Finding Yourself in the Job Market

9 February 2009

Finding Yourself in the Job Market

With high candidate availability, employers are finding that they have more choice when recruiting, and are being more careful about making the right hiring decision. This has meant a lengthening of the recruitment process and a closer evaluation of individual candidate characteristics. Jason Walker, managing director of specialist recruiter Hays, reveals five top tips for getting noticed in this market:

Proactivity
“This is not the time to sit back and wait for the perfect opportunity to fall into your lap. Competition for the best jobs is fierce, and it is time to take a more proactive approach to your career. It is important to maintain motivation, with recruitment processes taking longer and sign off harder to achieve. Stamina is key, and the candidates who can retain a high level of energy in their job search will be rewarded with more opportunities”.

Preparation
“It is also important to research the role and company you are applying for to avoid making costly career mistakes. Cultural fit has become a core criterion for employers and should be equally important to employees. Cultural fit encompasses the company’s stated goals, mission and values as well as the company’s collective personality. At interview stage this will manifest itself in behavioural questions that seek to determine evidence of fit. This is like the “getting to know you” stage of the recruitment process, and it is vital that you are prepared.

“The company website is a good place to start when seeking to determine a company’s culture, but more often than not stated values form only part of the whole picture. Use your network to find out more about the inner workings of the company. In some cases it may even be appropriate to call in and speak to someone directly about what it is like to work there. Use this information to determine whether this is the best place for you”.

Presentation
“It has often been said that you should dress for the job you want, not the job you have, and nowhere is this more true than in a first interview. Business or corporate attire is usually expected at interview. This is true regardless of the type of clothes you would expect to wear while on the job. You should be putting your best foot forward, and this means a suit and good grooming. Of course there are exceptions to this, for example some companies for which casual dress is part of the defined culture, so it is important to find out what is expected of you before arriving for your interview. If unsure, always err on the side of caution”.

Performance
“First impressions count, but this refers to both substance and style. Appropriate dress will go some way to influencing that first impression, but at the end of the day the interviewer wants to know that you can do the job, and that you can do it well. Use the interview to sell your best skills. Give proof with specific examples where you have used these skills to achieve a desired result. Use measurable criteria so that the interviewer can interpret this success. Listen carefully and speak confidently. Those who perform better at interview will be presumed to perform better on the job”.

Persistence
“With greater candidate choice, rejection levels have also increased. Persistence is therefore necessary and candidates must remember that every no is one step closer to a yes. It is important not to lose confidence following an unsuccessful interview and to maintain focus for the interviews to come”.

ENDS

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