Want to improve your job search? Here are three DOs and three DON’Ts

Firstly, thanks for clicking on my article - this is in fact the first article that I've posted on LinkedIn!

I thought it would be good to start with what I do and why I’m writing this article. After graduating in the summer, I started a career in the highly disputed world of recruitment, and seven months later, I can tell you for certain that I'm loving the recruitment roller-coaster! I'd like to think that I'm a bit different to many people in my industry with the approach I take when working with candidates, and hopefully this article is an example of that.

On a day-to-day basis I work with individuals in the Project Delivery market of technology. Clearly this means that I work with people who are searching for their next job, and for some this can be quite hard. Whether you are struggling to find the right role for a better work-life balance, or IR35 is causing you a problem as a contractor, people always have something to blame their inability to secure that next role. I hope that the below points will help, so have a read of my three DOs and three DON’Ts and take control of improving your job search.

DOs:

1 - Always say yes to a conversation about your job search.

An obvious one, right? Surely when you're looking for a new role you're always open to a conversation with a consultant or whoever it might be, even if they don't have the right opportunity for you? I bet when you pick up the phone to a recruiter, the first thing you think is 'has this person got a role for me', and if it becomes clear that they don't then you switch off.

My advice is to be open to any conversation even if that person hasn't currently got a role which is right for you. What if next week they have the right role but because you weren't invested in that call and you didn't convey your skill set correctly, they don't have the correct information to align you with the role of your dreams?

But it's on your CV, right? Why do you need to tell somebody things that they can find on your CV? If you give someone 10 minutes of your time, build some rapport, give them a good, succinct understanding of your key skills, and what you're looking for, then they are so much more likely to remember you and call you back. If you give them the cold shoulder and aren't willing to go into detail, then your CV remains a white sheet of paper with black writing on it.

2 - Go to networking events or meetups.

You always say you'll go to them; you always think they'd be a great for your development, you always think you'll get so much out of them, but you never go - why? We all have busy lives, and that's understandable. However, I urge you to choose one event a month to attend - it's only one weeknight a month! Often finding a job is like doing a job, and if you don't invest time in networking then you're not doing your job properly! You will meet potential hiring managers, future colleagues, and maybe even future clients. You will also learn new things about the space in which you work, and might even find a new job - what's to lose?

As a consultant who runs a meetup in Central London (checkout Agile Xpertise on Meetup.com), I always encourage my candidates to go to events because it means they can meet me face-to-face in a relaxed environment. It makes you much more memorable to anyone you're working with, but it helps you build your network. I guarantee this will improve your job search as I see it first-hand every month.

3 - Use LinkedIn for more than just looking for job adverts.

I can't encourage this enough. If I was looking for a job for myself, I'd move away from applying aimlessly to job adverts, and writing covering letter after covering letter. Get yourself out there. Write a list of 20 companies that you'd like to work for (even if they don't have job openings) and look them up on LinkedIn. Find the people in that company you think probably make the decisions about hiring and connect with them. If you're a Project Manager, who did you report into in your last role? The Programme Manager? Great, who's the Programme Manager at those 20 companies? Drop them a connection – it doesn’t hurt.

Being proactive with your job search is essential. Sure, your recruiters are telling you that they're doing this, and I'm sure they are, but remember that this is your job search and if you're also doing this then it will surely speed up your time to be hired!

DON’Ts:

1 – DON’T work with loads of agencies.

Great, you've got 15 recruiters who have your CV and are 'putting the feelers out', you can sit back and relax, right? NO! When candidates tell me, they're working with lots of agencies and they've got their CVs with lots of recruiters, it really puts me off. Find a consultant who specialises in your area. If you're a Business Analyst who works in the telecoms space, then find a consultant who works as tightly as possible in that space and leave your search with them. That consultant will be more willing to put the time and effort into your job search. If they know your CV is with 15 other consultants who are sending your CV everywhere it means you're more likely to jump ship.

Pitch exclusivity with your consultant - I love it when candidates do this because it means they're taking their job search seriously. Sure, don't leave your search with them for 2 months, just say that you'll give them 1 or 2 weeks of exclusivity. If another recruiter calls you then that's fine, but just say that you're not sending out your CV to anyone else for the moment because you're working with someone else exclusively.

NB: As per my first ‘DO’, take the call and tell them what you’re looking for but don’t send your CV to everyone – definitely build that relationship though.

2 – DON’T apply to the same advert twice.

This is a classic one which I see a lot. There's always that candidate who applies to the same job twice a week because they've got no idea of where they've applied to, and don't remember reading the advert when I call them. If someone applies to a role of mine more than once, then most of the time it's not even worth looking at their CV. It suggests to me as a consultant that they are sitting down at 6pm every evening, and just applying for anything and everything that shows up on the job boards. As a consultant, I want to work with talented individuals who are taking their job search seriously so I can place them with companies that I know they will genuinely love, rather than just chucking candidates at clients because the candidate will take the first thing that they get offered.

3 – DON’T have a CV and LinkedIn mismatch.

I can't emphasise how important this is. It looks unprofessional when your LinkedIn profile and CV don't match up, and it's something I always look out for. If they don't match up then either you're lazy, you're lying on one, or you're not taking your job search seriously enough.

Your LinkedIn is just as important as your CV. LinkedIn is a fantastic method of finding great candidates and it's something any good recruiter will be using all the time, and that is the first reason for why your profile needs to look good, be correct, and be up to date. Secondly, I bet every hiring manager who looks at your CV will look at your LinkedIn too as a second reference, so it's bad if the two don't marry up or if your LinkedIn looks rubbish.

Summary:

I hope I’ve given you some guidance on where you might be going wrong with your job search. There are many other things you can do to improve your search, but I’d say the most important thing is to be proactive in terms of trying different things. If anyone wants a chat regarding their job search or anything in the world of recruitment, then drop me a connection and I’ll be very happy to chat.

Ben Moulton

Recruitment Consultant | Xpertise Recruitment Ltd | London