Job hunting is often described as a full-time job in itself; so it’s no surprise that it can sometimes become challenging and stressful – especially when you are not achieving the results you want. We often make changes to process and work-methods to become more efficient in our days jobs; so the same approach can be taken when looking to become a more effective job seeker. Here are six simple changes you can make to streamline your job hunt and quickly land more interviews.
1. Tailor your CV for every application:
Although you are likely to be applying for numerous similar jobs throughout your job hunt, it just not good enough to fire off the same CV for every job application in a bid to send out as many CV’s as possible. In the employment game; quality is certainly more important than quantity, so spend some time ensuring that your CV meets the job requirements for each role. If you have the necessary skills mentioned in the job advert but they are hidden at the bottom of your CV; nobody will see them. You need to prioritise your own skills in line with what the job advert is asking for so move the most important skills to the top of your CV to make sure the recruiter can instantly see that you are a good fit for the job. Conversely, if you have a lot of experience in an area that isn’t being asked for in the job advert, then you may want to play it down a bit in the CV to avoid looking unsuitable.
2. Mix up your job search terms:
Industry terminology and jargon is constantly changing, which means that in the modern job market there can often be dozens of terms to describe one type of job. For example a Salesman could just as easily call himself a Business Development Officer or a Sales Executive, but still be performing the same role. So remember this when searching job websites; be creative and use a few different job titles to increase the number of suitable roles you find. If you struggle to find variations of your preferred job title; have a browse through your connections on LinkedIn and see what titles they are using, as well as checking out industry publications and blogs online.
3. Introduce yourself properly:
Job hunting can sometimes become a little tiresome but try not to get sloppy when sending applications. The first hurdle to overcome is ensuring that the recruiter opens your CV, which won’t always happen unless you give them a reason to do so. Use a short, professional introduction that gives a brief explanation of your suitability for the role and make sure you triple check it for spelling and grammatical errors – nothing will get your application deleted quicker than an introduction littered with errors. Add a personal touch too; remember you are addressing a person, not a machine. Address the recruiter by name (it will usually be on the job advert) and open with a simple, friendly line such as “hope you’re well”.
4. Use multiple job websites:
After a few weeks of job hunting, it’s easy to slip into a routine where you find yourself circling the same one or two web sites repeatedly and seeing the same vacancies over and over again. The more job web sites you search, the more vacancies you gain exposure to; so therefore you increase your chances of landing an interview. Use as many of the mainstream generic sites as you can find as they have a very high volume of jobs advertised and tend to attract a lot of the big well-known brands. However don’t forget to search out some of the lesser-known industry specific sites as they tend to attract some of the smaller niche firms and you will often be able to side step the competition in to some lesser known vacancies.
5. Chase up applications:
All too often job seekers will pour tons of time and effort into finding and applying for a dream job; only to forget all about it days later. If you don’t get an instant response from a job application, don’t give up. Just because you don’t receive an instant call back, doesn’t necessarily mean that you are not suitable for the role. Your CV will often be sitting an inbox amongst dozens of other similar candidate CV’s; so if you don’t hear back for a few days – a quick call to the recruiter can be exactly what’s needed to put you ahead of the competition. A quick chaser call will not only draw instant attention to your CV, but will also give you a chance to build a rapport with the recruiter and sell yourself into interview stage.
6. Use LinkedIn (properly):
With thousands of recruiters and hiring managers logging on to LinkedIn every day, it’s an absolute must for modern day job seekers. However you can’t just create your profile, sit back and wait for the job offers to flood in. If you want to make LinkedIn work for you, you need to stay active on it and build your professional network. Reach out to recruiters and industry peers to introduce yourself and explain what you have to offer them – they will not always have immediate vacancies for you, but it’s good to be on their radars for when opportunities arise. You can also keep up to date with what’s happening in your industry via your connection’s posts and participating in professional group discussions.
Author: Andrew Fennell is an experienced recruiter and Director of Professional CV Writing Company StandOutCV.
