Hiring staff is uncertain now, but soon things will pick up – so what can you do to put you ahead of the competition when you are looking for a new role? We have put together 5 top tips that could help you:

Number 1 - Update your CV

Your CV is potentially the first point of contact you have with a new potential employer, so making sure it is up to date with your qualifications and experience is vital! On average an employer spends less than 9 seconds reading your CV so you need to make a positive impression instantly! What an employer looks for in a CV varies but you need to make sure the information is laid out in reverse chronological order, for example most recent projects and job roles should be at the top. Use bullet points so that the information in your CV is easy to read and process. Add in enough detail about each role you have had, but don’t go overboard as more than likely it will not be read. You can always elaborate more during the interview stage. A CV is not a final document, it can be considered a draft that can easily be tailored to each company and each role and this is where recruitment agencies such as Calco can help! Recruitment consultants work alongside companies and clients first ha on a regular basis so possess the skills and knowledge to adapt your CV accordingly to each company’s requirements. 

Number 2 - Social media cleanse / Strengthening your LinkedIn profile

More than likely in this digital era you are looking up companies on the internet to clarify exactly what they do by checking their online presence – if you are doing this it is likely that employers could also be doing this with your online profiles! Make time to go through each of your social media profiles and ensure they are employer friendly. Use appropriate language and images as this could have a huge impact on how employable you are to some companies. LinkedIn is widely used for sourcing top talent so don’t neglect your profile. Update your work experience and qualifications so it matches your CV. Be active on LinkedIn, share and like information relevant to your industry, this shows a keen interest in what you do. 

Number 3 - Personal Development

Investing in yourself is so important, identify your weaknesses, invest some times in strengthening these, there are so many learning tools at our fingertips so use these to your advantage! Whether it’s doing an online course, or attending webinars, downloading eBooks or just reading books – there will most definitely be a method that works for everyone and information relevant to every industry that you can use to develop your knowledge. Personal Development doesn’t have to come in the form of identifying a weakness and working on that, you could use your time to learn a new skill that could benefit you in a new role, or just increase your knowledge on a particular subject or industry after all, ‘knowledge is power’. 

Number 4 - Research companies / industry

An effective way to use any free time is to look into what companies you would like to work for. Start with a Google search, here you can find companies websites which have so much useful information about them! Usually on a company website you can find their social media channels, here you can learn even more by having a look on them. Connect / follow accounts of the company, this way whenever they post an update you will be able to see and keep up to date with their activity. Having a good knowledge of a company you want to work for will give you a competitive edge! It also allows you to see if you feel you would be a good fit for the company based on their culture, mission and objectives and you can get a great sense of this online.

Number 5 - Brush up on your interview skills

Our last tip is to use your time to brush up on your interview skills! Have you heard the saying ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail’? There is nothing worse than being under prepared for anything, especially an interview. Of course it is difficult to be fully prepared until you know more details about an interview, without knowing what companies you will have interviews for you can’t be too specific with how you prepare! But you can practice, after all practice makes perfect! Role playing is a great way to brush up on these skills, get into the habit of what you would say, know your CV inside out and give examples of how your experience could make you perfect fit. Think about what questions you could prepare to ask at interview stage, an interview is not just for employers to see if you are fit for their company but it is also a chance for you to see if you can see yourself within the company too!