Sales Recruitment Has Evolved

CAREER ADVICE

Before registering with Samuel Francis you should speak openly and honestly with one of our recruitment consultants about your motivation to make a move and for seeking a new career opportunity. This should be done after discussing with your current employer the issues of: money, responsibility, travel, career advancement, etc. If the issues cannot be resolved at this stage, they must not be resolved at Counter Offer Stage.

1. Only interview on opportunities that meet you’re most important "motivation points for making a move".

2. Inform your recruitment consultant of other opportunities that you are considering and the pro's and con's to those roles versus the one you are interviewing for with Samuel Francis. Its also helpful to know what stage you are at with other opportunities.
   

3. After interviewing, have a detailed de-brief with your recruitment consultant. Now is the time to withdraw from the process if the opportunity is not right for you. If you are excited about the opportunity, explain to your recruitment consultant that you will take an offer if the detail is consistent with your discussions prior to interviewing.
   

4. The only reason for turning down an offer at this point would be if a company is aware of your requirements, interviews you and still offers you something that is not consistent with what had been agreed formerly.
   

5. If you accept an offer and commit to starting on a certain date and later decline, then you will have damaged your credibility with that company forever as well as your relationship with Samuel Francis and will lose out on future opportunities.

I'VE BEEN FIRED, WHAT CHANCE HAVE I GOT?

You have been, or are about to be, dismissed from your job. Are you eligible for unemployment benefit? What happens if you have been wrongfully dismissed? What do you say in your job application letters and at interviews? Here's what you need to know about employee rights when you are dismissed or your employment otherwise terminated.

Being dismissed can unfortunately happen to anyone. It can happen even when it's not your fault. There could be a personality clash between yourself and your supervisor. Your idea of what the job was going to be like might differ from that of management. You could have simply not been up to the task. It happens, but you're not alone.

First of all don't be disheartened and dwell on it; instead, focus on what you are going to do next and how you are going to find another job. There are ways you can address this issue and put this negative point in your life into a positive situation.

LEGAL

Before you begin a job search consider where you stand from a legal perspective. Was your dismissal legitimate, or could it be considered unfair? Are you eligible for unemployment benefits? If you were dismissed for misconduct you may not be eligible, but don't presume that this is the case. Check with the unemployment benefits office especially if you have a different opinion than your employer about how you parted company. In many cases if it is not clear, the employment office will tend to support the unemployed job seeker rather than the employer, when making a decision on unemployment benefits. 

CV'S AND COVERING LETTERS

All your job search correspondence must be positive. There is no need to mention that you were dismissed in your CV, or covering letters. Focus on the basics and make sure your covering letter addresses the position you are applying for including why you are qualified for it. That's all you need to do. There is no point in mentioning the circumstances of your departure until you are asked.

JOB APPLICATIONS

When completing job applications don’t be negative, but do be honest. Lying will inevitably be discovered. You can use language such as "job ended" or "terminated" should you need to and state why you are no longer working at that job. If you are specifically asked if you were dismissed, you need to answer honestly. Lying on a job application is good reason for dismissal at any time in the future and could cost you future unemployment benefits.

INTERVIEWING

This is where being dismissed matters most. You will most certainly be asked the question "Why did you leave your last job?" Keep your answer brief, keep it honest, and keep it moving. You may suggest telling the interviewer that you learned a lesson and explain how you benefitted from the experience. Turn the negative into a positive.

PRACTICE

Take some time to prepare answers to questions about being dismissed so that you know exactly how you are going to respond. Practice again, so you can respond confidently and without hesitation. The more you repeat your answer less negative it will sound. However, be careful not to lie. Most companies check references and background information, so if you lie you will normally be found out. 

Do not contradict yourself. Tell the truth and have one story and stick to it regardless of how many people are interviewing you. They will compare notes afterwards and you should not have told one person one thing and someone else another.

Do not insult your former supervisor, or your former employer. A potential employer will begin to wonder if you will be talking about them that way in the future. Also don't be angry. Feeling angry after being dismissed is normal. However you should have recovered from such anger before being interviewed for any subsequent post.

MOVING ON

As difficult and emotional it may be, you need to get over being dismissed and move on. You need to convince employers that regardless of what happened in the past, you are a strong candidate for the position and can do the job. Focusing on the skills and experience you have rather than the dismissal, will help convince the employer and will help you get the job.