We're All in This Together: Scoring a Job in a (Past) Pandemic World

We are all overwhelmed with the same news. Financial markets are disrupted. Recently successful companies are laying off an enormous amount of people as they are no longer competitive or sustainable. Our favourite restaurants are “closing for good”. Our friends and colleagues are on Kurzarbeit. We all have been hit by the crisis in many different ways and too many different extents.

Reading such news every day might make us feel that we lost control and have absolutely no impact on what is going on. It is true to some extent. We can not control the virus, besides following the social distancing rules. We can not simply stop the volatility of financial markets. We might not be able to create more work places in the near future to provide everyone with a job.

But I truly believe that there is something each and everyone of us can do. We can share our knowledge and tips that we have learned. We all thrived in different domains, companies, or simply everyday situations. So why not create the biggest knowledge sharing session and help everyone who is seeking support?

Having seen thousands, maybe even tens of thousands CV’s in my professional career, conducting hundreds of interviews, and leading a vast amount of hiring processes, I believe there are a few tips that I could share with anyone who’s preparing for a job hunt.

Now, the two main lessons that I have learned as a Recruiter. First, is that Quality always goes over Quantity (thank you N26!). Second, is that Time is Money.

Quality over Quantity

When it comes to the first rule, I would like to address a few different points.

CV

Despite the fact how many amazing achievements we all have done, an average recruiter spends on average 8 seconds screening a CV. I learned this in 2015 while doing my Masters and understanding some huge corporations in the market. So, I would assume that in 2020 an average Start Up Recruiter spends on average even less than 8 seconds on screening a CV.

• So, to have a good shot to be selected for the next round, make sure your CV reflects all the high quality achievements you have. Do not make it too long. There are plenty of amazing resources out there that will help you for little or no money to build an amazing and readable CV template. Try this, or this, or maybe this one, or simply look for anything else that would fit your taste.
• If you are a Tech candidate, make sure you use the technologies and tools as the “buzz words” right next to your experiences. To test how visible this is, give your CV to a friend and ask in 5 seconds how many of those they have identified.
• If you are a Business candidate, follow the same approach, but when describing your core responsibilities in the “buzz word” manner. For example, for a Recruiter it would be “End to end hiring”, “Sourcing”, “Interviewing”, “Employer Branding”, “Candidate Experience”, etc.
• If you are wondering whether a picture that might take up to 25% of your free CV space is a good idea, probably try without it at first. I personally have nothing against it, but would way rather see a tiny link to your LinkedIn profile instead. There you could add anything that did not fit into your one page CV. Use this space wisely to speak about everything great you have done.
• When it comes to your education and university degrees, you should definitely highlight this. However do not take too much space. All the information that will be needed to be reconfirmed, will be requested at further steps.

Your first interview (Recruiter Screen)

As you have finalised your CV and secured a first call with a Recruiter, the same rule should apply. Think of what you have done that really is important for the company. What have you done that makes you stand out? Sounds a bit vague, so I prepared a few more concrete tips:

• Create an introduction about yourself of approximately 7 minutes. On average, a recruiter screen takes 30 minutes. First few minutes are dedicated to welcoming you to the company and an ice breaker. Then it is your turn. If you take too much time, a recruiter might not be able to ask you enough questions and might doubt your communication skills. If you speak for too little, that would suggest a lack of presentation skills. The time interval of 5-7 minutes would give you enough time to speak without rushing, while covering the core information.
• Start from your current experience and move along to the less recent ones. Do not start with your university degree, unless you are applying for a junior role. A recruiter has reviewed your CV and unless they ask won’t be looking for more clarification.
• Now it is time to speak about the “core/important information”. This means speaking purely from your personal experience, when I ask a candidate to present themselves and share the core information, I ask for:

Name of the company;

title;

core responsibilities;

team size;

most impactful project they have done;

learnings out of it.

• Listen carefully to the questions and answer them. Not only it is frustrating when candidates do not pay attention during the interview, but you will not be conveying your experience to the requirements of the role. So while having your first chat, do not take it as “Passing a gate keeper” call. Take it as “Only chance to make a first impression”. Listen carefully to the questions and answer in a concise matter. Do not forget to bring examples!
• Ask questions at the end. I personally perceive a “I have no questions” answer as a lack of motivation. There is definitely something you would like to know! If you struggle to come up with them, I could suggest some of the meaningful questions that I ask myself when interview for a role:

Tell me a little bit more about my potential manager. How would you describe their personality and ways of working with the team and individuals?

How would my performance be measured within my first 1/3/6 months?

What is the biggest challenge a team goes through atm?

Is it a new or a replacement role? Why?

What personality traits and skills I would need to have to be successful in this role?

How do you define success for this role?

• Do not forget to do salary research while keeping our principal “Quality over Quantity” in mind. You should not ask for too little, but also it might be harmful if you ask for too much. I personally believe that your future salary that you ask for should be based on your thorough research. During my calls I get a lot of “Well, now I earn x,y,z”. All right, this is indeed important. However if you move from a corporate to a tiny start up, or from London to Berlin it might simply not be relevant. Hence, while doing the research we should all also keep these points in mind: company’s size, location. 

Time is Money

Ok, when it comes to rule number two, it is as straightforward as it gets. If you are looking for a job, make sure you try to stay on point.

• For example, if you are looking for a Senior Software Engineer role, probably it is not the best idea to apply for a Junior or Mid- level role and at the end of the interview to mention that to a Recruiter. If you do not see a suitable placement, reach out to a recruiter or a team member and let them know about your interest. Probably there is something else that might fit you better.
• Another important thing to keep in mind is the notice period or your availability. I have never seen a business that has said “We will need this person in 6 months”. Let’s face it, the deadline is always “yesterday”. Therefore while having a call, you should already have in mind your potential availability.
• If you did apply for a role and asked to move forward, it is expected that you have time for it. So, it makes sense to clear your calendar a little bit in order to be able to go through the interviews.

In a nutshell, this is it. I believe by following these simple rules might help anyone get a bit closer to a new exciting opportunity. However, the very last advice that I could give is be yourself and be passionate. Skills are indeed important, however we’ve all had to learn everything we know in the here and now. So the only asset that you actually bring to the table is your passion, motivation, and a great ambition.

Good luck!