Job seekers and recruiters have the same challenge; finding quality vacancies. You may have the best CV and know how to interview well, but have you mastered the art of the job search? Learn how the pros find the industry’s best open positions with these four simple steps.
1. Use your immediate network
Provide your CV to all the recruiters, previous managers, and ex-colleagues you know. LinkedIn is the best way to locate people. Don’t be shy! People who liked working with you want you to succeed and want to work with you again. Word of mouth referrals are still the most trusted source for a candidate short-list. Ensure all correspondence is personalised and follow up the strongest leads with a phone call.
2. Expand your network
Send out ‘Invitations to Connect’ to everyone you know or want to know on LinkedIn. A good technique is to use the ‘Company’ field. Connect with any Team Leaders and Hiring Managers who hire for your skill-set. Once your invitation is accepted, thank them for the connection. Before you start asking for a job, it’s best to establish some trust and your personal brand by giving something. For example, this may be by bringing to their attention events, competitor news or white papers. Once you have established some kind or rapport and personal brand, then ask them “who do they know which are hiring your position” or “how do I get a role as a XYZ in their company”. Keep all communications positive, professional and polite.
3. Find the hidden IT job market
Recruitment agencies and large organisations use an ATS/CRM to store candidate data. Make sure every agency and potential employer has your most recent CV – there doesn’t have to be a current vacancy to update your details. The more up-to-date your record and CV is, the higher you will appear in the search rankings. When job hunting, I suggest to update your CV on recruitment agency databases monthly.
Search optimising your CV and LinkedIn profile is guaranteed to generate more leads. Read our post on The Secret Swimlanes of the Recruitment Process to find out more about how and when recruiters look for candidates.
4. Qualify jobs
Your time is precious. Ensure opportunities are qualified before you invest significant time and energy. We’ve all experienced frustration and disappointment when the recruitment cycle appears to be going well, multiple interviews have been completed with positive feedback, only to hear that the role has been filled with an internal candidate, or for some reason, the employer has decided not to go ahead with the role. Save yourself the time (and heartache) by asking these questions as early as you can:
– Has the role been approved by the owner or relevant manager? (if the answer is no you may be wasting your time).
– How long has the role been open?
– What stage are the other candidates at in the recruitment process?
– Why hasn’t the role been filled internally?
– Why did the last person leave / Why was the role created?
That’s it! Simple but effective.
Understanding how recruiters and large organisations find candidates will give you an edge. Equally, persistence with your professional network will pay off – it’s just a matter of time. Don’t forget that word of mouth referrals are all-powerful, and the best managers and recruiters should respect you for reaching out.
Interested in understanding more about how recruiters work? Check out our blog here on the secret world of recruiters.
HAVING AN IMPORTANT ‘CAREER’ MOMENT?
We can help. Book a free, no-strings-attached career coaching session with us here:
https://itcvwriters.as.me/Free-20-Min-Career-Strategy-Call