Finding a Job can be very daunting, it may seem at times that you are not making any headway and you may be correct! There are a couple of key things that must be done by you, the jobseeker, to ensure the process is efficient and effective.
Pre-Start -
1. Before you start the process be sure what job it is that you would like to do, and if you are not sure, then seek career guidance to help you answer this very important and fundamental question. Your working career is a huge part of your life and at the very least you should be working at something you enjoy.
2. If after career guidance you realise a career change is afoot, do make sure you have the skill set to enable you to make the transition. This may involve upskilling both practically and academically. If you find that upskilling on the academic side is a must, why not in parallel approach a suitable company in your new chosen field and offer your services to them for free. You could possibly do so at the weekend which will mean that you are gaining experience both academically and practically at the same time. It will make things happen much more fluidly for you. I never said it was going to be easy!
Let the games begin -
3. Don’t apply for jobs that don’t match your skill set. If you don’t have the required experience which is detailed in the job spec of the role you are applying to, you are wasting your time. Recruiters will scan through and measure your CV against the job you have applied for, if you don’t match you won’t proceed, its unfortunately that simple.
4. I see in a lot of unsuitable applications with the following comment “I am a quick learner, if given a chance I am sure I will make it work.” Although this may be true, it is in the majority of cases ignored and seen as a sign of desperation and has no impact at all on the success of your application. You must remember that time is ticking for recruiters who have been given a very clear brief for the role by their client, and submitting an unsuitable candidate who does not have the required experience is not going to happen. Stop wasting time here.
5. Ensure your CV is professional and in a format that is pleasing to the eye. Ensure there are no grammatical or spelling mistakes and that the entirety of your experience is included and there are no gaps. Don’t cut and paste information from one part of your CV to the next as it portrays taking the easy way out. Try to have your CV on 2-3 pages max, any more than this and you will bore the life out of the reader and run the risk of frustrating them. Also, do make sure your email address is a professional one, I have seen so many CV’s come from email addresses that would make you cringe.
6. Don’t apply for every position available on the internet, this is a big mistake. Unfortunately, many Jobseekers blitz the market with the same CV and they upload to recruitment companies, jobs boards and apply for 100’s of positions and have no success. Why? Ask yourself, what the chances of your current CV matching a job on the web without modification, the answer is slim to none.
7. Choose the job you want and strategically apply for it. This means tailoring your CV to suit, it does not mean fluff your CV and lie. It means make sure that your CV clearly indicates why you are suitable for the role. In your work history section, give examples of how you have carried out the tasks they have identified in the job spec as important.
8. Do make sure you choose your recruitment company wisely and ensure they are experts in your chosen field. This will ensure they have a broad network of suitable companies that may be interested in your profile, thus increasing your chances of placement. Build up a relationship with the recruiter you feel is most proactive and talk to them, they may not get you placed today but when you stay close without stalking them of course, it means that your profile stays to the forefront of their mind should a suitable position arise. Do also tell them that it is not acceptable to carpet bomb the market with your CV or send it to a client without your prior consent.
9. Do apply to companies directly also, remember there is a fee for clients associated with the recruitment process and they may well welcome an application outside of the process to reduce cost. But remember, make sure the CV goes to the hiring manager, if not you run the risk of your application ending up in the pile of junk mail or worse, the bin.
10. Network, Network, Network, use every social media platform known to man - LinkedIn, Xing, Twitter, Facebook etc. These are super tools for the job seeker to find contacts to help him/her secure that new position, but also attend seminars, breakfast meetings and expos.
If you would like to know more about any of these points in more detail, contact me direct or visit us at www.elkrecruitment.com
Elk Recruitment ‘Connecting Success’
Happy Hunting!