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Quality over quantity
For starters — and this might seem counter-intuitive when you’re feeling desperate to land a job — be selective. “No one should be applying for ‘thousands’ of jobs. Or even hundreds,” said Mary Ellen Slayter, a career expert at monster.com. “You’re setting yourself up for disappointment.” Instead, focus on whether you have the right skills and training for the jobs you actually want.
2. Peppering doesn’t work
Many people make the mistake of simply peppering their CV or resume with keywords, thinking that will be enough to get them through the applicant tracking system (ATS) software that 75 per cent of large companies use to screen applicants. But keywords alone won’t work, according to Matt Sigelman, CEO of Burning Glass, a career analytics company. Newer search technology offers a more “holistic evaluation” of your resume or CV than in the past. Therefore, your resume should not be a list of facts but rather a narrative that tells a story. “A narrative resume is essentially what every resume should aspire to be, that is, something that tells the story of your professional life in such a way that it’s clear that this new job is the next chapter in that story,” Sigelman said.
3. Do your homework
Mary Goldsmith’s biggest pet peeve when she was an executive recruitment consultant was applicants “who didn’t bother to edit their resume to reflect the needs of the organisation, or role requirements, even when a comprehensive position description was available.” Not taking the time to customise your resume gives a really bad first impression. Research the company before you complete your application for clues on how to develop your application. Check employee profiles to get an understanding of the type of people they recruit and what they value.
4. Name dropping
If you have experience at a well-known company, take advantage of it, suggested Steven Yeong, a recruiter coach. And send your CV to all of the direct competitors of the company where you worked.
5. Always a better way
No matter how well you craft your resume or CV, it still can’t beat a personal contact who can lrecommend you to a hiring manager or recruiter. “As everything changes in job search, some things remain the same,” said Wendy Enelow, founder and director of Resume Writing Academy. “Networking is still the number one way to find a new position.”
