As a nation we have lost the art of applying for a job. What happened to the glorious days of addressing the criteria set out in the job advertisement and trying to sell your most suitable assets? The answer lies in the unprecedented growth we have witnessed during the past 15 years. Unemployment rates have been at record lows, we were forever hearing about the skills shortage and the need to attract more talent to our shores.

Change

This phenomenal growth brings change resulting in new ways of doing things. By in large, humanity will develop faster more efficient ways of performing daily tasks. When it comes to finding a new job, the internet has revolutionised how we search and how recruiters advertise. We simply hit “apply now” sending the same resume off to yet another job without any regard for what the advertiser is looking for. Today, a recruiter could discover a new job at 9.00am, advertise it on one of the job boards and speak to a totally new candidate all before a 10.00am coffee. This one hour turnaround time will not impress anyone who has grown up on a daily diet of Google and Yahoo! But it will sound remarkable to any of those old people who searched for jobs before the internet became so entwined in our daily lives. Hold on a minute, did we say old people. Let me put the record straight, these people are not old, really. They may even be as young as 30.

Back with the Dinosaurs

How did one find a job before the internet? It was a much longer process to begin with. A recruiter who picked up a job at 9.00am would be lucky to have it in print media within 3 days. Applicants would be encouraged to phone for more details. Some would request a covering letter with an application. Can you imagine how long this took? Do you think people would apply for 10 jobs in one sitting? Not a chance.

Full Circle

So where have we gone wrong or are there any side effects of this change to the application process? Low unemployment has forced normally fastidious employers into dropping their standards a little. We moved from a market where employers asked what can you bring to the table to a situation where we turned the table and asked the employer what can you offer me? Formalities have certainly been dropped with the advent of email. We have moved from an application process that previously involved making a phone call, writing a letter and addressing key criteria to one where shooting off an email without uttering or writing a word will be acceptable. As the job market becomes tighter it seems we have come full circle. Response levels will begin to rise and already have in many key markets. More importantly the quality of these responses will also rise. As we enter a market filled with a quantity of quality candidates, recruiters and employers will look for ways to cull these massive responses. They can put in place three simple checks.

1^st Check

They will start with a simple check for spelling and grammar. You’d be surprised how many candidates will fall at this stage – pure carelessness and not the sort of person you’d want to employ, given a choice.

Solution: Have a friend or colleague quickly read your resume. For more tips check out http://www.resumepartners.com.au/resume-tips/

2^nd Check

A well written cover letter, addressing the key criteria laid out in the advertisement. Some applicants simply don’t bother with a cover letter when applying for roles via a job board. Some who do, use a generic letter and forget to modify small details such as the name of the person they are writing or the role they are applying. This is not hard to get right, again it’s pure carelessness.

Solution: Spend time on each application or check out http://www.resumepartners.com.au/cover-letters/

3^rd Check

If your application is not relevant, you’ll be lucky to receive an automated response! Not much point in applying for the Rocket Scientist position if you’re currently the Mailroom Clerk and likewise, forget about the Mailroom position if you’re a Rocket Scientist. Showing why an employer should meet with you by addressing the key criteria and highlighting on your resume the skills and experience relevant to the role is essential.

Solution: Either learn how to do it here http://www.resumepartners.com.au/iresume/

or have a professional do it for you here http://www.resumepartners.com.au/resume-tailor/

Aside from these initial checks database mining will become more popular with recruiters so ensuring that all of your systems experience is listed together with any industry buzz words and critically, your job title or rather, the job title of the role you are applying is essential. Let me put this in context. You may be performing many aspects of the role you are applying for however if your job title does not match that of the advertised position, you may be overlooked.

So when you next apply for a job, ask yourself first and foremost, do you really want this job? If the answer is yes, put the effort in. A job application is not a five minute process. Spend some time on it. This time spent will pay off in terms of finding a suitable position resulting in happiness and generally speaking, better financial rewards.