The signs are there that the UK economy is slowly coming out of the funk we have found ourselves in for the past half-decade. House prices are rising (slowly), unemployment is falling (slowly) and there are almost 600,000 more people in work today than there was a year ago.
At Asset Resourcing, we are adding new roles every day across all our service areas –
And we are seeing a consistently high calibre of candidate that we are delighted to put forward for interview. That said, we know that competition is fierce and job hunters need to gain the biggest advantage possible over their ‘rivals’ to secure the best roles but unfortunately for some, looking for that advantage can trigger ‘cardinal job searching sins’ that can do more damage than good…
1. Irrelevancy
Looking for your ideal role isn’t an ‘if I throw enough mud at the wall, some will stick’ exercise. Recruiters and HR Managers constantly receive applications from candidates who have little or no experience in the roles they are applying for but who believe in what Americans call the ‘spray and pray technique’.
It doesn’t work. It never has and it never will. Today’s job market is especially discerning and you will only be called for interview if your experience matches that which is required for the role.
2. Your qualifications
The first knowledge (and impression) recruiters have of you is by reading your CV. We understand your need to stand out but please don’t make claims that you can’t back up with evidence.
We’ve all seen the candidates on The Apprentice squirm when they are asked to explain anomalies on their CVs…
If you say you speak French but you struggle to order a ‘sandwich de fromage et jambon’ in a café, you don’t speak French. Similarly, don’t exaggerate your accomplishments or qualifications, professional or educationally. These facts are so easily checked (and they will be) that there really is no point. Plus, how long do you think you’d last in a job you are wholly under-qualified to do?
3. Money, money, money…
No-one can disagree that earning a lot of money for doing a job you love isn’t rewarding, but focussing on money sends out some very disturbing messages to recruiters who become reluctant to put you forward for interviews. It suggests (perhaps wrongly in some cases) that you are selfish, disloyal and at the first sniff of a higher-paying position somewhere else, you’d be off faster that the proverbial rat up a drainpipe.
4. Do you know what you’re qualified to do?
Don’t get us wrong, we applaud ambition. We are all ambitious but very few of us are delusional and they are the ones who are easy to spot. Not often these days, but we still get CVs from candidates who want us to put them forward for director or senior executive-level roles in which their experience and skill-sets don’t even come close to what’s required.
‘You can’t very well expect to come out of university after a six-month internship at a bank and expect to be interviewed for the vacant Global Head of Derivatives Trading at Goldman Sachs, it’s simply not going to happen’ says Asset Resourcing director Ben Sweeting. He continues ‘ambition is great, but realism is better, especially at the outset of a career.’
5. Communication
Following up on calls, CV submissions or interview feedback is expected and welcomed, it tells us that you are on top of what’s going on and efficient, traits any employer would covet.
However, calling or emailing once a day for status updates crosses that fine line between proactive and obsessive, a trait that employers most certainly don’t covet.
If you’re going through multiple interviews with a number of different companies, then perhaps more frequent contact is necessary but don’t hound your recruiter. Rest assured they are doing all they can (and in Asset Resourcing’s case, going way beyond what’s expected) and if there’s any news, they will be straight on the phone.
We know the job market is tough but as we’ve always said, in any economic climate, the most talented will always find employment and it’s our job to make sure one of them is you!
As always, if there’s any further information you need, have a look through the articles in our Candidate Clinic, or alternatively, call us on 01582 469 922 or email enquiries@assetresourcing.com
Ben Sweeting & Michelle Scott, Directors, Asset Resourcing