Job search? The secrets recruiters don’t tell you

Tip 1: Write your own CV/resume

Don’t go and pay $50 to have someone write one for you. It is a waste of money. How on earth can a complete stranger do a better job of summing up your career to date than you?

Writing a CV is easy, you just need to know what recruiters are looking for. The key is to not be fooled by those who suggest that you need to load your CV with a lot of dynamic words: started, managed, started, etc., and not to pack your CV with a lot of management hype and the latest buzzwords. . With the exception of possibly graduates and high school leavers, 99% of what a good recruiter will look for on your resume is what type of work he has done and who he has done it for. You can pay someone to add all the clever design, layout, graphics, and catchphrases you want, but it won’t make a difference if you don’t meet the job requirements. So, avoid jargon, clichés, or trying too hard to impress and try to mimic the key word and phrases the employer has used in the job description, but most of all, it’s your career history, so write it down.

Oh, and one more thing, when you list the companies you’ve worked for, explain what they do. Okay, we’ve all heard of Walmart, but don’t assume the recruiter knows every company.

Tip 2: Create an elevator pitch… on video

If you want to stand out to an employer, please submit your CV containing a link to a video of yourself. Take a video of yourself describing the top skills you have to offer, your 2 biggest accomplishments to date, and the type of role you’re most interested in. No more than 60 seconds, upload it to YouTube, get the link, and then insert it into your resume under this heading:

Check out my 1 minute pitch

A potential employer is more likely to interview you than someone else if they can really get a sense of who you are and how you present yourself.

Oh, and look smart when you do!

Tip 3: Attach a suitable cover letter

Whether requested or not, always submit a cover letter.

Don’t just put…

“Dear Mr / Mrs,

Attached is my CV for the role of xxx yyyy…
Best regards…
etc”

You have to really sell yourself. Describe exactly how your experience matches the key criteria stated in the job description.

Tip 4: Make sure you’re on LinkedIn

Even if you’re not very senior, add a profile to LinkedIn and select the option that says you’re open to hearing about career opportunities.

If you already have a LinkedIn profile, please update it to say that you no longer work for xxxxx and are actively looking for a new role. You don’t have to say the dreaded word “unemployed”, but you do need to make it clear that you are in the job market.

Ideally, you want to try to build your LinkedIn network before you start looking for a new job, so whenever you have the opportunity to connect with someone you know or connect with, make sure you connect with them to build your personal network. . The job search is and has always been as much about who you know as what you know.

Tip 5: Send Speculative Resumes…Lots of Them…But Not to HR

Go to LinkedIn, identify nearby companies that you think might be interested in you. Then search LinkedIn to find out who the head of the relevant department is and try to connect with them on LinkedIn. Just be sure to modify LinkedIn’s standard connection message to let them know you’re looking for a new job.

Whatever you do, don’t try to contact Human Resources. Invariably, they are too busy doing something else and will just archive their data. Also, the HR team won’t necessarily know about all the roles that are coming up in the business in the next 6 months. The head of the department will.

If you can get an introduction from that person, all the better, so be on the lookout for any connections, even the tenuous ones, and try to get introduced. A referral from someone is much more likely to get a response.

Oh, and be sure to ask them to forward this to anyone they know. They may not hire directly, but they probably know someone who does.

Tip 6: Spy on your target list of companies

Assuming you’ve compiled a list of companies that might be interested in you, sign up for job alerts or to receive an RSS feed from them. If they don’t have those facilities (many won’t), use a service like http://watchthatpage.com. It allows you to add URLs of the company’s career sites and as soon as a page changes (ie a new job is added) you will receive an alert. It’s not perfect, as there’s no guarantee that the job will be what you’re interested in, so you may want to use this tool only for companies you’re highly interested in working for.

You can also follow your company pages on Twitter. Larger companies often have a separate account just for their jobs, so stick with them. Tweetdeck is a great way to follow numerous different Twitter feeds in one go.

Tip 7 – Use a resume distribution tool

There are companies where you can upload your CV and they will distribute it to many job boards so that your details are stored in their CV databases ready for employers to search and contact you.

Here’s a good example: resumerabbit.com

Tip 8: Use social media and become your own professional PR agent

If you don’t have one, get a Twitter account. Tell the world, via tweet, that you’re looking for a new job… “interested in #chief marketing roles” or whatever target job title you have. Also be sure to say this as a tweet, but also in the summary section of your Twitter profile, as it’s more likely to be found.

Then do the same on any blog you write, Facebook, Google+, etc. No need to be proud, just tell everyone you’re looking for a new job.

Post a question in relevant groups on LinkedIn… “What were the most effective channels you used to find your last job?” This way, it doesn’t necessarily sound like you’re begging someone to interview you, but a. you’re letting people know you’re in the market and b. You may well get some very helpful feedback from others who have recently gone through the same job search process.

Do the same on any website in your industry. They will usually have a blog post or forum section for general discussions.

Also be sure to ask the same question in Quora or Yahoo answers.

Tip 9 – Create a website about yourself

If you have any technical skills, buy a domain with your name on it, and then create a page with your name and the target job title in the URL:

fredmsith.com/chief marketing officer

Then post your CV on that domain and be sure to mention your target job title and all the key skills you have multiple times so you have a chance of being picked up by search engines. If any recruiters Google people with that job title, they might find you.

If you don’t have any technical skills, any competent web developer could copy your CV and post it on their new job site in a matter of minutes.

Try a site like this to build your career site: freehosting.com

Tip 10: Try a Google/search engine search

Whatever search engine you use, type this:

(current careers or openings) and “your preferred job title” and location

The search engine will then produce a list of companies hiring for the job you list, in the approximate location you list. If that location or job title doesn’t pay off, try a different combination.

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