Job Search Tips 4 and 5 in a previous post refer to the need to continuously adapt your applications and approaches and also to keep up to date.
This should be obvious to you, but as always, it is easy to overlook some of these techniques and miss out on opportunities. Therefore I want to go into a little more detail on these two tips.
Adapt and Target
Although I have already spoken about the need to have a thorough and clear understanding of what you have to offer and what you are looking for, but that is really only half of the story.
I am currently researching the laptops so I can upgrade to one that will suit me best. In this respect I have noted down all the things I feel I might want to use it for (my last one needed to be ultra portable – so light and small – which meant I had specific specs in mind which have now changed). The thing is that I am not particularly technical so having listed all the things I feel I need, I now have to read up on more technical and sales sites so that I can learn the language to use.
Although I will be the ‘shopper’ in this case, the principle is still the same – if I want to get the best deal I can, I need to be able to speak the same language and ask the right questions.
When it comes to you applying for a job, you have to use your understanding of what you want but adapt your CV or application to the language of the recruiters.
This is because of:
The ATS – Applicant Tracking System, which is basically the key word search system they use.
Once you have successfully ensured that the words you are using (including technical language, systems, platforms, specific experience etc) has flagged up your application, someone will then read it. This is when you have the opportunity to make sure you are noticed. You do this by not only matching their language but also the priorities the recruiters have indicated.
Think about, if you are asked to write a shopping list from scratch, you would probably itemise the most important first and then start filling in some of the other things. This is what happens in a job description as well, the things they mention first are often the most important, so make sure you place these in priority position on your application.
To recap. You have a CV that should be a true reflection of what you have to offer a recruiter. This would be your master copy. Then you can analyse the individual roles you are actually wanting to apply to and adapt and target your application to get the maximum attention.
Keeping Current and Up to Date
It is really easy to get comfortable with processes and applications which can lead to us becoming dated in our thinking
For example, if something has worked for you previously like getting your employment through a recruitment agency, you will be inclined to replicate your actions this time round.
Also, if you have become comfortable with one specific platform you may struggle with changing to a different one. Personally, I usually use Zoom and am very happy with that, but recently I needed to work on Teams which highlighted the fact that I had allowed my Outlook familiarity to lapse. The result of this is that I would not be quite as relaxed coaching people on Teams if I didn’t do some homework, which would not only reflect poorly on me but would also mean I am not giving all my attention to my clients and therefore perhaps not helping them as much as I could.
Make sure you do your homework and understand where you have allowed your knowledge, experience, skills to lapse so you can up-skill and practice where necessary.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss any of these further you can contact me or look for the Job Search Techniques workshops especially Workshop Step 3