-
Written by - Stuart Wallis
England's 1st World Cup Steps
England got their World Cup off to a great start, with their 1st Step (sorry!) into the tournament ending in a victory for Captain Kane and the England team. And we were lucky enough to watch the first match for the Three Lions screened on the walls of our Farringdon office! 1st Step's London team were joined by clients and candidates from across a wide variety of contractors in the M&E sector and beyond, and were all treated to a fantastic finger buffet organised by our Divisional Manager, Davinia Farr and a free bar (with no queue). Matthew Jones, Managing Director said "It was a great evening. Davinia excelled in putting on a great show for our candidates and clients. It was so nice to spend time in a relaxed atmosphere, and her team did her really proud." Keep your eyes peeled for more games being shown at our Cowcross Street offices - an invite may just drop in your inbox!
Read more -
Written by - Stuart Wallis
FIFA World Cup - Russia 2018 is Engaging!
In case you haven't noticed... the FIFA World Cup starts in a few weeks! Yes, that's right, love it or hate it, the World Cup fever is back soon for its quad-annual visit to our lives. We've created a free Sweepstake sheet for you to use in your office. Print it off and use as you please! Have fun The latest survey responses to XpertHR, who 1st Step use for advice and guidance, suggest the World Cup is a great tool for engaging employees, including putting TVs up in canteens and allowing flexibility for rest breaks to allow people to watch. With 90.8% of respondent employers suggesting that they will adopt an informal approach to the World Cup, common practice might suggest you don't get too hooked on rules for the events too. Common sense - from you as an employer or employee - is most needed in this situation, and just keep in mind that you are always representing your business. And 1st Step is using it to engage clients and candidates, too! We're not ashamed to admit we will use the opportunity either. So keep an eye out for any emails about events, and why not download our FREE world cup sweepstake sheet. 2018 Sweep Stake Sheet.pdf Size: 248 KB
Read more -
Written by - Stuart Wallis
GDPR - it's good for businesses!
It's good for business, especially if you work with 1st Step as a candidate or client. Whilst there is plenty of scaremongering about at the moment, GDPR is here to stay. Compliance with it will at the very least encourage recruiters to be better at recruitment. The best form of recruitment always has been and always will be "people buy from people" and that is how we at 1st Step do our business. Our recruiters try and meet every candidate, numerous times and sometimes they will build relationships over many years. This is what works, and why we employ a certain kind of recruiter that takes the time to care about the people we work with. Our consultants are going to carry on doing their job as they are because they are very good at it, and they have been doing it for years. The difference, and why GDPR is good for us, is that the concept of getting out there and meeting your candidates is not the norm with some of our competitors. To put it mildly, our competitors are going to have to up their game, to catch us. We are 1st Step, and we are the benchmark. So, we won't be mass emailing people, because it's not our style. But you can all take this blog as permission to contact us, and we will get to know you, and find you a new job! Sounds like a good idea to me. As for our clients? Well, you can rest assured that we have consent, from when we bought our candidates a coffee and asked them for it, whilst discussing where would be the best fit for their next career move. Just before they filled out the application form and signed the consent form.
Read more -
Written by - Stuart Wallis
Katherine Castellanos - Branch Manager New York, NY
Following the successful introduction of 1st Step into the USA, we are pleased to announce that Katherine Castellanos has been promoted to the role of Branch Manager after just 9 months with us. Joint MD Les Fillery said, "Katherine has been responsible for finding and setting up our office in New York, as well as recruiting team members and training them to our high standards. It felt like the right to do to promote Katherine, as it is very much deserved." "Kat has quickly become part of the family here at 1st Step," said Stuart Wallis, EIR Manager, adding "she is introducing our culture and working ethos into the office and clients in the USA, and doing a great job of it too! Knowing we have an ambassador like her running the branch in New York, it makes the day to day of employing people across the pond that much better."
Read more -
Written by - Abi Chapman, CV Library
4 tips for upgrading your rail engineering CV
A well-written CV is the backbone of any job application. After all, an employer wants to understand who you are, what your experience is and why you’re applying to their role. Yet, most of us groan at the thought of having to update our CV and will fail to tailor it to every job application we make. Here are some tips, based on rail engineering but relevant cross-sector, written by our friend Augusta Henning at CV-Library. 1. Stick to a clear format A huge part of getting yourself noticed is using a format that is easy to digest and that clearly displays all the relevant information needed. Alongside this, use an easy-to-read font, such as Arial or Calibri, in size 12. You can separate each section with bold headings, starting with your personal profile and following this with your work experience and education. Remember to write up your experience in reverse chronological order, placing your most recent and relevant positions first. In addition, you may wish to include a key skills section at the bottom, within your education section. Here, you can outline any additional qualifications you’ve gained, such as Prince2 or Agile. 2. Write a punchy personal profile As mentioned previously, your CV needs to open with a punchy personal profile. Here, you should give a clear and succinct summary of your professional background and career aspirations. It’s best to make this specific to the job you are applying for and you need to ensure that it’s not too broad. Otherwise, this suggests that you haven’t researched the job properly. Split this into two sections. In the first, you need to state who you are, for example: ‘a highly-skilled rail engineer, looking to secure a new position in…’ The second part needs to outline what you can offer the company. Here, you need to highlight any relevant skills and back them up with clear examples. For example ‘having worked on multiple successful projects for my employer, I have expressed strong problem-solving skills.’ 3. Bring your skills to life As a rail engineer, you’ll need to have a range of technical skills and be proficient with certain technologies. For example, you may be a pro at CAD but you can’t just simply state this on your CV. Try to bring these points to life by giving examples of any projects you’ve worked on in which you utilised these skills. Then, shout about the results that you achieved. For example, the ability to communicate effectively is crucial as a rail engineer. In this case, you’d write about a time when you’ve worked closely with other craftspeople to reach an end goal and highlight the success that came as a result of this. Think about using action keywords, such as: achieved, contributed, guided, handled and so on. 4. Showcase your qualifications In order to obtain a job as an engineer, you’ll need to hold a relevant qualification, such as Engineering Maintenance (NVQ Level 3) or Railway Engineering (NVQ Level 3). You may also be able to get the job by undergoing an apprenticeship. The final section of your CV should showcase these qualifications, outlining the title and dates completed. If you’re new to the rail engineer industry, you can go into more detail in this section, giving some examples of projects you worked on or any key skills you gained throughout your studies. You may also want to highlight any professional development courses you have taken, such as Personal Track Safety. In summary Overall, perfecting your CV should be your number one task when it comes to looking for a new job. Spend the time and effort on getting it right and you’ll have no problem in finding a rail engineering position that’s right for you. Engineering Jobs is a leading job board in the sector and is part of the CV-Library network. For more expert advice on engineering jobs, careers and the workplace, visit CV-Library’s Career Advice and Recruitment Insight pages.
Read more -
Written by - Stuart Wallis
Inspiring from the Dragon's Den
Inspiring, Leading and Delivering - Tomorrow's Business Leaders are studying at LSEC's #theplatform and entered the Dragon's Den Through our longstanding partnership with LSEC, and in particular our good friend, Bob Noseda, our team were invited to hold a "Dragon's Den" style event at LSEC's Bexley Campus in Erith on Thursday, 8th March 2018. Students were set the task, in 6 teams of 4, of creating a recruitment business including a logo, company structure and logo to name some tasks, with a three hour deadline before presenting their business to our "Dragons". Representing us were Operations & Compliance Director, Careena Dabbs, Operations Director, Andy Brooks and Employee & Industrial Relations Manager Stuart Wallis, and the task at hand was a difficult one for them, as Careena explained. "All of the students present made such an impressive effort to develop the business plans. There were elements of every presentation and idea that were really well thought out, especially considering how they only had four hours in which to create their concepts!" The Dragons put the students through their paces - the idea being that they needed to experience a real-life situation when presenting a business concept to a group of potential investors, or clients, and the students had good answers too. Andy was given the honour of announcing the winner at the end of the day. He said "it was a really tough decision, with some inspiring ideas that got us thinking too. Eventually we chose a winner called Spotlight Recruitment, because we felt that they had the most complete concept. But it was a close run thing, with any of them capable of winning the competition." Talking about why 1st Step was supporting this initiative, Stuart said "We recognise the importance of businesses getting involved in the education of the next generation of businesses. The students we met today are all from our local area, and the incumbent responsibility on companies such as ours to play an active role in core business skills cannot be underestimated. We are delighted to be working with LSEC, and we look forward to our continuing partnership growing over the coming months and years."
Read more -
Written by - Stuart Wallis
New York - New Office
We are pleased to welcome Anthony Isidro and Christopher Batista to 1st Step Resourcing Inc, based out of our New York office. Chris and Anthony will be based at our office on 225 West 34th Street in New York, under the guidance and supervision of Katherine Castellanos and her Divsional Manager, Nana Boss.
Read more -
Written by - Stuart Wallis
#LLTTM - Max White - two year anniversary
Message from Simon Cowdrey, Chairman: "Tomorrow represents the 2nd anniversary since Max White, my Managing Director and friend passed away. Max and I worked together for nearly 17 years, during that time he was not only pivotal in establishing 1st Step but also instrumental in building the strong foundations to where the business is today. When Max was diagnosed 3 years ago he set-up a charity in aid of Cancer Research called “Live Life to the Max” which the company, staff, clients and his many friends continue to support raising much needed funds. Wherever we live in the world we are all sadly effected by someone we know with this dreadful disease. 1st Step has grown rapidly in the past 2 years and over 50% of our employees have never met Max. However they have all embraced Max’s philosophies and as a company we are united in showing compassion and empathy in support for his charity. Max died one week before his 41st birthday, however his memory still lives on."
Read more -
Written by - Stuart Wallis
1st Step Bristol - Car Wash to the Max!
The Boys from Bristol have been out today visiting our clients, starting with Interserve's Bristol office. But they were not being salesy! Oh no... Andy Brooks (Operations Director), Ralph Preston (Regional Director) and Matthew Williams (Branch Manager) all visited Interserve - dressed in their big baby nappies - and washed their cars in aid of Cancer Research! watch the video below. If you are in Bristol, and are a client of 1st Step, give the guys a call. For the right donation, you can get your cars cleaned by our cleaning babies! Call 0117 332 6633 now and speak to Andy, Ralph or Matthew.
Read more -
Written by - Stuart Wallis
Full Marks for the Rail Team
We are proud to announce that the Rail Team have once again achieved a Five Star rating in our annual RISQS Audit. Compliance & Strategy Director, Careena Dabbs said "The Rail team have surpassed themselves once again, ensuring the high standards required on the rail network are maintained and often exceeded. The RISQS audit is a rigorous one, but the evidence required to demonstrate our competency in this industry is always readily available and plentiful. The team thoroughly deserve the full 5 Marks awarded to them." Managing Director for Rail, Les Fillery said "1st Step Solutions' Rail Team are all committed to supplying a first class ongoing service to the industry and take our compliance responsibilities very serious. The team have demonstrated a very professional and methodical approach towards the RISQS audit and deserve all the plaudits bestowed on them. A superb team effort, well done to all involved." A full list of Product Codes are available upon request detailing the areas of our specialist supply
Read more
TAKE YOUR 1ST STEP TO A NEW CAREER
Find out more about joining the 1st Step team...
- find out more
NEWS