Employment application help please.

neil182sr

Hello everyone, first i would like to thank you for looking at my post.
I'm writing to ask for some assistance, if it's not too much trouble, in a job application form for micheal page international. i'm 25 and just finished my MSc at univeristy of nottingham. i never went to school as a child as it was more beneficial to educate myself as the many prejudices i faced from the education system from being working class and from a socially deprived area. i'm struggling now to find work in this current climate so this is why i'm asking for help. I have to answer a quite a few question and the help i want is some assistance in making me stand out so that i can get a face to face interview.
here are the questions:
• ABOUT YOU
1 What is your personal motto that you live your life by?
o My personal motto is... *
o Provide a specific example that illustrates you 'living' according to your motto (35 words max)*
• 2 What inspires you? (35 words Max)
o
o What frustrates you? (35 words Max ) *
• 3 Imagine you are trying to survive in Sir Alan Sugar's boardroom.
o What do you consider to be your 3 unique selling points and why? *
• 4 Choose and describe any experience in your life to demonstrate your tenacity and resilience. (75 words Max)
o
• 5 Give an example of where you have failed at something. Why? How did it make you feel and what did you learn from the experience?
o
• CAREER FOCUS
6 Describe what it is that you think a recruitment consultant does on a daily basis, and what you feel are the main qualities required to be successful in this role? (35 words Max)
o
• 7 In the current challenging business environment what do you think would be the 3 biggest obstacles to making revenue and how would you approach them? (50 words max)
o
• STAND OUT
8 Historically, you've got to be in the best 2% of applicants to get onto our scheme. Describe yourself, so as to differentiate you from your peers. (35 words Max)
o
• 9 Which other companies have you applied to, for which positions and why?
o
.
for 1, my real life motto is honesty is the best policy and i think i can answer that one fine unless you thing something else will be better.

i know these answers should be more for what they want to hear rather than most likely being the truth. the question i'd really like help on are 2,3 5 and 7.

thank you for reading and your help will be very much appreciated.

kind regards, neil

Linda32

Well, I'll reply but its of no help. I'd run as fast as my little legs will carry me!!!!

Best of luck

alice011178

neil182sr wrote: »

o
• 7 In the current challenging business environment what do you think would be the 3 biggest obstacles to making revenue and how would you approach them? (50 words max)

:eek::eek::eek:

In 50 words - seriously?? I'll have a think, but.....really...I hope that the job is very well paid!

I think that the 'honesty is the best policy' line is good - you could try answering some of the other questions with that in mind. You could say that a lack of integrity or honesty in business frustrates you, for example. You could also use some of the attributes from the job description for the 'what inspires you' question. For example, if the job is very fast-paced/high stress, you could say that you thrive in high-pressure environments and that working to deadlines motivates you (obviously more eloquently than that!). Or if you want to focus on the 'recruitment' industry, you could say that helping other people fulfil their dreams/find their perfect job/problem solving inspires you. Anyway, just some ideas. Good luck with it!

neil182sr

yeah it is quite good money from my research, it's a 18 - 20k basic and realistic ote of 30. i'm struggling a little with question 7 and i have i think thats one of the main questions they really want a good answer from. thanks a lot for the input, i've also got to fit in being competitive and money orientated in there as well. i once didn't get a job because they thought i wasn't motivated by money... are we all motivated by money?? well those of us who want to work

alice011178

Yes, Q.7 is the killer. There are lots of things you could say, but keeping them within the 50-word limit is tricky (although, I have to admit that I struggle to say ANYTHING in less that 50 words:rotfl:). Just brainstorming (and I am sure you have already thought of these things), but you might focus on the reluctance of companies to pay recruitment firms in the current climate when they can run their own hiring programmes for free using in-house HR. Companies might be more likely to re-deploy other members of staff, or just recruit internally from candidates facing redundancy in other departments. I suppose you would have to demonstrate that you can convince cash-strapped corporate clients that your (costly) service is well worth the money and provides a better long-term investment - you could focus on your ability to find the very best candidate, ensuring that the company gets maximum value and stability for its money. Anyway, I am sure you have much better solutions to these problems - that is why you are applying for the job, and I'm not!! I am sure that people on here would be happy to look over any answers you might have, and make some suggestions. Happy thinking!!:beer:

neil182sr

yeah i've thought about taking cuts out of comission that way i can beat rival companies, even though i would get a lesser fee i would make up for it in havine more clients; social networking would be a big problem, i.e facebook, twitter, linkedin etc... and maybe to convince the client that it would be a lengthy process for them as they would have to read hundreds of cv's and interview people, which could have a negative outcome on their business as they wouldn't be fully focused and it would be less stressful for them, the problem is getting it in 50 words

kerrypn

I think if I was answering question 7 I would be focusing on the barriers facing all recruitment agencies in the face of massive redundancies across the country in both the private and public sector. I would develop this further by considering the ratio of the supply/demand for workers as a result, and also how this impacts on the confidence of businesses/workers-businesses unable to budget for long term agency staff/workers unsure of being able to find work.

I would go on to say I would approach this by refining the selection techniques of workers to ensure the best match of worker to employer happens, and also promote the availability of the agency's temporary staff and offer this service as flexibly as possible to prospective clients.

But I am probably so far wide of the mark that this message will arrive on a postcard

Good luck though

purplepardalis

To be honest I would steer clear of agencies like Michael Page and talk to smaller agencies who will meet you in person to get a better idea of who you are and whether you would suit the job and client. Filling out a form like that is a lazy way for them to recruit for a position.

neil182sr

well i'm interested in them for their international opportunities, the reason i have to do it this way is because i'm too late for the final graduate assessment. if i can come across interesting in this form then they will call me for an interview. have you heard bad things about them?

MaidMarianofNottingham

What is your MSc subject?

heretolearn_2

I think 7 is asking, given the current financial and business climate, what special problems will this create when you are trying to get them to use a recruitment agency - i.e. what reasons will they say no, and how will you counter that?

I can think of loads of reasons: not got a budget for recruitment agency, recruitment freeze, decided to cut costs by doing recruitment in-house, not happy with applicants sent by previous agencies, prefer to promote internally, etc. I'll let you think of how you would counter those. recruitment is a cut-throat business, you need to be very on the ball, and I think really you should be thinking of your own answers. If you can't think of them now, when you've got plenty of time to ponder over it all, you won't manage the job.