One of the most common responses I hear from job seekers is that they never hear back from employers regarding their job applications. Sometimes it takes months to get a decent job. Below are some basic suggestions that I recommend you implement asap. 1. Have a Target Strategy You must have a target employer strategy. Companies give a lot of preference to candidates coming from the same or similar industry and who have dealt with their product or service. This means, if you have worked in a bank, then banks or financial institutions will be your targeted employers. If you have worked with a compressor manufacturer then other rotating equipment manufacturers or distributors will be your target employer.
Draw a list of your targeted companies by a simple "google search", then focus on your new targets to start with. Competitor companies will be the best bet. Stay focused on targeted searches.
2. Tailor Make your resume and cover letter Every CV and cover letter must be tailored for the job advertisement or company you are applying. It is good to have a generic resume that contains a whole lot of information and then pick and choose what goes into your application.
Write your cover letter such that the hiring manager feels you know them and that your cover letter has been crafted for them specifically (and not everyone). The same with your CV. Search people who are (or have worked) with the company in a similar role. Have a look at the words and job descriptions in their profile and prepare your CV (without misrepresentation) accordingly. Read this to know how to tailor-make your CV for a job.
3. Smart Space Utilization in Your CV A large number of resumes I read, have a wastage of space. The top one third of your CV is very important. Don't waste this by putting down your name and photo. In fact you can utilize a lot of personal information from left to right and top to bottom with important information. Your contact number, email, LinkedIn link, highest education degree, and language fluencies can go down there.
4. Make Your CV Short After extensively researching hiring manager and human resource department preferences and feedback, CVs three or more pages tend to receive 10%-20% attention by default for review as compared to one page CVs which is 50%-60%, and 2 pages CVs which is 30-40% attention assuming correct applications. This does not mean that all one-page CVs are read.
Your CV can be two pages, but most should be one page especially if you have less than 5-7 years of experience. After having worked for 20 years, I still have a 1 page CV and a separate single-page list of accomplishments and achievements.
Recommended length of Your CV
Less than 5-7 years of experience - ONE Page is Perfect, but not more than 2 pages
More than 5 years experience - TWO Pages is very good but not more than 3 pages
CVs more than 3 pages have tended to be read the least. Read the complete blog here
5. Prepare an Accomplishment based CV Sharing your job description or responsibilities is most common in every resume. If you require your resume to stand out, then prepare an achievement-based CV based on numbers and %. With every job description point, ask yourself: What was the outcome I achieved? For example, instead of a bullet point that reads "Led a project to automate time cards", you could adjust the line to: “Led the time card automated project that saved the company AED 10,000 per quarter and reduced payroll processing time by 20%. 6. Take LinkedIn Seriously A strong LinkedIn profile attracts the right kind of attention from recruitment agencies and hiring managers. It helps you build a reliable network, and is a convenient and easy way to showcase your work, skill set, and passions. It is a great place to show off all the great things people have to say about you.
Your LinkedIn recommendations can be a huge selling point for those who might be looking to hire you. After all, nothing makes you look better than praise from an important client, an old boss, or a close colleague. We all have good and bad experiences with social or networking media, but a good LinkedIn profile will definitely be looked into. 7. Strengthen Your Social Media Presence The reality is that hiring managers are looking at your social media just as thoroughly as your resume or cover letter. In fact, 45% of hiring managers use social media to learn more about potential candidates. Which means you want it to be just as polished.
But cleaning up your online image doesn’t mean you need to change everything about who you are. It just means you may need to monitor how you post or what you share (and with whom). So clean up your social media. Comb through all your social profiles and ensure you’re comfortable with your privacy settings—i.e., what potential employers can see. Remove anything that could be perceived as offensive, including badmouthing former employers. No company wants to hire a problem.
Read more about why you must clean up your social media Pay close attention to these details. You could increase the chance to land the perfect job and be on your way to a dream career.