Job ads and resumè: user instructions
Ads for work that are published on the internet or in the press are one of the means of bringing together demand and supply of work and therefore, in general, cannot be ignored by people looking for professional opportunities. But you need to consider a few things before using them as a means for looking for work.
Job ads and resumè: how to use them Ads are free
It’s true that unlike in the past when we wrote letters and CV (perhaps by typewriter) and we had to print them out or photocopy them and put everything in an envelope and pay for a stamp … everything seems much easier now. In about half an hour you can send 20 or more CVs from your computer and your duty as “job seeker” is done!
That’s a lie!!!
You were only pretending to look for a job. Firstly because you also have to use other means/channels and then because a hurried response won’t pay off.
It’s better to:
Select the ad
With a clear idea of what you’re looking for (based on a previous preparatory phase to the operational job search) select the ads. Choose an ad and read it well. Check whether you satisfy the essential requirements for the position, which typically relate to your academic qualifications, years of experience, the type of companies or market you have experience in. And remember that that you can’t change the sector you work in through an ad.
Check your contacts
Check to see whether you have contracts with the company (with the recruitment company or with the company directly) or the person that is recruiting. In these cases it’s best to look for the contact directly through your own network of acquaintances. This applies in the majority of cases. In a more modern and evolved world there will only be web applications, but for the time being this is not always the norm in Italy (indeed, it hardly ever is) and so the search for a personal contact is useful. Moreover, this search for a contact also demonstrates that you are really interested in the position.
Motivate your candidacy
It’s useful to write a few lines explaining your candidacy: not just a reference to ad, but a brief presentation which highlights the connection between what is being asked for and what you can offer. This involves doing the job the recruiter does when they receive the CV. Think about the benefits of them receiving a concise half-page letter which essentially confirms that you are perfect for the role. It saves the recruiter a bit of time and certainly attracts their attention to the CV, which also happens to be your objective when you send the CV, is it not???
The style should always be professional and only as personal as is required to be empathic or explain a particular situation. A friend and former colleague of mine, Laura, decided to start working again after taking several years off to adopt a child from another country and look after her when she first got to Italy. She selected companies, wrote a marketing letter where she mentioned the adoption (but not only!) and found on the other side someone that worked in Human Resources that was sensitive to the issue through having had a similar experience. She was considered and then passed the selection process and started working for this company!
It’s best to leave out needless and banal comments. Don’t you think it sounds ridiculous to say something like you’d move to Vienna because it’s a nice city? But even former managers of multinational companies tend to write stuff like this in their marketing letters!
Too many candidacies generate frustration and spam in the network, which has a boomerang effect.
If you send 600 CVs in a few months and haven’t even had an interview, you won’t be thinking about the money you saved on stamps, but rather about the failed expectations and this will have a “price” in terms of your frustration.
Moreover, by sending CVs in un unfocused manner, you will have contributed to generating “noise” which prevents recruiters from being efficient and this will also backiore again against you.
Just think about when you complain because the recruiter doesn’t respond. But how can they if they receive loads of “random” CVs? The recruiter won’t read between the lines to understand why you’re putting yourself forward for a position of plant director if your CV says you’ve been IT for all of your life. So it’s better to think about how the market works and adapt if you want to look for work through ads.
Having said that, you might as well send your CV one more time as opposed to one less time!
And as I was told by a person I supported closely in her search for a job, even here you need to follow a method and apply yourself to the task. Federica would wake up in the morning at the usual time (i.e. the same time she used to wake up at when she was working) and she would give herself an hour or two to look at ads on the web (including Linkedin) in order to find new ads that had just been published (remember what I said above about hundreds of CVs coming in?). She would then do other stuff and in the afternoon or evening she would check again to see if there were any updates on the candidature and respond again if necessary. The web moves quickly and you have to keep up with it. There’s no point in looking at ads every now and again and responding after taking a rain check for a few days… The same applies with feedback from a recruiter: it’s best to respond immediately and not wait until after the week-end, holidays and the likes!
Seize the moment please!
This method applies for both Italy and other countries and the above points will hold true!
