Suzanne Handford

This region can be really tough for job seekers. The demand for roles here is just so high. I wanted to give some tips to those looking and keep it realistic. When I was recruiting in the UK, I could place a Scrum Master who used to work in a bank as a Banking Product Owner. I get there is plenty of overlap and things don't change too much over a year or two. I can't stress enough how that is not the case in this market. Dubai has over a thousand applicants for each job. When you're searching here, you need to be applying for as much as an exact match as possible to the role you're applying for to give yourself the best chance of relocating to the region. To give some context, when a client gives me a mandate to search on a role, I essentially pull a shortlist together of the top 5 candidates to match their search criteria, and need to match it as best as possible. Clients come to us to support them on often the most challenging roles, so I'll be head hunting exact matches. This is often what I'm looking for. In terms of priority: 1. Same role / job title and seniority. 1=. Same industry and ideally similar size. E.g. 5000+ Retail Banking. 3. Market maturity. How mature are the markets in the countries you've worked in? 4. Detailed LinkedIn profiles with demonstrable results and value add in role descriptions. E.g. Time save/cost save, Profit increase, automation, increases in app store ratings, net promoter score increases and impacts, reduction of risk of regulatory fines etc. In the CV, outcome based information. 5. A great conversation and personable :) There are other things of course that make a great candidate, but this is what I as a Recruiter am looking for. I try to get back to as many candidates as possible that are interested in roles. But for those searching, think of what you specialise at, which industry you work in and maximise your chances of a move here by searching for exact roles. It's always the fastest way in, then once you are here, your career can go from strength to strength.

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7 Comments

𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 / 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐯𝐬 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 🤺 With rules being put in place more contracts are being offered to employed / midlance professionals rather than freelancers. Due to DBA law we are seeing strict requirements for non ZZP workers specifically in Government / Semi-Government opportunities. As a freelancer would you consider this type of employment? #DevOps #Cloud #Recruitment

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If you're sourcing for hard to find candidates this week, this could help accelerate the process And it could also give you and your client a little more choice When you call someone with a role and they tell you their not looking, you've got three choices - Accept it as fact and move on (perhaps do that really weak referral fishing question) Explore when timing might be better (and who realistically has that crystal ball unless it's a contractor) Deal with it as an objection and understand it with good questions To get the air time to handle it with questions you need to break the pattern. The headhunter's pattern interrupt. =================================================== 🙌 I'm Jeremy Snell 🙌 🌟 I show recruiters how to standout and create exceptional experiences for their customers 🌟 Stay on point and keep up to date with what I share Click on the 🔔 at the top of my profile 🎙️ Listen to my podcast (people tell me it's good) 📬 Sign up to my newsletter (it's written to be read, not deleted) 🎥 Watch my YouTube channel (short and long form video)

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3 Comments

Three things you need to assess BEFORE considering RPO solutions... 1. Do you deliver on your roles. The average fill rate for agencies in the UK is 20%-30%. This should be above 70% for your best customers. 2. Do you have high level customer relationships with the decision makers and board. These stakeholders need to be your advocates. 3. Are you committed to working on the business and not just in it. If the answer is yes to all these questions there is only ONE thing stopping you from moving out of the mosh pit and in to the consultative solutions space......YOU. RPO isn't just for the big agencies..... Time to fight back.... #rpo #msp #talentsolutions

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If you work in the IT/Tech field and are struggling to find work then creating a compelling CV is a must and you should review yours now. When it comes to creating a CV for the IT/Tech industry, it's essential to strike a balance between professionalism and showcasing your technical skills and experiences. As an experienced IT/Technical recruiter, I've seen countless CVs, and I can tell you that a well-crafted one can make all the difference. Your CV is your first impression on potential employers, so it's crucial to make it compelling and impactful. Here are some tips to help you create a standout CV that will catch the eye of hiring managers:   Tailor Your CV to the Job Description: One of the biggest mistakes I see IT professionals make is sending out a generic CV to multiple job openings. Instead, take the time to customize your CV for each position you apply for. Carefully read the job description and highlight the skills and experiences that are most relevant to the role.   Showcase Your Technical Skills: In the IT industry, technical skills are paramount. Make sure to prominently feature your technical skills section at the top of your CV. Include specific technologies, programming languages, and tools that you are proficient in. This will demonstrate to employers that you have the expertise they're looking for.   Highlight Your Achievements: Don't just list your job responsibilities – showcase your achievements. Did you lead a successful project that resulted in cost savings or improved efficiency? Did you implement a new system that increased productivity? Quantify your accomplishments with metrics whenever possible to provide concrete evidence of your impact.   Include Keywords: Many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to screen CVs before they ever reach a human recruiter. To ensure your CV makes it through this initial screening, incorporate relevant keywords from the job description. This will increase the likelihood of your CV being selected for further review.   Provide Context: When describing your work experience, provide context for each role. Briefly explain the company you worked for, its industry, and the scope of your responsibilities. This will help recruiters and hiring managers better understand your background and how it aligns with their needs.   Demonstrate Continuous Learning: The IT industry is constantly evolving, so it's important to demonstrate that you're committed to ongoing learning and professional development. Include any relevant certifications, courses, or training programs you've completed to stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and trends. I have created and easy to use CV template, so drop a message in the comments below 👇 and I will send you an editable copy. I hope this helps and good luck in your searches. #itjobs #techCVs #jobsearch #cvwriting #resumebuilder

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3 Comments

I want to talk about a candidate’s story about interview process & employment to benefit employers, it’s actually a very sad experience. A junior cybersecurity candidate with roughly 12months experience was searching for a new role after being made redundant. After 6months on unemployment she took a job at her local supermarket to survive, did not complain one bit and kept her jobseach live. She got an interview with a well know large consultancy and went through 4 interview stages before doing a tech test and then 2 more stages to then be told the role was on hold. The employer re-advertised the same role a week later with a 20% cut in salary. She called up the recruiter (internal) and was basically told if she wanted to be considered it wasn’t the same role and was now entry level paying 20% less. She was also told the whole interview process would need to start again and on her desperation to get a role she agreed. 6 interviews and a technical test later they offered her the role at a salary less than what she was earning at the supermarket and told her she should be happy with that. When she questioned the internal recruiter she was basically told take it or leave it but in a very rude way. She called me and asked my advice and I simply said to her if they treat you like this in the interview process what do you think working with them will be like? She started to cry and poured her soul out to me which broke me inside. She had a degree in cybersecurity, quite a few good certs, IT support experience and several years in sales prior to the IT Support role and she was totally broken. She said if I take the role I’m damned but if I don’t I have no idea how long I will have to wait for another opportunity. She took the role and with 12 weeks she called me back and she had left. Her experience as a female in a male dominated environment was nothing short of criminal. She is in her 30s and single so it was assumed she would go on nights out with the team, when she did all they tried to do is get her drunk to have sex with her and in the office she was treated like a 2nd class citizen. She told me of one time she was with a senior male colleague visiting a client and after the meeting her colleague insisted they went for a drink. When she refused he called up the manager and claimed she was unprofessional during the client visit making up a whole load of BS. She cried her heart out to me having handed in her notice. Now I am an emotional guy and she said one thing to me that never leaves me, “Musa why can men not understand no means no and it’s a woman’s right to choose who she sleeps with. Why do mean act like juvenile delinquents within a professional environment & they can’t even see how horrible for a woman to work with them.” She was suicidal and this broke me because all she wanted to do is work in a professional environment free of discrimination or any attempt to coerce her for sex. Please guys don’t act like this it’s sickening!

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41 Comments

𝗛𝗲𝘆 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲!👋 I'm representing an incredible 𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙧 𝙂𝙚𝙤𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝘿𝙖𝙩𝙖 𝙀𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙧 that could be of great value to 𝙔𝙊𝙐𝙍 business 🫵 If you're interested in the candidate below, please contact me to organise a discussion 📩 *Please note that this candidate operates remotely within Europe (notably Germany) only. ---------------------------------- 𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬: - An advanced (Senior) Geospatial Data Engineer with a technical capability beyond measure, over 7 years of experience working with big datasets and knowledge across a range of tooling for data architecture/pipelines, cloud, and data science/ML. 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙨: - Directed the design and management of a comprehensive infrastructure on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) to ingest and process geospatial data from a fleet of over 250 satellites, integrating machine learning models to detect and analyze changes in forest cover using GeoDiff. - Developed specialized data structures to handle both vector (e.g., feature collections, multi-polygons, points) and raster (e.g., satellite imagery, elevation models) geospatial datasets, improving processing capabilities for deforestation analysis and environmental monitoring. - Skilled in orchestrating geospatial pipelines, spatial ETL operations, geospatial query development, spatial analysis, as well as data storage, schema design, and spatial indexing. - Designed schemas in BigQuery and Bigtable, incorporating spatial indices to optimize query performance on petabytes of geospatial data, including layers dedicated to deforestation tracking and monitoring. - Established a Data Lake on Google Cloud Storage (GCS) to store GeoParquet formatted specifically for machine learning models focused on detecting deforestation activities, ensuring efficient data management and accessibility for deep learning applications. - Utilized PubSub/PubSub-Lite and Apache Spark for real-time geospatial data streaming and on-the-fly analytics, integrating machine learning algorithms to identify and respond to rapid environmental changes indicative of deforestation. - Performed spatial join operations, proximity analysis, and advanced analytics, contextualizing incoming satellite data with historical deforestation patterns through GeoDiff analysis, enabling timely detection and response strategies. - Deployed Apache Airflow on a GKE cluster, integrating geospatial ETL DAGs with gcsfuse and PubSub. - Managed backfill operations with Airflow, ensuring the spatial integrity and accuracy of geospatial datasets over time.

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🌟What does the rise in the unemployment rate mean for us employers? 🙋‍♀️ Official statistics by the ONS suggest between January and March 2024 the unemployment rate in the UK was 4.3%. In the North East this was higher at 4.4%. And with more than a fifth of working-age people deemed not to be actively looking for work and long term health issues being a major factor - us employers need to continue to stay on our toes. Things to consider - 🎷Strengthening your Employer brand by offering support, flexibility, and growth opportunities to attract the very best talent over your competitors 🎷Hold tight to the importance of your company culture - new team members need to align with your company values and culture to allow us to provide meaningful and long lasting careers based on shared mindsets, approaches and beliefs 🎷Develop, train and upskill... to retain. Speak with Laura Barker - her team have LOADS of ideas on this! 👍 🎷Prioritise occupational health and mental health support to ensure safe, healthy work environments boosting morale, reducing absenteeism, and enhancing productivity. Lets continue to push through the challenges that come our way when growing our businesses! 💪🏼 Give us a shout for Talent Strategy, Recruitment, Learning and Development and Coaching advice to build the high performing teams we want (and need!) for our businesses- [email protected] / 0191 3008688. 👌 (Check out my picture! 👀 This was taken last Wednesday at our weekly team training session (we practice what we preach on developing, training and upskilling! 🙋🏻‍♀️) when some of the Talentheads team took on Judith Armatage's Recruitment quiz! 😂 Good times!) #Leadership #TalentAcquisition #EmployeeDevelopment #WorkplaceCulture #OccupationalHealth #StrategicGrowth #Innovation #EmployerBranding #Recruitment #Coaching #Values #GrowingBusinesses

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