For Candidates Archives

Jul 10

Graduates – What you need to consider before accepting your first job offer

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates Interviews | No comments

Looking for that first job after graduating can be a daunting task. Depending on what subject you have studied you might need to decide on your career path as well as the usual choices re the company, role and team. If you’ve successfully navigated this and received an offer then congratulations! Before you go ahead […]

Jul 04

How to research a company before a job interview

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates Interviews | No comments

Everyone knows that you should research the company before an interview and it sounds simple, but you’d be surprised how often interviewers feel that a candidate hasn’t researched them enough. There are three main areas you should research; The company The interviewer The role The Company Don’t just have a look at their […]

Jul 04

How to discuss why you’re leaving a job you hate

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates Interviews | No comments

We recently had a candidate who, for very good reasons, hated the job they were in and had a very bad relationship with their current boss. This came across very clearly at interview and, unfortunately, from the feedback we received from our client, this was a very big factor in why he wasn’t successful. […]

Jul 03

5 reasons why you should work for a start-up company

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates | No comments

I have talked in a previous post about the fact that when job hunting, salary isn’t the only thing you should think about. The size of the company you want to work for is also important. There has been a lot of press coverage recently about the number of new companies that are starting-up over […]

Jul 03

5 things you need to prepare before your interview

By Jonathan Campion | Blog, For Candidates Interviews | No comments

There are loads of clichés about a lack of preparation; failure to prepare is preparing to fail and of course the 5 P’s (whichever version you choose). But they exist for a reason. Not preparing for an interview will seriously impact your chance of success. Here are the most important things you need to do […]

Jun 15

Which silly CV mistakes are costing you interviews?

By Corriculo | Blog, CV Advice For Candidates | No comments

Over the past 10 years it is fair to say I have seen lots of CVs and sadly there are so many that let the candidate down in one way or another. With some of the minor, obvious mistakes, a Recruitment Consultant might spot and correct them on your behalf before submitting your CV, but […]

Jun 12

Why 90% take-home pay rates for contractors are too good to be true

By Jessica Martin | Blog, Contractors For Candidates | No comments

No-one likes paying taxes and talking about taxes isn’t exactly interesting but, if you’re a contractor, your taxes are more important than ever thanks to changes with IR35. A few years ago there was a lot of publicity about aggressive tax “management” schemes (some more legal than others) so the government made various legislative […]

Jun 12

Some things to bear in mind when starting out as a contractor

By Jonathan Campion | Blog, Contractors For Candidates | No comments

Contracting, be it in IT or another sector, can be a fantastic career choice for many people. It has many benefits over permanent employment; The flexibility of being your own boss A potentially higher income, including greater tax efficiencies A wider variety of projects and work which regularly changes An opportunity to develop skills that […]

Jun 10

What is ITEPA and why does it mean recruitment agencies need my personal details?

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, Contractors For Candidates | No comments

There is a perception that too many people are using loop holes to avoid paying their “fair-share” of tax and HMRC shares this opinion. To help counteract this, they have put in place several new pieces of legislation that affect the recruitment industry. Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act , known as ITEPA, came into […]

Jun 10

Our Top 10 Interview Tips

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates Interviews | No comments

Here at Corriculo we have been working in the recruitment industry for over 35 years and during this time we have managed candidates through a lot of interviews. Here are our top 10 tips for interview success; 1. Make sure you arrive on time There is a balance here; you should never be even a […]

May 31

Why your social media presence is important in your job hunt

By Corriculo | Blog, For Candidates | No comments

If you are job hunting you will often be told that a good social media presence is important, but why? Quite simply, the game has changed. Previously, successful job hunting has been about who you know or getting your application in front of as many people as possible – but now you have to […]

May 29

Beat the summer hiring slow-down with these top job hunting tips

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates | No comments

Summer is nearly here! The weather is improving, and holiday season is right around the corner. It’s great news… Unless you’re looking for a new job. Whilst a break might give you the time to begin your job hunt, it may well clash with everyone else’s holidays too! That means the whole process can […]

May 28

Why Salary isn’t the only thing you should consider when job hunting

By Corriculo | Blog, For Candidates | No comments

When it comes to looking for a new job, a lot of people focus on salary but there are various other factors you should be considering; Your day-to-day duties Location Career progression Hours Benefits There is something else though that you should be considering; the size of company. There are many options but each has […]

May 23

10 point CV checklist for maximum success

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, CV Advice For Candidates | No comments

There is lots of advice out there about how to write a CV and there will always be a certain element of personal preference involved when managers and recruiters are reviewing a CV. There are though, 10 simple things you must do with your CV to make sure you give yourself the best chance of […]

May 20

Why you need to be organised when it comes to job hunting

By Jonathan Campion | Blog, For Candidates | No comments

“If you’re working, finding a new role is like taking on a second job… Just without the pay!” Searching for a new job is a tough time. In most cases, you’re still working your regular hours, you’re probably feeling either demotivated or unsatisfied in your current role, but now your also spending your free time […]

May 15

Corriculo Launches Online Timesheet Portal

By Jessica Martin | Blog, For Candidates For Clients | No comments

This month Corriculo has launched an online timesheet portal for both clients and candidates. Office Manager Victoria Harlock explains why it has been implemented: “We’re always looking at how we can improve the contracting experience for our candidates and clients. Setting up the online timesheet portal has been something we have wanted to do for a […]

Feb 04

Things to consider before accepting a counter offer

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, Counter offers For Candidates Interviews | No comments

You’ve accepted the new job offer, written your resignation letter, built up the courage to tell your boss, and then the unexpected happens…they make you a counter offer. What should you do next? Handing in your notice is rarely a pleasant experience. Unless you REALLY hate your job, you’re going to have some areas […]

Oct 31

The Budget, IR35 and you

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates For Clients | No comments

When the changes to IR35 came into effect for public sector workers last year, many in the industry thought it was only a matter of time before private sector workers were also affected. This week, the Chancellor announced that we were right. The good news is that it won’t apply to all organisations with […]

Mar 18

7 ways to get the most out of your LinkedIn profile

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates | No comments

Most people know LinkedIn can be a very powerful career tool, but not everyone knows how to make the most of it. One thing you should bear in mind is why people are actually using LinkedIn; to network, to build their career and to hire, including companies screening people who have applied to them. […]

Feb 01

Why trust is key when working with Recruitment Consultants

By Corriculo | Blog, For Candidates For Clients | No comments

The jobseeker/Recruitment Consultant relationship is often overlooked which could be a big career mistake. A Recruitment Consultant that you have a good relationship with will be your biggest advocate to future employers. So, how do you get the most out of the relationship? You need to attract each other’s attention. […]

Jan 21

LinkedIn Action Points For Aspiring IT Professionals

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates | No comments

You aspire to a fast-track career in IT. You’re in a great role, but want to ensure you progress at a similar pace to your peers. One thing that’s key to achieving this is having a LinkedIn profile that truly sells you. Here we’ll be covering 4 things you must address if you’re ever to […]

Dec 15

How to Prepare for a Job Search in the New Year

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates | No comments

The bringing in of a New Year is a natural period for reflection. For many, it’s a time to kick start the job search in hope of new challenges, better working conditions, and more exciting opportunities. Whatever your reasons for starting your job search, the prep you do beforehand is vital. The steps you […]

Oct 28

10 tips to make sure your interview is less “Trick” and more “Treat” this Halloween

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates Interviews | No comments

Here at Corriculo we have been working in the recruitment industry for over 40 years and during this time we have helped candidates through a LOT of interviews. Here are our top 10 tips for interview success; Make sure you arrive on time. There is a balance here; you should never be even a minute late […]

Sep 25

6 ways to get the most out of a second interview

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates Interviews | No comments

If you’ve already had one face to face interview (and possibly a telephone interview as well) then you might think that the second interview stage will be easy. Sadly, that isn’t always the case. It’s the stage where you need to get down to the nitty gritty, a bit like the second viewing of a […]

Nov 19

Why a new job should be on your Christmas list and not your New Year’s Resolution

By Corriculo | Blog, For Candidates | No comments

When it comes to job hunting, you’re probably using lots of tools to make yourself stand out from the crowd, but you could be overlooking an important one – the timing of your application. There is a common misconception that you would be better off postponing your job search until after Christmas […]

Dec 28

Why do so many people change jobs in January?

By Jonathan Campion | Blog, For Candidates For Clients | No comments

January and February are traditionally very busy times for job seekers, hiring managers and recruiters alike but why do so many people change jobs in January? There are of course many reasons why people change roles but there are several reasons why they do so en masse. There is a myth that the job […]

Oct 21

Will any recruitment innovations ever actually become mainstream?

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates For Clients | No comments

Today is Back to the Future day and there’s been a lot of talk about which things that featured in the films have actually come into fruition and which haven’t. Hands up who has a hoverboard or self-lacing shoelaces? No-one. Oh well. Here at Corriculo we regularly attend recruitment expos and there are […]

Sep 15

The Oxford hiring market report: Counter offers are creating havoc

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, Counter offers For Candidates For Clients | No comments

It’s fair to say that here at Corriculo we talk to a lot of hiring and HR managers. As well as recruiting for their IT vacancies, we like to find out what their challenges are. The number one complaint they have in the Oxford area is a lack of candidates being exacerbated by a […]

Aug 20

15 CV tips from recruiters who have seen it all!

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, CV Advice For Candidates | No comments

I recently wrote a blog about the top 10 interview tips from the team here at Corriculo so now it’s time for the team to share their CV tips; If you don’t want to include your full address, at least give the first part of your postcode or the town. The postcode will always […]

Jul 19

Why it’s not just candidates who should be honest during an interview

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates For Clients Interviews | No comments

Imagine you have just interviewed the perfect candidate for your role. They tick every one of your boxes and then some! You make them an offer and they accept. As a hiring manager this is exactly how you want the recruitment process to work. Sadly, this can be where it all goes wrong. Once the […]

Jul 03

Why a recent article telling candidates to lie in interviews is wrong and could hurt your career

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates For Clients Interviews | No comments

It is rare that I will blog off the back of, and to disagree with, a specific article but I came across this one and I had to respond to it. It offers the advice of Peter Harris who is the Editor in Chief of a Canadian job board (which also has UK job […]

Jun 08

Why changing jobs regularly is good for your IT career

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates | No comments

There is one piece of universally accepted recruitment wisdom; don’t be a job hopper. Regularly changing jobs ie every six months or so, or even more often than that, will make employers hesitant about hiring you. What’s the point in investing in getting you up to speed if you will be leaving again soon. […]

May 20

Why your Interview starts in the car park not the meeting room

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates Interviews | No comments

If you think your interview doesn’t begin until you have settled into the meeting room then you could be failing interviews before they have even started. One of my top interview tips is to remember that the results of your interview don’t just depend on what happens during the meeting, it covers everything that […]

May 11

Why job hunting should never be a rash decision

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, Counter offers For Candidates | No comments

Someone we know walked out of their job this week after 37 years. She had been unhappy for a while and finally reached her tipping point. Whilst I think she was very brave doing what she did, I also would definitely not recommend copying her. After a bad day/week/month at work it can be […]

Mar 26

Why offering flexible working makes sense for employers and employees alike

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates For Clients | No comments

When I joined the team here at Corriculo I opted to work both part-time and with some home working; I am writing the blog from my home right now. For me it made sense; saving on childcare costs, petrol costs and spending more time with my kids. Wednesday mornings at home are also my most […]

Mar 09

5 Job hunting tips you might not have thought of…..

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates | No comments

There is lots of advice available on job hunting (check out our blog and social media feeds) but here are some tips you might not have come across before: Once you have written your CV change the font and colour; It tricks our brains into thinking it is a new document and makes […]

Feb 25

7 ways to make your job hunt go more smoothly

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates | No comments

The idea of job hunting is not something that most people relish. It could quite easily be a full time job, but the reality for most people is that it has to fit around the rest of our lives. There are some simple things that you can do to make the whole process go more […]

Feb 09

How you can stop yourself from choosing the wrong job

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates Interviews | No comments

I recently posted a blog about why you shouldn’t quit a new job that you hate too quickly but it is of course better not to take the wrong job in the first place. Sometimes this is easier said than done, but here are some tips to reduce the risk: Make sure you […]

Feb 09

Why you shouldn’t quit a new job that you hate too quickly

By Victoria Harlock | Blog, For Candidates | No comments

Starting a new job is an exciting time! However, if you are unlucky enough to find yourself in a job that just isn’t what you thought, then don’t despair and DON’T QUIT YET. In my 11 years within recruitment I have seen various people who have left new jobs very quickly. This can be […]

Feb 02

How social media is changing job hunting

By Jonathan Campion | Blog, For Candidates For Clients | No comments

An article was published recently asking if it will still be possible to find a job in 2015 without social media. The fact that the article was written in the first place just goes to show how much things have changed. If you haven’t been looking for a new role in the past 18 months […]

Dec 15

What you should be doing now to prepare for your job hunt

By Corriculo | Blog, For Candidates | No comments

If you are thinking of looking for a new job then there are a few things that you can do which will help make the process go more smoothly: Social Media Many people are not aware that prospective employers check social media accounts either before or during the hiring process. This can either work for […]

Dec 01

Why an informal interview is never just a rubber-stamping exercise

By Corriculo | Blog, For Candidates Interviews | No comments

Before the finale of Great British Bake Off many people assumed that Richard would win. He had a great track record during the show. At the final things didn’t exactly go to plan and someone else won. The same thing happens with job hunting. I’ve see quite often that an interview is considered […]

Nov 18

Why you should never assume your CV has been sent to a company

By Corriculo | Blog, CV Advice For Candidates | No comments

When you are job hunting you will inevitably speak to a lot of recruiters and hiring managers. When a recruiter calls they will be making a short-list from which they will choose their final candidates. They should always tell you when your CV has been submitted but don’t assume it has or it could […]

Nov 18

Should you include interests on your CV?

By Corriculo | Blog, CV Advice For Candidates | No comments

This came up in our office today and it got me thinking. Should you include your interests on your CV or not? I would say a cautious yes. An interesting hobby could provide a great talking point at interview stage. Hobbies can also give the hiring manager a snapshot of your personality […]

Nov 18

Why are agencies still posting fake ads and is it ever OK?

By Corriculo | Blog, For Candidates For Clients | No comments

Someone tweeted this article about fake job postings this morning. It is an old article but makes a very good point – fake adverts are bad recruitment practice and just waste everyone’s time. There are some agencies who are notorious for doing this but we won’t of course name names. There’s no hope you will […]

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