Improve your “Recruiter Experience”. Whether you’re Generation X, Y or Z, get yourself noticed and learn how to get more of an “A” grade outcome.
I’m not saying that Recruiters are beyond reproach.
We live in an imperfect world and this absolutely includes the recruitment industry. So to be clear from the out-set, this is not written to exonerate recruiters. During 20 years of experience, I’m the first to put my hand up and say that I haven’t always got it right. However, I and my team at Carnegie try our very best to make the experience as straightforward, value-add and honest as possible. Sometimes ’honesty’ is hard to hear.
You can do more.
In the digital age, access to opportunities is at the ‘push of a button’ easy. 20 years ago the application process was far more labour intensive. However, the time spent to formally write and post a cover letter / CV to the specific consultant did highlight the candidates who had taken the time to properly understand and consider the requirement. It also encouraged the interested party to pick up the telephone and follow-up on their application, as they didn’t want their hard work to go to waste.
Understand the reality. Look to build a relationship.
What many don’t appreciate is that their application may be one of hundreds. Also, the role may be one of five to ten live vacancies that the recruiter is working on at that time. Your goal, therefore, has to be to grab that consultant’s attention and build a relationship above and beyond the generic blandness of a CV.
Put in the effort. Make yourself impossible to ignore.
I have a senior client contact (who is actually an ex recruitment consultant), who uses the phrase “self-selection” to describe employees who genuinely make the most of their career opportunities. This should also relate to candidates who are searching for that entry point into a business. Make yourself stand-out from the competition. Make it impossible for a recruiter to ignore you. If you treat ‘getting a new job’ as ‘your job’ then you will be more likely to get it right. Understand that the employment market is highly competitive and you need to a recruiter to want to work with you. I often describe the CV as the “quantitative” side of a candidate, and, the “who you are” (your career aspirations / motivators – effectively your unique “story”) as the “qualitative” side. Make recruiters understand what makes “you”, “YOU”. I have found jobs for numerous candidates whose CVs would have been easy to ignore, but, through their proactive, humble and professional approach made themselves impossible to overlook.
Imagine you’re the audience of “you”. Avoid getting it wrong.
Perception is reality. Avoid coming across as Lazy. Applying to multiple and varied roles will not go unnoticed and suggests that you are not actually reviewing the requirements in the adverts. Attitude is also crucial. Searching for as role is a laborious and frustrating process but try not to let previous experiences with companies or recruiters affect your future interactions.
Finally…
Write a good CV. I have seen plenty of good ones and bad ones. Bad ones are poorly written, a mess visually, have grammatical / spelling errors, and, add to the general perception of laziness and a lack of commerciality. Your CV is your “shop window” moment. Seize it!
