How to get a recruitment consultants attention

Enter the words ‘career advice’ and ‘job search’ into Google Рor pretty much any combination of words that relate to finding a new job for that matter Рand you’ll come across a number of associated terms such as ‘personal branding’ and ‘candidate of choice’.

Many people simply pay lip service to such terms, often dismissing them as fancy phrases that mean very little. But for recruiters like us, they are the very essence of what makes one applicant stand apart from another. So how can you raise your personal brand as a job seeker and get on the radar of recruiters as a candidate of choice?

Our job is to find that diamond in the rough that employers want, and your job is to demonstrate that you are the candidate we need to be engaging with. Here we take a look at four of the most effective ways you can do exactly that:

Use social media…in the right way:

If you use Twitter (and you should), post and share relevant news stories or articles that are of interest to the sector you work in. Follow key influencers (such as industry leaders and recruitment agencies who recruit for the types of role you are looking for) and do the same with LinkedIn. But don’t just post and share content on your LinkedIn profile Рdo so in those Groups where your peers ‘hang out’ the most.

Why it matters: This shows that you have your finger on the pulse of what is happening in your sector, not to mention making it easier for us to find you online. It also shows that you recognise the importance to be socially connected and the way that helps you build both your personal profile and the business you represent.

Write your way into a new job:

If you consider yourself to be an expert in your field, write about it. The world is full of so-called ‘experts’ but few people actually show that they really do know their stuff. You don’t need to have the writing ability of a laureate – simply sharing your knowledge, opinions and insight into some of the key stories or challenges facing your sector will do wonders for your personal profile.

Once you have written your articles, you could either set up your own blog relatively easily using self-build platforms such as WordPress and Wix, or you could use one that you already have i.e. LinkedIn. LinkedIn’s ‘Pulse’ is a free blogging platform that allows you to publish your own articles without the need to create a website.

Why it matters: This shows an employer that you practice what you preach and that you have the expertise, knowledge and insight to talk in depth about the key challenges your industry faces and the latest trends that could shape its future.

Talk to the media:

Consider speaking to the trade magazines and websites for your sector. Any journalist will tell you that they are always seeking opinion from a variety of different sources. So contact them, ask them what they are writing about and suggest some ideas based on what you see happening in your industry – they might even ask you to write some of them or at the very least ask you for a quote for a future story.

Why it matters: When a publication quotes an industry expert such as yourself, they will also include the name of the organisation you currently work for. That shows that you are someone whose opinion is courted by the relevant media and more important, that you could be an influential brand ambassador for your new company.

 

Network, network, network:

Recruiters go to networking events because it gets us seen by those people we want to do business with. It reminds them of who we are and what we do so that the next time they are looking to hire an agency, we are front of mind. It’s a great source of new business leads for us and equally it is an opportunity for you to build your personal network too.

Why it matters: While advertising can build brand awareness, networking builds personal connections and it is these that often carry the greatest influence when it comes to winning new business. Employers we work with want people who not only do the job they are hired to do but are also prepared to represent the business at key business events.

Competition for jobs remains high and those candidates who can demonstrate that they have more strings to their bow will be the ones who recruiters will want to talk to. It is not enough to simply find a great candidate Рwe’re looking for people who are a great ‘fit’ for our clients’ organisations, too.

While the four areas above are by no means a definite list on how to build your personal profile and increase your chances of being found by recruiters, they are certainly the most effective…try them and see for yourself.

If you are seeking your next career move and need support in improving your CV or personal profile, feel free to call us on 0345 375 1747 and we’ll be more than happy to help you.