Media & Press Releases

Penna selects Abintegro to provide career planning technology 

Penna, the global HR consulting and outplacement firm has selected abintegro to provide innovative career planning tools that enable Penna's customers to develop personal career and skill development plans.

Abintegro selected by BPP 

BPP the leading professional education provider has selected abintegro to provide a unique combination of careers tools and employer training videos. "I was very keen to enlist Abintegro to support our online provision  to students - primarily their extensive employer database and interactive, video advice on job hunting techniques. The impressive range of employers Abintegro use to facilitate these videos lends their products a credible, corporate edge which I know our students particularly value. The use of more creative media to convey up to the minute expertise from current professionals is something we particularly wish to employ at BPP Business School" Andrew Leacy, Head of Careers, BPP Business School.

Abintegro has been selected by AskMyCommunity to help unemployed back to work 

Askmycommunity is a social network supporting local needs. Working with Local Authorities, DWP and Job Centre Plus with a particular focus on helping individuals back to work. Abintegro is providing the complete job seeking platform enabling individuals to train and prepare for employment. “We are excited to be working with Abintegro. Their personal job-training plan, tools and resources are exactly what we need to help local unemployed people acquire the right skills and get ready for work.” Cormac Twomey, Director.  

Call Britannia selects Abintegro to equip employees with work skills & expertise 

Call Britannia is a pioneering call centre outsourcer providing jobs for unemployed 18-24 year olds across the UK. They selected the full Abintegro range of tools and services to support their training programme ensuring they equip their employees with the necessary skills and expertise to secure sustainable long-term employment. “The Abintegro job-seeking tools are a fantastic complement to our personal coaching programme and enable us to provide employees with the all the tools they need to develop and prepare for a successful career.” Michael Anderson, Chief Operating Officer.  

Abintegro is proud to be Backing Young Britain 

Abintegro has announced support to provide Britain’s young people with new opportunities so they can reach their full potential during these tough economic times. Abintegro will be running a mentoring scheme during the coming months to candidates between the ages of 16–24, as part of the Backing Young Britain campaign, bringing Government, businesses and other organisations together to create thousands of opportunities for young people.  

Abintegro exhibit at the AGCAS Biennial Conference
We were delighted to be part of the 3-day careers advisory AGCAS conference at Brunel University - The future of graduates, the future of guidance. Over 600 delegates attended the conference and over 100 academic institutions signed up to the abintegro trial programme.

Questioning your Future Goals
Each interviewer has a favourite question, ranging from the very simple ‘tell me about yourself’ to the more imaginative ‘what will you do if a team member lets you down?’ It’s impossible to predict the question your interviewer will place most emphasis on. In preparing for interview, therefore, you should cover as many scenarios as possible.

Including Interests on your CV
If you ask a careers advisor, recruitment consultant or employer whether to include an interests section on your CV you will get differing responses. The easy answer is to assume it’s up to you whether to include it – take it or leave it. Some will find it useful; some won’t.

Effective internet job-search techniques
Using the internet is an incredibly time consuming experience. It’s all too easy to get side-tracked or even worse, bamboozled with irrelevant or advertising-driven results not relevant to what you’re looking for.

The secrets of working with job boards 
Job boards, or job sites as they are also known, exist for employers and recruitment agencies to list details of their current vacancies, and for jobseekers to find roles to match their needs.

Presentations in Interviews 
Fear of speaking in public is said to be the number one fear, with fear of dying at number seven. Not very comforting when you consider a presentation, whether within a group or as an individual, often forms part of the interview process.

Blueprint for Passing Telephone Interviews 
Research shows interviews, over the phone or face-to-face, are generally won or lost in the first 5 minutes. You must practice the opening sequence if you want to maximise your chance of success.

Networking made simple 
The art of networking is a critical skill for most occupations. Even if it’s not written in the job description, employers will always value a good networker. Having trusted contacts opens new doors, solves issues, creates new ideas and so much more, whether you are a PA, IT analyst or marketing executive.

Are you an average job-hunter? 
The secret to successful job-hunting is to seek out the work that most people believe isn't worth the effort. That's what gives you the competitive edge. In most fields, there's an awful lot of work put into the last ten percent of quality.

5 scary truths about your job-hunt 
To help ensure that you achieve everything you want to over the next few months, I wanted to share with you the 5 scary truths 95% of job-seekers either are not aware of, or choose to do nothing about.

Making an IMPACT when you start work 
It’s a critical part of the job-seeking process to understand how to make a positive impact when you start work. You’ll want to feel confident on day one and having a plan helps to build this belief. A shrewd interviewer may well ask you to explain your plan.

Discover your unique selling points 
From CV writing to interview planning to knowing what job to apply to, being crystal clear about your unique selling points gives you a huge advantage. This means being able to clearly state the 3 or 4 activities you excel at, backed up with evidence.

What is commercial awareness and how do you develop it? 
From lawyers to shop-assistants, marketing executives to HR managers, candidates that are business-savvy often get the job. The trouble with commercial awareness is the term itself. It sounds scary and if you run a quick search online, you’ll get 50 different views as quick as Jack Robinson.

Will an Employer Trust Your CV? 
Surveys suggest as many as a quarter of job-seekers deviate from the truth on their CV. Getting a job can be highly stressful and candidates feel pressured to enhance their achievements to present themselves in the most favourable light.

What did your most recent hire do to impress you? 
Learning from successful people is a great trick. The problem is we usually only hear from famous individuals detached from our daily toils or ‘experts’ with plenty of theoretical expertise but little practical application. Interesting as their stories maybe, reading advice from individuals so detached from our daily toils is arguably not the best method for self-improvement.

Interview coach: dealing with situational questions 
A good interviewer knows the importance of asking questions that require you to think on the spot. Often referred to as situational, competency based or behavioural question, the employer is attempting to see your skills and attitudes in action. This is clearly a much better technique than just asking you to name your skills, so you can understand why interviewers do this.

The purpose and power of a well written cover letter 
If you think a cover letter is a formal approach reserved for old-fashioned application processes, then you should banish your pre-conception. When you email your CV to a recruiter or employer you must include text in your email. This is your cover letter. Every single application or e-correspondence you make with a prospective employer forms part of your ‘pitch’.

How to structure your CV 
The purpose of your CV is simple; to get you the interview. To do this you need to consider two things. Firstly the structure – is it presented professionally, ordered correctly using suitable headings helping an
employer to instantly spot the information they need. Secondly, the content – how do you structure sentences, what language do you use, is it concise and do you demonstrate achievement and value?

The mistakes that WILL make your CV fail 
As companies are inundated with applications, sifting through CVs has become a process employers are skilled at and many say has become easier. The stronger candidates clearly explain why they will be a great hire – thus eliminating weaker applications is fast and easy.

10 step plan to promotion 
Whether cleaning onions off the floor of a kebab shop or a broker in an investment bank, getting promoted is a big task. ‘Big’ but not ‘difficult’. As with most work issues, there is no rocket science involved and people with plans outperform others.

Seeking a promotion? 10 reasons why you won’t get it 
It may seem an odd time to absorb advice about promotion if you are looking for a new job, but it’s important to know if you ever want to be promoted you need to start planning now. That means having a plan and sticking to it from day 1 of your job.

How interviewers are trained 
Anxiety about an interview often is a result of not knowing what lies ahead. How will the interviewer behave? What will the structure be? How will they be assessing me? Take confidence in the knowledge 90% of interviewers will use variations of the same techniques.

Job hunting: the good, the bad and the ugly 
Tough times mean a lot of job hunting horror stories. There’s this poor lady I know getting turned down daily – employers tell her she’s overqualified thus they’re afraid she’ll leave for a better job. Another mis-guided soul paid a firm to distribute his CV to 3,000 companies. He’s still wondering why there are no replies. Many job-seekers unfortunately dance to the tune of the wrong piper. Let’s take a quick look at 3 common tactics.

How to research a company better than Average Joe 
Researching an employer is a distinct skill many take for granted. I read an article yesterday stating “search for the company name in Google” as a top tip for interview preparation.  Now I’m not suggesting you avoid Google, I just don’t believe this is valuable advice. After all, Average Joe does not land the job.

Interview Coach: ‘What questions do you have for me?’
If you think by the time you are asked ‘what questions do you have for me?’ the interview is over, think again. A good interviewer knows the importance of this question. Employers look to recruit inquisitive, considered and well-prepared staff. Having good questions to ask demonstrates many skills.

Interview Coach: ‘Tell me about yourself’
What appears a harmless ice-breaker is a critical component of your interview. Your answer to “Tell me about yourself” is often the first spoken opportunity (think body language) to create a positive impression...and you know what they say about first impressions.

The Cover Letter Masterclass
The cover letter is the first opportunity you have to impress an employer, so best not treat it as a formality.

Is your personal profile helping or hindering your application?
A good personal profile helps an employer reading your CV to quickly grasp who you are, what you offer and what you are looking for. Many job-seekers omit this section but since some recruiters expect it, maximise your chances by including a short profile.

Vital Rules for Changing Career
Many are apprehensive when it comes to changing career but there is no doubt doing so can revitalise your life. Successful change comes from mature attitudes and just about anything is possible if you want it enough and are willing to do the work rather than rely on luck.

Interview Coach: ‘What do you know about us?’
An employer can grasp your experience by reading your CV. Getting a feel for your skills is a far tougher task. How many people do you think write in their personal profile “an excellent communicator” or “commercially astute” or “an eye for detail”? The truth is interviewers often don’t believe it until they see you in action.

Preparing for tests – why and how
It is common-place for many employers to use tests as a standard part of their selection process. Swamped with applicants, they want to find the best match between each person’s skills, abilities, aptitudes and personality and the demands of the job they are applying for. Taking time to practice, whether for a verbal, numerical or personality test, is a must.