Communication as a candidate – what part does this play when you're applying for a job?
Answer: a HUGE part!
Communication of who you are and why you should be considered for the role underpins the entire recruitment process. It is a key factor in getting you that step closer to your dream job.
With the exception of a few very niche positions, gone are the days when 'technical' fit trumped ‘team/company/cultural’ fit.
Who you are as a person goes hand in hand with your technical ability. How you communicate this when you're applying for a job is paramount - on paper, online and in person.
Let’s start with your Cover Letter and CV. Communicating well in print is crucial as this is often your first impression when applying for a job.
In a recruitment process where you are one of multiple applicants, this is your chance to highlight yourself as a serious contender.
Two important words to keep in mind when crafting your Cover Letter and CV… tangible detail.
Recruiters and prospective employers want to read these documents quickly, easily source and digest the important information and finish up with very few questions at the end.
Include tangible detail in your working history – dates, facts, figures, any information that sets a scene and gives the reader insight into the scale of what you were doing.
For example, you were employed 2016-2017. Was that January 16 – December 17, or December 16 – January 17? A small detail, but possibly a big difference in work experience.
A lengthy and laborious CV will lose most audiences. So will reading ‘attention to detail’ and ‘ability to build rapport’ repeatedly under each job heading. Let’s stick to the facts and not duplicate anything unnecessarily.
Yes, a CV needs to demonstrate your work history, technical capability, fit for the role in question, qualifications, and eliminate questions. However, I wouldn’t underestimate the power of an interests section.
Are you sporty – team or solo sports? Daring and into skydiving, a volunteer firefighter or perhaps you breed miniature horses? Family are your big passion and/or maybe you enjoy trying a new winery for lunch once a month.
Keep it brief and to the point, but a few bullet points that give the reader some idea of YOU can really communicate how you differ from the pack.
Social media cannot be overlooked as this is playing an ever-increasing role in our day to day lives, the recruitment process being no exception.
Any of your online profiles are bound to get a look-over from a prospective employer at some part of the process - so when you're applying for a job, have a think about your communication online too. Are you portraying yourself accurately or in the best light possible?
Nail the Cover Letter and CV and you are one step closer to a face-to-face interview. The interview is your chance to put your best foot forward in person and could be the deciding factor as to whether you’re offered the job.
Communication on all fronts – presentation, talking through your CV and experience, what you know of the position/company you’re applying for, your body language and being able to describe who you are as a person and what you’re looking for in a role are all important so be sure to consider the full package as you prepare.
Here's some useful tips on how to prepare for a job interview.
You don’t have to be a whizz at public speaking to communicate well in this process – I most certainly am not! Everyone is different and let’s face it, interviews can make even a confident communicator want to run for the hills.
As long as you are trying and can show that you have a genuine interest in the process, I want to get to know you. Tell me you’re a bit nervous if you like! Or if you like working in large teams, or in the office out the back solo. That’s fine by me.
As a Talent Partner, I’d have to say that a part of my job I thoroughly enjoy is getting to know so many different people. I want to know the real you so that we can work out the best path forward to finding you the best possible fit in a role/team/company.
Last but not least… there is no such thing as a stupid question. If you’re unsure of anything in your job search, please communicate this! We’ll do our best to help 🙂
Written by Intepeople Talent Partner, Tania McCaa
You’ve just had the call – after sweating over your CV and crafting an amazing cover letter you’ve made the cut and been asked to come in to interview for your dream job. Time to celebrate… then it dawns on you – you actually have to go in, sit in front of a bunch of strangers and be asked a series of seemingly random questions.
That's right, the dreaded job interview.
I interview people all the time and I can confidently say no-one likes job interviews (well, some people say they don’t mind them but they are probably the same people that say they love exercise and enjoy exams) so I am not sure that I believe them.
However, just like exams and exercise, it’s possible that by carefully preparing for a job interview the whole experience will be much less excruciating, and even better you’ll increase your chances of getting your dream job.
Here's some of my tips for preparing for a job interview.
This is the number one cardinal rule. There is nothing truly more disheartening than meeting a candidate who can’t “quite remember” what the role is or who the organisation is.
Do as much research as you can. Read the ad, dissect the job description, google it, talk to current employees. If you are working with a recruitment company don’t be shy about asking for tips around what the employer wants and may ask.
Then, just as importantly, think about how your skills and experience will apply to this role. The more you think about and consider it, the easier it will be to articulate in the interview.
Once you have a good knowledge around the role and organisation you need to turn your mind to preparing for the job interview itself. Of course, interviews can come in all shapes and sizes but generally, they follow a rough sequence.
There are a variety of these – but most often they sound something like “Tell me about yourself?” or “What is it that you think you can bring to this role?”
These questions are about first impressions; the interviewer wants you to paint a picture about yourself. This is your elevator pitch - lead with your strongest selling points. Be concise, be relevant and be positive. This sets the scene for the interview so it’s not the time to be modest or to ramble.
These will be the role specific questions, which delve into your skills, experience and capabilities. Interviewers will ask about specific skills or capabilities relevant to the role. This could be things such as attention to detail, people management, project management or sales. They want to hear examples from your work. For example if they ask about your sales experience, they want to hear how you increased sales, by how much and then how this impacted the business.
Once again, preparation is the key. The basis for these questions should come from the job description but if you don’t have a job description you’ll be able to get a good idea from the advertisement. When preparing for a job interview, try and think of at least one good example for each capability they may ask about.
Generally, interviewers like to close with some light questions to round out their picture. Hopefully by this stage you’ll be feeling more comfortable and, depending on how chatty your interviewer is, you may have been able to glean some ideas about what is really important in the role which you can weave into your answers. There will also be questions about things like notice periods and referee details so make sure you have prepared for these.
Most importantly be prepared, be positive and sound like you are genuinely interested in the role.
Good luck out there.
Written by Emily Bisset, Intepeople Talent Partner.
With the economy picking up, job vacancies are increasing and top performing candidates now have greater freedom to be choosy about who they work for. Gone are the days when the market was tight and candidates were grateful to even be granted an interview.
Yes, you still need to clearly identify the key competencies that will allow someone to succeed in the role. And yes, you still need to understand the attitude, culture and dynamics of the team that the candidate will be placed within. But you also need to understand what the candidate is looking for, and what is important to them. And you might be surprised to learn that isn’t always salary!
Candidates in today’s job market will be interviewing you as much as you will be interviewing them. You should be prepared to answer any questions they have confidently and honestly.
Candidates want to be proud of the company they work for, and they want to be confident that they will enjoy the culture, and the people they work with.
You may initially feel a bit put out that you have to ‘prove’ yourself to a prospective candidate, but there is a real upshot to this process. Let’s face it, you don’t want to hire a candidate who is willing to say and do almost anything to be ‘the chosen one.’ It will quickly become apparent if they have lied about their abilities, wants and needs in order to secure the role and you may find yourself back at square one, trying to recruit the right person for the role.
So the next time you go to market in search of that elusive top performing candidate, take the time to put yourself in their shoes and think about what is in it for them.
Looking for a top performing candidate to join your team? Our recruitment team can help - contact us here.
