6 tips to get yourself noticed in your job hunt

In the current market, more than ever, it’s important that you know how to get yourself noticed and pushed to the front of the queue. The good news is there are many ways of doing this including; tapping into your network, responding to online ads, updating your LinkedIn profile, and of course, using your trusted recruiter partner. And the better news is, I am not about to sell you an expensive webinar, I am going to give you a list of the six things I believe you can do today. And it’s all free (hurrah) because as we know, the best things in life are free. Yes, they are a little blunt but here they are:

1. Online. One of the first things that recruiters (and clients) often do when considering who to prioritise, is to look at your LinkedIn profile alongside your CV. This will be the first impression we will have of you. Make the photo professional. I’m not saying bland and dull where it looks like you have just stepped out from a week-long conference on a new accounting standard, but a picture that captures what you would look like if you turned up for your first interview. Remember, LinkedIn is a professional networking site, not a place to showcase your fun, personal life. Have enough detail on your profile to make people interested to start a conversation with you, but not so much that it crashes the server. Oh and make sure your LinkedIn matches your resume. Having three jobs missing is not a good look. 
2. Resume. Get it sorted. Read through it and double-check for typos and grammar. That’s a real killer. Personally, I am not fussed by flashy resumes. I am far more excited by resumes that are clear and have easy-to-follow career progression that lists precisely the key skills and achievements of the job seeker. Recruiters look at dozens (sometimes hundreds) of resumes a day, so if a resume needs the Enigma machine to unlock its core skills, it can end up in the ‘too hard basket’. 
3. Brand. Everyone has a brand, and right now it’s even more important. When you apply for a job – make sure it is in line with your career goals. And relevant. Don’t apply to 21 jobs one late, Sunday night after a big weekend hoping ‘at least one of them will stick’. And if you are going to write a cover letter, get the details right. Don’t rehash an old cover letter for an Assistant Accountant job application when you were 20 if you are applying for a Financial Controller role. Believe it or not, we get a lot of those - it’s a real killer.
4. Follow up. If you genuinely believe you are right for the role (and I mean genuinely, not hope and pray) follow up your application by contacting the Recruiter via email, or phone. Explain who you are and why you are calling. Personally, I quite like it when job seekers show initiative and follow up on their applications. Whether they are right or not for the role, I can explain why, and they can take something helpful away from the conversation. 
5. Realness. I’ve always had a lot of time for job seekers that tell me the truth. About why they were fired, why they couldn’t deal with the pressure anymore, why the last job didn’t stick. Everyone in their career will have situations they would rather not talk about but the ones that are willing to explain what happened, as humiliating as it may be, shows their ability for self-reflection and growth. And we know, the best leaders are made of that stuff. So if you aspire to greatness, be prepared to be a bit more human and vulnerable in your first interactions. PS. I was fired once too but I’d rather not talk about that.
6. Resilience. OK – so this is a tough one and it’s not technically how to get noticed, but I still think it’s important. It’s hard at the best of times to remain upbeat if your job search drags on, but this is tougher. The most important thing to remember is nothing that happens, good or bad, during your job search is personal. As Recruiters, we would love to fill our Financial Controller vacancy with everyone who applies, but that’s obviously not possible. Certainly, you will find yourself being knocked back for roles that you know you can do in your sleep. And that’s not personal either, it’s just the harsh reality of us having to pull together a shortlist based on our client’s strict mandate - so remain positive.
    

If you can pull together those 6 points above, you are already ahead of the queue because most people won’t. I can’t guarantee it will land you your dream job, but at least it will give you a fighting chance. And if you back yourself, a fighting chance is all you’ll need. Good luck!

Summary

Find yourself a trusted Recruitment partner who can help you with your job search and want nothing in return but to see you succeed. At Richard Lloyd Recruitment, we do just that. Contact us by email or phone us on 0283245640 for a confidential discussion.

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