About Us

Procrastination creeps into our days in many different forms. Sometimes it’s spending endless time browsing Instagram or watching videos on TikTok, checking your emails obsessively throughout the day, or even spending a chunk of your time on low priority busy work instead of focusing on those more important projects. Have you been feeling guilty about putting projects off that you know would make a real difference to yourself and the company as a whole? Or maybe you just feel overwhelmed at the thought of getting started. Either way, if you want to improve your success, become more productive and overcome procrastination for good, then it’s time to apply the 80/20 rule in your life.   What is the 80/20 Rule? The 80/20 rule is the concept that 80% of your revenue or success comes from only 20% of your efforts or customers. If you look at the activities you completed during the day, you will find that the top 20% of your daily activities will result in 80% of the results that you achieve. It’s easy for menial tasks to slip in and keep us distracted from the things that can move us forward and bring success and many people slip back into old habits of procrastination instead of focusing on the 20% that will propel you forward. Ask yourself, what tasks and projects would really propel you forward and then make them happen!   How to apply the 80/20 Rule Here are some of our tips to help you maximize your productivity and overcome procrastination: Change the flow of your work. Most people have a habit of looking at their to-do list, and then checking their emails or social media feeds with the idea that they will start on their list after a few mundane and often quick tasks. Instead of letting yourself slip out of productivity like this, jump into your priority to-do items to get them done first, and then you can spend the rest of the day tackling other tasks on your list.   Nobody’s perfect. We all have habits that slow down our progress, and many times these habits are rooted in an attempt to achieve perfection. Re-reading and editing a short internal email for 15 minutes before hitting the send button only makes a small, incremental difference in the big picture. Move fast, complete the task as quickly and accurately as possible, and then move onto the next without getting bogged down by trying to achieve perfection. Why not try Grammarly? It’s a free add-on that you can download for your Outlook emails, Word documents and Chrome Browser that helps you improve your grammar instantly, a real time saver.   All good things come in 3’s. If someone asks you ‘How was your day at work?’ how many of us can honestly measure how successful we were compared to yesterday? A great way of focusing your endless to-do list is to narrow it down to your top 3 priorities. Every day ask yourself: What are the 3 things I want to have achieved by the end of the day? Make sure these are items that add value, propel you forward and should not be put off. Then make as much headway into your 3 priorities as possible and you’ll be amazed at how much more you can accomplish! Doing this also gives you a much better indication of how effective you are on a day to day basis.   Schedule breaks into your calendar. Trying to power through your to-do list without taking any breaks can have negative consequences and will eventually make you burn out. Make sure to schedule some downtime into your calendar: relax, have lunch, read a book, get some fresh air, or play with your kids. These breaks will help to refuel your creativity and make you more effective when you’re focusing on the tasks that really matter. Also, consider taking a day off now and then as a digital detox, where you completely step away from the computer to allow yourself to refresh.   Reward yourself. We all have an inner chimp that needs to be kept happy. Set out to accomplish your most important tasks and agree to reward yourself once you’ve made a certain level of progress and once you have accomplished them. Fancy a cup of tea? Make a compromise with yourself to accomplish a certain milestone first and then enjoy your cup of tea that much more. Setting yourself small rewards will also give you more of an incentive to tackle meaningful projects instead of the easy busywork.   As you see, incorporating the 80/20 rule into your work isn’t rocket science. It only takes a little bit of practice, but once you learn to identify the tasks that are propelling your success, then you can optimize the way you work and decrease procrastination. Seeing how effective you can be by applying the 80/20 rule in your own life and reaping the benefits of maximizing your productivity is simply a fantastic feeling. So, what are you waiting for?

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 690m users. It is also used by an estimated 95% of recruiters to find talent. But are you really making the most of what this platform has to offer? With a hire made every 10 seconds how can you leverage LinkedIn to stand out and help you land your dream job? We know that starting a job search can be incredibly daunting and selling yourself is cringeworthy (at the best of times!), so we’ve compiled everything you need to know wrapped up in 13 handy tips to make your LinkedIn profile shine and get yourself noticed! 1. Complete your profile Your LinkedIn profile is one of the most important aspects of your job search and is much more than just an online version of your CV. Complete profiles rank higher in LinkedIn searches and make it easier for recruiters to find you, so make sure you spend time making your profile awesome and gain ‘all-star’ status. LinkedIn helps you out here by measuring the completeness of your profile and gives you recommendations on how to make it even better. Before making any changes to your profile, make sure you turn off the notifications LinkedIn sends your network in the ‘how others see your LinkedIn activity’ section in your Settings to keep your changes private. 2. Put a face to the name Add a clear headshot without a busy background (avoid selfies and photos with your mates down the pub). First impressions count and your profile photo is the first thing connections, recruiters and potential employers will see. Your photo will also build trust. Are you looking for a new challenge? Check out our latest opportunities here. 3. Choose a cover photo Express your professional identity and set yourself apart by adding a cover photo to your profile. LinkedIn recommends using an image size 1584 x 396 px.   4. Customize your URL​ Customize your profile link (ideally it should be linkedin.com/yourname) so it is easy to read and share, then make sure to add it to your CV to make it easy for recruiters to find your profile. Customize your URL by clicking on ‘Edit public profile & URL’ in the top right corner of your profile. 5. Sell yourself with a compelling headline Your headline is your chance to brand yourself in 120 characters and should be eye-catching to stand out. Sell the benefits of what you do not just your job title. 6. Get found easily Include your contact details. It may sound obvious, but many people forget to do this. Next, add your location. If you’d like to be found for opportunities closer to home set your location to be where you live instead of where you work The ‘Show recruiters, you’re open to job opportunities’ feature is great if you’re actively looking for a job. Enabling this feature will mean recruiters can find you more easily and you can specify what type of opportunities and location you are looking for. Don’t worry about your current boss finding out, you can choose whether everyone on LinkedIn or just recruiters can see your status. LinkedIn Recruiter users who work at your current company and related companies will not be able to see your career interests and you can easily disable this feature at any point. 7. Bring your career story to life Give your About section some love and outline the most relevant skills for the jobs you want but avoid these common buzzwords. Ideally, this section will be 3-5 short paragraphs long and can include bullet points. What are you passionate about? What key skills do you have, and which industries have you worked in? What makes you different from others? Show your personality here and let people get to know you. With rich media you can turn your profile into a portfolio and show potential employers your projects rather than just write about them. Take advantage of the 'featured content' section at the top of your profile where you can feature status updates, articles you’ve published on LinkedIn, documents, photos, presentations or links to web content such as blogs and videos. Add your positions and highlight your achievements and wins for each role. LinkedIn will now automatically visually group different positions you have held within the same company, showing your progression. What did you do, what was the result and who did it impact? Include stats where you can as well as keywords that are relevant to your skills. A good rule of thumb is to have two paragraphs for each role, outlining your role and responsibilities in the first and briefly outlining the organization in the second. You can also add media and links for each position or simply add a link to the company’s website. Always include a current position even if you’re currently unemployed, so you aren’t left out of recruiter’s searches that usually only cover current roles to get the most recent and relevant candidates. Create a ‘dummy’ job position with the title you are looking for making it clear that you are ‘Looking for New Opportunities’ in the company name box. Do you speak different languages? Make sure to add them to your profile in the languages section. Add skills and ask people you have worked with to endorse you for them. Alternatively, you can choose to add your skills but opt out of being endorsed for them or even better, use the new LinkedIn skills assessment. This feature tests your knowledge of a skill with 15-20 multiple-choice questions. You can find this in the skills section of your profile, and it is currently available for tech, business, and design skills. If you pass the test, you get a certificate you can display on your LinkedIn profile. If you don’t pass, your results will remain private. According to LinkedIn data, candidates who completed these skill tests successfully were 30% more likely to get hired than those who didn’t. Ask previous employers or colleagues for recommendations. These testimonials are more valuable than skills endorsements and help paint a picture of you and your work. Don’t be afraid to ask them to mention certain skills or a project you worked on with them. Another great way of getting recommendations is asking for them right after someone has praised you for doing a great job on work you completed recently. You can ask for recommendations from your profile in the recommendations area. Add any volunteering roles, accolades, awards, and degrees. 8. Search for that dream job LinkedIn’s job search feature is a great place to start to search for relevant jobs and set up email job alerts for your searches.  You can do this using the jobs function or if it is a specific company you want to keep up to date with, navigate to their company page, click to see all jobs and then enable the alert. Doing this will also inform their recruiters that you are interested in working at their company.  LinkedIn also helps keep track of your saved and applied-to jobs so you can keep on top of them more easily.  Browse our latest jobs and set up custom email alerts from Understanding Recruitment here. 9. Do your research Follow companies you are interested in to stay up to date with their plans and see when they are hiring. Have an interview or an important meeting coming up? Company pages are also a great information source that’ll help you prepare for your interview. Make sure you know who you’re meeting and check them out on LinkedIn (if you don’t want them to see you’ve looked at their profile you can set yourself to anonymous in the settings, just remember to switch this back or you won’t be able to see who’s looked at your profile anymore). 10. Want advice from the experts? Join LinkedIn’s Career Advice feature to get career advice by conversing with other LinkedIn users who are leaders in their field. This feature can be accessed from your LinkedIn profile. 11. Are you asking for the right salary? LinkedIn also has a Salary Insights feature that enables you to see how your salary compares to others in the community by job title and location based on information provided by employers. This feature can also be accessed from your profile and is free of charge. ​ 12. Keep learning LinkedIn Learning is free for the 1st month and offers an array of learning resources to help you brush up on your skills.    13. Embrace interaction LinkedIn is an interactive platform so use it as such and regularly update your status at least once a week. Share interesting articles from 3rd parties or ones you’ve written yourself and like, comment on or share other people’s stuff too. If you really want to get serious about posting content regularly then you may want to use a scheduling tool for your updates such as the free version of Hootsuite. Writing an article on LinkedIn can be a great way to share your knowledge, build your personal brand and position yourself as a thought leader. Mention others in your post and tag them (when relevant otherwise it’s just weird) to build engagement and reach a wider audience. You can also follow hashtags so you see content relevant to you or to explore new industries you might want to move into. To set these up, type in # followed by what you’re looking for into the search bar at the top, then click on follow to see updates in your feed.

As more and more employers take their interview process online, the chances are that you’ll be interviewed via video at some point during your job search. Whether you’ve had previous remote interviews or if this is a completely new experience for you, these seven tips will help you avoid the pitfalls and take the stress out of video interviews! 1. Test Your Tech Is your internet connection fast enough to chat in real-time? What room do you have the best reception in? Does your webcam work? Have you checked if your microphone picks up your speech well? Make sure to check these things well in advance of your interview and do a trial run with a friend or family member beforehand to make sure everything is working as it should. Your interview could be taking place on a variety of different platforms such as Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts etc. so find out which one they’ll be using. Then get signed up to it and have a play around to make sure you know how everything works before your interview. Don’t forget to send them (or your recruiter if you’re going through one) your contact details so the interviewer can set up the call. You may want to share your screen during the interview (e.g. to show your portfolio or to complete a live tech test), so double-check that there are no other irrelevant windows open on your desktop. 2. Set the Scene Before your interview carefully assess the background that will appear. Are you in a messy room? A neutral background with plenty of natural light works best. Have a play around to find what computer height and angle looks the most flattering and raise your laptop on some books if needed. How’s the lighting? Arrange some lights so that your face is lit and there are no major shadows, but avoid placing lights directly behind you, since they can interfere with the camera’s ability to focus. Seeing yourself on video can be distracting so practice looking straight at the camera for that all-important eye contact. Finally, keep a pen (that works!) and paper close by in case you want to make any notes or write down any questions you want to ask at the end. 3. Avoid Distractions Your interview is not the time to replicate the famous BBC live interview that went viral for all the wrong reasons. So, if there’s anyone else in the house make them aware of your interview.  Be sure you schedule the interview for a time when you will have some privacy, and when any children or animals are out of the house or are being supervised in a non-adjacent room. Remove any distractions such as children’s toys or personal items that may distract from your interview. Also, make sure to either switch off your phone or put it on silent. This also goes for your radio and/or television.  4. Look the Part Even if you’ve spent all day in your loungewear, you want to make sure you still dress appropriately for your interview. Dress as if you were going to meet your interviewer face to face. Not only will this leave a much better impression but also gets you into the right frame of mind. Do your research into the company to establish their dress code (if you are working with a recruitment agency, you can always ask your recruiter for this information). Remember, your appearance also reflects your attitude! Practice speaking clearly and, calmly, and rehearse a bit in the clothing that you intend to wear so that you can spot any potential wardrobe issues ahead of time. 5. Do Your Research Research and prepare for the interview as much as you would for an in-person interview. Delve into their website, look at their social pages and their company news – dig up as much information as possible! Not only will this make a good impression on your interviewer, but it will leave you feeling confident and prepared. If you need to refer to any notes, keep them as minimal as possible so that your eyes aren’t always flitting away from the screen. Are you working through a recruitment agency? Make some time to speak to your recruiter before and after your interview (a good recruiter will schedule these with you).  6. Ask Questions Make sure you go into your interview armed with questions for your interviewer. As a rule of thumb, you should always have at least five questions prepared as some might be forgotten or answered during the interview. If something about the role is unclear now’s the time to ask. You’ll find more great questions to ask in this blog.  7. Show Your Personality Showing enthusiasm about the company and the role in your interview can go a long way. Think about your posture and your tone when speaking to your interviewer – if you are perceived as being bored or restless, it will seem like you’re not interested in the role. Remember - employers want to hire people who want to work for them! Of course, it’s important to be professional and get your points across succinctly but you also must make sure your personality shines through. Wasting time badmouthing your former manager and the company you worked for is a massive no go. Instead, take the time to highlight your successes and contributions and how you can apply these to your new role. As with any interview, make sure to thank the interviewer for their time and express your interest in the company/position a final time. Finish your interview on a positive and don’t forget to follow up with a thank you message. If you’d like any more help with prepping for remote interviews please get in touch with us to schedule a call with one of the team. Good luck from all of us at Understanding Recruitment!

You expect lots of questions to come your way during the interview but are you prepared for your interview to be a two-way street? Preparing a set of questions you can ask the hiring manager at the end of an interview will show your interest in the role and company, but it's also the prime opportunity to find out if the job is right for you. Not having any questions makes you look unprepared and uninterested, so make sure you research the company and make notes of topics you can ask about. Your best bet is to prepare at least five questions in case some are answered during the interview or you forget any.   Here are a few suggestions about what to ask when it’s your turn to call the shots. Have I answered all your questions? – This gives you a good chance to clarify any questions or doubts the interviewer still has. You can also expand on answers you may have given during the interview and it will give you a good idea of how you’re doing so far.   What is your company culture like? – It’s a good idea to find out what the company’s philosophy is and if you can see yourself fitting into their environment.   What are the day to day responsibilities of this job? – Hopefully, this will shed some light on what your day to day in your new job would look like and if it sounds like something you want to be doing.   What are your expectations for this role during the first 30 days, 60 days, year? – Find out what expectations they have for the role to see if it aligns with what you’re looking for in your new role.   What are the biggest challenges you’re facing? – Asking about their challenges not only makes them think but also is a way of uncovering trends and issues in the industry.   Who do you consider to be your major competitor? – You should have already researched the company’s competitors but getting your interviewer’s insights can be useful and could be different from the information available on the internet.   What are the challenges of this position? – This question will help you identify areas the role will be focussing on over the next months.   What qualities are the most important for doing well and advancing at this company? – This question can uncover information that’s not in the job description and gives you a chance to show you’re a good fit for the team.   Is this a new position? If not, why did the person before me leave this role? – Asking this will uncover what happened to the person doing the job before and why and how they left.   If you had to sum up the company in three words what would they be? – This can give you an interesting and spontaneous insight into what the company is really like and gets the interviewer thinking.   What do you like best about working for this company? – Asking your interviewer about their personal experience at the company is a great way to gain insight into the company and to make a more personal connection. Watch for any tell-tale signs here in their expression or body language that might indicate some issues or underlying negativity.   Where is the company headed in the next 5 years and how can I grow in this job? – Find out if the company is growing and if there is room for you to progress your career over the coming years.   Can you tell me a bit about the team I would be working with? – Some companies will volunteer this information and even introduce you to the people you’d be working with during the interview process. If not, it’s a good idea to clarify what the team looks like and what the pecking order is.   What are the next steps in the interview process? – This is a great way of finding out how many stages are left in the hiring process and clarifies when you can expect to hear from them.  

Markus Edmunds joined our Machine Learning team in Boston after graduating from Tufts University in May 2019 where he played American Football. While Markus always had a fascination with current technological developments he didn’t want to code and found the opportunity at Understanding Recruitment to be a perfect fit. 1. Why did you decide to get into a career in recruitment? I joined recruiting because I was always fascinated by computer science and programming. I tried the Computer Science/Engineering route in college but at the same time, I wanted to work with people on a more personal level rather than coding all day and not interacting with others. I had a slight background in sales coming out of college as well, so when Mat had approached me with an opportunity to be a recruit in the field of AI and Machine Learning, I thought it was a perfect fit.   2. What would your advice be to a graduate looking for a career in recruitment? My advice would be to be on the lookout for 3rd party reviews of both employees and candidates that have had experiences with recruiters inside of that company. A lot of recruiting companies are just flat out not good, don’t do their research, and you could end up working under superiors that have no idea what they are doing, going about their workday haphazardly just hoping to land someone. UR had glowing reviews on Glassdoor and other websites from both people inside of the company as well as people that have worked with the company. Without naming names, many other recruiting companies that I was in talks with did NOT have very good reviews and now that I am in the industry, I can see why and I can see how we stand out as a company.   3. What’s the best thing about working at Understanding Recruitment? The best thing about working for Understanding Recruitment is the elite leadership. Everyday I get to work under the tutelage of one of the best recruiters in the UK (and now the US as well) and to say that I have learned a lot from him in my first 3 months here would be a glaring understatement. That, alongside Jacko’s (Chris Jackson) occasional visits to the states have really put both me and Danny in an excellent position for success in the near future. Being able to work with some of the industry’s most knowledgeable and talented individuals is a blessing and a big reason why I joined in the first place. Daniel Haddad joined Understanding Recruitment in 2019 after graduating from Stonehill College, where he was the Student Government Association Executive Finance Chair, the Class of 2019 Vice President and an Orientation leader for 3 years. Daniel saw the opportunity to help the team start-up in Boston and couldn't resist the chance to be part of a new chapter of Understanding Recruitment. 1. Why did you decide to get into a career in recruitment? Graduating from a university can be very overwhelming to all; which was the case for me. I was not sure what I wanted to do upon graduation, but I knew one thing; I wanted to make a positive impact in whatever I did. In recruitment, you are able to speak and connect to thousands of individuals changing their lives for the better. In addition, this career helps keep me stay up-to-date with the latest trends within the ML/AI industry as well as current events happening in people's lives, the best of both worlds! I could not have asked for a better career to help me gain a deeper knowledge of the candidates I work with, how to work closely within a team, and especially grow as an individual that I did not know was possible before!   2. What would your advice be to a graduate looking for a career in recruitment? The best thing I’ve gained working at Understanding Recruitment is the care that goes into each interaction we encounter. As in, no matter who I may be speaking with listening, trying to understand, and responding in a caring matter goes a long way. The candidates I work with can tell we are not just a “typical” recruiting company; we work hard every day to make sure that all their needs/questions/concerns are met, if not exceeded. Their success is our success.   3. What’s the best thing about working at Understanding Recruitment? It is the best experience to gain a deeper knowledge of what happens behind the scenes. You will have the chance to work with some of the brightest people in the world, leading innovative companies, and the chance to make the difference in the world we live in today!

BOSTON, Mass., July 10, 2019 (UNDERSTANDING RECRUITMENT) -- This past week award-winning  technology, software and digital staffing consultancy Understanding Recruitment, has opened its first stateside office in Boston, Massachusetts. In the city dubbed to become the AI capital of the world the team will be working closely with candidates to bring them the most relevant, challenging and innovative career opportunities within Artificial Intelligence and Backend Engineering.  The new office is being led by one of Understanding Recruitment’s most successful consultants, Matthew Ferdenzi, who successfully developed a team of six consultants specializing in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning recruitment in the UK. Matt will now be focusing on growing the Boston office over the next few years and brings with him a wealth of industry knowledge and experience. Understanding Recruitment Inc. Chief Operating Officer Matthew Ferdenzi commented “Moving to the U.S. has always been one of my personal goals and Understanding Recruitment have given me the platform to go to Boston and set up my own office and take the bull by the horns really. It’s a massive opportunity and I’m hugely proud to be taking our business stateside. We think that Boston is a global hub with a flourishing tech market and a lot of potential and I’m looking forward to speaking to new candidates and expanding our client base over the coming years.” Ideally located between Boston’s historic North End and ever-evolving West End, Understanding Recruitment has opted to make the WeWork 200 Portland Coworking space their new Boston address. As well as covering Boston and the surrounding cities, Understanding Recruitment recently expanded into the Berlin tech market specializing in Java technology recruitment. With exciting plans for continued growth across new geographical territories the business is also aiming to boost their worldwide headcount from 50 employees to 100 by 2022. Founding Director of Understanding Recruitment Inc. Chris Jackson concluded “We’re thrilled with the success we’ve had in Boston so far and with Massachusetts recruiting more Artificial Intelligence jobs per capita than all other U.S. states except Washington, I look forward to seeing the business go from strength to strength. Opening up in Boston was a very strategic decision that we took because we truly believe that the Boston tech market is strong and is evolving from its biotech roots towards Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies.” ENDS About Understanding Recruitment Inc. Understanding Recruitment is an award-winning technology, software and digital staffing consultancy with offices in Boston, Massachusetts and the United Kingdom. As well as covering the U.S. and the U.K., Understanding Recruitment also specialize in Java recruitment in Berlin, Germany. Having recently celebrated their first decade in business they have been recognized with several industry awards over the years including 'Best Staffing Firm to Work For 2018'​ at the SIA Awards for the third consecutive year. Their team of specialists operate across all areas of Technology and Digital covering both contract and permanent roles, including Java, DevOps & Cloud, Mobile & Web, .NET, Machine Learning & AI, FinTech, Project / Program and Product Management, Cyber Security, Infrastructure & Support, Testing & QA, Architecture & Design. Contact information: Understanding Recruitment Jana Timm jtimm@understandingrecruitment.co.uk (01144) (0)1727 809 340

As part of our ongoing growth plans, we’re excited to announce that our new Boston, Massachusetts office is now open for business!   In the city dubbed to become the AI capital of the world the team will be working closely with candidates to bring them the most relevant, challenging and innovative career opportunities within Artificial Intelligence and Backend Engineering.  The new office is being led by one of Understanding Recruitment’s most successful consultants, Matthew Ferdenzi, who successfully developed his team of six consultants specializing in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning recruitment in the UK. Matt will now be focusing on growing the Boston office over the next few years while our UK team is now in the capable hands of Hannah Beach. Understanding Recruitment Inc. Chief Operating Officer Matthew Ferdenzi said “Moving to the U.S. has always been one of my personal goals and Understanding Recruitment have given me the platform to go to Boston and set up my own office and take the bull by the horns really. It’s a massive opportunity and I’m hugely proud to be taking our business stateside. We think that Boston is a global hub with a flourishing tech market and a lot of potential and I’m looking forward to speaking to new candidates and expanding our client base over the coming years.” Ideally located between Boston’s historic North End and ever-evolving West End, we’ve opted to make the WeWork 200 Portland Coworking space our new Boston address. As well as covering Boston and the surrounding cities, we recently expanded into the Berlin tech market specializing in Java technology recruitment. With exciting plans for continued growth across new geographical territories we’re also aiming to boost our worldwide team from 50 employees to 100 by 2022. Our Founding Director Chris Jackson concluded “We’re thrilled with the success we’ve had in Boston so far and with Massachusetts recruiting more Artificial Intelligence jobs per capita than all other U.S. states except Washington, I look forward to seeing the business go from strength to strength. Opening up in Boston was a very strategic decision that we took because we truly believe that the Boston tech market is strong and is evolving from its biotech roots towards Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies.” If you'd like to find out how we can help your business grow in The States get in touch with Matthew Ferdenzi mferdenzi@understandingrecruitment.com or connect with him on LinkedIn.

Well done on getting a new role! Handing in your resignation can be the most daunting part of the process, so here are some tips on how to do it in style. HOW TO RESIGN GRACEFULLY 90% of all counter offered candidates leave within six months as the underlying issues never go away. 50% become active on job boards within 60 days.   1. Plan ahead. Write down what you want to say and list the reasons why just to remind yourself. If you need to practice it with a partner/friend, then do.  2. Be firm and assertive but always remain professional. 3. Thank your manager for all their time and effort but reinforce that your mind is 100% made up and that you would like them to respect your decision. 4. Have a resignation letter with you and get a leaving date confirmed. 5. Be selective on the reasons why you're leaving or where you're going. This information will only be used to sell against your new opportunity.   Usually employers act in one of three ways when you hand in your notice:   1. They may thank you for your time and hard work and wish you all the best in your next role. That's the easiest response to get as the employer has accepted your resignation. However, still make sure it's official with your resignation letter and leaving date secured. 2. They may take it personally and be difficult about the whole situation. Fortunately, it's not that common, however you need to remain professional and rise above this. Remember, you're doing it for your best career interests.  3. They counteroffer. All of a sudden you gain a promotion and a pay rise due to your resignation. Sometimes this is enough to persuade an employee to stay on however beware that 90% of all counter offered candidates leave within 6 months as the underlying issues never go away. Just remember the reasons you started to look for a role in the first place.   HOW TO HANDLE COUNTEROFFERS 1. Your employer should pay you what you're worth from the beginning, not when you threaten to leave. 2. If you accept a counteroffer, you'll always be considered a fidelity risk. You've already lost their trust and shown your lack of loyalty. 3. Counteroffers are often made to give the employer time to replace you. 4. While a counteroffer may make the situation more tolerable in the short term, your reason for wanting to leave still remains. 5. Counteroffers are only made in response to a threat to quit. Are you prepared to threaten to quit every time you deserve better compensation?​ 6. Decent and well-managed companies don't make counteroffers. We'll always advise you to decline counteroffers made to you by your current employer. 

Relocating cities or even countries for a new job can be an exciting but also daunting prospect. There are lots of things to consider before packing up, so we’ve put together the most important things to think about before accepting that new job.   1. Find your why Before relocating, take some time to write down the pros and cons of the move. Why is it that you want to change your current situation? Is it a step up for your career or are you looking for more job satisfaction? Is the pay package better and will your quality of life improve in the new location? Also take into consideration the negatives such as being further away from family and friends, cost of living and possible language barriers. If you have real doubts about moving, then discuss them with family or friends and remember it’s an option and your choice to make.   2. Get to know your new home Before making the final decision about your move, visit your new home and try to experience it as if you already live and work there. This will help you see if you can picture yourself living and laying down roots there. You’d be surprised how much places can vary from online photos and information and your gut feel will give you a good indication if the move is right for you. Research the place you’re moving to as much as possible. It’s a good idea to see some different areas while you’re there so you can find the one that suits your lifestyle best. If you can’t visit before you move, speak to people already living there to get a better picture. Local social media groups can be helpful to join, and your new employer will be able to offer advice.   3. Ask for help Many companies offer a variety of relocation services including practical and financial assistance to employees who are relocating, so it’s worth asking about this during the hiring process. Even if your employer doesn’t typically offer relocation services, it’s worth negotiating this with them if it’s crucial for you to be able to make the move. Make sure to find out what your moving expenses will look like and if your goods need to be shipped so that you have a basis for negotiation. Some companies may also offer corporate housing.   4. Research, research, research Research your future company as much as possible and find out who you will be reporting into and what the team is like. You can find out more about the organization’s ethic and culture by asking to speak to someone in a similar role as the one you’ll be doing. Next up think through the logistics of your move. Is it a permanent move? Will you be gone for a few months or a couple of years? Selling a house is one of the biggest complications that relocating homeowners face. So, analyzing how permanent your move is will influence if you keep your current property, put your things into storage or opt for the full move. Renting your accommodation is also a great choice to settle into a new city without making a huge commitment. Make sure you know how much your cost of living will be, including accommodation, transport, childcare, other expenses, and tax rates. Your new job may offer a better salary package overall, but it may soon lose its novelty when compared to your cost of living. You also need to find out if you need a visa or residency permit to live in the new county. Visas can take quite a lot of time to process, so tackle it early on. If you already have found a job, the company is likely to sort this part out for you. But you should double check if this is the case before accepting the position. It is also worth looking into taxation as many countries have different tax guidelines especially if you are self-employed. Several countries also have bilateral tax treaties in place for non-residents to avoid being double taxed in your home nation and abroad. The UK for example, has over 100 of these treaties with different states. Your move can also affect your state pension so it’s best to clarify your pension status. To make the whole process easier, the best thing to do is to become a list person and keep a to do list for your current location and one for your destination. That way you have an overview of everything you need to keep on top of and don’t forget anything important during this busy time.   5.  Think family If you have family, you need to take into consideration how they feel about the move. Will your partner be able to find work and what is the education system, schools and childcare like? Are there language barriers that will affect integration for your whole family? Is an international school the best option?       6. Your new start Once settled in your new city, make sure you’ve done the trial commute to your new place of work and know how long it takes you. The last thing you want is to turn up late on your first day. Networking will help you make new friends and build your safety net. Your new company may offer social clubs and activities to help you meet new people. Joining sports groups is also a great way to meet people with similar interests. The trick is to say yes, get out and be social.    7. If it doesn’t work out You’ve moved to a new city or country and started a new job. Now it’s turned out to be different than what you expected. Remember that it can take some time to get used to new surroundings and cultural differences which can be stressful but it’s important to stick with it and give your new situation a chance. If you’re still not happy after months and you don’t think that will change, you need to have a backup plan. Is it something job specific that is bothering you and could it change if you discuss it with your Manager or is it the location you are living in? Perhaps your commute is too long which is adding on stress or you’re not making any friends. Analyze why you're unhappy with the situation and see if a simple change could have a positive impact. If after this, the situation is still not working out for you, consider what your other options are. Overall, experiencing a different city or country can be the boost you and your career need. The key is that if you don’t like it, you can always go back, but chances are you won’t want to...  

We can't promise to take away the butterflies, but we can share our interview tips with you. It's time to step up your interview game... Stage 1 Research the company  Find out as much as you possibly can about the company. Look at the latest company news, their annual reports, website information, and anything else you can get your hands on. This shows your enthusiasm and interest and will also make you feel more prepared. If it's a close match between you and another candidate, it can make all the difference. Arriving early  You should plan your route and give yourself plenty of time to get to the interview. Plan for the worst-case scenario i.e. traffic jams, nowhere to park and so on. Aim to get to the interview at least 20-30 minutes early. If there is a remote chance of being late call a member of Understanding Recruitment so we can make the client aware. Understand your CV  Know yourself. What are your strengths, weaknesses and achievements? You should try and plan for what questions may be asked during the interview as well as providing examples to back up your answers. These are typically for competency-based interviews (usually lead by the Human Resources department). First impressions count  You should always dress appropriately for interviews. This is your first opportunity to impress the client and get off to a great start. Research the company and figure out what the dress code is for the current employees. If in doubt, always dress smartly. Being overdressed is definitely better than being too casual.   Stage 2 Smile and offer a firm handshake  As well as being a strong cultural and technical fit, it's also good to portray yourself as someone who would be a real asset to work with. Always offer a firm handshake when you meet interviewers. Even make an effort to get on with reception whilst you're waiting as this feedback does filter through. If an interviewer is unsure about you, they may well poll others you passed in the corridor or briefly met. It may not be fair, but it is common practice. Communicate concisely and listen carefully  Thoughtful and concise communication is the key to successful interviewing. Listen very closely to the interviewer and don't interrupt their question as this can be extremely frustrating. Also use positive body language. Be respectful  It's important to show the utmost respect to everyone you meet throughout the interview process from the office junior through to the CTO. Everyone you meet will be part of the decision-making process. Don't ramble  The most effective interviews are those where an interactive two-way conversation prevails. Make sure you answer the question directly without any rambling. Each answer should be no longer than 1-2 minutes.   Stage 3 Provide examples  There's nothing more powerful than backing up an answer to a question with an example of how you demonstrated that particular capability/characteristic. That's why it's important to try and predict some of the likely questions and plan out your responses with strong examples. Prepare questions  Asking a few questions during or at the end of an interview can be a really positive sign to an interviewer while also answering any lingering queries you may have about the role. Make sure these questions are well thought out and relevant but also of interest, rather than purely for the sake of asking a question. If you're interested in the job, tell them!  Too many candidates don't let the client know exactly how interested they are in the opportunity. If you're keen on the position, it's crucial to express your high level of commitment. Don't be afraid to ask what the next stage would be and whether they would want to be informed if you receive another offer in the meantime (this may well speed up the process).​ Communicate concisely and listen carefully  Don't blag - you'll eventually be found out. We've already discussed the importance of being prepared for the interview which means that there should be very few hidden surprises. However, if you do get that "difficult question" that you're struggling on, don't blag an answer, be honest, and say you don't know, but that it's an area you'd be keen to learn and explore further.

Searching for your next career move can be hard work, a bit of a hassle and in some cases pretty nerve-wracking. Although recruiters can’t promise to calm the butterflies in your stomach before the big interview, they're here to help you secure the job you want. Here are 7 thing recruiters wish you knew... Be honest – honesty is the best policy when working with a recruiter. Be transparent about what type of role you’re looking for and let them know straightaway if you’re not open to new positions. This way you’ll get the most out of working together and don’t waste each other’s time. Working exclusively with one recruitment agency is also the best way to simplify the process of finding your next role. Recruiters will always have multiple roles that they’re working on so the chances of you getting a new role increase when you work with one recruiter instead of multiple different agencies.    Give feedback – recruiters put a lot of work into getting you that interview and really appreciate a catch up after the interview or at the end of the day (yes, we will probably still be working past 6pm). Although this may seem like a bit of a waste of time, it really helps the recruiter get a better understanding of how the interview went and gives you a chance to share your thoughts on the experience. It also helps your recruiter move you forward in the interview process if you are still interested in pursuing the role.    Make time – recruiters know that most candidates are currently employed and probably at work when they call. While this can be a nuisance for candidates, recruiters do try their best not to disturb your day too much and will double check if you can talk. A good recruiter should be discreet and respect that you’re at work and can rarely talk privately. An initial conversation with a recruiter will take around 10 minutes so making time for this at some point is crucial. This initial conversation will help your recruiter understand what you’re looking for and what your expectations are. This will also help them paint a better picture of you when they put you forward to the client. It’s also a way of making sure they find the best role for you and only send you to relevant interviews. Make sure you look at all the information your recruiter sends you before an interview and do the recommended research, so you’re prepared. Also listen to their interview advice as they’ve worked closely with the client and have a pretty good understanding of what type of person they’re looking for.   Don’t be shy - recruiters are busy people and work quickly. Having 100+ applicants for a position is not unusual so if you sent in your CV and haven’t heard back from them after a few days, give them a call to follow up. This will help recruiters prioritize your CV as someone who has shown interest and will set you apart from other candidates. Due to the high number of applicants, recruiters can’t always get back to you if you’re not the right fit for the role. So, getting in touch is a sure way to find out if you weren’t the right fit, if the maximum number of candidates have been sent to the client already or if there are other similar roles that you might be more suitable for.   Patience is a virtue – recruiters may seem to ask a lot of random questions but it’s all for a reason. They need to build your profile, so they can find you the best roles, tell clients about you and make sure they are aligned with you in your search. For example, we may ask you how you think your employer will react when you hand in your notice. This is not just us being nosey, but actually gives us a good indication if you’re really serious about leaving your current company. Most companies will try and keep candidates with a counteroffer because it costs them more to hire a new person. We genuinely think that companies should pay people what they are worth instead of increasing their salaries when they threaten to leave. In our experience, 90% of candidates who accepted a counteroffer wind up leaving the business within six months anyway. Once you decide you want to leave, commit to the decision and don’t be fooled by short-sighted counter offers. Remember why you started your job search in the first place. A salary increase won’t change the atmosphere you work in, the work you do or that manager you don’t get along with.    Be seen - LinkedIn´s search engine gives priority to fully completed profiles so unless you have completed every section of your profile chances are recruiters can’t find you. You can also share your career interests with recruiters on LinkedIn. This option can be activated on your profile and will not be visible to your network so is a good way to let recruiters know you’re looking for a new challenge and what that looks like. Recruiters also use a wide range of job boards so if you’re looking for a new role make sure your CV is visible here too, so we can contact you with relevant opportunities.    Stand out – Looking through CV’s is a huge part of a recruiter’s day and they come across the same buzzwords again and again. Overusing words like motivated, initiative, organized, and driven can actually be an indicator of a lack of time and effort going into your CV creation. To stand out, tailor your CV to each role you apply for. The best way to do this is to run through the job description and highlight the key experiences required for the role. Then show how you tick every box and let your personality shine through.

Your Resume is your digital handshake and the first thing your potential employer sees. Here's how to make a great first impression. The tech market is growing rapidly and there's an increase of talent. This makes your resume a really important tool to help you stand out from the crowd. Your resume should always be role specific and provide a brief, but full account of your working life, including your interests and academic achievements.   Personal Information - Name - Address - Telephone number - Email address - DOB (optional)    Employment History - List your employers in date order (starting with the most recent) - The role you held in each company - A short summary of your tasks and responsibilities    Education - GCSE's & A-levels (or equivalent) - Degree - Any other professional training or qualifications - Relevant skills    Interests - What you like to do outside of work    Referees -Whether they can be contacted   COVER LETTERS  Some roles require you to submit a cover letter. It should be a short statement to summarize your resume, highlighting why you're right for the job. Remember to tailor your cover letter to every position you apply for. Here's an example:   Dear Name (or Sir/Madam as appropriate),  Opening Paragraph: Identify yourself; state what position you're applying for and where the vacancy was advertised.  Second Paragraph: Cover: why you're interested in the job/work and why the company appeals to you. Mention your academic background, relevant qualifications and related work experience.  Third Paragraph: Mention that you've enclosed your CV/completed application form - and cover any additional points of relevance.  Finally: Close with the following: your availability to interview, your expected salary (or current package), and a positive final sentence to encourage a positive response.  Yours Sincerely,  Your name 

Your company’s culture is a huge part of your employer brand and can make or break it. It’s one of the many aspects that can attract, engage and secure top talent. It’s no wonder then that a growing number of candidates ask about culture during the interview stage, seeking transparency, flexibility and authenticity.   The Shift With money now being less of a driver, especially for graduates, the focus has shifted to a sense of belonging, purpose and development within the workplace. Job descriptions can no longer just be a long list of what you expect from the candidate but must also give them an insight into what you can do for them. With an average of only 20% of candidates actively seeking new roles, building your brand’s magnetism is more important than ever in the battle for talent. Creating a culture based on your values leads to buy in from like-minded people and higher retention rates. With people spending more time at work than with their families, the ultimate goal for candidates is to find an environment that they can thrive in rather than just survive in. Getting It Right Culture is the backbone of your company but there is no cheat sheet for quick success. Culture has to be built on purpose. It’s not just about providing a pool table; some drinks and flicking the fun switch on. Your culture needs to be ingrained in everything you do from the top down.  Your leader’s actions and decisions reinforce the culture of the company on a daily basis. It also affects how people interact with each other internally and how they treat your customers. Ask yourself what your company stands for. What do you expect from your employees and what motivates them to come to work every day? Building a people centric culture will ultimately lead to business performance and productivity but you need to take care of your people first. During the interview process it’s a good idea for your candidates to meet with multiple people in the organization to help paint a better picture of your culture for the candidate, as well as making sure the candidate is a right fit for you. And remember, candidates will have a pretty good understanding of what you’re about before even meeting you, through their own research from news articles, word of mouth and social media. What About Millennials? According to Forbes, 90% of Millennials stated that culture is important to them and that it makes them more invested in a company. With 51% of Millennials open to the possibility of another job, culture has the power to attract and retain these future leaders.  With this generation, it’s all about authenticity and they’re likely to spot if you’re pretending to be something you’re not. Being transparent is the way forward. In addition to the benefits you offer, highlight your development programs and how you give your employees the opportunity to grow and hone their skills. Show people the reality of your business with behind the scenes content that lets them have a unique insight into what it’s really like working for you. According to recent figures from The Global Recruiter, employee stories are 20% more immersive than careers sites, bringing more employees into the recruitment process. 95% of participants said the content was highly relevant and 77% said their impression of the company improved with 98% of participants saying they would apply for the job. Differentiating Yourself When your ideal candidate is torn between your offer, as well as another company’s offer, what you stand for can really make a difference. If both offer packages are similar, a common situation for quality candidates, the distinguishing factor is what you’re all about, and how well it is being represented and communicated to your candidate could be the deciding factor. This is even more important if your salary package is not market competitive.  Your culture could be the deciding factor why quality candidates might reject the higher salary package over yours. It’s all about identifying if the company will suit the candidates´ working styles, behaviors and values. That is one of the reasons, why many candidates are choosing smaller FinTech start-ups over the security of large IT companies. What’s in it For You? Culture can have a huge impact on the level of connection an employee feels with the company so making sure candidates are a good fit from a cultural standpoint is also beneficial to your company. Value-based recruiting is crucial to protecting your culture as you grow your business and hiring someone based on their skill set alone is bound to backfire, costing you twice that person’s salary to replace them when things don’t work out.  Striking The Right Balance Attracting top talent is a hefty time investment but leaders should spend just as much time building the culture that keeps them. While your company’s culture plays a big part, candidates in the tech sector are also concerned about the type of work they’ll be doing, what niche knowledge they’ll be applying and exactly how they’ll be managed. The best approach to finding the right talent is to consider softer skills as well as technical skills evaluating cultural fit, values, beliefs and outlook as well as potential and technical skill.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning are set to be game changers for the recruitment industry and are already changing the jobs of recruiters. The recruitment industry has come a long way from reviewing printed CVs spread out across the floor in the 80s, to today’s modern era of digital databases and AI powered search, enabling recruiters to go through thousands of CVs in seconds.  AI is here to stay and has already become a big part of recruiter’s day to day with the likes of LinkedIn Recruiter, that uses algorithms to sift through its database of 7m candidates looking for jobs. Early adopters of this new technology are sure to gain an advantage over competition in a crowded market. A new world of work With this rapidly evolving technology it’s hard to predict exactly where things are heading but according to Forbes, the use of artificial intelligence will play a key part in reducing human racial and gender-based biases. Using machine learning algorithms also makes it possible to screen CVs and applications for keywords and skills that indicate a candidate’s suitability for a role. It’s worth mentioning here that most successful hires are made based on behaviors and softer skills, which AI is not great at identifying yet. This is down to humans not knowing which behaviors to tell AI to look for in candidates but also because AI still lacks human interpersonal skills. According to LinkedIn, there are several ways AI will change the way we recruit: Programmatic advertising will make job ads more targeted and effective. Profile augmentation will allow jobs to be recommended based on the job a person wants to do, not just what they do now. This would make finding profiles for new tech jobs, that are hard to fill, such as Blockchain Developers easier as it matches experience with interests and recognizes a candidates’ potential. Chatbots are already being used by some recruiters, answering candidates’ questions 24/7 and can also fill in the gaps in candidates’ CVs, giving recruiters a clearer picture of their suitability for the role. AI can be used to analyze candidate’s speech patterns to find out more about them but can also check language competency. Advanced competency tests will allow candidates to demonstrate their emotional and cognitive abilities through fun games – a great way to test soft skills that can be difficult to detect. Video interviews are also set to become automated. A candidate may only have to speak to the camera while the machine takes them through a list of questions. This may help eliminate unconscious bias and saves recruiters’ time. Facial and speech recognition software may can also be used to analyze the candidate’s body language, their tone of voice and their stress levels during the interview. Finally, automated appointment setting will help recruiters quickly and easily schedule meetings with candidates. What’s the mood of the industry? According to Tratica Research, revenue generated from the direct and indirect application of AI software is estimated to grow to $36.8 billion by 2025. Bullhorn’s 2018 UK Recruitment Trends Report shows that 29% of recruitment firms consider improving core business efficiency to be one of their top three challenges for the year ahead but only 16% said introducing automation is one of their top three priorities. 30% of respondents believe that AI will create more jobs while 41% think it will lead to job losses. A recent survey by Jobvite was slightly more optimistic with 49% of recruiters feeling positive about the effects of AI automation on their jobs with only 7% believing AI will have a negative effect. 72% of recruiters believe their approach to hiring will need to evolve as AI and automation become more prevalent. Matthew Ferdenzi, Chief Operating Officer at Understanding Recruitment USA commented: “We’re already seeing the huge potential AI has to disrupt industries across the board. There has been a sharp increase in demand for specialist talent which we predict to continue over the coming years. We already have a specialist AI & Machine Learning team of four people based in the UK and towards the end of the year we’ll be expanding into the American market, opening an office in Boston, that will specialize exclusively in AI and machine learning roles.” Will AI replace recruiters? AI will impact what the job of a recruiter looks like, but instead of a threat, it should be seen as a tool that will make the recruitment process more sophisticated. A modern recruiter needs to be knowledgeable, highly networked and understand the industry. The use of AI will free up their time to put the human element back into the heart of the hiring process. Time saved by automating the mundane and time-consuming tasks including scheduling interviews and sending routine emails, can be spent competing for candidates and focusing on making decisions about which candidate is best for the job. Of course, AI could lead to the loss of admin-heavy jobs, but new roles will also be created. overall, the benefits of automation and other tools outweigh the risk and help recruiters do a better job and be more productive. How AI can help recruiters In this competitive industry, recruitment firms need to constantly evolve their services to stay relevant. The crucial role of recruiters needs to be to bring people together. AI will free up time for recruiters to meet with more candidates in person and to be more creative in the hiring process. While AI will enable senior recruiters to spend more time on business development and winning new business, more junior recruiters will be able to spend time dealing with candidates and clients from the start which will have a positive impact.

Codility is a leading online technical testing platform for Developers similar to HackerRank, CoderPad etc. - they have recently released their 2018 Developer Report. If you are a company looking to hire technical staff (and even more importantly, looking to retain them!) you should download the PDF without hesitation. 'Companies that just rely on how ground-breaking their tech/platform is to sell to candidates is simple arrogance' So many companies make mistakes when it comes to recruiting. Slow candidate offers, not very relevant technical testing and poor communication of the role within interviews are examples which I see happen all the time. One thing is clear, the companies that are hiring the best candidates are the companies with the best processes in place. These processes give a candidate insight into how a company works, what their culture is, how they can progress their career there. Companies that just rely on how ground-breaking their tech/platform is to sell to candidates is simple arrogance. Key insights from the report include: Female Developers are not involved in recruiting  Personal Development is more appealing than salary How you should be marketing yourself differently to junior Developers to Senior Developers Majority of Developers jobs are not what they expected.  Within the report, there also is a key point on the importance of giving candidate feedback. Many companies miss out on such an easy point-scorer with candidates by not delivering interview feedback, both positive and negative. Plain and simple, the companies giving feedback are beating you at recruitment (real-world example below) 'Many companies miss out on such an easy point-scorer with candidates by not delivering interview feedback, both positive and negative.' It was only yesterday that I was having a chat with one of my candidates, informing him that he had progressed from his initial tech test to a phone interview. Usually, I work with many companies who would just email me around the lines of 'Hi Mat, Phone interview please - send availability'. However on this occasion they had given him detailed feedback on his assessment, listing what they liked about it and what they would have improved about it. I delivered the candidate the feedback. The candidate remarked that he was very impressed that they had taken the time to give him detailed feedback, compared to other companies, and how that has shown him what kind of company they are. The candidate was pretty enthused about the opportunity, though now through a couple of lines of feedback it has heightened his experience one more notch. From doing something seemingly as small as giving candidate feedback, you will be able to positively differentiate yourself from a huge amount of companies in the tech industry. 'From doing something seemingly as small as giving candidate feedback, you will be able to positively differentiate yourself from a huge amount of companies in the tech industry.' When a candidate receives an offer, you have to imagine that they will cast their mind back through the process with your company. What were the positives? What were the negatives? To hire the best people, you must be covering all the bases in terms of candidate experience, many of which are highlighted in the codility report. The best companies already are. Are you? I have helped to scale successful tech companies that have got recruitment right. If you'd like to talk about refining and creating recruitment processes, candidate attraction, the mindset of candidates or the market - let's have a chat. Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn.