Tristan discusses 3 things he wishes a recruiter would’ve told him. When we graduated from school, whether it was high school or college, everyone expected us to land employment, but no one really told us how to search for and land those jobs. Most of us stumbled our way through figuring out a process that sort of worked for us. Tristan shares a couple of things he thinks would’ve been helpful had a recruiter told him during that time.
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TRANSCRIPT
Tristan: What’s going on, Living Corporate? It’s Tristan, and I want to thank you for tapping back in with me as I provide some tips and advice for professionals. Today, we’re going to discuss 3 things I wish a recruiter would’ve told me.
When we graduated from school, whether it was high school or college, everyone expected us to land employment, but no one really told us how to search for and land those jobs. Most of us stumbled our way through figuring out a process that sort of worked for us. We made mistakes like casting a wide net, taking jobs without much thought, and not negotiating. There are a couple of things I think would’ve been helpful if a recruiter told me during that time.
The first thing is that the best way to land a job is not through online postings. When companies are sourcing candidates online, they utilize what’s called a hiring funnel, which means they try to get as many candidates as possible to apply only to widdle it down to the top candidate. The data tells us that the average job posting gets anywhere from 150 – 250 applicants, only about 3 – 5 people land an interview, and usually, only 1 gets the job. That makes your chances of landing an interview around 2% and landing the job even lower. Instead of just applying online, I suggest you develop and work your network to land referrals. Most recruiters agree that referrals are the best way to find a qualified candidate. Referrals often allow you to skip levels of the hiring funnel and make you 15 times more likely to land the interview.
The next thing is to showcase your work digitally. I’ve spoken with hiring managers who have said that if you’re not on LinkedIn, you don’t exist. Now, when I say showcase your work digitally, I’m not just talking about putting a description in your LinkedIn experience section. I mean actively posting and talking about your work, development, and achievements. This can help you build connections and even land those referrals you may be seeking. Another option is to create a website or online portfolio that can house all of that information but make sure you keep it up to date. In this increasingly digital age, it’s essential that we’re not only able to be found online but that people can understand the value we may bring from just reviewing your digital assets.
The last thing I wish a recruiter would’ve told me is that the actual job rarely matches the job description. This means a couple of things. First, we need to ask more questions throughout the interview process and even potentially host informational interviews to get the real scoop on what the job and company are like. Second, it means that you shouldn’t just copy and paste the job description as bullet points in your experience. While they may be used as guidance, the work you did was more than likely way more complex or completely different altogether, focus on conveying what you actually did in the role and the value you brought by doing it.
This tip is brought to you by Tristan of Layfield Resume Consulting. Check us out on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @layfieldresume, or connect with me, Tristan Layfield, on LinkedIn.
