Job Search Strategies

Before you get started on your job search, you need to clean up your online content and I mean clean it up now, or at the very least check to see that everything is OK in the online world!

This is one of the first steps you need to make, before you even start redeveloping your marketing documents, such as résumé / CV and LinkedIn profile.  WHY?

Well, I want you to picture the typical scenario playing out across the globe. The recruiter or HR Officer makes a shortlist of résumés and then Google’s the job candidate. They are not necessarily looking for ‘digital dirt’, but looking for clues in the online presence, with the online presence effectively being the ‘online résumé. From tweets, blogs, web profiles, images, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok and status updates, a profile of the job candidate is being established.

If any dirt pops up, inappropriate photographs, presence in seedy forums or information that paints the job candidate in a negative light (e.g., a tweet or Facebook post complaining about work, illegal recreational drug use, sexual or drunken weekend exploits), then the candidate will find their résumé designated to the ‘do not interview pile’.

[Read more…] about Social Media is fair game for recruiters and employers

If you are a professional, manager, consultant, business owner or executive, then no doubt you are on LinkedIn.

Yet like many users, you only go on LinkedIn or use the platform if interested in changing jobs. Then when you are on the platform and NEED someone such as a Recruiter to be interested in you, you struggle to attract the right sort of opportunities, even when your profile is 100% complete and you are an All-Star.

So today, I’m going to share with you 3 quick fixes that will only take a few minutes to implement, that will improve the amount of engagement and interest that you get from recruiters.

[Read more…] about 3 Quick fixes on LinkedIn that could triple your success

Securing top talent is a priority, as business success depends on hiring the right person. The smaller your organisation – the greater the imperative to get the right person onboard, as one wrong hire could dramatically impact your results.

Yet in spite of understanding the need to hire right, the Michael Page SME Hiring Challenges Survey, noted that up to 50% of SMEs said that they settled for someone who is okay, as opposed to someone that was fantastic and struggled to secure top talent, during the recruitment process.

In the meantime, in the ‘other world’ of Certified Master Resume Writers, we are engaged by top talent, as they are struggling to secure a great job.

Now, I’m not going to say that everyone I’ve worked with is top talent. I would say it is split 20/40/39/01.

• That is 20% who are genuine top talent and you should grab while you can;
• 40% who are solid performers and given the right opportunity could shine;
• 39%, I’m sorry that I made them sound so good on paper, when I know they are not going to contribute in a massive way to your organisation, and
• The 1% that we all want to fire.

To make my point that many employers/recruiters are missing out on top talent because of their recruitment practices, I’m going to provide a few case studies to illustrate my point. These are as follows:

[Read more…] about My advice to recruiters and employers. There is talent out there, you just need to broaden your thinking on recruitment.

LinkedIn works, or rather LinkedIn works if you know how to use it properly. Yes, it requires time. Yes, not everyone is actively engaged in LinkedIn and yes, there are privacy concerns. But the reality is – recruiters view this tool as one of their top tools to find talent. If you are that top talent, LinkedIn is a pretty useful place to be found.

So, when I go on LinkedIn and I’m faced with a barrage of unprofessional conduct, it makes me cringe. For LinkedIn to work, you need to stop treating LinkedIn like Facebook. In no particular order:

Profile Pictures

• Don’t post a half naked picture of yourself.
• Avoid a profile picture that has you as cute as pie, or posed as a sex god, or goddess.
• A picture of your pet dog, or cat is just not appropriate.
• Don’t have a picture of yourself surrounded by your family.

By all means, post these wonderful pictures of yourself on Facebook. Just keep in mind, that unless your Facebook is locked down into private mode, recruiters and headhunters will also see these pictures of you, as most recruiters and employers will be checking your social media profiles. A picture of you having a great time at a party is entirely appropriate on Facebook.  It is not appropriate on LinkedIn.  Keep the profile picture professional!

[Read more…] about Stop treating LinkedIn like Facebook