Job seeker do’s and don’ts

Maximizing your job search results by following
these obvious do’s and don’ts.

Adaped by ENG

DO's


1. Be Honest

Experienced recruiters and head-hunters know what to look for and they will do so thorough background checks. Do not incriminate yourself by misrepresenting your intentions, your background, your experience, or qualifications. You will be found out.

2. Ask Questions

Ask about the recruiters experience level, client base, and area of expertise.

Or read about our recruiters (Search Partners) as we like to call them on our website.

Australia / Canada / New Zealand / South Africa / UK / USA

3. Follow Up

Any recruiter wants to know that the job seeker is interested in a position. It’s okay to follow up on a job application after two weeks.

4. Be Professional

Recruiters may not make the final decision, but they are the very first point of contact or entry into a company. You should treat them as if they are a hiring manager at the company where you want to be employed. Proofread all written communication, and be sure to maintain professionalism in all interactions with a recruiter.

5. Work With Multiple Recruiters

It is good to work with more than one recruiter. However, you should keep it to 2-3 at the most, or else you'll saturate the market. When you have multiple recruiters representing you to the same client, it is a sticky situation for everyone involved. It can also make you look desperate. Again, keep your recruiters informed, and they will be more likely to work for you.

DON'TS


1. Don’t Disappear

If you decide you’re not interested in a job, let the recruiter know!

A good recruiter is not going to try to pressure you, but if you pull a disappearing act you could be "flagged", so that no other recruiters at that company, or in that network, will work with you in the future.

To decline an interview, notify the recruiter in a polite and professional way, and tie up loose ends so that the door will be left open for future positions.

2. Don’t be a Pest

Follow up is good... pestering is bad.

It’s ok to follow up one or two times a week throughout the process, if you’re awaiting feedback. This shows interest and tenacity. However, if you call ten times a day, you will appear desperate, which is bad for a job search!

3. Don’t Take it Personally

If a recruiter doesn’t call you back, follow up as noted above. If he or she still doesn’t respond, it doesn’t mean there is something wrong with you. It just means that your skill set is not a match for their current openings. Try sending an email stating that you’d like to be considered for other positions and leave it at that. Most successful recruiters cannot possibly return every candidate call or discuss every turn-down. It’s just not realistic based on the volume of candidates each recruiter is handling.

4. Never go Around a Recruiter to Their Client

This is a sure way to get blacklisted, and it almost never works in your favour. If the recruiter has already presented your information to the client, and then you contact the client, the client company now has a dilemma as to who gets credit for the candidate. This could ultimately affect your candidacy, because sometimes the simplest solution for the hiring manager who’s caught in the middle is to remove you from consideration.

You might also be interested in reading...

Top 5 Resume Tips
Double Dating and Double Crossing

Attention Age...

If you thought we are living in the information age, think again... that’s sooo five minutes ago !

We are living in the attention age.

It’s time to put the focus on yourself.

Grab the attention... be bold, be specific, be informative, just don’t go overboard.

Try and stay professional whilst “grabbing”.

We were all blessed with rare talents.
Some followed up on their s’, while others preferred not to.  
But let’s assume you did...

You are a professional person, with a good qualification, looking for your next career opportunity.

When looking for a job opportunity, you contact a recruiter, send them your CV, and expect them to do all the work, right?  WRONG !

There is something you can do while waiting for the recruiter to find you a job.

Start grabbing some attention.

There are so many sites on the web, where you can “grab”.
So many free sites !

In the previous Blog Post we focused on the LinkedIn Summary... an ideal way to focus the attention from future employers and head-hunters on your expertise.

Keep it short and sweet.

Focus the attention of the reader on your abilities.

Another attention grabber is your profile picture...

Did you know... you don’t have to be an oil painting to include your profile picture, and that a picture speaks a thousand words? Now if you were to ignore this fact, and don’t include a profile picture in your LinkedIn profile, you are missing out ! Show the people looking at your profile what you look like...
attention, attention, attention...   It’s your turn to shine !!

It might be your only chance... use it to your advantage, but remember...
LinkedIn is formal.

That doesn’t mean choler and tie, just a nice straight, look-into-the-lens type of picture.

Not the one where you where you stand on a cliff miles away from the camera, not the one where you posed as Santa under last year’s Christmas tree, and not one where you stand with other people.

It’s about YOU !!  remember.

Twitter, can also be used to grab some attention for yourself.

Why not try it... focus on your expertise.
Share your knowledge with the world.
Make people aware of what you know, they are sure to follow...

Don’t be the pitiful job seeker type with an attitude of I-don’t-get-recognized-much.

Develop AGP... Attention Grabbing Personality.

NOW is the right time.

Read more about tips for creating the perfect profile pic here

Write a Compelling Summary for Your LinkedIn Profile.

LInkedIn user… by know you must know that the summary is possibly the most important part of your LinkedIn profile. Some people sign up for LinkedIn, load a profile picture, slap on their website’s URL and add a couple of lines about what they do for a living. However, you’re missing the point. You are not doing enough to “sell” yourself. Having a LinkedIn profile is all about expanding your business and your network. Your summary is a vital catalyst for you to achieve your goals using this popular social network.


Let me share 5 tips on how to write an engaging summary for your LinkedIn profile.

1. “Sell” yourself…

Put your best foot forward – Pile on all your unique selling points in your summary and get people hooked on to you as a talented professional. Without overdoing it, list your expertise. Tell people who you are, what you are capable of doing, and for how long have you been doing it. If you’re looking for a new opportunity, include it in your summary. But don’t forget to mention what qualities you can offer.

2. Be super interesting…

Try not to be boring. This should be your elevator pitch. Remember… NO big words, NO jargon, NO phrases that sounds like an automatic mission statement generator. You are talking to real people. Humor is appreciated only when used tastefully.

3. Use attention-grabbing words…

Challenge: 
(I love a challenge and will rise to the occasion to make any endeavor a success)
Creativity: 
(I’ve been told that creativity is one of my best traits)
Inspiration: 
(I find inspiration in the simplest of things - everyday things, all around me)
Love: 
(The most popular and powerful word to use)-(I love live, and it love’s me back…)

4. Do some keywords research on the job/s you want

“There are many reasons why people create LinkedIn profiles, but one of the major reasons is due to career advancement. You should ideally have an idea what jobs you would like to apply for, and then create your profile to match the job’s requirements”.

A good idea is to do a search on the company you want to work for - see what the company is after and jot down relevant keywords throughout your profile.

5. You’re writing a summary, NOT a biography…

Josue Sierra said; “write in the first person rather than the third. Writing in the third person can make you look arrogant and pompous”. Never a good idea.



Thanks to DeoBlog – This is a revised version.

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