No need to stress over sending out a multitude of resumes. With these tips, your dream job might just come knocking on your door instead...
No need to stress over sending out a multitude of resumes. With these tips, your dream job might just come knocking on your door instead...
There will come a time in your career when you’re ready to expand your horizons. But by then, you might be a little too busy to actually hunt for the perfect job. Rather than stressing yourself with a full on job search, keep yourself in the line of sight of recruiters and potential employers so you still have time to be a superstar in your current position. That way, you improve your skills while making sure your future dream job is on the lookout for you!
We spoke to Aprilyn Chan, recruitment manager at Michael Page Singapore, to find out how to get your dream job to notice you.
1. Put out plenty of feelers
Start by taking some time to join the pool of passive applicants at recruitment companies. Some jobs – especially higher-level jobs – don’t advertise on job portals and go solely through recruitment agencies as they require the expertise of experienced recruiters. Aprilyn explains: “Experienced recruiters are very well- connected in the industry, so they are familiar with top-tier professionals in the sector.” This increases their pool of quality jobs, which works out great for you if you’re looking to up your chances of moving to a better position. Unlike active job hunting, this requires just an afternoon or two of sending out identical resumes to recruitment agencies. Don’t worry, recruiters really do read those e-mails. Remember, it benefits them to find the right person for a company.
2. Perfect your LinkedIn page
LinkedIn is a great resource, so ensure your page is in tip-top condition before setting it live. “Recruiters actually prefer a snapshot of a potential candidate’s previous career and achievements, as opposed to a lengthy CV,” shares Aprilyn. She advises keeping your CV to a reader-friendly format with bullet points that highlight your key achievements. This means cutting away jobs you had early in your career that don’t add value to your current set of skills. No one needs to know about that holiday job you had at a sandwich shop.
Positive endorsements and testimonials are another way to improve your LinkedIn page, as they show you have good rapport with current and previous employers and clients. That way, people know you’re able to work well with others. The testimonials can come from people you’ve worked with or for. If you’ve built a strong enough relationship with them, it’s highly likely they will write a good testimonial for you.
Little tweaks to your profile could help too.For example, include your industry in your headline, and pick keywords pertaining to the job scope you’re looking for in your headline and summary. A good way to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack is to include multimedia
in your profile. Even if you’re not in an industry where a portfolio is expected, include a slideshow that highlights your key skills and examples of your work in a colourful, eye-catching manner.
3. Attend networking sessions, forums and seminars relevant to your dream job
Connections, connections, connections. That’s the first thing that will get you a step closer to your dream job. Build a strong network of industry professionals by attending networking sessions – these informal settings can help you to figure out how well you fit into a given industry. Avoid shying away from approaching people. Networking sessions are open forums for professionals to mix together and exchange industry news. Recruiters often get wind of people looking for jobs through these sessions. Go a step further by keeping updated on current market developments as, “it helps you sound business savvy when you engage with recruiters,” says Aprilyn.
