By Fiona Wainrit*
The local job market is progressively picking up, but if you are a jobseeker you’re still likely to be competing against some big numbers.
So, how do you stand out from the crowd and win that dream job?
If you want to get ahead, check out these honest insights on recruiters’ most common pet peeves and how to avoid them, written by a former Recruiter now working as a Career Coach.
1. Long, wordy cover letters and CV’s
Having worked in both recruitment agencies as well as in-house recruitment teams, it became evident that most recruiters simply don’t have time to read through long-winded cover letters.
One way to keep it brief is by using bullet points to address the key selection criteria. Remember, the aim is to spark the recruiter’s interest to open your CV.
As far as your CV goes and as tempting as it may be to outline every single job you’ve ever worked in, try to spare recruiters the details.
You only need to detail the past 5-8 years of employment and can provide a brief summary under “Previous Employment” for anything that dates earlier (title, company and dates).
The general rule of thumb is to limit your CV to no more than 2-3 pages.
2. Generic CV’s
When you are trying to cover the same basic info as the next applicant, after a while, generic sounding CV’s can be boring to read.
Regardless of the industry you’re in, even if it’s IT or Finance related, there’s always
room for some creativity.
You can start with a succinct career objective that captures your personal branding- the essence of what makes you unique, along with your key skills/experience.
This should be tied into no more then 2-3 sentences communicating why this makes you an asset to an organisation.
3. Putting your photo on a CV
Unless you are a super model or are applying for an Acting/ TV personality position that requires a “headshot,” there is absolutely no need to include your picture.
You want to be judged on the merit of your skills, education and work history, not your race, age, hairstyle, weight or eye colour.
4. The “I’m just calling to check you’ve received my CV” phone call.
In this day and age of online applications, there is rarely much of a delay between you sending your CV and it reaching the recruiters database/ inbox.
Many recruiters send an automated reply to prevent such calls, yet I’m still amazed at how many candidates still take this approach.
Follow up calls can be gold if they are executed correctly. Why not try asking an intelligent question that isn’t covered in the ad/ PD?
Or simply call to let them know how excited you are that there’s finally a position that merges your expertise into an industry you are passionate about, then asking if an interview is possible.
It may be a bit cheeky, but it could also work and impress the recruiter enough to win you that interview.
5. CVs not sent as a WORD attachment
Unless specifically requested otherwise, your CV should be sent as a Word Attachment. Do not send your CV as a PDF, Mac file, or Zip file. A recruiter simply does not have time to download and convert special files.
6. Spelling Errors, Typos, and Poor Grammar
In the world of technology and ‘Spell Check’, you would be amazed how many CVs come through with errors!
Your CV provides a first impression of who you are. Find a trusty pal to proof read it if necessary. Also check for consistency in past/ present tense and formatting.
7. Dates Not Included, or Inaccurate Dates
A CV that does not include dates sends out "red flags" about a candidate’s background and is immediately disregarded.
The obvious assumption is that the candidate is trying to hide something. Furthermore, be honest about your dates of employment.
Recruiter Tip:
When providing dates, work history should be in reverse chronological order. The general consensus among recruiters is to place the employer info, title and location to the left hand side of the screen. Your employment dates should be aligned to the right so that your reader can easily “skim” down the page. And if you have a proven track record of staying in a job for a while, absolutely make sure that your employment dates JUMP out at your reader. This is a real selling point about you as a candidate.
8. Too Duty Oriented
A common complaint amongst recruiters was reading a CV that is "too duty oriented." CVs need to describe more than just work duties.
A good CV must also detail your accomplishments. Provide specific examples of how the company benefited from your performance, outlining your direct results and successes.
Think about what the employer is looking for and highlight accordingly. This may include financial or client wins, changing a system, or streamlining a process.
Quantify how the organisation benefitted from it. For instance; “I successfully managed the tender process which resulted in changing our transport supplier, saving the company $25K per annum”.
9. Lying or Misleading Information
We all know the temptation is there to beef up your background by stretching the truth here and there to land that job.
BEWARE! It is becoming more commonplace for companies to do extensive background and reference checks on a candidate’s background prior to hiring.
Here are some of the most common misleading information being put on CVs is:
- Inflated titles
- Inaccurate dates to cover up job hopping or gaps of employment
- 1/2 finished degrees, inflated education or "purchased" degrees that do not mean anything
- Inflated salaries
- Inflated accomplishments
- Out and out lies in regards to specific roles and duties
Finally, if you’ve managed to get past the application stage and have scored an interview, one of the biggest nono’s I’ve heard repeated time and time again by otherwise good candidates is:
10. Bagging your former/ current employer
No matter how disgruntled you may be, an interview is not the place to vent your frustrations, save this for discussions with your partner, friends or family.
* Fiona Wainrit, of Finetuned Coaching, is a Results qualified Coach, specialising in career and life transitions.
For more information, go to www.finetunedcoaching.com.au