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What are you really worth?

Sometimes the worst thing in recruitment is letting someone know that just because they previously lucked it in with a contract that paid highly either because it was a government post or because the client was desperate and willing to pay anything is that the candidate is not really worth that much in the real market place.

Oops, did I say that?

Over inflated worth is a scary thing to deal with when the candidate will not negotiate or be advised that their skill set is not paid as highly as they consider its worth.

Those candidates will argue that they have done a job at a similar value and demand that the client see their resume and a brief synopsis of their skills.

In fact it is even harder to explain to those candidates that the calibre of the candidates being considered for the role are those who have or are completing PhDs and the candidate has only completed an update to their Excel skills on line in the last four years.

It’s not that I am saying real experience isn’t as valuable as education, however, in this tight market it is important that relevant skills are applied to valuable positions. Of course there are transferable type skills, and I consider this essential in most roles where there is a cross over and at times it is even harder to influence the client of this.

As aged care evolves and develops into a highly sought after industry we are seeing many changes ahead of us. There are more roles where a candidate’s skill set will be required for a short time to refine a role and then move on to the next contract. Hence short term contracts for specialists will become integral to set up and overall development to aged care. I am not talking about Director of Nurses who have been in the industry for hundreds of years who consider themselves exclusive consultants to the industry and work via Chinese whispers. What is becoming important are those with up-to-date knowledge, education and modern ‘çan do’ attitude. Those willing to take on a contract that will not only benefit their skills but also enhance the client’s work place.

It is paramount in any industry to remain marketable. This is even more apparent with the changes ahead of us in this highly competitive environment suggest short term positions will be valuable and highly sought after by those wanting to succeed.

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