When many companies conduct their interviews, they’re looking to see if a candidate’s experience on a CV matches with the skills required for the job. You’ll be asked about your skills, and to give examples…

It’s a common saying. Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. But is it true? Will suddenly showing up for work in a suit get you a promotion? In short, yes….

Job interview success isn’t just about first impressions and how you come across. Your preparation before you get there is often what separates a new job from a rejection email. So these are the 3…

It’s worth taking the time to find the perfect people to join your business. But when they do come along, snap them up quickly. You won’t be the only company that thinks they’re perfect. Yours…

10% of communication is what you say. The rest is non-verbal communication; body language is a big part of that. There are other forms of non-verbal communication you might need to be aware of besides…

Can ink be a stain on your career? Can a piercing puncture your chances of work? Facial piercings and tattoos are wildly popular. It’s not just rappers and footballers that have them on show either…

For some of us, the idea that you’d get offered a job on the spot in a job interview might sound like the best case scenario. It means you’ve made a fantastic impression and blown…

A new law has come into effect in the American state of Massachusetts to ban a job interview question. The offending question: “What is your current salary?” The law has been brought in to try…

If there’s only one thing you remember about job interviews, make it this. It isn’t asking “What’s my salary?” or showing up in flip-flops and shorts (though we don’t advise doing either of those things). …

It was pretty warm last week, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees, Britain was hotter than Jamaica! But, when you’re trying to look smart and professional for a job interview, a heatwave isn’t necessarily your friend. You…

Last week we suggested 5 questions that you ought to ask when you’re being interviewed for a new job: whether they’re to impress your interviewer, or to give you a better idea about what the…

A job interview isn’t just about demonstrating that you’re capable of taking on a new role: you should be making sure that it’s a job that you want to be doing as well. So…

Job interviews. Presentations and pitches. Important meetings. We all get nervous in these sorts of situations. Flashbacks to messing up our lines in a school play, anyone? But some people do handle things better than…

Job interviews are unpredictable – you can control what’s on your CV, cover letter and application forms, but now the fate of your career is in someone else’s hands. While you don’t know what exactly…
At Essential Personnel, we like to use our blog to share great advice with job seekers in Stockport and the North West so they can go on to find great jobs. We also of course…

Your CV has ticked all the boxes, and you’ve been offered an interview. The recruitment agent who has been dealing with the position tells you: “Make sure to research the company!” But what does that…
The skills shortage in many sectors is one of the biggest news stories when it comes to all things job-related. While the focus is usually on technical skills in IT, science, technology and finance, the…

38% of hiring managers say they’d be less likely to hire someone who doesn’t smile in an interview. After poor eye-contact, failing to smile is the biggest body language faux-pas when it comes to job…
We’re seeing more and more businesses setting a short task or test as part of their interview and recruitment process. While they were once limited mostly to graduate schemes to narrow down large volumes of…
I think it is important to understand that interviews are a two way process. It’s not just about the employer asking questions about one candidate to see if you fit in, It’s also about…

10% of communication is what you say. The rest is non verbal communication, of which body language is a big part. This fabulous infographic from Melissa Dawn shows how to use body language in an…

More and more of our clients are asking candidates to undertake telephone interviews prior to a face to face interview. It isn’t a chat on the phone, it is a formal interview and the first…

Here at Essential Personnel we love our jobs as Recruitment Consultants. We match employees with employers and on a daily basis we encounter the good, the bad and the downright weird. Here are some recent…

You have been called to a job interview – congratulations! What do you wear? Making a great first impression counts, yet if you are on a budget, how do you do it? Here are some…

Hello fellow young job seekers and workers. School and College are finishing in the next couple of months and you will soon have to start looking for a job. You have heard in the media about the…