Food for thought this weekend - more and more employers are using video as an interviewing tool. As companies go global and travel costs rocket it's an obvious medium for employers to use. The advantages are that it's cheap, immediate and is more personal than a telephone interview.  If you're used to using Skype or something similar you'll be comfortable, but for those novices out there it can be very intimidating. I found this article which has some great hints and tips for people who are about to be Skyped.

My favourite piece of advice is to make sure you wear something smart on your bottom half as well as your top in case you have to stand up during the interview!

The answer to that question may be 'a lot', and some of what they find could affect your employment prospects. Have you 'Googled' yourself lately? Employers and recruiters are using this method regularly now to find out more about job applicants to decide whether or not to interview them.

Here at the RSC Careers Service we recommend that you have an online presence to raise your profile and find out about new contacts and opportunities - it's essential in the current climate. But make sure you manage your online reputation carefully. I found a good post about this on the University of Warwick's Careers blog. It's well worth a look.
My colleague Laura has written a great article on using LinkedIn effectively too, which will help you to look good online.

If you haven't 'googled' yourself lately, try now - you could be surprised at what you find. That photo of you on holiday in a Hawaiian shirt dancing on the table should really be behind a privacy wall for friends and family only!

The RSC's Trends in Remuneration 2013 survey has been launched. All members who are not students will receive an email from our survey partners, GfK NOP, with an invitation to take part in the online questionnaire, which takes around 20 minutes to complete.The RSC has carried out regular remuneration surveys since 1919, using the data to keep members informed and to support RSC activities, including the Careers Service. The quality of the data is entirely thanks to the contribution of individual members so we would appreciate it if you could spend a short time completing this year's questionnaire. We are working again in 2013 with GfK NOP, who will process the data and collate the responses. You can be assured that all information collected will be treated in the strictest confidence, and that your answers will remain completely anonymous. The survey report will be free of charge to members in September.
Many thanks in advance for your contribution.

Does the idea of a networking meeting fill you with dread? You're not alone. Many of the people we speak to here at the RSC Careers Service share your nervousness. Common worries are that it will be intimidating, that no-one will be interested in what you have to say and that to ask people for things is somehow wrong and impolite. Sounds familiar? Don't let these preconceptions put you off. We all know that creating and maintaining a strong network of contacts is essential if you want to progress in today's competitive job market.

I suggest turning your thinking around. Instead of going to a networking event with the idea of getting, think instead about what you have to give. What can you offer to others? If this makes sense, read this article for more hints and tips. Of course there are many ways to network online, but nothing beats face-to-face contact for making a lasting impression. Don't let nervousness and negative preconceptions put you off. Just think what opportunities you could be missing!

Some more interview advice from me this week as I wanted to share this article  with you all about making sure you provide the best answers you can, particularly for the competency based questions.

Don't forget to read the job description and advert beforehand in preparation for the interview, as it will indicate the competencies that are going to be tested and you can probably have a reasonable guess of the types of questions that you are going to be asked.  It is important to try and think of some answers beforehand, but I always caution not to over prepare just in case you reel off an answer that doesn't quite fit!

Not the cheeriest of titles for a Monday morning, but an important topic non the less.  I came across this article over the weekend via Twitter and as someone who has carried out numerous interviews in my career, and provided advice to people about preparing for interviews I thought it summed up some of the key reasons why people don't succeed when they go along for that all important job interview.

The article goes into more detail but it highlights the top 3 reasons why people fail.  These are:

• Not providing a relevant example of your skills.  So don't just say you can do something, give an example of how you've demonstrated/used that skill.  I am always going on about this one!
• Not telling the interviewer how your skills match the role that you are applying for.
• Not showing interest and enthusiasm. 

 So there you go, remember to do those 3 things and you'll be halfway there to interview success. 
 ,,,,         

In many of my consultations I see people who genuinely don't know what they want to do.  They may be just starting out in their career or are reflecting on their career and realised they (like many) simply fell into their current role.

I often suggest to people that they speak to friends and family about what sort of jobs they can see them doing.  They often know us best, and can often recognise skills that we perhaps never see as 'work' skills.

I found this article this morning, and I'm definitely going to start suggesting it in my consultations as an exercise to undertake for those of you who are looking for some inspiration.  The basic idea is that you write a job advert about the type of job you are searcing for, highlighting your motivations and interests, rather than your qualifications or a specific area of work.  You then send it to 10 people who you know who have a variety of interests, careers and backgrounds and see what they suggest. 

I'd love to know if some of you try it.  Let me know what people suggest!

GREAT GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES:
 
We’ve just opened for applications to the RSC Graduate Scheme for a September start date. We also have some short summer placement opportunities available in Publishing and Science Writing. The graduate Publishing Editor position is also open to applications. 
 
Full details of the graduate schemes can be found here and the summer placements are advertised here 

I'm always going on about making sure you make your CV relevant to the position that you are applying for and to really concentrate on the skills that the recruiter is looking for, so it was great to stumble across this recently.  It would seem even da Vinci was aware of the importance of highlighting his skills, and importantly providing specific examples too. 

I guess in essence CV's haven't really changed that much at all.

There is still time to apply for this great opportunity.

Internship for Chemists in Westminster
 
The Westminster Fellowship Scheme is an annual internship at the offices of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology [POST]. The RSC will fund two candidates to work at POST for three-months, engaging in work that is intended to aid scientific research into public policy areas, as well as raising public awareness.  The candidates will experience the inner workings of the Parliament through researching and writing objective briefing documents for parliamentarians.

The Scheme is open to RSC members only.

Applications for the Fellowship Scheme are open now until the deadline on 31 May.   Details of how to apply can be found here.