Hiring from a Recruiter's Point of View

The RiseSmart 2018 Recruiter Survey is out, as of November 2018, and the company compiled its data to give you tips and tricks to improve your job search efforts. This information gives you a glimpse into what job recruiters look for in a candidate, which may increase your chances of landing a job. Get to know how recruiters work and think from their particular point of view.

Getting Past an Applicant Tracking System

As many as 81 percent of job recruiters use some kind of applicant tracking system (ATS) to weed through resumes. This technological tool saves time and money, since recruiters often do not have time to read through each and every resume they receive. To get your resume to rank higher on a list of candidates, use a plain layout without any graphics, incorporate relevant keywords from the job description, include a summary section that lists your top talents, and check for spelling errors and typos.

Improve Your Resume

After customizing your resume to get past the ATS, tailor your document for each position. As many as 56 percent of job recruiters look for honest content on resumes. Align your resume with what you have on social media, LinkedIn and an online portfolio. Align your skills, positions and job titles with the qualifications listed on the job description. For example, if the hiring manager seeks a marketing manager and you were a marketing director, consider changing your job title to a marketing manager.

Fill your resume with relevant information. Up to 71 percent of job recruiters accept two-page resumes, but these documents must have relevant and targeted information. List transferable skills that any employer may want regardless of the industry, such as communication skills, teamwork, problem-solving skills and leadership. Consider having job experience that goes back 10 to 15 years, because recruiters want to see recent and relevant work history.

Marketing Your Personal Brand

As you put words into your resume, make sure they align with your personal brand. If you say you have dynamite problem-solving skills, you should be able to demonstrate that in an interview. Everything you say on LinkedIn, social media and a resume you must also back up with your personality during an interview. There should be no surprises by what you say during your face time. An interview gives you a chance to expand upon (rather than simply repeat) what your resume says.

Network

Up to 80 percent of job recruiters enjoy networking. However, you must do this correctly for it to work. Rather than trying to force a resume onto recruiters, apply for the position first and then explain why you're trying to connect with a particular recruiter. Connecting with a recruiter shows interest in the position and that you're excited to move forward. Up to 95 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn to source candidates for a job, so consider making a connection through that social network.

One thing to keep in mind is that it takes an average of six weeks to extend someone an offer from the initial contact to making a final hiring decision. Job recruiters are busy people, so honing your job search skills and understanding the recruiters' point of view helps you achieve better results over the long term.

Photo courtesy of Sira Anamwong at FreeDigitalPhotos.net