Secret Life of a Recruiter - My 10 Pearls of Wisdom IM HIRED

Secret Life of a Recruiter - My 10 Pearls of Wisdom What the world of recruitment has taught me! In my years of recruitment experience I’ve seen and heard a lot and it has helped me hugely in my personal career; as without being big headed I have been able to ace an interview, get my CV noticed and normally get hired. So although my blog is all about how to get hired and a step by step process of getting through the never ending hoops you have to jump through, I wanted to simply share my top 10 tips. If you have already read my previous post  My Top 10 Pearls of Wisdom  then youll know this list but this post will give you a bit more content. These are the secrets I’ve learnt and I actually use I must add. 1. Everyone loves a template and all recruiters hate them When sifting through hundreds of applications you start to feel like you have seen that before and with everyone googling their way through life, we have seen it before. So ditch the template and actually show what makes you unique. Googling unique resumes is not unique by the way. 2. A huge part of recruitment is fit Think you have all the qualifications or experience for the job, well don’t think you’re a shoe in, it’s not that easy. People are spending more and more time at work and they want to work with people like minded, who have a similar working styles  and to put it bluntly people they actually like. So be personable and form a connection as well as showcasing your experiences. 3. First impressions count So much so that a first impression can have ruled you out of the running for a job straight away, whether that is being late for the interview, not bring the documents requested or worse being rude or cold to the receptionist. Everything in the recruitment process counts, so however little you might think something is always put your best foot forward. 4. Going the extra mile is always noticed The procedure dictates you must send a CV in and wait for feedback, you checked that box so you’re done right. Wrong, there is always someone else who is doing more and getting themselves noticed. Whether that be sending a portfolio of work, sending a personal note to remind the recruiter how much you want the role, connecting through social media or commenting on a company blog. Going the extra mile is almost becoming compulsory. 5. Patience is a virtue The more and more applications an employer receives simply the longer the process takes. Although a polite call or email requesting an update on your application is completely acceptable, constantly calling or emailing after only 1 or 2 days just puts you in a negative light. A normal recruitment process will get back to you within 2 weeks with the entire process taking roughly 6 weeks from CV to offer, so if its  not your strength already, learn to be patient. 6. Believe in yourself I’ve interviewed a lot of people in my career who are obviously right for the role and have everything that is needed to be a fantastic employee on paper. But what they are lacking is the self-belief that they are good enough which shows hugely in an interview setting and means someone more confident usually get the job. So if you are a brilliant artist or a super business mind or a great manager then showcase it, believe you are worth the challenge and that will reflect in your interview. 7. Push yourself So many people apply for a job to pay the bills or to maintain a lifestyle, mostly thinking this is it and their career is almost a pre-planned affair with limited self-input. That mind set is the worst, if you want to be a manager stop thinking you have to prove yourself for the next 10 years and then someone will come around and offer you that job, you need to go get it. Go for that interview or promotion you think is above you, what is the worst that can happen. Worst case you don’t get it, and then at least you get feedback and you can try again. Best scenario you get the job you always wanted. 8. Don’t be rude I know that seems like the most obvious of statements but you would be surprise how many people don’t understand the value of manners. Say you don’t get the job you thought you were perfect for, of course you’re disappointed and want feedback that’s natural. However, what is never acceptable is shouting at that employer and telling them they have missed out on the best thing since slice bread. I promise if you do that they aren’t reconsidering, they are thinking they had a lucky escape. Be polite and professional, you never know when they will be hiring again and think of you or who they know and will happily pass on a good word to for you. 9. Everyone knows somebody Similar to the point above, everyone in recruitment seems to know everyone else. So leave a bad impression and word gets round quickly, however on the flip side it means there is a huge network to tap into. Ask people for leads on jobs or referrals because people are more willing to help you then you think if you simply ask. (If  you don’t ask, you don’t get.) Share the love and help someone else get a job using your network and they are more likely to return the favour. 10. Prepare, Prepare and then Prepare some more I love the saying failing to prepare is preparing to fail (by  Benjamin Franklin)  because it so true and so easy to do. Whether that be doing research online, sit down to focus some solid hours on your CV or just knowing what you are applying for before submitting that application, getting hired may not be a quick process but it isn’t a complicated one. I put this point at 10 but on reflection if I could only ever give one piece of advice it would be this, a piece of advice I hear myself repeating so often but also getting ignored frequently. Getting hired is hard work and it is time consuming but if you do it right hopefully you won’t be doing this every 6 months, instead you’ll be celebrating your 5th, 10th or 20th anniversary with a company. So with that in mind do it right first time round. I have probably learnt a few more than 10 things through my experience in recruitment but these are definitely the top 10. Subscribe to my blog for weekly posts of how to get hired and as ever if I am not writing about what you want to know when it comes to recruitment just drop me a message and I’ll do my best to support you with your job search.