Top ten job search recommendations
The recruitment process starts from the moment you submit your CV. Whoever receives it at the other end, that is your first impression.
In the last few weeks I have taken the foot off the pedal a bit (a slap with the Covid stick helped me) and I’ve had time to think. And one thing I have learned, is I am really angry. And I was never an angry person so I am taking steps to manage that as I have learnt that venting that anger the way I am is not good, for example going into Twitter jail for my political views….not good! So, I do not want to write an angry post, I want to be positive and I want to be helpful to people who need. People who are applying for work.
And here are the top ten mistakes I witness pretty much every week.
1) CVs with no contact details on. Enough said on that one.
2) CVs with spelling mistakes on. And this is easily done as CV’s seem to get fancier and are not always in a Word format that picks up mistakes. Please double check your CV before you submit it.
3) Make sure it is the right CV and not just a copy of a letter you have applied for another job as I get so many letters addressed to other people for jobs I am not recruiting.
4) People answering the phone in a rude manner. If you cannot answer the phone, you do not have to. Make sure you have a decent voice message or have a standard one, listen and call back when you can. Do not put pressure on yourself in your current job, when you speak to the person recruiting, you want to be your best self so just plan that first call.
5) If you arrange to chat to the Hiring Manager or Recruiter at an agreed time. Turn up! And if you cannot turn up, leave a message or send an email. It takes 30 seconds.
6) Be proactive and call. Do not sit behind an email, make a connection with that person as in this competitive market, it will really help you stand out from the crowd.
7) Show enthusiasm. Usually, a job description asks for someone to be “proactive, great communication skills and driven”. Show these throughout the process.
8) No bullshit. Life is tough at the moment and as long as you communicate, people will understand. If you cannot make an interview because you have got Covid, let people know. If you are having a wobble about the process, talk to the recruiter as they will help you. If they do not want to know, talk to a friend or colleague. Showing nerves is a good sign, it means you care. Just do not be the person who does not turn up to a Zoom call or an agreed meeting / interview. Peoples time is really valuable and quite simply, it is rude if you do not respect that.
9) If you have met with the Hiring Manager and or HR and thought it went really well, and you want to say thank you afterwards, do. Email them and thank them for their time.
10) Be yourself. Because life is tiring at the moment and being anyone other than yourself just sounds too much like hard work. But be mindful that at times you might need to turn your true authentic self up a little bit throughout the process. And that is OK to do that. It is not faking it; it is merely rising to the occasion.
Hope this helps in this crazy old world and if you want to explore working together to get you interview and career ready, please do get in touch.
Tel: 0115 972 6513
www.jorichardsoncoaching.co.uk