We recently gave some advice on how to impress at an interview if you don’t have much experience. In this article we are going to take a step back and explore how to get a recruiter to call you, how to get access to the best jobs and how to make sure you get selected for an interview!
How many times have you applied to a role and never heard back from the agency, or worse, applied to multiple roles, never to know what has happened to your application! It is fiercely competitive out there at the moment, especially for entry level job seekers, here are our top tips to getting noticed by a recruiter…
- Only apply to relevant jobs! It may seem wise to just apply to as many jobs as possible, but this could be putting a recruiter off from getting in touch. Only apply to roles you genuinely think you are right for, read the advert thoroughly to make sure the role is a match and you have at least some of the skills or attributes they are asking for. You don’t want that continual application to put the recruiter off even reading your CV properly! It is better to make less applicants but to go further with them using the steps below, then just to apply to hundreds of job adverts, and this will be much less demoralising for you as well!
- Adapt your CV for the role you are applying to. In the advert there should be a “wish list” section, compare that to your skills, experience and characteristics and make sure your CV matches the requirements of the role, whilst always being honest! It is about re framing your experience to match the spec. You could even highlight the parts of importance to make them stand out.
- Make a note of the Recruitment agency, and the consultant and connect on LinkedIn. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and you are networking online, commenting on relevant articles and following companies or people within your desired field. Active social networking when job hunting is crucial to success.
- E mail the recruiter, make the e mail friendly and brief, highlighting that you have sent your CV in for the role online and write a few bullet points as to why you think you are right for this position. 4 bullet points for an entry level role is enough! Short and sweet should do the trick to get the recruiters attention.
- Call the agency and relevant consultant. If you have the confidence to, then this is a good step, especially when applying for a role that doesn’t require much experience or any qualifications. This call will show your initiative and you can also use this as an opportunity to get your personality, motivation and drive across! You can not sense motivation levels from a CV, this is a chance for you to let that shine!
- Have references ready to send. For every application, when you follow up with the agency over email attach your references! These can be from work experience, even from education or a good character reference. Sending a reference can really help make your application stand out amongst all the others, especially if it highlights your strengths and these match the role you are applying for.
- Set timelines with the recruiter for contact, be reliable and stick to them. If requested, send in your documents within the allotted timeframes. This alone can make you stand out from the crowd and will show the agency you are reliable to put forward to a role.
- Be open to temp work! If you are not working, taking a temporary assignment can actually help your permanent job search. A temp role can help you gain valuable experience, help reduce gaps on your CV and also increase your professional network. Many temporary workers get offered permanent roles if you perform well in the temporary assignment. Aside from these points, you will be getting paid, and also if you demonstrate reliability during the temporary assignment, I can assure you that the agency will prioritise you as a candidate for any future positions they take on. It’s a wining situation all round!
- If all else fails, don’t be afraid to apply directly for new roles. Hiring Managers, MDs of companies and HR Managers are easy to find on LinkedIn, connect and e mail your CV directly, with your references and those bullet points highlighting why you should be given a chance. Again, this will demonstrate your initiative and motivation and many organisations would relish the opportunity to take on someone without the use of an agency.
- Finally, don’t give up! Just because one agency ignores you doesn’t mean the next will, just because you get knocked back from one job, doesn’t mean the right role isn’t out there for you. Don’t give up, use this targeted approach rather than a scatter gun approach to your job search and we are sure the results will be fruitful.
Good luck!