Gail – currently seeking part-time opportunity (16 hours a week) within a finance / computerised bookkeeping position 

• AAT and ACCA qualified
• Good working knowledge of Sage 50, Microsoft Office (Word & Excel)
• 17 years experience working in Practice – Accounts, Audit & Taxation Senior
• 7 years within Industry as a Finance Manager (monthly management accounts / budgets and strategic planning, cash flow and bad debt management)
• Key achievements:  collected 75% of written off debt / set up of an efficient data management system / key in setting up of a ‘one stop shop’ for professional services
• Based in Market Harborough – willing to travel and available immediately

Sally – currently seeking part-time opportunity (20 hours a week) as an Accounts Officer or Bookkeeper

• AAT qualified

• Post graduate certificate in Management
• Good working knowledge  Microsoft Office (Word & Excel), Sun System and Lloyds Link
• 16 years experience working within the housing industry for a housing association charity
• Experience of management accounts, sales / purchase ledger, bank reconciliations, fixed asset register, weekly payment runs, cash flows and procedure writing
• Based in Desborough – willing to travel and available immediately

If either of these candidates are of interest please call Kate on 01858 898058 or drop her an email at kgoodman@vanillarecruitment.co.uk

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Register now withVanilla Recruitment to benefit from the comprehensive advice we can provide.

See below for a few tips to get you started.

CV Writing

There are many different ways to write a great CV, and what you write and how you present it can vary dramatically depending on the position and company applying for. However as we are talking business to business sales then here are a few tips:

• Keep the layout simple and avoid unnecessary and complex formatting
• Avoid large paragraphs of text. Try and use bullet points.
• Don’t leave large gaps on your CV where it might appear you weren’t doing anything. Include all jobs and experience however irrelevant you might think them.
• Be honest on your CV, especially when it comes to hobbies and interests.

Assessment Preparation

Attending assessment centers is an increasing part of a graduates search for work. At Vanilla this is how we assess candidate’s suitability for a sales role. Most assessments are different but here are a few tips that should apply for most events:

• Arrive on time and dress appropriately. This will usually be business attire.
• Do get involved with all the exercises. Unless the assessors see you making an effort and getting involved then they can’t mark you well.
• Prepare and practice any presentations in advance.
• Do attend. Whatever the outcome they will be a great experience and will be invaluable in your search for work.

Interview Hints & Tips

Just attending an interview and relying on your natural wit and charm is often a way to fall flat on your face. Preparation and knowing how to act and what to expect is often the key to a successful interview. A good recruitment agency will be able to prepare you well but here are some tips that should help:

• Know where you’re going and plan your journey. Arrive in plenty of time but if you are delayed call someone ASAP. This is polite and courteous.
• Dress appropriately. If in doubt over dress. Usually for a sales role it should be business attire. It may sound obvious but brush your hair, have a shave, clean your shoes, do your tie and top button up, and avoid too much jewellery.
• Prepare, prepare and prepare. Research the company you are going to see and know what they do and what they are looking for.
• Prepare some questions and do ask them during the interview.
• At the end of the interview close the interviewer for the next stage.

Have a look at our website www.vanillarecruitment.co.uk for all our latest vacancies.

We look forward to hearing from you and to registering you for that exciting new role!!

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Business lobby group the CBI said the economy was moving from “flat to growth”, although it kept its forecast for growth this year at 1%.

Meanwhile, accountancy firm BDO said business confidence improved in April, particularly in the services sector.

However, BDO said the outlook for manufacturing “remains bleak”.

And the CBI said “clear challenges” remained both at home and abroad, with uncertainty in the eurozone and what it called a muted international outlook holding back investment.

It said that at home, inflation presented a problem for consumers who were finding it eroding their living standards. It expects inflation to peak at 3.1% during this quarter.

The CBI’s director-general, John Cridland, said: “Amongst CBI companies, there’s a general sense that the forward mood has brightened a little.”

He said the government’s Funding for Lending Scheme was beginning to have an impact: “When I talk to small businesses, they are already seeing the benefit on cost [of credit], and lower cost leads to more availability.”

The BDO survey gauges optimism in business performance and the economy over the next six months.

Although its Optimism Index hit 93.0, it is still below the score of 95 needed to indicate growth.

However, the index did move up 0.8 points from March, and is at its highest point since October 2012.

Peter Hemington, a partner at BDO, said confidence seemed to be returning slowly to UK businesses, and that there was a continuing revival in the services sector.

“However, as in previous months, our indices reveal a mixed picture,” he added.

“The manufacturing sector is a particular concern. If it is serious about its plan to re-balance the UK economy, we continue to believe that the government could do more to help UK manufacturing, particularly by encouraging both lending and investment in the sector.

“We also still think there is an excellent opportunity for the government to expedite the UK’s economic recovery by increasing public investment.”

The BDO report said the divergence between the expected fortunes of the services and manufacturing sectors could be partly explained by the impact of increasing inflationary pressures on UK businesses.

Manufacturing, it said, had been hit harder by the rising prices of energy and commodities.

Source : http://www.bbc/news.co.uk

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1. Get your offer in writing
If an offer is made to you orally, make sure you’re really being offered a job and not just discussing a theoretical possibility. Then find out when you’ll get a letter or email to confirm, and follow up if you don’t hear back by the stated time.

2. Make sure you really want it
It can be easy to progress down an application route without thinking deeply about what doing a job would actually be like, so take a moment at this stage to make sure the role is one you want – it’s usually okay to tell your potential employer that you’d like to consider their offer for a while. 

3. Stick to the acceptance deadline
Usually a potential employer will need you to confirm you want the job by a certain time or date. Make sure you stick to this deadline, and if you need more time, let your contact know as soon as possible. 

4. Read your contract
It might seem like small print now, but terms such as your annual leave allowance, notice period, and contracted hours might become very significant a few months or years down the line, so make sure that what you’re being offered works for your circumstances and is broadly market standard. You should feel free to ask questions and negotiate if necessary. 

5. Get the best possible salary
You know now that the employer wants you to join them, and they may well be so keen for you to do so that they’re prepared to pay more than originally offered to make this happen. So if you feel there’s a good case for an increased salary, ask if it’s an option. You have absolutely nothing to lose – even if they can’t comply, your new employer will admire your confidence and initiative, and may well pencil in a salary review for the not-too-distant future. 

6. Make sure your referees are ready
This point is likely to be the time that your new employer gets in touch with your referees – and your job offer may be conditional on a good report from them. So remind your referees that they’ll be contacted and make sure they have all the information they need to present you in the best possible light. 

7. Be flexible
You want to start out on the right foot with your new employer, so be prepared to be flexible if they ask you to start a little earlier or later than anticipated, go to a different office than the one you were expecting, or have any other requests that you feel are reasonable. 

8. Get the key details
We’re talking the names of the people you’ll be working with, the exact address of the office if you haven’t been there already, and if there are any important meetings or deadlines scheduled for your first weeks in the job. Many jobs start with a period of training – make sure you know whether yours will, and how long it will last.

9. Ask what you can do before starting
Finding out if there’s anything you can read or start thinking about before your first day is a great idea for two reasons. First, you’ll be showing your new employer that you’re conscientious and full of enthusiasm for your new role. And second, you’ll be doing yourself a favour by making those first few days in the office flow a little bit more smoothly. 

10. Congratulate yourself!
Having worked your way through the application process and all the steps above, you deserve to sit back and give yourself a pat on the back for achieving your goal. 

Source : http://www.milkround.com/

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According to a recent CareerBuilder.co.uk survey, the majority of UK employers – 70 per cent – said they typically leave some negotiating room when extending initial job offers to candidates and 10 per cent said they actually think less of a job candidate who doesn’t try to negotiate a better deal.

Here are seven steps to help you secure a higher starting salary.

Step One: Know your market value
Twenty-one per cent of employers reported in the survey that this is an important way to negotiate a better offer. The key to any successful negotiation is information, so do your homework to assess your competitive value. Do some research and find out the pay range for the type of job you are seeking. Once you know the going rate, take into consideration your skills, education, experience and any unique value you bring to the prospective employer to see where you would rank within that range.

Step Two: Show them what you can bring to the table
Nearly half of employers said in the survey that they want to see the candidate’s track record in terms of impactful contributions they’ve made to other organisations. Keep a file of accomplishments achieved at their company, quantifying results whenever possible.

Step Three: Delay talking about salary as long as possible
Give a figure too soon and you risk either being disqualified because it’s too high or judged underqualified because it’s too low. Even if you do pass the screen, having given the employer your bottom line will limit your ability to negotiate a higher salary. If asked your salary requirements in the job posting, say they are flexible or that you expect to earn “market value” or “competitive” compensation for someone in your field. If they won’t schedule an interview unless you give your salary requirements, tell them your requirements depend on a variety of factors including job content, health benefits, bonuses, commissions or profit sharing arrangements, training and advancement opportunities. Then give a very wide range.

Step Four: Don’t lie about your current earnings
Fearful of letting their current salaries limit their future income, some job candidates inflate their earnings. Companies conduct more rigorous application screenings! It’s not uncommon for potential candidates to be eliminated for being less than straightforward about their salary history. Your best bet is to avoid divulging your salary until you’ve had a chance to prove why you are worth more.

Step Five: Never accept or negotiate an offer on the spot
No matter how good it sounds (or how desperate you are), never commit or discuss an offer until you’ve had time to thoroughly consider it. When you receive the offer, thank the employer and restate your desire to work for the organisation, then tell them you need time to think it over. Make sure to evaluate the entire compensation package including health and welfare benefits, vacation days, paid holidays, as well as other non-monetary elements.

Step Six: Don’t be afraid to ask for more
As long as you act respectfully, you have nothing to lose by asking what the company can do to bring you closer to your desired salary. In some cases the hiring manager has discretionary power to go 10 to 20 percent above the highest figure he or she mentions to get an exceptional candidate; besides, good managers always start low to give themselves negotiating room. If they are firm on salary, it’s often possible to negotiate some other aspect of the offer such as benefits, vacation or other incentives. Studies show the majority of employers are flexible on at least some element of the compensation package.

Step Seven: Know when to stop
During negotiations, the typical response to your counter proposal will be either to accept some of your terms or to refuse to negotiate at all. If the employer has stopped responding to your counter proposals or making concessions, it’s time to end the negotiations. Remember, you don’t want to prolong a salary tug-of-war at the expense of losing the employer’s goodwill — or their offer.

Source: www.careerbuilder.co.uk

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The adult minimum wage (for those aged 21 and above) rises by 12p to £6.31 per hour.

The rates for 18-20-year-olds and 16-17-year-olds respectively rise by 5p to £5.03 an hour, and by 4p to £3.72 an hour.

An extra 3p is added to the apprentice rate, making it £2.68 an hour.

Last October saw a similar rise for adults, with apprentices also benefitting, although those aged 16-20 were left out.

Any BIS decisions on the national minimum wage are informed by reports from the Low Pay Commission (LPC), which was established as an independent body as a result of the National Minimum Wage Act 1998.

Source: www.recruiter.com

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“Since 2008, many companies have been fighting to keep their heads above water,” says Nina Carpanini, Head of Finance Practice at specialist finance and technology search consultancy Stott and May. “Within the last 12 months, we have seen a shift with companies looking towards their future, realising that a strong commercial finance function is crucial to drive business growth and identify opportunities. Accountancy has moved from the basement to the boardroom and the results of our latest survey show qualified accountants with the skills to act as business partners are in increasingly high demand.”

Source: www.theglobalrecruiter.com

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Join us for our monthly, free networking event at the Harborough Innovation Centre.  Hosted by Alastair Campbell from The Ideal Marketing Company and sponsored by Working Breakfast

This month’s speaker is Cassie Farren

An inspirational speaker who shares her own experiances and her journey of self discovery and has overcome her own poor body confidence along the way. Cassie has always worked since having her children but life hasn’t always been easy. Find out how developing a positive mindset has helped Cassie through the challenging times and how she now feels compelled to help others to do the same.

Cassie has set up a new business working as a Body Confidence Trainer where she not only empowers her clients to take back the control and motivation that so many of us struggle to sustain, but believes for the first time in ten years she has created her perfect work/life balance.

Please arrive at 5pm – open networking takes place between 5pm and 5.30pm.

Take your seats between 5.30 and 6.30pm

Open networking from 6.30pm until you decide to leave.

Cost – the Business Agenda is free to attend – no membership required  

So who are the best people to speak about your brand? Your employees of course! 

Why?

They are at the heart of your business.

They are your voice from within.

And if you treat them right, they will speak about your positively, and genuinely.

EMPLOYEES ARE THE MOST POWERFUL ADVERTISING MEDIUM.

Businesses are Catching On

 We are starting to see more:

• Employee engagement programs
• Internal communication schemes
• Equal value placed on employees, clients and customers
• Equal treatment between employees, clients and customers
• Focus and emphasis put on employee behaviour and language

Observational fact: Brands and businesses need to start practicing what they preach.

They need to facilitate reasons for their employees to become advocates .

When a “forward” company speaks to its customers about being fully integrated, it states, “taking the time to fully understand all of the inputs that drive your business”.

As the fastest growing digital agency in Britain, it completely understands what drives its business – its people.

Innovative mega brands like Google make a very outward proclamation on employee experience. Its publically enviable office spaces would give any employee a reason to gloat about whom they work for.

Employee advocacy is about understanding your employees and meeting with them at every touch point – physically, mentally and emotionally.

Call it a holistic and modern approach to human resources.

Your employees’ voices express a true understanding of your brand. They produce genuine and transparent conversations to your other important stakeholders, your customers.

I have said it before and I will say it again, EMPLOYEES ARE THE MOST POWERFUL ADVERTISING MEDIUM.

Here are some basic tips on engaging employees:

• Provide more than training, policies and tools – provide education via experience
• Employee advocacy doesn’t start when the training stops, it’s a continual process that must continue to add value and reason
• Continually give your employees reason to share, whether this is tangible or using social media
• Acknowledge your employee efforts, regularly, with conviction

People trust people. Remember to make your people believe first and foremost.

Source: www.recruitingblogs.com

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“I back-packed around the world for a year with a normal sized household iron. I did not, however, take the ironing board!!”

Long May She Reign!!

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