Google’s SVP of people operations, Laszlo Bock, talks about this process in his latest bookIt’s not rocket science – if you get the recruiter on side, they will be more willing to open the doors that you can’t. Do your homework and get ready to schmooze – it’s time to make them sit up and listen to what you have to offer!
Think about what they want
It’s really simple – they want the ideal candidate to offer to their client who is looking for someone to fill a role. The match has to be reliable, and they have to be able to do the job – well.
When a recruiter searches for a candidate, they never want to feel unsure – they want to be confident that they are putting the very best person forward for the job. Their reputation is on the line when they recommend you to a company, and they want to be sure that the company will reuse their services again in the future.
How do you become that person?
Firstly, it’s time to drop the vanilla, get rid of the naff CV, complete your LinkedIn profile and strive to be someone who leaves an impression.
The recruiter needs to certain that they have found the right person – with no exceptions.
A lot of them will help you to hone your CV, but a lot of them don’t have the time. Who would you choose – the candidate who is well prepared with a brilliant CV already intact, or the one who is struggling to get off from the starting line?
It’s a no brainer. You have to make it easy for the recruiter
Now, when I say easy, I mean sit down and give that terrible CV that you knocked up in an hour some thought. A rush job will get you nowhere, and the recruiter will just move on to the next candidate in the hopes that they are better than you.
Recruitment is a two way street, and whilst it is the recruiters role to get you the job, it’s your role to show them why they should.
The recruiter works for the company – they don’t work for you. If you want someone to work for you, then a career coach is the route you need to go down – the recruiter isn’t there to solely serve you.
My top tips to get them to fall in love with you!
Revamp your CV – make it clear from the off that you are the best person for the job. I believe that you should have two CV’s, and no, I’m not mad! The truth is that you need two types of CV/Resume particularly if you are uploading to a job site or sending your CV off to a large company. If it is a large company or job site, the chances are that they are using a RÉSUMÉ READING ROBOT CALLED AN APPLICANT TRACKING SYSTEM (ATS), which means that if your CV has a fancy design or does not include certain keywords, it won’t even be read by a human being. That’s why!
However you also need one that looks the part, see below I call this the Creative CV template and is great for uploading to your LinkedIn profile or sending direct to the recruiter or hiring manager, yes it’s in Word!
- Link up on LinkedIn – if you’re not using LinkedIn, you’re not using one of the most powerful business tools on the market! Including your LinkedIn URL on your CV is a good way to show people how they can learn more about you, just make sure it is complete and not boring, otherwise there is no point!
- Get recommendations via LinkedIn – this is your 24 carat proof that you are great at your job and great at what you do. Look at it like you look at a book you’re buying on Amazon – you’ll always read the reviews first! It’s the same principle!
- Get back in touch – it’s not the end of the world if you have to revamp what you’ve already done. Treat it as a re-launch get back in touch with recruiters, re-introduce yourself, show them what you can do, ask for feedback, gain engagement and put yourself in the front of their mind. When they are looking for the ideal candidate, they will simply think of you!
Article by Sue Burke, a careers coach whose speciality is getting people hired, check out her website to find out more. She loves working with executives, high achievers and freelancers worldwide and she manages to get them in the eye line of the most important people who can push them up the career ladder.
See her free executive CV template in order to see just what she does. Recruiters can become an affiliate for the LinkedIn Success Academy and start making money when they’re not working!
Join Over 40,000 Recruiters. Get our latest articles weekly, all FREE – SEND ME ARTICLES
Recruiters love this COMPLETE set of Accredited Recruitment & HR Training – View Training Brochure
