Landing That Job Easily

Barbara Burke, Principal Consultant, uses her 10+ years as a recruiter puts on her jobseeker hat and lets you know how to land that job easily

Firstly - have a world-class resume. Remember your resume is your sales document. Make sure to target your resume for each job you apply for. Your resume should mirror the job spec of the job you are applying for, ticking all of the requirements for the role. A candidate’s resume is the first thing a recruiter sees, so make this count! Often the first people to review your resume don't sit within IT, they sit in HR or recruitment team. Your resume has one purpose, not to get you a job but to get you an interview. Don't be shy, list all your achievements and mention stats or facts, make it stand-out. E.G. List the latest programming languages you know, or rave about your amazing Project Manager skills and the fact that you delivered the $xk project on time and below budget!

Secondly - apply for a specific role. Approaching a recruiter and saying that you are looking for a change, that you want to do something different is not a good idea. If you have programmed in one language and would like a new job programming in a different one, recruiters may not be the best people to help. They are not career counsellors, if you are looking to do something new/different consider investing in a career coach. Recruiters are problem solvers, they help their clients (employers) find the best candidates for the job, the majority of times all roles require previous working experience in that area.

Another tip is to research recruiters to ensure that agency specialise in those roles and therefore more likely to be interested in your resume. The majority of IT recruiters specialise in niche markets.

A resume should be concise, under 1,000 words and in a format that is employer friendly – so if you have not written a brilliant resume get help because this is 100% in your control and it your first impression to anyone you deal with.

Finally - send a polite brief note highlighting your experience, achievements and would like 30 minutes of their time. Recruiters are people focused– so get in front of them. Once in front of them, treat it like an interview, if you arrive late, your phone goes off, you have a poor attitude the recruiter will not risk sending you out to one of their clients. The flipside is if you are on time, positive, motivated and willing to work hard, you will be much more likely to get your resume on the desk of your potential next employer.

Good luck!