In an ideal world you would like to think that once you have emailed your resume it arrives to the attention of the intended recruiter/ HR manager, sometimes this happens but certainly not all the time. There are a couple of reasons why this might be the case as discussed below, along with a third point explaining why the right keywords are important for candidates registering with employment agencies.

1.  The company uses a database to weed out unsuitable applications.

With companies being swamped with resumes it is understandable that they use filters to identify appropriate candidates from less realistic candidates. How do they do this? By providing whatever software they are using with keywords and phrases relevant to the job, if your resume does not include these keywords then you may find your application fruitless.

                                                                                                                                                  2.  Recruiters are screening resumes for the job.

This is not too dissimilar to the 1st point except instead of software intercepting resumes to seek the best candidates for the job, the task falls to recruiters.  Before forwarding a resume to the HR manager / hiring manager the recruiter might  browse your resume to see if you have the keywords that fit the job description.  This is particularly relevant with technical roles where the recruiter may not be familiar with technical terminology and is reliant on keyword compatibility to filter candidates accordingly.

                                                                                                                                                  3.  Keywords with recruitment consultancies.

If you register for work via a recruitment consultancy then your resume will be added to their large database of resumes.  So when a vacancy comes in the recruitment consultant will search his/her database using keyword-rich terms in the hope that the software the consultancy uses will provide a shortlist of candidates most suitable for the job vacancy.

                                                                                                                                                 Not having job-specific keywords on your resume will leave you at a disadvantage when searching for a job, so use the job description as a guide to predicting what keywords are key to each role you apply for and tailor your resume accordingly.  Next week we continue on this theme by looking at ways to identify keywords to use on your resume.

Hiring managers and HR managers get bombarded with resumes once a job vacancy is advertised so applying in the correct way is imperative if you want your application to stand out from the rest.  In a previous post we looked at how to get your resume noticed which is worth reading.  Today we look at 5 things you could do in order to champion your cause for the job when applying by email.

                                                                                                                                                    1. Find out the name of the person who is recruiting for the role.

As with any job application you should try to find out who is the person that is hiring for the job.  It could be the HR manager or a different hiring manager but either way make the effort to find out.  A good way to find out the person’s name is to call reception and explain that “as a matter of professional courtesy I want to address the person correctly rather than sending a bland, to whom it may concern email”, or words to that effect.

                                                                                                                                                   2. Use the body of the email to briefly explain your credentials for the role.

The body of your email should take the role of a short cover letter.  This should be no longer than 2 paragraphs and include the key factors that make you a strong candidate for the job.

                                                                                                                                                   3. Ensure the subject line of the email is correct.

To grab the attention of whoever is hiring for the job make sure you take the opportunity to use the subject line of the email to your advantage.  If you are applying for a role as a senior engineer and have 8 years experience for example, and you are available immediately then your subject line should be something like : “Engineer with 8 years experience, available immediately for senior engineer vacancy.”

                                                                                                                                                   4. Provide clear contact information.

While contact information will be on your resume, make sure to use your email to notify him/her what number to be used when contacting you during business hours. It can also pay dividends to make the HR manager /hiring manager aware of your availability for interview in your email.

                                                                                                                                                   5. Send yourself a test email to check formatting.

If you have another email account or access to an email account of a family member send a test email to see how it comes across, in terms of formatting and style.

                                                                                                                                                    If your resume is being sent as an attachment make sure it is saved with the appropriate name such as “John Smith Resume for senior engineer role with Sample Company Ltd” or similar and if you haven’t already read the post how to write cover letters that grab the recruiters attention then take a minute to read it.

In a corporate environment a company’s business plan is the most important document to help the company achieve their goals, it is their blueprint to success, likewise for job applicants a resume holds the same position of importance so taking the time to improve your resume whenever possible will be to your advantage.

The tips I outline in this post are to ensure your resume gets noticed favorably, if your resume is littered with resume mistakes then your resume will get noticed, but for all the wrong reasons unfortunately.

1) Personalize your resume for the role.

It is very important for job applicants to personalize their resume for the exact role they are applying for, this opportunity should not be missed.  While some job seekers may think it a time consuming task it is one that will bring a better chance of getting interviewed as opposed to sending out resumes with a “one size fits all” approach.  If you are applying for a job where sales experience is emphasized in the job description then you should tailor your resume accordingly focusing on your experience in sales.

Demonstrate achievements you reached such as ” top sales consultant 2 out of 3 years“, or “over-achieved on my sales target 3 out of my 4 years” and similar statements, that will catch the hiring manager’s eye.  Of course it is vital that you only include accurate statements in your resume.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                2) Perfect the language and tone in your resume and cover letter.

Powerful action statements work well in resumes so rather than using bland statements in your resume have them littered with action verbs to catch the attention of the hiring manager.  If you are applying for a role as a team leader for example you could use a line like, “I addressed the issue of absenteeism by formulating a training program to ensure that staff members were appropriately trained to work with the new technology that was being introduced, since then  absenteeism has improved by 75%.” 

Be vivid in your descriptions, without using in-house jargon, and provide examples to back your statements up.

3) Keywords are king.

In modern times computers can sometimes be used to filter through appropriate resumes and inappropriate resumes, so ensure your resume is rich on keywords that are relevant to the job without going overboard with them. 

If keywords are used too often the computer may consider the resume to be spam rather than a genuine application.

4) Brevity is best.

Keep your resume to between 1 and 2 pages, you want your resume to catch the attention of the hiring manager so keep your resume brief and avoid gimmicky resumes, resumes on plain white paper with regular font will have a far better chance of being read.

5) Ensure your cover letter addresses the hiring manager by name.

Generic “to whom it concerns” applications don’t carry the same weight as a tailored cover letter such as “Dear Mr Jones” or “Dear Dave”, traditionally you would address the hiring manager by last name but it is becoming far more acceptable to address him by first name nowadays, the choice is yours. 

If you are unsure of who the hiring manager is then simply call the company and enquire as to who he/she is, if they ask you why you need this information, be honest and tell them that you are sending a resume in and out of courtesy would like to address him/her by his/her name.

Taking the time to do an overview of your resume before sending it to employers will be time well spent, one simple error in your resume may be enough for the hiring manager to ignore your application so keep the tips provided in this post in mind as you prepare your resume for each position, and don’t be surprised if your interview ratio begins to increase.

The employment marketplace is a crowded sector with strong competition for every job that becomes available. Being best-equipped in both the application process and interview process will give you an added advantage over competitors so take these 7 job hunting tips to heart when looking for work.

1.  Use business-related publications to your advantage.

Most business-sectors have a magazine or publication that provides the current news related to that business-sector. Keep a keen eye on the one for your industry, if you read of companies expanding then send your resume into them. This can be particularly advantageous if there is a new HR Manager quoted, you can then send him/her a letter of congratulations on his/her appointment along with your resume.

2.  Be open to change.

Finding the perfect job can be a rarity, so welcome new challenges and don’t make yourself immune to new ideas.

3.  Don’t just email your resume and hope to get a call.

To give yourself the best shot at getting interviews and finding vacancies you need to be proactive and not just rely on finding a job via the internet. You can find roles at job fairs or through word of mouth via your network of friends and ex-colleagues.

4.  Be sure to register with a recruitment firm.

Recruitment firms will be eager to find you a job, after all they earn their money by getting you a job, so register with one. Do research in advance to see if there is a recruitment agency that specializes in your area of expertise.

5.  Evaluate your resume and cover-letter.

If you are not getting called for interviews that you think you are a good match for, check your cover-letter and resume to make sure there are no errors on the cover letter or spelling mistakes on the resume. The slightest inaccurate detail could impact your success-rate so ensure grammar is correct. Make sure to read How To Write Cover-Letters That Will Grab The Recruiters Attention along with How To Write A Resume.

6.  Don’t let stress follow you into your interview.

Stress affects us all in one way or another and job searching can be a particularly stressful time in your life, however it is vital that you come across calm and composed in your interview. Recruiters and Hiring Managers would be wary of hiring someone that they may perceive to be unable to handle pressure.

7.  Look the part.

Make sure to treat each job interview with professionalism, know the appropriate dress-code for the company and dress accordingly.

Stay determined and try to remain positive, stay calm in the face of any disappointment, it will make the sweet taste of success taste all the better when you eventually do find a job.

4 Reasons Why You Should Register With An Employment Agency.

Employment agencies and recruiters work off a commission basis so it is in their best interest to find you a job,in a previous post we looked at 5 tips to help you get the most out of your employment agency, today we look at 4 of the reasons why registering with a recruitment firm will be to your advantage.

1.Employment agencies can help you with your resume.

A successful resume is key to getting a job interview, experienced recruiters will be quick to spot any flaws on your resume and help you overcome them.

2. Employment agencies can offer advice on your interview skills.

Professional recruiters having interviewed you will be able to offer advice that will allow you improve your interviewing skills before interviewing with the hiring company. This will be of particular benefit for those who have not changed jobs in sometime so therefore may be short of experience in this regard.

3. Employment agencies already have relationships with hiring companies.

If a recruiter is working on behalf of a client then this suggests that they have a solid relationship with that client so an application on your behalf may be met with greater merit if coming from the recruiter rather than directly. Another reason is that recruiters have the advantage of being able to call the hiring manager to sell your resume on your behalf.

4. Employment agencies can negotiate a salary on your behalf.

Experienced recruiters are well-versed in the skill of salary negotiation (after all the more you get, the more they get) and can negotiate on your behalf ensuring you get the best possible package.

Maintaining a good relationship with your recruiter is important, so don’t bombard him/her with calls or emails, you want him/her to work on your behalf in a favorable manner so ensure you have a cordial relationship with your recruiter.

Registering with employment agencies is free of charge (steer clear of any employment agency who tries to charge you a fee for using them) and as a job seeker you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by joining a reputable employment agency to work on your behalf.

Six Rules To Successful Job References.

Excellent references are essential to successfully gaining employment, most job offers are subject to references so even when you have an offer you still need your qualities and experience rubber-stamped by your previous employer. Bearing this in mind it is essential to adhere to the following rules when supplying referees;

1. Ensure the referee is a previous manager or supervisor, rather than a friend.

2. Graduates and Interns should use college professors as referees if they have no work experience.

3. Choose a former supervisor with whom you had a good relationship when looking for a referee.

4. Make sure you gain the approval of the referee before including them on your resume.

5. Should you receive an offer “subject to successful reference” then call your referees in advance to tell them to expect a call from the company offering you the job.

6. Ensure the contact details are correct and up to date before submitting them. The contact details should include name, position, company, telephone number and email address.

A bad reference could have a disastrous impact on your employment chances so take time to pick referees that you know will enhance your application and leave you with nothing to worry about when your offer is “subject to references.”

3 Reasons Not To Apply For A Job Until You Know Who The Job Is With.

If you are currently in a job the importance of being made knowing in advance where your resume is being sent cannot be understated. In your eagerness to find new employment you may be tempted to apply for jobs where the client company is not specified, this could turn out to be a big mistake. If you see a job advertisement that looks perfect but has “Confidential” listed as the company then avoid applying for it until you can garner more information about the job. The following examples highlight just 3 of the dangers .

1. Your resume gets sent to your existing employer.

Yes the unthinkable could happen, you apply for a job before eventually finding out the dreaded information that the role is with your existing employer. Expect a call to the bosses office should this happen but not necessarily for the type of meeting you hoped for.

2. Your resume gets sent to a client of your existing company.

Your boss won’t appreciate getting a call from a vendor asking “What’s that employee John Smith (for example) like?, he has applied for a job here with us”. This will be met with, at the very least, disappointment by your existing employer and like above will a meeting with your company management for further discussion.

3. The job may not exist.

You read that right, it is not unheard of for companies / recruiters to want to build a database of resumes for certain positions, in order to have them on file should such a position become available through an employee leaving or company growth. It is rare in the extreme that this happens but is worth bearing in mind nonetheless.

It is important not to let your desire to find a job curtail your professionalism in seeking one, should you see a job advertised without a name do all that you can do to find out who it is with. One way of trying to find out their identity is to send an email (not from your company email address) requesting information about where the role is based, at the very least, this should help you eliminate your own company as being the employer.

10 Common Spelling Errors Found On Resumes

Considering the importance the role of a resume takes in attempting to gain an interview there is nothing as infuriating for recruiters than when they receive resumes and cover letters that contain spelling errors.

Spelling mistakes display a lack of preparation, poor attention to detail and can dissuade employers from even wanting to interview you. This list of 10 of the most common spelling errors will hopefully assist you in creating a compelling cover-letter and an error-free resume.

Correct Spelling        Incorrect Spelling

Indispensable            My sales skills have been “indespensable” …

 
Correspondence        I include my business card for future “corresspondance”…

 
Accommodate            I will be happy to “accommadate” any queries…

 
Management              I seek a ”managment” role to continue my career growth… 

 
Separate                     My references are attached as a “seperate” document…

 
February                     Commenced employment in “Febuary”…

 
Occasion                     There was an “ocassion” when…

 
Necessary                    Should more information be “necessery”… 

 
Correspondence         For future “corraspondence”… 

The time you take checking and ensuring that your resume is free of spelling mistakes may prove to be time well spent indeed, so double-check everything before you send your application forward.

Cover letters are a vitally important part of the job application process, and all too often job-hunters spend so much time worrying about their resume that they overlook their cover letter which is, in essence, another page of their resume.

Cover letters should always be tailored to the position you are applying for, they should not mimic what you have in your resume instead provide a short outline of why you want the job and what makes you the ideal candidate for the job.

You should begin your letter with a warm introduction announcing how you came across the posting and how it interests you. You should declare why you think you are a suitable applicant, and explain the reasons why you want the job. Explaining why you want the job is very important as it provides an opportunity for you to personalize your application.

Cover letters should be short, certainly never exceed one page. The best way for you to display why you are a suitable candidate for the job is to list the main requirements from the job specification and then highlight your experience in relation to them, see below for example:

The candidate must have excellent presentation skills.

I am a vastly experienced sales presenter who is regularly called upon to provide advice in Sales Monthly, the industry-leading magazine.

The candidate must have 5 years sales management experience.

I have been Team-Leader in our sales division for the last 6 years,over that period I have expanded the sales team from 11 to 26 employees and successfully led the sales team to achieve their annual sales-targets for the last 5 years.

A good cover letter should be short enough for the recruiter to easily digest, yet show enough information to make your resume become of extreme interest, so focus on your cover letter and get a head-start over other applicants.

Recruiters receive a large amount of resumes on a daily basis so to ensure that your application shines you need to provide a professional resume with the salient information easily outlined. I have seen all kinds of resumes come across my desk over the years and can usually tell by the lay-out of the resume whether the candidate is suitable for the job, so getting the resume right is essential.

You resume should have your contact information across the top, this contact information should include both your email and home address along with your phone number. Don’t forget to include your cell number, as you want to make it as easy as possible for recruiters to be able to contact you.

The next part of your resume should be headed “Summary of Qualifications” and in bullet-point format underneath the heading provide an overview of your abilities and experience. You should keep these to one or two lines maximum but try to be as descriptive as possible for example instead of saying “10 years management experience”, say “10 years management experience managing teams ranging from 10 employees to 100 employees at varying stages of my career.”

The next section of your resume should be headed “Experience” and from here you should outline your career-history. For each job you should have job title, the company name, the dates of employment, and a job description. The descriptions should be in bullet-point format again, and should highlight your achievements and contributions whilst in each position, see example below:

Recruitment Manager, Sample Company, Dec 2002-Present

• Created and implemented a recruitment campaign to increase staff numbers by 50%, this was achieved on time and within budget.
• Negotiated significant discounts with recruiters and head-hunters which saved Sample Company in excess of $60,000.
• Provided training courses to senior management on the value of staff-retention.
• Developed a training plan for new employees.
• Created a company handbook for employees.

“Education” is the next heading for your resume, you should include the name of the college, your qualification and any extra information relating to your qualification such as merits or awards. If you have any professional qualifications relevant to your own area of employment you should also include them.

Before sending out your resume ensure that it is free of grammatical errors and contains no misspelled words, don’t provide any unnecessary information (such as a private blog or a link to your social-networking page). You rely on your resume to get you an interview so spend time refining it, until you are completely happy that it provides enough positive information about your career history and achievements.