NQ Outlook™ Process and Timeline

Often the most confusing part of securing your first NQ position is not knowing what to do, but when to do it.

Our NQ Outlook™ Process and Timeline provide a simple guide to get you started.

Start preparing your CV, and doing as much research as you can on the firms which are of interest to you. Make sure that you are in a position to move quickly as news on the market becomes more openly available. Make sure that you are networking and keeping up to date with what firms are doing and saying - remember the HR Network will be important, as will talking to your friends, and reacting to firms' own ads and websites. Congratulations! You've qualified!

If we are instructed on any relevant opportunities, we will discuss these at length with you. If you are happy to progress with an application, we will present your CV to the relevant recruiting firms/organisations. If you are invited for an interview, we will assist you to prepare fully by providing you with our support tools and information, and answering any questions you may have.

When to begin the process
Every firm sets its own recruitment plan each year and will take into consideration the vagaries of the market before beginning its NQ recruitment drive - this is particularly relevant in a faltering economy. For September 2010 Qualifiers, it is likely that the overall picture will become far clearer by the end of the first quarter or into the second quarter of 2010. It is important to bear in mind that even in the prevailing market conditions, relevant opportunities will still present themselves.

Should you use a recruitment consultancy?
At this stage of your career, the likelihood is that you have never used a recruitment consultancy before. It’s important that the consultancy you choose understands your market, has the experience and expertise to provide you with relevant and appropriate advice, and will do so with professional integrity and confidentiality. At Frasia Wright Associates our reputation precedes us, and we will afford you a service in which each of these qualities is consistently evident. Our consultative approach means that you will be the focus of the process, and not simply the desire to fill a vacancy at all costs!

Our service to candidates is free of charge - from providing advice, to assistance on drafting your CV, and interview preparation. While we may not be presenting you to our clients as a candidate or discussing opportunities with you until much later in the year, you will still benefit from registering with us and from our extensive market knowledge. We are only a phonecall away, for as long as it takes.

CV preparation
Our NQ Outlook™ Consultants will work with you to develop the content of your CV and ensure that it clearly communicates your experience, strengths and, as far as possible, some clues as to your personality. This is particularly so in an economic downturn. Any CV sent by FWA to a prospective employer will be professionally prepared by one of our in-house CV specialists, and will only contain information which has been approved by you.

In addition to our CV preparation service, our complimentary CV Handbook has been designed to assist candidates at all levels with CV preparation. In order to obtain your free copy, please click here.

Assessing the opportunities
Once the firms have started to engage with recruitment agencies for 2010 NQ recruitment, we will start to review and discuss with you all suitable relevant opportunities for which you might wish to be considered. Your CV will never be sent to nor will you be presented as a candidate to any firm or organisation without your prior approval. It is important for you as a candidate to ensure that you participate in the management of this process if you are registered with more than one recruitment consultancy – failure to do so could result in confusion and embarrassment for all concerned.

You may, of course, be offered a position at your traineeship firm and we would certainly encourage you to accept that if it feels right for you and will allow you to achieve your career goals and aspirations.

The interview – before and after
While it is a clear indication that a firm or other organisation is interested in a candidate, being granted an interview on the back of a strong CV is not enough to secure any candidate a firm offer of employment. What a candidate does before, during and after the interview is equally crucial. Before any of our NQ candidates attend an interview, even one arranged directly, we ensure that they are intensively prepared and briefed prior to the interview in order to enable them to maximise the opportunities the interview affords them. All our NQ candidates receive a tailor-made pre-interview pack containing valuable relevant market information retrieved from a variety of sources.

Your NQ Outlook™ Consultant will also conduct detailed feedback and debriefing sessions post-interview.

Accepting or declining an offer of employment
Once you have received an offer, or offers, of employment, your NQ Outlook™ Consultant will review the offer with you and liaise with the firm or organisation making the offer on your behalf. At Frasia Wright Associates, we will never pressurise any candidate into accepting an offer which he or she is not comfortable with – we are there to provide advice, and ultimately the decision is yours. Whatever you decide, we will assist you to couch your response appropriately – even if you are declining an offer, it is important to do it professionally and courteously.