by Lis McGuire | Jun 17, 2014 | CV tips, News
If someone mentioned keywords to you, would you know what they are? Do you have a vague inkling that they’re related to websites and search engine optimisation or are you aware that they’re essential to the job hunting process?
It’s safe to say that keywords are no longer confined to the concern of web developers and businesses hoping to rank well on Google. Keywords are now essential to the success of your CV.
What are keywords?
As with search engine optimisation, keywords are essentially the words people are most likely to use to search for content on a specific topic. In the recruitment world, this means the words recruiters will use to search their database or Applicant Tracking System (ATS) for CVs that are most relevant to a job vacancy.
This means that every vacancy will have different keywords.
Why are keywords important to your CV?
According to a recent report by ERE, the average job attracts approximately 250 CVs, giving recruiters just six seconds to decide which go into the ‘potential’ pile and which are rejected outright. These days, it’s estimated that 70% of Fortune 1000 companies use Applicant Tracking Systems to scan and select relevant CVs.
For these tracking systems to be effective, recruiters will search for specific keywords to see which candidates the tracking system selects. If you don’t have the right keywords in your CV, it simply won’t be seen, ending your application before you’ve had a chance to demonstrate your suitability.
How do you know which keywords to use?
There are several things you can do to identify the best keywords for your CV. Start with the job advertisement and job description.
For example, imagine a job ad for a ‘PA/Team Coordinator for Top Global Media Agency’ – the job description mentions the job title several times and stresses that experience in the media would be ideal. It also specifically mentions typing speed (55wpm), Word, Excel and PowerPoint, while diary management is listed several times in the list of desirable skills and job description.
It’s safe to say that ‘PA’, ‘Team Coordinator’ and ‘Media’ are all keywords for this vacancy. The recruiter is also likely to search for the software packages and skills highlighted as essential experience.
If you’re still not sure about which keywords to use, you should also look at other job advertisements in your area of expertise. Are there words they all use to describe the role? Are there two different words that mean the same thing, e.g. online marketing or digital marketing? The popular job website, Indeed, features a handy Job Trends tool, which you can use to search for the latest vacancy trends and see which keywords are the most popular.
How should you use keywords in your CV?
Let’s start with how not to use them! If you’re thinking of stuffing your CV full of keywords to get it found by Applicant Tracking Systems, stop now. Keyword stuffing used to be how SEO specialists trumped search engine algorithms but it soon became clear that this made for a pretty dismal reading experience for web users. Your CV is no different. It’s essential to remember that it will be read by a human being once the ATS has done its work. For this reason, make your CV readable, engaging and relevant.
When it comes to keywords, use them frequently and strategically.
You might want to try the following:
Use keywords in your CVs headings, e.g. Personal Profile: PA & Team Coordinator with Global Media background
Add keywords to the skills section of your CV, e.g. Typing speed 55wpm, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, diary management
Think about putting your keywords in bold. During the early selection stages, the recruiter may skim read your CV looking for clear indicators that you match their requirements. Putting text in bold means it will stand out at a glance
Mirror the wording of the job advertisement in your CV and covering letter – job advertisements need to be sharp and to the point, so the words they include are there for a reason
Use industry-specific words – if there are several variations, use them all if you can
Tailor your CV to the job instead of sending a generic ‘catch all’ version that catches the attention of no-one
If you’re hoping to change careers, it’s still important to choose the keywords that are relevant to your targeted sector rather than your previous career
Use action words such as ‘led’, ‘achieved’, ‘optimised’, ‘maximised’ to make your CV more dynamic
Where possible, give examples of your achievements, e.g. instead of saying that you have ‘excellent written communication skills’, you could say that you ‘Transformed the company’s dry and unappealing newsletter to make it reflect the dynamic direction of the business, leading to more than 1,000 sign ups to the mailing list in just four weeks’
If you’re still not sure which keywords to use, you might want to think about getting a second opinion from a friend, colleague or professional CV writing services like Giraffe CVs. If you would like to know more about how keywords might be affecting your job search and what you can do to optimise your CV, we’re always happy to help.
by Lis McGuire | Jun 10, 2014 | CV tips, Job transition advice, News
A job search can be a stressful scenario and, as with many stressful scenarios, it has the power to bring out the worst in each and every one of us. As a job seeker under pressure, you are faced with decisions that could make or break your future. If you take one path, then you are likely to end up at a certain destination; follow the other fork in the road and you will almost certainly end up at another. With your future hanging in the balance, emotions can run high and your capacity to remain considered and honour your true virtues may be compromised.
This week we have decided to consider the seven deadly sins of job hunting. Are you guilty of any of these vices in the context of your job search?
Greed
Remember, money is not everything. When looking for a new job, don’t just be tempted by the salary. Make sure it is the role itself that appeals and one that you feel, in your heart, that you could take on and enjoy. It’s been known that people have gone for well-paid jobs and found that the role doesn’t fit with their aspirations or skill set, or that they’ve bitten off more than they can chew.
“Greed is not a financial issue. It’s a heart issue.” ~ Andy Stanley
Gluttony
Don’t be lured into making your job applications too fat! Remember, a two-page CV is the ideal maximum. Don’t be excessive and cram every single bit of experience into your CV. Indulge your inner gourmet and keep it selective but informative. This also applies to job application forms. Make sure you answer the questions and keep to the point.
“Gluttony is a great fault; but we do not necessarily dislike a glutton. We only dislike a glutton when he becomes a gourmet…” ~ GK Chesterton
Lust
There is no point in coveting and applying for every single job you see in the hopes that one application will pay off. Make sure you only apply for the roles you really desire and are seriously considering, ensuring that your CV is targeted to these roles.
“Curiosity is the lust of the mind.” ~ Thomas Hobbes
Envy
As the saying goes “the grass is always greener”. You may see your friend in a seemingly dream role, benefiting from exciting projects, a fantastic salary and generous bonus. It can be tempting to compare yourself to them and find your own job lacking. Have a good long think about what you love or don’t love about your current role before you think about leaving. Consider the pros and cons of staying on before convincing yourself that a different job would fulfil your desires.
“He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.” ~ Socrates
Sloth
Don’t be lazy with your job hunt, don’t expect jobs to come to you. Some people are lucky enough to be head-hunted for a job that represents a great match with their skills, experience and career dreams, but most of us have to work hard at finding a new position. Therefore, it is important to keep checking relevant websites, check in with your recruitment agent regularly, keep your LinkedIn profile up to date and research target companies or industries in preparation for that all-important interview.
“We excuse our sloth under the pretext of difficulty.” ~ Quintilian
Wrath
Don’t make the mistake of ‘jacking in your job’ because someone or something has angered you. It can be self-destructive to throw away a good role, which could potentially lead to something bigger in the future, because you couldn’t stand the company politics, or a colleague got on your nerves, or because you’ve been passed over for a promotion. When you make your decision to leave a job, it should be a measured choice rather than one made in a flash of anger.
“Men often make up in wrath what they want in reason.” ~ William R. Alger
Pride
Pride is considered to be the original and most serious of the deadly sins, and can be the downfall of many a jobseeker. Don’t be too proud to ask for help with your CV, especially if it’s not getting you any interviews. It is worth having a friend to look it over or, even better, asking a professional CV writer to deliver a free CV review. Also, don’t be reticent in asking for help from your network, whether it be for job ideas, CV tips or even interview tips.
“In general, pride is at the bottom of all great mistakes.” ~ John Ruskin
If you can honestly say that you are innocent of these vices, then you truly are a job search angel. If not, chin up, you’re only human after all!
by Lis McGuire | Jun 2, 2014 | LinkedIn tips, News
LinkedIn is a powerful tool which enables you to engage, solidify and maintain relationships with a broad range of people who make up the fabric of your professional life. LinkedIn recommendations act as a kind of case study of a particular relationship, outlining the circumstances of your mutual connection and the reputation you have earned within that relationship.
Why do you need LinkedIn recommendations?
Featuring recommendations on your LinkedIn profile is a great way to convey what others in your professional network think of you. This kind of social proof is massive – showcasing recommendations is an easy and transparent way to evidence that you are who you say you are, and that you do know what you say you know.
If you are a current jobseeker, then a strong presence on LinkedIn complete with recommendations is a must. The platform is used by many businesses to source talent for new roles and discover more about candidates of interest. Recruiters search online for candidates’ LinkedIn profiles to crosscheck their credentials and reputation. Having great recommendations on your profile will boost your credibility and encourage a recruiter to consider your profile in a more favourable light. A recommendation speaks volumes about a person’s character, and carries more weight than what the individual may write about themselves.
When you update your LinkedIn profile with a recommendation, your connections, and the connections of the person recommending you, will be notified of the update in their newsfeed. It’s the virtual equivalent of the person taking you to a premium, closed networking event with all of their contacts, patting you on the back and announcing to the room that you are in their circle of trust.
Who should you ask for LinkedIn recommendations?
Before requesting LinkedIn recommendations, consider your career objectives carefully. If your next move is going to be based on the experience and skills you have gained through your current role, then there is little point requesting a host of non-related recommendations for work you carried out at the start of your career. Instead, focus on requesting recommendations that will support achievement of that goal.
With your target firmly in mind, go ahead and seek LinkedIn recommendations from peers at all levels to build and enhance your reputation; don’t feel compelled to just ask people you report to. You might consider asking contacts from inside or outside your current organisation, from previous employers, business partners, suppliers, client organisations, educational institutions, or even conferences or events attended. In fact, I think that displaying a diverse array of recommendations puts you at an advantage, showing that you are a great person to work with regardless of the scenario.
If a supplier recommends you, this can demonstrate your flair for partnership working; if one of your direct reports recommends you, it can show that you are a respected manager and if someone who manages or has managed your performance recommends you, then it shows your ability to deliver as an employee… and so on! Whilst it’s always a good idea to aim for a balance, obviously there is something to be said for being recommended by someone who is well-regarded in their organisation or industry, so if the CEO wants to give you a recommendation, then that’s really great.
Something to bear in mind – if your profile features a high proportion of recommendations that are very obviously written by your friends and family, this could suggest that you were unable to secure recommendations through your professional network.
When should you and shouldn’t you ask for LinkedIn recommendations?
Strike while the iron’s hot and ask for recommendations whilst working closely with a LinkedIn contact, or shortly after your project or association has ended.
It’s a good idea to seek recommendations whilst the glow of the aftermath is still warm and smiles are still on the faces of those who have been involved.
As to when you shouldn’t ask for a LinkedIn recommendation, I wouldn’t advise requesting recommendations from contacts you have only had peripheral dealings with, those who are relatively new contacts or those you don’t really know that well. Wait until the relationship has developed and pick your moment.
Where should you display LinkedIn recommendations?
Although your focus needs to be on securing LinkedIn recommendations that will help you to achieve your career target, ideally, over a period of time, you should strive to include a minimum of two to three recommendations for each role.
This would suggest to anyone viewing your profile that your performance has been consistent throughout your career and that you are, and have always been, a good person to know.
Recommendations are displayed in reverse chronological order for each role, so that the latest recommendation you receive will be the presented first on your LinkedIn profile.
What should you say when requesting a LinkedIn recommendation?
Being generous and making the first move in writing LinkedIn recommendations for others in your network is a good tactic to receive some recommendations yourself, as well as being an all-round nice thing to do.
Don’t give just to receive, but you can lead by example and set the ball rolling. Most people will be overwhelmed that you have taken the time to support them and be eager to reciprocate.
However, there will be occasions where you need to ask for a LinkedIn recommendation.
LinkedIn’s messaging system makes the whole process very easy.
Visit your Profile, select Edit, hover over the down arrow beside edit and select
‘Ask to be recommended’
from the dropdown list.
Now to face the dilemma of what to say. Write a personal and friendly message that draws out your connection and politely ask if they would be kind enough to write you a LinkedIn recommendation, perhaps based on a specific project or experience of working together. Make it easy for your contact to act quickly by offering your help in putting something together.
If you have already received a glowing recommendation by email, in a memo or even as part of a performance review, you could send this to the individual asking if they would be willing to upload it to LinkedIn as a recommendation. This certainly cuts down on the legwork for the individual giving the reference.
Once someone has written a recommendation and submitted it to LinkedIn, you will receive an email notification from LinkedIn enabling you to review what has been written about you and request any changes. I personally am so grateful to the person for taking the time to write the recommendation that I wouldn’t usually ask for any changes to be made. Whether you publish the recommendations you receive on your LinkedIn profile is up to you, so if for any reason you don’t want to publish it, you don’t have to.
Lastly, remember to thank anyone who is good enough to recommend you. Their time and generosity of spirit is to be valued, especially when you consider the positive impact their actions could have on your future career.
If your LinkedIn profile could use a makeover, then why not check out our LinkedIn profile packages or connect with me on LinkedIn?
by Lis McGuire | May 27, 2014 | CV tips, Infographics, News
Are you guilty of these 10 CV crimes? Some of the mistakes we see on CVs are just heinous. They come up so frequently that we have been inspired to publish this infographic outlining the most atrocious CV offences.
A jury of recruiters will inevitably judge your employability and potential on the basis of your CV, so why not examine the 10 exhibits below to establish if your CV would hold up in court? Are you guilty as charged? If so, consider this a caution and revisit your CV to show the recruiter it would be criminal not to hire you. If you need any help, our professional CV writing service would be considered a ‘steal’.
Please feel free to use this infographic on your own website or blog using the embed code below.
by Lis McGuire | May 20, 2014 | CV tips, News
Scrutinising your CV before the recruiter does is a great way to court a positive result and improve your chances of securing that much-coveted interview. By analysing and judging your CV’s content with a critical eye, you should be inspired to identify and pursue some areas of improvement. It is well worth taking the time and making the effort to complete a thorough review of your CV to ensure that it presents you at your best.
This week’s blog looks at practical ways to refine and improve your CV’s content, focused around two very simple questions: So what? Says who? These two little questions can be applied to every section of your CV and can make a big impact. Here’s how to use them to ensure your CV does you justice:
Question 1 – So what?
Asking ‘So what?’ about every line of your CV is a great way to critique potentially staid content. This small and simple question makes you consider the true results of your actions, helping you to refine your CV content to make it more powerful.
Your CV is likely to contain any number of woolly generalisations, all CVs tend to. By asking ‘so what?’ and answering your own question, you can inform the recruiter about how your actions make a difference, taking them from a 2D status to a 3D statement.
When reading each line of your CV, ask:
So what?
What was the actual result and impact of this action?
What specific benefit did I deliver by doing this?
How did my action impact in a local and in a wider context?
Then use your answers to reword and upgrade your CV content. By being more specific about your experience, skills and achievements you can improve your presentation of your offering, making it clear to recruiters why they should interview and hire you.
Quantify your achievement wherever possible. By including a tangible measurement (size of budget, cost savings made, performance against set sales targets, or even awards), you can help the recruiter to get a better handle of what your actions and results were.
The ultra-cool BBC Dimensions site illustrates the power of quantifying events to communicate a point. The site enables users to take important places, historical events and things, and overlay them onto a zoomable map of their own locality. When considering something remote like the size of the moon, it can be hard to visualise how large it actually is. By describing it in terms we are more familiar with, we gain a better understanding of its features.
Question 2 – Says who?
As part of your personal marketing toolkit, your CV, by its very nature, will represent your own personal take on your experience, skills and achievements. Asking ‘Says who?’ is a good litmus test, giving you the chance to sanity check and validate your own opinions before the recruiter does.
When reading each line of your CV, ask:
Says who?
Is there someone who would corroborate my statement?
Would their opinion of me be of interest to the recruiter?
How can I evidence their opinion to the recruiter?
If others in your peer group wouldn’t necessarily back up a statement on your CV, then reconsider how authentic it is and whether you should include it. If others would be willing to recommend you for the skills and experience you are promoting, then consider how to convey this to the recruiter.
You can reword and upgrade your CV content to reflect the opinions of your network. For example, rather than stating:
‘Delivered a tangible increase in sales turnover’
You could write:
‘Achieved a commendation from the CEO for driving a 50% increase in sales turnover within six months’
Whilst references don’t really belong on a CV, a way around this is to reference your LinkedIn url for recruiters to follow and find out more. Using LinkedIn recommendations and endorsements are a great way to convey what others think of you. This kind of social proof is massive and represents an easy and transparent way to evidence that you are who you say you are, and that you do know what you say you know. You can:
Request and showcase LinkedIn recommendations from peers at all levels to build and enhance your reputation. Don’t be shy, go ahead and ask people in your network who can give positive feedback on your work. Having great recommendations on your profile will boost your credibility and will make the recruiter consider your profile in a more favourable light.
Enhance your LinkedIn profile with projects, tagging other involved parties and adding interactive media files to engage recruiters. These projects could be referenced and hyperlinked to your LinkedIn on your CV, so that the recruiter can easily click through to find out more. Project examples can add real depth to a CV, so it is worth giving your CV writer some shining examples, or at least directing them to the right places so they can find out the key facts.
Manage your LinkedIn endorsements to ensure they reflect your skills and experience in the best light for the job. This great blog from BLG Business Solutions on how to manage LinkedIn endorsements explains how.
Are you ready to ask yourself ‘So what?’ and ‘Says who?’? Take the time, before the recruiter does, and stay one step ahead of the game.
