Ramping up your response rate
So you’re on the hunt for a change in career, spending hours a day trolling through your favourite Job boards. Then you spot it, standing out like a house on fire is your perfect job title! No time for second thoughts, you need to apply before someone else snatches your dream job and after attaching your CV you frantically hit send. Relief kicks in and you bubble with excitement in waiting for a reply.
Soon applying for this dream job starts to feel like a distant memory and before you know it, a week has gone and you haven’t heard a word. You know you were perfect for that job, so why didn’t anyone contact you? I may have the answer.
It’s your first impression – Get it right!
Most people say first impressions are the ones that count, and when you’re seeking a job, this first impression is your CV. So how much effort did you really put into it? This is your chance to really sell yourself and surprisingly most people do not fully utilise this opportunity. Employers aren’t interested in how pretty it looks and how many different colours you have used, they only want to know who you are and what you do.
No White Lies
Your CV sells you as a trust worthy individual, listing key employment dates but wait; these dates do not match the ones on your LinkedIn profile. So you said you worked there a bit longer than you did, it’s only a white lie right? Wrong. Make sure there are no discrepancies between as your CV and your social media.
Where’s your experience?
You’ve applied for a Marketing Manager position when your experience on your CV clearly reads that you have been a PA for the past 10 years. You may not see the problem with this as you know the skills you have gained are transferable, but the employer does not know this. You should tailor-make your CV for each different position you apply for, ensuring to make it as achievements based as possible instantly highlighting your best skills for the role are.
So if you’re someone who has not been hearing back regarding your job applications maybe you need to spend some time checking your CV. Is it neat, relevant, and clean of mistakes? Ask yourself the question, is my CV relevant to this job and would you employ you based on this. Remember, this is your first chance to sell yourself and getting this right is almost certain to improve your response rate.