Present-day ways to reach out to HR managers

a woman listening to a man and taking notes

Let’s be honest. When you’re sending out your resume to recruiters, the odds are that your personal information itself looks similar to the countless ones that they’ve already read. They don’t care how badly you want the job or how paper-qualified you are.

Instead of merely trying to convince an HR manager why you’re perfect for the company, go above and beyond to grab their attention! You’re sure to make your job search more fulfilling and stand a higher chance to receive an invitation for an interview – both of which work in your favour.

Here are some of the best ideas you can use this year to reach out to a recruiter responsible for processing your application.

#1: Offer a useful solution

If you’re considering a specific role that you are knowledgeable about (which you should be!), you can try to add a few well-thought-through solutions to current industry problems in your application.

In this way, you show that you have done your due diligence. It’s also an opportunity to display your experience and passion for solving problems for the company and the value you can add to the team should you be presented with a job contract.

“When you help someone solve a problem, they’ll remember you positively for your effort and be more willing to help you out in the future,” says Jon Hill, CEO and chairman of an executive search firm.

#2: Gift your recruiter something appropriate
gift box with a pink ribbon

Image Credits: unsplash.com

You must be careful with this one! While sending flowers is rather strange, you can look at giving a practical gift or resource alongside your application.

For example, one can demonstrate their market research skills by sourcing a gift that resonates with the hiring manager. Just do a search on LinkedIn, and you will be able to start “stalking” on their posts, identify their likes and dislikes, and supplies you think they will find beneficial.

A little present that shows off both your skills and your gratitude at being considered can help make them remember you – which is precisely the reason why you’re reading this now.

Jeff Neal, an operations manager, shared that a candidate actually mailed his resume alongside a packet of fly-fishing lures after learning that Neal liked fly fishing. “I was very impressed and invited him in for an interview,” he commented.

#3: Create a portfolio webpage

Most people apply for jobs that they need rather than want. If you desperately want a position, you’ve got to make sure you have enough output to “brag” about.

Job seekers can consider building a portfolio webpage to store their achievements over the years. Make sure the information is up to date before you send a recruiter a link to your portfolio.

A webpage or website is better than attaching a portfolio in the email since your recruiter can easily forward the link via Slack or WhatsApp to anyone in the management team for immediate considerations.

Or one could also consider other content platforms they are comfortable using.

“We’ve received YouTube channel videos from online creators who work daily on their cars and have vast amounts of knowledge. We also receive resumes from bloggers who run their own car blogs, which shows they already understand the work we are doing here,” shared Michael Lowe, CEO of Car Passionate.

#4: Put yourself on camera
a woman speaking in front of a camera

Image Credits: TechSmith

Most of us don’t like being on camera. Still, having a video to accompany your application often helps recruiters see you with more interest and match a face to your name.

It also aids them to understand just how much you want the job, too, because emotions transfer better through facial expressions and body language.

“A candidate used this tactic to approach me last year. While they didn’t end up having the right technical skill set, the video caught my attention immediately and prompted me to set up a phone interview less than 48 hours later,” shared Biron Clark, founder of Career Sidekick.

Need we say more?

#5: Type an attractive subject line

This is one you may have heard before, and with a good reason! That’s because when you use an attractive subject line, it immediately tells recruiters what they need to know, their interest will be piqued, and it serves as a “clickbait”.

Take a look at these examples:

  • Email subject line A – “Applying for accounting position”
  • Email subject line B – “CPA with 10 years’ experience in technology would love to do your taxes”

Is sample A or B more attention-grabbing? If you’ve chosen the latter, then you ought to know that a witty or well-conceived subject line is vital for an HR manager to click in right away.

Final thoughts
a video interview

Image Credits: deakinco.com

Reaching out to recruiters will always feel a little stressy and nerve-racking.

But by relying on one or more of the ways shared above, you will increase your chances of getting your valuable resume read amongst the sea of job applications. And since that’s what it’s all about, aren’t these methods worth a try this year?

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Steer clear of these 4 resume mistakes if you want to score yourself an interview

resumes on a desk

We trust that you’ve had a well-rested weekend. For some, it might be a busy one since we’re just less than two weeks to Christmas! Good times or bad times, there’s power in the season of giving so we hope you’ve gotten your Christmas gifting plans all sorted out.

Now, back to serious business. Yes, it’s the most dreaded Monday, and we’ve new additions to our usual career-related tips. Job seekers who have yet to score yourself an interview despite the number of resume sent-outs, the problem might be due to some resume blunders you’re making.

Read on to find out how you can avoid these four resume mistakes to score yourself an interview soon.

#1: Placing too much focus on the design
colourful resumes

Image Credits: business.tutsplus.com

If you’re a designer and applying for a position in the creative industry, probably it would make sense for you to want to spend some time on the visual outlook of your resume. But the main point here is that some people tend to overdo it.

You’ve heard the saying, “less is more”, and in this context, it accurately sums up what you should do. Think about the functionality of your resume, including the audience and purpose. Busy recruiters do not have all the time in the world to admire your stylish resume.

Instead, it would be best if you depicted your resume in a way that helps the hiring manager:

  • Read with ease
  • Sift out your skills and suitability
  • Apply your in-demand skills to the job vacancy

A border design and some coloured text may appear lovely in your eyes, but it may not be for the head hunter looking at tons of resumes a day to pick out the right candidates with crucial competencies.

#2: Having chunks of lengthy texts
sample resume

Image Credits: TemplateMonster

Even if we do not apply this mistake in this particular context, having vast chunks of unbroken texts can cause a headache for any modern readers out there.

You might have seen before in the news that some recruiters spend only around six seconds to read a resume. Six seconds?! In that short period, you will need to impress your recruiter as he or she scans through your resume.

To put yourself in the shoes of an HR personnel, think back on the amount of content you mindlessly scroll through your social media feed daily. Recall on what caught your attention and what did not. Even a well-written article can have a low readership count purely because of its formatting.

To assist the recruiter in shortlisting yours among the sea of resumes out there, breaking up texts into proper paragraphs and being fully aware of run-on sentences without punctuations can help. If it makes sense, use bullet points to grab the reader’s attention at first glance.

Also, section the content into headings and subheadings and bold them where necessary. This is to allow the hiring manager to locate essential information effortlessly.

#3: Missing out on brief role descriptions
brief job role descriptions

Image Credits: Prime Advice

Wanting to fit all your achievements in a one- or two-page word document is understandable. While some things like designs are better left as simple, an outline for your role descriptions is necessary.

Think of it as a summary section to give the recruiter some background on these:

  • Who you’ve worked for
  • Nature of the said business
  • Where you fit into the organisation

Those who have worked for widely known global brands may not have to explain the nature of the business, but it’s still important to include some pointers about your department and your contributions to the company’s success.

#4: Not including facts and figures
facts and figures on a resume

Image Credits: iHire

One massive takeaway I’ve had while doing marketing is that numbers matter. Putting this lesson to practical use, it’s the same as trying to market yourself to land an interview with the HR department. As such, don’t leave out facts and figures.

To prove your worth, you want to use some numbers to convey the scale of your impact. Those who’ve led departments before, don’t just stop at “managed a team”. Insert the relevant numbers on the size of your team, the locations they cover, and clients or customers under their servicing.

This is especially useful if you’ve led massive teams across several locations and want to transfer this experience to a regional management position you’re applying for. With that said, even penning down that if you’ve led a small group of five can open doors and put you at the forefront compared to applicants who’ve no such experiences.

Spending some quality time to right the common resume mistakes pointed out in this article could lead to better results in your job applications. If you want the right response from your potential employers, then make sure you have a resume powerful enough to assist you. The last thing you want is to have a substandard resume as a stumbling block to your job search success.

And one last tip before you go, do customise your resume to the specific role you’re applying for and ditch the one-for-all cookie-cutter content!

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Retrenched? Here’s How You Can Get Back Into The Fray

Singapore is in its worst recession since her independence and retrenchment figures are climbing up. For those who are retrenched, initial negativity and shock inevitably surface. Here is how you can manage the emotional impact to ensure that you can stay in the game, and hopefully land a job that is just around the corner.

Keep Your Spirits Up

Photo 41765538 © Gajus | Dreamstime.com

A gamut of emotions often accompanies a retrenchment; ranging from shock and denial to the final stage of acceptance and relief. It’s an emotional roller coaster but do bear in mind that rejections SHOULD NOT define or confine your capabilities. On the other hand, dealing positively with your emotions lay the foundation for personal growth. Take this as an opportunity to re-assess your career choices and consider the options available. For instance, having a positive attitude and an openness to new opportunities will boost your chances of finding employment once again.

Manage Your Finances Prudently

Photo 53759160 © Szefei | Dreamstime.com

If you are retrenched, you might receive a severance package. A common mistake that most who are laid off make would be to splurge on something to make themselves feel better temporarily. Instead, the prudent thing to do is to budget and plan ahead. Make an estimate on how long this retrenchment package may last while you continue to look for a job. This is especially critical if you have familial responsibilities as the financial obligations will not disappear. A helpful budgeting tip is to track your daily expenses and cut down on unnecessary expenses such as luxury items or expensive restaurant meals. It may also pay off in the long run to use part of the severance package to invest and upskill yourself. This can only benefit your aim to get back into the fray.

See A Career Coach

Photo 153900280 © Fizkes | Dreamstime.com

The job search journey may be daunting, especially when you have not been actively looking for a job for some time. Career preparation will be useful in gearing you up to re-enter the workforce and seeing a career coach is definitely one of the key actions to take. With personality and strength finder tools, you will discover more about your strengths and weaknesses as you embark on a journey of self-discovery. Career coaches have a wealth of experience in providing customised career guidance such as:

  • Assessing your personality, qualifications and experience to steer you in your career path towards the industry of your choice
  • Assisting to review your resume, boosting its chances of standing out (Personal strengths are listed categorically and aligned to career objective)

Do leverage the career coaches at Careers Connect, where personalised support is available through the CARE360 series of programmes, as well as Career Matching Services organised by Workforce Singapore (‘WSG’).

Consider Company Attachments

Photo 78661206 © Wiwat Chanovit | Dreamstime.com

While you continue to search for employment, do consider attachments provided by host companies that help you acquire emerging skills or expand your opportunities in new sectors. Such attachments offer a way to prove your value to the company and maximise your chances of being offered a full-time job.

SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme provides mid-career individuals with traineeships and training opportunities at companies and public sector agencies. Alternatively, the Professional Conversion Programme is also available for mid-career PMETs to undergo skills conversion and move into new occupations or sectors that have good prospects for progression.

Remember, managing the emotional impact is half the battle won. Thereafter, approach Workforce Singapore (WSG) to tap on its Career Matching Services that will take you one step closer to securing re-employment again. Get back into the fray once again!

If you’re currently unemployed or have been retrenched, and are seeking career guidance, register your interest to see a career coach with WSG here. Complimentary for all Singaporeans and Singapore PRs.

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Don’t Share These Personal Issues In The Workplace!

Personal issues includes your family drama, emotional difficulties, boyfriend problems, and even your outstanding debt. These private issues can impact your ability to advance in your career. Thus, it is ideal to keep things on a balance beam. Put your “private life” on one end and the “work life” on another end.

It is inevitable to experience a crossover between these two, but you must deal with it in a healthy manner. Remember that oversharing is not always a good strategy!

#1: VARIOUS FINANCIAL WOES

As a financial writer, I respect the financial transparency between a husband and wife. I highly encourage open communication in a domestic setting. However, you must draw a thick line in a professional setting. Your co-workers do not want to hear about your financial woes as much as you do not want to hear theirs!

It is possible to earn similar salaries as your co-workers. Thus, you may perceive them as your allies who will emphatize with your financial circumstance. This is not always the case. Being in the same situation does not guarantee that they can provide decent advices to you. Seek professional help.

#2: PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT TURMOIL

Workplace dramas spread like wildfire. To prevent this, employers do their best to maintain group harmony. It goes without saying that you should skip stories revolving your previous workplace termoils. I can vividly remember staying away from my co-worker who was utterly open about her unhealthy sexual encounters.

Yes! Stories such as a cheating boss, a dishonest co-worker, and a crazy office party are juicy. However, employers and other individuals tend to frown upon staff members with these type of past. Letting out your dramatic past will affect other people’s perception of your character and your worth ethics. Are you willing to risk those?

#3: DEEPEST DARKEST WEAKNESSES

In the animal kingdom, a dog manifest its submission by rolling over and exposing its belly. The dog freely reveals his weakness to other trusted beings. You may unintentionally doing the same thing when you share too much about yourself.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Some of your subordinates may take advantage of your weaknesses by giving you tasks that are beyond your capabilities. Furthermore, it may influence your employer’s decision when considering you for a promotion. Seek to do the opposite by demonstrating your strengths. Demonstrate your worth to the company today!

#4: SERIOUS RELATIONSHIP DISASTERS

Let us face it – no marriage is perfect! Just listen to Beyonce’s “Lemonade” album. Not even Queen B and legendary Jay Z were spared from cheating scandals. A cheating party, a messy divorce, and a harsh breakup are all parts of life. You are bound to fight with these tides and thrive soon after.

No matter how seemingly acceptable these serious subjects are, you should not blurt out these issues to the workplace conversations. Digging up your relationship disasters communicates that you have a difficulty in separating your workplace and personal lives. This inability to discriminate between the two is a career-limiting trait.

#5: STRONG RELIGIOUS OR POLITICAL VIEWS

While I was in a recent reunion with my ex-colleagues, our random topics led to sharing our personal views. It was the first time that we talked about our political and religious stances. You see, we usually steer away from these hot-button topics that trigger distinct reactions. Our current social positions allowed us to be more open about these topics. However, sharing our thoughts may have a different impact back when we were in the same workplace.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

It is easy for a casual comment on a particular religious sector to turn into a negative commentary. The negative effect may affect your professional opportunities. As much as possible, you must exercise religious sensitivity and political correctness. Keep these strong beliefs out of the workplace!

Sources: 1& 2

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