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If you are in the process of searching for employment but have yet to be successful, there are a number of reasons why this may be the case. It is important to assess every aspect of your job search, from the contents of your CV to your behavior during the interview.

Below are some of the many reasons why you aren't making the cut:

1.Boasting about your accomplishments

Although there is no harm in discussing your accomplishments in an interview and selling yourself in a positive light, there is a fine line between doing this and blowing your own trumpet. Recruiters like to hear about your accomplishments but as soon as you come across as arrogant and boastful they will no longer view you positively.

Answer all interview questions with complete sincerity and if you are proud of your accomplishments, demonstrate them in an objective manner.

2.Hassling the interviewer

Towards the end of the interview you should ask the interviewers what their intentions are from here onwards and when you will be able to get a result with regards to the next stage in the interview process.

Once your interview has taken place you should follow the interview with a thank you note expressing your gratitude to the interviewers' time. It is also wise to use this opportunity to follow up on one of the questions that you were asked during the interview and explain exactly why you want the job. Keep the note brief and to the point and do not send any gifts with your thank you note. From here, be patient in waiting for the result as you do not want to be seen as desperate.

3.Flattery gets you nowhere...

Do not be too nice or overly accommodating during the interview as the recruiter will perceive you as a weak character that is unable to express their true opinion. You never know, the interview could be asking you particularly awkward questions as a test of your personality and character! If you have an opinion about certain matters do not be afraid to express it provided that you do so with tact and awareness.

4.Weak online branding

The internet is an incredibly public facility that is openly accessible to anymore. It is therefore crucial to be sure that any online activity you perform is either set to private or generally acceptable. Anything you post on your social media profiles will likely be found by recruiters so bear this in mind also! Additionally, if you have your own website, ensure that the content is acceptable and not controversial in any way.   

5.Speaking too soon!

After any job interview it is easy to gloat about how well it went, particularly if you are at the stage of discussing salaries and the company’s pay scheme. However, a job offer can change at any moment and it is therefore better to remain quiet until you have signed a contract.

Avoid any mention of success on your social networking sites, your personal blog or other forums. If recruiters spot your boldness they may change their minds before you even get the chance to sign the contract. 

Related Articles

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Job Seekers: Most Important Online Tools and Apps
The Top 6 Apps For Your Job Search 
How Twitter Can Help You Land Your Next Job 

 
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Career advisor's and news outlets can't seem to stop buzzing about the miracle of social media. From every direction, we're blasted with messages about the astonishing impact Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn can have on the growth of our careers. And there's no doubt these message hold some truth. But watch out. Social media isn't a career-boosting cure-all, and when used recklessly, it can actually cause more than good. Keep an eye on these sneaky ways social media sites may be holding you back.

1. Wasted time

Launching a job search? Trying to use every resource at your disposal? Great. There's no harm in posting a Facebook update to announce your unemployed status and ask for help and leads. And there's also nothing wrong with sending a contact invitation to your former boss or mentor via LinkedIn. But if you find yourself following the twitter feeds of twenty corporations that may or may not be hiring any time soon, checking Facebook every five minutes waiting for those leads to come in, or innocently viewing your former boss's page and then burning the next hour looking through her vacation photos of Istanbul, you have a problem.

2. A false sense of two way communication and connectivity

People aren't reading your blog as much, or as intently, as you may believe. They aren't checking your LinkedIn page as often as you may assume. The window of social media works two directions, but you only have control over the traffic in one direction. After you've skimmed through a hundred of those Istanbul vacation photos, you may feel like you went on that trip right along with your old boss and the two of you are closer than ever. Think again.

3. Potential leaks of embarrassing personal information

You may assume this one doesn't apply to you because you adjusted the privacy settings on all your college drinking photos. But what viewers find embarrassing and what you find embarrassing don't always match. Control ALL the information you share, not just naked photos and swear words. And recognize that the more you use social media and the more photos you post, the more complex this challenge becomes. Remember: There's nothing wrong with maintaining an aura of mystery.

4. Pigeon-holing yourself by being too specific

If your blog sends one message and one message only, as in "I'm a level 2 certified CNC programmer with a two year degree in systems maintenance; I'm looking for a full-time operations position in north Des Moines," you may be limiting your future without realizing it. Right now, the job you describe may feel like the only thing you want in this life. But there may be other options and opportunities available to you that can pass you by if your persona, your goals, your interests, and your needs are presented in a way that's too narrowly focused.

Don't Rely on Social Media Alone: Expand Your Options


Feel free to use social media to support your job search…but be careful. And make sure your blog, LinkedIn account, and Facebook profile aren't the only tools you're using to get ahead. Expand your options and resources by reaching out to your connections in person. And stay focused on real-world skill development and the strength of your resume and application materials. LiveCareer can help. Visit the site to access a valuable set of tools, like resume builders, salary surveys, and career aptitude tests that can keep you on track and help you make genuine, steady progress up the career ladder.

Related Articles

Job Seekers: Most Important Online Tools and Apps
The Top 6 Apps For Your Job Search 
How Twitter Can Help You Land Your Next Job 




 
PictureFigures released yesterday by Eurostat showed that compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate increased in seventeen Member States and fell in ten.

Unemployment in Cyprus recorded an annual increase of 5.6%, the highest among EU member states, rising from 11.7% in June 2012 to 17.3% in June 2013. 

Figures released yesterday by Eurostat showed that compared with a year ago, the unemployment rate increased in seventeen Member States and fell in ten. 

The highest increases were registered in Cyprus (11.7% to 17.3%), Greece (23.1% to 26.9% between April 2012 and April 2013) and Slovenia (8.8% to 11.2%), while the largest decreases were observed in Latvia (15.5% to 12.5% between the first quarters of 2012 and 2013) and Estonia (10.1% to 8.0% between May 2012 and May 2013). 

The euro area seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 12.1% in June 2013, stable compared with May. 

The EU27 unemployment rate was 10.9%, down from 11.0% in May. In both zones, rates have risen compared with June 2012, when they were 11.4% and 10.5% respectively. Eurostat estimates that 26.424 million men and women in the EU27, of whom 19.266 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in June 2013.

Compared with May 2013, the number of persons unemployed decreased by 32 000 in the EU27 and by 24 000 in the euro area. Compared with June 2012, unemployment rose by 1.080 million in the EU27 and by 1.129 million in the euro area. 

Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.6%), Germany (5.4%) and Luxembourg (5.7%), and the highest in Greece (26.9% in April 2013) and Spain (26.3%). In June 2013, 5.512 million young persons (under 25) were unemployed in the EU27, of whom 3.526 million were in the euro area. 

Compared with June 2012, youth unemployment decreased by 43.000 in the EU27 and increased by 43.000 in the euro area. In June 2013, the youth unemployment rate was 23.2% in the EU27 and 23.9% in the euro area, compared with 22.8% and 23.0% respectively in June 2012. 

In June 2013, the lowest rates were observed in Germany (7.5%), Austria (9.3%) the Netherlands (11.0%) and Malta (11.2%), and the highest in Greece (58.7% in April 2013) and Spain (56.1%).

 
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The Minister of Labour and Social Security, Ms.Zeta Emilianidou and Health Minister Mr. Petros Petrides held a joint meeting with officials at the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance.

The aim of the meeting was to review the whole process for the granting of disability pensions Mrs. Emilianidou said after the meeting that " the objective is to review the whole process for the granting of disability pensions in the best possible way"
On the issue he said the Minister of Labour will set up technical teams , which will discuss all the facts and will submit to a period of one month their own suggestions to complete the system to be applied .

The recommendations will be submitted to the Ministers of Labour and Health , who in turn will submit their proposal to the Cabinet A question whether to reduce pensions, Minister said that there is no question of reducing pensions, but is' theme procedures which should apply " in order to get disability pensions those who really need . " We talk about correct criteria ," he added .On his part, the Minister of Health said that was never subject potential misuse or abuse of the system and that the review is based on a decision by the Cabinet and that the aim is to get fair criteria .

 
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In today’s ever-challenging job market, job seekers need all the help they can get on their search for job.  It’s important to arm yourself with  tools that can help you maintain a competitive advantage over other job candidates.

Here are some great apps to help you job search wherever you go:

1) Jobs with Friends
Everyone always talks about using social media to get a job, but not everyone knows how exactly to go about doing that.  Maybe it seems easier to Google open positions, fill out tons of online applications, and send a resume out to every hiring manager.  If it’s beginning to sound too complicated, there is a new, more efficient way to do all of the above tasks using just one single platform. CareerCloud.com’s latest product is called Jobs With Friends, and it centralizes all of the tools a jobseeker needs in his or her job search.  A simple sync of LinkedIn and Facebook to Jobs With Friends lets jobseekers see the companies where their connections are employed, research the company, find open positions, and even ask for job referrals. Because referred candidates are three to four times more likely to be hired, this unique Jobs With Friends feature is a new trend and opportunity that jobseekers should take advantage of.  Separately, LinkedIn and Facebook give access to information about users’ employers, but having them together and putting this information to use is what separates Jobs With Friends from other jobseeker tools.

2) LinkedIn 
LinkedIn is known as the biggest online networking site. The new LinkedIn app makes it even easier to connect and grow your network, engage with professional content and gain insights right from the stream. Simply based on how you use LinkedIn everyday, the new intelligent navigation is personalized just for you. The LinkedIn iPad and iPhone apps only support iOS 5.0 and above so it is recommended to update your device operating system prior to updating the app.

3) Indeed.com
Indeed has been the most comprehensive search engine for jobs. Finding jobs using Indeed is very easy.  In a single search, Indeed offers free access to millions of jobs from thousands of company websites and job boards. You can easily apply to select jobs using your Indeed Resume, your recent searches are remembered, you can view new jobs added since your last search, you can easily preview page displays text of job posting, save or email your favorite jobs, and even create and edit your resume.

4) JobCompass 
If you’re wondering what jobs are available in your area, JobCompass application searches millions of jobs, locating and plotting them on a map showing you exactly where the jobs are in relation to a certain location. It is so easy to use. When you find a job that you are interested in you can email it to yourself, to a friend and even apply directly online.

5) Careerbuilder 
Brings the power of CareerBuilder.com,the largest job site in the US, straight to your mobile device. Give you instant access to search and apply directly to nearly 2 million job postings on CareerBuilder.com using your CareerBuilder account. You can enjoy the simplest and most powerful mobile job-seeking experience for free.

6) SnagAJob
If you’re looking for hourly employment, snagajob is the best resource. Using your current location, Snagajob enables you to discover and apply to the freshest, most relevant jobs near you. They give job seekers access to positions for small and large companies including restaurant, department stores, and  other hourly jobs.



 
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Are you are a nurse interested in working in another EU Member State? Find out how 'Your first EURES job' is helping Greek nurses to settle in Finland:



After his native Greek and English, Alexandros Giannoulakis didn’t think that Finnish would be his next language. However, now that he is one of eight Greek nurses moving to Tampere, Finnish language courses are the next item on his agenda.
 
Mainiovire, a large healthcare provider in Finland, has been working with EURES Advisers for two years. They previously used the network to hire nurses from Spain, so it seemed natural for them to go back to EURES when they faced another labour shortage. It was here that they heard of “Your first EURES job” (YfEj), a scheme that aims to help young jobseekers to find work in other European countries and also provides support for employers. As Mainiovire were looking to hire young professionals from other Member States they got in contact with the Aarhus Employment Service in Denmark, one of the actors that deliver YfEj services. It seemed like a natural fit and one that would help both them and their new employees, by providing support for language lessons amongst other things. They were recommended to contact EURES in Greece where there was a surplus of young healthcare professionals.
 
Alexandros was one of these young professionals. After hearing of the position from a friend in Finland, he researched the company and sent over his CV. He was contacted by the regional manager, Rajkumar Sabanadesan, who provided more details of the position and came to Greece to interview him and the other candidates. After completing an interview, Alexandros and seven others were selected and have made the move over to Tampere.

“Six of us are living in Tampere and the other two are living in towns nearby. It hasn’t really felt like I am living abroad yet but I am pretty sure it will by the middle of winter! The scheme has been incredibly useful and I would happily recommend it to anyone. It was hard to move over because I still have my family and girlfriend in Greece but I feel like I have started my new life under the best circumstances possible.” Alexandros said.
 
He added, “We are going to start Finnish lessons next week and we already had some lessons in Greece. I can’t wait to start speaking it properly.”
 
Marja Kiiskinen, a recruiter for the healthcare sector who worked closely with EURES to find the nurses, commented that “‘YfEj’ seems like a very good opportunity for young educated professionals to look for jobs in other EU countries and it will help a great deal when you have to relocate and start life in a new country.”

Your first EURES Job

Find out more about ‘Your first EURES job’
Source:European Commission
Reproduction is authorised
 
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You've spotted a brilliant-looking job on-line. Great location, great salary, interesting role. All aflutter, you upload your CV, hit send, and sit back, dreaming of the interview you know you’ll get (and ace), almost tasting that offer letter brimming with a massive salary hike.A week goes by. Two weeks. Three weeks. A month. You never hear back.

Unfortunately, this is all too common for job-seekers, so here are six reasons why you never heard back.

1. Ugly CV
My colleague wrote a great article about formatting your CV for maximum impact. CV writing is a skill that’s difficult to master; that’s why CV writing services exist. Your CV is a marketing document to sell yourself. A clear,well formatted CV helps: if it isn't easy to read, it won’t get read. If you struggle writing it,it’s worth paying a professional – a minor outlay (around  €20/ €50) that could result in a huge pay-off.

2. Skills to pay the bills
You know you can do the job with two hands tied behind your back, suspended upside down in a water tank. I don’t, unless you tell me. Make no assumptions. You know you’re a Software Engineer with 5 years experience of PHP development on a LAMP stack, but if you don’t tell me explicitly, I don’t know.

As a Technical Recruiter, I've seen far too many CVs where the candidate never mentions what technologies they use. My preference is to speak to candidates where I can immediately see that they are a strong match for the role. I probably will pick up the phone for a chat to a candidate who hasn't listed their skills, but it won’t be my top priority when I have 3 great CVs that I am chasing instead.

3. Attention [sic] to detail
Almost every candidate puts ‘attention to detail’ in their CV. Yet those same CVs contain spelling and grammar mistakes and other errors. “Mistakes on CVs” is often listed as the number 1 reason hiring managers reject an application. Using a recruiter helps because they proof-read and edit your CV, but mistakes also frustrate us. On a related note, applying to a job that isn’t relevant fails to show attention to detail.

You've seen the job title (e.g. Project Manager) and hit apply without properly reading the advert. Unfortunately, you’re a construction Project Manager applying to an IT Project Manager position leading Agile digital projects – not gonna happen. Read the advert carefully to ensure that the role is suitable for you. If it isn't, you’re unlikely to hear back.

4. (Ir)relevant 
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a job seeker in possession of a desire for a new role, must demonstrate transferable experience. Rewrite your CV for every application and tailor it to precisely what is asked for. Is that experience relevant to the job you want? If not, ditch it.

Your CV doesn't need every detail about your entire life and work history, just what will get you an interview. I recently had a candidate looking for a Junior iOS Developer role. He graduated a year ago and has worked in a department store for the last year in the computer department. His CV was two pages long, all irrelevant to his stated career goal – his experience was in sales and customer service, not development.

At the end, I found two lines about personal iOS development, with a link to his App Store profile. I looked and saw 4 high quality apps. Most recruiters give up after 30 seconds if they see nothing relevant.

5. That’s not what my sources tell me
This is the 21st century. People have Facebook , Twitter, LinkedIn accounts. You will be researched. Any discrepancies between your online presence and CV will ring major alarm bells. I recently saw a candidate with significant differences between the dates on his CV and the dates on his LinkedIn profile.

You should never lie on an application as it is easy to get found out. Furthermore, if you put reference details on your CV, don’t be surprised if people call them – any problems with references, your chances of an interview are ruined. Only give references on request, and let your referee know to expect a call.

6. You’re just not quite right
Your CV’s OK, your skills are OK, your experience is OK… You’re just not quite right. There’s no exciting feeling looking at your CV that you’ll be my next placement, so your application goes nowhere. This isn't your fault; it’s the gut feeling of the hiring manager or recruiter. It isn't fair on you, but with fifty CVs awaiting review, yours is put down, forgotten.

In an ideal world, every candidate would get a detailed reason why their application isn't progressed. Unfortunately, that’s never happening – we’re all too busy. A recent advert received over 100 responses; 10 were worth speaking to. To call all the other 90 candidates who applied would have taken all week, and I wouldn't have done any work on the dozen other roles needing coverage. However, if you ensure your application is well-formatted, relevant, and shows strong correlation to the role applied for, you’ll get a call back!


 
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The Ministry of Labour and Social Security announced that as part of the placement of young unemployed graduates to gain work experience in business / organizations, the HRDA moved today to a new call for expressions of interest and requests from businesses / organizations to participate in the Scheme.


Scheme aims to provide work experience opportunities for unemployed young graduates to improve their employability by enabling parallel to your business / organization to utilize qualified potential.

The graduates will be placed in businesses / organizations in positions that are relevant to their qualifications in order to gain work experience for a period of six months.

During the installation will be paid to the unemployed by the HRDA training allowance of € 125 per week. Additional contributions will be paid to the Social Insurance and Social Cohesion Fund, in accordance with relevant legislation. The placement is not a graduate's employment by the company / organization and would not receive any compensation from the company / organization.

Plan may participate businesses / organizations of the State and Semi sector, municipalities, private companies and non-profit organizations operating in areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus and registered in the Register of Social Security as employers.

Candidates must be able to exploit productive unemployed young graduate of any specialty who have already applied under the previous call of the HRDA ended May 24, 2013. Please note that priority will be given to the placement of graduates in disciplines of humanities, pedagogical and social sciences.

Companies / organizations can obtain expressions of interest and requests to participate in the Plan, the offices of the schemes, at 2 Anavissou 2025 Strovolos or by the District and Local Labour Offices of the Public Employment Service (PES) or from the website of the HRDA: www.anad.org.cy.

Statements and Applications may be submitted at the offices of schemes, from 7:30 to 15:30, or by direct deposit in a mailbox HRDA or post the above address or via fax to 22390368.

Last date of submission of declarations and applications is Wednesday, August 28, 2013. Representations and Applications sent by post should bear postmark mission until Wednesday, August 28, 2013.

 
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The Department of Labour in collaboration with the European Foundation for Management Programs (IDEP) through the Leonardo da Vinci-Mobility gives you the opportunity to unemployed aged up to 29 years to gain work experience as employees for 2-26 weeks in the organization of their choice, located across Europe, with a grant of mobility costs of unemployment (travel costs and accommodation costs-food).

The Leonardo da Vinci Programme funds practical projects in the field of vocational education and training. Initiatives range from those giving individuals work-related training abroad to large-scale co-operation efforts.

Part of the European Commission's Lifelong Learning Programme, this programme funds many different types of activities of varying scales. These include ‘mobility’ initiatives enabling people to train in another country, co-operation projects to transfer or develop innovative practices, and networks focusing on topical themes in the sector.

The people able to benefit from the programme range from trainees in initial vocational training, to people who have already graduated, as well as VET professionals and anyone from organisations active in this field.

Leonardo da Vinci enables organisations in the vocational education sector to work with partners from across Europe, exchange best practices, and increase their staff’s expertise. It should make vocational education more attractive to young people and, by helping people to gain new skills, knowledge and qualifications, the programme also boosts the overall competitiveness of the European labour market.

Innovation projects are key to the programme. They aim to improve the quality of training systems by developing and transferring innovative policies, courses, teaching methods, materials and procedures.

Read more about Leonardo da Vinci-funded actions.

Read about how to apply for projects funded by the Leonardo da Vinci Programme.

Click here  for the latest facts and figures on the Leonardo da Vinci Programme.

Web Source http://ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm


 
Twitter can be as helpful as LinkedIn. 4 tips.
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No doubt, you've already heard that networking is the best way to find a job? Unfortunately, networking can be a bit of a dirty word. People hate having to network; they think it means asking people for help. Luckily, social networking tools, such as Twitter, allow job seekers to redefine networking. Instead of contacting people you don't know to ask for favors, you network by demonstrating your expertise and providing useful resources and information to people you want to notice you.

Can you find a job on Twitter? Yes, you can. Follow these steps to help you take advantage of this tool that provides access to everyone from CEOs of companies where you want to work to potential colleagues at those companies.

Use Twitter to highlight what you know.
If you're an expert in your field and a valuable employee, but only your office mates know about you, it is more difficult to land a new job. Use Twitter to post information, news and commentary about your industry, When you demonstrate that you have your finger on the pulse of what's going on in your field, you extend your influence and attract people to want to learn more about you, even if you're not currently employed.

How can you find great information to share via Twitter? One useful resource isSmartBrief.com. You can subscribe to free newsletters in an array of categories and receive vetted news and information that you can read and share with your Twitter community. 

Show, don't tell. 
Soft skills, or emotional intelligence, have become very valuable to hiring managers. Managers are beginning to put more weight on abilities that are difficult to teach, such as leadership, communication and adaptability. When you use Twitter, you can easily demonstrate many of the most valued soft skills. For example, if your target job requires good judgment and a positive demeanor, your active Twitter stream, devoid of negative comments and without any questionable content, becomes a living example of how you may perform on the job.

Additionally, Twitter provides an opportunity to consistently demonstrate your ability to communicate concisely and completely, even in only 140 characters, which is the length of the longest tweet. Do not underestimate the value of being able to prove what you state on your resume or application materials via your social networks.

If leadership is a skill you'd like to demonstrate, consider finding a Twitter chat to join. These chats, which exist in just about any field you can imagine, are great ways to improve your standing in your online community. Once you become active in a chat, you can offer to help the chat leaders administer the chat by guest hosting. Ultimately, you may find starting your own chat is a useful way to highlight your leadership abilities.

Expand your circle of influence. 
Can you get a job by networking only with the people you know in person? Perhaps, but since referrals continue to be a prime source of hiring, you're even better off if you can grow your network of people who know, like and trust you and who may submit your name for a job opportunity. When you use Twitter to connect with people in your field whom you don't already know, and you impress them with your command of your field, you give yourself more chances to connect to jobs.

Use WeFollow.com to identify people who tweet about topics that relate to your field. Connect with them, retweet (forward along) their content with attribution and get to know some new people.

Learn new things.
It's difficult to keep up with all of the news and information you need to know to stay competitive for jobs. When you tap into a well-connected, informed group on Twitter, you'll never need much more than to sign into your Twitter account to learn what's new and what's hot in your industry.

Once you get started on Twitter and find a few useful accounts to follow, it's easy to access additional, helpful resources. Since Twitter doesn't require or expect users to gain introductions in order to connect with people, simply click through to view the list of people your favorite Twitter users follow. Add them to your Twitter stream and prepare to learn from these new resources.

More job tip's from Job's in Cyprus 

Job Seekers: Most Important Online Tools and Apps

Why Employers Don't Send Rejection Letters Anymore 

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