Though no one is ever going to be a perfect candidate, there are things you can do to ensure that you have the best chance of success. What an interviewer is looking for will vary depending on the role and company, but the below tips will give you a good idea of what you can do to become as close to perfect as possible.
Our Top Tips to Becoming the Perfect Job Applicant
- Take the Interview Seriously - Don’t simply apply for a job and hope for the best, prepare and take the application seriously. Think about what your motivations are for wanting to leave your current role and what your career goals are, and use this information as inspiration.
- Keep Your CV Short - It’s easy to get carried away with your CV, and you might find yourself having pages upon pages of information to share with a hiring manager. However, you should aim to keep your CV as short as possible; anywhere between two and three pages is ideal. Keep your qualifications, education and experience concise. Focus on the vital pieces of information, as a lot of people will scan your CV looking for keywords and key information.
- Be Clear About What You Want - Think about what you are looking for from your next position and what your career goals are, and don’t be shy about sharing this information with a recruiter. Though you might not know exactly what you want, having a rough idea will help a recruiter to provide advice and guidance. Not knowing what you want could come across as uncertainty in an interview, which is unlikely to fill the interviewer with confidence.
- Have a Method of Communication in Mind - It doesn’t matter what your preferred method of communication is, as long as you can easily communicate with a recruiter. You could choose email or a telephone call, or even WhatsApp. If you are not contactable outside of office hours, make sure people are aware of this. It will save your recruiter a lot of time if they know when and how to contact you. Plus, it will help you to avoid being contacted at work, which could alert your current employer to your job search.
- Be Honest About Your Salary Expectations - A lot of people find it awkward to talk about their salary expectations, but it doesn’t need to be. There are a lot of different ways to determine what salary you should expect from your next job role; you could speak to other people in the industry, look online or speak to a specialist recruiter. Though you should always be honest about your salary expectations, be careful not to price yourself out of the market. You don’t want to ask for too much or too little.
- Have a Good Reason for Wanting a New Job - If you don’t have a good reason for leaving, employers might be hesitant to employ you. After all, what’s to stop you leaving them too? Employers want to know what you have a good reason for wanting a new job, whether that be career progression or a new challenge.
- Work with the Right Recruiter - It’s beneficial to work with a recruiter who specialises in the industry you want to work in, someone who has experience with pairing candidates like you with the perfect position. A lot of job specifications look the same, so speak to your recruiter about what makes each role unique. The recruiter should know the ins and outs of the hiring company, and the benefits of choosing one position over another.
- Don’t Be Afraid to Sell Yourself - Every candidate is slightly different, so know what your USPs are and determine what sets you apart from other people. If you’re not sure, talk to a recruiter; they are likely to know what makes you stand out from the crowd.
As you can see, there are a lot of things that you can do to make you attractive to employers. With so many candidates applying for each role, standing out as being perfect is key.