Sam Pinn Chronicles

So you worked an entire year and now you are not so sure if you should move on or stay? Often people are torn between staying in their current role or leaving to "greener pastures" and wonder to themselves, how do I know that I have passed my expiry date at my current company? The signs are all there and once you know how to spot them you will be able to make a seamless decision, after all we have all been here at one stage or another. The signs: 1) Every morning you wake up you literally have to throw yourself out of bed and drag you're behind to work. Remember work should be enjoyable after all that's where you spend most of your time. As a recruiter it is not only my job to help the client find the right candidate but I am also responsible for finding you the perfect role so that you won't have to feel this way. 2) When you are at work, you count the seconds to home time even though you only started 5 minutes ago. 3) Usually you are...

So, you have managed to secure that all important interview with the client and suddenly you come to the realisation that you were so fixated on securing the interview that you didn't think any further and you are left with the burning question of "now what"? You ask yourself, what do you wear, how early do you arrive without seeming desperate or should you arrive a few minutes late in order to seem extremely busy at your current job, what do you need to do to prepare and should you take anything along with you? These are all relevant questions and I am going to try to answer all of them individually. Let's start with what to wear; now I know I am no fashionista but when it comes to interview clothing I have picked up a thing or two in my time. Make sure that you always dress up for your interview, this not only shows your potential employer that you are serious about the opportunity but also that you put effort into preparing for the interview. Now granted we ...

There is nothing more off putting than an e-mail application or cover letter that has putrid spelling.  When sending any professional e-mail ensure that you always write full sentences, mxit and FB abbreviations are not attractive to a potential employer.  Imagine the 50 year old Human Resource Manager who gets a cover letter with abbreviations like: Omg, lol and wtg, you get the picture.  Also use language that you are both familiar with and understand, its pointless to indicate on your cover letter that you are articulate when you struggle to spell it, remember that although your cover letter is on paper it should speak to you as a person and the reader should be able to feel your personality and enthusiasm jumping off the page. Getting back to spell check, technology has made things so easy for us these days that it is inexcusable to send anyone an e-mail / application with incorrect spelling i.e. I would like to apply for the possesion (position)....

Having been in the industry for sometime now, I have been asked on numerious occassions what the relevance is to a clear credit record vs the skills to do the advertised post. Simply put, agencies are bound by SLA (service level agreements) with their clients and if candidates with a clear credit history was requested then the agency is bound to adhere to this request.  More than often the reason for requesting a clear credit record is that the position allows direct contact with finaces and the client does not want the employee to be tempted to take what is not his/hers if they get to a desperate point in their financial situation. Other than this most clients are willing to look at candidates with credit records if it was a study loan or if the candidate is under debt review or has put a written payment plan in place, as this shows the client that the candidate is taking responsibility. Be honest with yourself, if you were looking to hire someone, would you not be concerned...

HOW TO SECURE YOUR DREAM JOB THROUGH THE PERFECT INTERVIEW Nailing the perfect interview is not only about what you are wearing, or how perfectly your make up is applied, it’s all about preparation. You would never go write an exam without having studied. You would not buy a new car without reviewing the specifications and checking it out first.   So why do we go into a job interview which has the potential to change our lives so blindly? The truth of the matter is that we depend on our experience and winning personalities to secure us the job.   If only we had followed the 3 P’s of a successful interview ( Preparation, Portfolio and Presentation ), such simple concepts that could ensure you securing your dream job. How honoured don’t you feel when you have made an appointment somewhere and when you walk in you are greeted by name, or   how about when you deal with a service provider that goes out of their way to thank you for your 3 years continuous support? ...