Looking for media/marketing jobs in a challenging environment.

?I have been job hunting now for 2 months. I have applied for 16 roles and registered/submitted CVs with 15 recruiters. I have had interviews with one company (came second unfortunately, but great people and an interesting experience) and have an initial HR chat with another company next week, which I am excited about.

Apart from that, I have only heard back from one recruiter (email and a phone call) and 4 of the companies (emails saying I was unsuccessful, with no reason given, or telling me the role had now been filled).

Recruiter ghosting is a definite phenomenon, and it can be pretty depressing putting yourself out there again and again and getting nothing back. So, I thought mention a few things that might help if you are in a similar situation, along with some tips to help you beat things like AI filters and get you front of mind.

Don’t take it personally

No calls back? It’s not you, it’s them. Most recruiters are still not at the staffing levels they enjoyed pre-covid. The pandemic saw their numbers cut, and at the same time any roles they did have on their desks were getting loads of applicants, and they just couldn’t deal with it. When I got my role at BT in October 2020, I was told there were 238 other applicants (most of them probably not relevant)!

It’s not quite as bad now, but recruiters still have more applicants than they can possibly all reply to.

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Beware of AI

Pop your CV on Chat GPT and ask it to optimise it for getting through AI filters that look at job applications. It will change some of the language to make it more concise and understandable.

Get the balance right - If you have too much detail in your previous experience, it might go against you. 3-5 bullet points for each relevant previous role should be enough.

AI will check how many things your skillset has in common with the job description. That in mind, the next bit is dead important…

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Make your CV perfect for them

You can do this without having to lie! Just ensure your CV covers off all of the skillsets you have that are mentioned in the job description. The more matches there are, the better fit AI will think you are.

Adjust your CV and any cover note for each different job you are applying for, making sure you display the same values as them, and use similar language. You will endear yourself to the person that wrote it.

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Make people aware that you are open for work

Change your status on LinkedIn and do a post to tell people you are open for work. I did this and as well as starting a few conversations, I got encouragement from many acquaintances and some people even shared my status with positive comments about me. That post has had over 4,250 impressions and 6 people reposted it.

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Take advice from everyone who offers – in fact, ask for advice

If you get to speak to a recruiter, ask them to take a look at your CV and make any suggested changes. One recruiter also sent me 3 example CVs that she said were the best formats and styles.

If you have a friend or colleague who recently got a new job, ask them if you can see their CV for a bit of inspiration.

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Get LinkedIn Premium

It’s available on a free trial, so use it for that month at least. It’s about ￡35 a month after that, which is worth it if it helps you get a new job, and you can cancel whenever you like.

Premium can help you check how relevant a job is for you, comparing your profile to the job description. It gives you a summary of where your strengths are and also what areas you need to fatten up on your profile and CV.

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Don’t be shy!

If the job description does not have a wage mentioned, when you have your first conversation (probably with their HR person), ask up front what the wage is. There is no point wasting either of your time for a second longer if the money is not right.

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Use your network

Set yourself the task of messaging or replying to content from 2 or 3 of your connections each day. Saying hi to an old colleague not only gets conversations going that could help you find work, but it also gives you a little lift amongst the mundanity of job seeking.

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And now the most important bit - balance your days

Looking for a job is a full-time job, right? Wrong. You need to keep your mental health in check and look after yourself. Spending all of day each day job hunting will wear you down and can become more frustrating the longer it goes on. At some point you will hit a wall, and you need to look after yourself.

Perhaps allocate a portion if the day for jib hunting, that works for you within your daily routine. I like to do it from 9am-12pm, giving me a purpose to get out of bed. I search for roles on LinkedIn, with recruiters, but I also look at notifications, I congratulate people on promotions, I reply to threads with comments etc., to put myself out there and get me at the front of people’s minds.

Make the rest of the day about you. Maybe go for a walk and listen to an interesting podcast or go to the gym. Try a new hobby, maybe. I have been doing watercolour painting for the first time in over 30 years and it has been thoroughly enjoyable.

Try to speak to people, call a friend or family member if you live alone. Those little bits of contact can really help.