European Hiring Trends – Spring 2012

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Euro London

Welcome to Euro London’s European Hiring Trends Report. With offices in London as well as operations in Windsor, Manchester, Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf, Paris, Luxembourg and Zurich, we are in an ideal position to give you a snapshot of recruitment trends for multilingual staff across Europe.

The findings in this report reflect a mixed picture across Europe, though there are finally signs of at least some light at the end of the tunnel. In the first quarter of this year, the economy of the European Union as a whole has been stable, although some individual member states are facing austere times with debt deficits to take control of.

To read the full report please click the link provided - Euro London Appointments – Hiring Trends

A New Year, A New Website!

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Euro London

Over the last month we’ve celebrated Christmas and welcomed in the New Year, now here at Euro London, we have one more reason to celebrate – our new and improved website.

We first joined the World Wide Web 1996 with the initial Euro London website, a big deal in those days and a testament to our commitment to advancing technology (well we think anyway). Armed with a “Teach yourself HTML” manual, a dial-up modem and an impossibly long URL, we reckon we were one of the first recruitment consultancies in the UK to have their own website – and a quick check on the http://wayback.archive.org shows we were “crawled” prior to the first major jobboard to be launched in the UK.

The site underwent 5 updates following 1996, until our last update in 2006. Gone are the days of “Frames” and “Non-Frames” sites, and UK only domains. We now have a slick interface centered on our international jobs database and a strong presence in Germany, France, Switzerland and Luxembourg along with the UK.

Our improved website offers new features such as the job map; enabling you to view our current roles and where they are located through Google maps. It will provide you with our latest jobs via RSS feeds or emails, and you can view our latest social media updates so you can engage with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Xing and YouTube, you can also read some of our fantastic testimonials from candidates and clients alike.

Our old interface has been completely redesigned, without hindering our basic principle of functionality. The help and advice that could be found on our old website, including our latest CV advice and interview techniques, is still here for you to use, as is the ability to search our current jobs by their relevant sector and location. “Hot Jobs” are featured on the homepage, making it easier for jobseekers to search, apply and get the great job you want!

Some of you may have already seen and even used the new website, so what do you think?

If you haven’t had the chance, follow the link at the bottom to go to the new website, it’s pretty good, even if we do say so ourselves!
http://www.eurolondon.com/

Interviews – Fail to prepare, prepare to fail

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Steve Shacklock

So you’ve got past the CV stage, the company is interested in your credentials and experience! So with you over your first major hurdle don’t then stumble at the second one.

Number one on your to do list is to research the company. You will almost certainly be asked on your knowledge of the company; what they do, when they started, the latest industry developments. You don’t want to be stuttering and trying to remember facts from that notice board you saw in reception, researching the company is essential. As will be knowing how you are getting to the interview! You will want to get to the interview at least 10 minutes early, but what are the practicalities of this? Are you taking public transport? Have you got the timetable? Are you taking a car? Where is the nearest car park? Do you need to pay and display? This will mean you need change on hand. All of these individual variables are uncertainties that must be controlled!

Polish your shoes, iron your shirt or blouse and wear business attire, it’s important to make a good first impression and you will only get one of these. How you present yourself throughout the company’s premises is critical, so from the minute you enter the building act as though you are being interviewed. The interviewer may ask their colleague’s opinions after you have left; did you smile when you came in, were you approachable etc. So make sure the way you handle yourself whilst within the organisation’s building is as formal and as friendly as you would be whilst in your interview room. Make sure your body language is confident and positive, so please make sure you’re not slouching in your chair and don’t fold your arms.

Know what you’re talking about: this part is mainly down to you and the company you will be interviewed by. But there are a few generic factors that you can assume will happen such as the ability to ask questions at the end. If this opportunity arises, grab it with both hands! It will show your interest in the company and your astuteness as an individual. Think of some questions to ask before hand such as; what would be my day to day activities? What’s the management culture like at this organisation?

Questions like these will not only give you an opportunity to find out more about the company but in actual fact enables conversation from your side of the table, instead of you just answering questions you may have been asked.

It’s a competitive job market across Europe right now so make sure you’re fully prepared and give yourself the best chance of landing that dream job.

Crisis Run

Posted on June 18, 2009 by Steve Shacklock

It’s June again, which means sunshine, Father’s Day – and the Crisis run. After taking part for several years now, 2009 was going to be no exception, and on 4^th June fifteen members of Euro London’s City and West End teams grabbed their trainers and headed to Paternoster Square. The three and a half mile run around the City takes place every year to raise money for the homeless charity and it was a great evening. Our fastest runner completed the run in just over 41 minutes and it was a fantastic way for us to give something back, which is all the more important in these difficult times. We set a fundraising benchmark of £50 per person but actually managed to raise over £1292 which will hopefully make a real difference to the charity and its work. Well done team!

Welcome!

Posted on June 9, 2009 by Steve Shacklock

Welcome to Euro London’s brand new blog. We’ll be posting here about employment trends, language stories, research we’ve undertaken and similar things you’ll hopefully find interesting – watch this space!

European Day of Languages; is it even worth the paper it’s written on?

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Steve Shacklock

Last week saw the 10th anniversary of the European Day of Languages “celebrated” throughout the European Union. If you didn’t realise, don’t worry you probably weren’t the only one.

The day which is officially organised by the Council of Europe and has a budget of 30 million euros was launched in 2001 to alert the public to the importance of learning a language, as well as promoting Europe’s rich and diverse linguistic heritage.

But in an era where every day seems to celebrate and promote an idea or cause, we ask the question, is the European Day of Languages even worth the paper it’s written on?

This year being the 10th anniversary we think it could have been the perfect opportunity to promote the importance of learning a language and the benefits it can bring to an individual. Unfortunately the well financed day passed by with a general lack of acknowledgement from the media and with few people knowing about it, the day faded into near obscurity. In the United Kingdom there were a small number of libraries that ran events and a few primary schools that held assemblies, but with a lack of a central organisation within the UK, it seems to have been but a drop in the ocean.

Elsewhere in Europe there was a greater attempt to celebrate the day, in Belgium there were poetry readings on the Metro and in Poland a gala dinner was organised to highlight the advantages of knowing a second language.

Here at Euro London we’d like to see the importance of learning a language championed every day by the European Union and not just one day a year, however well meaning it may be.

We’ll leave you to make your minds up on whether the day was worth the 30 million euros that were spent on it.

Munich’s First International IT Networking Event

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Steve Shacklock

Social networking is the talk of the town and more and more companies are jumping on the metaphorical bandwagon to reach customers in new, innovative ways. Whether it is via Twitter or Facebook, LinkedIn or YouTube, the methods are constantly diversifying. But while we support the social networking revolution and its importance in relationship building, here at Euro London we also believe that it is vital to meet people face to face to build lasting connections.

After all, we should not forget that all business, especially recruitment, is all about people. And while a tweet, a Facebook message or a Google+ post can keep you in touch, building a solid and long-lasting relationship requires a good old-fashioned personal meeting. This is why at Euro London it’s not all about social media and networking 2.0!

Our Munich office has been holding its candidate networking events regularly ever since it opened back in 2006 and this July saw the launch of its first ever “International IT Networking Event”. The event was a huge success and saw Munich IT specialists from all industries come together to network. It was the perfect opportunity for those involved to relax with a beer, build relationships and catch up on the latest industry news. The candidates who attended emailed us the day after to say what a successful networking event it was and even asked us to exchange their contact details so they can stay in touch with each other.

Euro London will now continue to hold it’s newly established “IT Stammtisch” on a regular basis to expand Munich’s Information Technology network.

Spelling Faux Pas

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Steve Shacklock

Bad spelling – the cause of feverish frustration for some and immense hilarity for others. Whether it be on posters or menus, food labels or road signs; spelling mistakes can be found everywhere – just take a look at these examples found throughout the UK.

However, in a recent BBC article it was the impact of misspelling on internet businesses that took the focus. Charles Duncombe, the online entrepreneur, found that dodgy spelling had the power to reduce online sales by a massive 50% – wiping out both website credibility and customer trust.

With the need for international businesses to reach out to a global audience, a multilingual online presence has become increasingly necessary. This is in line with research that shows consumers spend more time on websites that are in their own native language.

However with the introduction of multilingual websites, the scope for mistranslation has also soared – pathing the way for inaccurate accents and grammatical gaffes. A rather amusing example highlighted in a recent article, saw Braniff Airlines offering Spanish customers the chance to ‘fly naked’ with their airline rather than on their leather seats!

In light of research conducted into the impact of misspelling on website sales, it is therefore more important than ever to recruit individuals that have an accurate grasp of the relevant foreign language to provide good quality translation. It again reinforces why languages are such a valuable commodity within a global business and why Euro London’s clients are constantly seeking multilingual candidates.

Hyper Japan

Posted on November 9, 2010 by Steve Shacklock

Our Japanese desk took some clients to the recent Hyper Japan event – and what a successful day it turned out to be. It was the first time the event was put on so we had no idea what to expect but had done our research and looked forward to seeing and hearing all about Japanese culture – we weren’t disappointed!

We had a great time! We got to sample some great Japanese food – octopus ball and one of my favourites, sushi; we were even shown how to make it by a top sushi chef! We listened to some great music and our clients seemed to enjoy it as much as we did! So why did we go to the event and why was it being held? Continue reading →

Japanese speaking roles on the rise

Posted on November 1, 2010 by Steve Shacklock

You may have read in the news recently that we have seen a sharp rise in the number of Japanese speaking roles in the financial services sector. We have found that the roles we recruit for in this sector are largely determined by the stability of the market, to see so many coming our way is a clear indication that the recovery is in full swing. We are also hearing from our Japanese clients that the strength of the Yen is encouraging more companies to invest in Europe.

However it is apparent that Japanese companies are not just looking for employees that can speak the language; equally as important is the ability to understand the culture and the way business operates. Candidates are now required to understand the pace of business in Japan and also how to interact with people. In fact there is a well known story of a multi million pound business deal in which an American supplier did not present business cards to Japanese managers in the correct manner, and toyed with them throughout the meeting. A major sign of disrespect in Japanese business culture, the deal fell through!

It is important therefore for applicants to understand a country’s culture– just speaking a language will not always get you the job.

Learning a foreign language – the way to boost your career

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Steve Shacklock

We recently featured in an article in the Guardian discussing how learning a new language can really boost your career and that it is never too late to learn. To see the article and our comments in full click here. But here’s a summary of the piece:

Speaking to people in their own language for business purposes will yield results; people are far more likely to speak freely and openly if you are speaking in their own language
In jobs in sales, marketing or technical support, languages can really open doors. In fact it is estimated that having an additional language on your CV can add between 10% to 15% to your salary.
For those looking to boost a career, and in particular the graduates that are currently facing a tough time getting work, learning a language is very beneficial.
Most countries may speak English, and whilst some business may very well be completed in English to accommodate parties from across the globe, if you are seen to know a language and demonstrate this it can help to retain business. It is form of courtesy to show someone you can and are willing to speak to them in the native language.
Cultural knowledge is just as important as being able to speak another language. If you know the way of life of the country you are doing business in or with it will really prove beneficial.
The five most useful languages to learn currently are as follows: French, Spanish, Swedish, German and Russian.

What’s your experience? Can you relate with the points in this article or are you thinking about learning a language to boost your career? Let us know!

Life as a recruitment consultant

Posted on October 11, 2010 by Steve Shacklock

Fancy a career in recruitment? Two of Euro London’s new graduate trainees Phil and Liz talk about life as a recruitment consultant.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjiramsX4rI]

Fancy working in recruitment?

Posted on October 1, 2010 by Steve Shacklock

Check out our latest video of two of our new recruits – Rebecca and Fiona. See what life is like at EuroLondon and why they chose to step into recruitment.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IerubIIW04]

New faces

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Steve Shacklock

We are always interested in hearing feedback from our new starters about their first few weeks at Euro London. Here are profiles of a couple of our new consultants and don’t forget if you like the sound of life at Euro London, we are still looking for extra members of the team so get in touch with Dawn on d.nell@eurolondon.com or visit our Facebook page to learn more!

Laura Heaney works in our Manchester office:

How did you hear of ELA?It was a personal recommendation from a friend who had temped through ELA.

First impressions of ELA?I went to Salford University Career fair and that was really good for me as a newbie to get out and talk to candidates and some potential clients. Almost every candidate that came to speak to me wanted translation and then I spoke about what other opportunities are out there and people were amazed to find so many different career paths that would involve languages. I am also running the Race for Life in July with some colleagues which will be a nice team outing and for a good cause.

Tell us something about your home town? I come from a small town called Wilmslow in Cheshire where lots of WAGS live! Continue reading →

Business Language Champions

Posted on July 22, 2010 by Steve Shacklock

We’ve blogged before about the National Centre of Languages (CILT) and the various initiatives they run. Last week, our Manchester office attended the Business Language Champions (BLC) event which is a national programme that encourages and helps businesses and schools to work closely together to promote and encourage language learning to young people.

The programme is sponsored by the Department for Education and is a great way to get schools and companies working together for a good cause. We know only too well that there is a big problem surrounding a lack of candidates with language skills and companies increasingly have to look abroad to get the skill set they require. With statistics issued by UK Customs and Excise claiming that 72% of UK international trade is with non-English speaking countries there is clearly a need for organisations to have a multi lingual workforce. Continue reading →

Euro London works with ‘toy of the century’!

Posted on June 21, 2010 by Steve Shacklock

We’ve got some exciting news we thought would be nice to share with our readers. We have secured a contract with the LEGO Company to provide them with staff for their European Contact Centre. The LEGO Company is looking for approximately 50 staff to work during their high season.

We will be providing the LEGO Company with Customer Service staff to work in their Customer Service centre in Slough which will deal with customers across the whole of Europe. So that means we are looking for candidates that speak a variety of languages including German, Danish, Dutch, French, Portuguese, Spanish and Italian.

This is great news for us and we are excited to be working with the LEGO Company to help them deliver an excellent level of service across Europe. If you are interested in one of these positions and have the necessary skills or know of someone who you think fits the bill then be sure to get in touch with Sarah Oades at s.oades@eurolondon.com – and don’t waste any time – we are looking for candidates who can start in the Autumn!

20 years of recruitment success

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Steve Shacklock

We are pleased to be celebrating our 20th Anniversary here at Euro London appointments – doesn’t time fly?! There have been a lot of changes in the recruitment sector over the past two decades and we have witnessed them all – both the ups and the downs.

We came across a video recently that we recorded back in 1999 when we were approaching our 10th Anniversary and a lot has happened since then – we have expanded throughout Europe and I certainly now look somewhat older (but wiser)! It’s also amazing how much we have moved on in terms of video production and digital media – the video may only be 11 years old but it still made a few of us chuckle – and who knew 11 years ago that this video would end up on YouTube and our blog?! Continue reading →

Hiring on the up, time to sell yourself

Posted on May 27, 2010 by Steve Shacklock

We were featured in CITY A.M today giving our top tips for interview techniques now that hiring is on the up. We know how important it is to succeed at interview so if you want some good advice take a look at our article and find out more!

Language skills improve employability

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Steve Shacklock

We all know how important languages are, but here are the stats to prove it! We recently surveyed 228 employers and 86% felt that languages were an important skill set and improve someone’s employability. (You may have seen this story covered in various blogs and magazines!)

We asked our participants what they thought the most useful languages were and the majority of respondents (74%) cited the traditional western European languages of French German Spanish and Italian as the most useful. Over a third (37%) commented that those more exotic languages such as Mandarin and Arabic would grow in demand in the future – particularly in areas such as the financial services sector. Here are some comments from the employers we spoke to: Continue reading →

Vote for us!

Posted on May 13, 2010 by Steve Shacklock

Some good news for us here at Euro London, we’re delighted to have been shortlisted for bab.la and Lexiophiles’ Top 100 Language Blogs 2010 in the category of blogs for language professionals! If you enjoy our blog or if you’ve found any of our posts informative or entertaining then please drop us a vote by clicking here. At the same time we always welcome feedback so if there’s anything you’d like to see on our blog in future please drop us a comment and let us know.

Thanks!

Join Euro London!

Posted on February 3, 2010 by Steve Shacklock

Graduates! Want to use your language in your career? Like the idea of working for a multi-national company?

Recruitment Consultants! Are you reaching your potential? Are you frustrated at the lack of progress in your current role, investment in your professional development and interest in your ideas?

Then perhaps we should be talking!

Euro London Appointments is the largest independent multilingual recruiter in Europe and has offices in London, Manchester, Windsor, as well as France, Germany, Luxembourg and Zurich. We recruit professionals with languages into a range of sectors from banking to office support and from igaming to marketing, dealing with a wide range of clients, candidates and international markets on a daily basis.

We have ongoing business improvement and development plans, which means that we can offer exceptional career opportunities to both graduates and experienced recruiters. You’ll get to join a diverse team, a true meritocracy and a company that passionately believes in investing in is people, along with great incentives and a formal structured training scheme for graduates to ensure that you develop all the business skills necessary to become a successful consultant.

But don’t just take our word for it. For a flavour of what it’s like to work at Euro London, read our case studies: http://www.eurolondon.com/content_static/careers.asp

If you are confident that you have what it takes to succeed then prove it by sending your CV with a covering letter explaining what attracts you to a career in recruitment to Dawn Nell at Euro London d.nell@eurolondon.com or call 0208 974 6843 for an informal chat.

At Euro London we’re going places – don’t get left behind!

WHERE WE GO NEXT COULD BE DOWN TO YOU

Posted on October 30, 2009 by Steve Shacklock

I’d like to think that things are looking up but just when you think there is some light at the end of the tunnel, a piece of news hits you between the eyes and tells you the opposite. This week it was from Recruiter Magazine telling us that things were tough for recruitment consultancies. The article cited research from the REC which revealed that 42% of consultancies have made redundancies and that 39% had recruitment freezes. And even more telling – that 38% of recruiters feel insecure in their jobs.

The really good news is that in some ways that article excited me – because we are in the top 19% who are definitely not in any of those categories - and we are hiring! So if you are insecure, redundant or just want to find out more about a career with an international recruitment consultancy then why not check out our career pages on our website?

Language Show

Posted on October 7, 2009 by Steve Shacklock

Do you think languages are given enough reward in the workplace? It seems that the majority of linguists don’t. 65% of multi lingual job seekers surveyed by the Language Careers Fair said that they didn’t think that this ability was given enough reward and recognition in the business world. Another 80% were considering going abroad to use their language skills. Languages are a vital skill that any team needs today. Yes, times are hard, but hopefully as conditions improve, companies will give this issue some serious consideration.

The Language Career Fair, sponored by multilingualvacancies.com, will take place within the Language Show – the UK’s biggest event for everyone who loves or works within languages. The Language Show will run from 30th October to 1st November at London’s Olympia.

Are you job hunting? Euro London will be hosting a stand at the Language Careers Fair, so if you’re interested in what opportunities are out there, come and talk to us. But register first so you can get entry absolutely free. As well as the Careers Fair, the Language Show will be hosting demonstrations, performances, seminars and language taster sessions.

Hope to see you there!

We’re finalists!

Posted on August 24, 2009 by Steve Shacklock

Summer is drawing to a close and we’re still not out of this downturn, so it’s nice to have some good news!

Euro London has been short listed in not one, but three categories in the upcoming London and South East Recruitment Awards. The Windsor team is a finalist for the Recruitment Team of the Year Award for its continued success and high quality service. Consultant Helen Pacey is in the running for Recruitment Consultant of the Year and Wayne Tritton is up for the Rising Star award.

Let’s face it; it’s been a tough year for everyone in recruitment, so being finalists for awards which recognise our hard work and success is great and a real motivation boost. The awards are being held in Portman Square in London on Friday 13^th November so we’re crossing our fingers until then. Let’s hope Friday 13^th isn’t unlucky for us – we want to make it a hat trick!