How to Ensure a Recruiter Reads Your CV

How to Ensure a Recruiter Reads Your CV When preparing your CV, how much time do you spend thinking about the person who might end up reading it? How much time do you spend considering who you want that person to be and whether they will in fact bother to read it? As a recruiter I currently spend anywhere between 50% and 75% of my time resourcing for the “perfect” candidate. Most of that time is allocated for pre-screening candidates who look suitable on paper since this is the stage that leads to being able to present qualified candidates to the end employer. And so, when sifting through the CVs that I have received, I need to be as efficient as possible so as to maximise the time spent on that critical next stage. What this means in practice is that I reject (in other words delete) any CV that does not demonstrate what I feel is the minimum standard required for that candidate to be considered a serious jobseeker who is worthy of more than a cursory skim-read. As an independent local recruiter whose success relies completely on the trust that I have built up with my clients I cannot afford to take risks with the candidates I present. They become a reflection of my business. That is not to say that I do not consider candidates who may not have all of the skills and experience that I am looking for â€" on the contrary, having strong relationships with my clients allows me to convince them to sometimes overlook one or more of those prerequisites on the basis that the candidate makes up for it via their work ethic, approach, attitude, character, etc. But if you can’t even spell your last job title correctly, do you really expect me to become your ambassador and risk my professional reputation for you?! Not all about the CV Furthermore, it doesn’t just come down to a minimum standard of CV. Things like your geographic location and salary expectation need to be in the general ballpark of those specified on the job you are applying for. If you are taking the scattergun approach to your job search â€" emailing your CV to any and all jobs that you see posted that day â€" you risk alienating any recruiter that receives your application. And persistent offending means a high chance that, no matter how relevant your skills might be to another role that they are recruiting for, you have already been “deleted”. Minimum standard And so to my minimum standard for a CV that will at least be read. The following list is not exhaustive, and it is certainly only one person’s opinion, but it might be helpful the next time you are thinking about putting your resume together: Spelling:  correct spelling shows that a bare minimum of attention to detail has been paid. Use a spellchecker if necessary â€" that alone shows that you care about what you’re doing. Language:  make sure that your language is clear and concise, well-constructed and grammatically correct. Even where much of your CV will be written in bullet-point format you still need to demonstrate a basic awareness of sentence structure and ultimately make sure you are communicating your message in the best way possible. Contact Details:  I know it will probably sound unbelievable but I have seen so many CVs without any way of contacting the candidate. As well as this being, well, rather counter-productive given the purpose of one’s CV, it also shows further lack of attention to detail. Formatting:  use simple and clear formatting that means when a recruiter removes your contact details they don’t also have to start redoing your entire CV. When it comes to Font choose something contemporary like Calibri or Arial rather than Times Roman which can appear a little outdated. Finally, if you want to present your CV in pdf form you should also include a copy in Word so that your recruiter can make the aforementioned edits. CV arrangement My preference is as follows: Name Contact Details Profile: a summary of your core skills/experience (focusing on those skills that you particularly want to utilise in your next role) and what kind of role you are looking for/most suited for. Also talk about your “softer” skills to show what you are like as an employee â€" e.g. team player, energetic, focused, entrepreneurial â€" again focusing on those attributes that you want your next employer to notice and, more importantly, need! Employment History:  current/most recent first and including month and year for each job. Education Other Skills/Qualifications: if having other skills â€" e.g. languages, IT â€" is relevant to your job search include them here. Interests: only include things that you genuinely enjoy doing outside of work and, even better, things that enhance your overall desirability as a candidate â€" e.g. marathon runner (shows stamina and commitment), charity fundraiser/volunteer. Avoid anything that is too personal. Conclusion In conclusion it comes down to this: if you put very little thought into how you present yourself on paper and how relevant your application is to the job you have applied for, why should I as a busy recruiter put any time or consideration into helping you find ANY job, let alone the one you have applied for? Author: Liz Southwick is the Owner and Director of an independent recruitment agency and has been working in the recruitment arena for the last 12 years.  Her passion for people means that she cares about the result, not just the bottom line. She is passionate about getting recruitment right!

Optimizing your time University of Manchester Careers Blog

Optimizing your time University of Manchester Careers Blog It seems like yesterday that we were talking about New Year Career Resolutions and although it may be snowing outside its March already which means that nearly a quarter of the year has already passed (I know I couldn’t believe it either!) To help make sure the year doesnt pass you by I thought I’d give you a few tips on optimising your time when job hunting. Review what you have done so far What have you done so far this year to achieve your goals? What’s worked or hasn’t worked?  If you’re not getting interviews it might be worth getting your application reviewed using the Quick Query Service. If you’re getting interviews but not job offers booking a mock interview might be appropriate. Keep organised From personal experience I know it’s very difficult to keep track on all the applications you might be working on. Why not keep on top of them by marking all applications deadlines in your calendar and ticking them off as you get them in. This way there is less chance   a deadline will slip by. Plan each day or week To help keep yourself on track it’s important to plan what tasks you want to achieve in a day or week, be that submitting that application form or practicing for that psychometric test. By doing this you’ll be able to prioritise your workload. Don’t press delete Although you might be glad to see the back of some of them I recommend saving every application that you make, along with the job descriptions.   If you get invited to an interview you’ll need to remind yourself of what you said on your application and what skills the employer is looking for. Having this information saved and to hand will mean you can spend more time preparing for the big day.   Set up email alerts Searching for opportunities can be time consuming if only there was a way of getting tailored vacancy alerts right to your email. Well there is- You can set up vacancy alerts through Careerslink! Watch the finding Vacancies in Careerslink video to discover how. Sites such as jobs.ac.uk and TARGET jobs also enable you to set up email alerts. All Graduate job hunting

Increase your career confidence 5 top tips

Increase your career confidence â€" 5 top tips Many highly capable, intelligent (often) female students do not necessarily fulfil their potential, either as students or when they enter the graduate labour market. Students at top Universities represent the intellectual elite. However, it’s one thing to know this and  something else  to believe it. Lack of confidence can hold you back and can prevent you from: Making valuable contributions in seminars Asking questions and challenging opinions Applying for graduate jobs you feel you mightn’t get Putting yourself forward for positions of responsibility in clubs and societies Ultimately applying for promotional posts once in employment Gender stereotypes can be deeply ingrained and can make it difficult to overcome implicit family or peer beliefs such as: ‘I don’t deserve to be here and someone will find me out,’ otherwise known as Impostor Syndrome â€" a feeling commonly experienced by students.   Also perhaps ‘my deeds should speak for themselves without me needing to draw attention to them,’ the belief that being quietly diligent will ensure your work stands out without you having to.These beliefs are unlikely to help you make the most of your university experience. So- what can you do to prevent such self-limiting beliefs from holding you back? 1. Know yourself Self-awareness is key. Many of us don’t spend time reflecting on what’s truly important to us. By having a clearer understanding of our values, motivations, qualities and preference, it becomes easier to identify what matters to us and how to prioritise what we really want, rather than what is expected of us. There are a number of self-awareness resources on our webpages designed to help you do this, where you can assess your skills, values and preferences. 2. Be yourself Success is not about becoming an extrovert if you are a naturally quiet person. If you are an introvert by nature, consider instead how you can harness your unique strengths and preferences in order to succeed. When your thoughts, feelings, behaviours and values are aligned, you will feel comfortable with yourself and the decisions you make. Your friends will appreciate you more as they will experience the ‘real’ you. You will become more confident, more assertive- able to say ‘no’ to things you don’t want to do and more honest with yourself and others. The authentic you will command more respect and over time your confidence will grow. You can complete a free online Strengths profile by registering with   Jobmi.com  and selecting ‘your abilities and fit’ Everyone has a sweet spot of combined strengths. When you discover and own yours you will see the world differently and, crucially, the world will see you differently. Self-knowledge + Ownership = Influence. Clare Mcnamara, Global Executive and Team Coach 3. Be brave The emotional, as opposed to the thinking part of our brain is hard-wired to keep us safe -so anything we perceive as risky will automatically generate a chemical ‘fight/flight’ response. It takes mental courage to decide to push past these feelings when our hearts are racing and our instincts  are to avoid a scary situation. When you know what you want and why you want it, however, you will be more inclined to take risks and to step out of your comfort zone and ‘have a go.’ You will have less need for others’ approval and you’ll automatically develop in confidence. As you become more used to pushing through  your fear you will become better at this. You’ll recognise your body’s automatic response, pause, breathe and press on. We need to step out of our comfort zones in order to learn and grow. We learn through failure not success. Over time, we become better at speaking up in seminars, applying for jobs and challenging others’ opinions. Despite the fear we may feel as we step outside our comfort zone, the fact that we survive the experience can make us more inclined to   stretch that bit further next time. Without discomfort there can be no learning. Brenee Brown, ‘Daring Greatly.’ 4. ‘Just do it’ (Nike) It’s very easy to procrastinate on making decisions and come up with a dozen reasons why you  shouldn’t do something. You might be waiting for the perfect job to appear before you apply. Perfect jobs are rare. However plenty of jobs that would be a pretty good match, do exist. Many graduates won’t stay in their first jobs for more than a couple of years- just attend any talk to hear from Warwick alumni as their stories will support this. Often the best we can hope for is a job that broadly feels right. From there we can navigate to something more suitable. There is much to be gained from doing a job that’s wrong for you as this will swiftly help you decide  what you do need from a job  for it to be  more fulfilling. 5. Be open to opportunities When your inclination is to stay away from something unfamiliar or scary- try saying ‘yes’ and push through the resistance you feel.   Saying ‘yes’ can open up some amazing doors and opportunities. Once you step beyond your comfort zone and succeed you will find you gradually build your confidence and then become willing to take  bigger steps until stretching out of your comfort zone becomes the new normal. Confidence is all about your state of mind and self- belief.   If you have a can doattitude, think about the positives and believe that you are good enough, then with each step you take you will grow in confidence.   Self -doubt can be destructive and hold you back.   Its okay to be nervous about putting yourself forward but once you have taken that initial step, you will feel a huge sense of achievement. Sandra Garlick, Business Consultant at ‘Women Who…’ Watch our videos for further help. Useful further reading: ‘Presence â€" Bringing your Boldest Self to your Biggest Challenges’   Amy Cuddy ‘The Confidence Code The Science and Art of Self-Assurance- What Women Should Know’ â€"Katty Kay and Claire Shipman ‘The Chimp Paradox’       Dr Steve Peters ‘Quiet â€" The power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking’- Susan Cain

Personal Brands I Heart You - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Brands I Heart You - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career In case no one else had time to tell you on Sunday, I love you. That’s it. That’s the whole message. Can you imagine if you felt loved everyday when you go to work? Think of what it would be like to know that pretty much EVERYONE loved you? That your clients loved you? That your vendors loved you? That your boss or investors loved you? Can you imagine if you didn’t have to be paranoid about the double talk, the stalls, the lies, the back-stabbing, the infighting, the turf wars and the rest of life’s ridiculous, draining and energy-robbing moments? I am pretty much lucky at work. People who are excited, passionate, good at what they do and strive to do more seem to gravitate my way. I outright love some of my clients. I had an author fly in to Palm Desert, California from icy cold Massachusetts last week. I drove two hours to have dinner with him and his wife. I don’t think we solved world conflict or did more than talk about our families.  Every moment was a joy. A hug fest. I had another author fly in from Ohio to the TED conference last week. I drove more than an hour in rush hour traffic to meet him in Long Beach for dinner. He was filled with interesting news about the conference and excited about his upcoming speeches.   It was joyful noise at our table. Another hug and kiss exchanged with real affection and respect. And, I had a great Valentine’s evening with five close friends at a very delicious and perhaps the most expensive restaurant I’d ever been in. One gal offered to pay half of the whole bill just to make it easier on the rest of us. But no one accepted, and everyone chipped in. Just one day I wish these were all the moments of my day and night. I wish they were for you, too, They aren’t. We’re lucky if half the time we feel what we do is respected, much less cherished. A lot of the time, and I don’t know why, there’s a crushing amount of insult and injury being slung, almost incomprehensively harsh ill will in business. Here’s what I do understand. I have settled on part of my personal brand being “encouraging of others,” despite the maddening crowds. I let my feelings border on love some of the time. I know it’s a risk to have faith in others if you’re in business or just in life. Mother Teresa says to realize the worst can happen but love, befriend, and extend yourself anyway. Ask yourself if your personal brand could stand some humanizing. Is it appropriate for you to add kindness and generosity to your ambition? Who should you say: “I heart you,” today? Author: Nance Rosen is the author of Speak Up! Succeed. She speaks to business audiences around the world and is a resource for press, including print, broadcast and online journalists and bloggers covering social media and careers. Read more at NanceRosenBlog. Twitter name: nancerosen.

Tips For Writing A Great Resume - The Army Airfield

Tips For Writing A Great Resume - The Army AirfieldIn order to get a job with the army, it helps to have a great resume. Because of the fact that the military is a big place and not all jobs will accept resumes. You should do your best to prepare yourself for getting a job when applying to work in the military.It is always good to make yourself unique because there are many people who are in the military. There are going to be different jobs available as well as different levels of people. What is going to work best for you is going to depend on what type of job you want to get. For example, if you want to go to medical school, then you need to make sure that you have the education and the experience needed to do so.To start a military career, you need to know what type of job that you want to get. When you think about it, all jobs can be classified into two major categories. These two types are what the military is looking for and what they don't want. In order to get a job with the army, you need to know what you want to do before you even think about writing a resume.When applying for jobs in the military, it helps to know what you want to do. If you do not know, then the best thing to do is to find out and then ask for information on the type of job that you would like to get. Some jobs can only be done with certain qualifications.If you are trying to get a job with the military and you are not interested in being a medic, then you should know this is something that the military does not want. They do not want someone that is good at medicine, but has not completed high school. If you have a degree, they will still consider you, but they won't hire you unless you also have other skills that they need. Your skills and the abilities that you have been the main factors in getting a job. The more you know about the job, the better chance you have of getting a job that you are interested in. If you know how the job is going to be done, you will have more knowled ge on what your skills are and which skills to use.Resume writing is not the same as writing a paper. If you do not know what to write, then your resume will not work either. There are going to be questions on every page and these questions must be answered correctly. This is the only way that your resume will be used.Your resume is your chance to show what you can do. Your potential employer wants to know what you can do and how well you do it. You need to give them an idea of what type of job you can get. By doing this, they can decide if you are right for the job or not.

Book review Tyranny of the moment - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Book review Tyranny of the moment - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Subtitled Fast and slow time in the information age, this book by norwegian Thomas Hylland Eriksen details the struggle between two kinds of experiences. Fast time is when youre doing 10 things at the same time. Youre talking on the phone while reading email, listening to the radio and half-following another conversation in the room. Slow time is when you focus on one thing only. You take time to cook a nice meal, to play with your child or to do nothing. Eriksen argues that the information age is geared almost exclusively towards fast time and that consequently we have to make slow time for ourselves. Eriksen also argues that in any contest between fast time and slow time, fast time will win, because it is immediately gratifying and (not least) addictive. The book contains a fine overview of the changes were seeing as society moves further into the information age. There are many fine examples and parallels and a some nice introduction to the main technologies that are driving these changes, such as writing, clocks, money and even sheet music. To me, the issue of fast vs. slow time comes down to awareness. Fast time pulls you out of yourself. Youre attention is spread among so many things that youre not focused on what goes on inside yourself. This is not necessarily good or bad, its just a nice thing to be aware of. Slow time on the other hand, is taken up with experiences of a nature that allow you to still feel yourself. Taking a walk in nature, meditating, playing. Many people, when faced with stretches of slow time, run away screaming :o) Or at least fill that time up with countless distractions (chief among these is TV, of course). You see: Slow time can be frightening. Suddenly all kinds of thoughts and questions may pop into your head many of which have no easy resolutions and answers. Once you sit down to do one thing (or nothing), you may suddenly notice an enormous restlessness that can be quite frustrating. Of course, I once heard a clever guy saying that that restlessness was there all along. Its just that its only when you stop doing 10 things at once that you notice it :o) I can only speak for myself and say that I need both fast and slow time in my life. Fast time is fun, exhilarating, energizing and challenging. And then slow time gives me peace, rest and perspective. And many of my best ideas seem to grow out of slow time. So we need both, and increasingly, we need the ability to shift between them. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

10 Steps You Should Have Taken When You Were First Laid Off

10 Steps You Should Have Taken When You Were First Laid Off If youve been laid off, these are the steps you should take immediately! Dont wait. Theres probably a range of emotions youve been feeling. Thats normal. But I dont want you to get stuck in any of those emotions or let them get in the way of what you need to do. These are rules and reminders I hope you will remember. 10 Steps To Take After Being Laid Off If I sound mean or pushy, it is because I deeply care.   Being out of work is emotionally painful, not just for you, but for everyone who cares about you. document.createElement('video'); https://careersherpa.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/9-Things-After-Layoff.mp4 This is what you should have heard me say when you were first laid off, but didnt, so I am going to say it again: Dont keep your job search a secret!   Tell everyone and be clear about what you are looking for. Pursue every lead and referral with the inquisitive eyes of a toddler. Stop playing on the job boards (so much).   Theyll zap your zeal. Nurture relationships past and future. (Yes, it is called networking) Cast a wide net, look at and pursue opportunities that are different, yet possibly acceptable Consider relocation today, not 3 months from today.   This means actively pursuing and interviewing for jobs outside your city, NOW! Juggle more balls than you think you can handle.   Job search is about multi-tasking. Get out of your house and volunteer.   You never know what might happen or who you might meet. Take care of yourself mentally, physically and spiritually. This will take longer than you want, so cut all discretionary spending immediately. One last reminder There is  a strange and predictable  phenomenon job seekers go through. They get a lead or a land a job interview early in the process and stop all other activities, or at least get their hopes up and pay less attention to the other things they should be doing. This is like watching a train wreck in slow motion.   Run. Run, I feel like screaming.   Dont stop looking! In fact, I hope you never stop looking for your next great job!