We asked some of Team MERJE to give their advice for Candidates looking for jobs within their Disciplines. Below you will find advice for jobseekers in Compliance, Customer Contact, Finance & Audit and Front-Line Talent.
For more tips, read our previous 'Advice for Jobseekers from Team MERJE' article that covers Credit Risk & Analytics, Customer Contact and Compliance, and 'More advice for jobseekers from Team MERJE' which looks at Financial Crime & Fraud, Part-qualified Accountancy and Procurement.
If you are a looking for a role and want to discuss your options, get in touch and we'll get back to you to find out more about your career.
Kirstie Burn, Director, Compliance
"I always tailor my advice to the individual with whom I am dealing, whether they are looking for a career move, wanting to further skills and strengths, or wanting to position themselves based on where they want to be in five years. My advice is often about where their gaps sit and what they need to secure in skills and experience to make sure they are a credible Candidate at that stage in their career and can secure the role they want."
Neil Johns, Director, Customer Contact
"Treat ‘getting a job’ as a job in itself. While you may have a relationship with the likes of myself and two or three reciprocal agreements with other companies, make sure you use your own network as well, so be pro-active – you can’t go in to find a job in a half-hearted way. If you are not in a job and looking for a new one, you need to dedicate a few hours a day to it. And if you are in a job but looking for replacement, make sure to develop your relationships with people like me to leverage what is a good business and what is a bad one."
Kate Watt, Senior Consultant, Finance & Audit
"Be clear on what the opportunity that you want looks like, whether it’s new experience or progression that you are searching for. Be clear on your salary expectations and any training that you want to do.
"I always like to meet all the Candidates that I represent to make sure we’re really clear on both sides about what the current opportunities are and what we should be working towards. Doing so always helps to manage the process as sometimes a Client wants to move quickly so it helps to have that trust and relationship with the Candidate. I can be sure that I fully understand their situation and needs and there is less chance of a misunderstanding."
Sally Cordwell, Principal Consultant, MERJE Front-Line Talent
"When you are at an interview, be yourself and don’t try to hide anything, the interviewer may pick up on this. Never be negative about previous employers and make sure you do your research on the company and the role. Try to keep your answers relevant to the job you are being interviewed for.
"Many companies these days look for behaviours over experience for Agent-level roles. If you are a good Candidate, with great work ethics and have done your research beforehand, you may end up with a number of job offers and you can select the one that is right for you."
