You’re at the end of the year, feeling uninspired in your current role and want to find a new challenge - something that will make you jump out of bed in the morning in the new year. Dusting off your CV, you send it to every company with a job opening in your area you can find. Then everything goes quiet. Weeks go by, December turns to January then February, and you’re still searching for a new job and even waiting for a response from most of the companies you applied to.
Unfortunately, this scenario is all too real for many people looking to move job. With every job opening attracting 250 CVs on average last year, and only four to six of those applicants getting to the interview stage, standing out from the crowd has never been more important. Here are some of the top ways to ensure you cut through the noise when searching for a new job in 2018.
Do your background research
Before clicking apply for a role, it’s important to do thorough background research on both the company and the industry. Social media pages and career pages on a company’s website are great places to start when trying to understand the company you’re looking to apply to. There’s no point applying for a role if you don’t get a good impression of the company or find the job description boring.
Don’t neglect the cover letter
While it can be tempting to skip drafting a cover letter, this is often the first real impression you’ll get to make on a company or recruiter. While your CV will need to be short and to the point, a good cover letter allows you to expand on your experience and key skills. Ultimately, the cover letter lets your personality shine through – which could be the difference between your CV making the “read” pile or not.
Keep it to the point
Your CV should highlight your key skills and experience in an easily digestible way. It needs to make the right impact, and this isn’t made by adding bright colours, too much text or complicated jargon. Having simple but effective language, a clean layout and the right amount of detail about why you’re the right person for the job will help you stand out in the best way.
Highlight your tech skills
There’s a huge shortage of candidates with tech skills in the UK, with many companies saying that they don’t have enough employees with the right skills to drive the business forward in the coming years. If you have any technology skills such as coding or software development, even managing your own website, make sure these are at the top of your CV.
Take your CV digital
Having your CV accessible online as a downloadable document or a blockchain-verified intelligent profile gives a strong positive impression to companies and recruiters. Not only does having an intelligent profile show all your information is 100% accurate, it also highlights that you’re forward-thinking and appreciate that most people looking at your CV will be doing so online.
Always follow-up
It’s tempting to sit back and wait once you’ve sent your CV out to companies and recruiters. But don’t fall into the CV black hole! Always send a follow-up email or give them a ring to see whether the right person actually received your CV or if they have any constructive feedback as to why you didn’t get an interview.
Getting a new job is never an easy task, but knowing where to start and how to put your best foot forward is half the battle. Doing your research, putting your key tech skills at the top of your CV and cover letter and taking your CV digital will give you the best chance of cutting through the noise when starting your 2018 job hunt.