Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Do video CVs really work?
Maybe it's down to the Great British personality but being natural and comfortable talking to camera is a strange and difficult experience for most. Start talking about your strengths and all the good interview speak normally saved for 1-2-1 sessions with the interviewer and things will probably get harder. Talking to an interviewer in the flesh is more natural and candidates will be able to get themselves across better.
So, will a video CV help you get an interview? No - not least because most recruiters are not ready to receive and view video CVs. A classic example of it not working is here.
Will the Great British public be producing their own video CVs? You tell me.
Do you have a video CV?
What has the reaction been?
Has it helped you get an interview / job offer?
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Part 2 - Top 10 Job Hunting Mistakes to Avoid
The second Job hunting mistake we should all avoid making is No.2. Not Keeping track of your accomplishments. I bet most of you will have had to work late trying to write your annual performance review. Scratching your head trying to think of what you did in Q2 last year is always difficult. Similar, if you've just been approached about a very interesting career opportunity and need to quickly turn your CV around you can save yourself valuable time simply by having a reminder of what you've worked on over the last year.
There is no 'right' way to do this. The key is coming up with a system that requires very little effort on your part to record your accomplishments in a safe place.
My preference was to use Outlook and create a 'Performance Review' folder where I'd keep emails reminding me of all my achievements including stakeholder sign-off emails, positive feedback about work I'd lead, and significant documents could all be found quickly in one place.
Having an organised filing system can help job your memory too. One tip is to have a folder for each year in your Documents folder and group all your work for each project in a new folder.
Every time you start a new role, whether it be with the same company or a new one, you should try and make a note to update your CV. This may be asking a lot as we all lead busy lives, and the last thing most people want to do after researching, applying and interviewing for their new job is to re-visit their CV again! At the very least, do yourself a favour and keep your folders, files and emails organised and grouped so you can quickly refresh your memory about all those accomplishments as you need to.
What's next in the Top 10 series?
1. Not understanding the character of your interviewer
2. Not keeping track of your accomplishments
3. Leaving on a bad note
4. Not networking
5. Only using the Internet for research
6. Writing a generic cover letter
7. Not targeting your CVto the position
8. Not paying attention/ being empathetic in an interview
9. Not being prepared
10. Not coming across well on the telephone interview
No.3. Leaving on a bad note; why you should never be tempted to have the last word!
Oliver
Thursday, 10 July 2008
Watch the movie - How TheCareerMole.com Works
Hope you find it useful.
Ollie
Tuesday, 24 June 2008
What Makes a Good Boss?
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
What not to do in turbulent times
Read te full article here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/career_and_jobs/article4019395.ece
Chin up - it might never happen to you - but if it does, it may not be a bad thing. You'll suddenly have time on your hands. Ponder your future, be positive and perhaps consider a change in direction. Try something you've always wanted to do - and perhaps speaking to a Mole will help get the ball rolling..
Ollie
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TheCareerMole.com
Meet. Refer. Progress.
Thursday, 22 May 2008
Feeling tired at work like The Apprentice contenders?
If you're struggling to stay awake at work The Guardian's Virginia Matthews has written an interesting story on how you can beat the tiredness, including th doze and don'ts of how to beat office fatigue
· Fresh air and caffeine will help combat tiredness, but if you really need of sleep, the benefits will only be short-term.
· Tired workers can perform monotonous tasks on "remote control", but complex jobs and decision-making may be a chore.
· Get through any demanding tasks early - you'll feel a lot worse by 2pm.
· Don't arrange difficult personal meetings on a day when you feel starved of sleep - you may be irrational and argumentative without realising it.
· Keep to the same bedtime and waking-up time regime as far as possible through the week. The latter is more important in regularising sleep.
· The average adult needs about seven hours' sleep a night; a regular eight-to-nine hours or more can be counter-productive.
· Power napping for 15 minutes can provide an energy boost, but if it's any longer, we drift into deeper sleep and may wake feeling groggy.
· When we wake briefly in the night, the time spent awake can feel endless, but this may be due to a condition called "sleep onset misperception".
· Napping on the job is perfectly acceptable in Japan and Germany, but in the UK, nap rooms are rare.
The Mole
Saturday, 19 April 2008
Hello
Apologies for the lack of posts over the last week. Things here have been extremely busy. We've all been working hard on some great new features which will be available soon. We've also confirmed an exciting new addition to Mole Lifestyle Partners which we'll be announcing soon so watch this space...
The Mole
www.TheCareerMole.com
Thursday, 3 April 2008
COMPETITION - UPDATE! WIN WIN WIN!
If the competition winner comes from the UK they can opt for a hand made suit from King & Allen. If that doesn't float your boat - or you live outside of the UK - you can choose £250 GBP worth of vouchers from 20Days.co.uk, Holiday-Chateaus (our Lifestyle Partners), Amazon or Apple online stores who will ship your favourite gadget or gizmo to you, wherever you are.
Entering is simple so long as you can spare 84 seconds:
- Login to TheCareerMole.com and click on the 'Find Friends button. (You may have to click on Switch to Mole Profile' first)
- Invite 25+ of your friends, family and workmates who could benefit from knowing about The Mole to join your Mole Friends
- Write them a little note saying how great you think the site is ;) and click Send
- Competition Entry. Done. 74.3 seconds!
It's that easy and you stand to get a good return on your 84 seconds so what are you waiting for. Start spreading the word and win!
- The competition will be drawn on the 1st August 2008.
- Enter multiple times - 1 entry for every 25 invites you send using the 'Find Friends' button
- Winners will be notified via their online message centre.
- Online retailers are subject to change and may do so without notice
- TheCareerMole.com is not responsible for any shipping or taxes incurred upon delivery
- A cash alternative is not available - gift vouchers only equivalent to £250 GBP
- Email us for full terms and conditions
Good luck!
The Mole
Size Matters – How big is your network?
More competition for jobs, means employers have more applications to sort and filter candidates to a level that they can handle at the interview stage. To handle screening and selection workloads employers are involving their employees – the people who know what it takes to be successful at the company – to filter candidate applications.
Boost your chances of interview and job offer by applying for jobs direct via Moles. Don't need a job? Differentiate yourself rom your peers; build your business network – invite peolple to join your Mole Friends network now – it only takes 57.2 seconds. You never know when you might need to call on them for help and support – and vice versa.
Size Matters – Benefits of ‘Mole Friends’:
Find your friends already on TheCareerMole.com and expand your network:
- Login to Mole Members Area (You may have to 'Switch to Mole Profile')
- Click on the 'Find Friends' button in the middle of the screen
- Invite your friends and work mates to join your network
- Mole Networking. Done (49 seconds flat)
When your friends register they will be automatically added to your 'Mole Friends' making it easier for you to keep in touch.
You never know when you might need to call on someone in your network for a favour or advice so make sure you can always contact them - add them to your network now.
The Mole
Wednesday, 2 April 2008
FYI 004 - Accept / Reject Candidates
To do this simply login to your Mole Profile and click on Message Centre. You should see an email called 'I'd like to introduce myself' from the candidate which looks a little like this:

Click on the link to review their CV and then decide whether to accept / reject their invite based on whether you feel they will be successful at your company. Easy.
If you accept - you can then email them and start getting to know them more before you refer them. If you reject, you will not be able to contact them but new candidates who you can refer will be able to introduce themselves to you.
Finally, you can see the status of all your referrals via the 'My Referrals' page.
Good luck with your referrals - don't forget to keep your profile up to date and tell our members about your role, and who you'd like to be contacted by in future
TheCareerMole.com
Meet. Refer. Progress.
Wednesday, 19 March 2008
FYI 005 - Dual Profiles; Double the power


Use your dual profiles to network and make new contacts, help recruit ideal candidates for your company, and keep your CV up to date and maintain all your business contacts in one place.
The Mole
TheCareerMole.com
Meet. Refer. Progress.
Monday, 10 March 2008
KillerStartup? We think so - vote for us!
Thanks!
The Mole
TheCareerMole.com
Meet. Refer. Progress.
Friday, 7 March 2008
The Mole on Jobacle.com
Check out the review of The Mole at http://www.jobacle.com/blog/2008/3/6/company-insiders-help-you-land-jobs.html. Jobacle has some pretty good posts about work related life.
We need your help to keep growing so please keep telling your friends and workmates about The Mole and invite them to join using the Mole Friends feature. You could win a bespoke tailored suit fo your efforts if you send your invites before the 1st May!
The Mole
TheCareerMole.com
Meet. Refer. Progress.
Thursday, 28 February 2008
TheCareerMole.com - Join, invite your friends, and get suited and booted for your career!
Invite your Friends in 4 Quick Steps
1. Register at TheCareerMole.com and login to your mole account and you'll be greated by your summary page which looks like this. Click on 'Find Friends'

2. Choose to import your contacts from Hotmail, GMail, Yahoo, AOL or simply type in individual email addresses. Add a personal message to your friends and click 'Invite'. Easy.
3. Track your responses and see which of your friends have signed up from your summary page
4. Your Mole Friends are also displayed against your profile on the Meet the Moles page. Other members can see who you know in the business world. You can share ideas, referrals and opportunities among your Mole Friends and help each other get ahead.
Get started - Invite your work mates and friends now to get your name in the hat and a chance to win a fantastic bespoke suit.Thanks and good luck for the 1st of April!
Oliver
--------------------------
Oliver Perry; Co-Founder
TheCareerMole.com
...It's all about who you know. Register and invite your friends to join!
Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Competitions
Following on from the fantastic Champneys weekend for two that was one last year will be a tall order. Fortunately we have some great prizes up our sleeves.
March's competition will be launched shortly so watch this space for details.
The Mole
TheCareerMole.com
...It's all about who you know. Tell your friends about us!
Tuesday, 26 February 2008
New Site, New Features, New Mole
Meet – Talented People Like You
It’s now even easier to grow your business network and make contact with people who can help you get ahead in your career.
- Meet Moles doing the job you want
- Stay in touch with friends and colleagues
- Share ideas and opportunities with talented people like you
When you are viewing Mole Profiles as a Mole, simply click on Introduce Yourself, put in an introductory message and start growing your network of valuable business contacts.
Refer – Each Other
Whether you are looking for a new job or looking to find talented people for your company, we have made it simple, fast and fun.
- Get referred to your next job
- Refer great people to your Company
- Rate your colleagues and provide feedback
It’s now quicker and easier to contact people, so expect to receive more friends and referral invites than before. Login, and see the changes we've made to the members area. Update your Mole profile to encourage people to contact you.
Progress – Your Career
Raise your profile and start progressing your career. Get your friends and colleagues to endorse you and your work.
- Be rewarded and raise your own profile
- Apply and get the right job for you
- Be discovered by leading employers
Now everybody has both a Mole and a Candidate profile: so whether you are looking for a new job or looking to make referrals, you can switch to the most appropriate profile and get the most out of TheCareerMole.com.
Friday, 22 February 2008
The Mole 2.0
Since launch, TheCareerMole community continues to expand and we're very excited to see lots of Moles being contacted, candidates going through the recruitment process and a growing number of people being offered and accepting jobs.
The new design and features we have released will make it even easier and more fun to Meet, Refer and progress your career - or work improve your work /life balance thanks to our Mole Lifestyle Partners.
There's still a lot going on behind the scenes here. Watch out for our next newsletter with details of the new features, competitions and new university and lifestyle partners that will help you get the most from The Mole.
TheCareerMole.com
Meet. Refer. Progress.
...It's all about who you know...
Thursday, 10 January 2008
20Days - Yahoo Find of the Year 2007
This is great news and reflects the excellent job the team at 20Days do. Make sure you visit their site and check out some cool ways to use your well earned vacation days.
If you have a second, please vote for 20Days by visiting http://uk.promotions.yahoo.com/finds2007/peoples-choice/
Thanks
The Mole
TheCareerMole.com
...Everyone's 'unfair advantage'!
Tuesday, 8 January 2008
Hello All
Watch this space for more news soon.
The Mole
TheCareerMole.com
Meet. Refer. Progress.
Tuesday, 1 January 2008
Happy New Year
Cheers - English
Slainte - Irish
Prosit - German
Salud - Spanish
Skaal - Danish
Bottoms up - English
Slainte Mhath - Scots Gaelic
Sanitas bona - Latin
Kampai - Japanese
Le'chaim - Hebrew
A votre sante - French
Oogy Wawa - Zulu
Gezuar - Albanian
Yum Bui! - Cantonese
Kippis - Finnish
Na zdraví - Czech
Genbei - Mandarin
Na zdarovya - Russian
Salute - Italian
Gun Bae - Korean
Gesondheid! - Afrikaans
Gia Sas (pronounced Yiassas) - Greek
Sahha - Arabic
Serefe - Turkish
Cin Cin - Italian
Choke Dee Kap - Thai
Gezondheid - Belgian
Proost - Dutch
Budźma - Belarusian
Na Zdravje - Slovenian !
The Mole