Read your CV or Linked In profile through the eyes of a robot!
I have had a fair few coffee’s post the New Year, with good contacts of mine asking for advice as they embark on a new job search. Many have relied of word of mouth for past career opportunities but as they get more senior, the competition increases. They ask me what they need to be doing to be as appealing to the hiring managers of the big roles they are after.
Here are some of the basics:
Gone are the days that recruiters rely on a rolodex and a solid network of contacts, (I am showing my age now). 90% of recruiters, both internal and external, pay Linked In A LOT of money for the privilege of accessing their super smart AI tool Linked In Recruiter.
This tool highlights potential candidates to recruiters and hiring managers based on a set of criteria the user inputs.
So take some time to look at your Linked In profile. What would the AI tool tell the user about you? Does your profile reflect the role you WANT or just list a load of responsibilities you had in roles of the past 10 years? Or does it say nothing at all?
Will the AI tool be flagging you as a potential candidate for that stretch role?
As technology becomes smarter, AI tools like ChatGPT are being used to scan CV’s and cover letters. Users can simply copy and paste cover letters or CV’s and ask it to search for key job criteria. It will comb through text to determine if candidates have relevant experience. Even if this process is being done by an internal talent person or EA and not an AI tool, they too are looking for specific terms, words or achievements.
Just like AI tools, internal recruiters are often not subject matter experts on every role and rely on you to make it obvious that you are relevant for that role which is why it is important for you to tailor your resume to the role you want using the businesses terms, phrases and the words they use in the role descriptions. (For instance, do they call it “Blue sky thinking strategy” and you say “Corporate strategy”)
Finally, when you have managed to get the attention of a hiring manager, you want your profile to sell not tell!
Don’t just list roles and responsibilities.
My clients want to see quantifiable achievements directly related to the work you did. How did your input benefit that business?
We have a free resume template and insights on our website for anyone who may need it.
Of course, we are safe in the knowledge that our years of networking will safeguard us from such tools that will still miss excellent talent and cannot determine character and gravitas but if you are active in the job market, you need to think about being an obvious choice for the role you want beyond word of mouth.