Let me start by saying that I am not a recruiter. In fact, I’ve never been a recruiter and I have no plans of becoming a recruiter anytime soon. I am, however, an expert when it comes to helping recruiters do their jobs better. Let me explain.
My name is Bryan Shaw, and I was once the Marketing Director for two companies, STS Aviation Group and STS Technical Services. Both operate in the staffing industry and focus on recruitment process outsourcing for major aerospace and manufacturing clients. There’s a lot that went into my role at STS, but the part that’s relevant to my expert claim has to do with the time and effort I’ve expelled promoting jobs and finding quality candidates using a myriad of online tools.
Over the years I have helped place more than 5,000 people into successful careers all across the country. I have viewed, edited and refined countless resumes, and I know what it takes to nab the attention of recruiters and ultimately get hired.
Now that you know a little about me and what it is that I’ve done, let me borrow your time for the next few minutes while I show you five surefire ways to help you land the job of your dreams. Are you ready? Here goes…
1.) Be Professional & Active on Social Media
It’s 2020, and social media is ingrained in our culture. If you want to be taken seriously as a job seeker then you need to take your social media profiles seriously, too. Studies have shown that nearly 60% of all employers view a candidate’s personal social media sites before making a hiring decision, and thus the content found therein can make or break your chances of getting the job. That’s why it’s important to ensure that every social platform you’re on exudes and heir of professionalism from top to bottom (yes, that includes Facebook).
In addition to making your social profiles reflect your professional persona, it helps to engage with content being shared by the company you’d like to work for. Don’t go crazy and comment on every status update and tweet they throw out (you’ll look a little stalker-ish if you do). Simply show an active and recurring interest from time to time, and you’ll soon reap the benefits.
2.) Your LinkedIn Profile Isn’t an Online Resume; It’s a Personal Marketing Tool
According to an article published on Inc.com, “If your LinkedIn profile reads more like a resume, you’re making a huge mistake.”
Here’s how you can fix that.
- Add a professional looking photo
- Be authentic
- Use images, links and video
- Make sure your contact info is easily found
- Be personable, but not too personable
A successful LinkedIn profile will not only highlight your professional experience, it will also give employers a glimpse into who you are as a person. No one wants to hire a face – unless you’re a model – and that means you need to inject some personality into your profile. There’s nothing wrong with letting an employer know that you’re an avid sports fan who loves to play golf and fish on weekends. At the end of the day, employers want to hire people they can relate to, not robots who clock in, clock out, collect their checks and go home.
3.) Create a Personal Website to Showcase Skill & Highlight Experience
If you made it this far into the article, you’re probably thinking that point three (above) is utter craziness. It’s not. If you want to stand out from other candidates then you need to go the extra mile. The good news is that I’m here to help make this whole personal-website thing easy for you.
When you’re done reading this article (and not before you’re done), head on over to About.me. It’s a simple-to-use platform that’s been designed to pull information directly from your recently-made-awesome LinkedIn profile (assuming you’ve followed step two) before using that information to create a personal website in under 30 seconds. Wait… what’s that? You think I’m kidding about the website-in-under-30-seconds thing? I’m not. It’s really that simple, and when you’ve had a chance to test it out for yourself, you can send a thank-you box of cookies to my office as a sign of gratitude (I prefer oatmeal raisin).
4.) Learn As Much as You Can About the Company & Position Before You Interview
When it comes to landing the job of your dreams, knowledge is power. Those that have it will always steal the job away from those that do not. Here’s why…
By taking the time to learn about the company you’re applying to work for, you’ll be able to spin that newly-found knowledge back to the hiring manger(s) who will guide you throughout the interview process. If you show a genuine interest in the company and the products / services they offer, that interest will ooze out of you in the form of passion. And, like it or not, employers want to hire passionate employees; people who will go above and beyond in an effort to excel. Choose not to heed this advice and do so at your own peril.
5.) Help Recruiters Help You
Recruiters get paid to find you work. In fact, many of them get paid handsomely, particularly if the jobs they deal with require very specific skill sets. Knowing this, recruiters aren’t magicians. They can’t pull employment bunnies from magic hats and land you the job of your dreams without some serious hard work and effort. That’s where you come in. The more that you’re willing to help a recruiter get to know and understand who you are and what exactly it is that you’re looking for, the more capable they’ll become at helping you land the job you’ve always wanted.
In addition to being helpful to recruiters, you also need to establish a strong human connection with them if you can. Think about it this way. Who would you be more willing to go to bat for; a person whom you barely know or someone you have a strong relationship with? The right answer is the latter, and if you disagree with me on this, you may want to return to the top of this article and try again.
Conclusion
So you want to land the job of your dreams. That’s awesome. Bright futures start with a single step forward, and this article has been designed to help you get moving in the right direction. I hope you’ve enjoyed it, and I thank you all for taking the time.
Have something to add to this story? Hit me up via email at bryan@entertherain.com.
Thanks again, and have a great day.
