Many successful clients who become unemployed don’t realise how long it can take to secure a new role. Despite indicators the job market is improving, redundancies and unemployment continue to dominate news.
Regardless of your background, or previous success, if you’re unemployed, you can feel a little lost, anxious or lacking in confidence. Even if you chose the period of unemployment by leaving a previous role voluntarily, it can still be difficult. Despite this, there are ways to feel better. Whether you’ve been searching for a new role for a while or just taking a planned break, there are many things you could be doing to boost your chances to secure that next role.
Stick to a schedule: While it might be tempting to sleep in every day and while away the days reading a new book or catching up on your favourite TV series, it’s best to treat Monday to Friday like a working week. Get up at a reasonable hour, dress like you’re leaving the house (even if you don’t), and aim to complete some job search tasks every day. By all means take some time out, but sticking to a schedule is a great way to introduce some positive new habits like regular exercise or a healthier eating regime; or tend to those activities that you never had time for while working full time.
Consider your future. Take this opportunity to really think about whether you are in the right career. Research your market and decide if it’s in good shape. Think about whether you could undertake study or work towards diversifying your skills to move into another area.
Prepare yourself: Think about what your perfect job looks like. Research job sites and the careers sections on individual company’s websites. Meet with recruitment companies and revamp your resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile or enlist a professional to prepare a resume and cover letter for you. Develop a job search strategy and start submitting applications.
Think positively: When faced with challenges, we can be prone to negativity. Accept it may be a challenging period and this is a natural emotion, then try to encourage positivity by engaging in activities that help you think clearly and optimistically.
Volunteer: This is an excellent way to use your extra time while helping to feel valued and more confident. It can also provide opportunities to gain valuable experience and contacts if you volunteer in an area related to your job qualifications. At the very least it will look great on your Resume since it shows initiative.
Consider Contract Work: Another way to fill time between full time employment, is to find temporary work through an agency or previous work contact. Not only that, it can help you find a full time role by exposing you to new areas, helping you develop new skills, increasing your contact network, or even as a result of the temp role turning into a full time opportunity.
Network. The more people you talk to, the better. If you’re not on LinkedIn, now is a great time to create a profile. Invite colleagues to connect and let them know you are seeking new opportunities.
Complete a course: Decide on any certifications or courses that would contribute to your employability. Don’t forget to check out free online courses if you’re not in a position to commit to paid courses. Again, at the very least, it will help you stay busy and focused on something worthwhile, while hopefully helping to develop some new relevant job skills.
Get your finances in order. Depending on your financial situation, you may need to seek financial advice or talk to your bank about loans. Do this quickly, so you have one less thing to worry about.
Seek professional help. Career Consultants provide independent advice and up-to-date information on current job markets. They can help with career transition by advising how to position yourself in the market, identify job opportunities and present yourself effectively to employers. They’ll also help boost confidence and ease some of the anxiety.
There are many things you can do to keep yourself busy, improve your skills and aid your job search. Don’t forget to take some time out to treat yourself now and then and use the time off to attend to personal tasks or home projects that you often put off because you’re too busy.
While it is fantastic to aim high, applying for jobs you’re simply not qualified for can be counter-productive. At the moment, competition for roles seems so intense that often highly qualified candidates aren’t even getting interviews. If you would like to change careers or move into an entirely different area, it can be difficult to overcome the barrier that you have no experience. In this article, we explore some strategies for success.
It’s the old catch 22 situation – how to get a job without experience when you can’t get experience without a job. The easiest way to overcome this issue is to gain the experience you need – easier said than done huh? This problem doesn’t just affect recent graduates, it also affects immigrants, people who are changing careers, and those trying to re-enter the workforce after a period off. Most job ads specify some kind of experience required – even for entry level positions – so how can you get around this?
Volunteer: the best way to gain experience is through volunteering or internships (paid or unpaid), which is especially so if your career area is very competitive. Often companies offering internships will employ people that show promise at the end of their term since they know what you have to offer and you’ve proven yourself during the period you’ve worked there. Even if you have to work for free, it is important to dedicate this time even if it doesn’t result in a job offer, because now you have some experience that you can add to your resume.
Network: one of the best ways to get a job with no experience is through your networks. Try to network with people that you’d like to work for, and at local community, or relevant industry events. You may not land your dream job because of your networking, but it may help you get an interview or introduction that you wouldn’t have otherwise.
Identifytransferrableskills: it can be a challenge when you don’t have the ‘listed experience required’ but here’s where you need to think outside the square. Think about all your transferrable skills and demonstrate to the employer why they matter. You need to convince them that you’d be an asset in the role. List all the skills that might be valuable in the role you’re aiming for. Think about skills you’ve gained working in part time roles during school or university, while studying, in volunteer roles, and even during times you helped family or friends. Think about communication like writing, training people, preparing and facilitating presentations; computer skills such as proficiency with a variety of applications or operating systems (Windows / Mac), typing speed, blogging experience, digital content management, graphic design, use of spreadsheets, database skills etc.; as well as other skills such as problem solving; research and analysis; numerical; creativity etc.
Articulate your achievements: show the employer how valuable you are by listing all your achievements. Even in part time completely unrelated roles, you can identify things that you achieved to demonstrate your work ethic and dedication. Volunteer work will help here because you can show relevant achievements, but importantly you’re also demonstrating passion. Don’t forget formal awards such as an employee of the month or academic awards received. Even high school competitions can be included if the results were good and you’re a recent school leaver.
Showcase your work: if it’s a creative field you’re trying to break into, you could create a portfolio. As a writer you could start a blog or write some sample articles or content. As a graphic designer, you could create some designs to show potential employers. As a service provider, you could volunteer your services for free for family or friends and document the process and eventual outcome to include in your portfolio.
Revamp your resume: traditional resumes are written in chronological order with your most recent role first. If you don’t have a lot of work experience, this can be tricky – so you could consider a functional format. A functional resume focuses on skills which requires identifying and articulating those transferrable skills in order to demonstrate your capability.
Do whatever you can to get an interview and once there, nail it. Companies really value cultural fit these days so show the employer what you have to offer – make up for your lack of experience with passion and commitment. If the recruiter likes you and sees how hard you’ve worked to get there, your experience (or lack of) might just become a little less relevant.
Are you struggling to demonstrate how you can add value in roles where you have very little experience? Would you like help maximising your experience and qualifications to give yourself a better chance at your dream job? If so, please see our Resume, Cover Letter and Selection Criteria Writing services.
Are you feeling overwhelmed or indifferent? From one end of the scale to the other, the reality of our working life is that we change as time goes by. While we might be perfect for a job today, that may not always be the case. Most experts agree that we need some major change every seven years or so in order to stay fulfilled and valuable throughout our careers.
The concept of an employee lifecycle is not new – HR departments have used variations of a cycle for many years to define the stages employees move through in an organisation. In its most simplistic form, the lifecycle might look something like this: Recruitment -> On boarding -> Training, Motivation & Engagement -> Performance Management -> Resignation & Termination.
But looking at the same concept from an employee’s point of view gives us a different picture. According to this concept, individuals need major change every seven years or so in order to achieve satisfaction in their careers.
Most people know the feeling of starting a new job – it can be overwhelming, but it’s usually exciting. In your first year or so you’ll hopefully go from feeling overwhelmed to feeling challenged and stretched but thoroughly enjoying the experience. You move through that stage to a place where you’re confident that you can do the job and much of it may become second nature. You’re still enjoying the work but perhaps it isn’t as challenging or difficult as it was previously. As employees, we need to make sure we continue to achieve a good balance of challenge in our day to day work – and the only way to achieve this consistently is with change.
Boredom can strike anybody at any time, from the most junior to the most senior person – it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with workload but is usually more about how challenging or meaningful the individual finds their work. Depending on your role and the company you work for, boredom may strike in more or less than seven years. Research indicates that the more we are challenged on a daily basis, the more productive and happier we will be. But when you’ve mastered the job, and reached that inevitable point of ‘smooth sailing’ how can you make sure you’re consistently challenging yourself to avoid becoming bored and indifferent? Try the following strategies to help:
Volunteer for additional work – offer to help another team or department during a busy period; or get involved in projects that others may be working on.
Learn something new – enrol in some training or offer to work in another team where you have the opportunity to become proficient in new areas.
Develop and implement new ways of doing things – implement strategies or processes to automate routine or mundane tasks to achieve time, efficiency and accuracy gains.
Do more of what you like – developing processes to automate routine tasks will help in this area since you’ll free up time so you can take on more of the work you enjoy.
Set challenging goals and deadlines for yourself – try to complete projects or tasks faster but with the same quality and/or accuracy, or spend more time researching a project or writing a report than you would have in the past – do whatever you can to improve your performance or work outcomes.
Ask for more challenging work – tell your superior that you’d like to work on some more challenging areas – show them how you’re achieving your current role with success, quality and accuracy so they have confidence in your ability to extend.
Staying challenged at work is essential to your professional development and job satisfaction. Use the strategies above to help you perform better, learn new skills, and ultimately advance your career. Staying challenged helps relieve boredom and keeps you engaged and motivated for longer.
Many people are still not convinced of the value of LinkedIn. With Australia now boasting almost 100% penetration of use amongst professionals, now is the time for those standing back to take the plunge. With almost every professional in Australia on LinkedIn, your career will certainly suffer if you continue to ignore it. This article provides quick tips to improve your profile.
For anyone in business whether you’re an employee, small or other business owner, you need to have a LinkedIn profile. There are so many benefits – the main ones focusing on the career opportunities and professional networks that LinkedIn offers. Even at a graduate level, employers are using LinkedIn to find viable candidates. If you already have a profile, there are many very quick tweaks you can make which will improve your overall presence. Many of these tips take less than five minutes to implement but they will make all the difference to your profile. Try them today:
1. Customise your headline: your professional headline automatically defaults to your most recent (or current) job title. Change this simply by clicking the edit button next to the headline. Editing your headline is a great way to brand yourself while adding relevant keywords to your profile. You have 120 characters so make the most of them. Decide what you want to be known for and make this your professional headline.
2. Upload a photo: according to research, a photo makes your profile 7 – 14 times more likely to be viewed. It is the first thing people see when they are browsing, and if you don’t upload your image, the standard generic outline of a head won’t create a lasting impression! A professional shot is great, but not essential – just don’t use a cropped out photo from a social situation or an obvious ‘selfie’. Get someone to take a clear head and shoulders photo against a white or plain background – look professional and smile!
3. Write a summary: it contributes to your LinkedIn ranking and is also one of the first things people read. Create a clear picture of you and ‘your brand’. Look forward by describing your background, experience and skills in a way that highlights your potential for the types of roles you’d like to achieve in the future.
4. Add skills: again these help build your brand and improve your ranking – select skills that already exist in LinkedIn’s database by starting to type a skill – then LinkedIn will make relevant suggestions. List up to 50 skills and change the order by dragging them up and down.
5. Create a “vanity URL”: LinkedIn assigns you a cumbersome, hard-to-remember default URL with a combination of your first name, last name and random numbers. By creating a vanity URL, you’ll achieve a cleaner image with the best combination of your first and last name that’s available at the time.
6. Share content: try to do so regularly – make sure it is relevant and valuable to your network. Since each profile edit and update you share gets broadcast to your entire network, you’ll constantly be top of mind.
7. Build your network:connecting with others helps you keep track of industry trends and news and creates more opportunities for introductions.
8. Make your content web friendly: aim for short paragraphs and concise bullet points. To improve readability and highlight certain points, use bullets and sub-headings. Consider adjusting the order of your experience, skills, education etc. to suit your target role or industry.
9. Achieve recommendations and endorsements: they are invaluable and certainly boost your profile’s strength and personality. Try to gain recommendations for each role and aim to include a range of superiors, clients and colleagues since this will add credibility to your personal brand.
10. Complete your profile: aim to complete as many sections as possible to achieve an ‘All-Star’ level indicated by the strength metre at the right of your page. A complete profile will help strengthen your brand/image, increase your visibility and provide you with more networking opportunities.
If you would like assistance developing or optimising your LinkedIn Profile to help you improve your profile and stand out from the crowd, see our LinkedIn Profile Writing service.
Personal branding is a hot topic right now and one that many employees of organisations often think doesn’t apply to them. However, personal branding isn’t just for solopreneurs or business owners. It’s important to be able to quickly, clearly and succinctly articulate who you are and what you have to offer – and that applies to both employees and business owners.
So what is personal branding all about and why is it important? Just like company brands, your personal brand is what sets you apart from others. It’s what makes you slightly different to someone else with a very similar skill set.
Building a recognisable, consistent personal brand will help you achieve your career goals faster – leading to promotions, recognition as an industry expert or spokesperson, and improved professional networks. According to leading American business writer, Tom Peters, “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.”
Whether you want to advance your career, improve your professional relationships, or build your sales pipeline, a clearly defined personal brand can help. So how do you go about building it? Here are five tips to get you started:
1. Understand your offer: personal branding requires an in depth understanding of your strengths, skills, passions, and values and the ability to use that information to stand out from your competitors. To develop yourself as a brand isn’t easy, especially if you’re not a natural marketer. Start by working out what makes you unique then build your story in terms of what you offer. Put together a comprehensive statement about you – this is your brand positioning or message.
2. Create a blog and/or website: this is a great way to share your expertise and initiate two way conversations with your target audience. Registering a website in your name helps you achieve consistency with your brand and contributes to increasing your name’s search engine ranking. Write regular articles to help your target market understand your offer. Reinforce your brand message, highlight what you’re good at and what you’ve achieved for others. The added benefit of online content is that when people like what they read, they will share it with their own networks.
3. Add value: every status update, picture, article and comment you share will contribute to your personal brand so make sure it aligns with your previously defined brand positioning. You can quickly strengthen your brand and help people understand what you offer with content shared via social media, your blog or website; by commenting on other people’s content; answering questions; joining chats; and engaging in LinkedIn and other online groups and forums.
4. Audit your presence: always think of yourself as a brand and maintain consistency with your message throughout all communications – this includes your Resume, social media profiles and other online content. Optimise your online content for search engines and review Facebook and other social accounts to make sure your brand is not being compromised with personal entries.
5. Maintain the rage: once your brand is defined, you need to consistently validate and maintain it. Just as large corporations work hard to maintain their brand image, individuals need to do the same. Every interaction or piece of information shared should reinforce your brand message. Make sure people believe what you’re saying by providing proof, transparency and consistency – don’t try to ‘be all things to all people’.
Whether you’re self-employed or not, defining and promoting a strong personal brand that sets you apart will help raise your profile and make you more marketable. Even if you are not looking for work – it’s a great way to build contacts for future reference, as well as mentoring, partnerships or job opportunities.
Many of us are lucky enough to fall into fulfilling careers. Whether it’s by luck, meticulous planning, or sheer hard work, these people seem to be made for what they do! But what about the others who’ve never been 100% sure? Whether you’re a school leaver or mid-life career changer, a little bit of research goes a long way, but where should you start?
A friend of mine recently asked me if I thought her son should choose Human Resources for his major. He’s in his first year at University and loving his Commerce degree, but he needs to choose his major for next year. He’s only been at University for about eight weeks but he has to choose from multiple options soon and he’s just not sure. She asked me if I thought HR was a good career path since I have experience in that area – but without knowing her son very well, I couldn’t say. I asked her what he was basing his decision on and she wasn’t really sure. It got me thinking about how many people just choose something to go after because they like the sound of it.
Another friend of mine has a daughter who recently decided she wants to become an event manager. She researched an expensive course and wants my friend to spend thousands of dollars on it – but her decision didn’t seem to be based on anything concrete either – simply that she liked the sound of being an event manager. She isn’t an overly organised or detail oriented person, so I asked my friend if his daughter had given any thought to the meticulous planning involved, the long hours, and the weekend and after hours work that invariably comes with being an event manger and he didn’t really think so.
Often, people go into careers without doing much research. They like the sound of a career but they’re not overly familiar about what’s involved in doing the job on a day to day basis. There are many ways you can research careers – and by doing so, you’ll gain a better understanding of what might be required and whether or not you’d be suited. Here’s a few ideas:
Use Online Job Sites: SEEK, CareerOne or any one of the many other online recruitment sites can provide a wealth of information about different careers. You can access current information on salaries in specific industries/positions, find out what qualifications and/or previous experience you might require, and you can get a feel for what you might be doing on a day to day basis. A great tip I heard from another career consultant was to combine unrelated keywords or phrases to identify unique or unusual roles – for example a skill plus an interest – such as ‘marketing’ and ‘photography’.
Talk to People: Talking to people who are already working in the field you are interested in can provide a better understanding of what might be required as well as giving you a feel for what your day might regularly look like. Don’t be swayed by one person’s opinion though – try to get as many people’s thoughts as possible and probe them about the pros and cons of the role. Look to your LinkedIn network for contacts who might be able to help.
Volunteer: This could take the form of ad hoc volunteering or a more formal internship. Volunteering gives you the opportunity to learn more about a role or organisation, as well as providing valuable work experience and new skills that will help to build your confidence to go after those sought after roles. It could also provide much needed networks and mentors in your area of interest.
Join Professional Associations: Attend meetings or check the website for information, networking events or other opportunities that you might be able to leverage. If you don’t belong to a professional association already, consider joining one – often these associations have associate memberships for juniors or people with little experience, but you have access to similar kinds of opportunities and information as fully fledged members.
Take a Career Assessment: Many organisations offer personality assessments and/or career interest tests. These tests can assess your interest in a variety of activities, industries and occupations to provide insight into the careers and areas of study you are most likely to enjoy and be ideally suited to. For more information, see our Career Interests and Personality Profile tests.
Talk to an Expert: Career Counsellors can provide a much needed ‘outsiders’ perspective on what you might like. They are usually trained experts that also have a wealth of practical work experience across diverse areas and industries. They have deep knowledge of a wide range of occupations, industries and courses and will give you professional, independent advice on your career, course and employment options.
Our last piece of advice (but by no means least) is to take the first step – if you’ve done some research and you think you’re ready, just take that step. We now know that most people will not stay in the same career for a lifetime, so don’t procrastinate for too long.
According to recent SEEK figures, jobs advertised in January 2015 were up 10.9 per cent from January 2014. That trend has continued over the past few months, with certain sectors experiencing significantly higher growth than others. There are trends driving growth in specific areas with many commentators predicting shortages in particular niche areas.
Many people are looking for a change in roles right now, but what’s driving job growth and where should we be looking? While many industries are experiencing growth and offering great employment opportunities, there are a few stand outs affected by shortages. These are healthcare, construction, education, information technology (IT), and digital marketing. A recent Hays report highlighted a skills shortage focused around particular job functions with the belief that demand for these skills in Australia will drive an exceedingly tight labour market for anyone with these niche, highly specialised skills.
In short, some of the areas driving growth in 2015 include:
Healthcare: There appears to be a healthy outlook for candidates seeking roles in the medical and healthcare industry. Based on SEEK’s latest job ad figures, new jobs in this sector rose 14 percent nationally year on year to March 2015. This is no surprise as our population ages and more advanced medical treatment technologies place pressure on the healthcare system. Registered nurses will be especially in demand.
Marketing: The evolution of digital marketing is transforming organisations at a rapid pace and marketing and IT teams are converging. Candidates with experience in social media are in demand as employers look to drive further consumer brand engagement in innovative ways. The increasing importance of digital and mobile means that companies are moving beyond just websites that are optimised for mobile use, to needing candidates who can provide full mobile optimisation integrated with strong social media marketing strategy. Large organisations are also looking for candidates who can analyse online activity to better understand how consumers respond to digital marketing efforts.
Construction: 2015 is a great time to be in the building trade, with the construction industry expected to grow significantly over the next few years. Right now, an increase in development application approvals is already driving demand across the industry with additional need for architects (especially with retail expertise), engineers, contract administrators and statutory planners – especially those who will work on a contract basis. Reliable and hardworking labourers are always in demand and construction companies also report the need for multi-ticketed Excavator Operators with stable backgrounds.
Education: A very high demand for childcare in Australia is creating a shortage of early childhood teachers. Growth is also clear across the broader education system as our population grows and the need for additional teachers across multiple disciplines increases. In addition, the rising number of parents setting their children up for optimum academic success is creating additional need for tutors.
Information Technology: A shortage of senior business analysts with particular domain and subject matter knowledge; solid front end developers – especially candidates with responsive web or App development experience (IOS and Android); as well as Cloud specialists. The increasing importance of digital and mobile marketing previously mentioned is also driving demand and creating shortages. The skills required are broad and encompass the entire digital marketing spectrum including full mobile optimisation and responsive website and/or App development.
The shortage of relevant candidates in certain areas combined with the increasing use of digital recruitment and a focus on passive candidates to provide these highly specialised skills also means that candidates need to have a strong online profile and brand.
Would you like help understanding more about what’s driving job growth? Would you like help establishing your online presence or putting together a strong job search strategy? If so, click here for our LinkedIn Writing or Coaching Services, or check out our Job Search Coaching Service.
Most people have developed a diversity of skills and experience throughout their careers that have made them the person they are today. But many people we talk to find it difficult to consolidate all those skills and experiences into a clear picture of exactly why they’re right for a role – especially if it’s slightly different. If that sounds like you, you’re not alone.
I sat down to write this month’s newsletter article following a call with a client. This client was lovely to talk to and he had a raft of experience, skills, perfect qualifications, and previous success but he was struggling to get any interviews. Over the past three months, my client has submitted a lot of applications and mostly just heard nothing or received the standard ‘thanks but no thanks’ response. He knew he was perfect for many of these roles and understood that his approach was wrong which is why he’d come to us.
When I looked at my client’s current Resume, the person on the end of the phone just didn’t match what was in that document. I can’t tell you how often this happens. I will sometimes receive a copy of my latest client’s current resume with a link to the job they’d like to apply for and I honestly believe that I have the wrong two documents together – they just don’t look like they’d even make a slightly suitable candidate.
In most cases, they would in fact make a great candidate but the problem lies in relevance – and first impressions count. Most candidates have developed great skills and experience but they simply don’t present them in the most relevant and effective way. Recruiters often receive hundreds of applications for a role so being able to demonstrate your suitability quickly is key to your success. Here’s a few tips:
1. Create a quick summary of who you are – include your background and key successes – it’s a branding statement or quick elevator pitch if you like. Work out what you can offer, and the value you will bring to your new employer, then articulate that in a clear and concise paragraph or two.
2. Highlight your key capabilities – these are the things that make you an ideal candidate for a specific role. This is so important because key capabilities are going to be different for everyone – they may also differ for you depending on the role or company you’re applying for. Capabilities cover a diverse range of areas such as qualifications, experience, technical skills, personality traits, soft skills, computer skills, industry knowledge etc. but they will vary significantly from person to person and role to role.
3. Customise your content to make it highly relevant – when you’re applying for a specific position, it’s important to work out what’s important for that role and demonstrate how you provide that expertise. Remember this varies for different roles so taking the time to customise is important. This includes mentioning specific skills you may think are ‘standard’ in your industry – if they are mentioned in the job ad, there’s a good chance they are highly important so don’t just assume that the recruiter will think you have them.
4. Simplify your content – get to the point quickly and try not to provide too much detail. This includes making sure you articulate any acronyms that might confuse the recruiter. Following the requirements in the job ad also helps – to the point of changing your job responsibilities to match those of the recruiter – if that’s what you did in a previous job, articulate it clearly and concisely.
5. Consolidate or change your job history – especially if you have lots of different jobs at the same company – try consolidating them to provide clarity. If your relevant experience is a few jobs ago, try moving it up and calling it ‘relevant work experience’ – again thinking about fast and relevant impact for the recruiter.
If you’re not sure whether your Resume is up to scratch you may need assistance from an expert. At the very least, ask for feedback from someone you can trust – preferably someone in a similar line of work to you is ideal. If they can’t see how you’d make a good candidate for a particular role, then a recruiter may not either.
When you’re applying for new roles, you can often be so involved in the process that it’s difficult to see what you might be doing wrong. If you are applying for roles and not hearing back from recruiters, you are not alone. See if you’re making any of our top 5 mistakes and take some steps to fix them before submitting your next job application.
MISTAKE # 1: not spell checking/proof reading all your application material – apparently this is still one of the primary reasons why applicants get rejected. There is no excuse for spelling or grammatical errors in your application. And don’t forget the cover letter and any online forms – often you’ll have to provide a 100 or 200 word response in an online form – we strongly recommend creating this in MS Word first then copying and pasting it over once you’re happy. With all your application material, use the spell checker by all means but read it yourself as well to correct any incorrect autocorrects! Ideally, once you’re happy, you should also have someone else read it for you.
MISTAKE # 2: not addressing key criteria – again this is a common mistake. All government positions require a formal response to set selection criteria, however many private companies are also including selection criteria as part of their requirements. Even if there is no specification to address criteria – you should make a point to address the key points in the job ad. A great place to start is the bullet points in almost every ad – under ‘Responsibilities’ or ‘What You’ll Be Doing’ – that will give you a hint of what to highlight, then look at the points under ‘What you Need’ or ‘Skills and Capabilities’ – and make sure you’ve clearly shown how you meet these.
MISTAKE # 3: going into too much detail – Resumes need space and clarity – sometimes it’s hard to describe what you did in a couple of lines but you need to try. I regularly receive 8 – 12 page resumes from clients, which is far too long. No recruiter will read that much detail so you need to get serious about deciding what’s important. We aim for 3-4 pages maximum and you should too. Have clearly defined sections and if you held multiple jobs in the one company – group them rather than giving each one a new section.
MISTAKE # 4: applying for jobs outside your area of expertise – if you want to apply for several different types of roles and think you’ve got the capability to do the job then by all means go for it. But – you need to modify your content. I have had several clients recently wanting to change careers but they’re not sure exactly where they’d like to head. Others just need a job and apply for roles that they’re probably not ideally suited for. I have had clients ask me to write a resume to suit very diverse roles – and this simply isn’t possible. The problem with this approach is that one resume is never going to appeal to the recruiters of two very different roles – so by taking a ‘one size fits all’ approach, you won’t appeal to either. Decide on your target and go for it – or create multiple resumes that specifically target each area.
MISTAKE # 5: not including your contact details: if a recruiter likes what they see, they’ll often want to call you immediately and either do a quick telephone screen, or organise an interview time. Make it easy for them – include your email and mobile phone number so you can be contacted and make sure you have a friendly and professional voicemail message.
Check, double check and triple check your application – be clear and concise and make sure it’s absolutely error free, with the content tailored towards the role you are applying for.
I speak to new clients almost every day and when I ask them about their ‘achievements’ in previous roles, I would estimate that eight times out of ten, I hit a brick wall. People find it so difficult to identify and articulate their achievements. The fact is, you need to sell yourself in a job application. The recruiter doesn’t know (yet) how fabulous you are, so your content should be tailored to make an immediate impact. And immediate impact can only be achieved by showing them how valuable you could be to their organisation.
Achievements don’t always have to be money or number focused (although it is great if they are). This is where many candidates can get bogged down – they don’t have a revenue generating or financial management role so they think they don’t have ‘achievements’. However there are many different areas we can look to for achievements. Think about things that you do in your day to day work that benefit your business, your customers, and/or your colleagues. Sit down with a pen and paper and brainstorm with me.
Start by thinking about anything you have done that you were commended on or that made you feel proud. Maintaining an ongoing file with positive feedback or notes when something goes well always helps with this. But just ask yourself a few key questions to help the process:
Did I receive any positive feedback from colleagues/superiors/clients about something I did?
Have I overcome or solved any ongoing issues in the business? How?
What projects did I complete/work on and what did they achieve?
Did I implement a new way of doing something that made a difference – to the time it takes, the money it costs, the quality of the outcome, the level of service etc.?
Areas you could focus your attention on include:
Revenue increases
Expense / cost savings
Productivity
Customer Service
Quality
Relationships
Time Saving
Competitiveness
Branding / market awareness
Safety
Employee morale/attendance
Deadlines
Simplifying complexity
Our research indicates that recruiters look for achievements while more quickly discarding resumes that are purely ‘responsibilities’ focused. Make sure the achievements you use are tailored and support your ability to perform in the specific role you are applying for.
Would you like help identifying and articulating your achievements so your next job application has a better chance of standing out? If so, please see our Professional Resume Writing Services.
Many successful clients who become unemployed don’t realise how long it can take to secure a new role. Despite indicators the job market is improving, redundancies and unemployment continue to dominate news.