It can be frustrating. You know you’re the right person for the job. You know that if you could speak directly to your potential new boss, she would understand that. Yet there are all these ‘middle men’ in the way: the recruiters. And these people, usually either recruitment consultants or in-house human resources people, are often so hurried and distracted that they don’t seem to see your strengths. What to do?
Dealing with these middle men (and women, of course) is a reality of job search. And you’ll find that doing so can be particularly challenging in times of economic downturn. As Matt Ford, of Classifind points out, “the global financial crisis has seen many more people applying for fewer and fewer jobs. This puts pressure on everyone”.
1. Recruiters are busy people
They spread their time between trying to understand their clients’ fuzzy and sometimes unrealistic requirements; writing ads and job descriptions; sifting through hundreds of applications; organizing and holding interviews; and managing candidates to the point of a final job offer and then further, once they are in the job. They usually have a number of assignments on the go at once, all at different stages. And they often don’t get paid until the whole process is complete – which can take months.
Technology helps a little but make no mistake: this is a people game. The bulk of the work, and stress, comes from dealing with people and all their weird and wacky ways.
As a job seeker, it follows that the best way to get past these middle men and in front of the employer is to make their life as easy as possible. Here are five things you can do:
2. Only apply for jobs for which you are qualified
Few things frustrate a recruiter more than having to sort through the CVs of hundreds of first-year-out accounting graduates to fill a senior financial controller position. You are applying for a job – not entering a lottery. So don’t waste your time and theirs with lucky dip applications.
3. Have a clear and easy-to-read resume
Include only relevant information in a concise and well-written style. Use bullet points where you can and use simple formatting – like bold headings – to make your employment and work history stand out.
4. Customize your cover letter and resume for the job
Never apply with a form letter and ‘off the shelf’ resume. Customize both to show you have understood the job’s requirements and that you think you can meet them.
5. Be courteous in following up
Whether by phone or email, never be pushy in your following up. A bit of patience and understanding is much more likely to have you remembered for the right reasons. It might even help keep you front-of-mind for the next job if you miss out on this one.
After your interview, keep in touch. If you’re lucky enough to get an interview with the employer, call your recruiter and let them know how it went. It allows them to be on the front foot when they call their client. They like that! Similarly, take the initiative to keep in touch after you start the job.
Matt reminds us that “no matter how bad things get, there are always plenty of jobs being advertised”. If you keep searching you will find the right one eventually. Seeing the recruiter as a partner in that search, rather than an adversary or an inconvenient hurdle, will make the process much more fruitful for everyone.
