idealpeople blog

(Better late than never, right?)

Earlier in the week, we were talking about strategies for getting a job on-line. In this, we announced the relatively interesting finding from some recent research which suggests that 25% of people who find a new job using the internet do so through an advert.

Don’t let such a relatively low number put you off actually applying for jobs: the truth is that lots of people simply don’t have the time to apply for lots of jobs, and there are plenty of jobs that are filled on-line without ever being advertised.

Don’t be put off either by the fact that there are lots of people with some horror stories to tell about on-line advertising-the main complaint from applicants being that some job adverts found on-line are fake. The jobs simply don’t exist.

Is this true?

Well, yes actually. We know for certain that there are jobs being advertised that don’t actually exist. Very, very few are faked for criminal reasons. Those that are “fake” normally ask for relatively generic skills and are used to find candidates for a number of other jobs. This situation is not ideal, but it’s one which is relatively easily overcome.

Another key complaint surrounds the lack of response that many applicants receive to their on-line applications.

Despite all this, we thoroughly recommend that you apply for positions on-line.

Why?

Advert responses make a recruiter’s life easier
Recruiters post adverts to find people. Writing and posting an advert doesn’t take huge amounts of time - unlike scouring the net or a database for suitable people. Whilst you can guarantee that the scouring will happen alongside the advert, a good application from an advert will always bring a smile to a recruiter’s face. Don’t believe the old adage that recruiters don’t even open CVs they get - that’s simply untrue. You can guarantee that a recruiter will look at every single one.

It shows an applicant’s interest
When you get a phone call from a recruiter, chances are they will have to spend some time talking to you about the job in hand to get your interest up.

As an applicant to an advert, you’ve already made this interest clear.

OK, so the reasons for applying are valid enough. So how do you ensure that you always get a reply, and that your application stands out? Follow our easy guide..

1) Apply for jobs that match your profile
This probably sounds a bit silly - but there is no point in applying for a job unless it’s obvious from your CV that the position and you match. If it’s a J2EE job and J2EE isn’t evidently your main skill from your CV (even if it is!), then your chances of a call are small. If you have a general skillset, encompassing expertise across a number of areas, then rather than send a general CV out to adverts, consider creating 2 or three resumes and using the most relevant one for each job.

Recruiters get a lot of job applications, and you wouldn’t believe the amount of CVs which bear no resemblance to the advert.

2) Write a covering letter
Yes, most of the job-boards allow you to use a generic “I’d like to apply for this position” cover note on your application. Yes, that’s a lot simpler and quicker than writing something specific. But a covering letter makes you stand out, it shows your interest and it gives you a chance to mention or highlight relevant expertise or experience. A generic, one-line note provided to you by the job-board shows that you’ve made the minimum amount of effort.

3) Only apply to good adverts
Have a look at the quality of each advert you apply for. If it’s a three-line advert with no real detail, just don’t apply. Instead, apply to adverts which are well-written and which actually sound interesting to you. You’ll find that you have a far higher chance of getting a response to an advert which is well written and formatted.

4) Follow-up
Keep track of where you’ve applied and when. If you don’t get a response, then follow up. Either pick up the phone and speak to the Recruiter, or send an e-mail. You’ve spent the time getting your CV right and writing a covering letter, so why shouldn’t you? If nothing else, speaking to the recruiter gives you a chance to put yourself on their radar.

With that in mind, why not head over to the new Idealpeople website and take a look at our new job search functionality? We’re now advertising all of our current vacancies on there….pop on over and take a look.

And good luck!