Page 46 - James Caan - Get the Job you Really Want

the skin of potential candidates, to find out what their individual
motivations and ambitions are – their key ‘drivers’ to use industry
jargon. You can help a consultant by, for example, giving them
a list of companies you would work for, and those you would
not – on whatever grounds are relevant – to help steer them on

your behalf.
Since I own two agencies which specialize in public sector
jobs – Attenti Executive Recruitment, which focuses on senior-

level appointments for local government, charities and the NHS,
and Matrix, which operates across the board for public authority
jobs – there is a general point I would like to make about the
di≠erence between the public and private sectors in terms of
getting a job.

In fact the point I really want to make is that as far as the ideas
and advice in this book are concerned, there is not that much of a
di≠erence. My knowledge of the public sector leads me to believe

that everything I am talking about is just as appropriate and that
you should not compromise on any of these ideas simply because
of the processes involved in finding jobs in the public sector.
Yes, the method of recruitment might be a bit more bureau-
cratic, the forms lengthier, the protocol more rigid. But ultimately

you still have to turn up for an interview, you still have to
perform at that interview, you still have to demonstrate your
ability to communicate. There may also be less leeway involved

in negotiating the ultimate package, as the salary bands tend to
be quite narrow and specific, but in every other aspect I think you
will find that the thrust and attitude of this book is completely
relevant.

34 get the job you really want