Throughout your professional life, you have likely been in more than one selection process or you are about to start one. When you make the decision to start a job application process with a company, most of the time it is accompanied by some uncertainty or fear. The first person you have contact with is usually the recruiter, and recruiters are also people, so feel confident because we are not the gods of Olympus.
That is why we would like to tell you three things that recruiters know (but won’t tell you openly) and would help you in the process.
We know that when you are looking for a job, you apply to many positions and some of them are quite in demand. Sometimes recruiters have vacancies with 300 nominated candidates and, unfortunately, it is impossible for us to review all of them. That’s why, if you aren’t contacted for a position you applied to, know that it’s not a personal issue or that the company is a bureaucrat. Don’t be discouraged and just keep trying.
A tip that I have for you is that many times in the job posting, the recruiter’s information is included. Go ahead, contact them, and share your interest in the position, always adding your CV.
When you are looking for a job, you apply for several vacancies and upload the same CV that you already have structured. But we would prefer it if you customized your CV depending on the position and the company you are applying to. For example, if you are applying for a Developer position, adapt your CV so that it shows all the experience you have had in programming and try to highlight your achievements in this area.
Regarding the structure of the CV, it is very important that your contact information (cell phone and email) are always included, and preferably that they are at the top of the CV.
After your contact details, specify your work experience accompanied by your achievements and/or activities that you performed under that role. My recommendation is that you put the current job first and then add the previous ones. Only add professional experiences that would add value to the application you are doing, this is what I mean by customizing your CV.
Finally, it’s important that the CV is concise and does not contain more than two pages. Recruiters review too many CVs in one day and it takes us about 1 to 2 minutes to read it.
Once the recruiter contacts you, they will want to know a little more about you and talk to you about the position. That’s why it is of the utmost importance that you always be honest and transparent throughout the process. With this I mean that if you are already in another selection process with another company, share it with them, there is nothing wrong with it and we will not lose interest in you, on the contrary, this helps us and even gives speed to your process.
Be honest about your skills. If you don’t have experience in something, it’s better to say it from the beginning, because sooner or later the little or no experience you have will be demonstrated. And again, don’t be afraid to say you don’t know. This helps recruiters to identify if we have more positions that would be a better match for your profile.
If from the beginning or during the process you are not convinced if you like the position or it is where you would like to focus your career path, let the recruiter know. Employment is one of the most important pillars that people have and not being satisfied with your work can trigger that other areas of your life are affected. What we don’t want is that if you are looking to have a change, you start it with a job that does not convince you 100%.
One final important thing for your selection process to flow—you must have confidence in your recruiter and when in doubt or inconvenience, feel free to look them up and maintain assertive communication.