How to Get a Job in a Jobless World
Ok so the title isnò€™t strictly true. We donò€™t live in a jobless world but with the current economic climate and more and more redundancies announced every day, itò€™s hardly surprising that many graduates and executives are pessimistic regarding their chances when it comes to securing a position.With an increased number of applicantsò€™ chasing fewer jobs, the situation far from being ideal, is not entirely hopeless. Not only is there is a way to find vacancies but to massively increase the odds of selection success when you do. For many, the first step to finding work has them sifting through the ò€˜vacanciesò€™ pages of newspapers or visiting recruitment bureaux. In fact there are twelve other ways to locate vacancies in what is know as the ò€˜hiddenò€™ job market.
Once a vacancy has been found the next challenge is to beat the other candidates to the finishing post. The selection process for graduate and executive positions seems to becoming increasingly complex. The days when a candidate simply completed an application form followed by a one-on-one interview appear to be over. In the contemporary recruitment process it is not uncommon to be faced with psychological assessments, on-line tests, group assessments and a barrage of one-on-one and panel interviews. With such sophisticated selection procedures itò€™s hardly surprising that the whole process can be daunting, stressful and downright demoralising for the unsuccessful candidate but it doesnò€™t have to be this way.
In a recent interview a top recruiter revealed that many candidates for graduate and executive positions fall at the first hurdle, the application process. And of those that do get invited to an interview 90% donò€™t give themselves a chance, the reason is two-fold:
*Lack of preparation; many candidates openly admit that they fail to undertake adequate preparation, hoping that they will be able to handle the situation effectively by responding with the correct answers.
*Lack of understanding of the assessment process and what the recruiter is really looking for. Whilst there"s plenty of advice available for organisations on how to select recruits, there"s precious little for the candidate, so where to begin?
Recruiters are busy people with budgets, understandably they are unwilling to waste time and resources on candidates whose initial application or CV failed to catch their attention. A candidate who is prepared to submit a lack lustre application speaks volumes about their work ethic and values. Employers want to hire the kind of person who takes the trouble to plan, prepare and deliver their bestò€¦ someone who will utilise their skills for the benefit of the company and ensure its future success.
The starting point is therefore to make a great first impression. When completing an application form it is imperative that any guidance notes are followed to the letter. An example of an instruction that is frequently ignored is where candidates are asked to complete the form in black ink. The fundamental reason for this is because forms are photocopied and black ink produces the best reproduction results. However there is also a hidden tests here and very often recruitment officers will immediately discard applications completed in blue ink, not because they canò€™t be copied, but as it indicates that the candidate either:
*Cannot be bothered to read instructions
*Is too lazy to find a pen with the correct ink
*Is incapable of doing what they have been asked. Clearly none of these bode well with a prospective employer.
Having followed the instructions the next step is to demonstrate how the candidate meets the assessment criteria. Here it is important to give examples drawn from personal experience, this is no time for modesty; itò€™s vital that the opportunity to sell oneself is embraced with open arms.
The entire application must be completed in rough before being copied onto the form proper. Alterations and mistakes demonstrate a lack of care and attention to detail, which leads the employer to conclude that if an applicant canò€™t be bothered at this early stage they certainly wonò€™t be bothered once they get the job!
The next task is to prepare for the actual interview/assessment process. Preparation should fall into two categories: 1) research into the company or organisation 2) how the candidate can demonstrate that they meet the requirements of the position/needs of the company.
The Company or Organisation
A successful candidate is one who has taken time to research the target company, easily done via the Internet. Reading their mission statement, obtaining an insight into aims and objectives, operations and strategies, corporate plan, projections etc is all information that can be utilised during the assessment process. Even if not directly asked about certain aspects, the knowledge can be brought into answers or used by the candidate to demonstrate corporate awareness and to show that detailed preparation has been undertaken.
The Candidate
It is vital that the candidate becomes familiar with the assessment criteria and prepares a range of examples that demonstrate knowledge, skills and experience and talk in terms of the benefit that these would be to the employer. If something didnò€™t go to plan be honest, but talk about what was learnt from the experience and what changes would be made in future for an improved outcome.
Never forget that the successful applicant is rarely the best qualified. More often it is the person who has shown the greater attitude and has put the time and effort into effective preparation and who is able to read the interviewer and has the ability to take control of the situation, convincing them to choose them over rivals.
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