How to…put together your CV – by James Roberts, General Manager of Progressive Personnel.

Travel recruitment is certainly on the up. Last week alone, clients asked us to work on over fifty new vacancies. Typically we will receive in excess of 100 applications for each vacancy and we are expecting this to increase as candidates feel more assured about making a move and see the process as less risky.

It is therefore more important than ever to ensure the basics (spelling, layout, all contact details) CV writing are evident. Equally, as the competition hots-up you need to ensure you tailor your CV to each application you make. On average we spend just a few minutes on each CV. It is therefore essential that a recruitment consultancy or employer can see the required key skills/experience on your CV.

Get the overall message across
Use the profile at the top of your CV to highlight that you have the skills and experience required by the recruiter. This means spending time on each and every application; taking time to think why you would be suited to the role – sell yourself to the recruiter or employer.
Don’t apply for jobs that are not a match to your skill-set; this wastes recruiters time and could jeopardise the success of other applications you make within the same company. If you apply for every job on our books, you may come across as desperate.

The recruitment team at Progressive Personnel spend on average 2.5 minutes on every CV and on average we will receive 108 CV’s for every role advertised, so you need to catch their attention and ensure you come across as someone worth considering for the job.
Check the CV you have on any jobsite periodically so to ensure all the details are up to date.

Get the presentation basics right
Use the same professional font throughout the document – Calibri or Arial are easy to read. Don’t use fonts that are difficult to read, for example Blackadder, Curlz MT, Gigi. Keep the background white as this is much easier to read and don’t use a colour in the background. If the advert does not state that you need to reply in a particular language it is best to apply in English. Always carefully proof read your CV for spelling and grammar. Get someone to give it a second read, to make sure you haven’t missed any errors. Try not to go over two pages in total.

Enusre you come across as professional
Make sure you send your CV from a respectable email address that will not cause offence: hotlips@xmail might be fine for friends, put it will put off a prospective employer. Also make sure all your contact details are correct. About 6% of all CV’s received by Progressive Personnel fail to include the correct contact details. If asked for a photo, we look for a professional image for any position; so don’t send one of you on the beach, on a night out or leaning on a smart sports car.

Include relevant details
Make sure there aren’t any gaps in your CV. Recruiters look for consistency. If you have a gap for reasons such as a year travelling, make this very clear on your CV. Clearly quote any references that are stated

Do-it-yourself or get help
Don’t just copy your current job description into the body of your CV. This shows that you have tried to cut corners whilst creating your CV. You should you use your own words. If you’re unsure, professional recruitment companies will assist you at no cost. You should never need to pay for a CV writing service.

Web help
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/ provides impartial advice on writing a CV.
For more information on Progressive Personnel, please visit www.progressivepersonnel.co.uk or call 1 of our account managers on 0844 243 9844 for free advice.

James Roberts
James Roberts is the General Manager of Progressive Personnel’s operations in the UK and Dubai. Prior to 8 years in travel recruitment, James was a Travel Manager for Siemens UK and a Regional Business Manager with British Regional Airlines/British Airways.

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Travel management companies (TMCs) are starting to recruit again as confidence increases in the market, according to employment specialists.

Recruitment agencies report that business travel companies such as Carlson Wagonlit and American Express Business Travel are hiring temporary staff as corporate bookings begin to pick up.

C&M Recruitment business development director Barbara Kolosinska said the number of temporary workers on her books working for Travel Management Companies has doubled in the last eight weeks.

She said: “The temps market is the first area to pick up because of the flexibility of hiring temporary staff. We have noticed a significant increase in London and in the north.”

However, there is still a long way to go before the employment market returns to previous levels. “The number of temps working is still only a third of where it was at its peak two to three years ago,” added Kolosinska.

New Frontiers managing director Julia Feuell also said demand for reservation agents in TMCs is improving. She has seen an increase in the number of companies registering vacancies in the business travel sector.

Carlson Wagonlit Travel is one of the TMCs beginning to recruit. UK director of public sector and industry affairs Nigel Turner said: “We are seeing a small growth in positions throughout our network as we implement new business.

If possible we are filling positions from within, looking for home workers, but are recruiting externally in certain areas where this is not possible.”

Overall, the number of jobs available through New Frontiers has just topped 100 – doubling the number two months ago. There has also been a slowdown in candidates entering the jobs market.

Feuell said: “We were receiving 1,000 CVs a week in January and February – now that is down to 500 a week.”

Courtesy of Travel Weekly – Chloe Berman

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An air of optimisim is returning to the travel industry, according to travel recruiters.

Last week, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) reported that the worst of the recession is over for the UK hotel industry and it seems that the travel industry is reaping the benefits.

Debbee Dale, director AA Appointments, told us:“There is a definite shift to the positive with regards to recruiting in the travel industry.

“The industry was holding its breath in terms of sales for the lates market and was fairly pleased with the outcome. People decided to go away on holiday after waiting till the last minute and taking the best deals on offer.

“For recruiters we are seeing more jobs across the sector, with business travel still being a little slower to pick up, but the leisure side that includes hospitality and cruise as well as tour operators and agents, is definitely looking brighter with cautious optimism to the year ahead’s sales.”

Nina Johnson-Bennett,managing director at Management Search Executive, says: “There is definitely an air of optimism and an increase in enquiries for senior hotel industry roles as well as the number of contracts signed. However, in terms of travel, other airline companies are cancelling routes.

“Which begs the question are jobs being lost when these routes are cancelled?”

Claire Muge, area manager & West Midlands account manager at travel trade Recruitment, adds: “I am inclined to agree with PwC.  There is a general consensus in the travel industry that we are over the worst of it, but that it will take longer for things to return to ‘normal’ or rather pre-recession.

“Certain sectors are booming and have had a good year despite the recession i.e. cruise and all-inclusives.  However, with airport departure tax increases and the trend towards people taking one good holiday a year, rather than a couple, 2010 will still be a challenging year for travel.

“Likewise, corporate travel seems to have seen some improvement, but companies are still cutting back on their business travel budgets and this does not look likely to change in the immediate future.

“In terms of travel jobs, we have now seen an increase in the number and variety of positions available, though not to the level we usually see at this time of year.  The number of candidates for each role is still high, so it’s imperative that candidates make themselves stand out from the crowd.”

Naomi Pearce, recruitment consultant at Vector Resourcing, adds: “I have already noticed that many of my travel industry clients are now starting to look to the future and put in place new IT projects or ones that have been previously put on hold.  “This is an encouraging sign that the industry is in a period of change, a focus on investment in IT will put travel organisations in the strongest position to capitalise on the upturn as this gathers momentum.  It is no longer about surviving the recession, but how they will now move forward, which signals positive signs for the industry as a whole.”

Courtesy of Recruiter.co.uk

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Virgin Holidays has teamed up with Travel Job Search to advertise there retail sales roles and gain extra exposure by using the World’s Number 1 Travel Niche Job Board.

A bit of info about Virgin Holidays…

Virgin Holidays was created in 1985 and nowadays they are truly are a worldwide travel provider. Beyond mainland USA and the Caribbean, they offer holidays to Canada, the Far East, South Africa, Africa, the Middle East, Indian Ocean, Mauritius, New Zealand and Australia, plus a well-established ski holiday program. Whether you want sun-drenched sand or soft, pure snow, Virgin will find your ideal destination.

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www.OnlineTravelTraining.co.uk offers excellent prices for IATA compliant GDS / CRS training in Galileo, Sabre, Worldspan & Amadeus. We also offer a wide range of FREE travel industry training including airline training, cruise training, tour operator training, destination training & general skills training.

Online Travel Training has been launched by New Frontiers Travel Recruitment. New Frontiers are the UK’s leading travel recruitment specialists covering all industry areas such as Business Travel, Retail Travel, Travel Technology, Cruise, Airlines, Car Hire, Customer Services, Hospitality & Executive positions. Visit our website today www.newfrontiers.co.uk to search 100’s of travel jobs.

Website: www.onlinetraveltraining.co.uk

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http://www.cabincrewcoaching.com

Cabin Crew Coaching is a brand new company, set up by a team of cabin crew recruiters, trainers and qualified teachers.

Our aim is to get you the jobs as Cabin Crew!

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http://www.cabincrewdirect.com

CabinCrewDirect.com has teamed up with a number of major worldwide airlines to produce the

Cabin Crew Diploma. A recognised qualification aimed at helping you become Cabin Crew.

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Lloyds Court , 1 Goodmans Yard , London , E1 8AT

www.traveltradejobs.com

Travel Trade Recruitment are the uk’s leading recruitment specialist for Travel industry staff and are the preffered agency used by many of the uk’s most prestigious travel organisations.

We are also able to offer a comprehensive choice of IATA certified courses on all four main GDS systems used by Travel agents, Tour operators and Airline’s worldwide.

visit www.traveltradejobs.com

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During my time at New Frontiers I generally read at least 50 CV’s per day, which over my 9 years equates to over 100,000 CV’s. In this time I’ve found that a CV literally has seconds to make a good impression to a prospective employer.

In this current employer focused job market, your CV is the key to unlocking the interview door. Due to the amount of people currently seeking employment, your CV needs to stand out. You need to sell your skills and experience to the maximum of their ability to prospective employers.

There are various aspects to consider when designing your CV. Here are some tips:

Employment History – Your CV must be clear and concise and explain your duties fully. I find bullet points make your employment history easier to read. Take care to ensure that you mention any unique selling points i.e. “Top seller in the company with over £10million nett sales in 2008”, “Tailor-making holidays using Galileo CRS”, “Aussie and Cruise specialist”, etc.

Travel Profile – I constantly receive CV’s which mention a passion for travelling but do not indicate locations that applicants have travelled to. This should be common sense if you are applying for positions in the travel industry. Your travelling experience can differentiate you against the competition. List the countries with a brief synopsis i.e. North America –2007 – 4 months spent travelling the east coast. I recently spoke to a candidate who had travelled to over 80 countries and 121 cities and did not think it was important to mention on his CV. His travel profile alone got him that elusive job.

Tailor your CV to specific jobs – When applying to any role, carefully read the vacancy details taking into consideration required skills and experiences. Visit the company website to get a clear indication of their needs and wants. Ensure that these requirements are shown clearly on your CV (if you have them). Do not be afraid to alter your CV for each position that you are applying to by showing them as the first job duties.

Points of attention –

No wacky email addresses. “crazyfool@email.com”, does not paint a professional image.
Ensure that your computer spell check is defaulted to English UK not English US.
Clarify any gaps between jobs, i.e. Dec 2006 – May 2007 travelling in Australia.

Finally, be realistic with the roles that you apply for! I received a CV for the post of Retail Travel Manager from a person who felt that she had all the suitable skills and experiences as she was managing a perfume store in Heathrow airport. That does not count!

For help with your CV, New Frontiers wonderful website has a “CV builder” facility to assist you.

To Find Out More Click Here

A striking CV! – By Jose Cofone

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Before you apply for any position with a cruise line company, it’s important to think carefully about what qualities a potential employer might be looking for in a successful candidate.

Thinking about this carefully has two main benefits:

i) It will help you to decide if working on a cruise ship is right for you.
ii) It will help you to decide how to best put across your skills, experience and character traits.

Let’s take a closer look at what a cruise line company is looking for in an ideal candidate:

1. Experience
Having some kind of land-based experience in your desired job can give you an advantage.  While there are positions on board that do not require any previous experience, cruise employers prefer people who can demonstrate a wide range of skills and experience from previous positions.

2. Service
The standard of service provided on a cruise ship is very similar to the standard of service you would expect to receive in a five star land-based hotel. So, it is very important that you are the type of person who can maintain consistent high standards of service at all times, even when you’re off-duty (it is not uncommon to be quizzed by a guest on board, even when you are not working).

This is not always easy when you are working long hours in a fast paced environment like the cruise industry. But guests have typically paid a lot of money for their cruise and have a right to expect a high standard of service in return.

It is also important to familiarise yourself with every aspect of the ship, even when it has nothing to do with your job.  When working in a cruise ship, guests will often ask for directions to ship facilities as well as information regarding cruise activities, services and other special offerings.

3. Presentation
It is very important that you are immaculately turned out when you work onboard a ship. This not only applies to those crew who have face to face contact with the passengers, but also to the people who work behind the scenes.  This also applies to your living quarters and your workplace. 

Again, if you consider that many cruise ships conform to the same high levels of service that you would expect from a top-class hotel, then you will have a good idea of the type of person an employer is looking hire.

The first impression you give to a cruise line employer can make or break your chances of landing the job.

4. Communication
Good interpersonal, communication, and public relations skills are vital. Other traits such as being friendly and sociable and having a good sense of humour are important too. These types of character traits are important to enable crew to serve guests to a high standard and effectively communicate with fellow crew and superiors.

People who possess these personal character traits are more likely to give guests the service they expect which leaves them feeling satisfied, positive and happy during their time on board and more likely to cruise again.

5. Reliability
You must be a reliable person with an excellent attendance record.  A cruise line will not tolerate lateness or regular sickness or somebody who is not committed to the duration of their contract. 

If you take regular sick days or are often late for work, then working on a cruise ship might not be for you.

By demonstrating these five essential qualities in your cruise ship job applications and at your interviews, you will be going a long way to proving that you are an ideal candidate for the job.

Courtesy of Work on Cruise Ships.com

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