Recruiters can seem intimidating; they are the thin line between you and your dream job. But connecting with recruiters doesn’t always have to be so tense and scary – once you know the right things to do.
We had a brief chat with our HR Generalist, Bunmi Oluwoye, where she shared some tips to help jobseekers properly navigate the job market and present themselves to recruiters whether offline or online. We also added a super cool template that you can edit for personal use.👇
Take a look at some of her super useful tips –
Question – What are the top 5 things every job seeker should say to recruiters when marketing themselves?
What to say – In searching for a job, it is important to be intentional about what you say when speaking to a potential employer. Here are some tips on what to say if allowed to pitch yourself:
- Introduce yourself and focus on your accomplishments: It is essential to highlight your best work in that role and ensure it is worth noting so that your name is top of mind for the recruiter.
- Sell your strengths and skills: This trick works mainly if you’re short on experience to sell. Promote your strengths, skills and area of expertise – convince the employer why you should be given a shot even if you lack experience. You might not always get positive responses but trust us when we say it will be worth trying.
- Highlight the type of position you are interested in – Make sure you’re clear on what you want and leave the recruiter with helpful information about your skills/experience. If you’re an entry-level seeker, you can request an internship or volunteer opportunity.
- End the conversation with a good Call to Action: This shows that you are passionate about the role and interested in using your skills for the organization you pitch yourself to.
Question – What are 5 things job seekers shouldn’t say to recruiters when marketing themselves?
What not to say – When connecting with recruiters, you can never be too careful – here are a couple of things that could ruin your chances of getting a job –
- Don’t be negative: No matter how bad a job was, never “badmouth” a former employer in an interview, and try not to speak negatively about anyone you have worked within the past.
- Overemphasising not having enough experience: This mistake is easy to make, especially if you are a recent graduate or career changer. When you apologise for the experience you do not have, you are essentially saying that you are not a great hire and that you are not the right fit for the role.
- Speaking on personal business: While entrepreneurship is excellent and very encouraged, it is not advisable to always say that you will start your own business soon. Most employers want to hire people who will be around for a while, and if there’s any suspicion that you’re just collecting a paycheck until you can do your own thing, you probably won’t get the job.
Question – Can you give us some insights into how job seekers can effectively market their skills online?
- Develop your brand: Your brand is often what employers use to gain a first impression of you. Your brand should portray your personality and skills while remaining consistent on all forms of social media, your resume, cover letter and portfolio.
- Connect with people at physical and virtual networking events: Create a list of potential companies you would be interested in and research what events they may attend. If you are pursuing a position within a specific industry, locate events catering to that industry. Search for networking events targeted to employees seeking new careers. Attending any of these events allows you to meet new people and build awareness of your brand.
- Become an industry expert: Along with researching your target company’s brand and product, educate yourself on the industry. If you market yourself as an industry expert, companies will see your commitment and be more enthusiastic about hiring you. Selling a product in a particular industry becomes easier when you’re well-educated on the industry and its consumers.
- While selling yourself, highlight the values you bring to an organisation: Effectively communicating your brand and unique value is paramount in organisational settings as it is in business – understand the pain point your skills and competencies solve.
- Be Visible: There are multiple ways to become more visible in your niche, including assuming leadership opportunities, amplifying your voice through speaking engagements and demonstrating thought leadership by sharing your passion, knowledge and expertise through books or blogs and leading conversations in your niche on social media. Being an expert is not what you know; it is what you share.
In summary –
- Do not be generic.
- Do not send a lengthy message talking about yourself
- Do not send short messages only saying “Hi” or “Hello”
- Do not send automated (copy and paste) messages. Customise it
- Do not send the message without proofreading.
- Do not be rude or demanding.
- Do not take it personally when someone rejects your connection request or responds to a message weeks later.
Need some help with reaching out to recruiters online? Here’s a downloadable template you can use. Click this LINK to download. Don’t forget to like and share!
To enrol for a free course that teaches you to communicate properly and efficiently, simply visit www.jobberman.com/softskills.
