DESPITE a barrage of online applications from job-seekers
through job portals, recruiters are often left with very few 'worthwhile'
applications. Most candidates commit seven cardinal sins and lose out on a
good opportunity.
Sin
1: Application is incomplete
Instead of keeping recruiters
guessing, as is the case often, do your bit and provide all relevant
details. Time-crunched recruiters who are swamped by hundreds of
résumés every day, usually end up spending time on applications that are
complete, and which do not need them to ferret out information.
When creating a profile, register yourself
by filling in your details on
the job board, then upload your résumé, and finally, write a cover letter.
On the job board and in the résumé, it is best to give all the information
sought - from educational qualifications and particulars about current and
previous organisations to relevant personal details. "The biggest
blunder one can commit is to send the application without contact phone
numbers. We have no way of getting in touch with and are compelled to
reject the candidate even if they make the cut," says Parama Biswas,
HR Generalist, BOC India.
While filling in particulars, candidates often omit details regarding
salary or location assuming that those can be discussed at a later stage -
during a telephone or face-to-face interview. This can leave matters to
chance and your fate will depend on how the recruiter takes it. While many
are willing to oversee it and arrange an interview, some recruiting
agencies find this annoying as salary is one of the chief deciding factors.
Hence, even if the application is not rejected immediately, it may not be
the first preference. As Cindrella Vincent, HR Executive, Praxis
Interactive Technologies Ltd., points out, "All recruiters have a
budget for each position and not knowing whether an application makes the
mark salary-wise, makes it all the more difficult. If someone is already
drawing more than the allocated salary, then we will obviously not get in
touch with him or her, thereby saving the candidate’s and our time."
Sin
2: Not following instructions
For instance, if a recruiter
specifies that phone calls are not welcome, it is best to adhere to it. It
not only ensures that the résumé reaches the right person at the right time
with the right information, but also underlines your willingness to take
instructions.
Sin
3: Getting generic
Job portals give you the option
of applying in the quickest manner to all jobs by clicking just once on
"Apply" (may be known by a different name across portals). This
practice, however, is best avoided. Instead, use the preview option and
edit it to suit the position on offer. "It is very important to
customise the job application. Many job searchers often send group e-mails
and generic résumés to recruiters. This is the worst mistake one can make,
and cuts a very shabby picture and shows the applicant's desperation and
lackadaisical attitude. He or she will, in all probability, never be the
first preference," shares Sebastian Rodriguez, Manager Resourcing,
Datamatics Global Services Limited.
A checklist
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• Follow all
instructions
• Fill in all the required information
• Do a spelling and grammar check
• Give contact details
• Add a covering letter with he subject
line mentioning the profile
• Attach your résumé
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Features of a good
résumé
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• Do not
just narrate your duties and responsibilities in the
previous organization/s, highlight your achievements
• Emphasize fitment and value addition to the profile
advertised
• Pay attention to detail and format it in such a
manner that you draw attention to what is relevant for that
particular profile
• Give all the required information
without running into countless pages
• Ideally give as much information as necessary to
evoke interest and elicit an interview call
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Though
the details you fill in while registering on a job portal and the résumé
you upload there will be a broad-based one, ensure you customize your
application whenever you apply for a particular position. Go through the
job description, figure out the job requirements, and accordingly highlight
why you are best suited for the profile in terms of your experience and
skill set in the cover letter and/or the comments section.
The cardinal rule is to address your application to the right person,
mentioning the profile you are interested in and the Reference ID/ Job
Code. Cindrella Vincent advises, "Even if a candidate thinks he or she
fits into more than one of the advertised roles, the position must be
specified. It will show your focus and area of interest as well as how well
you understand the job specifications. For example, profiles of writers and
editors are often quite similar, so if the candidate leaves it blank, the
candidate may not get what he/she prefers."
Sometimes, placement agencies place such advertisements and they do not
disclose the name of the organization. In such cases it is advisable to get
in touch with the recruiting firm for information on the position and the organization
before sending your application.
Sin
4: Applying in a hurry
Organizations hire on the basis
of what the candidate brings to the table and not on a first-come-first
serve basis. So never rush! Double check your application - details on the
job board, résumé and cover letter before sending them. Applications and
cover letters filled with typos, accompanied with unformatted résumés will
create a negative impression. "The icing on the cake is of course
forgetting to attach the résumé altogether," says Parama. Such
bloopers give the impression that they are disinterested and casual.
Sin
5: Getting gimmicky
In a bid to attract a recruiters
attention, many candidates resort to flashy formatting including fancy
footers, flamboyant language or even a personal pleas in the comments
section. Recruiters do not spend more than a few seconds perusing a CV and
only if it evokes their interest are they likely to go through it in
details. So ensure smart formatting and the correct choice of words.
Sin
6: Not following up
Online applications also need
follow-ups. For instance, if you do not hear from the recruiter within
seven to 10 days, it is best to follow up on your application. However,
Sebastian Rodriguez cautions, "Don’t keep badgering recruiters by
calling or mailing every other day. Be sharp enough to gauge when you have
not made the cut and the recruiters are too courteous to say it
directly."
The key is to be polite and show interest in the position while enquiring
about your application. In case you do not get any response that
acknowledges the receipt of your application, you can try other means of
forwarding your application - through another job portal or by directly
contacting the appropriate person in the placement consultancy or the organization.
Sin
7: Not blocking current employer
It is best to keep your job hunt
under wraps until you resign.
Firstly, your manager will be displeased if he or she gets to hear of it
from any other source. Also, your organization will assume that you are in
exit mode and may leave you out from business meetings and office events.
Hence, staying on in that organization, till a good offer comes up, can
become very difficult and may even compel you to take up the first offer
that comes your way, even if it is not the kind you want. Also, remember
that searching for a job from your workplace is a complete no-no. Most
offices, these days, have firewalls which not only prevent access to such
sites but also log access requests to those sites and report them to the HR
department or the reporting manager.
The situation will grow worse if your job search does not yield immediate
and expected results - you will be hounded by smug questions about the
status of your job search and whether it has yielded any results, which can
be extremely humiliating. So, be discrete by blocking your current organization
from viewing your profile online till you get a concrete offer and are in a
position to put in your papers.
Good luck!
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