Get the right experience

“The world from which non-executives have been drawn has tended to focus on people who are already on boards, particularly those in executive positions,” Dr Roger Barker, the head of corporate governance at the Institute of Directors, said.

Candidates need a good record and considerable experience as an executive, preferably in a similar line of business.

Undertake extensive research

If you don’t understand what’s happening within the business and its marketplace, you won’t be able to recognise when things need to change. A lot of financial institutions ran into problems because the people on their boards did not understand the business well enough to hold the directors to account.  At the very least, you have to understand what could put the business at risk.

Network

Most people who become non-executives do so through personal connections, so networking is important — or has been in the past, but this many change as too many non-executive appointments are still made through the old boys’ network and nowadays Boards looking for independence and diversity are moving to more formal processes.

Have confidence

Non-executive directors need to be able to stand up and question the decisions of executives. This requires confidence in your understanding of the sector, willingness to question the prevailing wisdom and, sometimes, the ability to withstand pressure from people who want things to continue as they are.

You need courage to be able to stand up — and you need to be prepared to walk away.  On boards, you get a high degree of ‘group think’. Non-execs have to be independent of that; you need to be able to build good relationships with executives and board members without ever becoming too close.

Start slowly

Don’t be too ambitious the first time around, and look for a company that deals with an area you’re familiar with.

Don’t take on too much at once: You cannot be effective if you are on too many boards.

Go public

NHS Foundation Trusts have boards of directors and are looking for people to fill those roles – these are sectors where there is a real shortage of people to get involved.  However never underestimate the complexity of an NHS Foundation Trust, which are often £multi-million organisations which face complex strategic and financial issues on a daily basis.

Keep your distance

Non-executive directors are responsible for corporate governance and reviewing strategy, not hands-on management. Ask yourself if you understand the clear distinction between executive and non-executive roles.

Avoid telling management what to do – you don’t know enough [about the business] to do that. Your job is to challenge managers and get them to think.

Understand the risks

Non-executives have some quite onerous financial and legal duties. Make sure you understand what your obligations are and that you are willing to take them on.

Make sure that any board you join has directors’ and officers’ insurance.  If you get sued, you have to be covered. Otherwise, you could be personally liable. Yet insurance won’t cover the damage to your reputation if you get things wrong. If your first appointment goes wrong, this could impact your chances of building a portfolio in the future.

Don’t say yes to just anything

First, ask if the company has a clear strategy, an understanding of the risks that it involves, and a Plan B to turn to if things go wrong.  Be sure that you’re signing up to a business that knows what it’s doing and where it’s going.

Look at whether your skills will complement those of other people on the board and make sure that you’re happy that important executive positions are filled by the right people. He also suggests meeting other non-execs informally to make sure you have the right chemistry.

As the Partner of a successful executive level recruitment and professional CV writing firm for 15 years, I have found that this is the key to beating the competition and securing the job that you want.
The most important things to remember when writing a CV are threefold;

Firstly your CV must be visually professional and high-impact to appeal to the reader and ensure that you are selected for interview from a potentially large sea of other job applicants.

Secondly, your CV must contain pertinent key words so that your details can be found by searching either on the internet (if you have applied online) or from within a database system if you have registered your details with an executive search firm, employer or employment agency.

Finally your CV must act as a marketing tool and shop window, displaying your education, training, skills, personal attributes and key achievements in a succinct way which is easy to read at first glance. This will catch the attention of the reader quickly and open the door to further questioning.

The covering letter which accompanies your CV is just as important. In our experience an employer wants to feel that you have researched the role and the organisation, and that you understand the challenges that the company faces in the current climate and in the future.

Some useful tips for impressing in the covering letter  include:

Show an understanding of the organisation by looking at corporate brochures and the company website; read the latest new articles and annual reports (if available) and be prepared to comment on anything you found interesting; research the competition and the marketplace and finally, be prepared to offer a summary of what specific skills and experience you possess that will add value to the business.

Never be complacent when applying for a new job opportunity, if you do, then you are in serious danger of losing the role you are hoping to secure to someone who has a better CV and covering letter than you.

If one read down the lists of business school MBA programmes under various headings, many institutions are promising salary increases around 100 %.  But is this really the case?

Reports released from Cambridge University’s Judge Business School, outline that the average salary increase recorded by the 105-strong full time MBA course graduate who finished last September was an impressive 66 per cent. However, according to Cathy Butles, MBA careers director at Judge, this masked some real extremes which should be kept in perspective

In her interview with the Independent in February 2011, she explains; “If we look closely at the salary increase split by pre-MBA region, the results from other parts of the world outside the US and Europe feature figures as high as 200 and 300 per cent.  However, the averages of those from pre-MBA locations such as UK, Europe and North America, while not hitting former heady percentages, also reach beyond 50 per cent.”

Several factors that affect the statistics reported on salary increases are linked to the underlying reasons for embarking on an MBA. These include a desire to change career direction or geographical location, a desire to change industry, or a desire to change job function within a sector. To expect to achieve one or more of these by doing an MBA, and land a vastly increased salary at the same time, in my opinion would be ambitious.

Statistics from Cranfield School of Management show that the most recent group of MBA students, who graduated in September 2010 have seen their basic salaries rise by 33 per cent on average, which might appear modest. However, 82 per cent of the group in question achieved a complete change of career and job function and 64 per cent changed sector altogether. This puts weighting to my point above.

Diane Morgan, director of career services at London Business School (LBS) reports that salary increases are not immediate and graduate MBAs tend to see the largest growth in remuneration package around two or three years after an MBA.

She also reports, and I concur from my recruitment dealings, that there has been an observed a change in the mix of head –hunting firms and employers showing keen interest in hiring MBA graduates. As well as the usual interest from finance, accountancy and consultancy firms, there is now an increased demand from pharmaceutical energy and technology employers, seeking to fill board level gaps due to retirement.

In my experience, it appears that when students are considering firm job offers, the salary factor slips behind the exact nature of job and possibilities for the future. This matches the overall analysis of Simon Tankard, head of careers services at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School.

“It’s not just the salary component that’s important,” he concludes. “Candidates are equally concerned to look at their career prospects, job content and the relevant sector experience that the opportunity will give them. And recruiters know that these factors play a key role in securing the best candidates.

Today’s marketplace is far less buoyant, which means that in making a career move and deciding upon your new role and new place of employment, you should carefully evaluate all the factors, one of which is salary.

One thing which is often overlooked in a recession is that salaries are still, in the main, negotiable. This means that you should not necessarily feel obliged to accept the annual basic salary rate that is initially offered to you. Rather, you can work to negotiate a package that will truly suit your needs in the long run, saving you from feeling undervalued later down the line.

Here are a few tips to ensure that you get the salary you want:

Do your research

Get in touch with some professional search firms or senior level recruitment agencies which deal in your particular field and ask advice on typical salary ranges. Look out for roles of a similar level, and in your target industry which are being advertised in the press and on-line executive job portals such as exec.appoinments.com and jobs.telegraph.co.uk.  This way, you’ll have a better idea of the going rates in your profession. Also, be sure to take into consideration geographic factors which could serve to make your ideal salary higher or lower than the average.

Evaluation your skills

Before you enter into a salary negotiation process, make sure that you have a firm understanding of your job skills and what they are worth on the open market. Pick out a number of key achievements which you have made in your career to date, such as cost savings you have initiated or commercial contracts you have secured and be ready to quantify them.  You can also gather salary information from a variety of on-line sources, most of which are listed on the useful links in our site.

Factor in the entire remuneration package

When evaluating a salary offer, do not just look at basic salary -make sure that you consider the package as a whole.   If there is a bonus structure in place, ask what percentage of bonus has been achieved in the past and negotiate a larger percentage based on key deliverables and milestones.  Calculate the monetary value of shares, health plans and pension contributions and try not to be fixated on basic salary alone, which can tend to be a short sighted view.

Specify a preferred salary range

When you are initially applying for a role, do not specify your current salary, instead articulate a liberal preferred range.  This way, you cannot be held to an exact figure, there is room left for negotiation and you will not be selling yourself short.

Look at the opportunities for progression

Whilst you may not be able to negotiate your ideal salary initially, it may be possible to negotiate a review after 6 months based on performance.  Ask if the company has a good track record of promoting its employees and find out about the opportunities for advancement within the role being offered.

Don’t be too aggressive

When negotiating your salary package, adopt a soft-sell approach. If you are professional, calculated and well prepared, you are far more likely to secure a salary which you and your future employer can be mutually satisfied with.

• Open your CV with a brief Personal Profile, be succinct and positive, busy employers/recruiters will make a decision in seconds.
• Use a high impact format, preferably with your name in capitals or on colour to ensure that you get noticed
• Use clean and easily legible typefaces, such as Arial, Arial Narrow or Tahoma.
• Start your employment details from your current position and work back.
• Double-check all spelling yourself; do not simply rely on a spell checker (it may be American as opposed to English).
• Keep your CV to a maximum of 3 pages where possible and try to be siccint whilst being achievement orientated.
• Ensure every sentence sells you at your best, use positive words.
• Quantify all claims with £ figures and or % improvement.
• Ensure your CV is factual and above all honest in terms of job titles, employment duration and qualifications.
• Include relevant professional training, awards and memberships, along with dates of when they were awarded.
• Be clear on what you have to offer a potential employer.

Never:

• Make false claims.
• Complain or use negative words and phrases.
• Date your CV.
• Put personal details on the ‘covering page’ of the CV, such as date of birth, number of dependants etc, this is a valuable space and should be used to outline your profile and skills.
• Go into great detail on employment which is over 10 years ago, instead, insert a heading such as ‘early work history’.

The Government has been driving initiatives to help keep businesses buoyant and to get the young back in employment. But what about the jobseekers themselves?

The recession has created a new calibre of jobseeker – a much more educated potential workforce who have experienced the rigours of unemployment and stared a heightened level of competition for work in the face.

Having spent months searching for a new job, candidates are aware that the stakes are high and they’ve had to up their game. And this is precisely what I, as an employer, would be looking for in a CV.

There’s no need to sugarcoat it: the UK job market as a whole is still in a bad way. And while we’re seeing green shoots, it’s still getting harder by the day for many businesses.

We’re seeing a nation of people working two jobs or additional part-time hours to pay the bills.

We’ve seen that the majority of sectors have been hit by the recession, most notably construction, finance and manufacturing.

Thousands of jobs have been shed and some blue chips are still crumbling, but it’s what jobseekers do in this period that will affect their future prospects in 2011.

I think one of our key priorities should be young people and their employment. If we’re not careful, this wave of fresh talent will be lost. I fear young people will miss the chance of getting into the employment market as employers opt for more experienced workers who are able to walk in and hit the ground running.

Employers must consider the talent in front of them, whatever age and experience. Who knows what value a fresh pair of eyes could add to your business.

If you’re a recent graduate trying to use the skills you’ve acquired at university, or you’re a senior manager with years under your belt who has been told countless times that you’re overqualified, I recommend demonstrating what you’ve done in this period.

Show that you’ve been proactive and I’d be surprised if your application was then dismissed.

If you decide to undergo unpaid work to build your CV, do so, but make sure you aren’t taken for granted.

Despite the doom and gloom, there are a number of entrepreneurs who’ve gone against the grain and proved that the recession is fertile ground for opening a new business.

Online retailers, consultancies, new media agencies and even recruiters have contacted me to say they’ve used the last 12 months to realign their aspirations and go for what they’ve always wanted. It’s precisely these characters that will be integral in leading us on to better things in this decade.

Source – The Daily Telegraph

Article by James Caan February 19 2011

It reported the fastest rise in permanent staff placements in ten months. The group’s report also showed the sharpest increase in temporary positions since May 2007.
REC said more people were available for permanent and temporary work in February compared with previous months.
However, it expressed concern over the UK’s future capacity for employment, with the government expected to cut the number of people employed in the public sector this year.

In its latest report, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said unemployment in the UK had increased by 44,000 to almost 2.5m in the three months to the end of December. There had been 40,000 more job vacancies than in the previous three months. However, the ONS said that most of these new vacancies were temporary jobs, working on the 2011 Census. Excluding this, there were just 8,000 more vacancies.

Private sector investment

Many analysts expect unemployment to rise in the coming months, as public sector spending cuts designed to bring down the UK’s budget deficit are implemented by the government.

“The UK now has a two-speed labour market. The private sector continues to hire in increasing numbers while the public sector is shedding jobs,” said Rec chief executive, Kevin Green.
“Nursing, medical and care sectors have significantly declined from a year ago. In comparison, the IT and computing sector saw accelerated growth over the same period,” he added.
Bernard Brown, of accountants KPMG, which helped with the research, said he believed that government should encourage the private sector to take a wider role in supporting economic growth.

“What the government needs to do is encourage private sector investment into the provision of public services to mitigate the cuts and job losses we are expecting across the public sector,” said Mr Brown.

“It also should continue to help and promote British exports in order to enable UK manufacturers to expand globally which many of them will need to do in order to survive,” he added.

Dragons’ Den investor and successful entrepreneur Deborah Meaden, one of four business mentors helping public sector workers facing redundancy in Newsnight’s Job Market Mentors, gives her top tips on making the transition.

Often when faced with something pretty traumatic like losing your job, people have a tendency to bury their heads in the sand.

Don’t. Doing so is bad for you, and it sends a bad message to any potential employers. If you know you are going to lose your job then be proactive and start to plan before it even happens. If it has just happened then get moving now.

Your CV needs more than just a brush-up. It needs to be completely re-worked and then carefully tailored for each and every job that you go for.

If you send the same CV out for 10 different jobs, nine times out of 10 you will be sending the wrong CV.

Employers in the private sector often have pre-conceptions about people from the public sector – that they are risk averse, that they want long holidays and short hours – you need to be able to dispel all of those pre-conceptions.

Realise that you are in a new environment now and make sure that your CV works for that new environment.
Don’t just dwell on what you have done, but really think “how do I fit that job?” then tinker with your CV to show that you do.

Stop thinking in terms of what you do and fixating on the job that you have had. Start thinking instead about the transferable skills it takes to do that job. I could take anyone who has had a job and apply at least 75% of the skills that they have acquired in it and use them in another role.

Get used to the idea that the first step you take into the private sector may not be perfect.

You may not get your ideal job straight away, it may be the second job or even the third that fits best, but you have to take that first step and get going.

And take that step with enthusiasm – private sector employers are waiting for that hangdog public sector attitude that some think exists, that lack of enthusiasm, and you need to show that’s not you.

I would rather get out there and be working, even if it is not in the best job in the world, than be sitting at home doing nothing.

Even if what you are doing isn’t the perfect job it can still be a very good thing. Because not working for a long period can be dangerous.

It is very, very easy to get out of the habit of working, and if you have long breaks between jobs on your CV it sends a bad message to prospective employers.

Talk to people. Lots of jobs and business opportunities come out of conversation.

People in this country often find it very difficult to say “I’m good at that”, but so long as you don’t say it with arrogance, and aren’t afraid to also admit when you aren’t so good at something there is nothing wrong with it.

So think about what you are good at and talk to people, network as much as possible, keep your radar switched on and bring out ideas and plans through conversation.

If you’ve been working in the same job for a long time it could suggest to a private sector employer that you have chosen to stay in a safe environment and are perhaps starting to wind your career down.

You need to be sensitive to that and ensure that instead of fuelling that notion, you eradicate it. Be enthusiastic and passionate. It is not about age, it is about attitude.

Often the best things come out of really difficult times. That idea you’ve been considering, that change of direction you’ve been thinking about – now is the time.

You could now be saying to yourself: “What have I got to lose?”

One in five 16 to 24-year-olds are now out of work, after a rise of 32,000 to 951,000 without jobs, the highest figure since records began in 1992.

Despite the rise, the unemployment rate in the UK remained unchanged at 7.9%.

The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in December fell by 4,100 to 1.46 million, the ONS said.

Other data from the ONS showed that average earnings had risen by 2.1% in the year to November.

‘Subdued picture’

Male unemployment increased by 43,000 in the three months to November to reach 1.48 million, while female unemployment rose by 6,000 to 1.02 million. There were 157,000 redundancies, up by 14,000.

Most analysts, as well as the government, expect the unemployment total to continue rising, in large part due to the public sector spending cuts designed to cut the budget deficit.

“At the headline level, [the jobless data] is fairly predictable,” said Ross Walker at RBS Financial Markets.

“There is no significant change going on but there is a sense that the labour market is not showing any surge in activity a year into recovery. The underlying picture is still fairly subdued.”

On Tuesday, the Institute of Public Policy Research warned that the UK faced a double-dip in employment, with the jobless level expected to rise during 2011.

The think tank said that the UK economy was not growing fast enough to bring down unemployment.

The unemployment rate stands at 8.0% – up 0.1% over the quarter and the highest rate since September 1996. 28.82 million people were in work in the period December to February according to the labour force survey (LFS). The number of people employed was down by 89,000 this quarter and 406,000 from last year.

The working age employment rate is 72.1% – down by 0.3% on the last quarter and 1.6% on last year – and the lowest since October 1996.

ILO-defined unemployment in December to February was 2.50 million (8.0%) – up by 43,000 on the quarter and 369,000 from a year previously – the highest since December 1994.

The claimant count for key out-of-work benefits was 1.54 million in March – down by 32,900 on last month.

Earnings growth over the year to February (including bonuses) was 2.3%.

Commenting on the latest statistics, John Philpott, Chief Economic Adviser at the CIPD, said:

“The last set of official labour market statistics before the General Election contains a mix of good and bad news. Since this provides all three main UK political parties with something to seize on, these pre-Election jobs figures are unlikely to prove a ‘game changer’ at the polls.

“Labour can highlight a welcome further fall of almost 33,000 in March in the number of people claiming JSA. They can also claim that the 2.5 million headline unemployment figure is around half a million lower than most forecasters had expected this time last year and is vindication of the government’s approach to supporting the economy through the recession and its intention to keep spending to stimulate the economy in 2010-11.

“But the opposition Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties can point to yet another quarterly fall, of 89,000, in the number of people in work, an increase to 1.046 million in the number of people working part-time because they can’t find full-time jobs, and a quarterly 89,000 rise in the number of people unemployed for more than a year; taking the long-term jobless total to 726,000.

“Most significant of all, the latest rise in headline unemployment takes the overall jobless total to 2.5 million, 8% of the workforce. The situation would have looked worse had the number of economically active people – i.e. those outside the jobs market – not also increased by 110,000 in the latest quarter. Students account for the bulk of the increase in the number of economically inactive, indicating the extent to which young jobless people have been turning to study to avoid the dole. Without a 71,000 quarterly rise in student numbers, youth unemployment (16-24 year olds) would have reached exactly 1 million, further fuelling fear of ‘a lost generation’.

“Even if the overall or youth jobless figures don’t prove a vote clinching issue, come polling day, whoever is responsible for economic and employment policy in the next few years will struggle to combine the task of reducing the fiscal deficit with that of returning the UK economy to full employment any time soon.”