I do like to be beside the seaside

Thank you Suzanne for your kind advertisement of my recent public speaking and also your musing on the collective categorisations of information professionals, I favour a cartel of cataloguers myself.

Back from Friday's trip to sunny Brighton, but with no bucket & spade or stick of rock (sorry team).  Instead I return with a very positive feeling about the future talent within the information industry.

You may expect the after-lunch Friday session nearing the end of term to be a sleepy affair but Brighton's Masters students dispelled that myth with some excellent questions and lively discussion about job hunting in the current market.

We also reminded ourselves about the importance of interview preparation.  Thank you for the brave soul who admitted to taking his interview suit out on the morning of the interview only to find that since his last interview things had changed and it no longer fit.  There followed a dash to the high street store.

If there ever was a time to make sure you are fully prepared for an interview, ready to demonstrate your knowledge of and enthusiasm towards the organisation to make you stand out, then it is now.

So thank you to the University of Brighton and good luck!

- Jeremy Clarke

Comments

[Damon Thomas]

Jeremy,

Re: preparing for interview - the one thing many candidates forget is that first impressions count and that this is often with us, the recruitment consultancy. Candidates should remember that a meeting with a consultant is the first stage of any interview they go on and secure through us. This will only be secured if we feel confident that the candidate will represent us in a good light. All too often candidates forget this and really are not helping themselves. I remember, I once interviewed a candidate who came for an interview with me stinking of fags, wearing his sunglasses (until after we had sat down) and then chose to put his feet up on the table where I was about to conduct the interview. I asked him nothing until he asked if there was a problem - Unbelievable. He did not secure a role through me, as I had lost all faith in him from that first exchange. Cool as it might have been, not in the boardroom, as Sugar would say - 'YOU'RE FIRED!'

On another note, PLEASE DO NOT apologise for not bringing back a bucket and spade to Borough High Street - about as useful as a chocolate tea pot (or candidate above). The rock might have been nice though!

Damon

[Martin De Saulles]

Hi Jeremy - I just wanted to say I was sorry I missed you on your recent trip to Brighton and thank you for talking to our students. I run the MSc Information Management at Brighton. From the feedback I have got your talk went down very well and was much appreciated by the students.

Martin De Saulles