Boyce Blog

Keep on top of your recruitment processes.

noreply@blogger.com (manuela) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:25:00 +0000

An article in this weeks press stated that many London based firms are struggling to find the right candidates for their roles, despite the volume of candidates available on the market at the moment.

In response to this I would ask the following questions

Are they clear about what they are actually looking for in the first place?

Does this candidate exist and if so, are they likely to be in employment, how many of them are likely to be around and how many people are looking for similar skills?

Are they approaching the whole recruitment process from the right angle? Do they recognise that good candidates will still be picky about their next career despite a tight economy and therefore the recruitment process should be managed appropriately.

Have they thought about why they are an attractive employer as opposed to other firms?

Many firms do not put enough thought into this pre recruitment process. For example, in a tight economy, good sales skills are often highly sought after. Often a company will have to work very hard at selling themselves to attract someone who is going to add hundreds of thousands to their bottom line.

Within marketing recruitment, particular areas of growth are within the online sector with many firms choosing to do business internationally for the UK. Good candidates with online skills and international outlook are in high demand.

Some companies still struggle to fill these roles and if they are not careful will continue to do so when the market has turned completely and when the competition for good candidates will become even more fierce.

A career in Sales

noreply@blogger.com (manuela) — Sat, 30 May 2009 07:14:00 +0000

Working in sales is not always the career of choice and if you speak to a range of sales people you will often find out that the majority fell into a career in sales and did not spend their life always aspiring to be a sales person.
Often a career in sales starts from a temporary assignment where applicants find out that they are good at it and enjoy it and are attracted to the possibility of being able to directly influence how much they earn.
Experience in sales is viewed as invaluable for someone who is ambitious and looking for a career where the long term aim is to achieve a higher level business management role . International business schools encourage experience within sales & marketing as an invaluable lesson for the executives of the future.
Certainly if you watch The Apprentice on BBC, you will hear Alan Sugar refer constantly to the importance of sales to the success of a business. Whilst he may not expect his apprentice to have come from a classic sales background he would certainly expect them to know how to sell.
A career in sales is a good way to build confidence. Sales people are judged exclusively by their results. They are expected to have high energy levels and perform consistently at high levels and be able to deal with the challenges that work throws them positively and confidently. However if you are the kind of person that takes rejection personally then a career in sales is not for you.
On the other hand if you are successful in sales then you can be confident about your position in the company as successful sales people are often paid more than other staff members and as long as they are producing healthy revenue for the business, the last to lose their jobs in a market downturn.

Working in sales you will be able to influence thinking, have the chance to travel; sometimes internationally; and you will develop many strong personal qualities along the way including presentation skills, time management, resilience, the ability to handle a variety of situations confidently and calmly and the confidence in being able to promote yourself.

It will also give you the chance to meet hundreds of other people and if you work with a good employer, the chance to progress into management positions.

Sponsor Manuela

noreply@blogger.com (manuela) — Thu, 07 May 2009 07:49:00 +0000

I have taken the plunge and signed up for the Yorkshire 3 peaks challenge on 11/07/2009 to raise money for Rainbow Trust Children's Charity (www.rainbowtrust.org.uk). Any support that is given would be gratefully received as I am sure I will need extra motivation to complete the challenge.
I appreciate this is not the best year for fundraising but, any donation however small or big would make a difference and would be appreciated.
For your information Rainbow Trust charity provides practical and emotional support to families who have a child with a life threatening or terminal illness. They support over 1000 families a year.

You can sponsor me online which is easy - just go to my Justgiving page:

http://www.justgiving.com/manuelaboyce1

Justgiving sends your donation straight to Rainbow Trust Children's Charity and automatically reclaims Gift Aid if you're a UK taxpayer, so your donation is worth even more. I hope you'll join me in supporting Rainbow Trust Children's Charity.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Working in Market Research

noreply@blogger.com (manuela) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:33:00 +0000

Working in Market Research.
The UK is one of the world’s largest employers of Market Research professionals and hosts many of the most highly regarded and prestigious Market Research Agencies. These agencies work with a broad range of organisations and help them in their business strategy.
Market research is viewed as an essential tool for businesses and public sector organsiations when gauging the views of its customers, employees and also the markets. It is an invaluable tool for business planning whether looking at growth, reduction or expansion into new markets.
In a recession many firms need to use market research to find out what their customers want as this is a time when many companies need to be sure that they are doing what they can to maintain their revenue. This may result in sticking to what they do well, changing their strategy, lowering margins or even offering other products as part of their core service
Working in market research can be extremely challenging and interesting with opportunities for a broad range of individuals with strong analytical skills as well as interpersonal skills.
Market researchers collect and analyse information on behalf of organisations such as businesses, governments and charities. They analyse consumer opinions and collect data from a variety of sources to enable organisations to make informed decisions.
Market Research professionals often specialise in one sector, such as social or consumer research. They plan and implement research projects, and assess the results. They may also work with organisations, advising how to make best use of the information provided and are used often to shed light on trends in behaviour.
Examples of research include: who and why do people buy certain products, why certain products or events are more popular than others, what is the public opinion on government popularity , which media will be best placed to advertise certain products…
There are two specific types of market research :
Quantitative research which focuses on gathering and analysing information using techniques such as questionnaires and electronic data collection.
Qualitative research which focuses on people's attitudes and motivation, using methods such as focus groups and in-depth interviews.
Some MR roles use skills in both quantitative and qualitative research, however generally these are split and people tend to specialise in one or the other.
Market Research positions can be based within an agency or “client side” meaning employed within a specific organisation’s marketing department.
Where to get skills in market research
Market research can be studied at university as part of psychology, sociology, business management, geography, human sciences and as a module within a Marketing diploma. There are also specialist bodies like the MRS (Market Research Society) which offer courses to individuals looking to enhance their research expertise.
What are the typical job responsibilities?
 Developing relationships with clients including pitching projects ;
 meeting with clients to negotiate and agree research projects;
 researching a specific subject ;
 preparing briefs and commissioning research;
 formulating a research plan/proposal and presenting it to the client or senior management;
 writing and managing the surveys and questionnaires;
 briefing interviewers and researchers ;
 liaising with and managing survey staff including telemarketing professionals ;
 moderating focus groups;
 undertaking ethnographic research (observing people in their homes and other environments);
 conducting qualitative or quantitative surveys, which may involve field, interview or focus group assessments;
 using statistical software to manage and organise information;
 monitoring the progress of research projects;
 analysing and interpreting data to identify patterns and solutions, including surveys and focus group transcripts;
 writing detailed reports and presenting results to the clients;
 advising clients/senior management on how to best use research findings;
 managing budgets;
 working closely with colleagues on research projects;

Teamwork is key when working within market research. It is also essential to have strong analytical skills as there will always be a need for analysis of data even if the role is within Business Development. Research can be done online, face to face and through written questionnaires.
Working in market research also offers good career progression opportunities with many Market research agencies able to offer clear development plans as well as the opportunity for training and mentoring opportunities. In addition company benefits can be excellent with good holiday entitlements and flexible packages at all.

Happy Birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (manuela) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:55:00 +0000

This week we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Boyce Recruitment.

For those of you that did not know Boyce Bilingual was set up in 1984 by Tony Boyce, a recruitment entrepreneur and business man who had set up and run a successful legal recruitment agency.

Operating from offices based in St Pauls, Boyce Bilingual provided linguists with secretarial skills primarily to international banks, law firms and media companies. Located in prestigious offices, with the latest single non electronic typewriter, audio machines and paper records of candidate and company details, Boyce Bilingual seemed well equipped at that time, to launch its services.

In 1994, celebrating its 10th anniversary, Boyce Bilingual was re-branded and re-launched to Boyce Recruitment. Our name was changed to reflect what we did best- Recruitment. To this day, we still work with many of the same international organisations however languages are considered a skill, like any other and are not always a prerequisite.

The use of languages in the workplace has changed dramatically since 1984. Many businesses operate globally and are able to do so confidently with the evolution of new technologies. Language graduates are now being offered a broader range of jobs with languages in every sector of business.

Technology has also evolved from working with a single typewriter in the 1980s to the use of mobile and web technologies. Job applications are now made online more than offline and nowadays it is rare not to be an owner of a mobile phone.

Legislation has also evolved with new acts including the EU working time directive, age discrimination laws, an extension of maternity rights and paternity rights and an increase in holiday entitlement as well as introduction of holiday pay for temp workers.

London has always been an international hub for business and this has been enhanced by the increase in number of EU member countries and opportunities for foreign nationals to work in the UK. In addition, the number of jobs with languages that were rarely heard of including Estonian, Lithuanian, Latvian and Bulgarian are now commonplace.

The range of business that we work with has broadened and includes companies within the media and marketing sector, charities, NGOs, financial institutions, professional services firms and the roles we work on are much more diverse that yesteryear, including an expanding number of online job opportunities.

Tomorrow we will be toasting a new chapter in recruitment and look forward to what the future holds. With the approach of the 2012 Olympics and ever advancing technologies who knows what the picture of recruitment will be in 25 years time.

We would like to extend thanks to the many loyal candidates and customers who have worked with us over the last 25 years.

Manipulating Market Research

noreply@blogger.com (manuela) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:31:00 +0000

Last week The Debating Society hosted an event on Market Research is becoming more of a Manipulator than a Messenger at the House of Commons.

An interesting discussion, with both sides represented by leading speakers. Addressing issues for the Motion were Ben Godacre, author of Bad Science and David walker, MD of Audit Commission ; and Ben Page, MD of Ipsos Mori public affairs and Andrew Hawkins, Chairman of polsters Comres, speaking against.

Ben Godacre argued very strongly that research material was manipulated to enhance stories for the press and, that the way information was sourced did not reflect the truth, but were used for political gain. Examples he gave included the reference to a recent article which quoted a survey of young teenagers and their knowledge of the Holocaust. The “story” in question inferred that a poor proportion of the British young population had any idea whatsoever as to what happened in the Holocaust.

Ben’s argument was that many of the children in question were below the age when the holocaust was taught in schools as part of the national curriculum. Suggesting that their lack of knowledge about the holocaust was down to ignorance and poor teaching standards in schools was therefore a distorted statement and a complete manipulation of the press. He felt that this outlined how market research could be and is used to manipulate the view of the general public for the benefit of a good media story.

Ben Page, of Ipsos Mori, argued against the motion saying that the examples quoted were unfair as they were indeed an abuse of the press and not an indication of the true value of market research. Most market research material is not promoted to the public but used for internal businesses and organisations. Bad polling happens and so does bad journalism.

In fact once the debate opened to the crowd it was apparent that the majority of the house felt that the debate really was about the incompetence of bad journalists.

In summing up Page stated : Accuracy is increasing. Our sophistication in understanding the research process has never been more detailed. Research is better than ever and there is more scrutiny than ever. The idea that we are turning into spin doctors just has to be rejected.

The motion was defeated.

Perhaps we should all think twice if we aren’t already, when reading media stories which quote results of leading polls and really think about where the data has come from and who the data is targeting. After all, the market research industry accounts for a huge proportion of employment opportunities within the marketing mix and would not attract so many academic and educated individuals if the integrity of its policies were truly in doubt.

Working in the Digital arena

noreply@blogger.com (manuela) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:25:00 +0000

Over the past few years we have witnessed steady growth in digital job roles, however this has resulted in a surge in demand for a range of limited candidates.
Whilst it is common to learn digital skills in schools, colleges and universities, many employers are asking for specific skills for their businesses which do not fall into the general skills category. Job roles in demand include content producers, web editors, web developers, technical projects managers and online marketing staff.

Competition for these skills is fierce and employers have found it has become increasingly difficult to recruit - and then retain - people with the right skills.
85% of companies express concern that the skills shortage will continue to have a negative impact on their online business' growth in coming years.

It is vital as a work seeker for this industry, to keep up to date with changing technologies. Learning skills like HTML, Photoshop, dreamweaver, CMS, XML, as well as SEO techniques and online mechanics is vital when considering a career in the online industry.

There will probably come a time when these skills are taught alongside other skills in our schools and universities however this isnt happening yet and in order increase your employment opportunities, increasing your digital knowledge will be critical. The digital sector may end up being one of the few employment sectors that experiences steady salary increases over the next few years.

Companies are offering all kinds of interactive tools to their clients for presentations, marketing and also online procurement. And, in recruitment, it isn’t rare to hear of interviews being recorded for video presentation to clients.

Working with languages in London.

noreply@blogger.com (manuela) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:25:00 +0000

The newspapers have been swamped with an alarming number of redundancies, and of even more concern have been the protests based in some industrial areas against the use of migrant workers for British jobs.

We should remind ourselves that non British nationals have helped many British businesses work internationally, particularly when skills for language speakers have been short.

Our universities and schools have been criticised for their lack of support in promoting the importance of learning languages and we are often approached by university graduates who are monolingual. Competitive edge is offered to those that are bilingual or multilingual as now many jobs where language are required can be found in pretty much most businesses including public sector, education, local & national government, export, pharmaceutical, medical firms, professional consultancies, translation and, let us not forget, financial services.

In the midst of all the bad news we must remind ourselves that every cloud has a silver lining. In this case this comes in the form of the 2012 Olympics.

Many UK firms will be planning to target our international visitors and also make the most of any business opportunities that may arise as a result of planning and preparation for 2012. We need to be able to demonstrate that we are competent international hosts. This means not only being able to speak the languages of the world but also being able to work and understand the cultural elements to making the whole process a success.

In a critical, tight economy, it has never been more important to understand that having a greater knowledge of our own and other cultures will help us build good working relationships and who knows, we may be pleasantly surprised to see an increase in the proportion of bilingual or multilingual jobs in London over the next 2-3 years.

Snowed in

noreply@blogger.com (manuela) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:18:00 +0000

It's Monday 1st February 2009 and I can't believe that in 2009 we haven't been able to get our act together enough to make a modern city like London function in the snow.

We deal with people from all over the world, many of whom are used to living and working in minus 40C degree weather conditions and 3 months of snow fall. These people have come to London for its cosmopolitan life and modern ways. In some ways London is more antiquated than we wish to believe.Today the majority of the London workforce has been stranded at home and unable to get to their place of work / school.

We knew it would snow today as the weather forecasters have been warning us about this for 5 days. What happened?

Facing the challenge in London's job market

noreply@blogger.com (manuela) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:13:00 +0000

It's hard to remember that only 12 months ago the London jobs market was viewed as extremely buoyant, offering an enormous range of opportunity that was rare within a European context.

As a Central London based recruitment firm we have been able to enjoy the opportunities that our clients have experienced by tapping into a more diverse and highly skilled range of applicants than in any other European centre

Certainly when we look back and see reports which highlighted a forecast of growth of 16% of London opportunities in Jan 2008 (Prospects forecast Jan 08) within professional services, property, technology, media and financial services to name a few sectors, we didn't anticipate that 12 months on we would be faced with a depressed job market, or, our candidates, with the task of learning what to do / how to cope with the possibility of redundancy or being unemployed for the first time.
We are hearing in the press, almost daily, of London job losses within major corporations and, perhaps more quietly, of cuts made within smaller London based firms.

Organisations are faced with the task of planning for the next 12 months; some with extreme difficulty, which in turn affects the ability of its employees and potential job hunters to plan their careers with certainty in many sectors.

Many people will remember the downturn in 1999-2001 and the recession of the early 90s and 1979/80. It is extremely difficult for a jobseeker to feel confident when we are surrounded by bad news in the press.

However, the real key to success is not to panic. For those who have been forced to look at new employment, through no choice of their own, the job market in London will still remain extremely competitive, perhaps even more so, now there are many more applicants for each job advertised. Many firms have downgraded their job opportunities and will be more selective in their shortlist, than they were 12 - 18 months ago. But remember there will always be many organisations and firms who are still hiring and looking for skilled staff.

Contracting and temporary work also offers a valuable way to maintain skills and build new ones. It also offers the chance to build up networks of contacts, something that we in the UK are not always good at, but in which we should learn a lesson or two from our European counterparts. Many people are now looking at gaining unpaid work experience as a way of building skills and knowledge or even exploring voluntary charity work.

There are other reasons to feel positive. A recent article in The Independant highlighted the fact that many people were choosing this time to emigrate overseas, being enticed by better weather and the hope that there would be a more stable future in relation to job hunting. This will create job openings for others in London. Coupled with the diversity of businesses, and the number of businesses as well as the opportunities that 2012 may offer, I know I would certainly prefer to be in London at this time.

In addition, we now have the internet as a fantastic resource for information and learning. Unlike in the last 2 recessions, we are able to build our skill set, learn about new job opportunities and network at the click of a button.

Therefore, it is important not to sit tight and just wait. This is a good time to review carefully your capabilities and ambitions and see if there are gaps within what the London job market requires and what it has to offer us as individuals.
You may choose this time to change career even if you are in work, in the knowledge that many good firms will hire if they have skills that are in high demand. Some people believe that they can take on more responsibility in a new firm which values their skills and experience gained from working in other firms, while their current employer may not offer them the career development they are looking for.
Nevertheless, more than ever, success for the job hunter will require a reality check. Know that you may have to apply for more jobs than before, in order to secure an interview. Understand that different jobs may need you to highlight different skills and make sure that you put the effort in accordingly.

The internet makes it very easy to apply for any job advertised even if your cv does not have the required skills. When applying for any job, make sure that you don't just put your relevant experience in a covering letter, but that relevant skills are highlighted in the body of the cv.

Keep up to date with the news and what is happening in your chosen industry. There is nothing worse than having an interview with someone who says they want to work in your industry sector, but knows nothing about the industry or its competitors.

Recruiters' Rant : What's in a name?

noreply@blogger.com (manuela) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:33:00 +0000

What an interesting year we have to look forward to. No firm predictions apart from the fact that it will be tough and we will have to work a lot harder to get good results as well as focus on added value. Jobhunters especially.

I am always amazed at how much people still giveaway in social network sites, chatrooms and through their very own personal email address alone.

Last year I read several press articles about how employers are looking up facebook pages to see if potential employees or job applicants are worthy individuals. Often resulting in an offer withdrawal.

Personally, what I find amazing is the range of email addresses that we are given from candidiates who are seriously jobhunting, some I could not possibly mention but others include girlywirly@ or pussycat@ or iamthegreatest@ beware , I would strongly recommend a more unrevealing email address for job hunting purposes. Do you have any interesting names to add to this?

Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (manuela) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:50:00 +0000

If you believe everything you read in the papers then any job seeker should spend their time looking at changing their career altogether or signing on rather than actively looking to fulfill their career aspirations.

Will there ever be a time when there are no live job openings in London? No.

Is there any point in looking for work when you never know if the next "safe" employer is going to be affected by the credit crunch too? Yes of course!

Does the global economy mean that everything you have worked long and hard towards is worthless? Of course not.

I have been a cocktail waitress, in sales, radio dj, holiday activity counsellor, administrator, receptionist and, having spent the bulk of my career in recruitment (a job which I feel truly passionate about) I am not about to change track as this is the industry I choose to be in.

Recessions will always make the job market tough but everyone could see this coming. If anything it will make companies change for the better in the long term. People will be appreciated for the work they have done and companies will recognize this when looking at new recruits for their business.

I have worked in extremely testing periods and can see the value of keeping busy rather than letting that gap on the cv grow bigger. Living in London isn't cheap and surely working is better than not working at all.

The best tactic is to focus on what you want long term however consider seriously working on the short term (i.e. temp or freelance) as this will broaden your experience, highlight your versatility and enable you to build contacts along the way. It may even be a good time to do some unpaid work experience (it doesn't matter how old or experienced you are) to get a feel of working in a different environment. Voluntary work in a charitable organisation is also extremely fulfilling.

Keep your cv concise and clear. Probably 2 sides of A4 max however if you wish to highlight several recent roles then you could stretch to 3 pages but be aware that if a potential employer cannot see very clearly the keywords he wants to see, then he may move on swiftly to the next cv which has less experience but is just easier on the eye. This is important in a market where there will be many more applicants for each job.

Be realistic as you may have to apply for many more jobs than a year ago, in order to secure an interview and if you are working with a consultant ask them for honest feedback every step of the way.

Keep abreast of what is happening in the news, who is doing what in the industries you apply for, there is nothing worse than having an interview with someone who says they want to work in your industry, knows nothing about the industry but would like to find out more. The economy is changing and employers want to be sure you know about their business and their competitors.

And finally if you are still lost for time and not too squeamish but keen to do a good deed in 2009, The National Blood Service are desperate for blood donations in London. For your local centre look at https://secure.blood.co.uk/enrol.asp.

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (manuela) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:47:00 +0000

As this year comes to a close, I would like to thank you for your kind support and loyalty throughout 2008.

It has been a key year for our company, marked by our move to new offices in Farringdon, the relaunch of our digital recruitment section, and the development of new services to our clients.

During the course of the year we have been privileged to work with many successful international organisations in a range of sectors and also with some great individuals who have been looking for suitable job opportunities. Despite difficult market conditions we have been reassured by the optimistic outlooks for many of you and also by the commitment of a hardworking and dedicated recruitment team.

Our aim for 2009 is to build on the good working relationships with our candidates and clients and work consistently towards improving the quality and flexibility of the services that our clients will be asking for and help organisations find the best people to work in their business be it on a long term/ permanent or contract basis.

Wishing you all best wishes for Christmas and a prosperous 2009!

noreply@blogger.com (Osborne Brook Partnership) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:48:00 +0000

News Flash:

Great news for Amy, for those of you who worked with Amy, you will know she had recently gone on maternity. Amy is now the proud mum of "baby Finlay" and all the family are doing well.

Congratulations Amy!!

Broadcast update

noreply@blogger.com (Osborne Brook Partnership) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:47:00 +0000

Exciting times are happening for the Broadcast team over the next month or so, we have just successfully hired a new team member hurrah!

Dominic who shall be joining us at the end of November, is sure to bring bags of energy and enthusiasm. We are really excited about Dominic coming on board, he brings with him a wealth of experience

Having worked in the TV industry for many years, but also a recruitment background within the digitial markets.

Dominic will be promoting our New Media services for our broadacast clients and working across a wide variety of roles within Online, VOD, Mobile services

From Sales, Marketing to Technical to Creative, I am sure you will all get to meet him very soon!!

Our day at Mudchute Farm

noreply@blogger.com (Osborne Brook Partnership) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:58:00 +0000

Last week we enjoyed a day out at the farm in Mudchute where some of the team built a bird aviary and painted animal enclosures to prepare for the winter weather.

It was a fun day to be had by all. Mudchute farm is always interested in hearing from potential sponsors and volunteers. Funding is always an issue and I am sure with much of its sponsorship coming from city firms it will welcome any extra help it can get over the months to come.

Personality of the Week - Recruitment

noreply@blogger.com (manuela) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:18:00 +0000

This week our Personality of the Week works in recruitment . Recruitment is a very diverse role which involves client / candidate management, business development , attending presentations, meeting and interviewing candidates, organising interviews and the best bit of all is letting candidates know when they have received a job offer!

Not for the fainthearted, the rewards are second to none although it is a role that always requires passion and commitment. This week our personality feature is based on one of our most passionate recruiters working within our digital team.

Name: Clare Evitts

Job title: Recruitment Consultant

Industry : Marketing, Advertising and Sales

Favourite animal: Dog, they’re loyal and amusing

Favourite book: The Kite Runner

Favourite film: City of Angels or Love Actually!

Favourite food: Bangers and Mash

Favourite accent: Sean Connery’s

Most memorable holiday: My 2 year expedition in Turkey.

Favourite catchphrase: Persistence beats resistance!

Items for room 101: Madonna, courgettes, Belly buttons and David Bowe

What are the first three things you do in the morning: Snooze my alarm! Make my bed including arranging my 8 pointless cushions, Shower.

How did you get started in the industry? Moved to London and discovered the massive world of recruitment.

What do you enjoy the most about your job? Finding someone their perfect job and hearing how happy they are when you tell them they’ve got it!

What three adjectives would other people use to describe you? Confident, positive and emotional

What three adjectives describe the skills you need to do your job? Inquisitive, organized and Persistent

What is the most valuable thing you have learnt in your career? To stay positive, negativity brings down everything and everyone.

What tips would you give to someone starting out in this industry? Research the sector, look at the competitors and remember things always change. Read and Research!

What has been the best moment of your career to date? Having a client in a previous sector ask me to help with 5 new openings in their company and finding 5 perfect people to fill those jobs!

What do you hope to achieve on your career in the next decade? I would like to be a well known name in my new sector, to have my own business within a business.

When did you last go on holiday and where did you go? I went to Greece on a group Holiday in August 2008

What do you spend your money on? Concerts and good food! Oh and clothes (I’m a woman after all!)

If I knew then what I know now I… would spend more time with my family and less time partying and I would follow my dreams instead of worrying about the consequences so much!

Not all bad news on the job front

noreply@blogger.com (Osborne Brook Partnership) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:08:00 +0000

Despite an extremely volatile week and fear of a dramatic economic slowdown our consultants still report a continuous demand for calibre candidates and have seen growth in many industries including publishing, research, media, digital, trust and finance specialists for private wealth, as well as the market for excellent sales/ account management professionals, all levels of temps and digital media specialists.

Next week we are back on the farm for our voluntary day. This time we will be helping to build a special bird aviary, weather permitting, as we had to postpone the last date due to torrential weather.

Our sponsored football team Finchley Flyers (Finchley Flyers AFC ) finished the last season on a high after winning the league and have started this new season with a 0:0 drawer against Alexandra Park. We wish them the very best of luck for the rest of the season.

Temp of the Month - July 2008

noreply@blogger.com (manuela) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:31:00 +0000

We are very grateful to those clients who have taken the time in electing the temp of the month. Often people don’t consider this a priority in their very busy schedules, forget to give good feedback and focus on what hasn’t happened rather than a job well done. We think it is always important to recognize good work and this month we are delighted to be able to show appreciation from yet another temp, this time within our broadcast services team.

Congratulations to Cathy Naryan! All her work to date within the presentation scheduling department of a leading broadcast channel has been appreciated and we hope that these comments go a long way to outline the personal qualities that people value in a good temp.

Feedback for her work was outstanding and comments included:

“Cathy has been with our department for more than one eleven month stint and we can’t wait to have her back every time. She works above and beyond her ‘temp’ status and is a real asset to our department. We’d have her full time if we could but Cathy likes her current arrangement with Boyce. We will miss her when she leaves but she knows there is a position waiting for her when she’d like to come back!

Cathy is a pleasure to work with. She has formed great relationships with her contacts in the regions as well as other departments. Her work with the Benelux office has seen her feed find its most impressive rating to date. Cathy is a team player and is always happy to pick up extra work when colleagues are absent or need help. She is a great friend and work mate to those around her and is someone we all look up to.

Team member’s comments: Cathy is just one of the most approachable people I have worked with. She is kind and thoughtful; often offering to help out with the workload. She also has often bought in 'treats' for the team. She is a very generous person in her attitude and genuinely cares about the people she works with on a personal level aswell as a professional one.

Line manager comments: Cathy is a pleasure to be around. She is pro-active and regularly goes above and beyond her CW role particularly with the way she has moved the channel forward and built good and solid relationships with senior regional managers. She has a clear vision and strategy.

Boyce Temp of the Month (April 2008)

noreply@blogger.com (manuela) — Thu, 01 May 2008 08:15:00 +0000

Well done Jairus Obayomi for receiving temp of the month.

A 2007 graduate Jairus has been working for Boyce since November last year. Currently she is working for a leading translation agency in Central London as a proofreader , however she has been quick to develop her skills to offer help to other areas within the business.

Jairus has been recognised for her versatility and “can do” attitude . Always willing to lend a hand she is keen to get as involved as she can despite the fact that she is working as a temp.

“She will stay until the work is done and is reliable. It has been great seeing her development form the beginning to the point that she is at now, involved with the project and eager to do better. A very hard worker. ”

“Our business is not a 9-5 job and Jairus has helped out in many instances where we needed extra help late in the evenings to proofread something. Also, she catches things that other proofreaders may have overlooked, which is very important in this business. Thirdly, she knows quite a bit about computers and their software which has helped us out in many occasions. Fourthly, she speaks Italian, and was thus able to help out in several Italian-related projects.”

Congratulations to our first temp of the month

noreply@blogger.com (Osborne Brook Partnership) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 06:22:00 +0000

We are delighted to announce that Carla Lynx has been elected as the Boyce temp of the Month for February 2008.

Carla has been a long standing member of the Boyce temp team and has worked primarily onsite within the creative services division of a major Investment Bank in the City.

Her commitment and exceptional approach to her work and her peers has earned some wonderful feedback including some of the following comments:

“Carla has consistently proven her ability as an operator to deliver exceptional quality of work to our bankers. She regularly receives excellent feedback from those bankers she works for. Carla is always willing to accept change and is more often than not able to offer her ideas and experience where she sees the need for an improvement in our service. She will always lend a hand when someone asks for assistance and will readily give bankers desk-side support to fix problems they are experiencing.”

“Carla is a fantastic operator, her skills are exceptional and her attitude is first class. She often offers assistance to others without question and can usually fix problems that arise. Carla is a very reliable person and a pleasure to work with.”

“Carla is an outstanding member of our team. She has a full understanding of all our processes and procedures and follows them to the letter. She is very dedicated and conscientious. Her general demeanor is always bright and happy and has a calming and settling affect on those around her. Her communication with bankers is first class, she is well liked both by her peers and her clients. On the whole, Carla is an asset to our department.”

Thank you for all your hard work and well done Carla !

Temp of the month

noreply@blogger.com (manuela) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 09:16:00 +0000

Temps don’t often get recognition for the work they do, especially when they stand in for unplanned absences or extended sick leave without any formal company training.

It takes a special person to be a long term temp, and it takes a lot of confidence to pick up the pieces when starting a new assignment, although admittedly it isn’t always about falling into a minefield of chaos.

We have launched Temp of the month this week. We ask you to nominate anyone you feel is worthy of such a good cause and also tell us the reasons why.

Personality of the week - Public Relations

noreply@blogger.com (manuela) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:54:00 +0000

Public relations is amongst the most popular career choices for graduates. While this area may be viewed as glamorous and exciting, it is also worth noting that intense competition exists to enter, that high standards are demanded and hours can be long. the CIPR (Chartered Insitute of Public relations) estimates that there are over 48,000 people working in PR roles in the UK.

Public Relations professionals can work ‘in-house’ or for a consultancy/agency. Some consultancies specialise in one sector, e.g. healthcare, IT, consumer.

PR activities include:

interacting with the media;

writing and editing;

planning, research and evaluation;

event management.

Lobbying is also within the PR sector, and involves persuading policy makers and/or putting a particular viewpoint across to influential people such as MPs. Lobbying can be done in-house, e.g. for a charity or NGO, or by a specialist consultancy.

This weeks feature is Hana Esselink an experienced PR, writer and communications officer with a colourful freelance background.

Name: Hana Esselink

Industry: PR, press and communications

Job Title: Freelance writer and communications officer

What was the last album you bought? Sam's Town, the Killers

Who is your favourite celebrity? Nelson Mandela and Angelina Jolie

What books are on your bedside table? How to interpret the Tarot, Salmon fishing in the Yemen

What is your favourite accent? New Zealand (on men)

Items for Room 101? A photo of my grandma

What is your favourite holiday? India (Taj Mahal)

Who is your least favourite person? Wouldn't like to say, ok then, George Bush

What was the last thing that made you smile? A guy at speakers corner

What was the last film that you saw? Michael Clayton (and it was brill)

What is your biggest irritation? Flaky people

How did you get started in this industry? At Ealing council as a freelance journo working on the first Holocaust memorial day exhibition

What tips would you give someone starting out in this industry? Work hard, don't worry about ego-tripping journos and stay true to yourself

What has been the best moment of your career to date? There's two - working on the climate change bill - (the UK is leading the way on climate change world-wide) and the Holocaust exhibition at Ealing council

What is the most valuable skill you have learnt in your career? The ability to communicate verbally and in writing to a variety of people across the board

What three adjectives might other people use to describe your personality? Passionate, driven, honest

And what three adjectives would you use to describe your job? n/a all contracts are different!

What do you hope to achieve in your career in the next decade? The ability to reach a variety of audiences and to make a difference (no matter how small) to an interesting organisation

When did you last go on holiday and where did you go? Two weeks ago to Brazil and then Amsterdam

What do you spend your money on? Clothes, sponsoring a child, travelling, life coaching sessions

If I knew then what I know now... I would have been a wiser person, but I believe we only know what we're meant to know at certain points in our lives! Try that for quote of the day!

Peronality of the week - Presentation Manager

noreply@blogger.com (manuela) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 19:15:00 +0000

This week our ‘Personality of the Week’ is a Presentation Manager within the Television industry. A Presentation Manager is responsible for a team of Presentation Schedulers and manages the Presentation Scheduling Department. They are responsible for what is seen on screen by us, the audience. The role involves a high level of attention to detail and reactivity to changes that may appear in the schedule as well as responsibility for the ultimate appearance of the channel before it is transmitted. It also involves line management responsibilities, and requires strong communication and people management skills.

If you are interested in a role as a Presentation Manager then please contact us at info@boycerecruitment.co.uk

Name: Paul Nolan

Job title: Presentation Manager

Industry: Television

Favourite animal: Pug dogs

Favourite book: The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien

Favourite film: Little Miss Sunshine.

Favourite food: Everything, I have a stomach to match a goats, but Tapas is a current beau.

Favourite accent: French

Most memorable holiday: Cyprus; going to the gorgeous capital Nicosia and wandering down old, narrow streets, visiting Crusader forts and the amazing food (Meze).

Favourite catchphrase: The last lines of a Robert Frost poem called The Road Not Taken where Robert Frost declares that taking the road "less traveled by... made all the difference".

Items I can’t live without: A picture of my old pug dog (see photo), my oyster card & my sudoku book.

What are the first three things you do in the morning: hit my alarm clock, thump my alarm clock, fall back to sleepppppzzzzzz.

How did you get started in the industry? I dated a girl in a recruitment agency who happened to get me a temp job at Sky working in acquisitions!

What do you enjoy the most about your job? The fact that the marketplace is so competitive which means you have to be constantly on top of your game.

What three adjectives would other people use to describe you? Dedicated, proficient, thoughtful.

What three adjectives describe the skills you need to do your job? Communication, accuracy and a thick skin.

What is the most valuable thing you have learnt in your career? Learn who the goodies and the baddies are in your organisation and choose sides accordingly.

What tips would you give to someone starting out in this industry? Make a career plan & constantly revisit it, revise it and most of all action it.

What has been the best moment of your career to date? Gaining praise in a packed meeting full of peers and bosses after project managing a very successful commercial ad campaign. I glowed for days.

What do you hope to achieve on your career in the next decade ? Perhaps one day becoming a channel director overseeing lots of broadcast departments.

When did you last go on holiday and where did you go? I last went to Poznan (Poland) for a Polish / Italian wedding which was also a short break. To my embarrassment I was out-sung, out-danced and out-drunk by the Italians. The shame still lives with me.

What do you spend your money on? Loose women and fast cars.

If I knew then what I know now I ......I would have listened to my Grandmother&rsquos advice about women and relationships.

Personality of the week - European Bond Support Manager

noreply@blogger.com (manuela) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 08:41:00 +0000

This week our Personality of the Week works for a financial information company. They are a leading global provider of financial market data, analytics and related services to financial institutions, active traders and individual investors. Our personality works in the Fixed Income evaluations department where he is the manager of the European Bond Support team. He is responsible for dealing with client requests and queries daily, and helping to support the evaluations team with any issues they may have. This role requires excellent market knowledge and strong client services skills.

If you are interested in a role like this, then please contact us at info@boycerecruitment.co.uk

Name : Paul Graham

Job title: Manager – European Bond Support

Industry : Finance

Favourite animal: Orangutans

Favourite book: Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha – Roddy Doyle

Favourite film: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Favourite food: Thai

Favourite accent: Yorkshire

Most memorable holiday: Salar de Uyuni (Salt Plains) in Bolivia

Favourite catchphrase: Don’t have one…

Items for room 101: People with catchphrases, kids with hooters at football matches, people who carry small dogs everywhere.

What are the first three things you do in the morning: Yawn, swear, put the radio on

How did you get started in the industry? Boyce found me a graduate position actually!

What do you enjoy the most about your job? The people

What three adjectives would other people use to describe you? Calm, approachable, musical (possibly)

What three adjectives describe the skills you need to do your job? Self-motivated, analytical, team-focused

What is the most valuable thing you have learnt in your career? Ensure you’re working with the right people

What tips would you give to someone starting out in this industry? Don’t become complacent – decide what you want to get out of the industry, focus on it, and become an expert in that area; if it turns out that’s not for you, move into another area.

What has been the best moment of your career to date? Seeing various members of my team develop, achieve and improve

What do you hope to achieve in your career in the next decade ? To still to want to come into work everyday!

When did you last go on holiday and where did you go? South of France, and last week

What do you spend your money on? Music, food and drink

If I knew then what I know now I…would like to think I’d do exactly the same things again