From conversations I’ve had with candidates over the years, there is one topic that keeps rearing its head:
?How do I manage my CV??
I posted about this topic a couple of months ago and the response was overwhelming. Candidates are frustrated trying to strike a balance between getting their name out in the market and creating the wrong impression. Employers are frustrated by receiving thousands of CVs through job boards that are completely irrelevant to the position.
Technology has pushed us to the point where you can apply to 20 jobs faster than you can pick up the phone and have a real conversation, and this seems to have had a lasting effect on the way we manage our CVs.
For example, this job seeker was so frustrated by the whole process that he built a robot to apply to thousands of jobs at once in the hope his resume would land in front of the right person (it didn’t). Uploading your CV to job boards like SEEK can yield similar results.
In blue collar industries sometimes this can be the only way to break through a competitive market, but for those in the industries I recruit for, there are better ways to ensure your CV is seen by the right set of eyes and this starts with your choice of recruiter.
1. Go back to basics
When you are looking to find a recruiter to represent you, go back to basics. Start asking your network if they know of anyone who is well-connected and well-known in the market for the right reasons.
Keep searching until you find a recruiter that is ethical, knows the industry and has existing relationships with companies in your market. If they tick all of these boxes, it’s extremely likely they can and will open up conversations with the right people and will treat your CV with care rather than sending it everywhere and seeing what sticks.
Ensure they gain permission before sending your CV anywhere ? you should know where you are being promoted to.
2. Reach an exclusivity agreement with your recruiter
Consider this: you wouldn’t pit two brokers against each other when you go for a home loan without telling the other one where you’ve already applied. So why would you do it with a recruiter? This isn’t just your credit score ? it’s your career.
This is why exclusivity is so important.
Formulate a plan of attack together, discussing which companies would you like to work for, what the main drivers behind your decision are and some expectations behind how your CV will be managed on your behalf.
3. Focus on your personal brand
At the end of the day, working with a recruiter is about bringing a professional on board to manage your personal brand. The best recruiters realise that candidates eventually become clients.
Just as you should be open and transparent about your career objectives and experience, you need to request the same standards from a recruiter.
If you work with a recruiter for two weeks and haven’t seen any real progress, it’s time to tell your recruiter you’re ready to look further afield. Find out where they have sent your CV and what actions they have taken towards finding you the right position so you know which opportunities are still open for exploration.
It’s about time candidates stopped having to click apply, apply, apply with no results. I?m keen to hear candidate and employer experiences around this topic and how the process can be improved.
If you are in the civil engineering space and looking to explore your options ahead of some major projects across the Eastern Coast, please don’t hesitate to give me a call on (07) 3333 1511 or email me at paul@peopleconnexion.com
– Paul Hansford, Principal Consultant