How to apply for a job on the move

Taken a break from work and not sure the best way to use technology, if at all, to find and apply for a job?

The job applications process has greatly evolved over recent years due to the advent of technology, including social media platforms and the growth of online job boards.

Today, when a candidate enters the job market their first step is to use the Internet to search for something to match their job hunt criteria. This includes the use of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and leading job boards such as CV Library and Reed. Many candidates also now reach out to friends through social media platforms for their recommendations.

The newest way to apply for a job is by using an app on iphones and androids and some recruitment agencies and job boards have apps to download for free. As well as applying for specific jobs, another successful way to get noticed by employers and recruitment agencies is by uploading your CV onto CV portals.

Increased competition
One effect of the rise today’s technology during the recruitment process is that candidates are facing much tougher competition as there are more applicants per advert than ever before. Now the Internet is so accessible, job adverts are found by many more people than when they were just in the back of a newspaper, or on the careers section of a company website. This makes the job market very competitive, so candidates need to have something to make their CV stand out from the rest.

Start with listing your career history to show job title, company and dates in a very clear and easy to read format, then bullet point your duties for each role, ensuring that you outline your transferable skills in them, especially if you want to switch career. Keep organisation-specific jargon off your CV and tailor it for each job application to highlight your key experience.

Again in the Internet age you can research recruitment agencies and potential employers very easily by visiting their websites and reading any reviews left on social media. With this in mind you should remember that you are also likely to be ‘searched’, especially as you progress during the selection process so make sure you have a respectable image and profile on your social media pages.

When it comes to the interview stage, prepare answers to questions such as “why are you returning to work?” together with competency based answers to other likely questions. For example, “can you tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult situation and how you overcame it?” as well as an example of a particular project or task that you are proud of achieving.

To ensure you have a strong answer, choose a specific real life scenario and prepare your answer using the STAR technique – Situation Task Action Result. In the same way that you are able to do lots of research on a company, hiring managers also expect interviewees to know more about their business than ever before. Ensure you let your interviewer know that you have done your research by asking them questions about their organisation to show you are interested in working for them. Finally, good luck!

*Lisa Rinaldi is Regional Director of general staffing recruitment giant, Cordant People. Lisa is skilled in placing people in a range of temporary and permanent job roles across a variety of industry sectors including central government departments, publishing, hospitality, exclusive membership organisations, property, legal and investment. Prior to joining Cordant People, she worked at Office Angels running a successful temps desk and managing a large flagship branch before joining the senior management team at Cordant. Cordant People is part of Cordant Recruitment, the second largest privately owned recruitment organisations in the UK.

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