Things that Annoy Recruiters

The average recruiter will spend just a few seconds looking over every CV which lands on their desk, so if you don’t impress them in those few seconds then it’s onto the rejection pile for you.  There are almost certainly hundreds of people chasing the position you’re after, so how do you ensure your CV stands out from the crowd and wins you your dream job?

If you want to be a stand-out candidate and succeed at the job hunting game, here are the six things you need to do…

Tailor Your CV

On average, a recruiter will spend just six seconds glancing over your resumé, so you need to make sure it packs a punch.  A good CV is one which is well-presented, concise and tailored to match the industry you’re trying to break into, or ideally tailored to the individual company and role.

Give your CV a name which will be easy for recruiters to find again and always make sure it’s kept up to date with all your relevant experience.

Remember, it’s far better to have multiple CVs with different skillsets and experience on them than just one which you use to try and cover all your bases.

Build Relationships

If you make it through to the interview stages, it’s important to stand out from the other candidates by building a rapport with the person interviewing you.

Treat every round of the interviews as though it were the final hurdle and be friendly, polite and clear when you speak to recruiters.  If you’ve entered into an email exchange with them, keep the tone professional and treat it as a real working relationship.

Pick up the Phone

Smartphones and emails have made us all a bit lazy, but picking up the phone shows you have confidence and motivation.  Few other candidates will bother to follow up with a phone call and by doing so you will make yourself more memorable.

Checking in every couple of weeks to ask about new vacancies is ideal, but don’t ring them too often – you want to look keen, not desperate…

Tell Them What You Want

Don’t be too wishy-washy about the sort of role you want, or recruiters will find it hard to point you towards positions which might be of interest to you.  Be clear about which tasks you’re interested in and which you don’t care for, and the same goes for the types of companies and industries you can and can’t see yourself working for.

Always Follow Up

There’s no point bidding them goodbye and then not following up on your application or interview.  Be proactive and send a polite email thanking them for their time and expressing the hope that you will hear from them soon.  It’s always worth checking in with them every fortnight to find out about new roles which may be coming up, and keep an eye on the website to spot new vacancies as soon as they arise.

Use LinkedIn

LinkedIn has been around for a number of years now, but it’s often the first place potential employers will go to find out about you.  Nearly three-quarters of recruiters will search for you on LinkedIn after they receive your CV, and the site is a great forum for networking and getting your name out there.

Treat it as an extension of your CV and highlight all your relevant qualifications and experience – the more details you can give, the more likely you are to win that all-important interview and land your perfect job.

You have to stand out from the crowd if you want to forge ahead in the career you have chosen, but stick with these six rules of thumb and you’re well on the path to securing the job you really want.

Lizzie Exton writes for Inspiring Interns, which specialises in sourcing candidates for internships. To browse our graduate jobs London listings, visit our website.