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What trends are we currently experiencing in China/Shenzhen? In the past decade, China’s economy has rapidly grown. It is expected to increase further in the next 10 years. This has led to a greater demand for talent within China, particularly in the greater bay area. With Shenzhen being the central hub of technology and R&D in China, we can foresee more technology opportunities being created in the near future in order to meet this fast-growing demand. Combining the above factors, we feel that opening a Shenzhen office will be beneficial, especially when our primary focus is in the technology market. We can certainly take this advantage to further develop our presence in the local market and ultimately build a better corporate presence worldwide.     Tell us what your role is in the new Shenzhen office? With the opening of our Shenzhen office imminent, scheduled in early October, I will act as a Senior Consultant focusing on providing technology talent for start-ups to MNC based in the greater bay area. In addition to my recruitment role, I will also work closely with Ali Sharaki, the APAC Regional Director to expand our new office.   Tell us more about your background and experiences? I have been working in the recruitment industry for over 3 years to date, with a particular focus on finance and technology. Throughout this time, I had the opportunity to work in Hong Kong and London which enabled me to experience different cultures, working styles, and different environments. It has been a great adventure so far. In mid-September this year, I will be relocating yet again and this time to Shenzhen, China, for our new office opening.     What attracted you the position and what convinced you to choose Hamlyn Williams? I came across Hamlyn Williams back in 2017 and the company has been on my radar since. I was approached with an exciting opportunity to relocate to Shenzhen, China, to be a part of the company's new office launch. Having discussed this new, exciting opportunity with the management team and having learned about the vision in more detail, I was delighted to be given the opportunity to be part of the plan.  There is a certain level of risk involved when it comes to relocating. However, I see this being more of an opportunity. Having mentioned the huge potential of the greater bay area, combining both my language skills and relevant recruitment experience, I believe this is an opportunity where I can take my career to the next level and further develop myself as a recruiter. In addition, I also felt valued since the very beginning of the process and this has certainly made my decision to join Hamlyn Williams a lot easier.    Are you excited for the new opening? I am excited about this new adventure and very much looking forward to working closely with Ali in the launch and expansion of our Shenzhen office. With the combination of our market expertise and the macro business expansion in the greater bay area, I strongly believe it will be yet another successful office opening at Hamlyn Williams.  Are you looking for a career in recruitment? Then look no further! We have lots of opportunities for both junior and senior roles in all of our offices so you can progress your career. If you would like to join us, apply directly to our website https://www.joinhamlynwilliams.com/ or call 0203 675 2920 and speak to a member of the Hamlyn Williams team. Follow us on social media and take a look at our great company culture, we are on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

A recent international study surveyed more than 500 business leaders and asked them what sets great employees apart. The researchers wanted to know why some people are more successful than others at work, and the answers were surprising; leaders chose “personality” as the leading reason. Notably, 78% of leaders said personality sets great employees apart, more than cultural fit (53%) and even an employee’s skills (39%). Skill and experience are of course are vital, but if a candidate showcases personality they will improve their chances of being hired significantly. So just like our 10 ways to be an extraordinary leader (insert a link to article)  we’ve created 10 ways to be an extraordinary candidate that will help boost your chances of being hired. Being Adaptable. To really stand out, a candidate must be reactive to change, even working outside their job description. Client’s love to see candidates go above and beyond by accepting challenges, rolling up their sleeves, and getting hands-on with tasks that are not required of them. Why? Because it shows the willingness and resilience that the candidate has to offer to go above and beyond their job description, which is reassuring to the client.  Communication Both verbally and in writing, communicating effectively is essential. It’s a skill required in any type of industry that you will need to showcase to your team, manager and customers. It will improve your relationship with them as well as improving your networking, should you want to achieve your career aspirations. Interpersonal skills Interpersonal skills, also known as people skills, are what we use to interact and engage with people. Socialising and interacting with your team and manager will improve your communication with them as well as improving the overall harmony and ethos. Your interpersonal skills will be evaluated during interviews, so be sure you keep this in mind so you can showcase yourself effectively. Room for improvement- Exceptional candidates always see an opportunity to grow and develop. There is always room for improvement. Even if you’ve done an amazing job if you can find something to learn and eager to do better in your role a client will value that and see you as an ideal person to grow within the company- making you more of a reliable asset. Leadership When companies hire for leadership roles, they seek candidates who can successfully interact with employees, colleagues, clients and others. Even if you're not applying for management jobs, leadership is a valuable skill to bring to the employer as it shows you can take on responsibilities and help take charge of a team or project when the situation arises. Positive Attitude Attitude may not be everything, but it’s extremely valuable. Companies value candidates with a positive entrepreneurial mindset- even in difficult and challenging circumstances. They want to hire applicants with a “can do” attitude who are assertive, flexible, dedicated and who are willing to contribute anything extra, if necessary, to get the job done. Teamwork A key skill that’s valuable in any work environment, companies and clients want to hire team players. If you can interact engage and cooperate with other members of a team it creates a more cohesive unit, as well as building trust and morale. If you are in an interview- highlight successful examples of how well you worked in a team. Honesty This may surprise some, but clients and companies do appreciate honesty and integrity. If a project doesn’t go to plan, refrain from making excuses. If you refuse to be accountable for the outcome, managers are more inclined to prefer candidates who know where they can improve and select those that take ownership and responsibility. It highlights both leadership and trust. Marketable. “Marketable” can mean many things. Inside the organization, it means “likeable.” Now, not everyone has to be liked to be an exceptional candidate, but if you get along with the team, your more likely to be assessed for a promotion within the company because you have the support and trust from the team. Exceptional candidates are well-liked by co-workers. They have integrity and leadership skills (even if they’re not in an official leadership position) that people respond to. Externally, it means they can be trusted to represent the brand well. Managers know they can send these employees out to meet with clients and prospects without worrying, it also eases the workload making them more inclined to delegate tasks- which improves your experience. Composure. Dealing with difficult people is frustrating and exhausting for most. Exceptional candidates control their interactions, by keeping their feelings in check. They approach the situation rationally. They identify their own emotions and don’t allow anger or frustration to fuel the chaos. They also consider another person’s point of view and are able to find solutions and common ground. If you’re an employer looking to fill a vacancy, you can register a job with us and discover our unrivalled talent solutions. If you are interested in one of our vacancies, please click here for all the latest opportunities https://www.hamlynwilliams.com/job-search

The Rise of Cyber Crime In the 1st instalment of the series, we will be focussing on the cyber-attack that happened to Norsk Hydro- a Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, headquartered in Oslo. In March 2019 a devastating ransomware attack was inflicted on Norsk, one of the largest aluminium producers in the world. The potential financial loss is estimated at $52 million (Automotive News) What does this mean for the industry and what can be done to limit such a largescale attack? Matt Feeney, Cyber Team leader at Hamlyn Williams acknowledges that cyber-attacks are becoming much more sophisticated and calculating, posing a serious threat in the future. “It’s large-scale attacks such as the one inflicted on Norsk, that the need for OT and ICS Engineers is urgently required”- Matt explains “Hackers will often commit a crime for money, attacks will become more and more frequent especially if companies don’t act now. Companies need to invest in hiring qualified and experienced cybersecurity engineers to avoid potential issues down the line” he adds The ransomware is different from the previous industrial cyberattacks such as WannaCry and Petya, explains Matt, criminals are targeting company networks and syncronising encryption across their geographical regions. What is the financial impact? In the financial report for the first quarter, Norsk equated the impact at $34.6m-$40.4m, meaning the impact in the first half of the year could reach $75m, $23m more than once thought. The largest impact is expected in the company’s Extruded Solutions Division, accounting for $17.3m of the estimated overall impact for the quarter. This significant loss could have future implications on the business, if these attacks persist, it would certainly have a detrimental effect on investment, shares, and even jobs. Nonetheless, Norsk is expecting some compensation from its cyber insurance policy but they have not revealed how much, or when this will be paid. The Norsk Hydro financial report coincides with an IBM Security report (Computer weekly) which highlights the cost of a data breach has risen by 12% over the past five years to £3.2m on average globally, with a 10.56% increase in the UK in the past year alone to £3m. Consequently, the company saw a 32% fall in revenue to $101m for the second quarter compared with the same period a year ago. (Warwick Ashford, Computer weekly) What do other leading security professionals have to say about the attack? Piers Wilson, Head of Product Management at Huntsman Security, explains that the attack could potentially affect resource production in Norway, Qatar and Brazil. This means the attackers have been able to cause maximum disruption on a global scale, requiring very little effort in doing so. “Large scale cyber-attacks have not been widely reported previously in Norway, additionally attacks on the manufacturing sector have been limited. This attack could certainly impact the onward supply chain.” How can you minimise the impact of ransomware? Security firm Trend Micro recommends that organisations follow best practices to minimise the impact of ransomware including: ·         Creating regular backups files. ·         Creating a security culture in the workplace. ·         Keeping systems and applications updated. ·         Implementing network segmentation and data categorisation to minimise further exposure of mission-critical and sensitive data. ·         Disabling third-party or outdated components that could be used as entry points. ·         Implementing defence in depth with additional layers of security. ·         Securing email gateways to block threats distributed by spam and avoid opening suspicious emails. What does this mean for someone that works in Cyber? “You are a valuable asset in protecting and maintaining security systems for large industries and companies ” Matt explains. “More and more job opportunities will become available as hackers will continue to try and launch these large scale attacks in the future. Me and the cyber team work with some of the leading cybersecurity firms in the world, Cisco and IBM have told us the demand for experienced ICS/OT professionals is increasing” To fight back against cyber-attacks industries need to hire those with the necessary experience, and work with recruiters who have great market knowledge in sourcing and providing the very best OT/ICS talent. The rise in Cybercrime is likely to continue in the future as the world gravitates to the innovation and development of technology. Industries and governments need to realise the time to act is now, by being proactive and having ICS/OT professionals will make it hard for cybercriminals and minimise the effects. If you are looking for experienced cybersecurity professionals to help protect your company, or if you are an experienced cybersecurity candidate looking for a new career opportunity contact Matt via email on m.feeney@hamlynwilliams.com or call us on 0203675 2920 and ask to speak with a member of our Cyber Security Team.