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​Goal Planning Over the Holiday SeasonIt’s the Holiday Season and we all are really looking forward to our few days’ leave, and rightly so. It’s time to rejuvenate the batteries, put your feet up in front of the TV & enjoy a well-earned break with family and friends, a blessing that can sometimes be lost in the hustle and bustle of a busy year. But when the dust settle...

A cover letter is so important, it’s a crucial addendum to your job application which allows you to introduce yourself and explain your suitability for the position in question. The letter needs to be interesting, tailored to the job you are applying for and snappy. Avoid longwinded paragraphs filled with clichés as they are so annoying. When employers read letters of this n...

Time is precious, and for most of us using our time wisely and productively usually requires an uncomfortable and radical shift in mind-set. Jumping from one thing to another and finishing nothing is unfortunately the norm for some, a habit that results in inefficiency and time wasting. You must have a systematic approach to time management which will result in a less str...

​For interviewers, creating a positive, insightful, and structured experience is key to selecting the right candidate and representing the company well. Here are ten essential practices for conducting a successful job interview:Be Thoroughly PreparedBe sure to review the candidate's resume, cover letter, portfolio and references they’ve provided. This will help you to famili...

​Preparing well and presenting yourself confidently during a job interview can make all the difference. Here are ten must-dos to help you shine in your next interview:Research the CompanyThis is crucial to your chances of successfully landing the job. You can look up the company's mission, values, history and recent news to be prepared to engage in a knowledgeable way with t...

In today’s tech savvy business community, professional networking sites such as Opportunity, PartnerUp, VisualCV, Meetup, Xing and LinkedIn all provide excellent online locations to help you grow professionally, but to date as stated by Forbes;“LinkedIn is far and away, the most advantageous social networking tool available to job seekers and business professionals today”Lin...

​​Job hunting can be a very stressful and difficult time for most of us, especially when it’s the result of losing your job rather than choosing to leave. As hard as it may be, try not to look at your current situation as world ending because it isn’t, instead look on this situation as the Universe’s way of telling you loudly that what you were doing in the past needs changi...

This is probably one of the most frequent questions we get asked when meeting both clients and candidates for the first time, why Elk?From the outset we wanted an Irish association with our business/brand. We started initially with the names of Irish flowers due to my keen interest in gardening, but to be honest, to have an Irish Flower as our name in Irish, although beauti...

There are many different paths one can follow to succeed in this world, and they all don’t follow the conventional routes of school, college then work. For instance, I left school, repeated my Leaving Cert and did not get the points I needed, so I did a PLC course and then started working. During the first 10 years of my working career I performed well, but found that lack ...

​There are myriad reasons for job seekers to avail of Recruitment agencies. Recruitment consultants are skilled at filtering the essential elements of job descriptions and matching candidates to the roles. They can help job seekers to tailor their CVs to the requirements of the role being applied for and eliminate non-essential information. Consultants may also boost the con...

​Businesses have a constant need to recruit new employees which is a complicated and costly process. Not all companies are equipped to perform this function well and many mistakes may be made by hiring personnel who are not qualified for this role. While some companies have the option to incorporate a dedicated HR department and are well equipped to implement a solid recru...

Remote Working has become a game changer for both employers and employees since it became a necessity for many companies at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Initially remote working was somewhat unregulated, but a standard pattern has developed over time to the extent that elements of it have been incorporated into Legislation in Ireland.There’s no doubt that ...

With Artificial Intelligence (AI) influencing many industries in today's world, Elk has taken a look at how this technology is changing the face of recruitment.Let’s start with the basics, the CV/Resume. It is at times a painstaking task for recruiters to read through reams of text and try to differentiate the skills and experiences of a variety of candidates to identify the...

A Guide to CV Excellence Part IISo welcome back and thank you again for joining me. Saturday morning, the sun is shining, and I have the fortunate task this morning of writing for all of you wonderful people.CVs, CVs, CVs, like them or loathe them, but never underestimate the importance of getting them right. During our last blog I gave you an introduction as to who am I, wh...

I think it makes sense at this stage to give you a brief history of who I am and what qualifies me to blog about this topic which I am very passionate about.I am 49 years of age, married to a beautiful wife and we have three amazing kids, along with a dog, horse, 2 cats a rabbit and 3 fish, there is always noise, dirty football boots, ballet, Xbox, iPad, tears and laughter a...

Pathways and CrossroadsNow that the leaving cert results have been announced there will be many graduates facing different choices and pathways. Some of these decisions will be determined by expected outcomes whereas for others, this moment will bring uncertainty. There may be the need to reassess where to go from here. Perhaps for some this will be the first time in their l...

Self-doubt is that little voice that screeches us to a halt just when we are about to make a decision! Are you sure? Have you made the right decision here? What will people think? Is your business idea good enough? What if you fail?We have all heard them, this process is normal and healthy, but this self-preserving mechanism should never become debilitating. Of course, it’s ...

​How do I progress my career?The answer to this question is actually quite complex as there are many factors at play here. Some are obvious, some not so obvious and some which may unfortunately be out of your control. QualificationsTo start with, Qualifications are extremely important and a good place to begin to lay solid career foundations. What we have learned to date at ...

​Understanding YOU is an important key to successHaving a goal and driving towards that goal is extremely important, however it does not necessarily mean you will achieve it as most successful people will tell you. We all need tools to get there, we need to know how to use them and the most important tool you possess is YOU!An important first step to your success is defining...

​Welcome to Part 3 of our blog about job search strategies for recent college graduates. We’ve already covered defining career goals and creating a strong CV and cover letter, networking, using online resources and creating a strong LinkedIn profile. We move on now to the final phase which outlines the value of volunteering, continuous upskilling, interview preparation and p...