Combination Expands International Opportunity by Entering Recruitment for the Energy Industry

Dice Holdings, a leading provider of specialized career websites for professional communities, today announced it has completed the purchase of the online and career events-related businesses of WorldwideWorker, a global leader in recruitment for the energy industry.

“The acquisition of WorldwideWorker delivers on two important parts of our growth strategy: international growth and new vertical expansion,” said Scot Melland, Chairman, President & CEO of Dice Holdings, Inc. “WorldwideWorker is a well-regarded player in the highly-attractive energy sector. The global nature of the energy business allows us to leverage both our cross-border recruiting expertise and our international infrastructure.”

Based in Dubai, WorldwideWorker is widely known for its extensive international resume database and its recruitment events held at industry-leading conferences. More than 400,000 energy professionals have registered with WorldwideWorker and two-thirds of those are based in Asia, Africa or the Middle East.  Nearly half of WorldwideWorker’s candidates have at least ten years experience.

“Our common goal is to help hiring managers and recruiters find the best possible talent most efficiently. Speed-to-hire is critical in the energy industry,” said Frederik Rengers, CEO of WorldwideWorker.  ”Pairing the experienced Dice team with our extensive energy-industry knowledge will drive the growth of WorldwideWorker and deliver significant value to our customers.”

The purchase price consists of initial consideration of $6.0 million in cash.  Additional consideration to a maximum of $3.0 million in cash is payable upon the achievement of certain operating and financial goals over the next two years.

Article Sourced From : Press Release

Upskill Your Employees

The Need To Upskill

In recent times employers have really felt the sqeeze in company budget, a good chunk of which is spent on employee wages. Recently relealed figures from the RBA indicate that the market is again starting to pickup and the employment rate is going up with it. But in many cases Employers still can’t afford to employ new staff to fill roles that were made redundant during the “GFC”. See an article previously posted on Australian Job News regarding the True Cost of Employment. But someone still has to do the work… so what’s the answer? Upskilling.

In a recent survey 70% of surveyed companies reported that they had saved money by upskilling current employees rather than hire new ones. It’s also a well known fact in the HR industry that it costs 150% to hire someone in their first year of employment. So if you hire them for a position paying $50,000, by the time you train them and they settle in it would have cost you around $75,000.

Benefits Of Upskilling Staff As An Employer

• Increase Staff Productivity – A busy worker is a productive one. By training your staff membersto be able to do more you will be keeping them busy with all the additional tasks they can now perform.
• Increased Staff Loyalty – By training your staff to perform new tasks they are more likely to feel a mutual obligation to use those skills to improve comapny performance.
• Build Company Reputation – In most cases the courses completed will come with Industry recognised certifications which can be used to promote your comapny’s high quality staff and work.

What Training Courses Can Be Done Online?

There really is no limit to the courses that can completed online. In a world that is getting busier everyday, there is a need to be able to deliver training via the online medium. Here’s an example of some of the online courses that are available:

• Certificate Of Journalism

• Privacy and Health Records – 100 user licence

• Advanced Diploma Of Photography

• Advanced Diploma Of Travel And Tourism

• Accounting Basics

• Bookeeping – Executive Diploma

Browse Courses by Industry

• Arts & Design courses(6)
• Career Development(4)
• Business & Management courses(24)
• Construction & Buliding courses(1)
• Customer Service(2)
• English Language & TESOL(3)
• Education(1)
• Event Management Courses(3)
• Government Courses(1)
• Floristry(3)
• Health & Medicine(3)
• Hospitality(6)
• IT – Technical(105)
• IT – Desktop Applications(149)
• Legal courses(3)
• Journalism(2)
• Photography courses(3)
• OH&S(5)
• Psychology courses(3)
• Retail(3)
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• Sales & Marketing(1)
• Share Trading & Investments(1)
• Sport & Fitness(3)
• Training & Assessment TAA(2)
• Trades / Manufacturing(6)
• Writing, Editing & Publishing(1)
• Wedding Planner Courses(3)
• Accounting Finance & Bookkeeping courses Architecture(6)
• Management & Leaders(2)
• Personal Development(8)
• Project Management(4)
• HR & Recruitment(3)

Selection Criteria Responses:

evidence is everything!

‘Selection criteria’ now apply to most positions and appear in various forms:

• listed in a job advertisement either in point form or in text
• described as ‘selection criteria’ or ‘key selection criteria’.

For government positions they are everything with the resume relegated to a support role. If not answered you will not even be considered regardless of claims in your resume.

Disguised or however described they must be identified and be specifically addressed in an application for that position. It is common knowledge that recruiters ‘score’ each part of each answer so that every part of each criterion must be addressed. Even if you are weak on a criterion it is better to say something and register some score instead of no score at all. It could mean the difference between getting an interview or not.

However the critical consideration is that criteria must be thoroughly answered with evidence of how you satisfy them. That means detailed evidence in the form of examples of the ability, experience, skills or knowledge you claim to have relative to the criteria.

To summarise how to respond to selection criteria:

STEP ONE: Read the criteria carefully to ensure that you satisfy essential requirements such as security clearances, nationality/residential status or formal educational qualifications.

STEP TWO: Respond to each selection criterion following these guidelines:

Responses to extensive criteria should be addressed in a document separate from your résumé whereas less detailed criteria that appear in advertisements can be treated in the either in a separate document or in the cover letter.

Make your resume stands out from the crowd by addressing these criteria.

STAND OUT from the crowd

Successful Résumés Northern Victoria & Albury

183 Wharparilla Road Echuca Victoria 3564

Email: northvic@successfulresumes.com.au

www.successfulresumes.com.au/northvic.html

Telephone/fax: 03 5483 7425 / 0429 580 035

Early Network Rollout

A submission to have the Federal Government’s National Broadband Network rolled out early on the New South Wales north coast remains on the table, despite the area not being chosen as a test site.

The Federal Government this week announced that it would trial the $43 billion high-speed broadband network at locations including Armidale and the University of New England and the state’s south coast. The Southern Cross University has put in a submission to have the broadband network rolled out early in the ‘east coast corridor’ stretching from the Great Lakes to the Tweed. The federal independent MP for Lyne, Rob Oakeshott, has strongly backed that submission and says it still has a chance of success, even though the area has nit been selected as a test site.

What Does This Mean For Australian Jobs?

Obviously an early rollout to an additional test site is going to create jobs for Australian Telecommunications contractors. The project in the bigger picture is going to create thousands of short to mid-term jobs as well as hundreds of ongoing jobs involved with upkeep and new business generated from such a scheme.

Australian Job Ads Rebound

Job advertisements posted their biggest increase in 11 years last month, more than reversing January’s surprise decline, as employers stepped up hiring plans.

The total number of jobs advertised rose by 19.1 per cent last month, after an 8.1 per cent fall in January, according to the ANZ Bank’s monthly survey. It was the largest monthly increase in the 11-year history of the series, ANZ said.

”Total job advertisements are continuing to improve month on month from their cyclical low point last year,” ANZ chief economist Warren Hogan said. ”This has already translated into solid employment growth and reduced unemployment, even through a period of relatively strong labour force growth.”

Jobs advertised in major metropolitan newspapers increased by 13.1 per cent, seasonally adjusted, in February, while internet job advertisements rose by 19.6 per cent, seasonally adjusted, ANZ said.

The recovery in job ads is the latest indication that the economy is gaining strength. Last week, the Reserve Bank raised its official interest for the fourth time in five board meetings since October as it moves to return lending costs to more normal levels after last year’s economic slowdown.

The total number of job ads rose to an average of 159,778 a week in February, seasonally adjusted, just 2.3 per cent lower than in February last year.

Newspaper job ads rose 13.1 per cent to 9947 a week last month, seasonally adjusted, while internet job ads increased 19.6 per cent to a weekly average of 149,831.

While the official unemployment rate has been falling – dropping to 5.3 per cent in January – the number masks an increase in part-time work, Mr Hogan said.

”A record 30.2 per cent of all jobs are now part-time (less than 35 hours per week) and, despite the big surge in employed people, total aggregate hours worked across the economy remains near the level it was a year ago,” he said.

So if it’s a new job you’re looking for, then it looks like you’re in luck. Check out all the jobs on offer right now.

Article Sourced From SMH.com.au

Graduate resumes: more than academic

COMMUNICATION OVER GRADUATION!

Graduate Outlook 2007, a survey of recruitment trends in Australia and New Zealand found the top three key selection criteria for recruiting graduates were:

• communication skills
• critical reasoning and analytical skills/problem-solving/local thinking/technical skills
• passion/knowledge and industry/drive/commitment/attitude.

Academic qualifications ranked fifth!

The top three least desirable characteristics were:

• poor attitude, work ethic and approach
• lack of interpersonal and communication skills: written, oral and listening
• lack of leadership skills.

To show recruiters that you have these skills, you must give examples of positions and/or situations where you have demonstrated your communication skills: both oral and written.  For example, participation in or contribution to University clubs or causes, community organisations, holiday work (paid or unpaid), social or sporting clubs. These examples can also demonstrate other qualities/attributes that typically appear in position descriptions: such as work ethic, organisation, management, ability to work under pressure, attention to detail and team skills.

Make your resume stands out from the crowd by addressing these criteria.

STAND OUT from the crowd

Successful Résumés Northern Victoria & Albury

183 Wharparilla  Road Echuca Victoria 3564

Email: northvic@successfulresumes.com.au

www.successfulresumes.com.au/northvic.html

Telephone/fax: 03 5483 7425 / 0429 580 035

Resume Relevance is everything!

‘Generic’ or ‘basic’ resumes are a waste of time

Australian and New Zealand research found that recruiters most appreciated in résumés:

• relevant experience
• relevant qualifications
• quality format.

In other words they want to see resume relevance to the available position.

The sole purpose of a résumé is to sell YOU strongly enough to secure an interview.

To do that it must make an impression and show relevance: that is, describe your skills, your achievements and all your positive qualities that can benefit a prospective employer: that are relevant to the particular position.

Your resume responding to an advertised position should be tailored specifically to that position and exclude information that is irrelevant to that position.

If you want a new resume with no particular position in mind, find a ‘job description’ in the ‘positions vacant’ that matches (as closely as possible) the position that you want and then prepare your resume accordingly. To be relevant, your resume must use the words used in the job description.

Finally it’s official! Recruiters are put off by spelling, punctuation and grammatical mistakes because they indicate that you are careless, lack attention to detail and aren’t prepared to make the effort to ‘get it right’.

REMEMBER Resume Relevance Is Everything!

Make sure you have a relevant resume here.

STAND OUT from the crowd

Successful Résumés Northern Victoria & Albury

Job Stability In Australia

With the Australian economy weathering the GFC extremely well, and an increase in job ad placement during January, you could be forgiven for breathing a sigh of relief and looking ahead to a brighter economic future. However, recently the UN has warned that the global economy could experience a “double dip recession” if state stimulus packages are stopped too early.  Even though economies have stabilised globally, many countries still have increasing rates of unemployment as corporate and consumer confidence can be described as shaky at best.

So while the average job seeker cannot do much about the governments’ decision to maintain or cut stimulus packages, by making yourself appear more attractive to potential employers, you could secure that full time position before the potential second downturn.

Online time equals Face to Face time.

Job search websites are fantastic time saving tool. Gone are the days of sitting in front of the classifieds circling potential jobs and applying over the phone. Online searches narrow down prospective jobs and most use an online initial application procedure. However this can be impersonal. If you do make it to that first round of interviews, make sure you let your personality and passion for the job shine through. It may be what separates you from the rest of the interviewees.

A friend of yours is a potential boss

At times like these, don’t be afraid to make business contacts or employment opportunities via mutual friends. If your feel awkward, don’t think about it as “looking for help”, it’s a networking opportunity. As long as you don’t make a complete fool of yourself, and you don’t come across as too upfront or desperate, your friends shouldn’t mind giving you a bit of a foot up in the employment stakes.

Refresh that resume

Don’t forget to include skills that you may have learned off the job. Perhaps you been involved at the organisational level of a sporting club. For example working as the president or treasurer of a club demonstrates high levels of organisational skills and some financial experience. Perhaps you organised working bees, or coordinated a work roster. Even some sporting achievements can be included. Having to train for a long period of time to achieve a single goal, like training for 6 months to be able to run a marathon, demonstrates long term commitment to meeting set targets.

So you’ve had the interview now…

Make sure you follow up, especially if the interview was more of an informal get to know you situation. Make sure you sell yourself and remind them of who you were. Again, there is a difference between genuine interest and desire for a position, and a desperate and annoying interviewee calling for the 6^th time to see if the decision has been made about a vacant position. Don’t cross that line.

During your job search, keep in mind that the average time people spend looking for a full time job is 3 months, so be prepared for the long haul, and maybe have a source of casual income on the side to reduce the stress on your finances. With this unstable economy, a casual job doesn’t need to be something can you can turn into a career, it just a job for now.

Sydney Jobs Confidence Boost

Jobs on the Rise:

On the back of  a terrible year on all counts thanks to the “GFC” it seems that Jobs in Sydney have really picked up, this is great news for Job Seekers in Sydney and even better news for a struggling economy. Traditionally the job market expects a rise in job ads just prior to Christmas followed bby a lull in late December and into the early months of the new year. As it has played out we saw a rise in job ads placed in Novemeber of 7.5%, this was to be expected. However job ad placement continued to grow throught the month of December by a further 2.5%

The Winners of the Job Vacancies:

An increase in vacant positions is obviously going to be a win for the job seekers of NSW amongst others. Many faced the problem of job loss last year as the Global Economy fell in to turmoil and the amount of job seekers rose steadily with the unemployment rate in our state. This boost in market confidence is a breath of fresh air for all those who were affected by the fallout of this downturn.

Employers are also going to benefit from this upturn. As the ‘Job Seeking’ population start preparing themselves for interviews and their future employment the HR departments placing these job ads are going to see a new level of applicant and a lot more of them. Thus HR have their work cut out selecting the right person for the job.

Employment Web Sites are also a clear winner from these figures, although it would seem that the sites like AussieEmployment and JobsJobsJobs knew about this and were realising the benefits long before your average punter did.

The Politicians will also get something out of this, just recently NSW was appointed a new premier Kristina Keneally who also made a promise to focus on the rising unemployment rate in NSW. Given these recent figures it’s safe to assume that the unemployment rate will come close to, if not fall below, 6% for the first time in a year when the official figures are released at the end of this month. It’s also safe to say that our new premier probably had nothing to do with this increase in Job Ads but someone has to take the credit.

Where To From Here:

• Job Seekrs:

  • Get out there and apply for as many jobs as possible (assuming you haven’t already been doing this). Just because the market has ben flooded with new jobs doesn’t mean you can be picky, once you have 3 different job offeres you can afford to be picky. But now is the best time to be looking for work. Don’t know where to start? Try this site: Job Search Australia.

• Employers / HR:

  • Get on the boat while you can. 2.5% increase in a market like this is nothing to turn your nose up at, alot of quality applicants will soon be out of the race and sitting behind a desk at a competing firm or business. If you have a vacancy within the office then fill it! Try using a site like Aussie Employment, they are sydney based and hence have a firm grasp of what this increase in job ads is all about.

Good luck with the hunt people and happy new year.