a reference from your current employer in the future

One of the quickest routes to employment is to use the services of an expert in the form of a recruitment consultancy; they will have close relationships with potential employers and will often be the first to know about new roles.

Choosing which the right agencies are for you can be a daunting task, especially when there appears to be so many in your area.  Our top tips for selection, are to do your research and keep in mind the following:

Specialism

Are you with the right agency?  Many will have core focus and specialist market knowledge i.e. by industry, by job function or by geographic location and will have built up good contacts with businesses and candidates to find the right person for the right role.  Don’t feel you need to limit yourself to one agency; another with the same focus may have different contacts!

Information

Are you kept informed?  The recruiter will provide you with job descriptions, companies they have submitted your CV to, any interview information and once a job offer has been made, the terms of employment

Confidentiality

Concerned about your privacy?  Recruiters owe you a duty of discretion and will not disclose information about you without your consent and will check with you before they submit your CV to a potential employer

Payment

How much does it cost?  Its FREE to candidates, the client company will either pay a finders fee or a %, and most agencies will protect this investment by offering a rebate system for permanent positions.  You should be informed of any charges the agency may make for any additional services or goods they provide i.e. CV writing services.

Ethical Service to Candidates & Clients

Recruiters are regulated in the UK by The Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and follow guidelines for standards, ethics, communication and accountability.  Look for the REC logo on your agency website or visit www.rec.co.uk to search for one in your area

You may have heard rumours that there could be redundancies at your place of work, or maybe you have already been given notification of job losses.  Companies are required to follow formal procedures but to the individual the whole process can be confusing; here’s a quick guide to help you:

Individual Consultation

Employers are obliged to notify and consult with you that there is no requirement for your role and thereby puts you at risk of redundancy. This consultation is carried out prior to the termination notice given and should involve an explanation of why this role has been selected.  You will be given the opportunity to appeal the decision and discuss other opportunities.

Collective Consultation

Where 20 or more people are being made redundant within a 90 day period, the employer must consult the employees’ trade union(s) or bring in elected representatives i.e. HR consultant or career coach as support.  This process needs to start before the first notice is issued.

Alternative Employment

An employer will advise you if there is alternative employment available within their business.  It is likely that you will need to apply for the new position and a new pay package and contract may be introduced, although it is likely that your employment would remain continuous.

Payments

Some employers will design their own redundancy packages to benefit their employees.  Information on statutory redundancy pay can be found at www.acas.org.uk

What next

Where collective redundancies are being made, companies will bring in supportive services i.e. career coaches, HR consultants or recruitment companies who will provide you with advice on writing your CV and how to look for new employment.  Individual job losses may not have the same resources available with their employer, but the same support advice is available from Job Centre Plus and the Citizen’s Advice Bureau

There is no doubt, we are in tough times.  Recession and redundancy are phrases constantly used across all forms of media, but until it affects you directly you are unlikely to know how you will react and cope.

Last resort

 Companies only instigate redundancies when everything else has been exhausted, its likely that sales have fallen and costs risen to the point that they are unable to continue functioning at the capacity they were and if the company hasn’t ceased trading completely, then job losses may help keep the business functioning and possibly save other jobs.

It’s not personal

It’s the job that is being made redundant, not you.  This is easy said and can seem unfair especially if other colleagues who doing a similar job are staying.  Businesses are obliged to give reasons for redundancy and these cannot be related to age, race, gender or be down to ‘last in, first out’.

Emotions

It is perfectly natural to feel angry, upset, bitter, worried and have feelings of inadequacy and loss.   Coping with redundancy especially for people who have worked for a company for a long time can feel like bereavement and many will go through a period of grief.  Larger companies will bring in career coaches and HR consultants to help and guide you through the redundancy process.   Work with them and don’t bottle it up.

Money

How you are going to pay the bills and support your family while you find new employment is the number one worry for most people.  Yes you may need to tighten your belt, but the important thing is not to panic and seek financial advice.  Support and advice are available from the Job Centre Plus, Citizen’s Advice Bureau and your bank.

Change

Your plans, life, and daily contact with your colleagues will change when a job loss happens and this understandably is unnerving, but change can also be for the better.  Try and see this as an opportunity to focus on what you want to do now, some use redundancy to re-train and take a different career path or some will use the opportunity to take early retirement and focus on their family and hobbies

Congratulations you got the interview!  You only get one chance to make a good impression, so it’s imperative to get it right.

Interviews are two way meetings for companies to find out about you and your suitability; and for you to find out about them and if this position will provide you with the challenges and job satisfaction you are looking for.

Prepare

Research the company prior to the interview; view their website and familarise yourself with their background, products and services.  Prepare open questions to ask and be prepared to talk confidently about your skills and offer experience examples relevant to the role.

Appearance

In the majority of cases smart business attire is a must.  You should be well groomed with tidy hair; shoes should be clean and keep any make-up, jewellery and nail polish simple.

Be punctual

Plan your journey beforehand to ensure you arrive a few minutes early and do allow extra time for any unforeseen delays.

Conduct

It’s impossible to completely plan how the interview will go, but you can prepare; practice a strong positive handshake and plan your greeting.  Check how to pronounce your interviewers name correctly and if you are taking a portfolio or carrying papers to the interview, carry them in a suitable case or folder.

Attending interviews isn’t easy and can be uncomfortable for many, but follow the preparation suggestions set out above and you will find you are far more successful and may even enjoy the process!   Good luck!

Many company websites contain a great deal of pertinent information and entering a company’s details into internet search engines often offers up a plethora of facts. Employers recruit people who want to work for them and there is no better way to demonstrate your desire than in your research and preparation.

The Job

What are the key details of the role? What can you bring to the opportunity and what can it offer you? Respect a company’s individuality, you won’t be expected to know how a company operates every aspect of its accountancy department. So asking direct questions in relation to how a company works should present common ground for discussion. Are there areas for development? Had you previously worked in a similar manner or even adapted a previous employer’s processes in order to streamline tasks, that that could also be adopted here?

Interview

Be prompt, but don’t be too early. 15 minutes will allow you to calm your nerves on arrival. Remember that your interview starts the moment you step foot on site, the way you greet reception etc. You don’t know whose input is taken into account and everyone should be treated with the same respect as your prospective employer.

Greet your interviewer standing, with a smile and a handshake. Your body language is a reflection on you, if you slouch you will be deemed disinterested etc.

Most interviews begin with an informal chat and this is an excellent opportunity to not only demonstrate your prepared knowledge, but also enquire on a personal level about your interviewer’s background. Ask open questions relating to their history, role and career to date. How long have you been with the company? etc.

You should know you CV and employment dates and be clear on your duties and responsibilities with each. When questioned, your answers should be positive and evidenced. Provide examples to back up your statements. If asked, ‘how do you cope in stressful situation?’ Give an example of when you where in a stressful situation and how you managed it in a positive way.

Always remember that when discussing your previous or present employer this should be done with respect. At a minimum they have given you the opportunity to progress your career to the point at where it is at present.

You should be enthusiastic about the role and any reservations that arise should be covered at a later stage when you are given the opportunity to question in more detail. These (reservations) questions should be delivered in a positive manner and allow your interview to discuss the points in full. Remember that although this is an opportunity to sell yourself, it is also an opportunity to discuss the company in more detail and explore the technicalities of the position.

Any questions you have prepared must be open and encourage the employer to open up and provide further information. Remember, although you are attending and interview it is as equally important that you qualify your prospective employer.

Typical Questions

Tell me about yourself?

What do you like about your present job?

Why do you want to join us?

What do you know about the company?

What attracted you to the role?

What are your strengths?

What are your weaknesses?

What is the hardest situation you have faced and how did you tackle it?

Why do you want to leave your current role?

Why do you think you are suitable for this position?

How do you cope with pressure?

What motivates you?

Describe yourself with 3 words

What are your interests outside work?

What is your greatest achievement?

What are your long-term goals?

What would you bring to the company?

How do you work alone and within a team?

Your Questions

Why did you join the company and what keeps you here?

How do you see me in the job?

How do I know I am performing well?

Where do you expect the role to develop?

What are the opportunities to progress?

What are the team like?

Do you have any reservations regarding my experience or fit within the team?

What do you see as the key selling points / attractions for joining your company?

In Closing

You may have created a good impression and performed well throughout the interview but in closing it is essential you remain focused.

Close with a smile and a handshake and your parting remark should reflect your desire to move things forward.

“I look forward to speaking with you again.”

Attending interview isn’t easy and for many an uncomfortable experience. But practice makes perfect and if you follow the guidelines set out above, you may find you are far more successful and even enjoy the process!

It would almost be impossible to prepare for every question that may arise at an interview, but with a little planning you could cover the ones that can prove to be particularly tricky:

“Tell us about yourself”

a classic opening question, plan it in advance and keep it work related

“Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?”

a good opportunity to talk about how you would like to develop, what you want to learn and achieve in the future

“Why do you want this job?”

 relate your skills to the key points in the job advert and role specification

“What kind of person are you?”

talk about what motivates you, how you view ‘work’, what you enjoy doing and what you are good at

“Why did you leave…….?”

they will want to know reasons for job changes or why you are out of work; prepare short, simple, positive comments to cover these points and avoid anecdotal or negative comments about past employers

“How will you cope in a crisis?”

identify at least two good examples of past experiences, outline the circumstances, what you did and what you learnt

“How will you…”

describe what you would do as if you are there employed by the organisation.. and if you create the right image, they won’t be able to imagine a future without you…!

“Describe a situation you have been in where.. “

interviewers will often ask competency based questions, so be prepared to think on your feet.  Outline the circumstances, what happened, what you did and what you learnt

“How much do you want to earn?”

a difficult one and you should stress that money shouldn’t be the only factor, the role, opportunity and company are also important.  We all do however need to earn a salary and prior to the interview you should take the time to consider an ‘ideal figure’.  If the interview has been arranged by a recruitment company, remuneration packages will have already been discussed.

“What are your weaknesses?”

 talk about ‘flaws’ that are also strengths e.g. being demanding of your team, being a perfectionist, pushing hard to get things done…

A common response to a tough question is to over answer it, ensure your responses are honest, work related, comprehensive and succinct.  Avoid too many anecdotes and know when to stop talking.

As you read through the recruitment pages, you’ll notice that candidates are often asked to also send in a covering letter with their CV.  You may consider this unnecessary or a waste of time and paper, but this letter can be just as important as the CV itself.

The main purpose is to get your CV read and secondly to get you an interview!  Try to imagine the letter as your own personal one page advert.    Keep it brief, enthusiastic and relevant to the position you are applying for, and follow our top tips for the perfect introduction.

1. Address the letter directly to the recruiter and check you spell their name, title and address correctly.
2. Indicate in concise paragraphs what position you are applying for, why you are interested, what you have to offer and why you are a good match.
3. Refer to your CV and expand within the letter on a couple of your relevant achievements.  Don’t apologise for any lack of a particular requirement or refer to negative aspects like why you left your last job.
4. What action you are asking for; if you are seeking a meeting, then ask for one.
5. Pop your letter and CV into a clean envelope, address neatly, check you have the correct postage and ensure you allow plenty of time for it to arrive with the recruiter.

The perfect letter may not guarantee you an interview but it can definitely help. Good luck

Candidates are sometimes required to apply for a job using a form rather than a CV and will be used by the recruiter to compare applicants on a like-for-like basis.  Forms can be daunting and time consuming, so allow plenty of time and follow these five steps below:

1. Start by reading through the documents sent and take a copy of the blank form so you can draft it out first.
2. Read the Job Description to identify the main responsibilities, and pick out relevant achievements from your CV that matches the top competences required by the job. Check the minimum requirements e.g. specific qualifications and experience, if you are missing any then explain why your experience or knowledge is of equal value.
3. Use black ink only, write clearly and don’t cram too much text into the boxes.  Most forms will give you the option to enclose additional supporting information on white A4 paper.  Forms are read quickly by the recruiter and the use of bullet points in appropriate sections can help emphasise key information
4. Sections entitled ‘other information’ are a good opportunity for you to sell your strengths and achievements.  Answer ‘not applicable if a question isn’t relevant.
5. The form should be completed promptly, take a copy for your records and return the original by the close date.  Only a brief covering letter will be required and you can use this format to remind the recruiter how you match the key requirements of the job

Your CV is likely to be the first impression you make on a potential employer and will determine your success in attaining an opportunity to attend interview. The following section provides a concise overview of what information prospective employers will look for and assess when screening and selecting applicants for interview.

CV structure

Begin with your personal details. Full name, date of birth and contact details, including all contact numbers and email addresses where applicable. Refrain from including references to your family, number of children and religious preference etc.

Your education and professional qualifications should follow. These, as with your employment history, should be shown in reverse order, your most recent achievements listed first. List all qualification grades, the more recent your qualification history the more important these are.

Your employment history again will be listed in chronological order, detailing you present or most recent position first. Your responsibilities, duties and achievements for each role should be listed, with more emphasis on your recent appointments. Under your employment dates and employer name, a short descriptive overview of what your employer does is also recommended. This should be limited to one line and is there to identify the sector in which you work, the size of the company you work/ed for and their approximate turnover.

If you have had a number of unrelated jobs or positions that may be deemed as irrelevant to your current career path, these may be grouped together. The date’s works at each post are still necessary, as a thorough recruiter will look to identify a work history with no or few breaks.

Below your employment details, you should include bulleted technical skills. These should include systems or packages you are confident and comfortable working with.

Your final section should include hobbies and personal interests. Again bulleted, these are detailed to provide an insight into your life outside work and an aspect that can be expanded on at interview.

Employment References should be detailed on request.

Always include a cover letter with your CV / application.

Never…

• Section an overview of information on yourself. These tend to contain claims of ‘hardworking’ and ‘meticulous’ work ethics and are being measured by your own standards not a prospective employer’s. Such qualities are assessed at interview.
• Don’t provide salary details. If requested these should be included within your cover letter.
• Don’t attach images or pictures to your CV. This includes photographs of yourself.
• Don’t include reasons for leaving jobs.

Always…

• Print your CV on plain white or cream paper using black ink.
• Do limit your CV to three pages, ideally two. Ensure your content is clear, relevant and accurate. (Using bullet points rather than sentences or paragraphs will assist in minimising your word count.)
• Always proof read your CV and it is imperative you ensure it is grammatically correct.
• Ensure that the requirements of the employer as detailed in their job specification are evidenced in your CV. Don’t assume they think you can do what they want.
• Your CV is a marketing document for you, and therefore when proof reading prior to application you must be happy that it is a true and positive representation of yourself.
• Do use one plain typeface. The use of exotic, different sized text isn’t easy on the eye of a recruiter.

We have all got used to ‘information overload’ over the last few years but in the case of your CV, it is important to focus on relevant work and business experience and keep away from non-essential information.

Our top tips for ‘what not to include’ and keep your CV to two A4 pages are to:

Avoid using the phrase “Curriculum Vitae” – it will be obvious to the recruiter what the document is, instead use the valuable space and use your name and contact details as the title.  Include your email details and try to use a ‘business like’ email address, a fun / jolly one can convey the wrong impression.

Avoid negative, humour and non-essential details – keep it formal and positive and avoid using obscure abbreviations or jargon and for most roles it’s not necessary to include information on date of birth, height, weight, state of health, children, religious or political beliefs 

Avoid too much information – keep details of earlier jobs in your career i.e. over 10 years old to a minimum, don’t include reasons for leaving or your salary (this can be included in your covering letter or at interview stage) and only include your ‘interests’ if they are relevant to the role

Take out incomplete or misleading information – if mentioning a degree include the subject and result and don’t include details of qualifications that are now out of date or irrelevant.  There is also no need to include with your CV copies of references or certificates, though these are useful to take to interview.

Take out references – state that they are available upon request, that way you can brief your referees carefully about who they may be talking to, and what the potential job is all about 

Overall, keep it simple and professional!

Preparing your CV can be a daunting task for many people, though you should view the time spent as a good investment, as a well written and presented CV will aid you in getting that all important interview! 

CV’s should be classed as a summary document that can be easily read and understood by the recruiter.  As a general overview our top tips for preparing a good CV are:

To be Honest

The document needs to reflect your career experience, skills and achievements as honestly and accurately as possible.  Remember that recruitment agencies and employers will check the detail and misleading information can lead to embarrassment.

To follow a Standard Style

The content is more important and this will stand out from the crowd not the font type or size.  Keep to two A4 pages, use a simple font i.e. Arial and an acceptable ‘reading size’ i.e. 10 or 12 and only use underlining or bold to highlight key words.

To use this running order

 Your CV should include the following information and ideally in this order;

• personal details,
• objective,
• attributes and benefits,
• achievements,
• employment history (latest first) and
• education & training

Be spelt correctly

Before you send the CV out, it is highly recommended that you proof read it (or get a trusted friend to do it for you) and use a ‘spell checker’, a small error can totally destroy your credibility that a well prepared CV has created

The employment history section is one of the most important within your CV and shouldn’t just be a list of places you have worked.  Use the opportunity to sell yourself by highlighting achievements and skills from time spent at a previous employer that will be relevant to the role you are applying for.

Format

Use a simple font i.e. Arial and an acceptable ‘reading size’ i.e. 10 or 12 and only use underlining or bold to highlight key words.  Start with the most recent job and finish with the earliest.  Show starting and finishing dates (though due to age discrimination laws these are not obligatory as they could give an indication of age).  Create a ‘heading for each role’ with the position, employer name and location (no need to show the full address which will take up valuable space in your CV).

Content

The detail of each role should be short and concise, start with a short paragraph, summarising the company industry and an outline of your role.  Individual responsibilities and achievements can be listed in bullet format for ease of reading.

Length

The whole CV should be a maximum of 2 A4 pages; a the rule of thumb is to give details of your last 10 years employment and any roles beyond that list with dates, company name and position held.

Accuracy

It is important to be as honest and accurate as possible, as details can be checked and discrepancies could lead to embarrassment.  If you do have ‘time gaps’ it is advisable to include the detail within this section, use the same format i.e. dates and give a brief summary of the reason i.e. maternity, sickness, unemployment or traveling.  Graduates who have taken a gap year after university will sometimes incorporate temporary jobs and the life skills they learnt

DATS are working closely with one of their clients; an international Engineering, Procurement, Construction Management (EPCM) contracting company to fill a number of job vacancies based in Saudi Arabia

The company design and project manage large and highly complex global engineering projects including petrochemical production developments the size of a small city, offshore oil & gas production plants and storage facilities.

A further three major projects have recently been secured within their Saudi Arabian operations to design, purchase equipment and build new facilities for their manufacturing clients across the globe.

This first phase of recruitment will be followed by a second in the next few months.  Current vacancies include:

• Project Manager
• Construction Manager
• Project Engineering Manager
• Project Control Manager
• Lead Planning Engineer
• Lead Piping Engineer
• Lead Mechanical Engineer
• Lead Electrical Engineer
• Lead Process Engineer
• Lead Civil/Structural Engineer
• Lead Contracts Engineer

If you would like to apply for any of these roles, or would like further information on working on a large scale engineering project in Saudi Arabia, please contact Barry Gilchrist on 01925 403800 or email barry.gilchrist@dats.co.uk

DATS supported Breakthrough Breast Cancer by sponsoring a bike ride organised by DPD, a division of Geopost UK Ltd

Good luck to all the cyclists and hope it doesn’t rain!

DATS MD Stephen Nickson is stepping down as Chair of the Halton Chamber of Commerce & Enterprise after seven years

Stephen comments “the Chamber of Commerce is invaluable to local businesses with the service and support it offers to members and I’ve been very proud to have been part of that from a personal and professional viewpoint and wish my successor the very best”

Picture shows new Chairman Dr Peter Cook presenting Stephen Nickson with a glass plaque thanking him for his 7 year service.  Dr Cook is Chairman for SOG Ltd based in Runcorn.

Help the Heroes benefited from DATS finding a candidate a job recently

The successful candidate had been referred to DATS by a friend, and under the scheme ‘recommend a friend’ he would normally be sent £200 of High Street Vouchers to say thank you, however they requested that the money was used to support a sponsored walk up Snowdonia in aid of the Help the Heroes.

Visit to view information on the Recommend a Friend scheme

Visit to view information on Help the Heroes

On behalf of a North Eastern based client we are continually looking for Plant Operators with experience in the Chemicals / Petrochemical sector

Barry Gilchrist

Interested candidates should contact Barry Gilchrist, Engineering Consultant on 01925 403800

DATS continue to grow their service offering across a number of locations for one of the UK’s largest Oil & Gas asset service companies

Barry Gilchrist, DATS Engineering Consultant comments “we have seen an increase in the requirement for Planning Engineers, Cost Engineers, Quantity Surveyors and Estimators from the Oil & Gas, Power and Nuclear Sectors although petrochemicals is still generally a slow market, due to pick up later in 2011”. 

Candidates with this level of experience should contact Barry on 01925 403800.

DATS CAD division are looking for an additional CAD Operator to join their ever-expanding team

The ideal candidate would be a junior mechanical or civil draftsperson looking to develop their skills and knowledge.

The role would be permanent with the opportunity in the future to take on further responsibilities.

For details contact Chris Lloyd on 01925 403800.

The annual Beer Festival wouldn’t be the same without a DATS sponsored barrel and Okotoberfest 14 will be no different.

The Rotary Club of Warrington organise the event to raise money for charities in the local area including:

• Life Education Programme
• Canal Boat Adventure Project
• Active Hope
• St Josephs Family Centre
• Raising the Roof for Ghana
• Music in Hospitals
• St Rocco’s Hospice
• Narayan Seva Sansthan
• Newchurch Community Primary School
• Warrington Society for Deaf People
• Grappenhall Youth & Community Centre

For more information on the event and charities visithttp://www.warringtonrotary.org.uk/content/beer_festival

ITRIS, the recruitment software system, has been selected by DATS to replace the existing software.

ITRIS provides the functionality and capability DATS Recruitment division needed to cope with current (and future) requirements.

DATS has expanded the CAD division providing plant & mechanical drawings in 2D or 3D modelling format handling one-off requests or long term contracts

Tony Brennan

Operators experienced in general engineering, manufacturing, nuclear and mining industries make up the team with Tony Brennan as Section Leader (with over 20 years of drawing office experience), he comments; “we bring strong industry knowledge and experience in the leading CAD software tools including AutoCAD 2011/1 & Inventor”

An exciting acquisition for DATS…

Stobart Stadium, Widnes

We have acquired a private viewing box at the Stobart Stadium in Widnes. As well as using the box as a private office during working hours, we will be enthusiastically supporting the Widnes Vikings matches and the Everton Reserves games throughout the 2010 season.

If you are interested in attending any of this season’s matches, please let us know and we would be happy to take you along!

New! Warehousing & Industrial Division help is at hand…

DATS is pleased to announce the opening of a new division providing temporary and permanent staff in the Industrial and Warehousing sector.

Drawing on our 50 years experience, DATS aim to deliver a quality open book service.

Initially this will cover the North West region but our intention is to roll this out across the UK. We see this division complementing the existing divisions at DATS and broadens our appeal to new and existing clients by offering a total solution.

We have appointed two new consultants, Iain Williams and David Masheder, who have extensive experience in the recruitment sector. Give them a call to discuss any requirements.

Marking a Golden Milestone

Trevor Nickson

Half a century ago Trevor Nickson completed his 5 year apprenticeship with ICI with the prospect of a long career ahead of him at a company providing great opportunities for promotion and skills development, a path many of his colleagues and friends alike were choosing to take.    After achieving his engineering qualifications he was promoted to the company’s design offices and this is where he saw a gap in the marketplace for companies who provided good quality design services.    As Trevor wanted a greater challenge than his nine to five routine, he decided to take the momentous step of going it alone.   With plenty of common sense but no contacts and little financial support some may have questioned his decision but with good health and plenty of determination the risk had to be taken.

As the months went by working an eighteen hour day, seven day week, a breakthrough occurred in October 1959 with the chance of a small project for about 3 months for three people with a UK manufacturing company in the North West.   The next job was to recruit three suitable candidates to carry out this important task for DATS first and only client, Metal Box in Speke.    Local adverts were placed in the Liverpool Echo on the Friday evening and on a routine Saturday visit to the offices in Liverpool, Trevor was confronted with a line of individuals stretching from the ground floor to the rented offices on the third floor.   The shock that they were all responding to the advert was the realisation that business life had begun and life would never be the same again.   Forty five people were interviewed that morning with at least half suitable for the work in hand.

This became the bedrock of DATS first database with many of those early applicants   still working for company some twenty or thirty years later.
DATS original focus was to meet industry’s need for a flexible but specialist design resource.  Five decades on this is still a key part of the business as DATS has continued to match people and skills through diverse and specialist industry knowledge.  Over the years DATS has responded to changes in client requirements and market trends by introducing new industry divisions and disciplines to their portfolio of skills.  Still operating out of the North West of England, DATS partner many industries throughout the UK and overseas in providing innovative and flexible solutions.

Last year Dixon Stewart Associates became a specialist division of DATS, resourcing management roles within distribution, supply chain and logistics. Whilst Dixon Stewart continues to resource executive level positions, DATS now utilise their expertise to develop the Supply Chain and Logistics Division which will embrace a broader spectrum of roles within the sector.

Stephen Nickson, Simon Hancock and John McMullan

DATS remains a privately-owned company; Stephen Nickson, Trevor’s son, is Managing Director and brothers-in-law Simon Hancock and John McMullan are directors (see left).  Although Trevor retired a number of years ago, he still has a keen interest in the business and remains on the board of directors.

Stephen Nickson comments, “DATS are proud of the reputation we have earned for providing an excellent service. Many of our clients are long standing and have been with us in excess of 10 years.  Locations, company names and fashions may have changed over the past 50 yeas but our core philosophy of building client relationships and providing a focussed, quality recruitment service remains the same.  I firmly believe this has been at the root of DATS success and will continue to take us onto the next milestone”.

DATS will be marking this golden milestone by celebrating with clients and staff.

DATS (Holdings) Ltd Announced as Top 10 Agency at 2009 RecruitRank Awards

RecruitRank Awards honour first class recruitment agencies based purely on candidate feedback

The awards, which are in their fourth year, were held on 11th November 2009 at stylish central London venue, Jewel. DATS (Holdings) Ltd attended as a Top 10 finalist in the following categories;

• Best Candidate Communications
• Best Understanding of Candidate Needs
• Best Industrial Knowledge
• Best Recruiter

Jobsite’s 2009 RecruitRank Awards.  Recognising best practice and quality customer service in recruitment agencies, the RecruitRank Awards are the only accolades in the industry where finalists and winners are chosen by the feedback from candidates and not a panel of industry judges.

Launched by leading online recruiter Jobsite in November 2005, RecruitRank allows candidates to feedback anonymously on the quality of an agency’s service after they have applied for a vacancy advertised by them on Jobsite.  Recruiters have personal, private access to this free market research and it enables them to monitor and, if necessary, improve their service offering.  The finalists within each category of the Awards were selected through a culmination of this feedback from candidates over the last 12 months.

Commenting on the awards, Keith Potts, Jobsite CEO, says: “It has been a tough year for everyone in the recruitment industry, so we are really proud to see that so many recruitment agencies are still placing a high importance on providing outstanding customer service. With several thousand recruitment consultancies eligible for inclusion in the RecruitRank awards, being awarded Top 10 finalist status is a great accolade in itself.  Finalists have the added compliment that they have achieved this position through the people who know their offering the best – the candidates – providing vital third party endorsement.”

New Supply Chain & Logistics Division for DATS

Last year Dixon Stewart Associates became a specialist division of DATS, resourcing management roles within Distribution, Supply Chain and Logistics.  Whilst they continue to resource executive level positions, we are now utilising their expertise to develop the DATS Supply Chain and Logistics Divisionwhich will embrace a broader spectrum of roles within the sector.

Our aim is to provide the same high levels of personal service, pre-selection and vetting to satisfy necessary criteria in respect of attitude, skills and experience.

We will be retaining our flexibility to offer workable solutions which continue to meet individual specifications and deadlines at cost effective rates.

Typical roles covered by DATS Supply Chain & Logistics will include:

We hope this recent development will be of interest and that we may have the opportunity to demonstrate our capability.

When we heard that James May was planning to build a house made of Lego, and needed a Site Manager we wondered whether Tonka would be managing the logistics and if Bob The Builder might be interested in the role?

Finding a Site Manager capable of managing the project, providing creative solutions to unusual problems, working with the general public, smiling for the cameras and crew whilst still remaining calm under pressure, focussed on the build and mindful of Health and Safety would be a tall order – but what a challenge!

Knowing that the build would generate a huge amount of interest from fans of James May, Lego and Top Gear we knew the production company would be inundated with enquiries and up against a tight deadline with a limited budget. So we made contact and offered our services.

Recognising the importance of protecting the integrity of James May et al we provided a Response Handling Service together with Candidate Briefing and Pre-Selection Vetting. How candidates applications were treated would be a direct reflection on the public perception of the James May brand.

We had in excess of 700 individual enquiries, all were acknowledged and applicants were briefed regarding the Requirements of the Role, The Selection Process and estimated timescales involved.

We reviewed over 400 CVs and covering letter. Never was the covering letter so important, people managed to express their genuine enthusiasm for the project incredibly well and of course there was no shortage of humour.

Almost 200 people were pre screened and finally 27 applicants were submitted to the production company for telephone interview and subsequent screen tests.

Our aim was to do what we do best – identify technical skill, experience and personality fit that would most suit the needs of the client. The production company, confident that the candidates were all capable of meeting the challenge simply had to choose the person they felt would best complement their team.

DATS completed the project successfully, within the agreed 3 week deadline and well within budget.

James May’s Toy Stories series starts on BBC 2 October 27th and the series sees James building amongst other things a Meccano Bridge, an Airfix Spitfire and a Plasticine Garden.