Since I joined the amazing Allora Collective team, I have been helping clients all over the world with their job searches, offer negotiations and relocation plans.
When reflecting on these success stories, I’ve identified common themes and advice that I want to share because these can be beneficial to everyone no matter what stage of career you’re in.
1. Adapt your CV to your target audience
Irrespective of the type of role, level and function you are applying for, the expectation is for your CV to include the appropriate metrics and/or accomplishments to illustrate that you are the right candidate to move forward to an interview.
Having been a recruiter for nearly 10 years now, if I see a CV without data and/or results achieved, this becomes a red flag to me because I wonder how commercially astute or analytical the candidate is. As a result, I might be less inclined to move forward and arrange an interview with that candidate.
As a side note, I personally believe that no matter your background or level of seniority, you should always try to include data points, accomplishments or results on your CV. This can be done by highlighting your KPIs or any other tangible achievements you have accomplished.
If you’re struggling to find a way to incorporate this into your CV, then start by booking a free session with us so we can get you started. We can also offer advice to help you tailor your CV to your target role or audience to better support your candidacy and improve your chances of being invited to interview.
Similarly, if you currently work in a very corporate environment and you’re looking to join a more creative and laid back organization, then think about the format of your CV.
The narrow-margin, black on white page CV that helped you get your current job will have to be re-designed to fit the expectations of your potential employer and its recruitment team. Look for templates in Canva or similar websites to make sure it will attract the right attention!
2. Customize HOW you approach companies and prospective connections on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is currently the best way to build your network and start engaging with prospective companies, and a tool that recruiters also use to find candidates for their open roles!
Whilst using LinkedIn as a job search networking tool is recommended, how you go about doing that needs to be carefully planned, structured and regularly reviewed. Most importantly, consider whether your approach is engaging and appropriate for what you seek from those connections.
Sending a message saying you have applied for X role or saying you’d like to be considered for X position is not enough. Your approach needs to be targeted to the person you want to connect with or speak to. As a recruiter, I’ve had to craft more LinkedIn messages than I can count and when looking to engage with candidates, as much as I’d love to tell you what the best answer is, there simply isn’t one.
This is because you need to adapt each message to the types of roles you want and/or the company you want to engage with. Again, make sure it’s adapted to your audience and engaging enough that someone will reply to you.
*For samples of these types of job search networking templates read our other blog post ‘6 Job Search Message Templates To Land Anything From An Introduction To An Interview’ and download the free pdf in the post.
3. Make time to articulate your aspirations and expectations to ensure your career decisions align with your goals
In my previous blog titled “How To Determine If The Company You Are Interviewing For Is the Right One For You?” I explained how important it is to do self-reflective work to be confident that you know what type of company and team you belong working with, based on your career goals and personal preferences.
I can’t stress enough how important this is! Communicating and understanding your goals will save you a considerable amount of time, especially if you find yourself with several offers on the table or if you are having multiple interviews.
If you’re running out of time and have to make a decision under pressure, then the best advice here is simply: what do you want in your career and life and will this opportunity help you achieve it? Is it flexible working hours, working for a start-up and helping a company grow, or working for an established enterprise scale company with innovative technology?
Developing a career strategy that aligns with your goals is of course very personal, but our team of coaches help people create that type of framework that you can reference and adapt as you move forward in your job search process and career.
A final word of advice
Consider your CV and message templates works in progress. Review them from time to time and re-calibrate to make sure they are adapted to the audience you are targeting, that they are personalised and most importantly, that you are clear on your aspirations.
If you need a second opinion, reach out to us so that we can help you secure that job!
