Tag Archives: employer

A picture is worth a thousand words

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Karin Bodewits and Philipp Gramlich share their thoughts on how an infographic CV could set you apart from the crowd.

By Karin Bodewits & Philipp Gramlich

In most western countries, the number of PhD graduates in the life sciences has increased by around 50% over the last ten years. As the job market, in both academia and industry, has been largely flat in most countries, this PhD glut is creating undesirable patterns of employment — and unemployment. Some academics are calling for ‘academic birth control’, but the academic system itself profits from the resulting endless supply of cheap labour. Continue reading →

Marketing yourself, politics and post-truth

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Successful marketing can land you your dream job, but does this really mean you are the best person for the role?

Achieving your dream job is always going to be a bit of a challenge. You may have a great degree, and maybe relevant experience, but getting your potential employer to believe you are absolutely the right person for the job means marketing yourself correctly. This can be tricky, particularly if you are starting off new in a field with no established reputation behind you.

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Trends in the wording of job adverts

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Personal drive has replaced the ability to cooperate as the most requested characteristic in job adverts, according to a study of recruitment advertising in Sweden from 1955 to 2005.

Karin Helgesson, who studied the wording of job adverts for her doctoral thesis at the University of Gothenburg, found that being driven, able to cooperate and able to work independently have been the three most frequently cited requirements for the majority of the 50-year period, with personal drive taking the top spot since 2000.

The study also suggests there has been a change in attitude from employers towards employees over the past decade. “Ads from the last ten years or so tend to focus more on the employee,” says Helgesson. “Employers who used to offer workers the security of belonging to large and successful organisations have become partners who are offering their co-workers personal development and stimulating work tasks.”

Have you noticed any other trends in recruitment adverts over the past 10 years? Share your thoughts below.