Susan McDonald - Ask an Expert

Q. "How do I sell myself to a recruiter/internal HR manager?"

A. This is a topic that some people find uncomfortable, but it is reality and they often need to do more than just relying on the CV to sell themselves.

An employer is buying your labour and your skills. In most cases they will have a number of people who can technically do the job, so you have to do something positive to influence the outcome with everyone in the process.

If the ad has a contact name and number in it, ring it and talk to the person. Ask them some questions so that they will remember your name when your resume comes into their desk.

Be prepared – have a couple of questions directly relating to the ad and make sure you have a couple of key achievements for your most recent role in the front of your mind.

If you say you are going to do something, do it. If you plan to send in your resume tell them, and tell them when – this afternoon, or overnight. Never send it within 2 minutes of getting off the phone, because it tells the recruiter that you have just fired off a standard resume.

On the front page of the resume refer to the job you are applying and why you are suitable for the role.

Follow it up with a phone call to confirm that they have received it. And feel free at this point to ask for a timeframe on when they might get a chance to review it. Indicate your intention to call them within a few days if you don’t hear anything.

If they call you to talk to you about the role, answer their questions and then ask them towards to the end of the conversation if you can come in for an interview or a chat. Take the initiative.

If the recruiter gives you an interview then phone them up beforehand to ask for a Position Description, or to ask if there is anything they can give you that would help you prepare.

If the interview is more than a few days out always confirm it the day before.

Tell them how keen you are and how you would welcome the opportunity to meet with the client.

Flatter the client/recruiter/interviewer (in fact everyone) by displaying an interest in their company and asking intelligent questions that show you are keen and can make a difference to their company.

At the end of a client interview ask them what the process and timeframes will be and always confirm your interest at the end of the interview.

If you get their business card – immediately send them a thank you email – just a one liner – saying how much you enjoyed the interview, how interested you are in the role and thanking them for their time.

Make sure you have referees lined up and ready to go – and brief them on EVERY job they are likely to get a call on. If they are not positive people, who can help you in the sell, find someone who can.

Q. What’s important in an interview?

A. The first 30 seconds. First impressions really do count!

Dress well. Corporate clothing. Clean, pressed clothes. Polished shoes. Matching ties. Tidy hair. Matching bags (don’t bring your shopping or your gym gear to the interview).

Never underestimate the receptionist. All good companies will ask their receptionist after you left, about your interactions and behaviour towards them. Be warned and be friendly!

Turn off that b*#p@!g phone before you even get into reception. Not silent. Off. Never make or take a call while you are waiting in reception. You will get caught out and almost certainly blow it before you even get past the greeting.

Greet them with a strong handshake, look them in the eye, smile, and use their name. And smile some more throughout the interview. It really does help.

Listen to the question and make sure you answer it. Try to make your answers sound conversational. Get to the point. If you are not sure what they are asking, by all means ask for clarification – before you launch into an answer.

On occasions, it is fine to ask the interviewers if “that answers the question” or whether they need more detail.

• Avoid “umms” and “ahhhs” and “you knows”. A couple of seconds silence to collect your thoughts is much better to listen to.
• Always find ways to work into the conversation key points from the ad or the position description.
• Always check out their website and do a Google search for any recent news items and make sure you stroke their ego!
• Always have a couple of intelligent questions to ask.
• Never bring up the subject of money at the first interview. But conversely, be prepared in case they do. If they do, they do not want to hear wishy washy answers.
• Be careful with jokes, asides, puns. No need to keep it totally straight. A light conversational manner is generally best.

• Be honest – or you will get found out. Even if something just doesn’t feel right, you won’t get put forward for the role if there is any doubt whatsoever. Recruiters are professionals, they are good at uncovering even little examples of you stretching the truth.

There are a whole range of laws about what an employer can and cannot ask you. Sometimes if they cross the line, it may not be intentional – it might just be them trying to be conversational. So you may be best answering simply and changing the topic by asking a question or seeking clarification on an earlier point.

Equally though, if you are going to work for this person or company you want to get a sense of who they are and the same goes for them too. So often it is a good idea to have at least some information about hobbies, interests or particular passions that you may have - even if it is simply your unwavering support for the mighty Magpies!

At the close of the interview be sure to thank them for their time. Feel free to ask them what the process will be from this point and over what timeframe they expect to make their decision.

Q. What do recruiters want to see on a resume?

A. What everyone in the process wants is a resume that makes their life easy.

You may have heard horror stories about recruiters’ limited  attention span – some reports suggest that you only get a few seconds of eye scan to make that all important impression.

1. The first page needs to sell you.

It is like shop window - it has to entice you in, make you want to read more. It should include enough information for the recruiter/employer to get a good feel about you. As recruiters we are all different, but as a guide I also like to see:

  • Relevant qualifications/skills
  • A summary of recent roles
  • Some achievements/contributions that you have made to your recent employers
  • Some thought about how you meet the criteria for the role to which you are applying

All on the first page, all well laid out, making good use of space, headers and short sentences. If you are not good at this I urge you to think about paying someone to do it for you! (A journalist or a copywriter, someone who is used to writing ‘the sell’).

2. Make sure your resume is in a common file format (eg, Word).

As much as it is your document, if a recruiter can’t easily manipulate it, then it won’t get forwarded to a client. Avoid pdf. It is anything but portable!

3. Explain why you have left previous roles.

Some of the things to avoid include:

   • Putting contact details in obscure places

  • Poor grammar

  • Not using the spell checker!

  • Broad generic motherhood statements about career objectives that mean nothing

  • Strange, uncommon fonts

  • Lots of narrative. In fact lots of anything. Keep it succinct. Resumes over 4 or 5 pages probably won’t get read

  • Even with 4 or 5 page resume, make sure it is not repetitive

  • A “me” focus instead of an “employer” focus  – your future employer is most interested in how your skills have helped your past employer and how they can be applied to help them and their business

  • Lots of description about your responsibilities and nothing about your achievements. As a rule, make sure your achievements are given more emphasis than your responsibilities

  • Irrelevant or questionable personal information such as “divorced with 2 children”, or “a dog called Bertie,” or “I left the last role because my relationship with the boss’ daughter broke down and made my position difficult”

  • Be careful of attaching written references – even a glowing reference can backfire if the grammar and spelling are poor – we have seen a glowing reference referring to the candidate’s “professional manor” and reference to the candidate “taking humbridge” at something or other.