How to be a high quality candidate
Are you applying for jobs and getting nowhere? Do you feel as though you are not being noticed for the key skills that you have? Recruiters know exactly what they are looking for when they research potential candidates for their roles, and they are looking for the very best talent they can get hold of for their business. You might have the right skills and experience, but if you are not marketing or selling yourself properly, you are never going to get noticed!
So what small changes can you make to be a better quality of candidate?
- Start off with the first thing that people will look at – your CV and covering letter. Is it up to date? Are there spelling or grammatical errors? Does your CV and covering letter match up with the job spec? There’s no point in talking about a position in catering if you’re applying for a role in finance! Make them relevant, keep them short and professional and align them both with the role you are applying for.
- Next you need to think about your online profile. Whether that’s your social media profile, your website, even your personal email address! They all need to be professional, up to date and they need to be a good reflection of you and what you are offering. Employers do not want to see half naked or drunken nights out splashed all over social media, it won’t do your career any good!
- Showcase your achievements and be proud of them! Don’t feel shy about selling yourself – it could get you the job if you do it right. Talk about them in your cover letter and in the interview. Make sure they are relevant achievements – ones that will impress a potential employer and show off certain skills that you have.
- This is a really important one……find your USP. Why are you unique? Why do they need to hire you? If they have a pile of 50 CV’s to wade through, what would make yours stand out from the crowd and be worthy of the interview stage? Is it a personality type you have, a set of key skills, or something else? Try to find out your biggest selling point.
- Be confident and feel good about yourself. You won’t stand out to a potential employer if you are too negative and don’t like talking about yourself. You need to be positive and professional and give out the right image. We know that interviews can be nerve racking but put your fears beside you just for an hour or so to win over that potential new boss!
- This is another good and important one…..be flexible. Recruiters love a flexible candidate, one that’s a good team player and isn’t scared of rolling up their sleeves and getting stuck in. Being flexible at work can also help employers improve the productivity and efficiency of their business so it’s really important that you talk about it.