TLP Recruitment West Midlands - delighted to be back exhibiting at the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce Business Expo 

The team at TLP Recruitment West Midlands are delighted to be back exhibiting at the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce Business Expo at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern on Thursday 10 March.Avi Mann and Connie Horgan will be attending, and they’re looking forward to seeing familiar and new faces. If you’d like to meet up, they can be contacted on avi@tlprecruitment.co.ukand connie@tlprecruitment.co.ukOr simply feel free to pop by and say hi on the day! They’d be delighted to see you and have a chat.Here’s to a great event. We hope to see you there!#recruitment#business#expo2022#threecounties#permanentrecruitment#temporaryrecruitment​

TLP Recruitment Attending 'the 'London Freight Club' Wednesday 22nd September

TLP Recruitment is excited to attend another 'London Freight Club' www.londonfreightclub.com this Wednesday 22nd September at the New Connaught Rooms, Queen Street London.This is an excellent event for members of the members of the shipping and freight industry, who share the wisdom of hundreds of years collectively in the freight industry.  If you’d like to meet up with one of our team, please contact our Managing Partner, Graeme Doyle, or Glenn Gilesglenn@tlprecruitment.co.uk, Regional Manager. #freightindustry#shippingindustry#event#meetup​

Video Interview Tips: How To Prepare for a Great Job Interview

​With the increase in remote working, video calls have become the go-to method for conducting job interviews. Even in sectors where working from home isn’t always possible, video interviews are becoming the norm, and that doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon.To help give you the best chance at landing a new job, here are some of our top tips for a successful video interview.What to wear for a video interviewWhen you get dressed for your video call, you want to dress professionally, and equally as formally as you would for an in-person interview. An interview is your chance to make a great first impression, show your enthusiasm and suitability for the role, so try to resist the temptation to dress too casually. How to prepare for a video interviewCheck your techBefore your interview, be sure to check what video call software the interviewer will be using. Set up a professional looking account if you don’t have one already, and familiarise yourself with how it all works. If you will be giving a presentation or showing your previous work, practice sharing your screen to avoid any technical issues during the interview.Some of the most popular video conferencing platforms that your interviewer may use are Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype and Google Meet. Find a distraction-free location Be sure to plan where in your home you will be for your interview. Find a suitable location, with as few distractions as possible. You want the interviewer to focus on you, not the room around you, so choose a space with a neutral background, away from any loud noises. Consider the lighting - you want to make sure the space is well lit so that you can be seen clearly. Avoid sitting with a window or any bright lights behind you, ideally there will be a light source in front of you.How to prepare for the interviewWhen preparing for a video interview, remember to treat it just as you would an in-person meeting. Whether you haven’t got a lot of experience with interviews, or you just want to give yourself the best chance, make sure you practice your interview skills ahead of time. Practice answering common interview questions on camera and record yourself - you can watch it back and identify anything you want to improve on (with your answers or your setup). Do the same as you would for any other interview - research the company and the job, identify all the ways you can add value to the business, prepare answers to typical interview questions and plan some questions to ask them at the end. Common job interview questionsWhile the exact questions you are asked will vary based on the role you're applying for, here are some of the typical questions you are likely to be asked: Talk me through your CV / tell me about yourselfWhy do you want the job?Why are you leaving your current company? What are your key strengths / weaknesses? What is your expected salary? Case studies: what would you do in this scenario? How could you provide value to the business? Planning your answers to these commonly asked questions will put you in a strong position for your interview and minimise any chances of panicking if you’re not sure how to answer. You may find it useful to write down some notes to help you with your answers. Avoid writing down too much though - while it may be tempting, you don’t want to look or sound like you’re reading from a script. Keep notes brief, in bullet point format. Use your notes as prompts, rather than writing down full answers.Be aware of your body languageMaintaining good eye contact and being aware of your body language and facial expressions is just as important in a video interview as it is face to face.While you can’t actually make eye contact over a video call, keeping your eyes on your screen and facing towards the camera will give the impression of eye contact, and make it clear that you are engaged in the conversation. Watch how you soundA common mistake when practicing for a video interview is focusing on how you look, and forgetting to think about how you sound. It’s easy to sound unenthused over a video call, so be aware of how you come across when you talk. Speak clearly and at a reasonable pace. Make sure you sound enthusiastic, positive and engaged throughout, but don’t be afraid to pause to formulate an answer when you need to. Treat your video interview like any otherStay professional, yet personable - remember to be yourself and let your personality shine throughout the interview. Ultimately, as long as you have put in the practice and are confident with your setup, if you treat a video interview like any other, you will give yourself the best chance at success. If you’d like any further interview advice, our expert recruitment consultants are here to help. And if you’re ready to find your next job, apply for one of our current vacancies, or upload your CV to be the first to find out about new jobs that match your skills and experience.

What Are Transferable Skills?

​Whether you’re applying for your first job or you’re looking for a change in career, identifying your transferable skills are crucial in helping you land a new job.Everyone has transferable skills that can help them in a new role. But knowing how to identify your skills, why they’re important and how to apply them to the position you’re applying for will give you a competitive edge. What are transferable skills All jobs require a variety of skills - some are specific to the job role and are gained through specific experience, whilst others are applicable to any job, in any industry. These widely applicable skills are what we refer to as transferable skills.Many people think of transferable skills as ‘soft skills’ like communication and the ability to build and nurture relationships. But ‘hard skills’ can be transferable too. For example, data analysis would be considered a transferable skill. Transferable skills are usually gained over time through any experience you have. Jobs, education, volunteer work and hobbies are all routes to gaining valuable transferable skills. What’s the difference between transferable and technical skills? Technical skills on the other hand, are the particular abilities needed to complete more specialised tasks. Technical skills are job or industry specific, and are gained through relevant work experience, and often require training. You typically need to be intentional about developing technical skills, whereas transferable skills may be developed naturally. Why are transferable skills important? There’s a common mistake that candidates make where they focus entirely on job-specific knowledge and technical skills when applying for a new position, and forget to showcase their transferable skills. But transferable skills are incredibly valuable to employers. They’re a great way to showcase everything you have to offer. Transferable skills demonstrate all the ways you can provide additional value to the business, over and above the basic requirements of the job. For example, let’s say you’ve applied for a job, and another applicant has very similar work experience, and exactly the same technical ability as you. Communicating your transferable skills as well as your technical skills can give you that competitive edge, help you stand out and make you the more attractive candidate.Examples of transferable skillsIdentifying which transferable skills you have can help you strengthen your CV and give you more to talk about during an interview. All transferable skills are valuable, and every candidate is likely to have a whole host of abilities that they can speak about. But some skills are more sought after than others, as they show the employer that they don’t have to worry - you’ll be able to hit the ground running and contribute to the business right away. So here are some of the most in-demand skills to include in your application, to turn you from a good candidate into an invaluable asset to their business. Problem solving: this is relevant in every job and every industry. No matter what you do, at some point you’re going to run into challenges or inefficiencies. Employers value employees who can identify these problems and come up with realistic solutions to help improve their business. Communication: in any workplace, you will need the ability to communicate effectively with managers, colleagues and customers. There are four main areas of communication that you can focus on: written communication, speaking, listening and presentation skills. Leadership: leadership skills go beyond supervising and managing a team (although this is valuable experience that goes a long way in any industry). It also involves your ability to lead a project and see it through to completion, encompassing a variety of skills such as communication, problem solving and relationship building. Research and analysis: most roles involve some degree of research and analysis, so this is a great skill to make employers aware of. Any form of gathering, organising and evaluating information at work or during education can demonstrate research and analytical skills.Project management: project management can be related to leadership, but focuses on your ability to manage tasks from start to finish. It involves time management (another valuable transferable skill) and employers value staff members who can plan and visualise what needs to happen on a project from start to finish. Whether you’re entering a new career path or just want to strengthen your application, showcasing your transferable skills and communicating all the ways you can offer value outside of technical ability is key.If you’d like any further application advice, our expert recruitment consultants are happy to help you improve your CV and prepare for interviews.And if you’re ready to apply for your next job, take a look at our current vacancies here, or upload your CV to find out about any upcoming jobs that match your skills and experience.