How to get hired
28 May 2021
UK employers are at their most optimistic about recruitment for five years according to a recent report.
A survey by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation suggests that businesses are feeling more confident about taking on more staff than at any time since 2016, and that employers are more upbeat in their assessment of the economy since August 2108.
As recently discussed on the blog, hard-pressed hirers are looking to employ more people to cope with the bounce-back boom. So how can job-seekers maximise their chances of success, especially if they have had had time away through furlough or unemployment?
Neil Holloway, managing director of the Wilson Brook recruitment agency, suggests a number of ways in which job seekers can make their applications stand out.
“No matter how successful any of us might be in our individual careers, none of us is a professional job hunter,” he says.
“Open your CV with a strong profile that's confident and interesting, clearly highlighting your skills and experience in relation to the post you're applying for. There are two main approaches. The first is displaying information as a timeline, with your most recent role at the top. If you choose this route, detail not just what you have done but what successes that led to.
“Alternatively, there is a skills-based format, where you list the skills you have and then evidence them from the roles you have had in your career. Remember to use proactive and positive language.”
Many applicants overlook the importance of a covering letter with a CV, which should be absolutely specific to the particular job they are applying for.
When you get an interview, Neil suggests researching the prospective employer online and on social media to understand more about them. “Depending on the nature of the company, can you visit one of their locations? Can you be a mystery shopper? If it’s a head office and you live locally it’s worth doing a quick drive by, if nothing else so that you know where you’re going.
“Prepare questions that you can ask the interviewers, focused on the big picture, the company, the role and then minor details in that order. Ensure that you’re able to ask some intelligent questions – nothing too basic that you could have just found out from the website.
"And make sure you know your CV thoroughly, which should be up-to-date, correctly formatted and spelt perfectly.”
One of the results of living with lockdowns has been the rise of video interviews. The advice here is to test the technology beforehand and to look at the camera, not the screen. “Looking directly at the video camera is the only way to maintain direct eye contact with your interviewer,” says Neil. “I minimise the application and that creates a mini-screen which I position directly under the camera.”
If you’re looking for a new career opportunity, good luck.
Photo: Sora Shimazaki/Pexels
