How to Get that Interview
How to Get that Interview “It’s not whether you get knocked down. It’s whether you get up.” Vince Lombardi When you apply for an advertised position, you are often one of many qualified applicants, especially in the current job market. A job interview is critical for advancing through the hiring process, positioning yourself as a strong candidate, and accepting a job offer. It is essential to create a strategy that best demonstrates your qualifications and elevates you above your competition. I would like to help you explore ways you can improve your ability to get an interview and secure a job offer. First of all, knowing that you are likely one of many applicants, how do you get “noticed”? There are a few steps that you can follow to greatly increase your odds of landing that interview. Here are my top 10 ways to get an interview: 10. Be Specific Develop a list of specific target companies that you can identify to those with whom you are networking. For example, if you say, “I want to work in engineering,” that doesn’t really get my brain working. However, if you say, ” I want to work for XYZ company in an engineering capacity, namely leading a team of hardware engineers,” that helps me to a) understand what you are looking for and b) start thinking about who I may know at XYZ company. 9. Know Your Strengths Knowing what you bring to the table and clearly articulating it sets you apart from the masses right away. Often, people are not clear on what they can do to specifically help a company. Companies want to know what you can do for them… it helps to answer that question well. 8. Reach Your Target Companies Know those companies that appeal to you and appear to be a great fit. If you don’t know about the company or if you don’t really want to work there, it typically shows in a conversation. If you are excited about the potential of working for the company and you have clearly done your research that will make you extremely appealing and different from the rest. 7. Develop A Resume That Stands Out From The Rest I have seen great resumes and terrible resumes. What makes a great resume? Clearly defining what problems you will solve for the company and adjusting the resume based on the job available are two important factors. Highlight your achievements rather than your responsibilities, this way you are showing what you have actually done in your last role instead of just copying and pasting your position description. 6. Write An Effective Cover Letter Since your cover letter serves as your first chance to make a good impression on the hiring team, customize this introductory note for the job listing. Be succinct, a cover letter should be short, sharp and to the point and should not copy what already is in your resume but purely an overview of your skills which should tie in with what the selection criteria outlined in the job advert or application pack. At the end of the cover letter, prompt the hiring manager to take the next step in the application process. For example, you can encourage the hiring manager to schedule an interview with you to discuss the job opening further. 5. Don’t Be Afraid To Call The Hiring Manager Be assertive. If you know who the hiring manager is, call him/her and briefly state that you have applied for the position. Take the opportunity to alert them to this and let them know that if they took ten minutes to meet with you, they would find you a viable candidate. The worst thing that can happen is that you get turned down. 4. Don’t Rely On Job Boards Not that you cannot find a job utilizing a job board but statistics show that 90% of jobs are never posted (which is why #2 is what it is) and those that are posted are swamped with job seekers taking the traditional, ineffective route. 3. Create Your Brand Utilizing Social Media Develop your brand as an industry expert using LinkedIn and, if you’re brave, Twitter. Post-professional, relevant articles that are pertinent to the type of jobs in which you are interested. Ensure that your personal social media profiles are market private and are only viewed by a select few. Trust me – ALL hiring managers and recruiters will search your social media profiles to see how you present yourself. 2. Network I can’t say this strongly enough. The best way to make it to the top of the resume pile is to network. Network within your own industry and community and tell people that you are searching for your next opportunity. Meet with recruiters that can help you and who work with companies in your industry. Then, most importantly – follow up! 1. Follow Up Networking and all the other steps are worthless without following up. Be persistent without being obnoxious. Ask your contact how best he/she likes to be communicated with and how often. Respect that they have their own priorities but don’t give up if they don’t respond immediately. While nothing can guarantee an interview, taking a proactive, professional approach will certainly increase your odds. Can we help you? We also offer Career Advice to job seekers where we will help you tailor your resume and LinkedIn profile, prepare for an interview and research companies before you apply. If you are interested in hearing more, please email us at recruitment@eliteexecutive.com.au
What does a Recruiter Do?
/*! elementor – v3.5.5 – 03-02-2022 */ .elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px} What Does a Recruiter Do? /*! elementor – v3.5.5 – 03-02-2022 */ .elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=”.svg”]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block} An inside look at how recruitment actually works. The definition of a recruiter is “An individual who works to fill job openings in businesses or organisations. Recruiters will work from resumes or by actively soliciting individuals qualified for positions. A recruiter’s job includes reviewing a candidate’s job experiences, negotiating salaries, and placing candidates in agreeable employment positions. Recruiters typically receive a fee from the hiring employers.” A recruiter does more than find people for jobs. They also help people prepare for interviews, assist with resumes and cover letters, manage salary negotiations, advise clients on employment issues, stay up to date with labour laws, and share market and industry knowledge. They may work for a staffing/recruitment agency, they may work for an agency which is placed internally with a client, or they may do corporate recruitment. They might work on commission or retainer. They may be a head-hunter (search consultant) or have people coming to them looking for a role. Recruiters can work in a number of different areas, but how they work is fairly similar in any role. Who does a recruiter work for, and how do they get paid? A recruiter is primarily working for their client, the employer. This can be hard for some people to understand as recruiters need to look out for the best interests of both their clients and candidates. But at the end of the day, their client is the one with a position to fill, and a recruiter will be looking for the best person that fits their criteria. As recruiters are working for a company, the company is the one who will be paying their fee. Fees differ between agencies, industries, and types of roles. Fees are calculated as a dollar value or a percentage of a candidate’s first-year salary. A recruiter only gets paid if they find the perfect person for the role; and remember, the client always makes the final decision on who they hire. What is important to note is that a candidate’s salary should never be affected by that fee. A salary range for a position is set based on a company’s salary structure for that role. While a recruiter’s fee may be determined by a candidate’s salary, it is a completely separate entity. What process does a recruiter follow? Though each recruiter and recruitment agency will operate slightly differently, generally they all follow a very similar process. 1. Open position The first step of this process occurs when a client calls with an open position that they need help filling. Recruiters will then get all the details they need to start working on the role. This involves more than just getting a job description! They will do a deep dive on the position’s salary range, interview questions, benefits to the role or company, leave and other company perks, and the reason the position is open. They will also research the team, management styles, soft and hard skills needed, start date, and even advancement opportunities. 2. Posting a job Recruiters post all open jobs to their company website and relevant job boards, and positions may also be advertised on social media. Recruiters also reach out to their network to find out if any great candidates are looking for work at that time. This will include exploring their existing database and other platforms such as LinkedIn. 3. Finding great candidates The average job posting can receive as many as 250 applications, and those applications can start coming in within 5 minutes of the position having been posted online! A recruiter needs to review all of these resumes to identify the candidates that have the hard and soft skills their clients are looking for. Once they do, they will reach out for telephone or in-person interviews, or a combination of both. These interviews are critical because presenting an underqualified candidate to a client could potentially cause a recruiter to lose that client. A good interview also provides an opportunity for a recruiter to find out all those things that aren’t on a resume. It is these hidden skills and personality traits that are so important to prospective employers and that make the difference between a candidate that is hired, and one that is passed over. Once the recruiter has determined that a candidate matches the experience and personality their client is looking for, AND that the candidate is still interested in the position, they will present that candidate to the client. 4. Presenting candidates Recruiters don’t just email resumes to clients and hope that something sticks. They will talk to their clients about each candidate and “bring them to life” off the paper through discussing their work experiences, career aspirations, and why they will be a match with the client’s needs. Recruiters know that employers hire for both hard and soft skills and will make sure to express both to their clients. Most recruiters will have worked with the clients before and will have a good idea as to who would fit within that particular business. 5. Client interview stage Clients are busy people, often managing large teams, and their schedules fill up quickly. A great recruiter knows this and schedules interview slots in advance to match the schedules for all involved. This helps keep the hiring process as short and succinct as possible. No client wants to miss out on an exceptional candidate because they couldn’t be interviewed for another month. After the interview, the recruiter will collect feedback from both the candidate and client. Recruiters want to make sure they can give their candidates as much feedback as possible – the good, the bad or the ugly – so they know where they stand. 6. Job offer When a job offer is extended to a candidate, a recruiter will often be there as a sounding board for both
Job hunting is a sport: practice hard and play by the rules
Job hunting is a sport: practice hard and play by the rules Latest headlines tell us that Australia is facing the beginning of the “Great Resignation” and we are definitely noticing a turn towards a more candidate-driven market, which makes it the perfect time to start looking for that new role. However, before you start applying for jobs, there are a few key essentials you must follow before you do so. When job hunting, it is best to treat it like a game: take it seriously, practice hard, play by the rules but remember, when you lose, there is always next time. If you’re heading on the job market field, here are our suggestions to help you maximise the chance that you win the game: Is your resume up to date? Most high-level professionals don’t have a current resume and tend to ‘throw something together when job hunting. If you are not up to date on resume formats, cover letters, etc., then get a professional to update yours for you. It’s worth it. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up immediately. Most businesses will check your background via LinkedIn. Again, get a professional to help if you are unsure how to do this. One option for those who have been in the same industry is to look outside the square. See my blog ‘Are you thinking of changing industries.’ Network, network, network! Get out and about within your local business community. Join local chambers, networking groups, etc. It’s the best way to make new business contacts. Be prepared! Make sure you research the company before you apply. If applying via a job site, have you addressed the key criteria in your cover letter? Follow up on applications. Yes, do. Following up will make you stand out. Reach out via a phone call a few days after you have sent your application to ensure it was received by HR. Don’t overdo it, though; there is a fine line between a class act and being needy or desperate, but it may help to draw attention to your application. Have a personal business card made up for your job search. Have accurate and current information and a link to your LinkedIn page. Consider temp or contract work or even volunteering. The experience will help you gain exposure, and sometimes permanent job offers come from contracting. Acquire new skills. Learn new software or update/expand on your skills. Perhaps start that degree you always wanted to. Finally, are you prepared for an interview? Do you know how to present yourself? Here are some quick tips that may help; otherwise, don’t hesitate to contact our team for any assistance with your job search. Good luck with the game of job seeking! Eva GrabnerManaging DirectorElite Executive Pty Ltdwww.eliteexecutive.com.auCairns | Brisbane Eva has been working in the executive and professional recruitment industry for nearly 15 years. She is a highly professional and driven Managing Director and Principal Recruiter with a wealth of recruitment experience across a multitude of industries. Her previous experience includes executive leadership and senior management-level operational roles throughout the world. What stands out as soon as you meet her is her passion for what she does. She is a proud Cairns local and solo parent to her son, Kai.