How to play to your strengths in a competitive market.
The job market is tough. No question about it. With the number of experienced people on the market across many industries, it’s challenging to find a new role. A huge number of people still fall foul of basic mistakes.
Here are five things to get right in your job hunt.
1. How does your CV measure up?
“Where you’ve worked”, “when”, “what you worked on” and “for whom”, are the very basics. If the person reading your CV can’t see the connection between the jobs you’ve done and the job they need to fill, you’ll fall at the first hurdle. Remember you only get one chance at a first impression and your CV is the key to opening doors to interviews. Keep opinions out of your CV. It should be factual. Think of it as an instruction manual rather than an auto-biography.
2. Why are you applying?
If you’re an out of work Engineering Director applying for an entry level engineering role chances are the hirer isn’t going to be comfortable that their job is the right one for you. Be prepared to justify why you’re looking at a £10k drop in salary and why you won’t run off when the next director-level job lands at your door.
3. Play to your strengths
If you’re applying for a job that requires experience, knowledge or expertise that you don’t have, why are you applying at all? What are you hoping to achieve? A lot of people panic and apply for as many jobs as they can and then get despondent when they receive a glut of rejections. Play to your strengths; apply for positions where you fit at least part of the brief. If you can justify why you can be considered, apply. If you can’t, don’t waste your time. Browsing roles by engineering sector is a quick way to find jobs that match your background.
4. Make an effort with the recruitment consultant
If you impress the recruitment consultant handling the role, they’ll be motivated to help you and will work hard to place you. They are paid by the client to fill the vacancy, therefore they are motivated to work with the best candidates and put them forward for the positions they are working on. If the recruitment consultant doesn’t rate you, then they won’t be confident that you’ll perform well in front of their client and they won’t put you forward.
5. Get the interview basics right
Prepare properly. Research the employer, read the job description again and have examples ready of problems you have solved and projects you have delivered. Expect detailed technical questions about the equipment, systems and standards on your CV.
Look the part for the role. For office and management roles a suit or smart jacket is still the safe choice, and for site roles smart, clean and simple works. For video interviews, test your camera and sound beforehand and find a quiet room. Switch your phone off, bring a notepad and take notes.
For more detail, read our CV tips for engineers and interview tips for engineers, see the areas of Scotland we recruit engineers in, or send us your CV.
Good luck!