Creative Job Applications

A family friend recently asked me what I thought of using a QR Code as a way of presenting their CV for a job they were applying for. Not being very technically savvy, I had to ask what a QR Code was! In layman's terms, a QR Code is the funny barcode looking thing you often see in advertising material, that with the help of a Smart Phone app, will take you directly to a website where you can find out more information about whatever is being advertised.

So their idea was to send in a QR code, that linked to their personal website and included their CV and portfolio.

For the right industry and company, I think this can be a very innovative and creative way to send in your application. But I would suggest that you think carefully about the type of company you are sending your application to and whether you think it is appropriate. For example, if that QR Code is sent to a company that isn't really into technology, you run the risk that they may not even know what to do with it and therefore you've missed your chance to be considered for the role.

I've seen some very cool visual applications and video clips put together as job applications that are really appealing if you are wanting to get into creative industries such as marketing or advertising.

Think about your chosen field or industry and what you could do to impress your potential new employer. If you are in Accounting, could you do something impressive with a spreadsheet? Software Programmers - how about turning your CV into a cool app? Marketers - create your own advertising campaign... The ideas are endless!

I definitely encourage you to think outside the box and do what you can to stand out in your chosen industry. Just tread carefully, and as a safeguard, also provide a standard copy of your application as well.

Good luck!

Shannon  

An Interview with a Kelly Recruitment Consultant

Kelly Services NZ Ltd is part of a global recruitment company with branches all over the world. Originally started in America in the 1940s, Kelly has been in New Zealand for over 2 decades recruiting staff for businesses of all types, from accounting to IT to manufacturing and more.

Last week I had the opportunity to chat with Callie Ewin, a Recruitment Consultant in the Kelly Executive division, specialising in IT. Callie, originally from the UK, has been working for the Wellington branch of Kelly for the past 2 years, and recruits temporary, permanent and contract staff for her clients mainly in the Wellington area. During our chat, I asked Callie about her recruitment process and what's important to her when it comes to reviewing job applications and interviewing candidates. Callie provided some great tips & advice for me to share with you all.

What was the last position you recruited for?
A 2 year fixed term IT Help desk position.

How many applications did you receive?
125.

From that 125, how many people did you end up interviewing?

I interviewed 5 people for the role.

Wow, that's a lot of applicants to review! So it goes to show you need to make sure your job application stands out don't you?
It is! Particularly for entry level positions such as Junior IT roles where I often have a lot of students who have completed their degrees or diplomas applying for the same positions. It is very competitive.

How do you source your applicants?
I will generally place an ad online on various job websites, after I have run an internal database check to see if we have any suitable candidates that are available and already on our books. Once I have established which candidates may be suitable, I will do a telephone screen, which is basically a mini interview over the phone. One reason I do this is to assess an applicants communication skills and their telephone manner etc which is really important for help desk and support type positions. I also use social media as a tool to see if there are any passive candidate opportunities.

Do you believe cover letters are important?
For the roles I'm recruiting for, I don't spend a lot of time on them – I need to hire people who can hit the ground running so I'm more interested in going straight to their CV so I can see their qualifications and experience. However, I did chat to some of my colleagues prior to our interview and many of them do put emphasis on the cover letter, particularly for permanent roles. One thing I will say is if you are going to include a cover letter in your application, please make sure it is addressed properly and that it refers to the correct position that was advertised. You would be amazed at the number of cover letters that I receive that state they are applying for a role completely different than what I'm recruiting for. This shows a real lack in attention to detail.

What are the three most important things you look for in a CV?
More and more, my clients are looking for applicants with specific qualifications, so I like to be able to clearly see the qualifications the applicant has achieved and any training courses they have attended.

Work history and experience is also really important. When it comes to work experience, this needs to be clearly defined. I like the information to be set out well, e.g. Job title, organisation/ company name, dates of employment (including the months) and responsibilities. With the responsibilities section, I'm also looking for more than just a couple of brief bullet points, so it should outline the main responsibilities and tasks of each role so I can get a good understanding of what they involved.

We also receive a lot of applicants from overseas which is great, so I like to see the applicant's eligibility for employment clearly stated at the top of the CV.

From your experience, are there any "no-no's" when it comes to submitting job applications?
I'm surprised at the number of people who put their mobile number down as their means of contact and then never answer their phone. I can understand that people may be working and can't always take the phone call, but in that case, they must ensure they have a clear and professional answer phone message and then make sure they call back as soon as they can. Unprofessional answer phone messages are a big no no. I've heard answer messages that are jokes, or even one that had screaming in the background and it's not a good look at all.

Email addresses should also be professional. I've seen many rude and quirky email addresses attached to applications, so I'd really advise that people keep them simple and appropriate.

I also personally advise people not to put their date of birth on their CV as this is irrelevant to the employment process. It's skills and experiences that count.

Lastly, I see photos on CV's from time to time, and to be honest I think it is best to leave photos off.

Have you got any tips you can share on how you believe people can enhance their job applications?
Keep the format of your CV clean and easy to read and avoid duplicating information e.g. you don't need to write your name on every page.

List information in chronological order, placing the most recent job history first.

Really focus on spelling and grammar. One mistake in an application might be ok, but when there are multiple mistakes throughout, it shows their could be a problem in this area.

Lastly, I like when people put their address down, so I know where they are based.

How many pages do you think a CV should have?
I generally expect 4-5 pages, I know we were taught 3 pages is the norm, but it is frustrating to see someone list a job where they might have been for 10 years and then only have 2 bullets points to cover what they were doing in that time. You need to include the key responsibilities, outcomes of what you actually achieved and what you were doing on a day to day basis, and for IT roles, the technologies you were using and what versions etc.

Have you got any tips on how people can impress during a job interview?
It's important that you arrive on time, but not too early. 5 minutes early is fine, but avoid arriving 20 minutes early. If you can, go to the interview location the day before and work out where you need to be, how long it will take you to get there and things like parking.

I also encourage people to arrive prepared. Bringing a notepad with you shows that you are interested. It also means if you are nervous (which is natural) you can write down any questions you would like to ask and you wont forget them.

Dress smart! I expect smart business attire e.g. dress trousers (or pants as you seem to call them in New Zealand) or skirt, dress shirt & appropriate shoes. I don't expect a tie but always remember, first impressions last!

Also, you need to try and come across as confident (but not over confident). We understand that people get nervous, and I'll sometimes ring my client and let them know if an applicant is really nervous. Make good eye contact, relax and be personable.

Thanks Callie! If there are any applicants out there who are looking for IT roles, where can they look for your vacancies?
The main portals I use are our own Kelly website and the Seek and TradeMe Jobs websites. Vacancies are listed on our website: www.kellyservices.co.nz

To register with Kelly you can call them on:
0800 4 KELLY (0800 453 559)

My Top 5 Job Application Tips

I've been asked what I consider to be my top 5 job application tips... So I've compiled my top 5 list!

1)  Spelling and grammar is so important!  Proof read your cover letter and CV and then ask someone else to proof read it for you too.  There should be no mistakes in your application documents and a second pair of eyes can often pick up small mistakes you may have missed.

2)  Customise your cover letter for each job you are applying for.  Make sure you link your skills to what is listed in the job advertisement and ensure you explain why you would like to work for the company.  If you are tweaking a cover letter you've previously used, proof read very carefully to make sure you've updated all of the relevant information and you haven't left in any information that relates to a previous job application.

3)  Address your cover letter "To Whom it May Concern" or if the job advertisement provides a contact name, address it to that person e.g. "Dear Sally".  Never assume the recruiter is a male - I find "Dear Sir" offensive!

4)  Keep your language friendly but professional.  Imagine your cover letter as a written introduction to who you are and why you should be hired.  First impressions last!

5)  Keep the formatting of your CV simple and easy to read and make sure it's not too long. Ideally 2-3 pages, 4 pages maximum.

Hope this helps,
Shannon :)

Filling in application forms

I've had a number of people ask me why some employers insist on getting them to fill in an employment application form when they've already provided their CV which contains all of the relevant information.

"Is the employer just too lazy to read my CV?" is one specific question I was asked.

Each employer is different and will have their own reasons for wanting the application form filled in.  It may also be requested at different stages of the recruitment process depending on the employer.  Some may do it just because that's their process, but others may use it as an additional shortlisting test.  You may not know either way, but here are some reasons why employers have application forms:

• Applicants format their CV's in many different ways.  Some employers like the application form filled in so that they can view all of the relevant information for each applicant in the same format that suits their recruitment process

• There is often a lot of information that needs to be gathered about an applicant, including eligibility status for employment and other such criteria.  The application form can be a way to have all of the relevant information about the applicant collected on one form

• When an application form says please do not write "refer to CV", this can be away to test who will actually take the time to follow the instructions and fill it in clearly and fully as requested.  (I've had many instances where the candidate has still written "refer to CV attached".  What does this say about their ability to follow even basic instructions?)

• For some employers, if they have asked for it to be hand written, it is an opportunity to see how legible the applicants hand writing is (particularly important in roles such as in hospitality where written information has be read and understood by another person e.g. from waiter to chef)

I realise it can be an extra time consuming step in the process and may seem annoying, but it shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes, so my advice is to just fill it in as neatly and clearly as possible and always double check that you haven't missed any fields (including signing and dating it if required) before you hand it back to the employer.

Hope this helps

Shannon :)

Saving your application documents

PDF:

If you have the ability to turn your documents into PDF files before you send them, I highly recommend it.

Often documents can loose their formatting when being opened by the recipient.  Whilst they may have looked great when you sent them, you cannot guarantee they will look the same at the other end.  Also, if you've chosen to override any automatic spelling or grammatical suggestions, they may show up with the red underline alerts when reopened.

When I receive a PDF document, I believe it adds that extra feeling of professionalism and it is a much nicer way to open and read documents.

N.B.  If you are applying for any type of design based role, then I believe PDF's are a must!

Naming your documents:

Another tip is to ensure you name your documents well.  With the email system I use during recruitment, it is much easier for me to save each document received into a folder set up on my desktop.  If I want to refer back to a particular CV or cover letter, I like to use the search function within that folder.

The easiest way for me to do this is to search your name, so if you've saved your document using your name in the title, it makes it much easier.   Often I can have 20-30 variations of documents saved as "CV.doc" which makes finding your CV a time consuming process.

I'd suggest naming your documents something like:  JoeBlogsCV and JoeBlogsCoverLetter.

Again, it adds a level of professionalism to the look and feel of your overall application.

Hope this helps,
Shannon :)

A foot in the door...

A number of people have asked me how they can enhance their chances of getting work in particular industries where experience is a prerequisite they don't yet have.

I personally think it is still worth putting your application forward even if you don't match the exact criteria.  Provide a great cover letter which acknowledges that you don't quite meet the criteria, but provides a convincing overview of what skills you can offer.  It may not work, but you never know your luck.

My other suggestion (and I realise it may not be possible for everyone), is why not approach some employers in your desired industry to see if you could undertake some unpaid work experience?  This could be a great opportunity to get a relevant entry on your CV, a reference, and an opportunity to put your skills into practice and/or learn some new ones.  You never know what could come of it.  It could be the foot in the door you've been looking for.  Even if it doesn't lead to a job offer, what have you got to lose? Not all companies will be in a position to take on work experience applications but some may jump at the chance.

Also, if you are worried about a current gap in your CV, why not try doing some community or volunteer work.  It shows initiative to be doing something while you are seeking employment, will give you another referee option and a way to give back to the community at the same time.

These suggestions may not work for everyone, but it's something to think about.

Hope this helps!
Shannon :)

You've sent in your application... Now what?

The reality is I don't have time to interview every person that sends me their application.  Part of my shortlisting process is to phone screen those that have impressed me so far.  This is basically a mini phone interview and will determine whether I ask you in for a face-to-face interview.

As always, each step of the process is helping to shape my decision making process.  From the moment you answer my call I'm assessing your suitability for the role. Here are some tips to help you stand out from the crowd.  They may sound obvious, but you'd be surprised at how many people miss the mark.

1)  If you don't know who's calling, always make sure you answer the phone friendly & professionally... You never know, it could be a potential employer calling about a role

2)  If you are not available to talk freely or in a quiet environment ask if you are able to call the recruiter back at a more suitable time

3)  Be prepared.  You may or may not get a phone call regarding every application you send, but I highly recommend that you keep a log of each of the roles you've applied for and do a little research on each company.  One of the first questions I ask is: "What do you know about the company so far?"  If you've done a bit of research and have a good idea of what our company does, it will impress me

4)  The next question I ask is: "What interested you in this role?"  Here's a great opportunity to sell yourself as to why you'd be great.  This is also important as I want to know that you will actually be committed to the role. ("I really just need a job" isn't going to make the cut)

I understand that if you've sent off multiple applications it means more work to keep track of them all, but from my perspective, if you've made an effort to learn about my company and show genuine (and I mean genuine!) interest in the role I'm recruiting for, there is a good chance you'll make my shortlist!

As a side note, I've received a lot of feedback that there are many companies out there who don't reply to acknowledge receipt of your application or even let you know the outcome of your application.  For the record this is not cool in my books!

Hope this helps,
Shannon :)

The importance of a great cover letter

Opinions are mixed as to how important a cover letter is when it comes to your job application.

I place a lot of emphasis on cover letters and use them to help me decide if I'll take your application further.

Your cover letter is an introduction to who you are and what skills you have to offer me.

Would you walk into my office and hand me your CV without saying hello, introducing yourself and explaining why you were there?  The same rules apply to sending me your CV.  I really dislike receiving emails with nothing more than a CV attachment.  I think it is rude and impersonal.

Particularly for any roles that revolve around communication (e.g. customer service, sales, marketing), this is your opportunity to show off your skills and it's also giving me an insight into your communication standards.

Your cover letter doesn't have to be long, but there are some key things I'm looking for:

1.  It should be warm, friendly and professional

2.  It should be easy to read with no spelling or grammatical errors (for more on this click here)

3.  It should be completely personalised for my company and the role I'm recruiting for

4.  It should explain why you want to work for my company and what skills you think you have to offer (if possible match these to what has been asked for in the job ad)

5.  Don't list your entire work history in your cover letter (I have your CV to look at!), but perhaps mention one or two jobs that you feel are relevant to the skills and experience I'm looking for

6.  It should either be addressed to me (if I have given my name in the job ad), or "To Whom it May Concern".  One thing that really frustrates me is receiving letters addressed to "Dear Sir" and it happens more than you'd think.  Never assume the gender of the recruiter (but that's a whole different blog post!)

7.  Don't assume that I'm going to want to interview you.  I really dislike sentences like "please contact me to set up a suitable time for an interview".  However, something along the lines of "If you would like to speak with me further about my application, please do not hesitate to contact me on [phone number]" is much more appealing to me

8.  Ensure your contact details are correctly listed!

As a final note, I totally understand that you may be applying for multiple roles at the same time. There is nothing wrong with using the same base template for your cover letter.  However, I don't want to read a generic sounding cover letter.  Make me feel like you've taken some time and effort to apply for my role and make sure you double check your letter before you send it to me.  I have received cover letters addressed to me, but applying for a role I've never heard of before.  Again that attention to detail is really important!  It may seem minor, but it will make me question your level of care if I were to hire you for my role.

Hope this helps!
Shannon :)

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If you have any specific questions regarding recruitment, applications, interviews or any other topics that you'd like me to write about, please feel free to let me know

Photo or no photo...

Many people have asked me "Should I put my photo on my CV?"

Short answer...No!

Like it or not, if you put a photo on the front of your CV, some potential employers are going to make a judgement about you before they've even had a chance to read about your skills and experience.

My advice is unless there is a specific requirement to supply a photo (and I have never come across this before), then leave it off.

Good luck,
Shannon :)

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If you have any specific questions regarding recruitment, applications, interviews or any other topics that you'd like me to write about, please feel free to let me know.

Attention to detial... You mean detail?

Believe it or not, I've had an applicant tell me that one of their biggest strengths is their attention to detail.. and they spelt detail wrong.

I've had another applicant spell the name of their previous employer (a retail store) incorrectly, despite including a photo of the outside of the store with its name in full view on the same page in their CV.

Checking your spelling and grammar is really important.  Particularly for jobs where accuracy and attention to detail is paramount, spelling mistakes and errors are not a good look.

Don't just rely on spell check alone - ask someone to cast an eye over your cover letter and CV and review it a number of times if necessary to ensure it is error free.

Remember, you don't know how many other applicants you are competing against, so you want to do everything you can to increase your chances of making the shortlist and getting an interview for the role you are applying for.

Good luck!
Shannon :)

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If you have any specific questions regarding recruitment, applications, interviews or any other topics that you'd like me to write about, please feel free to let me know.

Your contact details...they make an impression!

You might be asking why your contact details matter.  They might seem like minor details, but dodgy sounding email addresses and/or answer phone messages can be a real turn off for potential employers.

With each opportunity to communicate with your potential employer, you want to portray a friendly, mature and professional image.  Here are my tips:

Your Email Address:
If you have an email address that could make your potential employer turn up their nose, or question your maturity level, set up a new email account purely for your job applications.  With free email accounts available, there's really no excuse for having an unappealing email address. Keep it simple, just having your name as your email address is perfectly fine.

Your Answer Phone Message:
If you are going to give your cell phone as a contact option, ensure your answer phone message is friendly, happy and professional.  Especially if you can't answer the phone the first time a potential employer calls, this is one of your first opportunities to impress them and like it or not, this experience could help them decide whether you are going to make the shortlist!

Good luck,
Shannon :)

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If you have any specific questions regarding recruitment, applications, interviews or any other topics that you'd like me to write about, please feel free to let me know.

Job applications - give them what they've asked for!

One of the biggest things I've noticed during the initial review of job applications is that so many people do not follow the instructions in the job ad.

Generally, I don't ask for much.  Often just a cover letter and CV.  For some roles, depending on the type of role and skill level required, I may ask for something more specific such as a portfolio, examples of previous work or even a presentation put together specifically for this position.

There are reasons why I ask for these things and this forms the very first part of my screening and shortlisting process.  In particular, I place a lot of emphasis on the cover letter, especially for roles where communication is important.  It is one of your first opportunities to impress me and I use your cover letter to investigate whether you are demonstrating any of the key skills that I'm looking for.  If you haven't supplied a cover letter, or any other part of the application that I have asked for, not only is this time consuming for me to follow up with you, but it also leaves me questioning whether or not you are able to follow instructions.

Now, to be fair, I don't know if all employers take the initial application stage of recruitment as serious as I do, but I strongly believe that these initial communications can tell me a lot about you and you may not even realise it.

So my advice is to take time to read the job ad carefully, and provide what has been asked for in your application if you really want to get noticed.  It sounds simple, and yet, is so often missed.  If you can't, at least acknowledge this and let me know when I can expect the missing components.

For example, I have had people send me an email to say they are really excited about the position I've advertised and would like to express their interest, but due to time constraints would not be able to supply the presentation I've requested until after the weekend etc.  For me, I appreciate that someone has taken the time to show me they are interested and have given a timeframe on when I can expect to receive their full application.

For those that are not willing to put the effort in, you are probably not someone that I would want to put forward for hire, especially when I may have 4-5 others who have taken the time to do what has been asked.  It may seem harsh, but if I have 50 applicants to review and only space for maybe 5-6 interviews, you've got to stand out from the crowd and this is a good start.

Good luck,

Shannon :)

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If you have any specific questions regarding recruitment, applications, interviews or any other topics that you'd like me to write about, please feel free to let me know.

Frustration from a recruiters perspective...and my blog begins!

Believe it or not, recruitment isn't easy.  Finding the right person for the job is a thorough & time consuming process.  Even in today's employment market where there is often an overwhelming response to each role advertised, it doesn't necessarily make the process any easier.  In fact, often it just means it's even more time consuming to find the 4-5 people I want to interview.

In the last 5 years alone I've recruited for over 20 different positions, with a least 30-40 applications for each role.  On some occasions I've received over 100 applications for a single role, so I estimate I've opened & read well over 1200 applications in this time.

There are a number of steps to my recruitment process.  After placing a job ad, I'll usually ask applicants to send a cover letter and CV via email.  I review each email and application that is received (and I do take the time to review each one) and from that moment on my screening and shortlisting process begins.

The moment I open your application, I should think to myself "I want to talk to this person", but so often, unfortunately this is not the case. There is such a small window of opportunity to impress, and so that is what has lead me to write this blog.

After each screening process, I've often been frustrated at what appears to be a lack of time and care taken by a large number of applicants.  I'm sure I've turned away potentially great people because when there's a short timeframe to recruit, I'm only going to interview the cream of the crop - the applicants that stand out from the very beginning.  I don't have time to dig deeper through spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, emails addressed to the wrong person or company (believe me it happens) or to be blunt, "waffle" to work out if you could be right for this role.

It got me thinking, is it a case that people are not taking the time and effort to put forward their application or is it possible that some people don't realise what's important to me and what I'm looking for in an application?  Whilst I do believe there are some people that aren't putting in much effort, I do also believe that there are a lot of great applicants out there that may be getting missed from the shortlist because their applications just need a bit of tweaking.

I hope that through my blog posts I can help you to write more appealing and appropriate cover letters and CV's which will hopefully get you short-listed for an interview for the job you want.

Please note the suggestions and ideas in my blog are completely my own opinions, based on my own experience as a recruiter and may or may not work for every job application or industry. Please take on board my feedback as you feel is suitable for you.  I also cannot guarantee that you will get shortlisted for a position or get the job. Unfortunately at the end of the day it is still a numbers game, and there will almost always be a lot of competition for any one role. However, I hope that you will find it helpful and may give you a stronger chance in this process.

My final note... While I think it is awesome if you are reading my blog and taking on my tips and recommendations on how to improve your application, please remember that you still need to be authentic, and you have to be able to "walk the talk".  Be true to yourself and make sure that whatever you are writing in your application is true, so that if you are shortlisted, and are asked to attend an interview, you are a true reflection of what you have written in your application – not someone completely different to who I (or any other potential employer) thought you were going to be.

If you have any specific questions regarding recruitment, applications, interviews or any other topics that you'd like me to write about, feel free to let me know.

Good luck,

Shannon :)