So much has changed, even in the last ten years, with the evolution of online and mobile technology, which has had an impact on the way organisationsorganizations communicate with and recruit their talent.
We consult with a number of clients around emerging practices and candidate accessibility in the recruitment technology space and we often identify commonality between successful and unsuccessful applicants.
With the new year now upon us, a number of people make the decision to change roles, organisationsorganizations or even careers. We thought the least we could do is give those of you looking a little head start. In this blog post we hope to demystify the recruitment process, illuminate some alternate possibilities and offer some guidance to you as an applicant.
So Mobile
By the end of last year there were estimated to be more mobile devices on earth than people! So unless you have been living under a rock, you will know how prevalent the use of mobile technology has become.
The rate at which we purchase online via our mobile devices has been growing 20-30% each year. What does that mean for you as potential job seeker? It means eventually all roles will be easily viewed on your smartphone and what’s more, you can apply for them then and there. While our recruitment software has been mobile friendly for a long time, this year we introduced the ability for you to complete an application and submit your CV through your mobile via cloud applications like Dropbox or Google Drive (which you can already access if you have a Google account).
Here’s how it’s done:
This may differ from application to application, but in most cases, when asked to upload your resume, you should be presented with the option of accessing your cloud storage account (which will be in the same place that you are normally presented with the option to access your computer hard drive).
Simply select your preferred option, provide your login credentials to allow access to that account, browse to select your resume document and voilá!!
Have we got you intrigued? Check out some personal cloud storage reviews to help you get started.
Not So Mobile?
There are a lot of us who still prefer the comfort and often quieter surrounds of our desktop to apply for roles and you are not alone. Plenty of great companies have not made their applications process mobile. So how do you make sure your application gets through and with the best chance of success?
Here are some key tips for submitting via desktop and mobile.
- Make sure your file type is compatible, doc, docx, rtf and pdf are all supported. Pictures, gifs or jpegs are not. How sad would it be if you prepared a gorgeous picture as your CV and submitted it only to have your application remain incomplete and a recruiter not to follow up because they simply received an overwhelming number of other great accessible applications? Too sad, convert that fine work of yours to PDF and be read.
- Avoid a looooong CV. Anything over 3 pages that cycles all the way back to primary school awards is probably not going to be relevant to that project management role you are going for! Research indicates that recruiters spend an average of 6.25 seconds looking at your CV, so make it conciseconcize and succinct. Stick to key responsibilities and achievements. Demonstrate how you contribute to your company’s success, wherever possible use metrics, stats, figures and dollars.
- Proofread and spell check. In fact ask someone else to read it. So many mistakes slip through when you have been staring at the same copy for hours. Fresh eyes can make all the difference. Let’s hope we haven’t made any in this blog…!
- Check whether you have any unsavory public social media pictures, a lot of employers might not check but imagine if your dream employer did and they saw a photo that made them question your maturity and integrity. Of course you still could land an offer but would you want to sow any seeds of doubt in the first place?
- Understand your audience and market yourself to them, who is this company you have applied to? Why do you want to work there? What can you offer them? Spending the time to align your ideal company cultural, role and career aspirations with your prospective employer could not only enhance your application success but positively influence your overall job satisfaction and career progression.
- Consider building a strong professional social presence, particularly if you are applying to an industry that is digitally savvy. Be mindful of the images or photos associated with your social profiles as these will often be viewable to potential hirers. Consider using an image that still represents who you are but won’t be misunderstood in a professional context. Any personal image you upload to a social profile, is often referred to as a Gravatar and can be used broadly across many social profiles.
Mashable shared a great infographic with some do’s and don’ts when submitting an online application, although they have advisedadvized not to use PDF, it really depends on the system. Naturally PageUp fully supports PDF!
Privacy & Security
It would be remiss of us not to mention something about being vigilant with your personal information so here are some excellent tips we found.
Wrap up
By now you have finessed your CV, got yourself some cloud storage and applied via your smartphone to a great role with a company you’re almost positive will be a super culture fit. What now?
Well you could sit tight but why stop there? Never forget the power of networking. Surely you know someone who knows someone who works there? Jump on LinkedIn and leverage those connections, find relevant industry groups and follow their company page. Does the company have a Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instragram presence?
These channels are a great way to get to know more about the kind of people who work there and make introductions. This guy got his dream job by following his prospective employer and sharing his work on Instagram! You never know it could lead to an introduction to the recruiter or the manager.
If you are looking for a new role, good luck. We hope this post gives you a leg up!
Fresh insights for HR
Stay up to date with HR trends, tips and more when you sign up for our industry newsletter
