Australia's largest LNG deal signed in QLD

A 20 year agreement has been signed between Queensland Gas and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation, for QGC parent company BG Group to supply 3.6 million tonnes of LNG from a new facility based out of Gladstone.

This agreement is estimated to be worth between $60-80 billion, and the $10 billion facility at Curtis is estimated to create around 5000 jobs during the construction phase, as well as 1000 longer term roles.

This contract will be the largest LNG contract signed in Australian history, according to Anna Bligh, Queensland Premier. China Daily also quoted CNOOC as saying that this deal will mark the first sale of LNG from coal seam gas to China.

If predictions are correct this project will employ over 8500 people in total at its peak, and generate over $60 billion in export revenue for QLD.

This will lead to an increase in demand for skilled oil and gas and construction professionals, as well as stimulating the local economy.

The long term benefits of a project this size cannot be underestimated, and will underpin future requirements for skilled staff in Queensland.

For assistance with recruiting oil and gas or construction staff then please do not hesitate to contact Skye Recruitment.

Alternatively if you are looking for work in the oil and gas or construction industries, then please view our current vacancies, or contact us for more information.

Skye founder named as one of Australia's top female entrepreneurs

SmartCompany's Inaugural Top Female Entrepreneurs List features 45 of Australia's businesswomen across a variety of industries.

Sophie Macdonald from Skye Recruitment was delighted to be included on the list, which features leading entrepreneurs such as Janine Allis, Boost Juice founder, Therese Rein, MD of Ingeus, Diana Williams, Fernwood Gyms founder, and fashion label founder Carla Zampatti, amongst others.

The Top Female Entrepreneurs List aims to identify, recognise, and showcase Australia's outstanding female business owners and tell their stories.

The entrepreneurs generate more than $3.6 billion in sales each year, and are mainly responsible for private companies with revenues between $1m and $1b.

14 of the 45 entrepreneurs on the list run franchises, and the majority of women featured started up their businesses from home with start up funds of $100,000 or less.

"It's a great honour to be included on this list alongside so many inspirational women," says Macdonald of Skye Recruitment. "These lists are important for recognising the achievements of women in business, and to encourage future female entrepreneurs to take the plunge and work toward making their dreams a reality."

Skye Recruitment celebrates record interviews week!

Skye Recruitment celebrated a record week of candidate interviews this week!

Across all sectors business has increased dramatically following on from the downturn last year. Our main areas of Civil Construction, Mining, Civil Consultancy, and Oil & Gas have all reported a marked increase in recruitment activity.

This week our numbers of candidates on interview with client companies across all sectors jumped up by 87% compared against the previous average for the year.

The team at Skye attended a celebratory lunch today, before heading back to the office to arrange more interviews before the day was out!

Top 10 - What not to say in an interview

Interviews can be a stressful time, and sometimes the pressure of being in an interview situation can lead us to come out with things that don't represent us the way that we intended!

Many studies have shown that negative information more strongly affects our evaluations of a person than comparable positive information. Don't let the odd blooper undo all of your good work in an interview. Below is a list of the 10 most common interview pitfalls, and how to avoid them.

What not to say...

• What salary are you offering? Where possible avoid discussions about salary in an interview. Bringing up the $$ question can make you look less serious about the role itself and too focused on the cash rewards. You will also put yourself into a poor negotiating position, where you may have to talk money without having first established if the company wants you on board.
• How much holiday do you give? Along with questions about sick pay, Christmas bonuses, and other perks, this sort of question can again cause the interviewer to question your commitment to the role - as well as wondering if you are the type of employee who will look at what they can take from the company and not what they can give.
• Am I able to work differently from how your team currently does? While there may be genuine reasons that you need to discuss alternative working arrangements with a prospective employer, be wary of requesting special treatment/ big changes before you have had a chance to see for yourselves how things work at that company. If you show too much resistance to working in a different environment then you may look as if you are unwilling to try something new or embrace change. You may also give the impression that you will be a demanding or high-maintenance employee!
• I notice that you pay less than your competitors, but that's not a problem as I know you are a small and growing company. Researching the company before interview is good. Comparing that company less favourably to their competitors is not! Try not to put the interviewer on the defensive - they won't leave with a warm fuzzy feeling about you.
• No, I don't have any questions. It is a rare interviewer that won't give you the opportunity to ask questions - so come prepared with a list! Saying that you have nothing to ask makes you look uninterested, unprepared, and unable to think on your feet.
• Weaknesses? No, none really... Come on! This is a common question, so prepare for it. Even the perennial favourite (?) "Actually sometimes I care TOO much" is better than announcing that you are flawless.
• What are your policies on smoking breaks/ drinking at lunch? You stood there with a cigarette/ drink in hand on company time is probably not the image you want to leave the interviewer with.
• In 5 years time? I see myself in your chair. This may have been great in the 1980's, but so were dungarees and spiral perms. It is better to talk through your realistic hopes and dreams for career progression, rather than trying to impress the interviewer with your bravado and naked ambition. And if you don't know - say so! But explain why you don't know.
• My last company/ manager did everything wrong. Be very careful not to criticise your previous/ current company or boss in an interview. The interviewer may appear very sympathetic, and may even dig for this sort of inside info (especially if you work for a a competitor), but afterwards they may wonder what things you will say about them and their company if things don't go as you want with them. Keep to the facts, and balance quantifiable negatives (e.g., "There are no management positions currently") with positives ('I have spoken to my manager about this, and while they understand my situation, there is nothing they can offer me at the moment.")
• I don't know. This is okay if you follow it up with a reason for this - e.g., "I don't know why I didn't get the other job, but I have requested further clarification from the company about this, and am expecting feedback later this week. If I haven't been successful then I always prefer to know why so that I can learn from the experience." Don't overuse "I don't know". An interviewer will soon lose interest in someone who is hard to talk to.

Good luck - and happy interviewing!

Top 5 - Why job-seekers use recruitment agencies

Searching for a new job can be a daunting and frustrating experience. Very often job-seekers are not sure which companies to approach, and have to rely on advertisements placed by companies in order to know who is hiring.

The job application process doesn't get any easier once you have spotted a company you want to approach. Often ads only give generic contact details, with no name that you can follow up or acknowledgement that your application has been received or viewed by the right person.

This is where a recruitment agency can help!

Top 5 reasons job-seekers use agencies:

• Job-hunting takes time - and lots of it! Researching which companies to approach, looking through papers and websites for vacancies, and crafting letters of introduction. A recruitment agency will spend time establishing your needs, and then be able to approach ALL relevant companies and vacancies on your behalf very quickly and efficiently.
• Recruitment agencies provide advice - they help with CV writing, interviewing techniques, relocation, and a host of other areas.
• Agencies have inside info! They have relationships with all the companies in your industry sector, and can not only advise about who is hiring / who has projects in your sector, but also what a particular company or manager wants, likes, and (sometimes more importantly) hates!
• Agencies also have inside info on salary. They know what salaries that company has paid before, and how much is available for your role. They can act as a mediator for you when negotiating salaries and make sure you get the best rate possible.
• Their services are free for you!
  

Of course you need to find the RIGHT agency, and the right recruiter to suit you. Keep an eye out for agencies that specialise in your industry sector, and speak to any potential recruiters thoroughly to make sure that you have that rapport and that you're comfortable with that person representing you. A good recruiter will always be happy to answer any questions you may have about their own experience and also about the general market in your industry.

Good luck, and happy job-hunting!

Writing a great resume

Your resume has one purpose - to make an employer want to interview you. It is therefore a sales document, and should be concise and easy to read.

Remember, a future employer sees hundreds of these every day - if your resume is too long, too wordy, or in a hard to read font, then it is likely to be overlooked.

Keep your resume to 2 pages if you can. If your work history stretches much beyond that then consider summarising it and adding a note that you have a full resume available too.

A good format to keep in mind is as follows:

• Name
• Contact details
• Profile - a short paragraph stating "what you are" and what you want
• Employment history - most recent first
• Education history - most recent first
• Courses - relevant professional courses you have attended
• Skills - e.g., software proficiency
• References - state minimum of 2 professional references

Things not to put on your resume include:

Salary details – this may hinder future salary negotiations, or cause an employer to make judgements about you at an early stage.

Reasons for leaving jobs – this is not always relevant or necessary, and some situations are more complex than can be explained in a line or two.

A photograph – this is unnecessary, and may cause an employer to make judgements about you.

Your date of birth / marital status / religion – this information is also unnecessary and may lead to judgements or assumptions about you.

Useful tips

Be specific with dates and always include month and year.

Include as much detail as you can on relevant jobs, and do not labour the point on jobs that are irrelevant to the role for which you are applying. If you have worked as a cashier for four years throughout university then include this information, but be careful not to include more detail on this than on your studies and your engineering/ technical work experience.

Think about your audience and tailor your resume accordingly.

Use clear fonts and bold typeface/ underlining to make the sections distinct and easy to read.

Remember to proof read and spell check the final document.

Interview Tips

The manager leans forward, looks you in the eye, and delivers the heart-stopping question that will make your mind go blank and your palms begin to sweat. You don't say anything, you try to collect your thoughts, all the time desperately aware that the manager thinks you are an idiot. There is no way you have got the job. Is there any way you can turn this around?

Well... probably, but it may not be easy. The best way to fix this kind of scenario is to avoid it in the first place by preparing as thoroughly as you can for your interview.

All companies and interviewers are different, but below is a list of tips that we at Skye Recruitment have gathered over the years that may not only make your life a little easier at interview, but also the above scenario less likely.

Before the Interview

Do:

• Look up where the interview is to be held and plan your journey. Give yourself longer than you think you need in order to get there.
• If, for any reason, you cannot avoid being late then phone the company in advance to let them know, and apologise to them and explain your reasons when you arrive.
• Find out about the company you are visiting. Look in trade magazines and make sure you are familiar with the company website. Whether you have visited the website and what you thought of it are common questions for interviewers to ask.
  
• Find out who will be interviewing you and how they fit into the company structure.
  
• Prepare some questions for the interview. This is your chance to find out about the job on offer, and shows that you are serious about the role.
• Prepare a copy of your CV or examples of your work to take to the interview.
• Dress smartly. Even if the company adopts casual dress it is good practice to turn up to the interview dressed to impress. Decide what you want to wear and prepare it the night before to avoid a last minute rush on the day of the interview.

Don't:

• Drink alcohol or smoke immediately prior to your interview.

During the Interview

Do:

• Relax, smile and maintain eye contact when the interviewer is speaking to you.
• Try to match the style of the interviewer if they seem formal then adopt a formal response, and likewise if the interviewer is more informal then adopt an informal approach in response. Either way, act alert and interested.
• Sell yourself make it clear what you have done and what you can do that will benefit the company.
• Be prepared with answers for the questions you may be asked. Some common interview questions include:
  • Why do you want to work for us?
  • What do you know about our company and the role?
  • What are your strengths/ weaknesses?
  • What would you consider your biggest achievement?
  • Why are you looking for a new role?
  • What can you offer to the company?
• Ask enough questions to ensure you have the information you need to decide whether you want to pursue the role.
• Ensure your questions focus on the role and the company, and that you do not appear to place too much emphasis on the remuneration and personal benefit aspects.
  
• If you don't understand a question then ask for clarification rather than guessing.
• Don't talk too much keep to the point, but avoid one word answers too.
• If you want the job then tell them you are interested and let them know your availability.
• Ask what the next step is will the decision be made on the one interview, or will there be subsequent interviews?
• Thank the interviewer for seeing you.

Don't:

• Avoid getting in to too specific a conversation about salary. This is a difficult discussion, and one that a recruitment consultant can have on your behalf. You are at risk of under selling yourself when we could negotiate a higher salary for you, or of over selling yourself and putting the interviewers off. A recruitment consultant will be able to give you an idea of what salary to expect prior to the interview, and will know the background of what that company will or will not pay for someone of your level.

After the Interview

Do:

• Telephone your recruitment consultant as soon as possible after the interview. The company will be calling them to discuss the interview and it will demonstrate your seriousness about the role if they have already spoken to you and can provide them with an immediate response. They will be able to give you feedback from the company too.

Don't:

• Don't blow it all as you leave! Be polite to reception staff, don't light a cigarette as you leave the building, don't drop litter in the car park, or take off your tie as you get into the car. You never know who is watching, and some companies will ask reception staff for their impressions of you as you arrived and as you left.